Did you know your beauty routine requires a sunshine-ready upgrade, just like your wardrobe? Here are the changes to make right now
Dream creams
Leave your powder blushers and bronzers behind with your cashmere and 100 deniers. Warmer weather calls for chiffon-light cream make-up, according to make-up artist Nathalie Eleni, who’s worked with Yasmin Le Bon and Jenna Coleman. ‘These textures are more forgiving in bright light as they melt into the skin, rather than sitting on top. Skin looks beautifully dewy and healthy,’ Nathalie explains.
Try: Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer, £29, which comes in seven shades or Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm, £21. Oily skin? Opt for long-wearing gels, such as KVD Beauty ModCon Liquid-Gel Blush, £23. ‘Ditch the brushes – your fingertips are perfect for a streak-free finish,’ Nathalie adds.
Supercharged lotions
Why save the big guns for your face? Start applying a body moisturiser loaded with hard-working active ingredients nightly and you’ll soon notice a difference.
Try: No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Moisturising Body Serum, £24.95 (200ml). This contains Matrixyl 3000 Plus – the anti-ageing technology used in No7’s cult face products – to help firm and lift. To target uneven texture, opt for Boots Ingredients Glycolic Body Cream, £6 (200ml). The glycolic acid gently sheds dead skin cells for a smoothing effect. And if breakouts and dryness are your bugbears? Pop on Frank Body Smoothing AHA Body Lotion, £14.95 (140ml), to help hydrate and clear skin.
Mane weapon
Beat the heat and keep hair looking silky-smooth with one easy addition. ‘Introduce a leave-in conditioner twice a week,’ advises celebrity hairstylist Dionne Smith, whose clients include Leigh-Anne Pinnock. These can help prevent hair from sucking up moisture from the atmosphere.
Try: Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream, £6.99 (453g), is Dionne’s pick for Afro-textured hair. For fine hair, try Lee Stafford Hair Apology Intensive Care 10-in-1 Leave-In Treatment Spray, £11.99 (100ml), while Charles Worthington Take Aways Sunshine Protect UV Protection Leave-In Spray, £2.99 (50ml), is UV-shielding.
Lighten up
Make-up artist Mira Parmar, who’s worked with Joanna Lumley, advises mixing your foundation with a moisturiser or liquid highlighter for spring.
Try: Sculpted by Aimee Connolly Liquid Lights Pink Champagne Liquid Blush, £13 (12ml). Prefer a one-product wonder? Mira rates No7 HydraLuminous Moisturising Foundation, £14.95 (30ml), or try L’Oréal Paris True Match Plumping Tinted Serum with 1% Pure Hyaluronic Acid, £14.99 (30ml), for a naturally luminous look. And avoid dense foundation brushes; the fluffier the head, the lighter the finish.
Sunshine scents
Does your go-to perfume now feel overwhelming? ‘Odour molecules evaporate more quickly on warm skin, so heavier notes, such as patchouli or vanilla, can take over,’ reveals Suzy Nightingale, co-host of On The Scent podcast. ‘Look for the version of your signature scent named “l’eau”, “solar” or “soleil”. These are lighter or give a sunshine-y sparkle.’
Try: Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Soleil Cristal Eau de Parfum, £80 (50ml), Chanel No5 L’Eau Eau de Toilette Spray, £79 (50ml), or Paco Rabanne Olympéa Solar Eau de Parfum, £76 (50ml), which launches on 18 May.
The SPF add-ons
Skin-ageing UVA rays get through clouds and glass, so broad-spectrum SPF50 should be worn all year, says consultant dermatologist, Dr Justine Hextall. For souped-up sunscreen for summer, Dr Hextall recommends layering two sunscreens – ‘a hydrating serum, then a lotion or cream’.
Try: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Aquagel SPF30, £34.50 (50ml). Pop it under Bondi Sands Sunny Daze SPF50 Moisturiser, £12.99 (50g). ‘You can also introduce vitamin C to help fight free radicals produced from the sun. These molecules can cause pigmentation and collagen breakdown,’ Dr Hextall adds. We like Olay Vitamin C + AHA24 Day Serum, £34.99 (40ml).
All prices correct on date of publication.
