I do believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but living in Miami has made me acutely aware of how I look. When I was younger, I had to do less to look good. Now, at 41 years old, I put much more work into my beauty routine. It’s important to recognize your unique beauty and celebrate it; part of this celebration is to take good care of yourself so you can be the best version of yourself possible.

As part of a series on the secrets to looking beautiful at any age, I’ll discuss the truth about what goes into beauty routines. Though it may seem like a lot of work—frankly, it can seem exhausting!—the efforts will pay off. It can take a village to help keep you looking and feeling your best. Start building your beauty tribe so you can look and feel like your very best you!

Secret 4: Condition, Color & Cut.

Getting glam for me means taking care of my hair. I have bleached and processed my hair for as long as I can remember, so I make sure to leave conditioner in for as long as possible at least once a week. You can do this while running errands on a Sunday with your hair in a bun. Just a few hours of leaving a treatment in your hair will save you further breakage if you are a color addict like me!

When it comes to hair, there are two things you must pay attention to: the right hair color for your skin tone and the right cut. These things sound easy, but I promise you—they are not. I have been a yellow blonde, an ashy blonde, a dark blonde and a platinum blonde, and finding that perfect shade often eludes me. I continually go back to the same hairdresser I’ve had for years to try to get the best color for my skin. It’s important to me, because I never feel as good as I do when my hair color is working with my skin tone. The cut needs to be clean, complement the shape of my face and my lifestyle, and work well for blow-dries, too. Looking beautiful at any age is all about what works for your uniqueness, what saves you time so you can look your best!