Summer is about baring skin and showing off the beautiful (fake) summer tan you have. To get your skin ready for those cute summer dresses and sandals try these tips for summer ready skin.

Exfoliate:
Your body is constantly shedding dead skin cells. If you don’t get rid of them they build up and make your skin look dull and dry. No matter how much lotion you use you will never have glowing skin if you don’t exfoliate.

Hydrate:
find a fabulous summery smelling body lotion and use after every shower to seal the moisture in. Use something lighter for summer that is fast absorbing. Try a gel product or a fruity smelling mousse.

Hair removal:
I won’t ask how many of you ignore your legs etc in winter because: “who’s going to see them anyway” Those lazy days are over, book a wax or get out the shaver ladies!

Safe Summer Glow:
There are so many options for adding a gorgeous summer glow to your skin and, for the sake of your future health; sun-beds should not be one of them. Using a self tanning product or getting a spray tan is a great, safe way to add instant summer to your skin. For self tanning at home, try a product that builds tan slowly as it is less likely to give a streaky appearance. I recommend the St. Tropez range of self tanners as they give a really natural looking tan even on the palest skin.

Don’t forget your feet:
Pack away the winter boots and break out the sandals. Either go and get a pedicure or give your feet a treat at home. Scrub away dead, dry skin with your body scrub or a pumice stone. Slather on the moisturiser before bedtime and you’ll be amazed at the difference.

Buy a new Sunscreen:
Throw away last year’s sunscreen for a new bottle. Sunscreens don’t last forever and as most people don’t use theirs as often as they should I bet you have a bottle or two stored away. Be safe buy a new one.

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Bridal beauty checklist

Careful planning prior to your big day is the best way to ensure you have clear, radiant skin, perfect makeup and hair, and a gorgeous glow on your wedding day.

Skin
Great skin is the best base for beautiful makeup. So make sure you book an appointment with your beauty therapist at least 3 months prior to the wedding. She will perform a skin analysis and recommend treatments that will take care of any skin problems you may have. At the very least book a series of facials to ensure your skin is in top condition on the day. Your last facial should be scheduled 4-7 days before the wedding along with an eye-brow shape and any waxing you may need. This will give the skin a chance to settle before the big day.

Makeup
Book your makeup artist at least 6-9 months prior to your date. Collect photos of the type of look you would like and take them, along with a photo of your dress, to your trial appointment. This will help your makeup artist to plan a makeup that will compliment your features and the style of your wedding dress. Allow your makeup artist to work her magic and interpret the look for you. She has experience in what will or won’t work for your skin type, colouring and features. Give her honest feedback, if there is something you would like her to change let her know. It is also a good idea to purchase a pressed powder and the same shade of lipstick your makeup artist is using for touch-ups on the day.

Hair
As soon as possible decide on the length, shape and style for your wedding hairstyle. This will allow you and your hairdresser to determine if the style will suit you and whether you need to grow your hair out to achieve it. Again it is helpful to take photos of your desired hairstyle and your dress to the hairdresser. If you wish to change your hair colour or highlight your hair for the wedding make sure you do this several months prior to the wedding. This will give the hairdresser enough time to create your desired look and correct any mistakes. Never try a new cut or colour the week before the wedding; it can only end in tears!

Spray tan
If you’re looking for a gorgeous sun kissed look then schedule your spray tan 2 days prior to the wedding. This will give your tan a chance to develop and loose the spray tan smell! If you are really nervous about the results book an appointment to have your legs or upper body done the month before the wedding. This will allow you to see how the tan develops on your skin and if the colour suits you.

Hands & Feet
If your hands or feet are in a state get yourself into the beauty therapist at least 3 months prior to the wedding. Cracked heels don’t sort themselves out overnight and will take regular TLC prior to the wedding. If you need to, schedule a series of moisturising treatments to fix any problems and follow up with daily moisturising at home. Your last manicure and pedicure should be the day before the wedding.

Relax
While you are at the beauty therapist have a massage and relax. All the planning is complete and about to deliver you one of most fabulous days of your life!

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Smoky Eyes

The smoky eye has been a fashion staple for the last few years and is still showing strongly on the catwalk for the new season. The key to this look is layering and blending. This can take some patience but believe me, less is more when creating this look.

