Beauty

seven steps to shaking off that winter fur for the summer

Now’s the time to do it

I don’t know about the rest of the world, but here in Amsterdam the sun has been gracing us with its presence which means it really is time to get rid of that extra layer of winter fur we’ve been using to keep us warm. Schedule in an hour (or two), because it’s not done to be caught out in public with unpolished toenails and unshaved legs. Take a minute to think about it, because how great will it be when you don’t have to worry about heading out the door in shorts or a skirt when you’re looking for a place to hang out in the sun.

1. Scrub away the winter

All your skin cells have been piled up onto of each other giving you a second layer of skin. If you want to build up a tan and have glowing skin, you’ll have to get rid of that layer first. Best way to do it: scrubbing. Take a mild scrub for your fast and one that’s a bit more coarse for the rest of your body. Instead of being gentle, do as they would do in a Turkish hamam (scrubbing hard for a couple of minutes). Might leave you red for a short while, but you’ll have unbelievable soft skin afterwards.

2. Shaving

You don’t want to leave any trace of hair or stubbles. Which means shaving is the second step for you to take. Scrubbing happens to be the best step you can take before shaving, because it’ll make it easier to get rid of all the hair on your legs.

3. Tanning

We get it, you don’t want to show up at the beach looking utterly pale. But to make sure that that contrast is a little less drastic, it’s time to start working with self-tanners. Sprays will give you the smoothest result without turning an awkward shade of orange.

”Sprays will give you the smoothest result without turning an awkward shade of orange’

4. Polished and prepped

Give those toenails a color boost. It’s a must. There’s no way you’re going to want to walk around with chipped polish or with polish that’ll look like it’s melted from the heat of the sun. Make sure to be two steps ahead of the weather. If you opt for a gel polish, you’ll be good to go for at least two weeks, and no amount of sunlight is going to ruin it.

5. Do the brows

Heat and makeup is not always the best fit, so what you want to do is make sure at least one of the areas of your face is fixed and looks good. Go for the brows. Well-kept brows are always a good idea. Smackdab in the middle of your face and always the center of attention.

6. Happy hair

Because of all the sunlight and vitamin D, your hair will be growing a whole lot faster (long live luscious long locks), but it might also feel like a stack of hay. Make sure to get it trimmed and use a hair mask. This way you hair won’t only be, but it’ll look healthy too.

7. Lotioning

This one goes without saying, but always make sure you keep smearing on that lotion before you head into summer. Bodylotion will keep your skin soft and an oil will give it that added bit to shimmer. And sunscreen isn’t an unnecessary luxury either. Might be a drag having to smear on the sunscreen when it’s hot out, but believe me, you’ll be grateful for it in the long run. And on the moment itself too. No burns (hopefully) and wrinkle free.