We were all hopeful that the government would say that beauty salons and spas could reopen on 4th July. Instead, their announcement last Tuesday that we have to remain closed was met with cries of anguish from many people. However, don’t worry, if your usually silky smooth body is starting to resemble that of an Afghan Hound or if your roots are looking more sparkly silver than chocolate brown, I am here with my top tips on how to look your best in lockdown
1) Wax strips – for those of us who shy away from the razor and prefer to wax then cold wax strips can be a great way to subdue the stubble. I like to use Veet strips on my legs and bikini line. I like to use the leg strips for my bikini line and trim them in half (width-ways) rather than use them whole, but you can use facial strips on your bikini area if you’re feeling a bit apprehensive.
Make sure you follow the instructions and do a patch test, take it slow when applying the strip (trim extremely long hair down to less than 5mm, otherwise the hair may just break off rather than tear out at the roots), firmly press and stroke the strip down onto the skin and when you tear off the strip do it with gumption in the direction that’s against the direction of hair growth.
Make sure you stretch the skin as taut as you can with your spare hand as you tear off the strip (as this can deaden the nerve endings a little and stop it hurting as much). Take a hot shower first so that the hair follicles are open and release the hair more easily.
2) Self Tan – I am not the biggest lover of self-tan, but I like a golden glow in the summer. So, while the spray-tanner is out of action, why not try faking it at home? I really like Tan Luxe ‘The Face’, which is a brilliant self-tan that you drop into your usual moisturiser and apply with the cream. It gives great buildable colour and contains anti-ageing ingredients too. Make sure to do your neck and up behind your ears and not just your face. You only need to use 1 to 3 drops at a time, so a bottle of it lasts for ages.
For the body, I really like St Tropez Express Bronzing Mousse. It has reached a cult-like status because it is fast-drying, doesn’t smell and gives you streak-free, natural coverage. It’s pricey, but one bottle is about the same cost as a spray-tan and you get an awful lot more than just one use out of it, so it’s better value than the salon.
Make sure you exfoliate 24 hours beforehand and use a tanning mitt to apply the tan. It’s important that just before you apply the self-tan you moisturise any dry areas such as your knees, hands, elbows and feet. Only use the excess tan left on the mitt for your hands and feet, otherwise these areas may go darker than the rest of your body.
3) At home facial – If you usually get spa facials (and even if you don’t), then I recommend giving yourself one at home at least monthly. Your face will thank you for it.
The steps are really simple: take your cleanser (I like Smoothing Cleanser by Tropic) and work it into your dry face in circular motions before removing. I cleanse again with a balm (I use Neal’s Yard Wild Rose Beauty Balm), but you can use the same cleanser, and repeat the process. After removing your cleanser, take your favourite exfoliator (I like Wishful’s Yo Glow enzyme scrub) and work that gently into the face before removing.
Next, take some facial oil (I love Neal’s Yard Orange Flower facial oil, but you could simply use a drop of coconut oil) and massage it around your skin – check out my facial massage video on YouTube for the full routine – and then you can either leave the oil in place or remove it with a damp flannel. Next, it’s toning time – spritz a little of your go-to toner (I use Neal’s Yard Frankincense toner) onto your face and fan dry. Lastly, simply smooth your moisturiser onto your face and neck in slow, upward motions (I like Neal’s Yard Frankincense Hydration Cream) and you’re good to glow.
4) Massage gun – So many people are missing their weekly or monthly massage sessions. So, after moaning to my friend about my tense shoulders, she suggested I bought a massage gun. While it is no replacement for a skilled massage therapist, this little contraption is brilliant for relieving tension. I use it for ten minutes before I work out on the muscles that give me gip and then for ten minutes afterwards to relax them again.
