Beauty
HOT SUMMER? HOT YOU Francesca Falzon gives her beauty tips on how to prepare for summer.
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ven though it’s as calm as a Maldives beach, summer still brings with it a wave of worry. Gaining a few pounds over the cold winter days – the result of spending your evenings tucked indoors drinking hot chocolate and nibbling on scrumptious cakes – is the stuff of pre-summer nightmares. To make matters worse, in the run up to summer, glossies propose spread after spread of gorgeous models showing off their sizzling, golden tan. This doesn’t really give us much hope of shaking off the ghostly appearance of our pale winter skin, does it? However, have faith. I will share with you a simple routine I normally follow and which will help you kick off your summer in style.
Figure conscious With the soaring temperatures, winter’s layers of clothing go down to a bare minimum. However, with this a horrible feeling of having lost shape creeps in. Indulging oneself in chocolates over stressful periods during winter creates a lips to hips situation. To improve on my physique, I don’t opt to starve myself but rather follow a healthier lifestyle. I normally start off with some exercise, including an hour a day on the treadmill followed by 30 sit-ups. When I feel that I am toning up and gaining a better shape, I reduce my exercise regime to half an hour a day. As soon as I feel that my body is back on track, I replace this boring type of exercise with more frequent trips to the beach. Swimming is generally more fun than huffing and puffing away on the treadmill. Moreover, you can also do it with your friends. I also avoid strict diet regimes or crash diets. How many of us started a miraculous diet, only to find that we can’t maintain it after a couple of days? I tend to opt for a balance between daily exercise and introducing healthier food in my diet. And I do treat myself whenever I feel I deserve it.
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Beauty
Ten out of tan Getting a tan is one of my top priorities every summer. Living on such a sunny island like Malta is certainly a bonus. In fact, I can avoid the hassle of visiting a salon and forking out my money to use a tanning bed. Moreover, enjoying the view of the glistening horizon and feeling the breeze through my hair is a far better feeling than that of roasting in an oven. With this goal in mind, I still stock up on good sun protection and avoid going to the beach at noon or early afternoon.
Hand to foot When wearing sandals to the beach or stroll barefoot, I make sure my toenails are well trimmed and my feet clean. The same goes for my hands and fingernails. This not only keeps away fastidious nail infections but also helps me maintain my extremities nice and clean.
Swimwear As opposed to previous years, this summer I have opted for a strapless bikini. Apart from being one of the hottest trends this season, it helps me avoid the embarrassing white strap lines on my shoulders and back. Who would want to have a Google map over their torso when showing off a new strapless dress?
Back to my roots
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Since my hair is long and tends to frizz easily, I take good care of my locks especially in summer.
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I normally start off by giving my hair a good pampering, using a treatment that suits normal to oily hair. After washing my hair, I apply the treatment to my hair and roots, while avoiding my scalp – this helps me prevent getting oily hair in a day or two. Finally, I wrap my hair and tuck it in a shower cap for as long as possible before rinsing it. This makes my hair more manageable and delays the spurt of split ends.
My wardrobe I normally keep myself updated on the latest fashion trends by buying glossies, surfing the net for blogs and occasionally buying a few items online. I tend to wear more vivid colors in summer and this year pastels are certainly must haves. Summer is perfect for comfortable clothes – I keep a pair of denim shorts, a strappy top and pair of flip flops at hand to wear on daily errands. In the evening I choose a more stylish look and go for a loose crochet top, a powder blue skirt and a pair of summer brogues. However, when a party hits my agenda, I certainly go for a striking party dress and a pair of high heeled sandals. Follow us on Twitter
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10 - FM May 2012
Take full advantage of the sunny days at the beach and lazy afternoons to their maximum as winter will come around before you can say “summer”.
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More for men Following encouraging customer feedback, Peacocks menswear has been introduced in Paola. Just recently the collection was also included at the Valletta outlet. Peacocks menswear in Paola will complement the existing women’s range at the outlet situated in Main Street Shopping Complex. Peacocks menswear is now available in all Peacocks outlets in Malta, namely Valletta, Sliema, Paola and Gozo.