I am a big believer in accentuating the positive – it’s what I’m all about.  It’s how I’ve made the best of my hair, my skin, my body;  it’s how a wee girl from Glasgow managed to get herself a career that has lasted for over four decades.  But it just goes to show what’s possible, with the right mindset.

I’ve also spent a lot of time in America, where people are generally more positive and can-do, and I think that’s my natural attitude to life.  But just as important as what you do for yourself on the outside – all the time and money you spend seeking glowy skin, or shiny hair, or a stylish look – is time that’s spent on the inner you.  So here are my suggestions for positive living…

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I first learned about facial oils and aromatherapy from Micheline Arcier, a true pioneer who brought aromatherapy to this country from France.  It was absolutely new here when I tried it, and Micheline Arcier’s name was also in the Little Black Books of many beautiful women.  I learned from her the importance of massaging the face to boost radiance, and which oils are the greatest skin-nourishers:  she used to make up special blends for me and my complexion, which was making the transition from oily and breakout-prone to dry, which happens to most of us.  I used to beg Madame Arcier to tell me where she got her oils, but she wouldn’t tell a soul.

When I was in my 30s, I read an article about borage oil – and bought some in a health food shop.  Borage oil capsules can be a great introduction to facial oils:  you simply break one open and massage it into the skin, and the Essential Fatty Acids start to work their magic.  (They’re not called ‘essential’ for nothing.)  At another stage in my life I was simply massaging olive oil into my skin, and I also read that avocado oil worked wonders – so I had a go with that.  Believe me, I experimented with everything – but I found that those oils, used on their own, were too thick and greasy, and I hated the sticky feeling of having them on my skin because it gave me the sensation that it just couldn’t breathe.

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I had to learn how to cleanse my skin properly because early on in my career it would be literally caked in TV make-up by the end of the day – and if I didn’t cleanse, my skin would break out.  Happily, my spot days are behind me, but what I’ve learned is that really, the most important thing you can do for your skin is to cleanse, cleanse, cleanse.  Because you know what?  With skincare, if you aren’t going to put in the work, you’re not going to get the results.

When I was younger it was all about drying out my skin – so I even used soap, as well as an anti-bacterial cleanser that Countess Csasky introduced me to called Phiso-derm, which came in a distinctive green squeezy bottle.  (She also used to dilute hydrogen peroxide with water and decant it into a little bottle that I travelled with, to pat onto my spots to dry them out.)  But for anyone who’s no longer a teenager, a cleanser absolutely must not over-strip the skin.

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The absolute golden rule – at any age, but especially after 40 – is keep on movin’.  Many of us have got into the habit of working out, over the years, because we wanted still to be able to zip up a favourite pair of jeans, or to make sure the waistband of our favourite Little Black Dress didn’t get too tight.  And yes, of course that’s still important!  But there is another really good reason to work out:  if we keep at it, exercise keeps us flexible and strong.  You know how little old ladies tend to fall over straight, like ninepins?  That’s because when you’re stiff, you fall over like a toy soldier – and that’s when bones and hips get broken.  If you’re flexible, you fall in a completely different way.  Depressing to think about?  Well, a wee bit, of course, but I certainly don’t plan to be relying on a stick or a Zimmer frame in my old age, honey.  Not a good look, on stage!

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Hands can be an instant age giveaway.  Oh, yes.  So my ritual is to make sure that whatever TLC I give to my face, my hands benefit, too.  It’s a golden rule, for me:  whatever I’m applying to my face, I use the ‘leftovers’ on my hands.  Face cream, masks, facial oil:  if there’s so much as a smidgen left over, I smooth it into hands and especially cuticles.  I also keep hand cream by the taps – but don’t stop with hand cream…

Any rich, emollient oil or cream can do the trick.  If you’re cooking, smooth some of the cooking oil into your hands.  Or even butter!  And if you’re applying cream to a baby’s skin, lavish some extra on your hands at the same time.  It’s the perfect way to keep them soft and smooth as – yes, a baby’s bottom…

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I often hear friends lament that their hair never looks as good when they do it themselves, at home, as when their stylist does it.  Of course it would always help if we had an extra arm – on top of the usual two – to achieve the perfect blow-dry, but trust me:  even with two arms it is possible if you know how…  My wonderful hairstylist Kevin Moss at John Frieda gave me a little help with putting this into words, because he’s such a pro – and I believe we should all tune into the wisdom of professionals, whenever we get the opportunity…

Get the moisture out.  I like to apply product when it’s completely wet, but don’t attempt to style hair till it’s at least 80% dry, or you’re just wasting your time, energy – and giving yourself arm-ache.  (Either that or you can end up with hair that’s been ‘over-styled’, so all the oomph has gone out of it.)  Ideally, squeeze and then blot hair dry with a towel and then use a blow-dryer to ruffle it till it’s basically just damp.  If you want to achieve extra volume, hang your head upside-down – provided this won’t make you dizzy;  you may find it more comfortable simply to tilt your hair and blow the drier into it, which will also get that all-important ‘lift’ at the roots.  (If you do let your hair get a touch too dry, then spritz it with a plant mister to put some moisture back before styling.)

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If I hadn’t been a singer, I was desperate to be a hairdresser. Everyone who knows me, knows I’m obsessed.  And because of that, over the years I have had every hairstyle known to man – or rather, known to woman – and made every hair mistake, with (trust me) more than my share of Bad Hair Days.  Hair is so inextricably linked with how we feel about ourselves.  A Good Hair Day is a great day.  A Bad Hair Day?  Pass the paper bag, honey!

For years, I could never find the perfect products for my fine hair – which is why I ultimately created my own range, Operation Glam.  The formulator, Joe Cincotta, is the man who created many of the bestselling John Frieda haircare products, and what I really had on my wishlist was a combination of shine and ‘oomph’.  But as I’m always asked – sometimes by perfect strangers in the street! – what I use on my hair, here’s a run-down of the products and the tools that help make every day a Good Hair Day…

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