Well well well…. I haven’t done a Bikini Blitz feature in a little while; quite frankly, I was sick to death of the sight of myself prancing about in a bikini, and getting a little worried (a little too late!) about the fact that I had released footage of this prancing onto the big world wide web. Hey ho, there’s more to come, I’m just working my way up to it!

In the meantime, I’ve found a fabuloso new body cream that basically acts a bit like an invisible, total-body Spanx suit. Yes, it’s that good. The Body Firming Cream from Murad promises increased body firmness by 40% in fifteen minutes, and, with proper massaging in (don’t just slap it on willy-nilly!) it really does help to firm up those wobbles. I have absolutely no idea how, and I’m thinking that the 40% business is a little optomistic, but I would say that it’s become my pre-shoot quick-fix when I’m feeling a little bit out of shape. I think that the cream just provides really intense hydration an makes the skin slightly radiant so that the general appearance is dramatically different!

The cream is ultra-rich, and smells quite zesty and fruity – quite like many other ‘firming’ or ‘toning’ body treatments, I have come to notice. I think that this may be due to the inclusion of such ingredients as orange, mandarin, grapefruit and basil oils in the formula. I find it a really uplifting scent, great for first thing in the morning when you need to gee yourself up!

Murad Body Firming Cream is £30.95 for 200ml.

If finances can’t or won’t stretch to the £30 mark, then I’ve found a very nice budget option; the Total Body Contour Firming Lotion from Boots Expert. Descibed as a lotion, this is in fact a cream – not quite as luxurious as the Murad, granted, but still too thick to be classed as a lotion. Like the Murad cream, the Expert absorbs easily but is pleasing to apply; you really feel as though you want to massage it well into the skin. The scent is very different, and there are no natural oils included in the ingredients list, but I have been using this cream after the gym and I really feel like it firms much more than a standard body cream.

Expert Total Body Contour Firming Lotion is £4.99 for 150ml, available at Boots.

So there you go; two options for a firmer bod. Just remember to massage in well – when it comes to body products, the secret is in the application! But well applied, you’ll see a change in your skin’s appearance; it’ll appear smoother and younger. There’s a reason why makeup artists spend ages moisturising models’ bodies before a swimwear or lingerie shoot!