Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic Welcome to our new weekly column on the YOU magazine website, www.you.co.uk Below you will find the current question and our advice, with a list of where to source the products mentioned. To look at past columns, click here. And for lots more solutions to your beauty dilemmas, visit Q&A, just click here.
July 5th, 2009: Cellulite
Q This is a cry for help! I'm off on a beach holiday in two weeks and I don't like the look of my cottage cheesy thighs at all. Do you have any advice to help me through this trauma?
A The first thing to remember is that an awful lot of women will be feeling exactly the same – because the blobby dimples of cellulite affect about 90 per cent of women to some degree. The second is camouflage and confidence. The third is… forward planning so you don’t have the same nasty moment next summer!
So – camouflage. We were doing a beauty gig at the Vitality Show a year or two ago, following a catwalk show of models in swimwear. Powdering our noses in the Ladies, we were completely riveted to see that the models – who were maybe in their twenties, not more – had quite buxom thighs and absolutely definitely cellulite. Were they worried? Did they look bothered? So not. They simply piled on the fake tan and raked up the chutzpah.
It worked for them. And it will work for you. For an instant tan, we both rave about L’Oreal Sublime Bronze One Day, £11.99, a sheer gel that blends every evenly. We have different skin tones - Sarah naturally more tanned than lilywhite Jo – but this fantastic smooth-on bronzer gives both of us the gorgeously golden brown legs we yearn for. It’s not a self- aka fake tan (so doesn’t have any whiff at all) and gives you virtually instant colour which lasts without budging till you scrub with soap and water. (Unlike a much more expensive leg tint Sarah tried recently which came off on everything.)
As for confidence, we think the guru of gorgeousness Gok Wan has it right here: ‘every body is naturally beautiful: it’s just a case of dressing up the good bits and diverting attention from the rest. You’ve worked hard all year for this holiday and you are going to enjoy it. The key is to develop confidence: that carries an entire look – and the word is GORGEOUS! Value yourself; hold your head high and you’re going to get all the attention.’
Gok also recommends working-on posture: ‘standing and moving well can help you lose 5 pounds in 10 seconds. Remember the alignment of your skeleton – pull up your body from your ankles, knees, right up your spine to the crown of your head, let your shoulders drop back and your bosom float up, lift your eyes and look ahead and away.’ So your forward planning should include starting yoga and/or dancing – to make you move gracefully and because stretching helps body lines.
Our next big recommendation is dry skin body brushing, which encourages the lymphatic system to work well. Start it now, daily, and the texture of your skin will improve visibly by the time you leave. Continue until next year and, in our experience, it will help blobby bits immeasurably. (NB brush in long strokes towards your heart, avoiding any delicate areas – breasts – or any broken skin.) Our favourite implement is the Origins Raffe Body Brush, just £10, from www.origins.co.uk
Follow on with a cellulite prep for maximum impact: in our latest round of Tried & Tested products we found to our amazement that some products came near achieving what they claimed – that is, to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Undoubtedly, the daily massage application helped but it really seems possible that the products had an effect over and above the massage: two worth trying are all-natural Weleda Birch Cellulite Oil, £14.95 for 100ml, and Nivea Body Goodbye Cellulite Gel, £10.07 for 200ml, both of which improved testers’ blobby bits – and encourage them to drink more water, exercise and eat more veg, salads and protein.
And, of course, slinky sarongs and caftans are made to cover up anything you don’t want endlessly on display: let’s face it, unless you’re a beach babe, most of us benefit from a bit of camouflage when we’re shimmying around.
We  . . . this week, we’re raving about OPI Manicure Skin Renewal Scrub for hands. If you haven’t sussed that scrubbing is fantastic for hands as well as bodies, start now. These very fine sugar crystals, fragrant with essentials oils of lemon, orange, juniper and peach blossom, leave hands looking and feeling silky soft and bright - irresistibly holdable! They will also buff off any lingering self tan stains – and even claims to help vanish age spots. What’s not to love? £10.60 for 85g, from www.lenawhite.co.uk, tel 01923 240 010.
WHERE TO FIND PRODUCTS:
 L’Oreal Sublime Bronze One Day, £11.99 available online at www.loreal-paris.co.uk, www.superdrug.com and from stores nationwide
 Origins Raffe Body Brush £10, is available at Origins stores nationwide and online at www.origins.co.uk
 Weleda Birch Cellulite Oil, £14.95 for 100ml, is available online from www.victoriahealth.com don’t forget your exclusive 5% discount and free postage for all UK online orders.
 Nivea Body Goodbye Cellulite Gel, £10.07 for 200ml is available from nationwide and online with www.boots.com
We . . .
 OPI Manicure Skin Renewal Scrub £10.60 for 85g is available online at www.lenawhite.co.uk or call 01923 240 010
Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic - Archive
June 28th, 2009 - Sexy Summer Scents
June 21st, 2009 - Eyeliner Tricks
June 14th, 2009 - Natural Suncare
June 7th, 2009 - Anti Ageing Skin Care
May 31st, 2009 - Natural Nail Polishes
May 24th, 2009 - Body Polishing
May 17th, 2009 - Rosacea
May 10th, 2009 - Manky Feet
May 3rd, 2009 - Makeup Makeover
April 26th, 2009 - Facial Hair Removal
April 19th, 2009 - Teen Skin
April 12th, 2009 - Swimmers Hair
April 5th, 2009 - Make-up For Damaged Skin
March 29th, 2009 - Are Sunbeds Safe?
March 22nd, 2009 - Weak, Flaking Nails
March 15th, 2009 - Puffy Eyes
March 8th, 2009 - Camouflaging Red Cheeks
March 1st, 2009 - Hair Colouring in Pregnancy
February 22nd, 2009 - Thinning Eyebrows
February 15th, 2009 - Acne
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