It cost me about the same as an hour’s full body massage, so I think it’s great value for money. It will be great for taking away on holiday too, as it’s small enough to fit in a suitcase, but I’d caution against taking it in your hand luggage, unless you enjoy airport security searches, as it is very much shaped like a handgun…
5) Collagen socks – If your feet feel rough, then these little beauties will sort them out. They are enriched with all sorts of goodies, such as collagen, deep moisturisers and vitamins and you simply pop them on your feet and sit in them for as long as you can. My advice is to put regular socks over the top and sleep in them, as you’ll wake up with baby-soft tootsies. I get my collagen socks from Voesh, but there are other good brands on the market too.
6) Foot soak with Epsom salts – Another way to treat your feet is to soak them in Epsom salts. This can be a great way to relieve pain, exfoliate and help get rid of toxins. Simply fill your bathtub or a pedicure bowl with warm water, dissolve approximately half a cup of Epsom salts and soak your feet for 30 minutes or so. Epsom salts can make your feet a little dry, so you should make sure you moisurise your feet afterwards (or you could use the collagen socks as mentioned above). Please note that people who are pregnant, diabetic or who have kidney and heart problems should seek their doctor’s advice before using Epsom salts.
7) At home manicure - Doing your own nails can be a challenge for some, but if you are not gifted when it comes to painting your nails then here are some tips.
Start by gently filing your nails down (use the file in one direction across the nail, as if you’re using a bow on a violin) until they are the shape you want. Dab some cuticle cream (I use OPI Pro Spa, but you can use Vaseline as an alternative) on the cuticle with a cotton bud, leave it for 5 minutes or so and then use an orange stick to gently push the cuticle back. Make sure you clean any product from the nail plate by going over it with some nail polish remover on a cotton pad.
Apply your base coat and wait for it to dry.
I find the easiest way of painting my own nails is to rest the little finger of my painting hand onto one of the fingers of the hand being painted. This steadies me, so I can get the best result. Try not to have too much polish on the brush, but make sure there’s enough to work with, and start by slightly pushing the brush down towards the cuticle and stop about 0.5mm above it and then drag the brush back up the nail. Repeat this round the nail until it is covered. If you make a mistake and get polish on the skin, just dip a cotton bud into some nail polish remover and rub it over the area to remove it. You can also buy nail corrector pens, which are brilliant. I have an OPI one that I bought from Amazon. Do two to three thin coats of colour, wait for them to dry in between coats, and then finish with top coat.
I was taught to paint nails in three strokes – one in the middle and then one on each side, but do whatever works for you to achieve the best result.
After your nail polish is dry, apply some lovely hand moisturiser (I like L’Occitane) and some cuticle oil for ultimate pampering.
8) Body brushing – If you’ve ever had a body treatment at a spa, you’ll know that it often starts with dry body brushing. This treatment has its roots in Ayurvedic medicine and is a brilliant way of reinvigorating yourself. All you need is a body brush, which you can get from Amazon. Start brushing at your feet in short, upwards strokes towards the heart and work your way upwards making sure you cover all of your body. You can even add a drop of body oil onto the brush, but I prefer to use it completely dry on dry skin before a bath or shower.
9) Hair masque – I haven’t had my hair cut for over three months and it is starting to show. I know hairdressers can soon open, but I’m still worried about going to get the chop. So, for those who want to wait a little longer, hair masques are a great way of keeping hair in good condition until you feel ready to go to the salon. My favourite masque is the Intense Hydrating Masque by Moroccanoil. Other brands of masque that I think are fab are Kerastase and the Body Shop (they do a great banana scented one).
10) Root spray – If, like me, your head has a white stripe down the middle but you don’t want to go to the salon to get your colour done, invest in a root spray. These sprays are a brilliant quick fix to cover greys and freshen up your hair colour so that it looks like new. It washes out, so you have to reapply it each time you shampoo your hair, but it is so quick and easy that I don’t find it an issue. My favourite is L’Oreal Paris Magic Retouch spray – it’s also great at disguising the roots of clip in hair extensions too!