You will need three shades to create a smoky eye: a light tone for highlight, a mid-tone for contrast and a dark shadow or soft pencil for your lash-line.

Prepare your eyelid with a light application of concealer or foundation. This will stop your smoky look from smudging and ending up below your eye.

Apply your mid-tone shadow to the eyelid and blend into the crease, but not beyond.

With dark shadow, or soft pencil, line your upper lash line. Use a brush or a sponge applicator to blend colour along the lash line, up and out to the outer corner of your eye. Use additional colour to blend up toward the crease of your eye. Don’t blend colour above the crease as the effect will be more bruised than beauty! Add colour sparingly and layer until you have the intensity you desire.

For mono-lid eyes blend the darkest colour up from the lash line and leave the mid-tone colour slightly visible above it to create a ‘fold’ line. You can also line your eyes right into the corner and down slightly creating a dramatic look for this eye shape.

Line your lower lashes with dark pencil or shadow and blend along the lash line. If your eyes are large you can line the inner rim as well but skip this step for small eyes, as it will make them appear smaller.

Apply highlight colour to the brow bone and the inner corner of the eye.

Curl the lashes and finish with two coats of mascara.

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Using Concealer

Dark circles under your eyes, the dreaded pimple that pops up before a big event. A great concealer can be your best friend.

Drier concealers will adhere to your skin more easily than the creamy ones, which are usually sheerer. Stick concealers are the driest and come in a container that resembles a lipstick. Creamy concealers usually come in a tube or wand.

To apply concealer use your fingers if your skin type is dry. The extra warmth from your hands will help the concealer to blend into the skin. For oily skin I would recommend using an eyeshadow brush as heat from your hands may cause your concealer to ‘melt’ too much.

To cover a pimple use a stick concealer. The dry opaque colour will adhere longer. Use a colour that is a shade lighter than your skin tone. Apply sparingly in fine layers, blend and set with powder. Dot a small amount of your foundation colour over the top blend carefully. Too much concealer will draw attention to your pimple so less is more in this instance. Aim for de-emphasising the flaw, rather than a flawless finish. If the pimple is red and concealer won’t adhere try using a green foundation base instead of concealer. Again, less is more. Blend, and then carefully dot foundation over the top.

For under eye circles use a creamy concealer as this will blend more easily. Try to find a concealer that matches your skin tone but with a yellow base, as the yellow will counteract the blue undertone of the circles. Apply foundation first then layer concealer sparingly over the top. Build the coverage, blending carefully. Set with a natural tone powder rather than a translucent as some translucent powders can be too pale for some skin tones.

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Magic Masks

No matter what your skin type there is a facial mask to suit you. Used once or twice a week a facial mask can add radiance to dull skin, gently but deeply cleanse oily skin, balance acne prone skin and help to plump lines and wrinkles.

Oily, Combination or Acne prone skin: look for a detoxifying mask that will deeply but gently cleanse without leaving your skin too dry. Enzymatic exfoliating masks and clay masks are a great start. Also don’t forget to moisturise, even if your skin is oily. A light oil free moisturiser is most suitable.

Dehydrated or Dry Skin: Choose a mask specifically for dry or dehydrated skin. You should immediately notice plumper, smoother rejuvenated skin. Try to drink a bit more water throughout the day and the effects should be long lasting.

Dull skin: If you are looking for a boost of radiance an exfoliating mask will help. Look for a peel off mask that will leave your skin feeling smooth and fresh. Many exfoliating masks contain fruit extracts and have the added benefit of fantastic fragrance.

Sensitive skin and Normal skin: can still benefit from a mask. For sensitive skin look for a gentle enzymatic mask to add radiance and gently exfoliate your skin. If your skin is super sensitive patch test it first and wait for 24 hours before using all over your face. Normal skin types have a wider scope. Try a mask for added radiance or look for a deep cleansing mask. Either way results should show immediately.

Mature skins: You could try a mask for dry skin types or a specific firming mask. A firming mask will boost your skins moisture level and plump fine lines caused by dehydration. Also look for collagen and vitamin C treatments. Vitamin C helps to fight free radicals, heals and rebuilds damaged skin by stimulating collagen production.

