😳 She's a natural beauty

Last week, I put my boyfriend through the Margot Robbie test - aka “do you think she’s a natural blonde?”. It turns out that like most guys, he had no idea about what ‘natural’ actually is when it comes to female beauty. I took the test one step further & flashed a few of my Aesthetic Doctor’s before & after images. Aside from what I’m calling one lucky guess (he said lip filler basically every time), he couldn’t detect the changes. So, if you take anything from this (aside from the obvious fact you don’t need to listen to what a guy’s preference is anyway), it’s that most men have no idea what they mean when they say they ‘love natural beauty’. So basically, in other words: go forth & continue to whatever makes you feel your best.

In your weekly dose:

• You’re probably getting too much dopamine: most of us are, luckily Dr. Huberman has some hacks.

• The wellness web: Make your makeup ‘more French’, a viral new SPF, a supplement to give you a natural tan, the sisterly chat we needed years ago and much more.

• How is Anne Hathaway is ageing backwards?: we couldn’t be more obsessed with her in her newest release, The Idea of You, so best believe we did some digging into her beauty secrets.

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Happy, but not too happy okay

So Dr. Huberman may have found himself in some less-than-favourable press recently, but it’s fair to say he knows his stuff when it comes to all things brain hacking. Specifically, managing your dopamine baseline (which disclaimer: I didn’t even know was a thing).

Dopamine regulates our drive towards the things we want to achieve in life (your goals), and the rewards you’ll get by achieving them.

Take having a square of your favourite salted caramel dark chocolate - the anticipation of having that first bite creates dopamine even before it’s hit your lips. Then, once you take a bite (& it lives up to your expectations), it also triggers a dopamine release.

But, much like how we’re all wizz’s now when it comes to managing our blood sugar (thank you Glucose Goddess), we should be mindful of managing our dopamine too.

Too much dopamine, much like sugar, can cause a crash - aka feeling unmotivated, lacking focus. & whilst experiencing a decline after a peak is all part of the natural dopamine cycle, there’s a couple of easy hacks to maintain normal baseline levels.

Dopamine shouldn’t be stacked

If I was to eat my square of chocolate, whilst listening to my all-time favourite Rihanna track (it’s ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’, obviously) all whilst getting a massage, it could actually cause a crash in my dopamine after, that would undermine my longer-term drive. Or take working out, with music, whilst caffeinated - the music, the caffeine and your workout are all giving you a dopamine hit. Pairing it back for some workouts and working out without any music at all occasionally can give your dopamine a reset.

Reward yourself, mostly

You should definitely celebrate the small wins towards your greater goals to stay motivated. But, Dr. Huberman suggests you should also mix it up occasionally, and not reward yourself for every milestone. This is known as Random Intermittent Reward Timing (RIRT), and plenty of studies have shown how it helps keep dopamine more constant over time.

You can trick your brain, so trick it

You know how some days you wake up and you’re ready to take on your to-do list? And others, well, you’d honestly rather do anything else? On those days, the “belief effect” comes in handy. Basically, reminding yourself that the day of work ahead of you is moving you closer towards your goal and the life you’ve dreamed of, can give you a dopamine boost itself, which actually helps you be feel motivated and focused on the tasks ahead. 

Focus your eyes, focus your brain

Huberman also talks about how staring at one spot, say a tree outside your window for 30 seconds (definitely not your phone) can give you a dopamine boost and help refocus you. It’s so simple to do (especially when you’re a little bored in your Tuesday morning meeting), so take this as permission to pick a spot & zone out for at least 30 seconds. Side note: do not stare at a colleague for 30 seconds, they’ll never look at you the same again.

So, now you’re armed with dopamine management hacks, I hope you’ll make this lovely short week ahead of you your most productive & focused yet. If not, well, at least it’s a short week, & if you’re not productive, you can probably blame that. 

THE WELLNESS WEB:

• 👄 Do your makeup like a French woman: ever wondered how French women look so effortless whilst nailing a bright red lip or a dramatic smokey eye? Same. We learned at lot watching this TikTok.
  

• 🌞 Hot girl SPF: you’re telling me we can get SPF 30 & a dreamy bronze glow, without actually getting any sun? It’s safe to say we’re hooked on Kopari’s Golder Amber Sun Shield. But if you’re like me and need a hypoallergenic sunscreen for most time out in the sun (where are my prickly heat girlies at…), I’d save this for more dressy day-outings on holiday when you want to feel your best.
  

