Isn’t it crazy that we’re nearly half way into August already? This summer seems to be flying by and soon enough we’ll be back to big knits and winter coats. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves too soon, I’m holding on to the hopes of sunshine for as long as I possibly can.
It’s always around this time of year where I notice my skin and hair suffering from the unpredictable English weather. I break out in spots and my hair is ridiculously dry… Not exactly the beach babe look I’m after!
Keep your skin happy
Everyone has their own beauty routine when it comes to getting rid of a break out. When it comes to my face, it always seems to be my chin and cheeks that suffer the most. As soon as I notice the first signs of a breakout (or wake up with a tonne of the suckers) I try to limit my use of foundation and concealer as much as possible. This avoids clogging up the pores and lets your skin breathe.
This of course, is easier said than done. If you have a night out planned that same day, you’re not very likely to brave it fresh faced. This is where I turn to some quick fixes, like Queen Helene’s Mint Julep Masque. Available from Amazon at £4.29, it works to try and reduce the size of any enlarged pores, rinse away blackheads and dry up any nasty pimples.
To try and prevent breakouts in the first place I always cleanse my skin after a simple soap wash with Clean & Clear’s Deep Cleansing Lotion. Available from Boots at £3.10 for 200ml, their sensitive skin version is perfect for making sure you’ve got rid of every last bit of makeup in the kindest way possible. Team that with the occasional use of their Exfoliating Daily Wash and your skin will feel clean and revitalised after a hard day. I say the occasional use of exfoliates, as I tend to find that doing it daily isn’t right for my skin and leaves it red and patchy.
Beach hair, without the sand
Whether you’re heading for the beach or not this month, wavy beach hair is a must-have. The best way to achieve this without hitting the sand is using a sea salt spray. Their salt infused formulas work to texturize your hair, leaving it looking tousled and wind-swept… in the best way. I’ve tried out a countless list of these, looking to find one that doesn’t just fall out when the real wind hits it. Simply spray onto dry or towel dries hair, scrunch it up a bit and let it air dry.
Here’s my favourite 4:
Schwarzkopf got2b Beach Matt Texturizing Salt Spray – £2.79 per 200ml at Boots
Label.m Sea Salt Spray – £13.75 at label.m.com
Bleach London Swamp Spritz – £6.00 per 200ml at Boots
Fudge Urban Sea Salt Spray – £3.47 per 150ml at Superdrug
Now you’ve got the beach hair down, it’s time to sort out those dry ends. My hair is crying out for some love and attention this time of year. If you don’t want to have your ends completely chopped off, they need a daily dose of moisture and rejuvenation. Label.m’s Rejuvenating Oil Mist is perfect for this. It’s made up of ultra-fine oils, which are easily absorbed by your hair so it doesn’t end up looking greasy. At £24.59 for 100ml it’s not the cheapest, but it would typically last me at least two months using it generously.
Put some colour in your cheeks
You’d hope at this time of year you’d have a natural blush in your cheeks, but if you’re anything like me you’ll find this just doesn’t happen. For some reason I find it impossible to tan my face. Maybe I can blame it on wearing makeup too often when it’s sunny or finding it hard to face the sun when sunbathing. Either way I end up with nice brown shoulders and a pasty face in comparison. This is where the right blusher for your skin tone can really help.
For fair or medium complexions a rose or peach tone are perfect, whereas more orangey tones or deeper berries suit a darker complexion. Be careful not to base your blusher on the kind of colour you want to have, focus more on what you’ve already got. The wrong colour can make your whole face of makeup look wrong.
Of course as with everything in the beauty industry, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to not only colours, but types of blushers. Be it powders, mousses, creams or sticks there is definitely plenty to choose from.
Personally I always prefer a powder as it creates a simple matte finish. It also works best in the heat, as I find creams and sticks tend to slide all over my face! Rimmel London’s Lasting Finish Mono Blush is my go-to product as I love their subtle colour range. Available from Boots at £3.99, I normally go for their ‘Santa Rose’ shade as it looks nice and natural on my skin.
If you’re after a mousse/cream alternative, the shades of Maybeline’s Dream Lumi Touch Blusher are so cute and summery. Also available from Boots at £6.49, they feature in their August offers, with 2 for £10 on selected Maybelline cosmetics in store and online.
What products are you loving this month? Let me know in the comments below or email beauty@kettlemag.co.uk and tell me what I should be trying out for September!
