Fun, sun and Salonaz Sami An offer of a North Coast weekend -- and I could hardly contain my joy. My favourite season has finally arrived. Dipping into inimitably turquoise Mediterranean waters, I thought it was about time for a good tan. Preferring speed to safety, I ignored the advice of my old-hand friend: to apply sun block rather than tanning oil and always moisturise after a sun bath. But golden and beautiful as my tan was -- I had applied a lot of lotion -- by the time I returned to Cairo my skin was literally falling off, my hair was in a mess and I felt too foul to appreciate my newfound bronze coating. Which is how I decided to seek out an expert opinion. Several, actually. Nada Tawfiq, young make-up artist, a student of the renowned Amina Shelbaya, had this to say, "exposing your skin to the sun without protection is the worst thing you can do to your skin." Even when tanning oil is used, she went on, a coat of sunblock should be applied first: "you mustn't forget your hair, either. Before swimming in the sea, apply oil. That will usually do the trick. Afterwards, don't use conditioner. Apply nurturing oil instead. You don't have to keep it on for too long. Ten minutes will work wonders." What about ugly tanning marks? A friend had this to offer by way of a solution: five tablespoons full of rose water and one of lime juice are to be applied to the affected area, then washed off with water; the next morning, apply the same amount of yoghurt to the same area -- your skin will clear in no time. Two tablespoons full of lime juice applied to oily hair while it is being rinsed twice a week, my friend added, will make your hair more manageable. Sameh Torotta, owner-manager of one of Mohandessin's better known beauty salons, said that, contrary to the popular belief that women should cut their hair at the beginning of summer, summer is never the right time for a hair cut, both because strong sun will affect newly cut hair more drastically and because short hair is less manageable in hot weather: "nor should hair be dyed at this time of year. If you must dye your hair, die it brown -- women with fairer skin should go for lighter shades of brown and vice versa. Use the season to treat your hair well. This year the look is all about relaxed movement and freedom -- loose curls. Simply follow your hair's natural texture, especially around the face. Avoid heat styling, which makes your hair more brittle and vulnerable to the heat. Just apply a little finishing cream to your damp hair and wrap locks of hair around your finger to have the free flowing waves of the season. A drop of olive oil, finger-combed through the hair, can help control frizz and add shine..." As to making flat hair more voluminous -- a personal concern of mine, this -- boil two cloves of garlic and three peppercorns in coconut oil. Let it cool, then apply it to your scalp. Natural hair is the answer. In fact, this summer natural skin is in too. According to Tawfiq, indeed, "skin care is essential. Choose the right base cream for the colour of your skin and apply only where and when required. The perfect look is that which gives the most natural impression. Apply the foundation with a milled powder but make sure the powder is invisible to the naked eye." The colours should reflect the range of sun rays: orange, red and peach for the eyes; apricot and peachy (not rose) pink blush; gold and silver for lips and nails. All of which, luckily, is perfectly compatible with Egyptian skin tones, according to Tawfiq: "whatever the colour, make sure it looks like skin, not make-up." Women with narrow eyes should use a light eyeliner for the bottom edge; for those with large noses, a mixture of light and dark foundation, expertly applied, can work miracles: "black mascara is also an essential this summer. Just don't overdo it; add no more than one layer for a natural look." Nature rules. The trick, Tawfiq insists, is that every woman should have her own skin care routine: a cleanser on waking up, followed by a nurturing day cream. During the day, sunblock should be applied underneath make-up. At the end of the day, remove the make-up with a natural extract, but don't go to bed until you have applied night nourishing cream. Dedicate one day of the week to skin, hair and body care, Tawfiq suggests: "use nurturing natural oils, face masks, Moroccan scrub clay... A whole day to yourself." Speaking of which, my grandmother's formula for a face mask involved blending orange, lemon and cucumber peels -- to be left on the face for 20 minutes. My own modest contribution: try this once a day for seven days and you will see. But now I must remove my mango mask and pack my bags. Yes, of course, I'm going back to the North Coast. But this time, whatever I do, I will not come back sun burnt. TIPS AND TRICKS: - Body odour solution: add dried rose petals to your bath water. - Bad breath solution: chew cardamom; gargle with fenugreek tea; eat an unripe green apple, or else a semi-hard citrus fruit. - Tarnished teeth solution: brush with soda bicarbonate. - Acne solution: rub the scrapings of bitter gourd onto affected areas; wash them with non-pasteurised milk before you go to sleep. - Darkened elbows and lower arms solution: a pinch of turmeric with a few drops of basil leaf extract in fresh cream to be applied to affected area. - Flat hair solution: apply a mixture of flour and rice starch; wash out after a few minutes. - Wrinkled skin solution: blend a well mashed apple, without the skin or core, with a teaspoon full of honey. Wash with warm water 15 minutes after you apply. - Dry skin solution: apply a mixture of glycerin, fresh cream and honey in a 1:1:1 ratio. - Scar solution: rub with lemon peels for five-seven minutes twice a day for a week.
