Brunette Ambition (9 page)

FOURTH,
after my skin is nice and soft, I rinse off in the shower and wash my hair.

FIFTH,
I apply Dr. Hauschka’s Rose Body Oil everywhere except for my face. It’s luxurious but doesn’t cost a fortune (you can get it online) and moisturizes my skin better than anything else.

SIXTH,
I apply a
face masque
. A frozen cucumber version is my absolute go-to since it calms my skin down considerably—it’s really great for all skin types. I leave this on until it starts to melt and then rinse with cool water. (Keep in mind that it can get messy!)

Cucumber Face Masque

Take two chopped cucumbers and a handful of ice and blend until it’s the consistency of a thick puree (it’s kind of like a slushy). I add a few drops of peppermint oil and then apply it quickly before it melts. When I have time, I ring the edge of my face with strips of cotton to prevent it from getting everywhere; when I’m in a rush, I’ll just apply it to the eye area. It’s
freezing
but feels amazing.

SEVENTH,
I do a quick at-home mani/pedi. Depending on how much time has passed since I got out of the tub, I soak my feet in hot water with a little eucalyptus or peppermint oil and then soften my soles up with a buffer. I then apply a coat of nail strengthener and some thick lotion.

My Relaxation Must-Haves

1.
Candles: I love Voluspa’s French Bourbon Vanille scent.

2.
Red Wine: I’m Italian, so I love red wine, though I only keep organic varieties in the house since they have fewer sulfites.
*
My favorite is Our Daily Red, which is super-yummy and available at Whole Foods.

3.
Calm Music: Bon Iver is one of my favorite artists—his music is so relaxing. And Barbra records always help me unwind.

4.
Lavender Oil & Epsom Salts: If I’m tense, a few drops of Kneipp bath oil mixed in with some Epsom salts is key (it’s available at Whole Foods). The Valerian & Hops always helps me fall asleep.

5.
Hot Tea: If I don’t feel like wine, I’ll boil some water and add lemon and honey. It’s a great way to rid your body of toxins. If I want flavor, I’ll make Yogi’s Lavender Chamomile tea.

* Sulfites keep wine from fermenting. Organic wines tend to have fewer sulfites, and dry reds have fewer than sweet whites.

The Spotlight

1.
Making an effort to do something nice for yourself at the end of a long day will always make you feel better—both in that moment and the next morning. Treat yourself: Pour a glass of champagne, turn on Bravo, and slather on that masque! To me, that sounds like the greatest night ever.

2.
Creating at-home pampering rituals is a great financial option. There’s absolutely no reason why you can’t re-create a spa experience in your own home and make it a weekly indulgence.

3.
There’s a major organic movement happening in skin care, which is great—and there’s no better way to experiment with the concept than in your own kitchen with ingredients that are readily available from the grocery store.

4.
Creating a routine is key: Don’t count on an occasional facial to solve skin woes. Taking care of yourself doesn’t stop when you get home—most of the work needs to happen with your own hands. Keep it up: Wash your face every morning and night, and don’t pick!

5.
Stay consistent. Once you find the products that work, keep them on hand and take a travel kit with you when you go. Don’t throw your skin off by switching it up (and it’s not just your face that counts, since even different shampoos and conditioners can have a negative effect on your hair and forehead).

CH 4

FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD

“I’m a bagel on a plate full of onion rolls!”

—FANNY BRICE,
FUNNY GIRL

M
y mother always taught me to respect my body—that you’re only given one and should take the best care of it that you can. I’ve really listened to her: I never treat my body like a garbage disposal and instead try to feed it only the best possible food. After all, the right fuel is the source of the energy I need to do my job well. This has always helped me avoid falling into bad habits. I never had fast food as a kid—instead, like any traditional Italian family, we cooked all of our meals together. Food was the central theme of our lives: We showed our love over a bowl of baked ziti. So many of my favorite memories growing up took place at the family dinner table. It’s there that I also learned that food could be wholesome
and
delicious and an opportunity for celebration. Quite simply, I love food: Ask my friends and they’ll tell you that I’m the person who wants to talk about all the things I ate today, where we’re going to dinner, and all the things we could order and eat. I really love food.

Since it’s what keeps me going and makes me feel good, I’ve always worked hard to put it in a good perspective. Clearly, it’s important to find moderation, and with moderation most certainly comes the occasional indulgence. There are definitely days when I need to eat an entire Amy’s frozen pizza in front of the television. Because I generally maintain a good balance throughout the week, I never give myself a hard time about these moments. In fact, I usually turn Saturday or Sunday into a cheat day, and I
love
those days. Because it’s a treat and not the norm, I truly enjoy it. It feels far more special than if I were indulging every day.

I also think this is why I’ve never had a crisis with food and my weight: I’ve never treated it like medicine for all that ails me emotionally, nor do I treat mealtime like my mortal enemy. I went to high school with a lot of girls who unfortunately had issues with food and struggled with eating disorders. Not only is it easy to take calorie counting too far, but there are way too many pressures in this world about what you should and shouldn’t look like. While I completely understand why girls think they need to alter their appearance to fit in, it’s so important to hold on tight to a healthy balance and love yourself by feeding your body delicious and wholesome things. Plus, looking like everyone else would be the worst thing you could do to yourself! What I was taught—and what I’ve learned—is that you have to really love yourself, perceived “imperfections” and all, in order to look and feel your best. And that begins with nourishing yourself with things that are good for you.

While I completely understand why girls think they need to alter their appearance to fit in, it's so important to hold on tight to a healthy balance and love yourself by feeding your body delicious and wholesome things.

Being raised Italian, my life has always centered around dairy; I’ve never been into sweets. If given a choice, I’d always pick a side of macaroni and cheese for dessert over a chocolate soufflé. And for that reason, dairy and carbohydrates were the foundation of my diet before I moved to Los Angeles. When I relocated, I read a book called
Skinny Bitch
, which has a deceptive title. It’s not about being skinny, it’s about the truth behind all the things we eat. Up until that point, I thought a bagel in the morning, a turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch, and a bowl of pasta for dinner was the basis for a well-rounded diet. Did I mention that I love carbs? From that book, not only did I learn a lot of things about the meat industry that completely changed how I think about food, but I also learned about the importance of greens. You don’t see the color green in New York a lot. After I read that book, I changed my diet completely and have totally fallen in love with fresh produce. I genuinely crave fresh salads, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruit.

Being vegetarian is my personal preference, but I’ve never felt like that’s the sort of thing you should push on other people. I switch between being vegetarian, vegan, and pescetarian. And while I don’t like eating meat now, that doesn’t mean I can’t change my mind someday. What will never change is that I will always give my body the fuel it needs so that I can look and feel my absolute best.

VITAMINS

I load up on as many vitamins as I can in my daily diet, but just to be sure that I’m getting enough, I visit a doctor for a B
₁₂
drip every week (it’s a big L.A. thing). In addition, my mom gave me a Vitamix as a gift, and I supplement my meals whenever possible with freshly made juice. Thankfully, when I don’t have time to make it myself, there are loads of great pressed-juice bars throughout the city. You should experiment with your favorite flavors and add more or less of each ingredient depending on your taste, but here are a few of my favorite recipes:

For a great energy boost
, I’ll blend three leaves of kale (de-stemmed and torn or chopped), one handful of spinach, four pieces of celery, the juice of two lemons, and a chopped-up apple. Advanced juicers tend to cut out the apple and add a few leaves of romaine or a handful of parsley instead.