Everyone has a different beauty regime, but when it comes to summer I think we can all agree that we try a little harder…
We work off a few extra pounds to fit into our favourite summer skirts, make sure we are looking our best for when the weather decides to look up but with the credit crunch, and the few downfalls of being a student, I (like many) am sadly left with no money for a summer holiday this year. Nonetheless, for those of you lucky enough to be jetting off somewhere hot and sunny this summer, I have for you some of my top summery tips to get you ready for a great trip!
Get your wax on
I have never shaved my legs, refused to ever since hair started growing on them, and that is why I know how essential waxing is in a beauty routine. I think we can all agree that a way to make you feel more summery and sexy is having smooth legs, and as much as we try to hack off our hairs with razors there is only one way to make our pins truly smooth and that is with a good old waxing. Not only is having your legs, bikini line and even arm pits waxed better for you than shaving, but it allows the hair to grow back thinner and for you to have smoother legs for longer (I totally feel like a wax advert here). Not to mention you only have to have it done once a month so it is barely worth worrying about!
Protect that skin
Being in the sun can be great; the heat, the tan, being close by pool if you are lucky enough, but, there are also some downsides with spending too much time in the sun. I am sure a lot of you will have had or know someone who has had some kind of disastrous sun stroke session from spending too much time trying to tan. Sun stroke is awful and to prevent it from happening make sure you continuously apply a high sunscreen lotion, spend time in the shade as well as in the heat and make sure you drink plenty of water!
Hair care
I can’t say don’t dye your hair, because that would be ridiculously hypocritical, I dye my hair quite a lot (not as much as I used to) but let’s just say at college, I had a different colour in my hair practically every week; what can I say, I was a teenager and dying my hair was all I had – before I started getting piercings and tattoos. Obviously if you have dark hair, like me, it is not advisable to dye all of your hair. To get any colour into your hair you have to bleach it first to take the dark colour out. I do this to sections of my hair when I want to put on a semi-permanent colour, something vibrant, in between my layers of dark brown locks. The main problem when it comes to dying your hair before it is going to be exposed to very strong heat and sunshine is that when the sun hits it, it will lighten and change colour anyway. The best advice I can give you, other than to wear a hat, is to make sure you shampoo and condition your hair with lotions that a specifically designed for coloured hair…and just generally be prepared for you to return home with a different colour of hair than you went away with.
Fake it?
Sometimes fake tan is the only way, especially when you know that you are never going to be able to stretch your student loan and earnings enough to pay for a hot getaway. There are many ‘fake’ options as it goes, depending on how brave you are and how tanned you really want to be. Moisturiser is great for beginners and there are some brilliant ones out there; easy everyday applications that gradually build up a healthy looking glow over time – just always remember to clean your hands thoroughly (especially under the nails) once you have finished. Then there are self-application fake tans, spray and creams for you to rub into your skin so that you control the level of tan. Always make sure you get into the creases of your skin and don’t forget to do under your arms, your ankles or between your toes. Whatever is next? Well if you don’t fancy blaming your fake tan on your own abilities why not get someone else to do it? There are plenty of tanning salons up and down the country that do spray tans and even have sun-beds for you to lay in and soak up some UV rays.
Just remember to be safe and sensible when it comes to summer!
Written by Sophie Cohen
