30 is the new black

As every woman knows, a whole lotta work goes into your pre-beach preparations but a premium look doesn’t have to come at a premium price. Here are 7 tried and tested beach beauty bargains under $50 – low priced products for high exposure. And the aim? To look like you have been holidaying in St Tropez before you have hit the beach or even left the house. So what are you waiting for ladies … it’s time to get your beach on and start those temperatures rising …

Ella Bache Great Tan Without Sun

Ella Bache Great Tan Without Sun delivers a very naturally looking tan without any streaks and fades very naturally leaving skin very soft and moisturised. It’s best to exfoliate your legs before applying. Once that’s done, it’s applied very easily like a cream – just make sure it’s applied very evenly. As an additional bonus, fake tan makes your legs immediately look firmer and slimmer without spending hours at the gym – bonus! You get what you pay for but at $39 for 130ml, this is a no brainer.

She Australia Lip Gloss

The She Australia range of lip glosses are priced only under $12 at Priceline and come in a range of delicious flavours with Shea Butter and Vitamin E included providing much needed staying power and moisture for smooth, luscious lips . Wear this for a barely there, fresh-faced summer look.

Body Shop Body Butter

There are a lot of imitations out there but nothing works better than the original Body Shop Body Butter. This cream is incredibly moisturising, helps prevent dryness and comes in a lot of great scents such as Strawberry (my favourite), Coconut, Mango and Wild Cherry. At $27.95 for 200mls, it is a bit on the exy side but well worth the expenditure. It also comes in smaller, handy travel sizes.

TRESemme Conditioner

As most curly girls would know, we use conditioner only in our hair to keep our curls conditioned, well defined and also provide much needed moisture to counteract the natural dryness of curly hair. TRESemme is my favourite conditioner as recommended by Teri La Flesh, author of Curly Like Me and can be picked up at selected supermarkets and chemists for as little as $6 for a very generous 900 ml bottle. It really doesn’t get much better than this.

Surf Wax

Searching for the perfect hair product for curly hair is like searching for the perfect man – it doesn’t exist. The keyword here is compromise. Surf Hair gives you beach-tousled hair, thickens the hair and defines the curls for just under $10. The compromise? For some, it may lack a strong hold. I can’t guarantee that it will help your surfing but erm you will look good doing it which is the most important thing right?

Nads natural hair removal gel

Take matters into your own hands and you’ll never to have to subject your naked bits to the salon every again. Nads is really simple to use and you don’t even have to warm it up. Spread the wax on your body in the direction of your hair, place the cloth strip on top and tear it off in the opposite direction of the hair. Got that? The wax strips are even reusable – we like that!

Ella Bache 30+ Facesaver

This article wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of a sunscreen and Ella Bache 30+ Facesaver is my constant companion (sadly sometimes only) during summer. If the thought of skin cancer doesn’t frighten you, premature ageing might and this product claims to offer a powerful selection of anti-oxidants to help guard ageing skin. It’s your skin’s daily defence against the sun and the visible signs of ageing and heck, it might prevent the big C as well – cancer not commitment!