Time to bare

Follow a few of these steps and you'll immediately feel like striding out on a beach walk. Image / Getty.

With Labour Weekend fast approaching and the shops full of summer clothes, there's no escaping that now is the time to start peeling off the layers. Unless you've been beavering away in the gym all winter then, like me, you're probably reluctant to give up the security of opaques, leggings and boots and get out the sandals and shorts.

But it's time to front up. Longer, sunny days are around the corner and some quick fixes are called for. A bit of bright polish on the toenails, some action on the hair front, and fake tan are ideal places to start. They're easy DIY options too, so you don't need to spend up large to get at least partially prepared to take the plunge. We've cheated though and got some expert assistance.

Follow a few of these steps and you'll immediately feel like striding out on a beach walk.

The hair reviver
Sorting out the condition is key to getting your hair looking its best. Keeping it that way requires protection. Specialised hair products designed to filter UV rays and coat hair are now available in a number of professional salon ranges, and there's also plenty of frizz fighters to keep those fly-aways and tangles at bay.

Deep conditioning masks have become a popular salon treatment, either as a pamper service with a blow-dry, or as part of a regular consultation. Other than being relaxing and a way of leaving the salon looking glossy, they're an ideal chance to chat to a stylist without the pressure of deciding cut and colour. I've had several of these treatments and have learned plenty about my hair's health and how to choose the right products for its type.

At Morgan & Morgan in Takapuna I enjoyed an organic Pureology treatment in their specially designed private treatment rooms.

Australian Kevin Murphy talked me through the new mask in his aromatherapy-based range and I've also enjoyed several of Kerastase's targeted treatments at various salons. There's a new Kerastase Volumeactive mask out which adds volume to finer hair.

Masks can also be used at home, but you'll miss out on the extras like scalp massages and steaming. Kevin Murphy recommends treating them like conditioner if your hair needs help. He says a mask is particularly beneficial after colouring, when the hair cuticle is open.

Steve Morgan also says using a mask often can be a good option. "If you've real problem hair, by all means use the mask every time." The idea though is to improve and then maintain condition, so if your hair is in a poorer state he recommends weekly mask use and if it's in a good state, then every couple of weeks.

Morgan says the optimum benefits come from leaving the mask on the hair for a bit longer than conditioner, so he says stick it on while doing the housework at the weekend, then shower it out. A mask is generally a thicker, creamier, concentrated version of conditioner.

The Pureology range appeals to customers looking for a natural option. The American line has also gained an international reputation for helping retain colour. I've found this to be so, since switching to the shampoo and conditioner four or five months ago. Morgan backs this up, saying his clients also report less fading: "Particularly with vivid reds and with a high percentage of greys."

•Morgan & Morgan, Shop 3, 6-10 Como St, Takapuna. Ph (09) 486 9772. www.morganandmorgan.co.nz. (Pureology is also available at other selected salons).

The pedicure
Looking down at perfectly polished toes is so much more comforting than seeing little pale piggy trotters emerge from woolly socks. Nails that are carefully shaped and coloured look great in flats or heels and somehow draw attention down the leg, in an elongating elegant effect.

For the first reveal of the season, I headed to Sarah Priddy Nails in Newmarket for a pedicure that included a special wax treatment, an ideal way to soften boot-weary feet after a long, hard winter. The new treatment is an alternative to paraffin wax and uses natural soy wax.

Priddy herself recommends a six-monthly visit to the chiropodist for any client with problems with severe calluses, saying for a professional medical service it's remarkably good value. She also recommends a quick at-home foot scrub, using olive oil and sugar and regular pumicing.

For feet that aren't too hammered, the wax will work wonders. As well as the usual bathing and filing of a pedicure, there's a lower leg and foot exfoliation, before feet are immersed in Thermasoft socks, which heat up as you wear them, leaving your toasty toes to baste away, before you're massaged and have your nails buffed and then painted.

Favourites shades at the moment are brighter colours, including corals, though darks, including black and blue, are still popular. Nude toes tends to be reserved for bridal parties, though on finger nails they're more popular. As to toes, Priddy says: "You can be more adventurous."

If you're in a hurry though, Priddy has observed that pearls dry faster and dark shades take the longest to set.

My Leighton Denny dark brown polish, shot with gold, was a nice change from the cyclamen shades I usually favour.

Beautifully applied, I avoided any smears by heading home in jandals. The polish lasted a couple of weeks before any sign of wear, which is why, out of all the treatments I'm lucky enough to try, a pedicure is one of my favourites.

•The Deluxe Thermasoft Pedicure is $100 ($120 with callus peel) at Sarah Priddy Nails. Polish application only, from $20. Sarah Priddy Nails , 31-39 Davis Cres, Newmarket. Ph (09) 522 2078. www.sarahpriddy.com

The sugaring
Sugaring is an ancient hair removal technique that is common in Europe. A New Zealand-developed version has just recently been introduced into a small number of commercial salons in Australasia.

Promoted as hurting less than waxing, I put the Pharo Salon Sugaring System to the test in Monique's tidy, tucked away salon inside a gym on Wairau Rd. The process is all but identical to waxing and, yes, it does hurt less, but for me the main advantage was my skin felt less clammy afterward and there was no sticky, waxy residue, which a rough wax can leave. Redness also seemed less, especially around the sensitive bikini line. For anyone contemplating the torture of a Brazilian, that has to be worth considering.

If you've never been waxed before, try sugaring. It certainly isn't pain free, but if you're familiar with how wax grips both skin and hair as it's pulled out, you will find sugaring a bit less of an ordeal as it sticks to hair only and is applied warm rather than hot.

The Pharo system draws its name from ancient Egypt, where body hair removal was mandatory for slave girls serving the Pharoah. It uses a pleasant smelling gel mix of sugar, lemon juice, water, and aloe vera, kiwifruit, and Manuka honey.

The natural ingredient mix was developed by entrepreneur Bernadette Soares who says: "It's a truly effective alternative to the harsh solvent-based waxes beauty salons and spas have been using for years."

She says it nourishes skin and because the product does not stick it is more comfortable for people with skin sensitivities and is more compatible with tanning products.

Beauty therapist Monique Porter says she switched to sugaring from waxing because the ingredients appealed.

"Now I've got all my clients on to it."

Pain is reduced, as is redness, which is good for areas like brows which are highly visible. She also likes that any residue washes off or wipes away easily, so skin preparation and clean-up is limited to a quick swish with a wipe.

•A bikini sugaring costs $25, Brazilians $65 first time, then $45 at Monique's Beauty Salon, in the Harbour Fitness Gym, corner Wairau and View Rds, Glenfield. Ph (09) 444 3078 or 0274 828 651. See www.globalbeauty.co.nz for other sugaring stockists.