By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS

Okay, so the covid-19 lockdown in Mexico is finally beginning to relax, with some companies in some parts of the nation cautiously reopening and some of us bravely venturing outside our doors again, albeit armed with several layers of face masks, face shields and at least a half gallon of hand sanitizer.

This is not to say that covid-19 is not still spreading rampantly across the nation — it is — but there are only so many Netflix binges your mind and body can handle, and with spring in the air and flowers in bloom in Mexico City, it is hard to resist the temptation of the great outdoors, especially after two months in self-imposed house arrest.

Venturing back into the outside world will take a certain degree of social and psychological adjustment and intrepidation, and those raggedy old sweatpants you have been wearing for the last two months are not going to cut it anymore as appropriate daytime attire.

Yes, you still need to wear a mask and wash your hands every 20 minutes or so, but that doesn’t mean you need to look like a refugee from a homeless shelter.

Spring is all about rebirth and renewal, and glamming up your appearance and wardrobe (okay, that’s not too hard to do when you have been wearing 10-year-old footed pajamas 24/7 for the last couple months) will help you feel more confident and self-assured as you return to the “new normal” of a post-pandemic world.

Here are some great ideas to spruce up your look before you reenter the outside world. (Oh, yeah, and you might want to try a little L’Oréal Excellence to cover up those gray roots you let grow out during the lockdown.)

Start with Your Nails

Ah, for those good old days when we used to sit and soak, with our feet tinglingly comfy in a tub of warm, lavender-scented water and our hands being perfectly filed and polished as we flipped through the latest Marie Claire and listened to soothing zen music in our local nail salon.

Well, those days are long past, and until there is a reliable vaccine against covid-19, the chances of getting a professional mani-pedi any time soon are about nil.

But while you may have to forgo that immaculate gel manicure for now, you can try the DIY approach (and really should … when is the last time your hands had a close encounter with a nail file?).

Fortunately, Jessica nails has handy little kits that include everything you need, from a cuticle soften and nail oil to a stay-put base that will resist those harsh detergents you have been using to wipe down anything and everything that enters your germ-free adobe.

There is also a Jessica Brilliance finishing coat that protects your polish for up to a week, even with your new obsessive hand-washing routines.

So dig out that old orange stick and nail clips and spruce up your extremities.

Oh, and by the way, in keeping with the times, Jessica has also just introduced a covid-fighting duo kit for protection and indulgence.

The kit comes with a special aloe-based Purely Clean sanitizing gel that won’t dry out your hands, and a deliciously gentle Hand & Body Bath cream with the antiseptic pantanal triclosan to sanitize while softening.

In addition to being the ideal bath soak for your weary body after a hard day of Zooming meetings and an arduous workout on your balcony, Hand & Body Bath can double as a hand and foot soak before your do-it-yourself mani-pedi.

Rice Wax

Now that you have your hands and feet looking presentable, it is time to deal with that unwanted hair on your legs and underarms. (No, braiding it as a post-covid fashion statement is not an option.)

Rather then resorting to the old rusty razor that has been gathering dust in your bathroom shelf for the last two months, opt for a waxing, a non-painful waxing.

Holiday, the world’s leader in professional waxing products, has a new rice-based wax that is hyperallergenic and suitable for even the most delicate skin areas, including arms, legs, underarms and the bikini area.

This delightful vanilla-scented was is packed with titanium dioxide to keep it creamy and to ensure it strips away all unwanted hair for a velvety finish.

It also contains zinc oxide to prevent post-waxing redness and irritation, making it the ideal choice for first-time waxers.

Under-mask Makeup

Why bother with makeup, you ask, if you are going to be wearing a mask most of the time anyway?

Because, dearheart, there will be times when you take off that mask (when you eat, for example, or when you arrive at a destination with that small group of family or friends who are part of your new social bubble).

And because the most important person you should always dress to impress is yourself.

Putting on makeup is part of a normal daily ritual, and it is those rituals that are going to help ease your transition back into some semblance of normalcy.

It can boost your ego and self-confidence and make you feel better about yourself (even if you did smear the nail polish a bit when you applied it in your not-sop-perfect home manicure).

Eye makeup will be particularly important in the post-covid social world, since most of the time it is your eyes that will be the focus of attention because your nose and mouth will be covered up.

But don’t forget to wear lipstick as well.

According to a recent study in France, researdchers found that lipstick can do wonders to make women feel more secure and attractive, especially during trying situations (and I think we all pretty much agree, living in a world of covid is a long-term trying situation).

In fact, the so-called lipstick effect of women using makeup to lift their spirits when they feel stressed was documented as far back as the Great Depression (the first one, back in the 1930s, not the one we are getting ready to face).

…May 27, 2020