Companion Magazine for IBD Volume 1 | Page 65

GLAMOUR GUIDE By Emma C. MYBEAUTIFULMESSYLIFE.WORDPRESS.COM @EMMA_CHAPPLE & @xMBML No matter how bad the flare, looking and feeling glamorous can always help uplift your spirits. Emma C., author of My Beautiful Messy Life, tells us how looking your best might help you feel a little closer to your best, too! I’m going to be blunt – flare-ups suck. Whether you’re toughing it out at home or confined in the hospital, chances are you’re feeling pretty awful. And lets not even get into how bad it makes us look. The pajamas and no-makeup look isn’t exactly flattering. Despite the havoc Inflammatory Bowel Disease wreaks both inside and out, keeping to a simple beauty regimen is a great way to feel better physically and mentally. Consider this your IBD Glamour Guide – a manual for how to stay pretty and positive from the sick bed. I remember when I had been discharged from my first Crohn’s-related hospital stay – I felt awful. I was under-weight, my face had swollen to three times its regular size, and I was out of shape from weeks of lying in bed. I needed some serious “me time.” So began a tradition of treating myself. When I’m not feeling great, beauty and skincare products are my go-to for feeling glamorous. Even when I’m in remission, scheduling my own personal spa day is how I de-stress. I love anything from The Body Shop and Bath & Body Works – I’d even keep my favourites by my hospital bed! Strawberry body butter, cucumber melon body lotion, and jasmine body spray are perfect for when you need some extra TLC. When I was put on bowel rest, chocolate was definitely what I missed the most. Then I discovered The Body Shop’s line of Chocomania products! Whenever a craving hit (which was always!), their body and lip butter was a great quick fix. 64