Smooth operator

OUR wash-out summer has had one saving grace: there hasn't been much occasion to reveal our dimpled thighs to the world. But hey, it's only August, and surely the weather can only get better?

Ever hopeful, we decided to compile a guide on how to tackle cellulite: the dimple effect on women's thighs and buttocks which some unkind observer (surely a man) chose to label as 'orange peel skin'.

There is an ever-widening choice of lotions and potions as well as beauty treatments and advice on how to tackle this problem.

Over the past month, our team of testers has put a variety to the test. Here are their results:

Star ratings: 1 star waste of effort 2 stars hardly notice 3 stars getting firmer 4 stars smooth operator 5 stars take me to the beach.

Absolus Contours, Yves Saint Laurent, £27 for 200ml, from Fenwick

In the first week I was pleasantly surprised by the initial improvement I could see happening on my derriere.

The product smells pleasant when applied and makes the skin feel smooth and firm with visible, all-be-it slight, improvements to the silhouette.

But then, disaster struck! After several weeks I started to notice a nasty niff on my clothes and realised the cream was to blame. It got so bad I had to abandon it entirely and if anyone was going to try it out I would recommend doing so only at night.

For the effect it had on my skin I would rate it four stars. But overall I would not use it because of the smell.

Rating: 4 stars

Lift Minceur 2000, Clarins, £25 for 200ml, from Fenwick

This pink gel smoothed on and soaked in quite easily, although I found the smell reminiscent of Algipan (the stuff my grandma used to rub on her knees). Shortly after rubbing it in a cold clammy feeling spread over the area where I had applied it. Unprepared for this development I thought I had put wet clothes on.

Must be doing some good if it has this effect I told myself, but sadly I have to report that little or no change has taken place. My thighs and bum are still mine and not the sculpted lithe shapes I had hoped for.

Rating: 2 stars

Universal Contour Wrap, £35, Body Beautiful salon, Acomb, York. Tel 01904 780888

The wrap claims to draw out all the toxins from the skin and guarantees at least a six-inch loss from around the body.

I lost 13 inches, but for that I had to endure two hours of sitting dressed like an Egyptian mummy.

This is not for the easily embarrassed as I had to strip down to my knickers and be measured all over. Then I was covered from neck to ankles in a bandage-like stretchy fabric soaked in a special clay substance.

I lost more than an inch on both my forearms, half an inch from each thigh, two inches from my waist, an inch each from my bum and hips and more than three inches from my upper chest and back area.

My clothes definitely felt looser. As for my cellulite - it didn't make a great deal of difference. But it did leave my skin feeling smoother and firmer.

The only drawback is the clay keeps working for three days afterwards, so you're advised not to shower or drink alcohol for that time.

Rating: 3 stars

Botanics Body Firming Gel, Boots, £4.20 for 250ml

While this product didn't seem to have much effect on cellulite or toning, it did make my skin feel much smoother and softer. When first applied, it was like a gel setting and felt sticky, but not horrible. It did smell nice and I would carry on using it for the smoothness it gives and its nice smell.

Rating: 2 stars

Head to head:

Body Light, Christian Dior, £26 for 200ml from Fenwick versus Body brush £7, and oils £5 each, from Body Shop

This was an interesting experiment: treat one leg with the lotion, the other with body brushing.

The gel was pink and gooey, although it felt nice to rub in and wasn't tacky. It had a smoothing and firming effect on the skin, although I couldn't spot any noticeable difference to the dreaded patches of cellulite.

Body brushing produced very similar results, but at a fraction of the cost. The trick is to brush upwards over the trouble spots. You can dry brush, applying an oil afterwards, or do it in the shower with a body wash. It's quite rigorous, but not unpleasant.

With similar outcomes, the gel's plus point is that it is easy to apply, but the brush method wins for value for money.

Gel rating: 2 stars

Brush rating: 3 stars

Reflexe Contour, Lancome, £30 for 250ml, from Fenwick

I really like Lancome products, and was looking forward to letting this stuff loose on my less-than-perfect derriere.

So it was something of a letdown when I squeezed the bottle and it disgorged an unappetising scarlet goo.

Nevertheless, it was going to be worth rubbing Benelyn Expectorant into my hindquarters if it would magically transform me from shire horse with dimples to thoroughbred filly with clean lines.

It certainly made my skin feel tighter, but when I craned to view smooth skin over taut, pert muscle, I saw only my usual saggy self, a shade pinker than before.

Rating: 1 star

Fact file

u Cellulite is associated with the female hormone oestrogen.

u It can appear at any age and even on slim women, suggesting that it is probably genetic.

u Doctors advise keeping off weight and taking plenty of exercise which speeds up the heart and improves circulation.

u Health journalist Liz Hodgkinson wrote her book Beat Cellulite Now (published by Thorsons, £5.99) after dramatically improving her own cellulite by cutting out caffeine and drinking lots of water as well as changing her diet to avoid food that was full of artificial ingredients.

u She also recommends dry skin-brushing because it encourages the lympathic system to expel toxins. She believes cellulite is caused by the body dumping toxic waste in fat cells.