Summer is supposed to feel sexy: skin baring, hair tousled, sensual nonchalance. Ironically, achieving this state of mind requires some very unsexy effort.
This applies at any age: Just look at TikTok’s obsession with the hashtag #unsexybeauty, as twenty-somethings get excited about Vaseline’s potential as a cure-all.
But it’s most noticeable in middle age, when a few days without grooming can leave you with hoof-like feet and tired, watery eyes. Here’s how to tackle summer’s ugliest beauty fears…
Lip disorders
I suffer from angular cheilitis when I’m tired. The corners of my mouth become inflamed and cracked and it’s a real pain to get rid of. First, make sure you’re getting enough vitamin B2 and iron. Second, stop licking your lips – this only dries out the skin further. Third, apply a dab of antibacterial such as tea tree oil or lavender oil to the area, followed by a generous smear of Blistex MedPlus (£2.69, superdrug.com).
To prevent cold sores, take a lysine supplement, as exposure to sunlight can ‘wake up’ the virus, and use Blistex Ultra Lip Balm SPF50+ (£3.79, amazon.co.uk).
Most of us want that “go-for-it” sexy summer look, but it takes some determinedly unsexy effort to get there.
Sticky eyes
If you wear contact lenses, make sure you carry antihistamines and eye drops with you in summer, as even the slightest change in environment can make your symptoms worse. Wipe away any gunk with a cotton bud and rinse your eyes with Boots Contact Lens Drops (£3.49) morning and night.
If you don’t wear contact lenses, Boots Brightening Eyes Eye Drops (£3.25, boots.com) help constrict blood vessels to make your eyes look brighter.
A nasty swelling
Hormonal chin rashes increase in humid weather, and I won’t mention where else they may appear.
To clear away boils, we recommend Clean & Clear Advantage Rapid Gel (currently £3.27, boots.co.uk), which is gentle yet powerful and works overnight. Or, toss elf Blemish Breakthrough Fighting Spot Gel (currently £2.65, superdrug.com) in your bag, a roll-on that helps prevent sweat-related breakouts before they happen.
Beat seasonal acne on your back and chest with Bioderma’s Sebium range (currently on sale from £10.40, boots.com), which works great and fast.
Scary feet
People can be terribly shameless when it comes to their feet, and I’d like to send these public intimidators to Margaret Dabbs for a medical pedicure (from £85, margaret dabbs.co.uk).
Her 45-minute Medi-Pedi is exactly what solves the problem: a podiatrist-directed, podiatry-style treatment.
Our go-to on a budget is The Heel Deal Foot File by Soap & Glory (£10, boots.com). A favourite with foot fetishists, it features three powerful heads: a nuclear-level file, a finishing polisher and a pull-out section for those hard-to-reach areas. Afterwards, smear on some foot cream, smear on some Vaseline, slip on some socks and get some sleep.
Beauty expert Hannah Betts (pictured) is urging anyone who’s neglected their feet for nearly a year to book a medical pedicure with Margaret Dabbs.
Physical illness
This season, scrub yourself with scrubbing gloves – specifically, Hydréa London’s Bamboo Carbonised Exfoliating Shower Gloves (£6.49, amazon.co.uk) – bamboo is naturally antibacterial, meaning this long-lasting scrub is resistant to mould.
Regularly exfoliating with these baby oils can help reduce ingrown hairs, so-called “chicken skin” (the bumpy keratosis on the ends of your arms where hair follicles are blocked by dead cells), and scaling on your hands and feet, including your knees and elbows.
Next, apply Amyliolate Transforming Body Lotion (£22.55, boots.com), which is packed with exfoliating and hydrating lactic acid that magically erases any imperfections or roughness, leaving only softness behind. Or try The Inkey List PHA Exfoliating and Hydrating Body Water Cream (£13, uk.theinkeylist.com), which is cheaper and contains polyhydroxy acids.
Compete and win!
Affordable British staple Q+A has launched its Collagen Body Butter (£10) exclusively at Boots, alongside eight other flagship body products. Packed with squalene and peptides, it’s an instantly softening product that smells of pear and grape – a great antidote to dry skin caused by sun, sea and sand.
shop
My Icon of the Week
Kate Beckinsale
Actress Kate Beckinsdale (pictured) gets her gorgeous glow with microneedling, red light therapy, and microdermabrasion.
“I don’t do thread lifts, Botox, lasers or fillers,” says the actress, who turns 51 this week. “I do platelet-rich plasma facials to boost collagen and microcurrent to tighten the skin.” She’s a fan of microneedling, red light therapy and microdermabrasion, and always uses Skin Medica HA 5 Rejuvenating Hydrator (£139, amazon.co.uk) and wears SPF 60.
5 must-have items for your manicure
(Currently £22.45, lookfantastic.com).
Use twice a day for 6 days to stimulate keratin production and rehabilitate menopausal nails, minimizing damage.
shop
(£6.99, boots.com).
This summer, searches for this antifungal and antibacterial treatment increased by 80 percent.
shop
(Currently £7.20, ocado.com)
A fantastic, one-stop restorer and fashionable shine varnish.
shop
(£12.99, superdrug.com).
A neon yellow that grabs attention with a clever finish that is resistant to cracking and chipping.
shop
(£5.95, lottie.london).
Looking for a subtle, understated sparkle? These fun little silver stickers will add instant glamour.
shop
Cosmetics craving
For women who hate the look of heavily made-up skin, and want a brighter glow for August, there’s one seriously beautiful option: Chanel Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluid (£47, chanel.com).
Available in two shades, Sunkissed, a shimmering bronze, and Pearl Glow, a shimmering ivory, this popular illuminator is the secret to the fresh ‘French’ skin so loved by Parisian women. Its lightweight texture can be used on the face or body, mixed into foundation or worn as a base for a gorgeous radiant look.
With 72 percent moisture, enriched with hyaluronic acid, and a formula of photo-adaptive and light-reflecting pigments, skin looks incredibly radiant in any light for up to eight hours.
shop
Source link
