La Dolce Vita awaits.
If you've ever spent a summer in Italy, you’ll know that la dolce vita isn’t a figure of speech but a way of life. This vibrant country is known for making people feel good and once you've visited, you're often immediately mentally planning your next trip.
With an endless supply of homemade pasta and a gelateria on every corner, the Italian lifestyle is coveted in every corner of the world.
So, in a quest to live that sweet life, here are 17 wellness rules that many (but not all) Italian women live by and you can utilise at home.
1. It All Starts With La Bella Figura
Acquaint yourself with La bella figura philosophy. Translating to ‘the beautiful figure', it's all about that effortless confidence Italian women carry themselves with. It extends far beyond the superficial and is all about an attitude of assuredness, sophistication and a positive outlook.
2. The Secret Is in the Oil
Olive oil is the lifeblood of Italians, and it isn’t only for kitchen use. It can be used on your face, body and even in your hair. Crazy, you say? Not quite. Oil is loaded with Vitamin E, so a little on the ends of your hair will restore shine, while when used on the skin, it acts as an antioxidant creating a barrier between you and the pollutants in the air.
3. Follow What Feels Good
It's pretty self-explanatory but following your instinct and remaining true to your style and tastes over what might be popular at the time, whether that's in the realms of fashion, food and beyond.
4. Streamline Your Life
Keep things simple and rid your life of unnecessary clutter: things that add stress, things that no longer make you feel good and things that don't quite feel natural to you.
5. It’s All About Moisturising
Ever wonder how Italian women get their glow? It’s all about the moisturiser. Moisturising daily is a must, both in the morning and at night. Italian women don’t spend more than ten minutes on their make up each day, but they do spend their time moisturising their body from head to toe, which is an investment in time we can all agree is well spent.
6. Enjoy the Sun Sensibly
We all love the idea of being bronzed, but it’s not worth the damage that is being done to your skin cells and DNA. Investing in a broad-spectrum SPF for the face and body is the key to ageing gracefully and preventing skin cancer.
7. Don’t Follow Trends
Set them.
8. Handle With Care
A rule passed down from generation to generation in Italian families is that your ring finger is the most gentle finger on each hand, which makes it perfect to use when applying eye cream.
9. Find a Signature Scent
Italian women don’t have ten perfumes to choose from daily. They pick a signature scent, one that represents who they are, their inner bella figura, and stick to it for years, if not their entire life.
10. Invest in a Good Lipstick
It’s simple yet effective, and you'll see more pops of lip colour than heavy skin make-up on the streets of Italy.
11. Don’t Touch Your Eyebrows
Eyebrows are meant to be natural. That phrase is something shared from mother to daughter, just like Nonna’s recipe for lasagna.
12. Treat Yourself
Invest in good food. Wellness and food go hand in hand. Nothing is more baffling to an Italian woman than a restrictive diet. Food is a lifestyle; in fact, it is life. They never restrict themselves the pleasure that good, home-grown food brings and if they feel like seconds, they’ll indulge. (Thirds, too!)
13. The Proof Is in the Clay
Umbrian clay is a thing of Italian legend. For hundreds of years, the central Italian region of Umbria has been known as a magical source of healing. At first, it was thought something was in the water, but soon enough, the secret came out. It’s the clay.
Umbrians have used clay from the earth to do almost everything; from soothing bites, to healing cuts and even calming nappy rash. So naturally, women opted to put some on their face. Known to draw out impurities and clear even the most stubborn acne, an Umbrian clay mask is something of a sacred ritual.
14. Enlist a Rose Mist
Have you ever wondered how Italian women make it through a summer’s day looking like they’ve stepped out of the pages of an glossy-land editorial? The secret is simple: rose mist. An inexpensive product that can easily be stashed in one’s handbag, a mist is both calming and cooling but also hydrating, giving your skin a healthy glow in a matter of seconds.
15. Go Natural
Italian beauty is all about nurturing your skin and yourself. So, when it comes to skin, rather than layer foundation, Italians turn to tinted moisturisers and BB creams to showcase their natural glow. Italian women know that all skin is different, but when it comes to make-up, it’s a less-is-more approach.
17. Self-Care. Always.
Home-grown Italian brand Borghese Roma has a saying that goes like this: “Self-care isn’t a luxury in Italian culture, it’s a necessity.” Whether it comes in the form of cooking a beautiful meal mindfully or taking yourself to the gym every day, caring for yourself is paramount.
