FASHION + BEAUTY
SUMMER SKIN FROM HEAD TO TOE cont.
Homemade honey face mask
Honey is a natural cleanser that helps to keep skin clear and it’ s also a natural antioxidant and antiseptic, which makes it an ideal cleansing agent. Combine it with lemon – a fruit packed with both alpha and beta hydroxy acids, which smooth the skin’ s outer surface, speed up cell turnover and help get rid of pesky blackheads – and you have a skin-saving dream team.
To prep your skin before you apply the face mask, pour boiling hot water in a bowl and stand above it letting the steam open your pores. Mix one tablespoon of organic raw honey and half a squeezed lemon in to a bowl and apply all over your face, avoiding the eye area. Let your skin soak up all this goodness for about half an hour and then wash away with warm water, finishing with one splash of very cold water to close your pores. If your skin feels tight, follow it up with your usual moisturiser, or just let it breathe.
Look after your locks
Not just a crown of glory, our hair helps insulate our bodies when it ' s cold and keeps us cool and regulated when temperatures are anything but … hair also protects us from UV radiation. Since it acts as a barrier between our skin and the sun ' s rays, our hair follicles can take on a lot of damage if not properly protected, so it’ s important we give it the respect it deserves.
NOURISH YOUR HAIR WITH: The Noughty moistureboosting range Noughty’ s 97 % natural, moisture-boosting range comes charging to the rescue of dry, sun-stressed hair. Packed with sweet almond and sunflower seed extract, To The Rescue Shampoo and Conditioner cleanse and revitalise damaged locks; Intensive Care Leave-In Conditioner contains superquenching sweet almond and argan oil to help instantly nourish and repair; and deeply nourishing, Anti-frizz Serum aids in repairing and protecting dry locks, splits and snaps. Vegan-friendly with no parabens, sulphates, petrochemicals or silicones. From £ 6.99, www. noughtyhaircare. co. uk.
LUSCIOUS LEGS
While we may all want sculpted supermodel legs that travel from ankle to apparently armpit with nothing but a muscular shimmer en route, not all of us have them. And that is absolutely fine. There are ways and means of prepping your legs for the summer season, so that when you do put that pair of shorts on, you feel comfortable and confident. This failsafe beauty routine for your legs is easy to follow and will leave you proud to show off your pins.
Step One: Hair removal
Firstly, if it’ s been a while since you bared your legs, take a deep breath before you reveal them in all of their‘ winter / spring / summer-coat’ glory and accept that hair removal is a must. Shaving is a cheap, quick, and, if you’ re handy with a razor and can avoid unsightly nicks, pain-free option here. If you prefer the depilatory cream route( they’ ve come on a long way since the unforgettable chemical stench of Veet, née Immac), try a Skin Doctors‘ hair no more’ hair removal pack. An easy twostep system that finishes with an inhibitor spray to saturate the hair bulb, preventing hair from growing back fast, it’ s easy-peasy, effective and doesn’ t smell like burning flesh either.
Step Three: Moisturise
Step Two: Exfoliation
Once the hair’ s gone, it’ s time to think tanning, but not before you exfoliate, a stage that’ s essential for getting rid of dry skin and paving the way for that smooth and shiny leg look that we all want to achieve. An oldie but a goodie, Clinique’ s Sparkle Skin is the body-exfoliating equivalent of an ice-cold plunge pool. Best used on dry skin, it’ s got a sturdy, non-sticky consistency, which won’ t melt from your hands before you get a chance to rub it in, and its gellike formula contains botanical ingredients and lots of menthol, so it’ s seriously invigorating and cools the skin as it exfoliates leaving your legs glossy and glowing.
Dry, scaly legs are never a good look, and the key to them a) looking lovely and b) receiving a helping hand in the form of a hint of self tan, is to moisturise. Step up Emma Hardie Natural Life and Sculpt Body Butter – fragranced with zingy citrus and softer, floral notes, it’ s an intense nourishing treatment that’ s perfect for hydrating legs that have been left undercover for a while. Thick and really luxurious feeling, it’ s packed to the rafters with everything tired skin could possibly need including Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids, marine actives, Vitamin E, shea butter, and even Inca oils from Peru.
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