How to Look Good on a Junk Trip

If you find pictures of skinny celebrities frolicking in the Mediterranean soul-crushing, fear not. Here are some tips to staying cool while looking hot, written with the help of some of my very attractive girlfriends, masters of the art of looking good on a boat (don’t worry, exercise is not my area of expertise!)

Preparation is everything
Schedule a bikini wax a few days prior. In fact, de-fuzz every inch of hair on your body which is likely to be exposed. Get a manicure and pedicure, preferably a soak off gel or Shellac if you’re planning on water sports. If you’re short on time, go for a pedicure and skip the manicure – since your feet are on parade it helps to have them looking presentable. Dry body brushing is a must! A brush with a long handle (you can pick one up at the Body Shop for less than HKD100) stimulates circulation and does wonders for your skin while toning your biceps, if you scrub as vigorously as I do. The jury’s still out on cellulite cream but repeated use, combined with body brushing can help to reduce the appearance of the dreaded ‘orange peel’ skin. The problem is that once you stop, it becomes all too apparent again.

Use a body scrub at least once a week. I love Origins Modern Friction for the Body. It is the granddaddy of all body scrubs and dissolves dead skin cells with fruit acids. It doesn’t smell great, has a gunky texture and you have to put in a lot of elbow grease to tackle the entire body, especially when used dry. But trust me, the results are fantastic. This can legitimately be classed as an ‘experience’.

Skin supplements: probably worth another post altogether. If you take your skincare seriously, you can’t ignore what goes on the inside. Anything with Omega 3, 6 and 9 and Vitamin E is skin food and keeps you looking supple.

Is there any such thing as Natural Beauty?
I bow before the gods of eyelash extensions and their powers of complete transformation. Some of my friends swear by waterproof mascara, in particular Lancome Hypnose or Helena Rubinstein Lash Queen in Feline Black. This should really be the only makeup you wear: nothing looks stranger than a girl with a full face of plaster under a hot sun. If you must, wear a little tinted moisturizer and a touch of concealer. As I’m very pale, I like a smidge of cheek and lip tint – Benefit does a range of cheek tints which look very natural, although after some time in the heat my face goes red anyway, which leads me to the final and most important point…

Protect yourself: the Sun is your Enemy
I try and eat plenty of cooked tomatoes or tomato paste before prolonged exposure to the sun. ‘Stressed’ tomatoes actually produce more lycopene which protects your skin, so eat as much as you can before and after the boat trip.

Waterproof, broad spectrum sunscreen is beyond essential! Never, ever step out without sunscreen unless you want to look like an aged prune with ravines where your features used to be. Seriously. Admittedly I haven’t found a brand that I’m 100% happy with but until then Neutrogena Sunscreen keeps that ball of fire we call the sun from damaging my skin irreversibly.

The best thing you can do to protect your scalp is to wear a hat. Again, I haven’t been able to find one that matches my style so I massage sunscreen on my scalp instead and smooth Kerastase UV Defense Active Creme on the lengths of my hair to protect my highlights.

Here are some further tips given by other Sassy girls!

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