• 🧘‍♀️ Six Senses is coming to London: If it’s anything like their incredible Ibiza hotel, we’re beyond excited. The difficulty will be making it anything like their Ibiza hotel in West London.

• 📚 Ultimate girl therapy: Coffee & flowers are some of life’s luxuries, & now you can get both to take away from @mozartconcierge, all for under £10 too.
  

• 👓 A supplement for a natural tan?: @mikaylaflynn5 shared how she’s loving that one of the benefits of taking Astaxanthin is having a more naturally tanned complexion. Other benefits include improving the skin barrier & reduced redness. Adds to cart.
  

• 👸🏽 Watch this: The big sister talk video we should have all be shown as teens. How to sugarwax your ‘lady lawn’ - & yes, thats my new favourite thing to call it.

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She’s 41 & as hot as ever, whats Anne Hathaway’s secret?!

If you haven’t watched The Idea of You yet, it’s the perfect film for a Monday-that-feels-like-a-Sunday evening. I watched it with some friends on Friday, & we spent most (read: all) of it swooning over Anne Hathaway.

Unlike a lot of celebrities that found fame when they were in their teens, Anne has aged incredibly gracefully. If she’s had work done (& I’ll get into that), it’s extremely subtle. So what’s her secret?

SHE DOESN’T DRINK:

She quit a few years ago, so it’s not the tell-tale secret to her natural ageing, but it will have had a positive impact. There’s nothing wrong with a drink, but there’s no hiding the fact that drinking alcohol regularly isn’t great for ageing.

It causes inflammation, which in turn can reduce our much-needed collagen & elastin.

Interestingly though, Bryan Johnson, (the man who’s £1m per year anti-aging protocol hit the press last year) used to drink a small amount of red wine each day to get his fix of resveratrol, but he called it quits on the red last year and opted for a supplement of resveratrol instead.

SHE’S RARELY TANNED:

Let’s be honest, you can tell when someone has been a ‘sun worshipper’ all their life. I couldn’t find one image of Anne looking remotely tinged by the sun (and being as famous as she is, there’s plenty online). My initial thought was “okay, maybe she just doesn’t tan too well?”, but it turns out she’s religious about SPF (she shared her favourite, the Actinica SUN Protection, in a 2019 interview). I did find plenty of images of her either in a huge floppy hat (major vibe) or under the shade of an umbrella though. I don’t need to go into the effects of too much sun on accelerated ageing, you know that, I know that, Anne knows that.

SHE’S BIG ON ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS

Think: avocados, almonds, vegetables high in antioxidants, whole grains. She used to be vegan but has said that she now includes meat & fish with her whole-food meals. Her nutritionist, Jackie Keller, also talked of how balance was key for Anne (who like me, loves chocolate), & that she ensures she has a desert as part of her plan each day to curb sugar cravings.

STYLE PLAYS A PART

From her latest bangs to the fun, on-trend colours she’s opting for in her wardrobe. Granted, great style can’t do all the work, but her stylist Erin Walshe has been commended for somehow making Anne look even more incredible since they started working together. Choosing bold colours & lines that look so effortless & fresh definitely help with Annes youthful aura. She’s dressing in a way thats fun, but doesn’t look like she’s trying to be a 20 year old either.

SHE LIKES $450 FACIALS

Okay, I’m no botox expert, but in doing my major deep dive into Anne, I’ve noticed that in some videos she has more facial movement than others. I’d be amazed if she hasn’t had some subtle botox around her crows feet & frown lines. She’s also previously said she’s partial to a ‘Red Carpet Facial’ from celebrity aesthetician Tracie Martyn. The $450 facial includes a combination of microcurrent tech finished off with LED therapy, both aiming to create a firmer, more youthful appearance.

The DR Verdict?

Treatments or potential ‘tweakments’ (am I the only one who hates that word?) aside, Anne clearly takes a holistic approach to her anti-aging regime. Nothing she does seems out of the ordinary - she just does the basics very well (occasionally with a sprinkle of an expensive facial) - good nutrition, low sugar, no alcohol, stays active & prioritises SPF. Simple, right?!

THE DR LIST

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With love,

Jasmine | @dailyrituals.uk