Beauty Prep To Feel My Best For Bare Limb Weather
Although I wait and pray for the warmer seasons to roll around as I become so miserable in A/W something I always get slightly nervous about is bearing my limbs to the world. Body confidence is certainly not something that I exude and feel way more comfortable in my winter layers but I long for warm weather dressing because a good midi dress is my most prized wardrobe piece. A catch 22 right? Can anybody else relate? This year I'm on the quest to make sure that I really feel my best when shedding my winter layers and here are the things that I'm planning on doing to hopefully feel more confident than ever...
ACCEPTING MY BODY FOR WHAT IT IS
When scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest I have to admit that I often have those feelings of why doesn't my body look like that? Why aren't my legs that long and slender? Why do I have cellulite? Why can't I look like that? Thoughts I don't like to fess up to having or dwell on but they do crop up and we all know that comparison is the thief of joy but it's a hard cycle to snap out of. I appreciate my body way more than I used to that's for sure but I want to work on how I view myself. Because we only have one body so it's obviously logical to appreciate it rather than hate it every single day. And by appreciating my body a little more it makes me want to make a change way more than if I just sit and pick myself apart, a change that I want to make for my own happiness rather than to appease anybody else and their standards. But I know my body has limits, I'm always going to carry my weight on my bottom half and my hips are always going to be the biggest part of me and that's ok and perfectly normal.
STAYING HYDRATED
Whenever I up my water intake I notice a huge difference not only in my mental clarity and my ability to focus but also the condition of my skin too. Of course, it's obvious but it's not until you see the difference yourself do you really take note and really make the effort to make a change. I don't know it seems to easy to go hours without drinking but it seems a lot of us manage to forget to hydrate. I struggle a lot with puffiness and swelling in my limbs which is hardly a glamorous topic and it always makes me feel embarrassed to admit. But I'm sure it's something that someone out there can relate to, which is why sharing these things is so important. When I keep myself hydrated I don't find myself becoming so swollen and the general appearance of my skin is so much clearer and smoother in texture.
SCRUB A DUB DUB
Just like I know staying hydrated works wonders for my limbs so does giving them a good scrub to get my blood flowing. There are so many ways to do this but I go down the traditional route of the in bath or shower as it's what I do as part of not only my shaving routine but my shower routine too just to keep things looking fresh. A little twist on my traditional scrubbing routine was to use a coffee scrub on my skin dry and that always left my skin feeling and looking incredible. But a big downside to that it makes a huge mess in your bathroom and it's not too kind on your drains so that isn't something I've found myself doing for a while. My all-time favourite body scrubs come from Soap & Glory but I'm giving this radiance scrub from Elemental Herbology* a try which is absolutely beautiful. It sloughs away at all the dead skin cells as well as giving the skin an added glow due to the macadamia oil. You can quite literally feel the moisture on your skin when rinsing this away.
FAUX GLOW
I used to be very into my gradual tanners when I discovered something that worked for me. When the spring months rolled around I slathered my legs in the Palmers Gradual Tanner like there was no tomorrow and that was hands down one of the summers that I felt the most confident in my body. And I'm happy and confident enough being pale but it's more the prominent veins that are on my legs and uneven skin tone that make me feel a little down on myself. Just a smidge of colour really helps me out in that department. Something else I'm really tempted to do is to finally try out my Make Up For Ever Water Blend Foundation* on my legs. I bruise so badly and this is something that could help to take the edge off them, I believe MAC Face & Body does something similar and is always a popular item in any MUA's kit. Back to the faux glow though, are there any experienced tanners that can give me their words of wisdom so I don't look utterly ridiculous and just a little more healthy than usual my pale self.
A GOOD SCENT
In general, something that instantly boosts my confidence all year round is a good scent and as much as I love the deep musky fragrances that I without fail reach for in the colder months the fresh florals always put a little more pep in my step when spritzed on the skin on a balmy sunny morning. When the UK had the wondrous little heat wave that you're all probably sick of hearing about I absolutely loved dousing myself in Jo Malone's latest release. Which is the Jasmine Sambac & Marigold Cologne Intense*. It's got that touch of musk I like but it's beautifully sweet without being sickening and the marigold is such a unique note in a fragrance that I don't believe I've come across before. I adore all my Jo Malone scents, it's been well documented on this blog but their cologne intense range is particularly dreamy and they stay even longer on the skin.
AND MAINTAINING MY FAVOURITE BEAUTY RITUALS
Whilst there are some new things that I want to implement into my routine to give me that boost of confidence I could certainly do with when bearing my limbs to the world. There are a few things that I always make sure as part of my routine and they are ;
moisturising
From my face to my toes, I tend to keep things in check. Of course, when it's arctic outside it's hardly appealing to make sure you're keeping on top of the moisture levels in your skin but it really does make a huge difference. When my body is properly nourished everything just feels and looks that little bit nicer and there is something so heavenly about being able to touch your own skin and feel the moisture in it rather it feeling dull and drab. For a great all-rounder that can be used in the AM or PM I'm a big lover of the Soap & Glory Smoothie Star*, sinks in quickly but still nourishes worn out and dry skin. Oh, and it smells absolutely divine too, so beautifully sweet without being too sickly, I've been through so many in my time.
facial spritz
In the past year or so I've become sort of obsessed with facial sprays and in particular the Caudalie Beauty Elixer*. It's something that I keep by my desk and pop in my bag if I know I'm going to be out all day as it's the perfect skin refresher and well as mood booster. Ideal if your skin is looking drab and heavy throughout the day as well as before makeup to give the complexion a boost of moisture. It's a little bit of a princess product but one that I absolutely love as it's not just feel good, it does have some great benefits to it.
OILS
I've been using an oil in my skincare routine for months and months now and I have to say I have seen a huge difference in the moisture levels of my skin. Things are never too terrible due to my combination complexion but my nose, generally likes to collect product on it in quite an unsightly manner and using an oil has completely fixed that issue. Oils aren't as terrifying as they sound and they can actually balance out a troublesome complexion. It takes a little bit of trial and error to find what works for you but they are out there, my personal favourite are more dry oils as they sink into the skin so quickly and don't feel as slippery.
knowing i'm ready to embrace the warmer weather regardless
When it comes to boosting body confidence something that I believe is so important is knowing that you're good enough no matter what. Yes, it's of course, very nice that we're able to use some simple beauty items to make us feel just that little bit better but we're all ready to bare our limbs at any time. There is so much pressure in the warmer months to suddenly look like a bronzed goddess but that just isn't realistic and that is perfectly ok. Some may look that way but I think the majority of us can relate to feeling a little pasty and limbs like milk bottles. As I've got older I've come to really detest the pressure to instantly look amazing when it comes to shedding the layers and the only thing you need to do to become bikini ready to get yourself, pick a bikini and put it on.
