Summer has arrived in Britain – the sun is shining and temperatures are soaring! As much as we all love this warm weather, many of us struggle with our makeup longevity on hot days. Keeping your makeup from melting all over the place and avoiding ‘panda’ eyes can be challenging at times.
Stay tuned for our week-by-week skin care and makeup tutorials to keep your makeup looking fresh and pretty throughout the hottest days of summer…this week it’s all about skin care tips!
Skin Care
Looking after your skin is just as important as the makeup you apply to it. A proper daily skin care routine is very important to keep your skin well-hydrated and free of excess dead cells as they are the main culprit for that ‘clumpy’ makeup look.
Cleanse, tone and moisturise your face twice a day with products that suit your skin type. I prefer liquid, foam or gel cleansers such as Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel (available from Elys) at this time of the year, followed by a toner. I like to use rosewater as a toner because it is cost effective, natural and has many benefits on the skin. Apply rosewater by simply patting it on with your hands. My favourite ones are in spray form like the Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist (available from SpaceNK in Wimbledon Village). It will instantly freshen your skin, hydrate it and add a wonderful glow.
Tip: During summer, I personally love to keep my rose water in the fridge for a cooling effect.
Exfoliate 1-2 times a week to keep those dead cells at bay. Look for a gentle enzymatic scrubs such as the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel (available from Debenhams in Centre Court Shopping Centre) or one with small granules that are circular in shape like the Clarins Gentle Peeling Smooth Away Cream (available from Elys and Debenhams in Centre Court Shopping Centre) and don’t forget to exfoliate the neck.
Scrub those lips! It is very common for us to forget this important step in our skin care routine. Lipstick will not apply as smoothly and evenly, nor will it last as long on dry or chapped lips.
Keep your lips free from dead cells by rubbing in some petroleum jelly with a toothbrush in a circular motion, or simply make your own lip scrub by mixing honey and sugar, and rubbing it in with your fingertips.
You may also want to treat yourself to a gorgeous lip scrub like the Laura Geller Lip Strip Smoothing Sugar Scrub (available from Elys and Debenhams in Centre Court Shopping Centre).
Use an oil-free gel or light lotion textured moisturiser such as Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream (available from Elys) in the morning, and keep the more nourishing creams for bedtime. In the summer heat, every layer of the skin feels heavier. It’s tempting to cut corners, but skipping your moisturiser could lead to dehydrated skin. Dehydrated skin often overproduces oil to compensate for the dryness – the exact opposite of what you want. Blot any excess cream on the face with a tissue before applying other products.
Lara Mallia – Freelance Makeup Artist and Beauty Therapist
Visit: www.lmbeautyandmakeup.com
Facebook: @laramalliabeautyandmakeup
Twitter: @MalliaLara
