Goodbye Winter Woes, Hello Winter Wows

Sun Herald

Sunday July 18, 2004

Clara Iaccarino

Need some beauty tips from the stars? Clara Iaccarino combs Sydney.

WHEN temperatures fall, so does our devotion to beauty. After all, it's easier to hide those scaly hands, cracked heels and hairy legs in the latest winter fashions.

Before you cast off those thick jumpers, stockings and knee-high boots, get serious about your body, which has been ravaged by drying winds, air-conditioning and steaming showers.

We asked Sydney's pampering professionals and the stars who always have to look good how to keep in top form from top to toe during the chilly months.

FACE

The cold dramatically affects your facial complexion and exfoliation is the secret to maintaining a healthy look.

Ciao Bella's head therapist, Kim Blackman, recommends regular facial masks or skin renewal treatments and daily moisturising with products containing evening primrose oil, vitamin E, aloe vera, lavender oil and anti-oxidants.

She warns against the drying effects of soap-based products, preferring cleansing gels that use natural foaming agents.

Television presenter Sami Lukis swears by the Guinot HydraPlus Facial at Zest Urban Spa. "It's the best treatment for deep cleansing and rehydrating," she said. "During the winter I tend to have more facials than normal to combat extra-dry skin. I have them every four to six weeks."

HAIR

It's true: these rainless months have played havoc with your hair. "Everyone is suffering from very dry scalps," said recently crowned Australian Hairdresser of the Year Jayne Wild of Wildlife Hairdressing in Milsons Point. "Hair is becoming very static and lifeless and even curly hair seems to be dropping due to the lack of moisture in the air. Everyone's hair is becoming extremely dehydrated."

She advises regular deep treatments at your salon and at home, but warns women not to wash their locks every day.

"Always use something before drying the hair or adding any heat," she said. "A leave-in treatment is an excellent way of protecting the hair."

The thick locks of Australian Idol finalist Paulini spend hours under heavy-duty dryers. "I spend lots of time getting my hair blow-dried and straightened so it really dries out, and a good conditioner in winter is really helpful to tame my hair," she said, naming Catwalk honeycomb shampoo and conditioner as her current favourite.

Wild recommends adding "deeper, richer" colours to your hair to match the wintry colours of your clothes. "Semi-permanent colours are a good way to go as they do wash away by the summer months and you can go lighter again," she said.

BODY

Harsh winds, hot showers, heaters and open fires during the winter months make your skin feel scaly and dehydrated. Exfoliation and hydration are the catchcries of winter and Ciao Bella's Kim Blackman suggests moisturising daily with "a rich vitamin E cream" and exfoliating your body once a week.

Former Bardot member Belinda Chapple keeps her beauty regimen "low maintenance" and her preferred moisturiser is Palmer's Cocoa Butter. "I've used it for years," she said. "I love it."

It's also recommended by Paulini. "It smells so good you could eat it," she said. "My skin has never been so smooth!"

But Paulini's greatest winter pampering splurge is a bubble bath filled with Aveda Calming Body Cleanser. "I love the bubbles and the smell is relaxing," she said. "It warms me up and relaxing in a bath is a fantastic switch off."

Preferring to administer her beauty regimen from "the inside out", Chapple drinks bucketloads of water and eats fruit and vegies to keep herself healthy. When indulging in a day of pampering, she visits Zest Urban Spa's couple room for a massage with her boyfriend, actor Peter Mochrie.

Sami Lukis's wintry solution for body maintenance is Bikram yoga. "It's fantastic for warming up and detoxing the body," she said.

HANDS AND NAILS

As your hands are on the front line, they are also the first part of your body to age. Olivia Burke, director of Zest Urban Spa, recommends wearing sunscreen on the back of your hands to prevent premature ageing and sunspots.

Melissa Silvestro, head manicurist of Miss Frou Frou in Paddington, emphasises the importance of stimulating your nails to promote growth. Drumming your fingers on your desktop, rubbing olive oil into your nails and regular filing encourage growth, she said.

Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman entrust their nail care to Christina Fitzgerald, of Smyth + Fitzgerald Hair + Beauty. Fitzgerald highlights the importance of rubbing cream into your hands and elbows every night before bed.

"Rub a tablespoon of sorbolene cream into your hands at night to stop dryness," she said. "It sounds like a lot, but it's great for your hands. Keep your nails short, then they won't crack, and rub lanolin into your cuticles to stop water damage."

FEET

Our feet are often the last things on our mind during winter when it comes to our beauty regimen. "Due to neglect and constantly wearing closed shoes, our feet can become unsightly," Olivia Burke, director of Zest Urban Spa, said. "Swollen ankles, cracked heels and overgrown toenails not only look bad but can have drastic effects on our wellbeing."

Give your feet some air and stimulation, removing the hard skin build-up with a Horley's Pedipad'l foot smoother or pumice stone. If you're at home on the couch, trade feet massages with your partner, moisturising with products comprised of shea butter, aloe vera and jojoba oil to soften the skin.

Burke recommends an exfoliating foot facial as well as Guinot's Gel Jambes Legeres, which soothes "tired, heavy legs whilst stimulating the blood flow".

Where to pamper

Ciao Bella: Suite 2/32a Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. Phone 9361 0612.

Zest Urban Spa: 3-5/11 Boundary Street, Paddington. Phone 9331 7166 or see www.zestspa.com.

Wildlife Hairdressing: 12a Ennis Rd Milsons Point. Phone 9955 4990.

Miss Frou Frou: 20-22 Elizabeth Street, Paddington. Phone 9360 2869.

Smyth + Fitzgerald Hair + Beauty, Shop 18, Stamford Plaza, 33 Cross Street, Double Bay. Phone 9326 1385.

Bikram Yoga College of India: Level 1, 256 Crown Street, Darlinghurst. Phone 9356 4999. Or see www.bikramyogaaustralia.com.au.

© 2004 Sun Herald

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