After a questionable year, hot girl summer has finally arrived and with that the summer season evokes thoughts of beach days, barbecues and balmy summer nights with the opportunity to get creative with our beauty routines.
However, palm trees and cocktails aside, summer comes with a long list of beauty woes. From humidity frizz to melting makeup, the hot weather often leaves us feeling like a hot mess.
Fear not sun-seekers, with these handy tips you can survive what remains of the summer months without sabotaging your hair and makeup goals.
Super suncare
Ask any dermatologist, skin specialist or beauty aficionado and they will tell you the importance of SPF. We may have come a long way since the days of chalky sunscreen and claims that smearing your skin with olive oil will give you the ultimate summer glow, but there is still a long way to go.
You may have slathered on the sunscreen first thing in the morning, yet so many of us forget the importance of reapplying throughout the day. Experts say that you should apply your first layer of sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going out into the sun and reapply at least every 2 hours. You should reapply your sunscreen more often if you are taking part in water activities or sweating heavily. Although reapplying sunscreen throughout the day may seem like a time consuming task, there are a number of products that make suncare a breeze.
Try the COOLA Refreshing Water Mist Sunscreen, this ultra-lightweight formula is quick and easy to apply and leaves skin feeling fresh and hydrated.
If oily skin is your number one nemesis, the Supergoop! (Re)setting 100% Mineral Powder SPF 35 is your new best friend. This sunscreen offers additional hydration without making your skin look oily and allows you to quickly top-up on suncare.
So you have applied (and reapplied) your sunscreen and shaded when necessary yet you still somehow managed to burn. Perhaps on a cloudy day you underestimated the harmful rays or just got carried away lounging in the sun, either way sore and irritated skin is uncomfortable. The best way to cope with sunburnt skin is to aim to keep the skin cool, stay out of the sun and take cool showers to soothe skin. Try Banana Boat’s Soothing Aloe After Sun Gel, containing anti-inflammatory vitamin E. This lightweight gel cools and soothes skin reducing redness and preventing dryness and peeling.
Melt-proof makeup
So you create the perfect full-glam look, glowy skin, dazzling eyes and a bright lip only to step outside and find your smudging and smearing in the heat. Sound familiar?
We can’t control the weather or it’s often annoying effects, however there are a number of ways to melt-proof your makeup routine ready for any hot social occasion.
Start off with a primer, this will give makeup a flawless base and prevent it sliding around your face as temperatures rise. Try the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer for a smooth and flawless base. Follow up with a tinted moisturizer or skin tint that ditches the heaviness of a foundation and gives skin an intentional glow so that even as you heat up, skin stays looking dewy. The Smashbox Halo Healthy Glow Tinted Moisturizer will give skin a hint of colour and coverage with a dewy glow of dreams.
To avoid pesky panda eyes, opt for an eyeshadow pencil that contains wax to ensure eye makeup stays intact without smudging or creasing. The e.l.f Creamy Budge Proof Eyeshadow Stick does exactly what it says on the tin. This versatile cream eyeshadow stick delivers high-pigment, metallic color with stay-put power. In a range of dazzling hues, you don’t have to give up your signature smoky eye this summer.
Finally, ditch sticky glosses and waxy lipsticks and instead finish your look with a long-lasting lip stain. The Powermatte Lip Pigment from Nars is a lightweight and non-drying formula that won’t budge, so you can dance on without a care in the world.
Frizz free
For so many of us, the slightest increase in temperature wreaks havoc with our hair. During the hotter months, hair can get drier and suffer from sun damage in the same way our skin can, not to mention the effects of saltwater and chlorine so it’s important to give our locks a little extra tlc.
You may be giving your skin lots of SPF goodness but so many of us forget to give our mane the same attention. UV rays penetrate your strands and make them weak and brittle, also breaking down your color if your hair is treated. The Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil will wrap your hair in nourishing protection. The powerful formula protects from UVA and UVB and won’t weigh hair down or leave it feeling greasy.
If soaring temperatures have you making a b-line for the pool, chances are the exposure to chlorine has left hair feeling dry and lacklustre. This is where the Philip Kingsley Swimcap Water Resistant Mask comes in. Originally designed for Olympic swimmers, this classic product is one of the best for shielding off a number of hair enemies, from chlorine to saltwater and UV rays. The cream formula helps to keep hair smooth and shiny and gives you an excuse to experiment with a sleek poolside look.
Finally, after summer days give your hair the nourishing care it deserves and a healthy dose of hydration. The Coco & Eve Like a Virgin Hair Mask is a deeply nourishing formula enriched with virgin coconuts, shea butter and argan oil for strong, hydrated hair with a luscious shine. Not to mention its heavenly summer scent will turn your shower into a tropical paradise.
Glowing summer skin
As we embrace our summer wardrobes and peel off the layers, healthy glowing skin enters the forefront of our minds. A change in season calls for a skin care overhaul. The thick creams and oils that dominated your routine during the colder months aren’t exactly what your complexion needs as the temperature rises.
Exfoliation is key when attempting to restore skin’s vibrance. Lactic or glycolic acid exfoliants offer the quickest and easiest way to instantly brighten the skin for the summer months. They work by dissolving and removing dry surface cells to reveal fresher, brighter cells that reflect light and give the skin a smoother look.
The Glossier Solution uses a blend of skincare acids to unclog pores and sweep away dead skin.
For glowing limbs ready for your favourite summer outfits, try the Sol de Janiero Bum Bum Body Scrub. With sugar and salt to slough away dead cells, alongside Amazonian guarana seeds to scrub and firm your skin to leave it supple whilst the medley of coconut, açai and cupuaçu butters help to nourish and condition skin from top-to-toe. You will feel summer ready in seconds no matter the weather.
Finally, glowing and healthy-looking skin requires the ultimate hydration. This means ditching long, hot showers that dry out skin and factoring in an ultra-rich and deeply nourishing moisturizer. The Fenty Skin Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream is a perfect addition to your summer skincare regime. This deliciously whipped oil body cream is loaded with tropical oils, butters, and extracts and leaves skin with a gorgeous sheen without feeling sticky or greasy. Besides, anything that can make us look or feel remotely like Rihanna is a plus, right?
