Sultry summer beauty tricks
Go ahead, flaunt your gorgeous body! Here, beauty secrets that will take you from tunic to two-piece in no time.
Score sexy, beachy waves
“When you’re wearing very little, the most flattering thing you can
do is leave your hair down,” says Dominick Pucciarello, a stylist at
Mizu Salon in New York City. (It’s no coincidence that scantily-clad
Victoria’s Secret models are sent down runways with tousled, windswept
locks!)
To get the look, spritz a salt-based spray like Aquage Sea Salt Spray ($17; aquage.com) on damp strands. Comb it through, then let hair dry naturally. Undone waves—done!
To get the look, spritz a salt-based spray like Aquage Sea Salt Spray ($17; aquage.com) on damp strands. Comb it through, then let hair dry naturally. Undone waves—done!
Age-proof this spot
Shoulders are a magnet for UV rays. Slather on the SPF every day to
prevent freckles from clustering here. At night, fade spots by applying a
brightener, says Heidi Waldorf, MD, a New York City–based
dermatologist. A good one: Vichy ProEven Total Dark Spot Corrector ($43; vichyusa.com), which contains vitamins C and E.
Wearing a shoulder-baring top? Blur the damage by dusting on a body shimmer—light-diffusing mica particles will make your skin glisten and spots (virtually) fade away.
Wearing a shoulder-baring top? Blur the damage by dusting on a body shimmer—light-diffusing mica particles will make your skin glisten and spots (virtually) fade away.
Put your best chest forward
It’s a hot spot for acne (especially when you’re loading on sunscreen), so fight breakouts by using a salicylic acid–based body wash a few times a week. To get glowing, apply bronzing powder to your neck, chest, and between breasts, says Cindy Barshop, owner of Completely Bare Spas. Or mix a drop of liquid bronzer with your body lotion for a dewier effect.Bronze yourself buff
Sculpt sexy arms with a little self-tanner trickery: Starting at the shoulders, apply a lotion-formula self-tanner, working down the length of the arms in long, sweeping motions. Go a little heavier on the outside of the arms—the inner part should be lighter because the sun wouldn’t naturally hit there, says Ali Bunch, training specialist for Evolv Sunless. Be sure not to overapply to your hands; too much self-tanner there will leave you splotchy.Erase dimples
Cellulite happens—whether you’re a size 2 or 12. To conceal bumps, enlist the help of a skin-firming lotion. “A topical cream containing retinoids or caffeine applied once a day may improve the look of cellulite, as it stimulates circulation below the skin and causes temporary plumping,” Dr. Waldorf says.Fab up legs
Lighten new scars and stretch marks by treating the reddened areas
with two ingredients proven to fade: collagen-boosting retinoids (the
most effective ones come from your derm) and onion extract—found in
over-the-counter products like Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy ($40; cvs.com).
Sadly, once these annoying skin marks fade to white, no treatment cream will work, Dr. Waldorf notes. But you can hide them with a bronzing cream or glow lotion.
Sadly, once these annoying skin marks fade to white, no treatment cream will work, Dr. Waldorf notes. But you can hide them with a bronzing cream or glow lotion.
Perfect your bikini line
Getting a smooth bikini line is possible. If you shave, try the Gillette Venus Bikini Trimmer
($5; drugstores) to neaten up in seconds. (Also look for a shaving
cream containing Capislow, an ingredient that inhibits hair growth.)
Prefer a hair-zapping cream? Let Sally Hansen In-Shower Hair Remover ($8; drugstores) work its magic while you shampoo. And if you wax, you’ll love BareEase & Cream Kit ($25; dermstore.com), with its 4% lidocaine-based numbing cream.
Prefer a hair-zapping cream? Let Sally Hansen In-Shower Hair Remover ($8; drugstores) work its magic while you shampoo. And if you wax, you’ll love BareEase & Cream Kit ($25; dermstore.com), with its 4% lidocaine-based numbing cream.
Soften soles
An easy way to get spa-like results at home: Exfoliate the tops and bottoms of your feet in the shower with a grainy scrub—try H2O Plus Pumice Foot Scrub ($15; h2oplus.com)—concentrating on the sides of feet and toes, where calluses tend to build up, Dr. Waldorf says. Apply a thick, moisturizing cream post-shower for max absorption.The Life Style
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