Raisa Ruder’s fun book of DIY beauty treatments, Babushka’s Beauty Secrets, is a totally entertaining read chock full of tips. Ruder is a trained esthetician whose grandmother taught her all kinds of homespun beauty secrets back in the Ukraine, which she now uses on her celebrity clients!
Because she’s an esthetician to the stars, Ruder has great ideas to prep for a big event. I normally advise caution before something major like a wedding. In fact, my favorite pre-wedding tip is to do regular yogurt masks for about 6 weeks before, basically a series of mild lactic peels so your skin is super fresh. But I say knock off on those at least a week before the big event.
Ruder has masks, on the other hand, that you can do immediately before a party. I tried this date night mask (she cutely names them “souffles”) in the morning before an evening out with my hubby, but now that I’ve seen the results—smooth skin, a gorgeous glow, I was so renewed and fresh looking—I would save this for right before a big date or party.
The combination of cocoa, cream, and honey, in almost equal parts, with ground oatmeal, smells tasty (don’t eat it!) and goes on easily. After 20 minutes, you rinse it with lukewarm water and then a cotton ball dipped in milk (I think to get out some of the color from the cocoa). Then you rinse again. Your cheeks will have a delicate flush and your skin will be baby soft. Now that’s delicious!
