When it comes to beauty, we often limit ourselves to the neck up. The face is our focus and what is underneath is barely visible.
We may be able to get away with it in winter. But as we approach spring spoils, the horror will be real.
When people talk about bodies that “look their best,” it’s often a euphemism for “thin.” I’m not referring to this. I’m talking about giving our areas below the neck some of the care we provide above. These are some of the mistakes we make and what we can do to make amends…
Not being able to clean yourself
The first trick for bodies over 40 is to exfoliate. Dry body brushing is the economical, easy and hassle-free way to lose dead skin cells. The Organic Pharmacy Skin Brush (now £16, debenhams.com) has natural bristle fibers and a (detachable) wooden handle for full reach.
If you prefer a grain, Weleda’s Birch Body Scrub (£10.95, boots.com) contains natural wax beads to gently buff away spent cells.
Hannah Betts explains that the goal of moisturizing is not to form a dense film of butter, but to layer nutrients.
To be a failure
Some people don’t feel clean without a luxurious lather. However, foam is a product of soap-based surfactants that have a higher pH than your skin and can cause irritation, stripping your skin of its oils and proteins and leaving it dry.
I love Bioderma Atoderm Cleansing Oil (now £14.40 for 1 litre, boots.com). Full of nourishing lipids, it’s so gentle you can use it on your face and body. I’m also interested in trying Dove’s new Advanced Care Body Wash (from £3, ocado.com), which launches today and is advertised as as gentle as water.
greasing
The goal of hydration is not to form a dense film with butter, but to apply layers of food. This doesn’t have to be expensive. Marks & Spencer Apothecary Warmth Hand and Body Lotion with a sublime scent (£5, marksandspencer.com) wins my vote.
But if you need the incentive to hydrate, splurge: NudeBody Peptide Body Creme Aromatic Body Cream (£29, lookfantastic.com) is rich, but not greasy, with natural acids to exfoliate and natural oils to provide softness.
No ‘second face’ routine
The neck, neckline and arms form a kind of “second face”, an area that can be just as seductive when cared for. Ignore it at your own risk.
You don’t need any site-specific products, but take your skin care to at least the décolleté. Give the area some extra TLC with Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Moisturizing Body Serum (£24.95, boots.com).
For a subtle highlight, French women prefer Nuxe’s classic Huile Prodigieuse Golden Shimmer Multi-Purpose Dry Oil (from £18, lookfantastic.com). I prefer to add shine and protection with Supergoop’s Glowscreen Body SPF30 (£35, cultbeauty.co.uk), a shimmering sunscreen in four shades with a golden pearl effect.
Leggings
Middle-aged calves tend to be: terribly dry, spotted (with infected hair follicles) or terribly dry and spotted. For the former, look out for This Works Perfect Legs Skin Miracle (from £10, spacenk.com). For the latter two, Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion (£22.50, boots.com) eradicates bumps of all kinds.
get the tango
If you’re embarrassed to expose your limbs without fake tan, remember: paleness is beautiful, just as darkness is beautiful.
If you love faux bronze, exfoliate and moisturize first. Apply with a glove like St Tropez Tan Dual Sided Luxe Tan Applicator Mitt (now £4.50, boots.com). And use Isle of Paradise Over It Magic Self-Tan Eraser (£15.95, boots.com) before reapplying.
carelessly slouched
Your grandmother was right: good posture costs nothing.
Parsimony of perfumes
Many women spray fragrance just over their shoulder, when it could be a treat for the entire body.
Where should you apply the scent? Where you want to be kissed and/or where you emit the most warmth.
BUY TOWARDS IT!
(£34, cultbeauty.co.uk)
This is causing a riot among tinted moisturizer fans, who can’t believe her natural, no-makeup look and makeup genius.
If you hate foundation, but need a little more, this is the blend for you: a dewy, realistic Parisian glow with skincare benefits.
APRIL FRIZZ FIGHTERS
(£29, cultbeauty.co.uk).
A clarifying treatment enhanced with glycolic acid for twice as polished hair.
(now £7.30, boots.com)
Developed with keratin bond repair technology, this oil is proven to fight frizz from within the hair.
(£6.99, superdrug.com)
Now containing ceramides, this product smoothes the hair cuticle and reduces frizz by 86%.
(£26, boots.com)
Apply this plant-packed potion to damp hair to lock in moisture without weighing it down.
MY ICON OF THE WEEK
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst, 41, wore Lisa Eldridge’s Velveteen Liquid Lipstick in Ribbon to the Oscars
For the 41-year-old actress’s beauty at the Oscars, makeup artist Melanie Inglessis mixed Gucci’s Éternite de Beaute Foundation (£47, sephora.co.uk) with Danessa Myricks’ Beauty Yummy Skin Glow Serum (£37.50 , cultbeauty.co. UK). She finished with a flourish of Lisa Eldridge’s Velveteen Liquid Lipstick in Ribbon (£21, lisaeldridge.com).
COSMETIC CRAVING
At this budding and flowering time of year, I’m starting to wonder if there’s life beyond my beloved classic Diptyque Feu de Bois candle (from £56, libertylondon.com).
The brand offers some stunning spring options: the honeyed Mimosa flower or the vivacious green Muguet (lily of the valley). My choice has traditionally been Dusty Iris, but this year I’ve branched out with a classic Diptyque Violette candle (from £56, libertylondon.com), which boasts a similar elegance, plus the sweet, velvety caress of this little wildflower. . . For its 60-hour duration, this evokes Parma violets, Guerlain cosmetics, and my violet-loving mother. Bliss.