You may not be beach perfect right now but we guarantee you’ll be there! Here are our tips on how to get ready for the beach.
Thank heaven for sheer, sexy tunics… a mini-kaftan flutters rather than clings to your body and suits all shapes – from curvy to straight, hiding a multitude of sins. So, if you’ve left it until now to follow a sensible diet and exercise regime, we suggest you buy two! Let’s face it, the cream that defies science hasn’t been made yet, and the best way to shape up for summer is to cheat! Firstly, find a fab swimsuit. You want the kind that’s cut more like your underwear to lift, mould and support. Then smooth and soften your body from head to toe…
Cover all the bases
Pay a little extra attention to those parts of the body that haven’t yet seen the sun, and you’ll feel happy to hit the beach for your well-deserved holiday.
Scrub down
Regularly massaging in a body scrub will dramatically improve the look and feel of your skin, removing areas of dry or bumpy skin. Plus it preps your skin for the sun, preventing any natural colour you do pick up through the sunscreen from being patchy or peeling fast. There are many great exfoliators, but for us they have to smell glorious too. One of our all-time favourites is REN Moroccan Rose Otto sugar Body Polish, R425 for 330ml, which just melts into the skin, leaving your body phenomenally soft.
Heavenly moisture
Moisture makes your skin look smoother and feel younger, whether it’s on your face, your feet or your bottom! So once you’ve shed that flaky skin, lock the moisture in with a rich, nourishing cream, such as Vaseline’s Cocoa Glow Nourishing Cream, R38,99 for 500ml, that’s gorgeous and smells of a tropical beach. For a real treat, try Kalahari Essential Body Oil, R265 for 60ml, exquisite!
Firm focus
Are anti-cellulite and body firming creams really worthwhile? We believe it’s the massaging action that makes all the difference, helping to stimulate circulation and improve the feel and tone of your skin. The new focus of firmers is to strengthen and support the skin, so that fatty deposits show less. Elemis Sp@ Home Body Sculpting Firming Cream and Lipo-Refining Serum Duo, R1 315 for 200ml, is designed to support delicate, less than firm skin, from your neck to your toes.
Smooth sailing
Waxes and lasers are so much easier than shaving. A moment of pain and then nothing for four to six weeks. You should only laser tan-free skin, so it’s best to do it before you go. Why not try out The Laser Boutique’s Pain-Free Laser Hair Removal, from R280 for ladies depending on the area. Visit laserboutique.co.za for more info. Want to do it at home? Mandy’s Soft Feel Wax Strips, from R64,95, is certainly the chic-est and easiest way to DIY.
Happy feet
Dry, cracked heels can be a confidence zapper, but the moment you make the effort you can’t wait to get those flip-flops out. Buff heels and callouses with one of the beauty world’s most addictive tools, the Micro-Pedi, R399, before you soak your feet. Then grab a super-thick softening balm, such as Badger Foot Balm, R82 for 21g, with tea tree oil, rosemary and peppermint to refresh. Feet feel so soft after one application, you can only imagine the transformation by the time you go.
Perfect your skin
What really ages the body are those signs of wear and tear – thread veins and stretchmarks. Give them a quick cover up with Coverderm Perfect Legs Fluid, R525 for 75ml, which is suitable for all skin types. And to give skin glow before you head off on holiday, try Dove Summer Glow Nourishing Body Lotion, R30 for 200ml, a radiance-boosting gradual tanning lotion.
