29 April 2012

The Slow Productive Sunday


Oh Sunday. That day you roll over later than you usually would, have a luxurious 30 minute breakfast while reading this month's Harper's Bazaar (wishing you could acquire Mila Kunis's wardrobe and bright sparkling eyes), take naps, drink tea and ultimately - do nothing. Or perhaps that's just me. I personally believe this day is designed for us to be happy and sloooooow.


After several hours of lounging I usually get around to doing a few things that are a must for me on Sundays since I usually don't have time or energy to do them any other day of the week.

Here's what usually happens at some point in my Sunday:



Cleaning make up & hair brushes


This is important for me to do at least once a week because my skin is very sensitive to, well, everything. So I clean all of my brushes with a mild detergent and lay them out in a line to air dry. Men, clean your electric shavers/trimmers and your hair brushes also because they harbour bacteria. You probably will not do this any other day of the week so I think it's a good way to start the week off fresh.

Exfoliation

Smooth glowing skin is everything. I usually scrub myself with a body brush daily or once every 2 days but on Sundays I ensure I also exfoliate my face, neck, hands and feet especially. Shaving also removes the top layer of dead skin but still exfoliate to reduce ingrown hairs. People often exfoliate their faces but forget their necks - pay attention to your neck! If you can't go out and buy a product now or you forgot, you can always use some good old baking soda or make an olive oil and sugar scrub.

Nail clipping/filing

It's important to me to keep my toe nails as short as possible and my fingernails filed at all times. I have long fingernails so I soak them and file them on a Sunday to get rid of any nicks or chips that I may not have fixed during the week. I also believe a well groomed man keeps his nails short. 

Shampoo & Deep Conditioning

I shampoo my hair once or sometimes twice a week. If I shampoo during the week I usually only leave my conditioner in for a few minutes then rinse but on Sundays I go all out. I apply my conditioner and put on a shower cap first and usually sit under my heat cap for about an hour. I rinse and apply my carrot and coconut oil to my ends, brush the ends out and add a dime-sized amount of some argan oil or almond oil to my entire head (I have long hair so use an amount that suits your hair length, but you don't want to be all greasy and whatnot).

Consume something sweet

This is a new part of the routine as I'm trying not to ingest the absurd amounts of sugar I usually do. I have sacrificed drinking Coca-Cola since my return from Toronto and I intend to give it up permanently. The hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. No, really.

I indulged in a lot of cake in the last 2 weeks (2 back-to-back birthdays) so I'm getting more diligent about my sugar reduction now. I intend to limit myself to a sugary treat every Sunday evening with my tea but keep my sugar intake low during the week. I'm still doing more research on the many ways too much sugar affects our bodies but basically - it's sweet destruction.

Have a great Sunday!

Yours,

A.

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