Heading into the warm weather after a long winter can be hard, mostly on your dry legs after months of little hydration and (admit it– we’re all guilty) not much shaving. Especially living in Florida, the winter-to-summer transitionary period averages 24-48 hours, so there’s literally no time for dawdling. Once swimsuit season rolls around, which traditionally begins during the month of February, you’ve got days to transform your ashy skin into the legs you’ve been dreaming of. Use these tips to get gorgeous summer legs in one week with the 7 day challenge:

1. Exfoliate

Simple sugar and salt scrubs, exfoliating gloves, and/or loofahs are vital for removing dead skin cells and gross flaky skin, as well as for preventing ingrown leg hairs. Giving your skin a good rub to lift off old layers of skin with ingredients that also stimulate new cell growth is the optimum way to do this. Also, exfoliating before shaving is key to opening up pores for an even closer shave.

2. Shave with the Right Razor

In order to have gorgeous summer legs, you need to ensure you’re using the best razor you can afford– particularly one that’ll steer clear of post-shave razor burn. Schick Hydro Silk is my personal razor of choice, and it has been for years– so when the opportunity to partner with Schick surfaced, I couldn’t say no. It’s a uniquely designed razor that goes beyond an incredibly close shave to actually care for your skin and leave skin feeling silky smooth after every shave, and it hydrates skin like no other razor I’ve used in the past. 

Another major selling point is that Schick Hydro Silk Shower Hanging Refills make it easy for women to conveniently store refills in their shower, so they can get a great shave with a fresh razor blade whenever they please.

A great shaving cream is equally important as a quality razor. New Skintimate Island Berry Breeze Shave Gel is the first step in a leg care routine for beautiful, healthy-looking legs is a moisturizing shave gel. Skintimate provides unbeatable razor protection for a close, comfortable shave and healthy-feeling, smooth legs. The gel foams into a rich lather helping you see where you’ve shaved and where you haven’t, and it’s now available in a NEW Island Berry Breeze scent, too. If you have sensitive skin, I recommend using Skintimate Silky Skin. It helps replenish skin’s natural moisture with Moroccan Oil and a blend of Vitamin E, Olive Butter, and Sunflower Seed Oil.

3. Moisturize

It is literally impossible to get soft skin without a great moisturizing lotion. As soon as you get out of the shower or bathtub, rub an unscented, hydrating lotion all over your legs. Try to do this while your legs are still a little bit damp, as the water will help lock in extra moisture. Please note that you should only moisturize after you shave– never before. Also, avoid lotions that contain alcohol or rich scents, as these products can easily irritate newly-shaven skin.

Also, if you’re in major “dry healing” mode, massage olive oil into your legs before bed, wait for the skin to absorb it, then rinse off in the shower. This will leave your legs feeling extra soft and ready for a beach day.

4. Tone It All Up 

Shape your gams from tush to toe and get beautifully toned and defined legs  with a 7-day leg challenge, like this awesome program by Gale Compton. The Summer Legs Challenge is designed for 7 days, but you’ll want to continue the workouts below 1-2 times each week, or choose from numerous leg routines at Skinnyms.com, in order to achieve optimal results.  Any of the routines below can be done at home or the gym, so no excuses!

5. Sculpt Some More

Cellulite? Ain’t nobody got time for that. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for cellulite, there are dozens of powerful body treatments available that can help lessen the appearance of cellulite, stretch marks, and more. Click here for Harper’s Bazaar’s 10 Best Cellulite Creams!

6. Give Your Legs a Sunless Bronze

My mom will personally hunt you down and give you a very long, stern lecture if she finds out you’re frequenting a tanning bed. Accordingly, I learned a handful of amazing bronzing tips, sun alternatives, and tan preservation methods throughout my pageant career. I don’t do orange, I don’t do fake tanner smell, and I don’t do streaks. Ever. Bearing that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite products and tips, so if you’re like me and refuse to fry your skin 24/7, click here for my seven favorite self tanning products.

1. AquaTan Daily Glow Gradual Self Tanner, $40 | 2. Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel, $38, $38 | 3. Kate Somerville 360° Face Self Tanning Pads, $48 | 4. Kiehl’s Since 1851 Sun-Free Self-Tanning Formula, $21 | 5. Sally Hansen Salon Airbrush Legs Leg Makeup (*Pageant Girl Must-Have), $13 | 6. St. Tropez Tanning Essentials Self Tan Perfect Legs Spray, $20 | 7. Sun Laboratories Ultra Dark Self Tanning Lotion, $25

7. Tidy Your Toes

This tip is very straight forward– make sure your toes and feet are presentable. Either get a pedicure or buff any and all nastiness off your toes and trim your toenails yourself. For an added subtle but effective trick, paint your toenails with a clear or very light sparkle free polish; it’ll make them shimmer with very little extra effort.

And there you have it– after only seven days of following the above tips, you’ll see the sexy summer legs you forgot you once had. Try the 7-Day Shave Challenge at home using the Schick Hydro Silk razor and Schick hanging refills; you won’t be sorry you did. Happy Monday!

^{This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Schick, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #pmgschick #7dayshavechallenge #ad http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV}