Forget switching your winter clothes for summery wardrobes, our experts are in the midst of the great summer beauty switchover, subbing out thick creams and heavy scents for easy breezy, simple-to-use makeup and skincare.
Read on for the beauty buys and tips that see our editors through the season
Ateh Jewel: The refreshing skin spritz
“When the weather heats up, I like to stay cool. I hate getting sweaty and I need my skin to feel fresh, so I always have Jurlique’s Rosewater Balancing Mist, £36/$48.62, to hand. Bonus tip, I love to keep it in the fridge for extra refreshment chilled.”
Vanese Maddix: The glow-giving SPF
“The INKEY List’s Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF30, £12/$16.21, has been a staple in my routine for several summers. The formula is dewy, deeply hydrating and completely non-greasy. As a black woman, finding an SPF that doesn’t leave a white cast is a priority, and this one delivers as well as doubling as a great primer under makeup.”
Donna Francis: Multi-tasking makeup
“I live in Florida, where it’s summer (almost) all year. I go natural with makeup and choose formulas with added skincare benefits and SPF to avoid applying too many extra layers. Naked Sundays is great for this, and I love their Glow + Go SPF50 Lip Oils, £18/$17.84, and Beauty Screen SPF50 Skin Tints, £35./$54.95.”
Sidra Imtiaz: Laser quest
“Something I’d recommend to all brown skinned girls for the summer is laser hair removal. Like many Pakistani women, hair removal has been part of my life since I was a teen and I’ve found that shaving or waxing combined with heat and sweating can lead to an increase in irritation, sensitivity and ingrown hairs. Whilst it’s an investment, the long-term benefits for smooth, irritation-free skin is well worth it.”
Glynis Barber: The does-it-all primer
“I love to layer skincare, but in the summer, this leaves me with a sticky feeling. This is where multi-purpose products come into their own. In the warm months I use ARK’s Skin Protector SPF 30 Primer, £39/$52.67. It’s a moisturiser, primer and SPF hybrid that you can use under makeup or on its own, and it leaves my skin silky soft while keeping my foundation in place all day as well as protecting against sunrays.”
Caroline Barnes: The good-for-skin tan
“My personal summer tip is to use James Read Sunblush, £39. I’m a long-time fan of his original formula and this trumps it with at the additional skincare. I spray it over my face, neck and shoulders before I dress, and it just gives my skin such a beautiful warmth and evens out my skin tone. No stained hands, it’s quick, easy and effective.”
Jo Jones: The your-legs-but-better body makeup
.”My summer saviour would have to be Vita Liberata Body Blur, £35/$47.27. The minute I have to get my legs out, it goes on. It hides all the thread veins, instantly stops them looking pasty and hides the bruises I keep getting from bumping into everything – thanks menopause.”
Ruby Hammer MBE: Smooth skin saviours
“With more skin on show, gentle exfoliation once or twice a week helps keep everything smooth and polished. I’m a fan of doing little and often—it’s much easier than a major overhaul. Use a body scrub or exfoliating towel in the shower paying attention to dry areas (my Foot File, £22/$29.71, not only looks good in your bathroom, it’s seriously effective), and finish with a hydrating body oil or lightweight lotion to lock in moisture on sun-exposed skin.”
Angela Onuoha: The hair hero
“One of my must-haves to get through the summer has to be something that protects my hair from UV damage since prolonged sun exposure can break down the hair’s protein structure, leading to a dry feel, breakage and colour fading. I like Coola Daily Protection Scalp Mist, £29/$31.33, which feels totally weightless while offering all-day UV protection.”
Jasmine Hemsley: Flower power
“Rose water is my number one beauty routine update for the summer. On hot days I carry Kama Ayurveda’s Rose Water Hydrating Mist, £29.29/$39.56, around to instantly refresh my face, hands and even hair. Rose water has been used throughout history for its soothing, healing, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, and from an Ayurvedic perspective is cooling and calming. Perfect for a refresh on the go.”
Cassie Steer: The SOS spritz
“I love the heat. My skin? Not so much. It’s why I’ve honed a wardrobe of SOS skin products for when it gets tetchy. I love REN’s Evercalm Sensitivity Relief Mist, £32/$43.22, for holidays where I’ll store it in the fridge. A couple of spritzes of the nourishing milky mist hydrates, soothes and refreshes. Post-beach bliss.”
Melanie Macleod: The hydration hit
© Phill Taylor“In winter, I look for luxurious, rich body creams that I spend time massaging into my limbs, but during summe,r I want to be done with my routine ASAP, so Curel’s Deep Moisture Spray for Dry, Sensitive Skin, £19.50/$27, is heavenly. It’s an ultra-fine mist blending ceramides with eucalyptus, drenching my skin in moisture in seconds for a refreshing hit of hydration in no time.”
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