Be a summer beauty (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Be a summer beauty

7:00am Saturday 2nd May 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

Start the ball rolling on summer beauty with our schedule.

Summer holidays might feel like a distant dream, but if you want to feel beach-body ready you need to get that preening countdown calendar kick-started now.

If you're shelling out on anti-cellulite lotions and slimming potions, most treatments require at least six weeks to see results, so don't even think about applying those 'miracle' creams the day before you're jetting off.

Start thinking about baring all in that bikini now. Here's our guide to eight weeks of holiday-ready beautifying.

:: Eight weeks - Cellulite attack Removed the opaques and discovered the dreaded orange peel effect? Start on the cellulite zapping at least six weeks before your break by using a cream containing oxygen twice a day, which will help blast away the toxins that block the capillaries causing that uneven bumpy skin.

Try: Karin Herzog Dynamic Duo - Anti-Cellulite Silhouette Body Cream and Tonus B12, £45 (0800 0562428/www.karinherzog.co.uk).

:: Seven weeks - Slim jim kit For quick-fix body refining before you hit the beach, forget potentially damaging slimming pills and look to a daily dedicated skin regime to lose inches. Caudalie's Slimming Regime, using a mix of draining herbal tea, scrub and contouring concentrate, is said to shave at least 3.8cm off thighs in one month.

Try: Caudalie Slimming Regime, £61 (www.hqhair.com).

:: Six weeks - Lump and bump elimination If you're stuck with stubborn pockets of fat or wobbly spots - hey, even supermodel Kate Moss has shunned baby bump rumours by admitting to putting on a few pounds - a sculpted body can still be yours minus the surgery. The TriPollar POSE is a new at-home clinical device that tightens and tones lax, sagging skin when used two to three times a week for six to eight weeks.

Try: TriPollar POSE, £349, (Selfridges/Harvey Nichols/www.stop-age.com).

:: Five weeks - Skin smoother Get your skin looking radiant for the sunshine by sloughing off dead skin cells that can leave your skin both dull and flaky. Use an invigorating exfoliating scrub two to three times a week and you'll be positively glowing. Choose a tropical or coconut-scented scrub to get you in the mood for happy holidays.

Try: The Body Shop Papaya Body Scrub, £12.20 (www.thebodyshop.co.uk).

:: Four weeks - Cosmetic capers Hit the make-up counters and freshen up your look for your summer escapade. Think washes of shimmering metallic eyeshadow, waterproof mascara, light base and a gloss with protective SPF. No7 make-up artist and creative director Lisa Eldridge says the best type of summer foundation is tinted moisturiser.

"It's sheer and light-reflective, and will impart the skin with a dewy glow."

Try: Boots No7 Dual Protection Tinted Moisturiser SPF15, £10.30.

:: Three weeks - De-fuzz If you feel like you're permanently attached to your razor and can't afford monthly waxing trips to the beauty salon, try investing in an epilator to avoid unsightly nicks and stubble. The action isn't exactly painless but will leave legs and underarms silky smooth for up to four weeks.

Try: Veet Mains Rechargeable Epilator, £79.99 (Boots/Argos/Superdrug).

:: Two weeks - Tantastic Get pasty skin accustomed to the sunshine by assisting your natural melanin levels. Rodial's new Skinny Sticks contain beta-carotene and lycopene to help build up tanning pigments in the skin - and as an added bonus also includes green tea extracts to encourage "fat combustion". Take the sachets daily diluted with water for two weeks before boarding that plane.

Try: Rodial Skinny Beach Sticks, £49 for 14 sticks (www.rodial.co.uk).

:: One week - Prepare for take-off Packing your suitcase to the brim with bikinis and kaftans might feel like your biggest priority but don't put your holiday beauty routine on the back burner just yet. Get set for take-off by sourcing your favourite sun protection products for face, body and hair - miniatures and all-in-one packs are especially good for travelling.

Try: Clynol ID Care Sun collection including Pure After Sun Hair & Body Shampoo, Refresh After Sun Balm and Intense After Sun Mask, in yellow beach bag, £20.95 (01296 314 100/www.clynolsalonfinder.co.uk).

:: Tried & Tested Look blooming gorgeous for spring with a floral blusher. We try three cheeky products to get you in the pink.

:: Collection 2000 Shimmer & Shade in Pink Me Up, £3.99 (0870 755 1055) This multi-toned blusher is ideal for pale to fair skin. The palette gives off a soft glow, which is perfect for both day and evening.

4/5 :: Paul & Joe Face Colour in No11, £15 (www.asos.com) A cute compact with soft pink embossed floral print. The blusher swept on nicely although I preferred the darker shade of pink from the duo.

3/5 :: Clinique Fresh Bloom Blusher in Posy, £22.51 (www.clinique.co.uk) Once the tones eventually blended this blusher gives a nice subtle shimmer. The packaging is quite bulky but it does come with a fab mirror.

3.5/5 :: Buy It Now Katie Price is among the crowd limbering up for the London Marathon on April 26. Treat those post-26 mile pins to Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Gel, £16.10 (www.aromatherapyassociates.com).

:: Recessionista Alert Buy a Chloe 50ml fragrance and get a designer cosmetics purse with miniature fragrance and body lotion free. Available until May 6 while stocks last at The Perfume Shop (0845 601 1950/www.theperfumeshop.com).

Beauty Bulletin :: Lash Factor Just when we've stopped swooning over Cheryl Cole's eyelashes post-X Factor, she's evoked serious lash envy once again. But the good news is we can all get in on the fluttering act. Girls Aloud have launched a range of false eyelashes for Eylure, with a pair to represent each band member's unique style. The dark glossy Cheryl numbers are sure to fly off the shelves. Each pack is £5, available at Superdrug stores or www.asos.com.

:: Weapon of Choice Forget the 'Lipstick Effect', seems we're battling the credit crunch blues armed with our favourite foundation.

A new survey by L'Oreal claims women are turning to skin warpaint to weather their financial woes, and the new beauty phenomenon is being dubbed the 'Foundation Factor'. Sales of foundation rose by 15%, compared with just 2.5% in the lipstick market.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)