If you think about it, Thanksgiving (in addition to being a time of thanks and love) is really the lead in to a month (or more) of festive holiday parties. Whatever your belief, December is a month of celebrations. For some, the parties begin early in the month and carry right on through into the New Year. For others, the celebrations tend to be on the holiday itself and/or the eve of thereof. Whatever your plans are for the month, I know one thing…You want to look your best at every event you attend.

Today, I am going to share my biggest secrets for looking flawless at all your parties (and everyday).

Those of you who have met me know that I insist on skincare as a precursor to make up. For those of you who don’t fully understand why, consider this. You and your neighbor both live in matching houses. Over the course of 15 years, one of you completes all the small repairs that become necessary with the passage of time (cleaning the gutters, fixing the cracks, hammering in every nail), while the other does nothing. One day (after the 15 years), you both decide to paint your homes. After the coats of fresh paint, whose house is going to look better…A) the one who did all the repairs or B) the one who just threw the paint over the battered home?

Clearly, the answer is A! Logic tells us that a small amount of upkeep over time will result in a better looking home. Paint alone cannot cover deep cracks, crooked shutters and broken shingles. Consider the above scenario, now make this simple substitution…you are the house. The daily care routine you put into your skin is the small repairs. And, the make-up you use is the paint. Just like the house, you and your make-up will look infinitely better if you keep up with your small repairs.

If you want your skin in the best order it can be in (and for the record, it’s never too late….change can happen fast with the proper use of quality products), set up a great routine today, and stick to it….Ladies, I know most of you have skincare products right in your medicine cabinet, but are you using them? Be honest, are you using them everyday? As a second question, are you using quality product? The bigger the price does not mean better quality…do your research be sure you are paying for ingredients and not a brand name. Lines worth considering…if you want drug store, choose OLAY*. Their science is the best you will find on the shelves of your corner store. If you want results comparable to prescription but without the prescription, choose BEAUTY SOCIETY*. If you want to go all out and go to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon (and I always recommend Dr. Roxanne Guy), choose NEOCUTIS*. Proper skincare is your prescription for anti-aging. And, like any other medication, if you want to heal…if you want to change…you cannot skip a dose!

If you are 14 or 40, start today. What are you waiting for? Time doesn’t wait and neither should you. Commit to your skincare, and I do mean EVERYDAY! Those of you who have made the commitment know exactly what I am talking about… And those of you who haven’t, I am sure you have taken notice of the skin of those who do. Isn’t that proof enough? You can have exactly the face you want if you put in the minimal effort.

Please take my advice and make a daily commitment to your skin.  If your house in good repair, you will see that a touch of make-up is all you need to look like a screen goddess. If you don’t listen and just put in the care now and then, or only when you remember, you will find that a lot more make-up is needed just to make you look presentable.

The gift-giving season is upon us… what better gift can you give yourself and your loved ones than a remarkable skincare product and the knowledge to get the most out of it.

I challenge each of you to commit to twice daily skincare for the remainder of the month. You will see a dramatic change and I want you to let me know what happens…

*Whether you choose Olay, Beauty Society or Neocutis be sure to set up a decent routine that has at least the very basic steps…review my article BEAUTY BASICS SKINCARE if you need more direction.