Nail your race day beauty prep in less than 12 hours
What to do when you’ve left it to the last minute!
What to do when you’ve left it to the last minute!
Despite being in your diary for weeks, race day’s now tomorrow and you’ve done zero pre-event grooming. Don’t stress –12 hours’ notice is all you need.
1
Exfoliate
A head-to-toe body scrub is best done the night before. “Exfoliating at night allows for a better penetration of lotions applied post-scrub,” says endota spa Senior Educator Helen Robb Lacey, adding that your skin naturally renews itself overnight. Use endota spa Organics Sugar & Sea Salt Spa in a Jar to increase circulation and wake up smooth.
2
Mane prep
“My trick for a longer-lasting style is to wash your hair the day before,” says Anthony Nader, owner of Sydney salon RAW. “Second-day hair is better as the natural grit helps keep your style in shape.” To reboot dry strands, apply Kevin.Murphy Leave-In.Repair to damp hair.
3
De-fuzz
Shave your legs et al before bed. “This gives the closest and smoothest result,” says Robb Lacey. “As we sleep, body parts like our legs become warm and swell slightly, so by the morning the hairs don’t stick out as much and are harder to get with the razor.” Nix irritation by reaching for a razor with a protective moisturising bar, like Gillette Venus ComfortGlide with Olay Sugarberry.
4
Moisturise
“Always moisturise when your skin is still damp,” says Robb Lacey. Why? It helps the product better absorb into skin. If you want to back a winner, try Aveeno Daily Moisturising Sheer Hydration Lotion - it contains naturally active colloidal oatmeal to soothe while it hydrates (hint: perfect for calming post-shave skin).
5
Fake tan
A fake tan takes all of five minutes to develop these days, but it’s the prep you put in and your application that will give you golden results. First, remove the old stuff. “If you apply a new tan over an old tan, it will naturally start to exfoliate within a few days and create that patchy look,” explains bronzing artist Stacey McPherson. Leave Bondi Sands Self Tan Eraser on for five minutes then rinse under warm water with a wet face cloth to lighten and remove fake tan. If you’re fakin’ on the day of your event, skip moisturiser as it’ll create a barrier between your skin and the tanning product. Instead, go for a self-tanner that nourishes while adding an immediate bronze, such as Rimmel London SunShimmer Instant Tan + Gradual Glow Medium Matte.
Now that your body is lookin' mighty fine and race day ready, check out these spring racing makeup looks for inspo.
For more body care tips from Women's Health, check out womenshealth.com.au
Have you left your race day beauty prep to the last minute? Talk us through your day-before routine below.
Main image credit: Getty
Chelsea is BEAUTYcrew’s Contributing Editor. She has a sweet spot for anything that claims to make skin glow and won’t leave the house without a slick of mascara. Chelsea has 10 years of experience as a beauty editor and her words can be found on BEAUTYcrew, Women’s Health, Daily Addict, The Joye and Primped.
