Get Soft and Sexy Skin

Prepare to look gorgeous because we have a slew of spa-inspired moves that'll leave your skin smooth and glowing all over.

Revitalizing Face and Eye Massage  :

Most spa facials involve some kind of face massage to boost blood flow and help the products absorb better. Here's how to get results on your own: Take a warm shower to soften your pores, then cut a chilled seedless red or green grape in half. "Grapes contain hydrating glucose and powerful antioxidants that fight skin-damaging free radicals," says Regine Berthelot, head aesthetician at Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa, in NYC. Slide the flat side of the cut grape over your skin, starting between your brows and moving out toward your temples. Sweep up to your forehead, then down your nose and over your cheeks.

BEAUTY BOOST

Follow up your grape massage with Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Revealing Mask, $42. It tightens the appearance of pores and evens out your tone.

Glowing Face Scrub

It takes two buffing techniques — physical and chemical — to look noticeably luminous, says celeb facialist Kate Somerville. "The beads or granules in a scrub rough up the dead skin cells, but you need a chemical component, like a lactic or glycolic acid, to dissolve them." Your best bet is to use a product that has both, like Somerville's ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment, $85, once or twice a week. And don't just slap the stuff on your face. Gently massage it into your skin for a full minute.

BEAUTY BOOST

Use a gentle face wash, like Neutrogena Deep Clean Relaxing Nightly Cleanser, $7.49, before exfoliating.

Energizing Citrus Pedicure

To get rid of the icky callused skin you've been hiding under your socks and boots, submerge your feet in a bowl of grapefruit, orange, or lemon juice (you can use one or a combo of the three) diluted with
equal parts warm water. "The citrus acid loosens up dead skin better than a regular soak does," says Donna Perillo, owner of Sweet Lily Spa, in NYC. After 5 minutes, slough your heels and the balls of your feet with a pumice stone, then massage your entire foot with an oil-based sugar scrub. Rinse it off, and slather on a body or foot balm.

BEAUTY BOOST

Need a new foot cream? Thymes Essentials AHA Foot Cream, $18, contains exfoliating alpha hydroxy acid and hydrating shea butter.

Easy Self-Tan

Before you even pick up a bottle of bronzer, thoroughly exfoliate your entire body. Here's something new you should do next: Use a sunless tanner that is one shade lighter than the hue you want to be at the end of the treatment. "If you apply a lighter color twice — once in the morning and again at night — it'll blend in any streaks," says Cindy Barshop, owner of Completely Bare spas. To make things more manageable, think of your body in sections; start with your legs and work from the front to the back.

BEAUTY BOOST

For the most natural-looking results, go with a body lotion spiked with sunless tanner. Try Donna Karan Body Glow Moisturizing Gradual Self-Tanner, $35.

Margarita Salt Body Buffer

The ingredients in a margarita make an amazing cocktail...and body scrub. Lime and tequila are natural antiseptics, so they detoxify the skin and help improve tone and texture, says Derek Hofmann, spa director of the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. Combine 1 c. fine sea salt, 2 oz. olive oil, the juice of one lime, and 3/4 oz. white tequila. While showering, rub the mixture onto damp skin in a gentle circular motion. If the salt feels too gritty, add a bit more olive oil.

BEAUTY BOOST

Draw even more attention to your gorgeous limbs with a hydrating body spray, like Guerlain Terracotta Moisturizing Mist, $59.

Backside Smoother

No amount of rubbing or scrubbing can get rid of cellulite (sorry!). That said, there is a spa treatment that can make your derriere at least appear firmer, albeit temporarily. The secret? Freshly brewed coffee grounds. "Caffeine dehydrates fat cells, so skin looks smoother," says Liliana Dominguez-Grajales, director of the Ritz-Carlton Spa, South Beach. Mix a handful of grounds with a firming facemask (you need all the tightening action you can get) until it's pastelike. Then rub it over your bottom in an upward circular motion, using a loofah or washcloth for extra grip. Rinse it off after 10 minutes.

BEAUTY BOOST

St. Ives Cellulite Shield Gel Crème, $6.99, contains skin-firming caffeine and cooling menthol. Your rear view will look even sexier after this treatment.

Share this

Midou Osbourne