Rouge my knees, and roll my stockings down…

	So, it’s official – summer is now here (we hope), bikinis have been unpacked and short shorts are very much on show. Sadly, while we would all like the Gazel like legs of Giselle – some of need a little aid to help us cover those *cough* imperfections. Body makeup has really come to the forefront of our minds with our desire to have real life airbrushed effects – why show those chalky, veined or otherwise marked limbs when a quick dab of cosmetic wonder can remove all trace of them? The easiest way to get those flawless pins is via a spray on coverage, such as Sally Hansen’s Air Stocking (pictured left); or the vintage-istas out there may want to give the real deal a whirl by picking up a bottle of Force’s Favourite Liquid Stocking next time they are passing the Imperial War Museum. However, for a one off airing – why not just mix a dab of your regular foundation with your body moisturiser before applying – see, flawless already :o) One word of warning however – please don’t try to fake a serious tan using these products. Remember Agatha Christie’s ‘Evil under the Sun’ when Christine Redfern applied brown liquid to her skin to make herself look like the beautiful actress Arlena Stuart? and how she was pale beneath the tan? Well, thats not the look you what to go for – l’air du corps morte, Mmmm nice ;o) The idea of body makeup is to give yourself a golden glow rather than recreate a 4 week holiday in Cuba. Perhaps Mrs. Redfern should have embraced her inner paleness and taken a note out of MAC’s look book with their Naughty Nauticals take on summer fashion. A look seemingly inspired by the magnificent Dita von Teese, with white skin practically radiating from the page. If you are pale already – why not try enhancing and perfecting the look with MAC’s Face and Body Foundation in White (£23) available from the MAC Pro shop. Going on a slight tangent – but staying on the MAC theme – as everyone knows who have seen the highly sought after MAC Playing Cards (see below for a few that I scanned from my own pack – sorry for the terrible quality, if there is any interest I might get around to scanning the entire deck) – body makeup is done a disservice is we only mention leg perfecters. While I am not suggesting that these looks are suitable for anything other than Halloween or those that thrive on attention, one can always have fun with these things. Try experimenting with powder pigments and sealant (again try the MAC Pro shop, or alternatively darlamakeup.com to create fun patterns or road test a tattoo idea. Mehendi – quite possibly the most beautiful form of body art, is a traditional part of weddings in India. It is believed the darker the colour the Henna takes on the longer the marriage will last. Awww Fresh green henna mixed with oil is applied using a cone to make those wonderfully complex designs. Perfect to go with all those Boho maxi summer dresses methinks :o)