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Four steps to getting 'summer ready' legs: Body brushing, shaving and fake tan

10 April 2019, 11:51 | Updated: 10 April 2019, 11:57

Spring is on the way... time to prepare to get your legs out! Picture: Getty

By Nicola Bonn

Heart's Beauty Expert Nicola Bonn shares products that almost make getting your legs out of dark tights a pleasure rather than a pain.

I can feel it in my bones. The moment when I'm going to need to put my trusty black opaques away and get my legs out is coming and I am neither mentally nor physically prepared.

Being a huge advocate of positive body image, I wish I could sit here and say that I had the confidence to go hairy and pale during the summer months but I really don't.

Each year I conform to society's expectation of smooth, tanned legs. It's so annoying, but I do know that if my legs look OK then I feel far more confident about revealing them.

Getting your legs "summer ready"is so much more palatable if it doesn't feel like a chore and thank goodness there are products out there that make the whole process so much more pleasurable.

Here are four of my must-buys.

Liz Earle Dry Body Brush. Picture: press/brand

I love the way that body-brushing makes me feel. Even though it can feel a bit harsh on the skin at first, when I've brushed my body I always feel buzzing with energy. It also exfoliates your legs, getting rid of all the dry skin, scales and dead skin cells.

Start with the soles of your feet and move up your body always brushing in the direction of your heart. Do a clockwise circular motion on your tummy.

Buy the Liz Earle Bodybrush here for £9.50

Mio Heavenly Body Scrub. Picture: press/brand

I can't get enough of the Mio Skincare's Heavenly Body Radiance Salt Scrub. It's made of orange peel, salt, almond and coconut oil and rather than being overly oily, it has a fairly dry consistency which I love.

I grab a handful before I shower, massage it dry into my legs and feet (this gives a more intense exfoliation. For a softer one you could do this wet) and once I've washed it off, they're left super soft and glowy (I never imagined legs could glow but they can). The smell of this scrub is divine and the consistency is spot on.

Buy the Mio Scrub here for £23

If you like to shave then you'll know the difference a good shaving gel makes. My personal fav and the one I've used for years is the King of Shaves Sensitive. It's marketed at men but is perfect for women too. The razor literally glides over it and it has skin benefitting ingredients like Aloe and Tea Tree.

Buy the King of Shaves Gel here for £3.99

If you're fake tanning then I wholeheartedly recommend Jules Von Hep's brand Isle of Paradise Tanning. The products are great for your skin, hydrating, don't have that yucky fake tan smell and have no orangey undertones.

He does everything from tanning drops to water to mousses and they're all great.

Buy Isle of Paradise Products here and have a listen to Jules on The Outspoken Beauty Podcast here