Time to change your look?

All About You online 19.05.2008

A new season is the ideal time to re-assess your skincare, makeup and haircare says Eve Cameron

Freckled woman on a beach in summer Just as you crave soup, chocolate and Ugg boots in the winter and summer sees you full of energy, eating salad and wearing flip-flops, so your skin's needs change throughout the year. Environmental factors such as central heating, sun, air conditioning and wind - and moving between them - assault and confuse the skin.

Summer skincare

According to Noella Gabriel, Elemis Director of Product & Treatment Development, ‘Skin does not have the ability to change or respond quickly enough to avoid it being damaged, so this is why a regular skincare routine, continuously updated, is literally a 'skin saver'. How the skin changes depends on the individual - it can become oilier, more sensitive or drier. You may have increased stress levels too and that can cause the skin to misbehave.'

Kristy Goodger, founder of skincare range Elemental Herbology, which sells exclusively at Space NK (www.spacenk.com), adds ‘I don't believe in the classical skin types as we can all be a little dry, a little congested and so on as skin reacts and changes. It's seasonal, plus lifestyle and hormonal factors that underpin these changes,' she asserts.

‘In summer most of us have more sebum on our skin, are more prone to rashes, flushing and sensitivity thanks to pollution and sun', says Kristy. This means we should choose products to cool and calm the skin and protect against damage. In winter the focus should be maintaining the skin's barrier and boosting Natural Moisturising Factors (NMF).

So, for summer skincare, it's key to exfoliate once a week, using a brush on your body and a gentle peel on your facial skin. A lightweight, oil-free daily hydrator with an SPF is perfect for day-wear, while at night Kristy recommends an anti-oxidant serum.At the end of summer, work on decongesting the skin with exfoliators and masks, as pores can often become blocked with summer's use of sunscreens.

‘Cleanse well in summer', she says. ‘Most women don't cleanse for long enough - aim to do it for as long as you clean your teeth and massage the cleanser in, working over congested areas and remove it with a hot flannel for a really healthy and fresh feeling.' Try Elemental Herbology Cool and Clear Facial Cleanser, £25, with green tea, aloe, lavender flower and chamomile to cleanse and soothe.

At the end of summer, work on decongesting the skin with exfoliators and masks, as pores can often become blocked with summer's use of sunscreens. If you don't do this it can lead to worse skin problems when you then layer on heavier moisturisers in the winter. If however your skin is feeling parched at the end of summer, use moisturising masks to bring it back up to par.

Update your makeup

According to makeup artist Louise Constad (www.beautyqueenworkshops.com), changing your make up with the seasons feels just as refreshing as updating your wardrobe with new season's fashions and yet so many of us stick with the same look for years. Do you need to get out of a rut?

‘Just make a couple of simple changes,' says Louise. To look fresh and fashionable this season she recommends going for a pinky peach blush - ‘Guerlain and Bobbi Brown have the best shades', she says. A coral lipstick will lift your look too. If trendier creamy lipstick is too strong for you, try a gloss for a sheer pop of colour. As sheer textures are more flattering in summer, so she suggests adding moisturiser to your foundation to make your complexion look more glowing or swapping to tinted moisturiser.

Woman with curly hair Come the end of summer, use a bronzer to extend your tan. ‘Take it down to your neck and chest, for a more natural effect,' says Louise. ‘Choose a matt bronzer during the day and one with a little shimmer in the evening to lift your skin.'

Don't throw out your darker wintery makeup though because it will be back. Kohl pencil, eyeliner and lots of mascara, deep lipstick and metallic nails will be hot for next season she predicts.

Fresh hair days

In the winter, hair is exposed to dry heat from central heating, but in the summer you are likely to spend more time outdoors in more humid conditions, observes Dove hair therapist Jamie Brooks. ‘Depending on your hair type, you may notice your hair becoming frizzy,' he says, ‘one way to counteract this is to allow your hair to dry naturally in the heat - it also cuts down on damage caused by heated appliances.'

Frizzy hair lacks moisture, so choose products to boost it, such as a moisturising shampoo and conditioner. Once or twice a week, replace your usual conditioner with a leave-in one.

If you do blow-dry, a frizz-fighting serum or cream applied to damp hair before drying seals the cuticle against further moisture loss and smoothes the hair, making it look shinier.

Summer heat also causes you to sweat more, meaning you have to wash your hair more frequently says Brooks. The key is to use a lightweight product that won't weigh the hair down - he recommends Dove Balance Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner. (£1.99 each). Also good are L'Oreal Paris Elvive Smooth-Intense Light and the Elvive Nutri-Gloss Light range, from £2.96.

If your hair is coloured, be aware that during prolonged sunny spells at home or on hot holidays, blond highlights will get lighter and bright colours such as reds will fade. Even dark colours can experience some pigment breakdown thanks to UV rays, so hair may look a little less glossy. Carolyn Newman, Colour and Art Team Director at Charles Worthington says a good colourist should adapt colours for you, so your hair still looks great during the summer or at the end of the holiday. However she does caution that you should take extra care of coloured hair. A hat is the best protection against colour changes, but if you're not a hat person, choose conditioners and styling products with UV filters and look after your hair as you would your face.

At the end of a hot summer, think about going a little darker says Brooks. ‘When you have a healthy glow dark colours look great. But, if you want to postpone the end of summer, go to your salon for a deep conditioning treatment and trim, as this will revitalize the hair and prolong the need to have the roots re-lightened.'

See Eve's recommendations for great new season buys, click here...

More inspiration

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