Sure, some girls have legs that were born for mini skirts. Still, the rest of us aren’t doomed to life in a maxi. Here, some tips on how to pep up those pins.
A regular exercise routine is essential for trimming, toning and shaping legs. Do a mix of workouts for best results. Cardio-based exercise - running, aerobics, spinning - will help burn off excess fat, while weight-bearing sessions - lunges, squats, leg presses, calf raises - will define muscles.
Suffer from cellulite? Firming creams may help plump and smooth the surface of skin, but are best massaged in - it’s the massage action that really helps to dislodge lumps and bumps. Detoxing your system will also help keep cellulite at bay. Drink plenty of water and avoid processed foods and preservatives as much as possible. Dry body brushing daily has also been shown to have a clearing effect on the lymphatic system and on cellulite.
Fake tan is a genius way to make legs look instantly leaner. Bronzing up skin also minimises the look of cellulite, as well as blurring out blemishes such as spider veins. Want a more permanent vein fix? See a skin clinic about sclerotherapy, a procedure in which a solution is injected into spider veins - this causes them to collapse and absorb back into the system, in effect clearing up the discolouration.
Tanning tip: Always exfoliate before tanning to create the smoothest possible skin surface. Soften any dry patches (knees, ankles, feet) by rubbing in some rich cream. After applying self-tanning, keep a look-out for any streaking or catching - as soon as any begins to appear, dilute it down with a dampened cotton pad.
If you shave rather than wax, do so the day before you plan to apply self-tanner. If you shave immediately before application, you risk a red bumpy reaction; if you shave too soon after tanning, it can exfoliate all your hard work away. Before reaching for the rasor, make sure the skin on your legs is well soaked, and lather up well with a shaving cream, gel or oil.
Never seem to find the time to tan? Invest in body makeup, which allows you to fake a bronzed-babe look in seconds. M.A.C Face & Body Foundation ($60, from M.A.C outlets) is a popular buy among makeup artists who use it to quickly and lightly tan up models pre photo-shoots. You can also try adding illuminiser into your body cream - this gives a light-reflecting and flattering effect. A whisk of shimmer powder along the shins will also give legs lustre and sexy definition.
The best finishing touch for a sexy new set of legs? Treat yourself to a foot-pampering pedicure. To maintain feet in show-off shape, keep a foot file stashed in the shower and exfoliate soles daily. And, at night, slather on a rich foot cream and slip into cotton socks - you’ll wake up with baby-soft feet.
