Beauty Tricks and Summer Tips

Relaxed, summer days call for effortless, natural beauty. While I’d love to tumble out of bed or emerge from the ocean with flawless skin and tamed hair, I admit that the ‘natural’ look requires some effort. Fortunately, with the right products and tips, casual summer beauty is a breeze.

Keep it simple, and aim for a quick regime that will protect your skin and hair and keep you looking groomed no matter the conditions.

Shield your skin

As well as the obvious cancer risks involved with sunbathing, it’s important to note that sun exposure is the leading cause of premature ageing. Exposing your face to the sun causes wrinkles, lines, pigmentation, dark under eye circles (yes, really), enlarged pores, and sagging skin. This damage takes years to show, often turning up decades later.

If you invest time and money on your skin care regime only to sunbathe, you are wasting your time. Sunscreen is the best anti-aging product money can buy. I implore you to use it every single day.

Apply your chosen facial sunscreen to your face, neck, and décolletage every morning. If you’re at the beach, reapply every two to three hours. Many sunscreen options leave a fresh, dewy finish which looks lovely during summer. It may take some trial and error to find a formula that suits your skin, however, I have had great success with the Paula’s Choice sunscreens, and recommend them to all of my friends and clients. I’ve never had any congestion or breakouts with these products.

Beauty Guru Product Picks

• Normal to dry: Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Lotion SPF 30 (with antioxidants and hydration)
• Combination or oily: Paula’s Choice Resist Super Light SPF 15 (with antioxidants)
• All skin types: Dermalogica Solar Booster
• Bali Body BB Cream SPF15
• For the body: Invisible Zinc and Eco Tan Sunscreen

Create undetectable coverage, fast

If you’d like coverage over your SPF, apply concealer where required and pat it into your skin with a damp Beauty Blender. Spot covering looks far more natural than blanket coverage.

To add a sun-kissed flush of colour, blend a cream bronzer around the cheeks/cheekbone area with a stippling brush or your fingertips. For a glowing, radiant complexion, apply a cream highlight to the tops of the cheekbones, cupid bow, and tip of the nose.

Beauty Guru Product Picks

• Kat Von D Lock It Concealer Creme  
• M.A.C Pro Longwear Concealer
• NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer 
• Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Champagne Pop
• NARS Illuminator  (can be mixed with foundation or concealer)

Define and add a pop of colour

If you’re heading to a summer BBQ or event and need to step your look up a notch, lightly fill in your brows and apply two coats of mascara. Brows frame the face and can take years off your look when done right. Need some help? Visit a professional to give you a shape/tint and help you grow your brows out if need be.

Waterproof or tubing mascara formulas are ideal for summer heat and dips in the pool or ocean.

A quick way to look effortlessly chic is with a bold lip colour – think red, orange, or pink for summer. Try applying your lipstick lightly and patting it into your lips with a fingertip for a stained effect. Alternatively, try a coloured gloss. To take your look from day to night, a vibrant matte shade will give you ultimate staying power in the heat.

Beauty Guru Product Picks

• Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz pencil
• Billion Dollar Brows Brows On Point pencil
• M.A.C Extended Play Mascara (water-resistant and super lengthening)
• Lancome Hypnose Waterproof Mascara
• Karen Murrell lipsticks
• Mellow Liquid Lip Paint

Tame the mane

Heat and humidity can wreak havoc on hairstyles, so lightweight hairsprays, anti-humidity sprays, deep conditioning masks, and serums are a must over summer. Keep your hair hydrated at the beach or by the pool by applying a leave-in conditioner from mid-lengths to ends, and use a nourishing mask at home in the shower. Wear a hat when you’re in the sun to protect your tresses and your face.

Quick hairstyles are key for summer: think plaits, ponytails, and high buns. Salt water gives a beautiful texture to hair – plait your hair when it’s damp and let the plaits out in the morning for easy beach waves. Tame the frizz with a lightweight serum or mousse, and finish off hairstyles with a spritz of hairspray (great for smoothing down frizzies around the hairline).

To avoid chlorine damage, wet your hair in the shower before you get in the pool, and rinse after your swim. A deep cleansing shampoo will remove any build-up or discolouration. Keep your colour fresh with a coloured shampoo or conditioner – there are a few different brands available in shampoo shops.

Beauty Guru Product Picks

• KMS Medium Hold Hairspray
• Kerastase Masques – pricy but incredible
• Fudge Purple Shampoo – I love this to keep the brassy tones at bay
• Tangle Teezer to brush hair without damage or breakage
• Holistic Hair Hydrating Shampoo – sulphate-free for extra gentle cleansing

Body work

With so much focus on skin care and anti-aging for the face, the skin on our body is often neglected. Sunbathing and tanning give instant gratification in the form of a natural tan that looks amazing and is in many ways easier than labouring over self-tan at home. However, the consequences of sunbathing will show up many years later in the form of aged, wrinkled, and pigmented skin, or more seriously, in the form of skin cancer. Unless you want to look like a leather couch at age 50, wear sunscreen.

By all means, enjoy the sun, but do so responsibly, with a good SPF lotion. You will thank yourself later in life. Self-tan formulas are more sophisticated and effective than ever, and many are fool-proof.

My Top Self-Tanners

• Loving Tan Ultra Dark Mousse – My holy grail tan. It’s SUPER dark with one application, smells lovely, dries quickly, and lasts longer than any other product I have tried. It comes in light and medium shades too. The application mitt makes the whole process quick and easy.
• Little Honey – This spray/mitt combo is a close second for me. I adore the tone of this tan, it’s a green base which gives a gorgeous olive colour. Little Honey also dries quickly, smells lovely, and gives a rich colour.
• Eco Tan Invisible Tan – This all-natural, certified organic tanning lotion is ultra hydrating, easy to apply, and gives a stunning natural result. I also use the Eco Tan Mitt in the shower to scrub my tan off once a week, and it’s the best mitt I’ve ever used.

Hydrate

Over summer skin can get quite dry, and if you’re self-tanning I’d highly recommend using a rich moisturiser after every shower to keep your colour looking fresh: My favourite is the Skin Food Body Butter. I also avoid all harsh, foaming body washes, and opt for a gentle cleanser or soap (I love the Eco Store brand) where required.

Tip to toe

Keep your feet smooth with a Scholl foot file in the shower, and don’t forget to moisturise your heels (I adore the Linden Leaves foot cream). If your budget allows it, a Shellac pedicure will see you through summer. There’s nothing better than slipping perfectly manicured toes into a pair of jandals.