The most useful tips to take care of yourself

Mirror Perfect
For perfectly buffed nails, all you need is wax, a chamois cloth and any tube (a cough drop tube for example). Roll the leather around the tube and fasten with elastic bands. Buff the nails very lightly, apply a thin coat of hot wax and wait for it to cool. Then, in the same way you clean your shoes, buff the wax off and shine your nails with the chamois. They'll be so shiny you'll catch your reflection!

A Top Trick
For a quick pick-me-up when it's scorching outside, pass a large ice cube over the surface of the chest. Yes, it sounds very 9 Ѕ weeks, but there's nothing like it for firming the bust. Clearly the results are not lasting, but for a hot evening out, it's worth the effort and clenched teeth.

Chocolate High
Great news for chocoholics everywhere: chocolate is an anti-stress stimulant that encourages the release of endorphins, a natural morphine. Consuming up to 300g of chocolate weekly can be a good thing even during a strict diet (so long as intake of other high-sugar foods is modified) because it is rich in Vitamin B, magnesium, iron and trace elements.

Be a Vodka Blonde
Want to go blonde? Here's a wild cocktail recipe that's brilliant for light brown and blonde hair.
Mix together a shot of vodka, a splash of freshly-squeezed lemon juice and some sugar. Before you get tempted to down this rather refreshing concoction, brush it through damp hair. Expose your mane to the sun for one hour, and only in the morning (before the sun reaches its hottest temperatures). This method produces excellent results, but use moderation as this cocktail will de-hydrate your hair!

Mud Bath
By now, we're all familiar with the virtues of the facial mud mask, which is based on green clay and is particularly effective for treating oily skin. Enriched with essential oils and trace elements, clay also does wonders for the hair, leaving it soft and shiny with fullness to spare. Whether, yellow, red, black or white, a new range of clay products now address a variety of bad hair day complaints. The pioneer of this beauty discovery: the Jacques Dessange Institute in Paris.

Butter Fingers
Shea means 'butter tree' and inhabitants of the African region where it grows wild have been using it for generations. Granules from the tree are ground into a paste, which is used to slather up young children before massaging them. The result: accelerated skin renewal plus protection against the brutal sun. Today, Rene Furterer is among the brands that has taken the essence of shea butter and created a mask that counteracts dryness, nourishes the hair and adds gloss. Apply to dry hair and shampoo afterwards

Cup of Tea?
After years of research, the scientific consensus is that green tea is youth's best friend. On top of being packed with anti-oxidants (which fight free radicals), it is also reputed to be anti-carcinogenic. You can get rid of the slightly acid flavor by making it light and not letting it steep. Drink green tea in abundance all year round, hot in winter and over crushed ice in summer for a satisfying refreshment and a valuable supplement to your good health.

Healthy Touching
They're not everyone's favorite body part, but feet that are well-massaged provide a ripple effect for the rest of the body. To relax the back, massage the sides of the feet, moving up to the big toe - this is where the pressure points for the spinal column live. To bust stress, spread your toes and massage the spaces in-between, where a multitude of nerve endings lie forgotten inside your shoes for most of the year. Reflexology has been practiced for over 5,000 years and is regarded as a preventive medicine.