Get Your Skin Summer Ready

Happy August! Lots of you have been in touch recently, ahead of your summer beach holidays, asking us about great body products…and here we are delivering! We’ve put together an edit of the best body products out there, which promise to smooth, soften, hydrate, illuminate and generally make your skin feel great, from your neck downwards! It’s not necessarily our focus area here at VeryMakeupMad HQ, (although we promise we know a thing or two about products that work!) and it’s true to say that V favours the skin on her face and tends to forget the rest. But after receiving a fair amount of body care questions, we thought it was high time we introduced you to some of our favourite products - the ones we’ve trialled, used, recommended and that have worked for our clients and ourselves. So join us on our mission to apply more products (and attention!) to our limbs and torsos - beauty lovers, it’s time to focus on the skin from our necks down to our toes!

‘Skin issues’ are very real, and we’re both long-term sufferers of Keratosis Pilaris - those pesky, red bumps and rough, raised patches on the backs of our arms and sometimes legs (otherwise known as ‘chicken skin’). KP is a very common condition affecting around 40% of the UK population, and is caused by a keratin build up, which blocks hair follicles. So how to get rid of those annoying bumps, we hear you ask. Well, we’re both big fans of the Ameliorate range, especially M, who’s been known to religiously use the Softening Bath Milk Oil £13.50 followed by the Transforming Body Lotion £15.75 . The colloidal oat properties and the LaH6 skin complex - think 6 supercharged moisturisers! - in the bath milk, help to cleanse, soothe, comfort and restore optimum hydration to your skin. Pour one capful into a warm bath and soak for 10-15 minutes, allowing your skin to absorb the non-oily, softening complex. Follow with the lotion, massaging into the skin at least once a day, for up to 4 weeks. It works hard to resurface the skin, combat ingrown hairs, and increase moisture levels, and we promise you’ll notice a vast improvement in skin texture and appearance. You’ll be amazed at your silky smooth arms and the confidence you gain from the cumulative use of these transformational body products.

And now for marvellous Mio - the vegan body care range that’s big on well-being, and which boasts products that promise to leave your skin nourished, radiant and with a “head to toe feel-great glow”. We’re kicking things off with the Golden Hour Body Moisturiser £20.80 , designed to extend and enhance a holiday glow, whilst imparting a hint of golden shimmer. M loves the stuff and admits to being obsessed with the citrusy, orange blossom scent and the super quick dry down. Limbs look gorgeously glowy and bronzed, and the inclusion of ingredients such as Indian fig, myrtle and olive oil, leave skin beautifully hydrated. Mio is a brand that urges you to look after and love your body, so it’s no surprise there’s a product called Boob Tube Bust Cream £26.60 - and we both love it! This highly effective cream firms and supports the bust and neck areas, and the clever plant-based formula contains ingredients to help prevent sagging and prolong skin elasticity. With a naturally energising scent, you instantly feel uplifted (literally!), and with the addition of Monk’s Pepper Berry to balance any hormonal skin issues, and Niacinamide to smooth, protect and improve skin texture, we’re hooked. Our final Mio offering is the Sleeping Smoothie Overnight Serum £27.20 . This reparative serum is packed to the rafters with brightening, moisturising and mood boosting ingredients that promise to work overnight to increase skin radiance and ensure long lasting hydration. The star ingredients are exfoliating AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) which encourage surface cell renewal and slough away any sluggish dead skin cells. We apply to dry skin a few minutes before going to bed, and wake up to refined, super smooth skin by morning. We promise this product’s a winner!

Next up, our favourite hydrating body creams - all are fabulous and moisturise skin beautifully, without being too heavy! - and we think that slathering on a sumptuous body product is all about giving yourself a little ‘me time’ and your skin some much deserved TLC. We defy anyone to resist the scent of the award-winning Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream £20 . And if the smell is not enticing enough, then you’ll be wowed by the fact that this cult product works hard to tighten and firm skin, when used regularly. And as its name suggests, it’s perfect for those of us who love a good twerk (the jiggly bum dance that we’re often seen doing at night clubs, up and down the country!!!!) Joking aside, it really does help to improve the tone and texture of the skin, thanks to its nourishing cocktail of ingredients, such as cupuaçu butter, açaí oil, and coconut oil. Bum Bum Cream works to lock in moisture and leaves skin feeling smooth, supple and with an enviably glowy finish. If you suffer with sensitive, dry, even irritated skin, then Aveeno Skin Relief Nourishing lotion £7.25 is for you. It’s a true healer and provides instant relief for dry, itchy skin and for any areas in need of a little soothing. It’s a great product for the whole family, works a treat on dry elbows and heels and we think no home should be without it. Aveeno products brilliantly combine science and nature with their star ingredient, Prebiotic Triple Oat Complex, and the brand is all about promoting calm, soothed skin and restoring the skin's natural protective barrier. And now for a familiar favourite that’s been around for years …and with good reason! Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion  £27.95 is something of a beauty icon, focusing on the specific needs of dry skin, and helping to diminish the inevitable signs of ageing caused by exposure to the sun, but also the cold, indoor heating and air conditioning. This rich, easily absorbed cream smooths dry, rough patches and visibly improves skin tone with regular use. And last but by no means least, is a lesser known product but one we must share with you, as we both love it. Fulvic Body Lotion £20 delivers intense hydration to dry and ageing skin for up to 48 hours and contains ingredients to combat the effects of blue light and pollution, whilst working on skin tone, texture and elasticity. It feels less luxurious than the Clarins, with its ‘natural’, earthy colour and scent, but we’re wowed by the fulvic acid ingredient, which has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, and is very beneficial to ageing skin. This is a cream that delivers on its promises.

We can’t do a body product blog without mentioning body oils. And they’re not what they used to be! Invariably they’re now nourishing dry oils that sink effortlessly into your skin without dripping everywhere, and they don’t leave your clothes or bed sheets stained. So here are our three ‘go to’ oils, along with a VeryMakeupMad Top Tip - use a makeup brush to swish, swipe and highlight the décolletage with a body oil. It’s perfect for this time of year… so get those clavicles on show and get glowing! Now for the oils... If you’re looking to firm, tone and lift then we suggest you invest in Gatineau Defi Lift 3D Body Oil £66 It may be pricey, but it’s a brilliant product that gives great results and promises to boost circulation, reduce the appearance of uneven and slackened skin, and improve skin texture. Next up is a great all rounder for face, body, hair and nails. Nuxe Multi-Purpose Dry Oil £24.20 is the original multitasking oil that nourishes, repairs and softens whilst leaving a flattering, shimmery sheen on the skin. It’s non-greasy, lightweight and works brilliantly whether you massage into skin, smooth through hair for a luxurious shine (and to deal with split ends), or use to hydrate your cuticles. We always take it on our hols, and there’s something about the delicious frangipani scent just screams summer to us. Our final oil is from one of our favourite British skincare brands - Ark Skincare Body Beautiful £35. Subtly fragranced with a blend of essential oils, this product soothes body and mind and thanks to the addition of nourishing Omegas 3, 6 & 9, olive and sweet almond oils, this light, 100% vegan serum nourishes and leaves skin feeling soft and supple. It’s one of those products that’s loved by industry professionals and consumers alike, and we love to apply it straight after a shower, when our skin is still damp, to really lock in the moisture.

So those are our top body picks! As ever, please do get in touch for personalised recommendations. And don’t forget when shopping online to make full use of our discount codes.

Love & Luminous Skin from Top to Toe,

Mala & Vikki xx