insideKENT Magazine Issue 53 - August 2016 | Page 84

FASHION+BEAUTY

SHOW OFF THOSE LEGS
RIGHT (*CROSSES FINGERS AND TOES*), NOW THAT THE SUN IS FINALLY SHINING, IT’S TIME TO EMBRACE YOUR
SUMMER WARDROBE, WHICH GENERALLY MEANS DONNING SHORTS AND SKIRTS. WHILE WE MAY ALL WANT
SCULPTED SUPERMODEL LEGS THAT TRAVEL FROM ANKLE TO APPARENTLY ARMPIT WITH NOTHING BUT A
MUSCULAR SHIMMER EN ROUTE, NOT ALL OF US HAVE THEM. AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY FINE. THERE ARE WAYS
AND MEANS OF PREPPING YOUR LEGS FOR THE SUMMER SEASON, SO THAT WHEN YOU DO PUT THAT PAIR OF
SHORTS ON, YOU TURN TO THE MIRROR AND THINK: ‘DO YOU KNOW WHAT? THOSE WILL DO NICELY.’ WE’VE
PUT TOGETHER A FAILSAFE BEAUTY ROUTINE FOR YOUR LEGS THAT’S EASY TO FOLLOW AND WILL LEAVE YOU
PROUD TO SHOW OFF YOUR PINS. by Polly Humphris

Step 1: Hair removal
Firstly, if it’s been a while since you bared your legs, take a deep breath before you reveal them in
all of their ‘winter/spring/summer-coat’ glory and accept that hair removal is a must. Shaving is a
cheap, quick, and, if you’re handy with a razor and can avoid unsightly nic ks, pain-free option here.
There’s all manner of razors out there in today’s market – silver ones, multiple-bladed ones, old-school
Bic disposables (lethal: not recommended), even pretty pink ones
– and a great call is the Gillette Venus Swirl. The first Gillette
women’s model to include ‘FlexiBall’ technology, it offers a really
close shave and adjusts to the body’s contours well too.
If you prefer the depilatory cream route (they’ve come on a long
way since the unforgettable chemical stench of Veet (née Immac)
made us all feel as though we were somehow perming our leg hairs
off), try a Skin Doctors ‘hair no more’ hair removal pack. An
easy two-step system that finishes with an inhibitor spray to saturate
the hair bulb, preventing hair from growing back fast, it’s easypeasy, effective and doesn’t smell like burning flesh either.

Step 2: Exfoliation
Once the hair’s gone, it’s time
to think tanning, but not before
you exfoliate, a stage that’s
essential for getting rid of dry
skin and paving the way for
that smooth and shiny leg look
that we all want to achieve. An
oldie but a goodie, Clinique’s
Sparkle Skin is the bodyexfoliating equivalent of an icecold plunge pool. Best used
on dry skin, it’s got a sturdy,
non-sticky consistency, which
won’t melt from your hands
before you get a chance to rub
it in, and its gel-like formula
contains botanical
ingredients and lots of menthol,
so it’s seriously invigorating
and cools the skin as it
exfoliates leaving your legs
glossy and glowing.

Step 3: Moisturise
Dry, scaly legs are never a good look, and the key to them a) looking
lovely and b) receiving a helping hand in the form of a hint of self tan,
is to moisturise. In our opinion, everything that Emma Hardie touches
turns to gold; a leading pioneer in skin rejuvenation, what she doesn’t
know about anti-ageing isn’t worth knowing and now, hallelujah,
she’s developed the ultimate body moisturiser too: Emma Hardie
Natural Life and Sculpt Body Butter. Fragranced with zingy citrus
and softer, floral notes, it’s an intense, nourishing treatment that’s
perfect for hydrating legs that have been left undercover for a while.
Thick and really luxurious feeling, it’s packed to the rafters with
everything tired skin could possibly need including Omega 3, 6, and
9 fatty acids, marine actives, Vitamin E, shea butter, and even Inca
oils from Peru, for that added air of indulgence.

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