Turning 47 beauty secrets

I’d be lying if I said 47 doesn’t sound old. I’m definitely having some *mixed emotions* as I (officially) transition into my late-fourties.

This birthday felt heavier somehow, and with it occurring during the height of Covid, kind of lonely.

Each new year around the sun brings new opportunities, wisdom, challenges, and experiences. I’ve tried to embrace every new stage of life whether it was 16, 18, 21, 30, 40, 45 and now, 47. I believe in truly living life to its fullness no matter where I am in space or time.

It is my intention to be fully transparent and authentic no matter what I do — to remain true to myself regardless if I’m struggling or truly blessed with good fortune. I believe this has allowed me to keep growing as a wife, mum, sister, friend and business woman.

Cultivating a true growth mindset took time and over the last few years I’ve been challenged more than ever. Accepting myself as I am means embracing physical and emotional changes.

During my 20’s and 30’s I was an ‘extremist’. I tried being a raw foodie, pushed myself so hard with fitness that I competed in a triathlon with a fractured tibia. Then chose to run a marathon without any formal training, but after mile 18 my body said no more and I fainted. I travelled non-stop for work while juggling 2 young children, one with a life threatening disease all while being a single mom.

Balanced in body, mind and spirit

In my 47 years of life, I’m now the happiest with my body than ever before.  I’ve learned how to soften and enjoy fitness because it makes me feel good not because I want to look a certain way. Yoga, Barre3, and walking are my preferred forms of exercise. I am proud of the way I view my body, as woman, but also as a fitness instructor.

I’ll never forget the time when I overheard a much younger client tell her friend she didn’t have much hope for a ‘burner’ class when she saw I was the instructor. In my younger years this would have been a huge emotional trigger and I would have made the class especially hard. After class, she came up to me and told me how I blew her mind with my teaching, she’s since become one of my regulars and is now going through instructor training.

don’t judge a book by it’s cover

My take away was that rather than supporting and uplifting each other, we pass judgment far too soon. Negativity weighs us down, so instead I try to hold myself accountable and choose optimism and curiosity. Being open has allowed me to surround myself with a tribe of inspirational and strong women from all walks of life.

healthy boundaries

Nourishing your body is so much than what you eat, it’s also who you invite into your heart, and share your life with. Probably the best thing I ever did to remove any unnecessary stress in my life was to close the door on any toxic relationships. (Stress leads to inflammation in the body and we all know inflammation is THE leading cause of most illnesses.)

Creating healthy boundaries is good for everyone. You become confident and fully transparent with any expectations you have. But most importantly your relationships become meaningful, communication flows with ease, and there is less conflict. (Less conflict leads to less stress, reduced stress allows you to live a happier more fulfilled life.)

intuitive eating

I’ve eaten plant based diet since I was 14, but now I’m older, I eat intuitively. That means I know what my body thrives on, and what will make me feel horrible. I eat mostly cooked vegetables with lentils, beans and some grains. I find cooked vs. raw foods to be much more gentle on my stomach and easier to digest. I also sprout all my grains and beans, this has been the best solution to help relieve painful bloating.

Beauty rituals & maintenance practices to keep me feeling confident and loving my body:

Hair

I colour my hair every 3 weeks. Sadly, I’ve been going grey since my late twenties, so my hair needs rich deep conditioning shampoo and conditioners, but the best trick is only washing my hair 1x week and using dry shampoo as needed. Tip: use dry shampoo before you hair gets greasy.

The good news with going grey, is that my hair has a natural balayage look to it and I don’t pay for highlights.

Daily Shampoo and Conditioner: I swear by doTERRA shampoo and conditioner and the root to tip hair serum.

Hair Mask: Every couple weeks or if I’ve been in the sun a lot I use Innersense Hydrating Hair Masque. It revives my colour treated and dry hair with a combination of Flax, Monoi , Shea, Coconut and Tamanu Oils.

Hair Serum: I love how light doTERRA root to tip hair serum is. It doesn’t weigh my hair down, smells incredible and is rich enough to provide a lovely shine without the greasy look.

Skin:

After working in the fashion industry for over 20 years as a celebrity makeup artist, and being certified as a medical aesthetician I’ve tried pretty much every skin care product there is. No matter what new exciting product I try, I keep returning to the basics. A gentle cleanser at night, an exfoliant 1x week, and a morning and evening serum.  I swear by monthly facials for maintenance and peels for a refresher, IPL to reverse sun damage from my days sunbathing with oil all over my face.

I used to spend a fortune on various serums and acids, but honestly if you eat whole foods, drink good quality water, exercise and are happy, you skin will glow from the inside out.

I stick to non-toxic products for my daily use and customize Evanhealy Pomegrante Repair Serum to use during the day time and also at night time.

The best thing I ever did for my skin was learning from Whim Hoff the healing benefits of cold water. Ever since my mid-twenties, I’ve used only cold water on my face in the morning, no cleanser and no soap. Once a week I give my skin a cold water bath. (Exactly as it sounds… a big bowl of water and ice cubes, take a deep breathe and submerge your face for 10-20 seconds. Repeat 5-10 times) Cold water is natures way of reducing any morning puffiness, it shrinks pores, increases circulation and gives you glowing radiant skin.

You can read more about my favourite non-toxic skin care swaps here and read all of celebrity makeup artist Shannon Rasheed’s must have makeup products here.

Facials and Laser Treatment

I go to SkinSpirit for monthly facials and or peels as a general self-care practice. In the winter I focus on my age spots with IPL laser treatment.

Body Treatments

Regular massage is truly a necessary to support my body physically but also emotionally. I carry stress in my neck and low back so I try to indulge monthly in a full body massage. Acupuncture is one of my favourite treatments to reboot my health but also to keep my body in alignment. I go quarterly for a health and wellness tune up.

Reiki/Sound Baths

Whenever possible and when my soul needs extra love and attention, I love Reiki treatments. Reiki helps reduce stress and helps any energy blockages you may have by assisting the bodies own natural ability to balance and restore itself at the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. It is a fantastic tool when combined with shadow work as it can support any previous trauma or illness.

When I’m really intentional I carve out time for a sound bath. Sound Bath’s are an ancient form of deep meditation and sound healing.  The healing vibrations provide your whole body with a reset and instantly reduces any stress or anxiety.  If I’m struggling to fall asleep, I pop in my ear buds and quickly find my mind settle into a sense of calm and eventually blissful sleep.

So, now I am embracing this new phase of my life journey, with a renewed commitment to my health and happiness. Curious about what’s next, but grateful for all the magic I’ve created up to this point. What matters most is my girls are happy, and that brings me the most joy.

Your turn: I’d love to know what are some of your beauty rituals and self-care indulgences.

To your health & happiness,

Love,

Amanda XX