Target Your Beauty Blindspots
Summer's here, so it's time to start your beach body regime. We show you how to target those pesky areas of forgotten flesh that have long-been out of sight, out of mind.
Beauty Blindspot 1: Feet
Flip-flop season is imminent and sun-shy toes have nowhere to hide in skimpy sandals – shock, horror! It’s time to start thinking about what’s lurking beneath those heart-print socks and platform boots. Start by treating tootsies to a daily scour with this pumice-in-a-jar, packed with savvy, natural ingredients like exfoliating peach seed, smoothing mallow and refreshing ginger.
Neal’s Yard Remedies Pumice Foot Scrub, £13.70, www.nealsyardremedies.com
By Jessica David
Beauty Blindspot 1: Feet
Next, target severe problem areas with this tried and trusted cream, formulated with intensive Panthenol and Bisabolol to really penetrate and repair. Slather daily on heels and the balls of your feet for just one week. You’ll soon be kicking your heels rather than dragging them.Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Cracked Heel Foot Cream, £2.99, available nationwide
Beauty Blindspot 1: Feet
Finally, treat toes to a slick of spring-friendly polish. We can’t get enough of these sweet-as-sandy colours from nail supremos Orly. From delicate lavender to tantalising lemon, the collection has tapped right into our lust for all things ice-cream-coloured this season.
Orly Sweet Collection, £8.95 each www.cupidandgrace.com
Beauty Blindspot 2: Back
The back is an area easily neglected as, unless you’ve a 360° rotating neck, it’s not a part of the body you can keep a close eye on. But with stores full of sexy, backless tops and dresses, it’s likely your flipside could use some TLC in time for summer. Start by investing in the perfect body brush – not only will a daily scour banish any dead skin cells left over from the cold snap, but it will also tone those back muscles. This Elemis brush uses natural cactus bristles for a more vigorous scrub, plus it has an extra long handle, perfect for those hard to reach places.
Elemis Pure Natural Cactus Bristle Brush £18, www.timetospa.co.uk
Beauty Blindspot 2: Back
It’s surprisingly common to suffer the odd breakout on your back, so target unwelcome blemishes now with this medicated soap bar from Clinique. It thoroughly cleanses problem areas and helps treat existing breakouts whilst preventing them from coming back.
Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Cleansing Bar for Face and Body, £12.50 www.clinique.co.uk
Beauty Blindspot 3: Upper Arms
Sleeves will become straps before you know it, so it’s time to focus some beauty-attention on that forgotten area south of your shoulders. If, like approx 40% of the population, you suffer from Keratosis Pilaris (those inexplicable, rough, inflamed, red bumps on the back of your upper arms), then it’s likely you’ll want to shift this as much as possible before summer. Whilst there is no definitive cure for this condition, GLAMOUR.COM has discovered that using moisturisers with AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) helps improve the appearance and feel of the skin, so invest in a tried and trusted body cream, like this one from MD Formulations, and use twice daily.
MD Formulations Hand and Body Crème, £26, www.hqhair.com
Beauty Blindspot 3: Upper Arms
Whoever coined the phrase ‘bingo wings’ – and we’d bet our Mulberry Alexa it was a man – should be eternally damned, but if your upper arms are a bit prone to the dreaded wobble, simply combine a short, daily session of toning exercises with this potent, water-based, wonder gel, which provides an instant tightening effect to anywhere that needs a little de-jigging.Benefit Wonderbod Jiggle Gel, £17.15, ww.debenhams.com
Beauty Blindspot 4: Legs
Your legs may have been under wraps for months but this month sees hemlines a’rising – and it’s time to get those pins back up to scratch. Start by de-fuzzing with our new favourite at-home hair removal from shaving giants King of Shaves, who have stepped into the ladies’ spotlight with their new spin-off range, Queen of Shaves.
Queen of Shaves range, from £2.99, www.boots.com
Beauty Blindspot 4: Legs
Finish with a spot of foolproof faux tanning. The new tanning mist from L’Oréal Paris has become a GLAMOUR.COM essential. Scented with a fresh citrus fragrance, this easy-to-use spray dries instantly and goes on evenly, making it the perfect antidote for winter-weary stems.
L’Oréal Sublime Bronze Express Pro, Body, £12.99 www.boots.com
Beauty Blindspot 5: Thighs & Bum
Planning on jetting away to sunnier climes any time soon? Then it’s worth targeting those bumpy bits now. Start by investing in a good body scrub. Using a circular motion, massage any wobbles with this energising treatment from Liz Earle – infused with naturally active ingredients, including nine essential oils.
Liz Earle Energising Body Scrub, £12.50, uk.lizearle.com
Beauty Blindspot 5: Thighs & Bum
Next, give your silhouette a makeover in time for this year’s bikini debut with a helping hand from Dior. The beauty giant’s new toning oil is formulated with skin-savvy ingredients such as Epaline, a hyper-oxygenated plant oil that stimulates and smoothes, and glasswort extract, which helps re-balance water in the skin tissue. Why bother packing a sarong this year?
Dior Svelte Body Beautifying and Toning Oil, £35, available nationwide
