The sun has officially made an appearance, which must mean that summer is on its way. For most people, a change in season means a different wardrobe; with woolly jumpers and jeans giving way to floaty skirts and vest tops. However, when you’re out in the sun, you might want to think about embracing a different skincare regime, not to mention some new summery cosmetic shades. Here are some tips to get you started.
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What Skincare for Summer?
Leading beauty experts recommend switching up your skincare regime for the summer months. This isn’t surprising. Although your skin is no longer taking a beating from central heating and blustery winds, there’s still the drying effects of the warmth to consider, not to mention those damaging UV rays.
At the very least, you should be using:
• Foundation with UV protection. A good foundation is ideal for covering up ‘sun-spots’ and darker patches in the summer. Even better, look for a foundation that comes with UV protection, as this will help to protect your delicate facial skin. If you’d rather keep the products separate, there are plenty of great UV-protective gels that you can apply under your make-up. That means more safety, and less wrinkles as you get older. Result!
• Moisturiser. If you’ve been out for a day at the beach, you’ll need to moisturise your entire body afterwards. The dual impact of sun and sea can really dry out the skin. Also, if you’re planning on shaving your legs or armpits, make sure to moisturise afterwards; scaly, dried out skin isn’t a great look for summer.
• Cleansers. In the winter, you may have switched to a gentler facial cleanser (as skin is more prone to damage and break-outs in the colder months). Now is the time to get back to a more thorough cleanser, to keep your skin looking as fresh as possible.
• New fragrance. Don’t forget to swap your intense winter perfume for something fruitier and more invigorating! Choose a citrus-dominant scent, such as Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford, or a perfume that features bergamot, pineapple or apple.
Which make-up?
– Get bronzed. Sometimes, the summer sun takes a little while to arrive. That’s why bronzer is a vital part of any person’s cosmetics kit. A touch across the cheekbones immediately adds colour to your face, giving you that desirable ‘sun-kissed’ look, even if the sky is cloudy.
– Change the lipstick. Winter is ideal for rich, deep lipstick shades. However, summer is when you can afford to go lighter and more playful. Bright orange lip-colour is everywhere at the moment, as is pillar-box red or nearly-beige nude. Just remember to tone down the eye-colour if you’re going for a vivid lipstick, as you don’t want to look too ‘over-done’.
– Bright eyeshadow. It’s time to leave the neutral colours alone, and reach for the burst of colour. If you’re feeling daring, go for eye-popping acidic shades, like lime green, yellow or electric blue. Take it down a level with forest green or rich red, or if you’d prefer the ‘Southern France’ look, a shimmering brown eyeshadow palette should do perfectly.
