How to look gorgeous during summer: Best beauty tips!

Each season carries with it its own charm when it comes to beauty. In summer, there is a sort of unanimous agreement that it is cool to wear vibrant colours and that fluorescent nail polish is fun.  The tanned skin, the vibrant colours and the summery dresses are all socially accepted norms for beauty in the warmer months.  While our makeup routine and style should be our own choices, there are certain tips and tricks that can definitely take our look to another level in summer! Makeup melts in the sun and we discover that our daily makeup routine might need some changes. Here are some amazing tips that will help take your look to another level in summer:

Adapt your skincare routine

Did you ever notice changes to your skin when you travelled to a different country? That is because the climate and the weather play a fundamental role in how your skin looks and behaves. As the weather gets warmer your skin might need slightly different things. You might enjoy lighter textures for your moisturiser and benefit more from clay masks. 

You will also need to pay extra attention to sunscreen. While you should wear sunscreen all year round, summer is the time you should focus your attention on it. This is no time for mistakes and forgotten applications. Find a sunscreen that you love and that looks good under makeup (if you wear any) and make sure you apply it regularly.  

Change your foundation

The summer season comes with a few important changes – daylight lasts a lot longer and it is warmer. Both create changes to our makeup. First of all, daylight is a lot harsher on the skin and it will make any makeup on your skin obvious. Suddenly, heavier foundations with high coverage look a bit amiss in daylight. This is why in summer you should opt for a lighter foundation with a natural finish. You can even skip the foundation and wear a BB or a CC cream, which will have a lighter coverage and will look more skin-like. Make sure to test new base products in daylight in order to see if they are the right fit for you and if they look natural enough. For my best tips in choosing the right shade for your skin please read here.

Less is more

On the same principle as the foundation changes mentioned above, extended daylight will bring more attention to our makeup. How much makeup we like to wear is our own choice. However, do keep in mind that in the sunny light of summer everything you apply will be more visible than usual. Try not to overdo your contour, bronzing and highlighter. Use a lighter hand when it comes to applying your makeup and practice in natural light until you find the right balance. 

Change your perfume

Just like makeup can be more visible in summer, so can our perfume. The heat and the extended daylight might make your fragrance stand out more. Summery clothes, the summer breeze and the warmth will usually suit a lighter fragrance. Cinnamon, vanilla and heavy fragrances are usually associated with winter. For summer, flowery or fruity scents are popular. However, it is your choice what scent you want to wear – you can certainly break the rules! You could opt for eau de toilette instead of eau de perfume, which will be less potent. Changes of seasons are always an excuse to mix up our daily perfume. It is one of the most fun things for me! 

Apply sunscreen 

While sunscreen was already mentioned in the skincare section, it definitely deserves its own category. We should wear sunscreen all year long. However, in summer it becomes crucial, not only to our beauty but also to our health. The solar radiation gets significantly stronger in summer and this can cause detrimental changes to our health. To avoid skin cancer, hyperpigmentation (dark spots), premature aging and other negative effects, make sure you wear sunscreen all the time. This extends to the exposed areas of your body, such as the chest, arms, hands, legs and the back of your ears. When applying it to your face, make sure to cover the hairline and the back of your neck if you have short hair. You can use a body sunscreen on your face as well. However, you might prefer the lighter texture of sunscreen designated for the face.

Also, make sure you choose a product that you can afford. You will go through your sunscreen pretty fast if you apply it correctly – which means applying a very generous layer every time! Make sure you buy one that you can afford to repurchase regularly so that you don’t become reticent in applying enough every time.

Tan evenly

Protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun. Sunbathing is not recommended and it can permanently harm your skin. For those of you that enjoy a tan during summer – self tanning products are ideal for achieving a gorgeous, even tan. Use one that you like and certainly do it in baby steps. Gradual ones might be the best choice. They are less likely to stain your hands or your clothes. They are also mistake proof as the tanning process is so gradual, if you miss a spot or two it won’t be too obvious. They also fade away more gently. I like to apply a gradual tan every couple of evenings. Let it work overnight and shower the excess off in the morning! You can wear a protective glove to apply it with so you avoid orange palms! 

Always wearing sunscreen and using a self tan product to get tanned instead of sitting in the sun will also prevent those unfortunate lines from clothing!

If you want to see how to match your face to your tan without buying a new foundation watch my video here.

Use body lotions

In warm weather we tend to expose more of our skin on our bodies. Consider giving your body some attention as well – use body lotions and highlighters for extra luminosity. It will make your skin look juicy and gorgeous! Also, make sure you match your face to your body. The textures and finishes shouldn’t differ too much in between them! To find out more tips about face and body makeup read here.

Adapt your hair care products

Just like skin changes during the warm months of the year, so does your hair. The solar radiation might make your hair dryer and more brittle. Similarly, the pool water can negatively affect it because of its strong concentration of chlorine. Sea water can also make it drier because of the presence of salt. Make sure you choose a shampoo that cleans it properly from external aggressors. Also, make sure you wear sunscreen for hair. Yes, that is a thing. If you want to know all about it and find out some product recommendations, read my article here.

Try mattifying products

Even if you usually do not need a mattifying setting powder, this might be the time when you could purchase one. In hot weather, you might find that you sweat more and that you have more oil production, especially in your T-zone (forehead, nose and chin). Be prepared for that extra shine and adapt your makeup setting powders to the changes happening to your skin. Don’t overdo it though! 

Blotting can also be hugely beneficial. It allows getting rid of excess oil without adding any more product on top. Press a thin tissue to your T-zone to absorb excess oil. Make sure you press it gently and that you do it in tapping motions rather than in swipes. 

Finally, enjoy summer! The change of seasons is the perfect excuse to rotate your makeup items, perfumes, clothes and discover things that you were not using enough. Have fun with your looks and remember, protect yourself from too much sun! 

Watch my tutorial: Dewy Evening Look for Summer!

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Summer reading:

Review: Face Paint, The Story of Makeup by Lisa Eldridge

Amazing Free resources about Beauty and Fashion

Book Recommendation – The Songcatcher

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