Let’s Rock these Thirties Billo!

I’m super excited to have Quratulain from QuezzLifestyle on my blog today talking about being Fabulous at 30 and beyond! She has her own style of informal chat that I love and her tips are always helpful! So listen well, take notes and yes, do follow her blog. Over to Q! 

    

As soon as you cross 30 you start falling in the category of being a “Desi Aunty” but that does not mean you don’t get to shine and rock your 30s, or for that matter, any decade of your life! Now that I have reached my late 30s, I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve to feel fabulous any day! Read on to learn some unknown, and some not-so-unknown but effective totkas! 

  

Love your skin, wash thy face

If you haven’t learnt it till now, today is a great day to start! Before bedtime, after waking up, and of course anytime you do Wudu. You might wonder that is soap enough for the task? Sometimes, yes. My all time favorite is the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Boosters Facial Cleanser. It works wonders to clean and yet not dry out your skin.

If you’re willing to do some work, then roll up your sleeves and mix up the traditional face scrub: Ubtan:

 Ingredients:

1 part chickpea powder (baisan)

1 part fine ground almond husk

1/4 part turmeric powder

1/4 part rose petal powder

How to:

Mix the above and keep it next to your sink for quick use. Just take a spoonful, and mix it with some water to make a smooth paste. I tend to do this in my palm, forgoing the need for a bowl. Spread and rub on your face, and wash away with clear water. Now don’t expect it to take care of makeup like regular soap! Remove that with a good cold cream before using this wash. My all time favorite is the Pond’s cold cream…ah, Nostalgia!

  

Exfoliate your face once a week

Dead skin builds up pretty fast and it shows when you wear makeup. An indicator is that even little foundation will appear flaky. A great way to deal with this is to grab any good scrub from your drug store, and spend good five minutes using it at least once a week. My all time favorite is the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. However, any drug store brand should do.

A great totka is to get one tablespoon of baking soda (NOT powder), and make a smooth paste with some water. Apply it on your face, avoiding the eyes. Scrub gently as this is a strong exfoliant. Don’t over scrub, as it can make the skin peel. You can even leave this on as a mask for a while, and rinse away with water. Do NOT get over excited by the results and repeat sooner than a week. This works all too well

Invest in a good body scrub

One of the luxuries I miss from my Middle Eastern years is the Hamam Maghrabi! In Canada sadly I have yet to find a suitable substitute. That said, you should not assume that it’s impossible to take care of the rest of your body.

A good place to start is to invest in quality exfoliating bath gloves. I love the ones you can get from the Body Shop! Just make sure you replace them every six months.

Start with taking a long steamy shower, or better yet, soak yourself in a tub full of epsom salt and essential oils. Next, start by taking your favorite body wash in the gloved hand, and start scrubbing from your feet up till your face! This actually has health benefits in invigorating the blood circulation and making you feel fresh!

End the bath with a cool rinse, followed by moisturizing. Again, nothing does the moisturizing game better than the basic baby oil that you can get from any drug/grocery store!

Bonus Tip: If you do this a day or two before your planned body hair removal, you will literally see amazing difference in the glow of your skin.

Water, Aqua, Paani

If not now, then when? Yes, start gulping down at least six glasses of water everyday. We don’t realize it, but just by drinking more water, we improve our skin in so many ways and stay hydrated.

My trick is to drink water every time I go to the kitchen and believe me I end up there sooner or later 😉 

The Power of Vitamin D

I meet so many women in their thirties and beyond who say: “We have no energy, nor the urge to do anything”. Without going into a whole lecture of YOLO (You Only Live Once), I strongly recommend you all to start taking Vitamin D. Trust me, take it for three months straight and then talk to me about your energy levels!

Dress for your body type

I think thirties is the best time than any, to accept your body type, and start dressing for it. The days of wearing ill-fitted tight clothes and mismatched pieces are best left in your teenage. Understand your body type, and see what works for you. Just because middy shirts with skinny pants are in, does not mean you have to wear just that to look fashionable. Rather, wearing good quality cuts, with flattering fit is the way to go!

Now before you start planning the next trip to desi-land to grab such clothes, let me share a cheaper alternative. Most brands now carry tops of different lengths. Similarly, pants are no longer just the regular straight cut. With a little exploration, you can easily find pieces which go so well together, and at the same time, can be flattering on our south ssian figure. My favorite shops for such styles are: H&M, Zara, Banana Republic, and the much underestimated, Old Navy.

‘Warzish’ (Exercise) to stay Happy

Believe me, when we used to hear our elders talk about taking a daily stroll in the park, they were onto the best-kept secret to their long life and healthy demeanor. While having a gym membership is considered a luxury, I on the other hand consider it an investment in your happy future. That said, a gym membership is NOT the only way to start exercising. Thankfully we are in the age of YouTube. So we have access to online videos, which serve as personal trainers inside our homes. My personal favorite is the ‘30 day shred’ by Jillian Michaels. Yes the same Jillian from ‘Big Fat Loser’ show. Stick to the program and you will see results.

How about making a girls’ night out for a Yoga session? Search for drop-in sessions all around the city, starting at $10 for a class. Who knows, it may inspire you and your friends to do it more often. You can pick and choose as to what type of workout you want to do, but just decide to ‘commit’ to move! We as 30-something females need to invest in making muscles, so that we keep moving as we grow older.

So come on Billo! Let us rock no matter what our age! Hope you enjoyed these tips. Let me know which ones work for you!

  
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Urdu Mom: Thank you Q for your time and sharing these amazing tips! Do follow her blog! All details below:

https://quezzlifestyle.wordpress.com/

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