夏天專題

夏天到了，大家又要開始把油膩的護膚品換成清爽類了吧？除了漂亮的臉，大家千萬不要忘記身體護理，否則如何穿著比堅尼去沙灘曬身材？

The New Beauty Secrets: Your Ultimate Guide to a Flawless Face by Laura Mercier

記得看過 Laura Mercier 的書，裡面除了教嘵了我如何化妝外，對我影響最大的，便是讓我愛上用 cellulite lotion 和香皂。Laura Mercier 說法國女人愛用 cellulite lotion 的程度難以想象，她甚至相信世界上大部份的 cellulite lotion 都是給法國女人用掉的！其實 cellulite lotion 根本不能令橙皮脂肪消失（運動和手術是不二法門），但是卻能有效地收緊皮膚。我幾乎每個夏天都會使用 cellulite lotion 而用完皮膚真的變得更富彈性。

可是 cellulite 產品畢竟不便宜，在香港最普通的都要上百，所以 Laura Mercier 便建議大家每一段時間連續用三個月，停一陣子再繼續用。不過我倒比較喜歡隔天使用，因為我的皮膚即使在夏天也會很乾燥，所以我會隔天使用 cellulite lotion 與普通潤膚霜。用不上兩個禮拜，屁股下面哪些粗粗的皮膚就會變得更加平滑，而且皮膚摸上去也會滑不留手。

另外關於防曬的文章以前都已經寫過，如果大家還沒讀的話，不妨仔細看看，這幾篇都是我嘔心瀝血之作哦！

◇ 精明防曬
◇ 又到夏天，防曬出場

以下是 Laura Mercier 美容書中有關身體護膚的節錄：

The Silkiest Skin Around

Once you hop out of the shower or step out of you bath, reach for some lotion to lock in the moisture. If you've exfoliated with a scrub that contains a lot of oil, you may not feel the need for lotion, which is fine. Depending on the climate, water quality and humidity level of where you live, plus the general condition of your skin, you're going to want to choose something lightweight or rich. Personally, I prefer lotions that do more than just moisturize. I'm a big fan of cellulite creams, which is a very French thing. I think more of those lotions are sold in France than anywhere else on the planet. Americans tend to be a bit skeptical of them. The reality is that these creams don't make you lose weight and they don't cure bad cases of cellulite, but they can help tone your skin, smooth away dimples, and improve circulation. Another option is firming creams. Look for ingredients such as ivy extract, caffeine, menthol and camphor to really stimulate your skin.

The trick with cellulite cream is that you need to use them once or twice a day. You won't see any benefit with occasional use. I like doing what I refer to as a "cure". I use cellulite cream for a three-month period, take a few months off, and then do another three-month "cure", See how it works for you.

If you want something luxurious for your dry skin, try body oils. These smell great and the ritual of massaging them onto your skin make you feel pampered and relaxed.