My top 10 places in LA for looking and feeling good.

If you live in or are going to visit LA these are the places that you should have in your address book:

1. http://www.dermsurgery.net/ The best dermatologist in LA! Dr Daniel Behroozan completely got rid of my Sebaceous Hyperplasia in one visit and makes you feel totally looked after. Nothing is too much trouble.
2. http://www.laurahebert.com/ For one on one personal training you have to go to Laura, she makes you laugh as she puts you through your paces. I actually look forward to working out now!

3. http://www.neilgeorgesalon.com/ If you need your hair cut, colored or just blown out, look no further than the gorgeous  Neil George Salon in Beverly Hills. You might even see an A lister!
4. http://www.arcona.com/ For great facials this is the salon to go to. It's in Santa Monica so you can go for a walk on the beach after and pretend that's where your newfound glow came from!
5. http://www.studiomixbeauty.com/ This beauty studio inside Fred Segal's in Santa Monica is a mecca to all beauty junkies. They sell a range of hard to find beauty products. If you're anything like me you'll spend all day in there.
6. http://www.menchies.com/ Okay so this isn't really a beauty place but they do the best frozen yogurt and hey it's good for the digestion! You can mix your own from numerous flavors like island banana and red velvet and add toppings, when I'm being good I have fruit on top!
7. http://www.lemerigothotel.com/ Not only a lovely place to stay, it's right on the beach but they do an amazing facial with Pevonia products http://www.pevonia.com/  for rosacea. A great way to come back from your vacation feeling and looking good.
8. http://www.millenniumdental.net/  Are you looking for a brighter smile? Look no further than Dr Eddie Siman of Millenium Dental. Quick and painless and you leave looking years younger.
9. http://www.kinaraspa.com/ If you are feeling a little pale and in need of a quick glow, take a trip to Kinara Spa for an airbrush St. Tropez tan http://www.sttropeztan.com/  It's customized to your skintone and they even do contouring to emphasize those muscles you now have from working out with Laura!
10. http://www.paradisecovemalibu.com/ One of my favorite places to relax in LA. Just the setting and the calming sounds of the ocean will help stress melt away and make you look and feel relaxed and you might even get a tan just remember the SPF!

Days 19 and 20...depilation and getting a glow

If you're thinking of getting your legs waxed now is the time to do it. It will last you through Christmas until the New Year and any redness will subside in a day or so.The best results are at a salon, but I've also had success with at home kits too. There are a few different kinds available at most drugstores although I prefer the pre-waxed strips that you press on and pull off. It does hurt, I can't lie, so unless you're used to it or can stand the pain of doing it yourself, get a friend to pull them off for you! There is nothing worse than stopping it half way and then trying to get the rest off.
 Another option is an epilator - I bought the Bliss Bikini Perfect Bliss-Philips Bikini Perfect Deluxe HP6378 Spa-At-Home Grooming System last year and it's one of the best investents I've made. It keeps you hair free for weeks and is incredibly easy to use.
Then there's the good old fashioned way - shaving! Just make sure you use a new razor and shaving cream or foam to avoid nicks or you could use a hair removal cream which lasts slightly longer than shaving and leaves legs really smooth. After any kind of depilation I like to use Tend Skin http://www.tendskin.com/ which prevents ingrown hairs and those unsightly red spots that can occur after waxing or shaving. For any kind of depilation I recommend exfoliating lightly beforehand to remove dead skin making it easier to get rid of the hair as close to the skin as possible and then moisturize well using a good non greasy body lotion.

If you are wearing an outfit that requires some skin baring and you don't want to be as white as the snow, I suggest doing a little self tanning now! You don't have to look like you just returned from Tahiti (unless you want to) as there are a lot of tanners out there now that give subtle results. I've tried and loved recently:

• Fake Bake http://www.fakebake.com/  Instant Self Tanning Spray Airbrush - this gives an instant tan and dries quickly. I blend mine with a large dry sponge to ensure there are no streaks,
• Gradually tan with Xen-Tan's Transform Xen Tan Transform 6 fl oz. which is a daily moisturizing lotion with their olive undertoned self tanner in it, that gives an incredibly believable color.
• To get a dark result quickly, use Sevin Nyne's http://www.sevinnyne.com/ spray. This was created by Lindsay Lohan and develops into a deep, dark tan that leaves the skin moisturized too.
• For the ultimate tan you can't get better than your own personal at home tanning airbrush! Luminess Tan http://www.luminesstan.com/ is the easiest and most effective way to get your own professional looking tan at home. You can even add muscle defining contours to make you look slimmer - genius!

(some of the above products were provided to me and some I bought)

The perfect fake tan

I'm about to go on a cruise and as I don't really sunbathe, even though I live near the beach in LA, I'm still a little pasty and a bit embarrassed to expose my white flesh on board for all to see. The answer lies in self tan, nowadays they give a really believable golden glow and with a few tricks can be applied easily.

I start with a good exfoliation all over, for this I prefer to use exfoliating gloves rather than a scrub as I think this does the job better for this and doesn't leave any grains behind to mess up application. I combine the gloves with a moisturising body wash like Dove and pay special attention to feet, elbows and knees. After your shower dry yourself thoroughly and lightly moisturise your feet, elbows and knees and give it a few minutes to sink in.

I now apply the tan using latex gloves to protect my palms from going orange, make sure you get tight fitting ones so you don't streak your tan. I start at my feet and blend upwards and outwards. If you don't have anyone to do your back I find the best way is to fold one hand up behind your back with the back of your hand against it and one over your shoulder palm down and do a kind of windshield wiper motion. Check in the mirror to see if you've missed any spots and then go back over them. I finish by doing my arms last and then after removing the gloves use a makeup sponge to do the backs of your hands. After applying to your hands, take a little body lotion and rub it in as hands tend to absorb more, then this way they won't end up too dark.

Use a separate tan for your face, one that has been especially formulated so it won't clog pores or cause breakouts and apply this with a makeup sponge too. I like to self tan last thing at night so that it can develop while I sleep and won't get streaky.

I have recently tried several tans and these are my favorites:

Mystic Tan http://www.mystictan.com/ is a 3 step process and has a daily moisturiser to maintain it. It takes a little while to do but is worth it for the lasting deep natural tan it gives.

Xen-Tan http://www.xen-tan.com/ is another great one, this has a gorgeous smell, not like the usual giveaway burnt cookie smell of most of them and is tinted for easy application.

Bronze Goddess Tinted Self Tan by http://www.esteelauder.com/ is my choice for an evening out. You can apply this transfer resistant gelee before going out for an instant golden glow that develops more within a few hours.

For the face I love Solar Tan by http://www.hourglasscosmetics.com/ this is also a makeup primer so again you can apply it before going out under your makeup.

If you'd like to have your tan applied for you and combine it with an amazing body scrub treatment try St. Tropez Self Tanning treatment at http://www.kinaraspa.com/ I had this treatment and not only is it relaxing but the tan was so good people asked me where I'd been!!

To maintain your tan mositurise regularly. I use Body Firming Creme by Estee Lauder, it sinks in immediately and you get the added benefit of the firming action.

I'm off to do my own now in preparation for my weekend at sea!