Guest Post: Beauty and the Heat

Happy Friday! In today's Guest Post, we've got some fabulous beauty tips for looking hot in the hot weather. Enjoy! I really love this one...

Heat-Proofing Your Beauty Routine

Following on from this article about dressing for the heat, it's now also a good time to think about tweaking your beauty routine for the same problem!

If you're someone that finds that no matter how carefully you've applied your make up, by lunch time it's everywhere but on your face, hopefully there will be some tips here that will help rectify that and make sure you still look as good at the end of the day as you did at the start!

Skincare tips
An increase in humidity and temperature means that the creams and serums we slathered on our face during the winter months are possibly now too heavy. However we still need to keep our skin supple and hydrated. Some brands will offer a lighter version of their normal moisturizer designed for summer months and heat. One that rates very highly is  Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream, reasonably priced and has a soothing gel texture that hydrates without oiliness.

You could kill two birds with one stone and opt for an all-in-one product like a BB cream which will not only moisturize your skin but add color, concealment of blemishes and also offer a high SPF too.

Brands to look for include the original BB Cream by Missha, pricy but by comparison to many brands who have tried their hand at the formula, this is the original and best and offers the most in terms of skincare benefits.

image courtesy of riebutik.com

Primer: a girl’s best make up friend!
Possibly the most important thing you can do in summer to protect your make up is to use a primer on your skin. Not only will it seal in the moisturizers you've used and make them work harder for you, but they will create a great barrier between your skin and the environment to stop the heat and humidity making your make up slip off!

A good primer will help minimize pores, which can sometimes look worse or larger because of extreme weather conditions. A primer is applied straight after your skincare. They dry down on the skin almost instantly and leave your skin matte and ready for make up.

A good brand to choose is Laura Geller, whose Spackle Primer not only gives a lovely luminous finish to the skin but also feels ultra cool as it’s smoothed on, perfect for when temperatures are high. It also comes in a variety of different shades including a bronzing version.

image courtesy of laurageller.com

Make up

If you’re someone who doesn’t like the idea of a BB cream and would prefer more of a proper make up, then opt for a good tinted moisturizer with a fine layer of loose powder over the top to set it. Ever popular is Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer with added SPF. Adding a layer of powder over the top will help finish the look and banish shine.

After you’ve applied your make up, you can use a relatively new innovation to the market called a make-up setting spray such as this one by Model In A Bottle. Applied sparingly over your finished face it will help your cosmetic application last longer, and in combination with good skincare and a primer will ensure everything stays put until you decide to take it off.

image courtesy of handbagfairy.co.uk

 

Refreshing

Sometimes, during the day we all end up with shiny patches or oiliness showing through (though if you follow the steps above it should really help to lessen this). If you still find that there’s the odd bit of shine on your skin that you don’t want perhaps later in the afternoon, then think about looking for a product such as the quirkily named and packaged Papier Poudre which is a neat and natty way to make sure your complexion is looking good at all times. It's also handbag sized for ease of use!

image courtesy of sumally.com

Points to remember

Sometimes, it’s also worth looking at your diet and what you put into your body as much as what you’re doing on the outside to remedy make-up issues. A diet that’s too high in over-processed or fatty foods will not only make you feel bad, but it will show on your skin. Increasing your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables in the form of refreshing salads and making sure you take in plenty of water will help banish any oiliness or skin issues, as would taking on board a good grass fed whey protein supplement to help keep energy levels high during periods of intense heat. It’s no good having the perfect make-up on if you’re too tired to see it in the mirror!

Above all, have fun experimenting with some or all of the tips here and maybe find some new favorite products along that way that can make your summer beauty routine much more pleasurable to do!

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Janet Redskin is a freelance health and beauty writer from London, England. She strongly believes that a healthy diet is the key to a healthier, happier life.

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