How to have the world’s smoothest legs
I have a pathological dislike of pain. Which is why my legs get shaved rather than waxed. And which is why they are usually sporting horrid-looking nicks, cuts and super-dry skin that no amount of Lush Sleepy Body Lotion or Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Body Cream (my two favorites!) is able to transform into skirt-skimmingly glowy gorgeousness!
Then I ran into a college friend who now lives in Russia and has legs like butter… no exaggeration. And being a great buddy, she bestowed upon me this Russian shaving oil recipe that’s been around for a few hundred years and apparently gives ultra-sexy skin every single time!
Plus, it’s super-simple: Pour 3 tablespoons of almond oil in a bowl. Add half a tablespoon each of wheat germ oil, canola oil and sesame oil then stir till everything is all mixed up. Slather onto legs and shave.
Simple, right? And this has a long shelf life so you can make a larger batch and store in a pretty bottle (the pretty bottle won’t make it more efficient – it’s just my personal commandment).
The oils help soften the hair and lubricate the razor for a closer, knick-free shave. While leaving skin supple and well moisturised. No razor burn. No dryness. At all. Which is more than I can say for most shaving creams.
As for the razor – dunk it into a shot glass of vodka (this is Russian, remember?) for a couple of hours and it shall come out all clean and fresh, sans any oily traces!
I have tried this thrice and my legs are definitely looking much better. This week, I might even bare them in a thigh-skimming, floaty, chiffon-silk dress. Which, after being safely cocooned in denims all of these past few months, may be a massive shock for them. Send help!
Anubha Charan is the founder of The Beauty Gypsy and a beauty journalist with more than 25 years in the industry — as the former Beauty Director at Marie Claire, where she worked with the magazine's Paris headquarters, Managing Editor at Vogue, and Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan. She trained in perfumery in Grasse, France, and spent six years reporting on beauty from Paris.
Her work has also appeared in Travel + Leisure, WebMD, and Architectural Digest, and she is the co-author of Paris Bath & Beauty, a book on French beauty rituals published by Simon & Schuster.
Is there an alternative product that we can use for cleansing the razor other than vodka?
Really impressive post.