3 steps to a great body in the New Year!

Create your own spa experience!

Cold weather, holiday indulgences and being glued to the couch every night after work - you’d swear my bum is a magnet and the couch is just one big steel block holding me down - doesn’t do any big favours for our waste lines. Sure, it’s easier to drink lots of water and eat healthy in the summer, which keeps the needle on that scale leaning the right way (actually left), and of course you have to treat yourself a little but don’t forget it’s harder to get back in shape if you let go completely than having a little routine and keeping everything more or less in check. And no, I don’t mean grueling boot camp sessions or anything of that sort but a simple body care ritual you can do in your own bathroom – your own little spa haven!
There are 3 simple steps I make sure I always do when I take a shower.  You can really give it as much time as you want or have, it doesn’t need to be an hour long session you need to book in your diary. However, the secret here is consistency!  If you do these every time you take a shower you can count on your skin being silky smooth! OK, so these are my little magic tricks, not really magic, but just consistent...OK -OK here we go... 

Step 1 - Body Brush 

Do this before you shower if you want smooth skin on your thighs and arms. Take a body brush and really work your circulation with long upward strokes, helping blood circulation and melting that hated orange peel away. Not only does it improve circulation, it also gives you great exfoliation and a massage making sure you always get a bit of a scrub every time you take a shower. How fabulous! I threw out my old brush I used for the last couple of years and got myself a brand new spanking body brush from The Body Shop. It has long bristles which are brilliant for a good sweeping motion and thorough exfoliation.  

*The Body Shop Body Brush costs around €16 and is available nationwide.
*You can also get good body brushes in Boots and TK Maxx from time to time. 

Step 2 - Moisturise 

My name is Gulnaz and I am addicted to body moisturisers! I love them all – body butters, body oils, body lotions etc. If it happens that for some strange reason I don’t moisturise after the shower I feel like my skin is not comfortable and have a horrible stretchy-itchy feeling. But more than that I love spoiling my skin with beautiful oil or a creamy moisturiser and have silky smooth skin with a gorgeous scent after.  I’m not too loyal to brands I use and to tell the truth I’m sort of a cherry picker with my body moisturisers – if it looks good and it’s on offer, it’s mine! At the moment I am using Aveeno Moisturising Oil. It has a creamy but non-greasy consistency which makes it easy to apply but you get all the benefits of a body oil. It absorbs very fast which is great for morning showers. 

*Aveeno Moisturising Creamy Oil is available from Boots nationwide and costs around €9
* The Body Shop Body Butters – watch out for specials on these (€10) or get these in a variety of scents for about €18 
* Almond Oil – health shops and pharmacies nationwide. €7 for 250 ml 

Step 3 - Knuckle Massage 

Best cellulite treatment and you have the best tool at your arm’s reach (literally) – your knuckles. To achieve best results use a citrus essential oil – it has abilities to dissolve fats and eliminate toxins. Here is how: 

• Mix 4 drops of orange, grapefruit or lemon essential oil into any carrier oil or body moisturiser. 
• Rub between your hands and apply to the back of your thighs 
• Massage this concoction in with your knuckles applying decent pressure and make sure you really work it in. Keep going around the back and sides of your upper legs in a circular motion – a minute or two and you’re done!

*I use and love – Atlantic Aromatics Orange Oil - €5.19 

Believe me the results are amazing – no roughness, flakiness or bumps, just gorgeous baby soft skin and trust me that blasted cellulite will reduce drastically with this great daily lymphatic drainage massage AKA my “knuckle massage”.  Do it religiously but don’t stress if you don’t have the time: if you only have time for a 5 minute shower you can find another minute to body brush and 1 minute for a knuckle massage. 

Consistency will give you results you want and your skin will thank you for it!

Green Heels – Avocado Foot Mask...

At the moment they are hidden away under socks, wooly tights, boots, Uggs, runners, away from the cold, away from human sight – your heels... Let’s be fare, we spend so much time and money on our faces that we do tend to forget about our feet.

But, although your sandals may be securely tucked away under the bed for storage until next summer, you want to be proud of your feet when they come to light in the gym, shoe shop or just while lazying around on the couch at home. I want to feel good about my feet all year round!

So, this is a really easy homemade recipe for the best foot mask ever and all you need is one ingredient - avocado! It costs around one Euro depending where you buy it. Let’s be frugal here, when using this great fruit (no, it’s not a vegetable!) packed full of vitamin E and essential fatty acids (your skins best friends) don’t throw the skins away. Just follow these simple steps:

Prepare

• Cut the avocado in half with a sharp knife
• De-stone it
• Scoop the flesh out with a table spoon

You will need

• The two avocado empty halves
• Cotton socks
• Clean, albeit neglected or dry heels
• 20 – 30 minutes to spare

How to:

• Simply put the empty avocado halves on each of your heels
• Put the socks on
• Enjoy some reading, TV or Internet browsing and ahhh....

NB! Be careful walking while this mask is on – another excuse for not lifting your bum off the couch (well at least for that 20 minutes).

After you are done with your pampering session, rinse your feet off, pop on some moisturiser (foot or body) or oil (I love olive oil, coconut oil or shea butter) and enjoy the site of your gorgeous baby soft feet! ...

Note:  Use the meat of the avocado in salads, homemade guacamole or just slice it on top of some wholemeal toast with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for a great breakfast.

...Go on, Your skin will thank you for it!