Surprisingly Affordable Secret to Fabulous Skin

“You don’t have to be rich to have a little luxury and treat yourself well. I have a secret for soft, smooth skin that anybody can afford!”

Those were the words of Carol Franklin, the wonderful woman who was doing my pedicure at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis TN where I attended the IBC’s this past February. Ms Franklin not only gave me a terrific pedi, she shared with me that her grandmother, who had raised her, had butter soft skin despite hard work and a meager income. Her secret? Milk baths!

“She just got that generic powdered milk and put a cup of it in under the taps. Then she’d soak in it till the water cooled off.” Carol told me. “Her skin was fine till the day she died!”

I’d long heard of the virtues of milk baths, but thought “How do you justify putting all that milk in the tub and then just draining it away?” It seemed an out of reach luxury only rich women could afford, but Carols’ grandma had something I was eager to try.

On my last trip to the grocery store I picked up a box of generic powdered milk, costing about $4 + tax. I got it home &amd put a cupful under the tap as I ran a hot bath. As promised, it made a lovely, warm, milky bath which I enjoyed even more when I turned on the jets of my Jacuzzi. A diva must have jets, it’s strenuous keeping in shape and one must have a few consistent luxuries! The jets whipped the milk into a frothy foam, different from bubble bath in it’s creaminess.

Soaking in the tub, I meditated on my next music project, putting the foam in my hair and on my face, until the water cooled. I washed the milk foam from my hair with that great Redkin shampoo from Ulta 2 and finished with a rinse under the shower.

I can happily report that the milk bath left my skin so soft I didn’t need to use additional moisturizer and my hair is softer than I’ve ever experienced at this point in a hard winter. Best of all it only cost a few pennies. In fact that one box holds 8 cups of powdered milk, giving me 7 more spa quality treatments to look forward to at about 50c a piece! Thank you Grandma Franklin.

To Be Fabulously Sexy Be Prepared!!

Are you looking for love? Craving romance? Itching for some one to do the horizontal dance?

Then is pays to be prepared!!

My girlfriend, "the Lovely" Mary V, always looks delectable. She's fit and trim. Shes always dressed in a cute, stylish outfit.

So I asked her, "Mary, how do you stay motivated to always look like a fabulous dessert?"
She said "Liz, sex is very important to me so I want to be ready. I always want to look great - even naked!"

That got me thinking. She's right! Maybe looking great for a lover later is better than a chocolate croissant now? If you're in good shape you won't be worrying about the wrong things jiggling when you're getting busy. Endurance built on the jogging track translates to other areas and flexibility can equal fun! Maybe that extra ten minutes on the elliptical, that religiously attended yoga class, that extra set on the total gym is the prerequisite to a romp that will rock your block! Find an exercise that fits your life and stick with it. You'll find you not only become more fit, you'll improve your mood.


There's something to be said for delayed gratification, thinking ahead pays dividends! Next time you're tempted to hit the drive thru or soothe yourself with Krispy-Cremes think of my mantra:

Nothing tastes as good as size 6 feels.

(fill in your own perfect size, of course)

There is a wonderful book by Jill Conner Browne, "The Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love."
Jill really tells it like it is! Among her sisterly advice is something like: you never know when love will come along so always shave your legs & wear nice underwear. In other words, be prepared.

That got me thinking. If the perfect person comes along, the sparks are flying & the moment seems right, but you happen to be wearing a pair of undies from the 7th grade, you neglected to shave, you last purchased new sheets in 1992 and your apartment smells like a wet dog,

YOU ARE NOT PREPARED FOR LOVE!!!

How to begin the process of becoming delicious? Start by being a lover to yourself. Take a good look in the mirror, would you like to date you? If you're not making the A list, it's not too late to start loving yourself to Fabulosity!



We already covered the "get your butt off the couch & start moving" part. So you're more attractive with your clothes on. Now what if you had to take them off?
The first thing you're potential mate would see is your undies. Be honest, what's in your top drawer? If the true answer is shapeless, old, grey shorts full of spots, holes & skid-marks, it's time to throw that stuff in the rag bin! Take yourself shopping for something that makes you feel sexy when you put them on.

