Sleek SEXY Stems

DARE TO WEAR 'EM SHORT!

If New York Fashion Week was a precursor to summer skin, then things are lookin' pretty sexy. The slew of sky-high LEGS set the tone for sleek summer stems begging to be exposed. To prep legs for their bare-all summer lovin', I recommend exfoliating and infusing skin with moisture, on a DAILY basis. Adding a bit of color will kick the fab-leg factor up a notch, but read on to see what method works best for your lifestyle:

SCRUB YOUR WORRIES AWAY

Mix up the scrub factor by alternating granular scrubs (like a salt or sugar scrub) with an acid exfoliator like a Glycolic cleanser. Glycolic is an alpha hydroxy acid which stimulates cell turnover über-effectively, rendering skin silky soft, smooth and renewed.

Always exfoliate before you shave or wax (this will alleviate unsightly in-grown hairs), and never forget to hydrate the skin. I swear by dry oils like Argan or Seasame Seed oil. They add silky richness to skin whilst adding a luminous sheen. Oils have gotten a bad rap in years past, however, their re-birth has been a game changer in the world of hydrated, healthy skin. Dry oils have the capability of penetrating the skin more effectively than creams, due to their smaller molecular structure (smaller molecules result in deeper product penetration). Your skin's surface does NOT negotiate. If a molecule is too large to penetrate its barrier, the product will simply sit on top of the epidermis, rather than penetrate deep within the  dermal layers of the skin. Trust me, you want deep penetration.

COLOR ME HAPPY!

To kick-up-the-sexy a few notches, rub your legs with a nickel-sized dollup of tinted illuminator like Scott Barnes Body Bling ($42 RickysNYC.com). This product leaves skin shimmery, bronzed and gorgeously sun-kissed; there ain't nothin' more sexy than that!

Sally Hansen Air Brush Legs ($12.99 ULTA.com) is another one of my favorites. For easy application, spray this product into the palm of your hand and massage an even coat onto your legs. Spider veins, bruises, uneven skin tone....it practically disappears! You're left with a waterproof veil of shimmery, bronzed, flawless legs, how fabulous! 

For added dimension, I like to layer leg makeup with a highlighting powder, specifically on the tops of my shins. Laura Mercier, Radience Baked Body Bronzer ($55 Sephora.com) is a high-powered bronzer and a MUST HAVE to keep legs perpetually glowing, especially when you're on the go and don't have time to apply a bronzing cream ......and the best part is that I can use it on my arms, face and décolleté for on-call illumination for any part of my body, how fantastic!

  

HERE COMES THE (faux) SUN

 I'm a huge fan of sunless tanning, but not a fan of the orange look. Sun Laboratoies Tanning System ($27 SunLabsOnLine.com) has perfected a formula which renders skin Godness-like, and the only thing orange about it is their product label. It goes on tinted which makes for a quick and easy application. If you're relatively low-maintenance and would rather not fuss with leg makeup, self tanner is a terrific option. A sun-kissed glow is desirable, the sun's UVA/UVB rays are not. Sunless tanning products like this are what Martha would call "a good thing".

Whatever product you choose to exfoliate, hydrate and illuminate your legs with is completely up to you. The point is to consciously and deliberately care for legs, and make them the star of the summet-skin-show! A woman's legs beg to be flaunted. If you suffer from spider or varicose veins, a body bronzer may help to hide their appearance. If your esthetic issue is more severe or if you suffer from Strawberry Legs, reach out to me and I will help you figure out a solution. Long, short, muscular or lean, own up to the magnificence of your stems and flaunt them proudly!  

--CIAO for now  xo

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