Three New York City magazine beauty editors bid adieu to Manhattan—and to crazy, high-powered grooming routines. Here, what happened to their looks in new, more relaxed locales
“High maintenance” is an understatement for many New Yorkers. The routine is part survival, part masochism. This is especially true for beauty editors, my tribe for nearly 20 years when I worked at InStyle, Allure and as a judge on HGTV’s Design Star. For us, being “in treatment” was research. A typical morning: trainer at dawn, hairstylist next, laser face treatment with one dermatologist followed by cellulite treatment with another, all before I hit the office.Moving to Venice, California, at 48 was a life-changer. Not only have I relaxed my attitude, I’ve relaxed my beauty routine to nearly no routine. My tribe here is the autonomy-for-life alliance, and the members don’t care if I’m sporting a full or half leg wax. I’ve toned down the makeup and retired my curling iron. I’m into antioxidants and eat massive amounts of kale. And I can sleep now, sometimes 10 hours a night (no Xanax! no Ambien!). Apart from work, a pupu platter of yoga, Spinning and walking gives my days, and hopefully me, a backbone.
This is not to say I’m beauty-free. I walked into the Art Luna Salon the first week I arrived and went six shades blonder. I am a California girl now. But the treatments occupy a different place in my life. They’re not “fixes” in any sense of the word; they’re simply fun, relaxing—part maintenance, part pleasure.
Sometimes I do miss the constant preening. But even I was getting sick of myself. I now focus more on the world beyond my skin and, ironically, feel more myself in my skin. People tell me I look younger, which I attribute mostly to what I’m not doing. Relief has become my new beauty secret.-Martha McCully
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