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A woman with silver-streaked hair cupping warm water at a stone basin, a towel and a wooden brush beside it

Skin & hair · 5 min

A little colour, just for you

A lipstick, a nail colour, a dab of something on the cheeks: one small touch of colour, chosen for yourself, on an ordinary day.

5 minutesFrom the library, free to readFour steps
Save for laterTry it today

Many people save make-up, nail colour or a favourite scent for special days that seldom come. A small touch of colour on an ordinary day is a way of doing something just for you, without needing an occasion or anyone else to notice.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. Choose one small thing you enjoy: a lipstick, a tinted balm, a nail colour, a touch of colour on the cheeks, a scent.

  2. Pick an ordinary day, with nowhere special to go.

  3. Sit by a window in good light and put it on slowly, taking your time. Notice how it feels to do it.

  4. Look in the mirror for a moment before you go on with your day. If you enjoyed it, keep it somewhere you will see it.

The reason

Why it helps

Small rituals of looking after ourselves can be a reminder that we are worth the time. Choosing something for its own sake, not for anyone else, can lift mood and give a sense of being yourself. It also takes very little time.

A gentle variation

If make-up is not for you, choose another small touch of grooming: a neatly trimmed beard, a tinted lip balm, hand cream with a scent you love, nails filed and buffed. The point is the choice, not the product.

Neighbours setting a long table in a green garden

WE · TRIBE

Try itwith someone.

Painting someone's nails, or having yours painted, can be a lovely shared few minutes for a child, a friend or the person you care for. Many people who have always worn lipstick enjoy keeping that habit when they are ill or living with memory loss.

Make it a plan in HIVELIVE, with WE

Try it today

Today, on an ordinary day, put on one small touch of colour or scent, chosen just for you, slowly and in good light.

Add it to your day

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