When you feel sexy you are more confident & a confident person is just HOT.

Whether you're a man or a woman, old or young, if you want to be loved you must be lovable and like it or not looks count! Take care of yourself like you would someone you're crazy about! Buy yourself some 300+ thread count sheets, even if it's just you in that bed you'll feel loved.

Keep your hair styled, your clothes fresh and up to date, your sprouts plucked, your ears clean. Brush & floss. Spending this time on yourself isn't selfish it's a public service!

You may be saying, "Liz, you're married. Why do you need to think about love?"
And I say "Hello!?! How do you think I got this way? Plus, I want to keep having a steamy romance with my hunky husband!!"

Marriage doesn't have to mean the death of sex and the adding of padding. In fact it's those things that lead to cheating and divorce! While my husband is deployed I'm taking my own advice, shaping up for the next time we're together. At least 5 times a week I'm riding a stationary bike while watching TV or walking in the neighborhood fast enough to work up a sweat. Sometimes I add yoga or resistance bands.


I'm halfway to my goal weight, having dropped 14 pounds. I'm getting rid of my fat clothes and rewarding myself with lacy lingerie and new threads. Short term mid range & long term goals help me stay focused. If I can do it you can too. Then when love comes to town you'll be ready, you'll be more than ready, you'll be fabulous!

Everybody Looks Better With A Little Make-Up

“Your face looks fabulous tonight, sweetie, your makeup is divine!” this from my friend David on a recent night of blissful clubbing. Then to my surprise he asked “How about mine?”
“You’re wearing make-up?” I asked, scrutinizing his face…
“Of course,” he replied, “Doesn’t everyone?”
” You look terrific!” He did look terrific. It started me thinking, does everyone wear makeup?

The short answer is unfortunately no. The men reading this might object but yes, you might look even better with a dab of refinement. You are already practicing the popular art of exfoliation every time you shave your mug, you hunky brute! I guess since the advent of the “Metro-sexual” men in make-up is not the cause for alarm it once was & makeup products just keep getting better. Just visit ULTA & you’ll find make-up for every price, every ethnicity, even every gender!

Thanks to the miracles of modern make-up even marginally attractive people can look appetizing!

What does make-up do? The right foundation evens out your skin tone, blending in with your natural coloring to cause you to look healthier & that equals sexier. Even those who insist their natural face is the best & only face to put forward could benefit from a tinted moisturizer. Everyone should be wearing moisturizer with an SPF 15 or higher. It needs to be applied to freshly cleansed skin every morning. Don’t be fooled by youth or pigmentation, if you have skin moisturize & protect it, you’ll thank me later.

To find the right shade try it out on your jaw line, not your hand. If it is invisible you got the right shade. Really good makeup looks like you don’t have any on. This requires practice & blending. BLENDING is the single most important thing to do with make-up. There should be no visible lines of demarcation, just luscious supple even skin tone, which brings me to my next point: everyone looks better with a tan.

Some of us were born with fabulous caramel colored skin & the rest of us try not to hate. For those, like me, with freckles & pale blue skin, several companies have invented total body moisturizer with a hint of sunless tan in it. Oh joy, the killing of the proverbial two birds with one stone! My fave is Aveeno’s Pure Radiance series. It is subtle, creamy goodness that makes my radiator heated, moisture depleted, January hide a velvety textured human color. I recently tried Olay’s Touch of Sun which did more for my legs than a week in St Martin & was considerably easier on the wallet. Once again, it needs to be applied to freshly cleaned skin. So gently exfoliate in the shower & apply apres taking care to blend evenly. Please remember your feet, they need extra love after holding you up all day. A subtle tan on your legs will help hide razor stubble & varicose veins too.

Smooth, even skin tone, buttery soft skin, two elements that help you to radiate confidence & confidence is what makes one truly sexy!