Endless summer
It’s easy to enjoy a summertime glow – wherever you are – with some feel-good beauty treats. Charley Williams-Howitt reveals how you can look radiant all season long
ON THE COVER get up and glow! look radiant all season long
We all know holidays offer escapism, relaxation and the opportunity to swap the stresses and strains of our daily lives for a more simplified agenda of sun, sleep and G&T on repeat.
‘It’s no surprise that after a week or two of indulging in lots of rest, beautiful weather and good food, that we return from holiday with brighter complexions and moods,’ says wellbeing expert
Liz Tucker. But if you’ve still got a while before your holiday, or it’s already been and gone, how can you enjoy that feel-good boost despite the realities of work and everyday life?
According to natural skincare guru, Liz Earle, ‘It’s nothing that a bit of concerted effort in the skincare and lifestyle department can’t fix.’ With a few clever beauty boosters, it is possible to instil that lovely holiday feeling all summer long – great news!
Refresh your skin
Summer skin can be vulnerable. No matter how vigilant you are with the sunscreen, chances are, whether you’re pottering in the garden or sunning yourself on a sun-drenched beach, you’ll pick up some incidental UV exposure – hyperpigmentation, lines looking deeper, dryness – it’s time to give your face a little TLC. The key is to lock in moisture and keep it there. Look for hydrating serums rich in antioxidants and hyaluronic acid for the day. I rate The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, £5.90;
and Fresh Vitamin Nectar Antioxidant Glow Water, £34, which delivers an antioxidant defence via a super-refreshing mist, leaving you with dewy, radiant-looking skin. At night I rely on a pigment-correcting serum, such as Caudalie Vinoperfect Dark Spot Correcting Glycolic Night Cream, £34, to tackle uneven brown patches. If your skin is feeling oversensitive, La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Mask, £16, will soothe, rehydrate and restore skin suppleness. >>
Golden hour ‘filter’
Instead of blasting your skin with too much sun in an effort to gain a golden glow, load up on the SPF and create a sun-kissed dapple with some nifty glow-enhancing make-up instead.
Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Prism Cream, £35, lookfantastic.com, is a light-reflecting highlighter that creates a lit-from-within radiance and blurs the look of any niggling imperfections. Estée Lauder Double Wear Radiant Bronze Cushion Stick, £29, perks up sallow skin in a simple swipe, and Guerlain Terracotta Touch Loose Powder, £39.50, does what it says on the tin, and then some – it has the perfect mix of mattifying and glow effect, and has a permanent place in my make-up bag. MUA’s new GLOW collection has actually been designed to offer a golden hour effect, all for under £5. Try wearing a slick of the ultra flattering red-orange Satin Lipstick, £5, a simple and sexy way to pep up your complexion.
Eau de summer
Our sense of smell is one of the most powerful ways to evoke happy memories. So wearing a fragrance bursting with the smell of sunnier climes can instantly infuse that holiday vibe, even if you’re stuck inside, slaving over a hot keyboard. Les Eaux De Chanel Paris-Riviera Eau
de Toilette, £99, reflects the spirit of the Côte d’Azur in the 1920s and captures a snapshot of summer in a single spray. Dreamy. Floris London Neroli Voyage Eau de Parfum, £120, also draws inspiration from the scented orange blossom trees of the South of France. If you prefer a muskier scent that takes you to balmy, sticky summer nights, then try Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium’s new Limited Edition Exotic Illusion, £75.
Sunshine in a bottle
A fake tan is universally appealing. It’s a suits-all, feel-good fix and a reliable plan B when your real tan has disappeared. I’m currently loving Skinny Tan Wonder Serum, £29.99, Boots, which works as a leave-on, all-over anti-ageing treatment as well as a tan, hiding my cellulite, evening out skin tone and catapulting my confidence. If you’re a commitaphobe, try a wash-off tan. Garnier BB
Body Bronzer, £7.99, disguises any imperfections and is great for when you only need to tan the bits of you on show. Or if you’re feeling a bit fancy, invest in a bottle of Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Hair & Body Oil, £38. It not only smells like an exotic desert island, but it’s enriched with emollient oils that help to revitalise dull, dry skin and enhance your hair’s gloss and shine.
Our sense of smell is one of the most powerful ways to evoke happy memories
Prolong your summer glow
It is possible to hang on to your tan – real or fake – for a while longer, but only if you’re prepared to put in a little bit of graft. Exfoliating might seem counter-intuitive to a great tan, but dead skill cells can actually make your skin look duller, less glowy and your tan patchy too, so gently buffing them away can help. But don’t use anything too gritty – try Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Body Gentle Mitt
Cleanser, £19. Keeping your body moisturised is important too. We dare you to find anything that smells more like summer than Nivea’s Sun range. The Soothing Aftersun, £4, works just as well as a daily body lotion as it does soothing the skin after a day in the sun. And The Fox Tan Sun Tan Sealer, £14.99, Superdrug, keeps your tan game going longer and stronger. But if moisturising every day is too much of a faff, try Vaseline Spray and Go Body Moisturiser, £2.89 – you don’t even need to bend down to moisturise your legs.
A fake tan is universally appealing. It’s a suits-all, feel-good fix and a reliable plan B when your real tan has disappeared