It’s here, no it’s not, it's here, nope gone again!
With the constantly changing British weather, it is no suprise our beauty routines don't know which way is up. Here is my super quick "Get Ready for Summer with Me" for when you've been invited to a BBQ and the weather is actually going to be summery
Here goes!
In The Shower
- Exfoliator
- Razors
- Crispy Towels
- Fake Tan & Mitt
- Foot File
- Foot Butter
- Acetone & Cotton Pads
- Nail Polish
- Cuticle Oil
- Body Moisturiser
- Nail Strengther
- Facial SPF
Step 1 - 2 mins Exfoliate like a MoFo, I adore Soap and Glory’s Pulp Friction for this as the grains are quite fine, and it smells gorgeous. Alternatively do as the Korean's do and buy an Italy Towel, they're just a couple of pounds on Ebay and make light work of dull flaky skin. Now lets get depilating.
Step 2 - 5 mins -Now lets get smooth, I'm really not one for waxing as you have to wait for it to grow back (urgghh!) Don’t worry my fellow blade lovers, I have found a new razor every bit as good as your man's top end Gilette for a fraction of the price and in a nice turquoise/jewel design. The Bic Soliel Bella, is only around the £5 mark for 3 instead of the £10 plus you would pay for the cartridges from Gillette. Every Razor has 4 blades each, a swivel head, a moisturising strip and most importantly they shave SUPER close, result!. I'm a fan of using "whatever is hanging around" as a shaving gel, I'll happily use, any shower gel or conditioner, to be honest, if it slips, it'll do.
Step 3 - 1 min - Now you're done in the shower towel off with a good crispy towel (one you dried outside or on the radiator, not a fabric conditioned/tumble dried thing.) We need the extra exfoliation here to give your skin a glow and remove and dull skin.
DON'T MOISTURISE YET! (it'll ruin your fake tan)
Step 4 - 10 mins (of which 5 is drying) Now let's get some colour going on. Because we didn't moisturise earlier (it can change the colour of your tan) you will need to go steady on your knees, elbows and ankles to avoid over-saturation, I recommend either Garnier Summer Body Gradual Tan, if you're a bit of a tanning scardy cat, or for a more convincing instant colour, break the big guns out and get yourself some Vita Liberata on. I use a mitt with both for the most smooth even application. The Vita Liberta gives the MOST realistic tan I have ever had, plus it goes on a dream. The best bit is it fades naturally without that pixelated effect you get from most tans as they break down. If you're feeling a bit brassic, then go for the Garnier Summer Skin it's only £2.50 at Boots at the moment. It smells of Apricots (well for the first hour or so anyway) and gives a lovely even colour. Both dry really quickly so you can be slipping into your dressing gown within 5 minutes. But before you go on take the time to swipe a bit of facial tanner on. I will happily use the Vita Liberata on my face, but for a better more tailored result I love the James Reed Facial Tanner, it works really fast and a little goes a stupidly long way.
Step 6 - 1 min -Next slather your feet in the strongest, greasiest foot lotion you have. You need to do this before you remove your old nail polish or the oils will make your nail polish go all blobby and weird. The most intense foot cream I have ever used comes from English brand called SBC it's their Honey Body Butter and when they say butter they mean it. This stuff is awful to get out of the massive tub but is so moisturising it’s ridiculous. You could ice skate across your bathroom floor with this on so be extra careful to only apply to the tops and sides of your feet.
Step 7 - 3 mins Now remove your old nail varnish, you need to get rid of every last bit. There really is nothing like Acetone for this. I don’t care how moisturising some varnish removers say they are, they just don’t cut it on dark nail polish. Use a cotton bud to get every last bit from your cuticles for a perfect finish.
Step 8 - 10 mins - Now your nails with a vivid bright colour. Something that looks awesome with a tan, think neon pink or fuschia. Orly has developed a 2 step gel nail polish (Epix FX) that is actually neon, like a highlighter pen, it's called "Put The Top Down"! You will need 2 coats of the polish and then one of the top coat, if you're looking for the ultimate summer toes then this is your baby. It should last a good 3 weeks too, result!
Step 9 - 3 mins -While your tootsies dry let's moisturise our bodies. If you want some extra help evening out your skin tone go grab a bottle of Palmer's Anti-Ageing Smoothing Lotion with AHA's, or if you prefer something to get you in the mood for sun, just use your favourite low factor sun lotion. I find the smell of Hawaiian Tropic is so divine that I happily use it as a moisturiser.
You're nearly there now.
Step 10 - 5 mins - I tend to wear just a Nail Strengthener like OPI Nail Envy in Summer. Allowing your nails to get sunlight helps them grow long and strong so don’t hide them under dark varnish, just coat with a super shiny layer of this and let them speak for themselves. No fiddly/perfect painting needed just a quick slick and a couple of minutes to dry.
Step 11 - 1 min - Last but not least, get a really good high factor sun screen on your face. You can really reduce the amount of damage, skin texture change and sun spotting by applying a top quality sun screen. I am currently loving Ultrasun’s Anti-Ageing SPF 50+, which is tinted and leaves a nice matte yet healthy finish. It is pretty thick but even with my oil-slick skin, all is well. I have found spritzing on an oil reducing toner like Serozinc before helps keep the shine at bay.
Step 12- 1 min -Last Step, now those toes are dry, paint a little OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil on your cuticles to give a lovely softened look.
And that my lovely ladies, is It. Total Time 52 minutes
You are now ready to go share your lovely self with the world.
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