SUMMER BEAUTY CHALLENGES
I have to say, summer is my absolute favourite time of the year. There's long days at the beach including wavy beach hair, dining outside on warm nights, the ease of summer fashion - dresses, shorts and sandals, bright nail colours, and of course, mango season!
Whilst summer most certainly has it's perks, the change in temperature also presents some new beauty challenges during these warmer months. I asked you guys what you struggle with when it comes to Summer beauty, and you all mentioned breaking out is the biggest problem area.
Here is some advice to address both your and my problem areas when it comes to summer beauty.
1. Acne, oily skin and breaking out
Clear skin starts from the inside, and in summer our bodies are easily dehydrated, so firstly pay attention to your diet and the amount of water your drink. Substitute as much as you can, including processed foods, fried foods etc. that can cause excess oil in the skin, and swap for as many nutrient-rich, vibrant coloured fruits and vegetables and other natural foods as possible, as well as staying hydrated with 8-10 glasses of water daily.
In the summer, I would also recommend looking at changing your skincare routine. Depending on your skincare needs, look at whether your current products suit your skin type. If you're prone to oily skin, look for oil-free moisturizers that balance your skin's pH, use oil-free sunscreens, and try to go low on the make up: switch your heavy foundation to a tinted moisturizing cream instead. Washing with lukewarm water can be more effective than cold water for cleansing oily skin, in combination with regular cleansing. This doesn't need to be done more than twice a day, as you don't want to dry out your skin either! (And you can always pop some face wipes or blotting papers into your bag to freshen up when you're on the go).
Also, other remedies include keeping your hands away from your face, and not squeezing the pimples as they arise (this is still a bad habit of mine!), treating spots as soon as possible with spot sticks or treatment, keeping your hair clean and off your face, and making sure you remove any makeup before going to bed.
2. Dry and frizzy hair
This is usually a big problem of mine that always gets worse in the heat. To treat, I like to use a hair oil that has a combination of natural oils, for example the PHR Professional Solar Protecting Oil (which you can shop from the Bellabox store here) that contains argan oil, wheat germ oil and organic macadamia oil, to nourish the hair and restore shine, perfect for combating dry hair and protecting it against the harsh Summer sun. I also recommend wearing a hat or wearing your hair up to keep it away from the sun's rays to prevent it from drying out, tangling and damaging colour-treated hair, as well as reducing the amount you wash your hair and the heated hair-styling tools that you use on it.
3. Dry lips
Chapped and cracked lips are also pretty common in the warm weather. The heat can cause your lips to crack and even burn, so protection is key! Make sure that your lip balm is healing and nourishing for your lips, and protects them against even the harshest summer weather. For example, the Hurraw! Coconut Lip Balm (shop here), which smells like a tropical summer including raw coconut oil and almond oil to moisturise the lips, or this Moisturising Lip Balm from Yu-Be (shop here), with ingredients containing Vitamin E which protects your lips from sun damage and Camphor for soothing them. Another cracked lip tip: Stop licking them! With time, constant licking can cause your saliva to irritate your lips, leading them to split more.
4. Sunburn
Another summer beauty issue you guys mentioned was sunburn. The redness and burning sensation caused by sunburn is certainly not fun to endure. The best way to treat sunburn is, of course, to prevent it. It is recommended to avoid sun exposure when UV is highest, between 10am and 3pm, and to use a broad spectrum sunscreen, with an SPF of at least 15 or higher. Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, even more often if you are out in the water. However, in the case that you do cop a nasty burn, you'll want to treat the inflammation as quickly as possible with a cold towel directly onto the skin, apply an aloe-vera gel to the area, which contains anti-inflammatory compounds to soothe the burn, and drink extra water (at least one glass an hour) because the sunburn will cause the body to dehydrate very quickly.
December Bellabox Review
What was in my December Bellabox:
Clearasil Skin Perfecting Wash
St Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower
Kevin Murphy Color Bug
U By Kotex Tampons
Avon Perfume - Femme
Jamberry Nail Wraps and Nail File
I really enjoyed most of the products in this month's Bellabox. The first product was the Clearasil Skin Perfecting Wash, which is a brand I used to use a lot of when I was in my teen years. The Skin Perfecting Wash both cleanses and exfoliates, which is great for unblocking pores and gently rubbing away dead and dry skin. I plan on continuing to use this product, as it's perfect when I'm in a rush in the morning and want to both cleanse and exfoliate at the same time.
The second product was the St Tropez In Shower Tanning Lotion, which is a brand that I already use, including the Self Tanning Face Lotion and Classic Bronzing Mousse. I've always been pleased with the results of these products and love this new In Shower Tanning Lotion. Gradual tanning lotions and fake tans can be a messy process, and a great time to apply is directly in the shower. This product allows you to do so and rinse it off in one go.
The Kevin Murphy Color Bug was the most interesting product in the box. It's non permanent chalk colour, that wipes on and off, and comes in a range of colours that are fantastic for summer! It's not something that I would use very often, however it's a really fun product and it did give surprisingly vibrant pink colour on my dark brown hair. It's messy to apply, so definitely follow the instructions and put a towel around your clothes when applying.
U By Kotex Tampons - I currently use this brand of tampons because of their slim size, so these will definitely come in handy the next time that T.O.M comes around.
Avon Femme Perfume. It's a very fresh and feminine scent with floral notes. I don't really use mini perfume samples because I have more than enough of my own perfume to last me a very long time, but someone else who does use perfume samples may like these.
Lastly, the Jamberry Nail Wraps. I really love the idea of these. They're simple to use - find the matching nail wrap size for your nail and warm it up with a Jamberry Heater or just your own home blow-dryer. There's also no mess (which I love), and they last for up to two weeks. Personally, I'm not a fan of the pattern included (but I can see that they would be appealing to someone else), so I've had a look at the other styles on the website, and have seen ones in styles that I like, so I'd be interested in trying those ones out.
Overall, I was pleased with the products in the December Bellabox and will plan on using a majority of them. I've found that Bellabox is a really exciting and fun way to discover new beauty products, and keep up with the latest beauty trends each month.
If you're interested in receiving Bellabox's gorgeous goodies each month, click on the following link, you can sign up to receive your first box for only $10, instead of their regular price of $17.95!
And now to announce the winner of the three month Bellabox subscription: @coonbot ! Please contact me with your details to arrange receiving your three month Bellabox subscription.