Sunshine Body SOS

Right, so the sun is splitting the stones, you’re off for the long weekend, but you’ve also been stuck in the office all week with no time to prep for the next three days of skin-showing, toe-baring, glorious sunshine!

Here’s how to rock a super-quick body blast to get you feeling ready to bare all…

Tonight before bed
Have a shower, shave your legs (if you do) and exfoliate the beejaysus out of your skin. No body polish to hand? Hit the kitchen – sugar or salt particles in olive oil is a fantastic hack that gets rid of dead skin and brightens without overly stripping the skin. FYI – kitchens hold a wealth of beauty-tastic ingredients for body blasting – just don’t go near the Brillo pads.

Shower after you scrub, apply a light body moisturiser all over and a thick emollient product to your feet to soften them – yes, Vaseline is fine.

Tomorrow morning
Firstly, and post- shower, add an even layer of a gradual tan that will slowly develop over a few hours. Dove and Cocoa Brown do the best in my view -the colour is light and looks natural – you don’t want to turn a deep mahogany in front of your friend’s eyes as you lounge in a beer garden tomorrow, do you? (well, if you do, go right ahead and layer on that full brown tan, but don’t say I said so).

For a quick fix mani/pedi: buff and file nails, paint with the simply gorgeous Rock The Runway from the new Essie Gel Couture range which has just launched- it’s a flirty, fun coral-red and it won’t be leaving my nails all summer as it makes me so happy to look at it! The gel top coat also seems to ensure it lasts a very long time – I’m ten days and counting here and no chips.

Tomorrow afternoon
It’s simple: SPF, beach, lounge…

Tomorrow Evening
Wine.

Happy bank holiday weekend from IMAGE.