‘True beauty is an inside job’

Feel good all day long with this awesome extract from this extract from Gorgeous for Good by Sophie Uliano…

Do you ever catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and see someone you barely recognise? Do you trash almost every selfie you take because, well, you’re just not as gorgeous as you should be these days? Have you tried and failed to change something about your physical appearance? Do you sometimes feel as if you are fighting a losing battle in your quest to look younger or more beautiful? If you’ve answered affirmatively to one or two of these questions, then join the club!

And allow me to welcome you to Gorgeous for Good, a community of women who not only feel the same way as you but want you to join us in creating a new consciousness – a paradigm shift in the way we think about ourselves that will transform not only the way we look but also the way we feel about our lives.

Let’s face it, the mere attempt to look younger or different from what we really are can be extremely stressful. The new information flooding into our inboxes daily is mind-numbing. How on earth can we keep up with all these cutting-edge products and procedures that will miraculously bestow a youthful glow upon us when there’s a new one every week? The panic about downing enough antioxidant-infused juice, folding into hundreds of spasm-inducing squats and coughing up cash for laughably expensive facial peels and fillers – well, that itself is stressful enough to deepen those fine lines that we’re so hell-bent on erasing.

I picked up a magazine the other day that has a strong focus on cosmetic surgery. Each glossy page showed another grinning plastic surgeon explaining how he or she can completely fix a woman’s face or body with a couple of simple surgeries. Although I’m not against a few cosmetic tweaks, the whole magazine left me feeling empty, less-than and afraid. Maybe I should have the bump in my nose shaved off, or get a brow, knee, stomach or bottom lift? But, honestly, aside from the fact that I can’t afford most of these invasive procedures, I’m terrified of them. What if it all went wrong and I came out looking completely bizarre? Or, even worse, what if I went to sleep in the operating room… for ever?

As I dumped the magazine in the bin (I didn’t want my 13-year-old daughter to see all the lurid before-and-after images), I reminded myself that reading content that focuses almost entirely on fixing a woman’s physical imperfections is not the most positive use of my precious time. Besides, I rather like most of my ‘imperfections’; I’ve got to know them (dare I say love them?) because they make me who I am.

The good news is that the tide is turning against skin that’s stretched as tight as Saran Wrap. No one wants to look like a robotic Barbie. The ubiquitous term ‘anti-ageing’ has become boring and meaningless. Instead of attempting to look like something we’re not, we now simply want to look and feel like more revitalised versions of ourselves.

The truth is that we all want to be natural. The problem is that many of us have a slight problem with looking natural if it means saggy jowls and deep wrinkles. So, what can we put in place of the laughably expensive products and procedures that could make us look like weird versions of our original selves? Oh, sure, a lifetime of SPF50, yoga and an organic, vegan diet will do it, but for most of us, that ship sailed long ago!

What we really need is a daily beauty regimen that is practical, easy and doable and that will not only stop time in its tracks but also maybe rewind it. We need a holistic plan that partners the ‘miraculous cures’ of the latest scientific discoveries with the healing powers of nature so that we can age naturally and gorgeously, despite the pressures of our busy lives and polluted atmosphere. Impossible, right? Wrong. I’m excited to share my programme with you because it’s what I have figured out works really well for me. From years of trial and error and intensive up-till-three-in-the-morning research, I’ve discovered a whole-life programme that seems to work like a charm for everyone who has trusted me enough to give it a go.

And, by the way, I know that while many of us care about the environment – separating our recyclables and even growing our own greens – there aren’t many of us who are prepared to compromise, even a little bit, when it comes to beauty. Eco-consciousness often flies out the window in the face of a woman who wants to maintain her allure. The reality is that many of us don’t care what’s in our skin cream as long as it works. What we all want are results: good ones, and now. But I want to let you know that there is a way to look beautiful and not throw out all of your environmental cares, because true beauty is an inside job. Nothing looks as good as healthy, and healthy generally works for both you and the earth.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to give up the products and procedures you love. I am a beauty flexitarian with a foot in both the enhancement camp and the one nature intended. By firmly taking a stand for the middle ground, I have learned to own my own beauty while taking charge of the future of my face and body.

This extract was taken from Gorgeous for Good by Sophie Uliano, published 7 April (Hay House UK, £12.99). Read it to find out how you can naturally halt the ageing passage of time.