Don’t you wish you were one of those kinds of women that sees the first bit of blue sky and sunshine in months and gleefully springs out of bed and then, 30 minutes later leaves the house in the perfect outfit of dress, sandals and sunnies? Yup, me to. By the time I’ve harassed my body into looking bearable (literally), it’s already afternoon and the sun is hidden behind ominous looking clouds.
Not this year. This year I’m taking action!
Exfoliation
Exfoliating gloves are the business. You can apply as much pressure as you like, they cover the whole area evenly, they prevent in-grown hairs and don’t cause a slippy mess in the base of your shower like body scrubs.
Hair Removal
I’m on the look out for a really effective cruelty-free waxing kit. Any recommendations? I think it’s the quickest and longest lasting form of hair removal. Plus I get a weird kick of masochistic pleasure from doing it myself haha!
If you hate yourself and want to punish yourself severely, then I highly recommend using an epilator. Those wenches on the adds that say it doesn’t hurt – they are lying to you!
My friend and I have found our at home IPL (intense pulsed light) machines to be affective to the point of thinning, softening and greatly lightening hair but disappointingly only removing around 40% of it.
On that basis, I’m glad I’ve found the best shaving cream in the world LUSH Dirty Shave Cream.
This is scented lightly with LUSH’s ‘Dirty’ perfume which is a nice idea. It has the creamiest texture as you can see, so it’s best to rinse your razor often in warm water when shaving. It leaves skin feeling calm and moisturised.
Tanning
If I had a beautiful pale English rose complexion, I’d just go with it and not bother. I actually have yellow under tones to my complexion so I immediately tan in sunshine but can look rather sallow after months of shade. I also think my features suit a nice tan if that makes any sense, ha! I keep seeing money-off offers for a professional spray tan but the idea of going to a salon and having a women spraying me from head to toe, while I stand in a tent just sounds hilarious!
I have had some cringe worthy incidents over the years with wash-off tan though, such as leaving most of it behind on someone’s posh white sofa, tan running down my legs in a rain shower and it going streaky under my arms and then onto my dress after a night out dancing. Major fail!
I like Fake Bake permanent spray tan but it takes a bit of practice to control otherwise you can end up getting blasted full force in the (later, very bronzed) face. I prefer Fake Bake Sport Daily Tan. It’s the most moisturising fake tan I’ve ever used and it actually draws in moisture all day so it never goes patchy. The affect after two days is a medium depth of healthy colour like I’ve been outdoors constantly for 5 days. It also comes in a giant tube, which is great value for money.
Sun Protection
Dermatologists say we should use a sunscreen spf of 10-15 everyday to protect skin from the suns rays and to prevent uneven pigmentation and early signs of ageing. I use The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Moisture Lotion as it contains an spf of 15 and is really light and calming.
For the rest of me I love using Yaah Organic Hemp Seed Oil Sun Block spf 15. It last for absolutely hours and smells amazing! When I’m wearing this and my skin has been warmed by the sun, I constantly get asked “What’s that gorgeous scent?”
So, I’m all prepared for those bright days, blue skies and mild evenings spent with friends at beer gardens and BBQ’s. Now, where did I store my sandals…
Vamp It Up 