I’ve spent years talking to other women about the importance of beauty products in our lives. I know women who would run back into a burning building to save their touché éclat and other women who consider a slick of Vaseline on their lips a more than adequate beauty regime.
It’s different for everyone, but research has shown that the anticipation of putting on make-up triggers a release of feel-good endorphins. Women’s shelters are always in need of donations of everything from moisturisers to eyeshadows, because they engender feelings of self-worth and confidence.
This weather, my confidence is being boosted by going to war with the annoying dry, flaky skin emanating from my legs when I remove my opaque tights. I call the phenomenon Dandruff Legs. Flaky skin on the lower limbs is something that happens to plenty of people after a winter spent stuffing legs into skinny jeans and fleece-lined stockings, but the good news is that Dandruff Legs are easily fixed.
A good scrub in the bath to exfoliate those dead skin flakes is your first step: make your own with sugar and olive oil in a true Lenten spirit of “using up what’s in the press” – it works just as well as anything you’ll buy in the chemist.
The next step is a nice, rich body cream. I like body butters (try the Body Shop and Soap and Glory) to really banish the dandruff. Plaster it on, put on a pair of old pyjamas and let the cream sink in overnight.
Over the years I’ve heard plenty of people dismiss a love of lipstick or a fetish for foundation as superficial. Yes, dealing with Dandruff Legs isn’t rocket science, but it would be a mistake to underestimate a woman because she likes to slather on cream and practise her smoky eye on a Saturday night. My guru in the smoky eye department is a friend who, when she’s not perfecting her eyeliner catflicks, is beavering away on a PhD. What do women want? As with all humans, it’s complicated.
For now though, I’d settle for smooth, flake-free legs.
THE PRODUCTS
Clarins Extra-Firming Body Cream
(€42.50, 200ml)
Rich and thick, this is a classic to smooth even the worst dandruff legs. Best applied before bed to give it a chance to sink in.
Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Grapefruit Whipped Body Butter
(€42.50, 226ml)
I gave a yip of excitement when I smelled this limited edition of the Kiehl’s classic. Thick like a mousse and oh so fruity.
Vaseline Spray
& Go
(€6.15, 190ml)
This “tights straight on after use” formula, new from Vaseline, sinks in quickly, and is a great dry-skin soother.
Av
ène Cold Cream Body Lotion
(€19.99, 400ml)
A classic rich formula that will leave even sensitive, tight skin feeling supple.
AISLING LOVES . . . This Works No Wrinkles Wonder Essence
(€30, 60ml)
A water-based treatment that whisks away dead skin cells with magic enzymes and hydrates to prep skin for moisturiser or serum. Or both. Skin-care junkies will adore.