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Mineral makeup is everywhere now! These foundations, eye shadows and blushes are made from finely ground minerals and contain high amounts of pigment. They offer medium to full coverage without looking heavy. However, they are a little different to traditional cosmetics so application requires practise.

For best results start by washing your face and applying moisturiser with sunscreen. Use a brush with a short fat handle and stiff bristles. Dip your brush into the loose powder and tap off excess. Swirl the brush against the back of your hand to work the powder deep into the bristles. Apply using small circles starting at the sides of your face and working toward the nose. Use a firmer pressure where you require more coverage. To cover imperfections use a concealer brush dipped into your mineral makeup. For shine control use blotting papers rather than rubbing on additional makeup. But be careful as the smooth finish of the makeup can be smeared unless you blot gently. If you have applied too much use a clean powder brush to sweep away the excess.

To chose the best mineral makeup for your skin type follow these guidelines: For sensitive skin look for a product that is paraben-free. For acne prone skin avoid ingredients like dimethicone that can clog pores. The best product for oily skin should be silicone-free to absorb the excess oils in your skin. If you like a luminous look choose a product with mica. To avoid makeup settling into fine lines and wrinkles use a primer first as this will help to smooth the finish of your skin.

To effectively remove mineral makeup an oily cleanser is best. The oils in the cleanser dissolve the mineral powders and remove the makeup with less scrubbing.

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It has been said that eyes are the windows to our souls. They are certainly one of our most prominent facial features! But without beautiful eyelashes to emphasize them they would recede into our faces.

The fact is the longer and thicker your eyelashes are the more your eyes will stand out. For those blessed with gorgeous, long, thick lashes this isn’t a problem! Your genetic makeup plays a big part here and lashes grow at different rates. A normal growth cycle is around 4-8 weeks.

For those of us who find ourselves with short spiky lashes that neither emphasize nor flatter our eyes. Help is at hand. If you notice that your lashes are looking a bit sparse here are some tips to improve them:

• Carefully coat your lashes with caster oil at night making sure not to get it in your eyes!
• Take off all eye makeup thoroughly at night with a gentle eye makeup remover
• Use mascara sparingly and never allow it to clump. Your lashes may come out with the clumps when your makeup is removed
• Throw out old mascara it may be bacterially infected
• Using eyelash curlers will open up your eyes making them look bigger.
• Never use eyelash curlers on mascared lashes though, this could break them or pull them out.

Colouring or tinting your lashes will also make them appear thicker and longer. There are a range of tint colours to suits everyone from natural browns, which look great on redheads, to blue-black, which suits most people. If you have never had your lashes tinted before it is a good idea to ask your beauty therapist to do a patch test first. An allergic reaction could be severe and painful!

Semi-permanent eyelash extensions are also a good option for longer thicker lashes. These individual lashes are glued one by one to your own natural lashes. They come in different lengths and widths and can look very natural or incredibly dramatic! They do-not cause any damage to natural lashes and last up to two months, depending on your own natural lash growth. Eyelash extensions are great for people who love sport as well. They are impervious to tears, chlorine, seawater etc and mean you will never have a bad mascara moment again!

Theresa Rossellini - Enhance Makeup & Beauty

Dry skin is best with a moisturising formula. Look for words like hydrating or moisture rich. Usually a liquid or cream foundation will suit your skin type best, powder foundations will be too dry.

For oily skin look for words like oil free or oil control. Avoid cream foundations, these will clog your pores. Also be aware that some foundations might subtly change colour with wear. This is because the oil in the skin can affect the pigment in the foundation. Long wear and colour stay products are a good option, as they won’t change colour.

For combination skin consider if you are more oily or dry and go from there. Cream to powder and colour stay products are a great option for you.

Next look at colour match. Yellow-based shades look most natural on many skin tones. However if you are very fair try a cooler pink tone. For darker skin tones you may need a touch of mauve to your foundation or a corrective mauve base. This stops your foundation colour from looking grey or ashy.

I always test foundation across the nose. If it doesn’t blend into the skin tone in the middle of your face it is the wrong colour! The right colour will disappear on your face. To get a great colour match you need to see the product on your skin in natural light. In some stores the makeup counter staff will give you a trial sample to take away. If they don’t offer, ask! Once you take your sample home you can try it in natural light as well as testing if for good wear.

Theresa Rossellini - Enhance Makeup & Beauty