Put your life on out-of-office mode with these quick hacks to have you ready for lazy vacation days in no time.

When it comes to skincare in summer, the balmy weather lends itself to glowing skin that bounces light.  While maintaining a great skincare routine is still first prize, this season, amplify your skin’s luminosity by using make-up tricks to achieve holiday ready skin that looks low maintenance and works with humid conditions while you’re off-duty. 

Prime: Achieve a smooth, even-toned complexion by prepping the skin with a hydrating, primer to create a blurred, glow base and allow foundation to glide easily onto the skin.  

Cover: Try to keep coverage lightweight, minimal and fresh by using a tinted CC crème and skin-matched concealer to cover dark circles and blemishes.  Use for a liquid foundation with a luminous matte finish and gradually build up if you’re in need of more coverage.

Flush: The quickest way to make skin look holiday-ready is with blush. Apply a cream blush or tinted face gloss to the cheeks or high planes for a seamless, lit-from-within flush melted into the skin.  

Glow: Place your highlighter under your foundation for the most ethereal highlight and over foundation for a more high-definition shine. Tap a cream highlighter on the high planes of the face and eyes to make makeup look emollient and perfectly blended. 

Expert weigh-in: “It’s all about layering for me. When skin looks one dimensional, it doesn’t look authentic. I like to correct only where needed, add warmth, and then add colour back in. Always start lightly and then build.” – Gucci Westman, Westman Atelier Founder.

Rinse and Repeat

The holiday season is a great time to experiment with fun hairstyles and dabble in some colour, but before you throw all caution to the wind – use these tips to keep your coils healthy, no matter what style you rock this summer.

Summer can be a little intense for curly hair. Not only is there humidity to deal with, but the sun’s harsh UV rays are also known to dehydrate hair and cause damage. Throw sea water and chlorine from swimming pools into the mix and you’ve got a number of summer-specific factors to consider.

Due to its genetic makeup, curly hair are naturally thirsty. As our scalps produce natural oils or sebum, these oils help to nourish and moisturise the hair from the root, all the way down the hair shaft. The twirly shape of a curl makes it more difficult for this oil to travel through the hair, and as a result, it doesn’t usually make it down the full length of the strand. This leaves the mid-to-end lengths of a curl very dry which can lead to breakage over time or with excessive styling.

1. Co-wash to limit shampoo days 

Due to more time spent outdoors or feeling more hot and sweaty, you may be tempted to wash your hair more regularly. However, over-washing can lead to dryness and breakage. Try to stretch your shampoo days to every seven days, and to rather co-wash (washing your hair with a cleansing conditioner) in between. Co-washing is enough to remove sweat and impurities, and will also ensure your hair gets plenty of moisture. When using a shampoo, select one with a gentle, sulphate-free formula that won’t strip your hair’s moisture.

2. Take care in the sun

Our skin isn’t the only part of the body that is vulnerable to the sun – our hair is too! Whenever possibly, try to cover your hair with a hat or scarf as this will help minimise sun-induced damage. Shea butter and sesame oil have natural UV filtering properties, so look for these ingredients in your leave-in products for added protection. However, unless a hair product has an SPF, it won’t offer the kind of protection you can expect from a skincare SPF product so you’ll need to take extra precautions.

3. Apply TLC when hair is wet

Even though dampening hair is a great way to increase elasticity and make it more manageable when styling, wet hair is still more fragile than dry hair. Try to be gentle with your hair when it’s wet after a dip in the pool or out the shower and do not bind your natural curls into a tight ponytail or bun, as this can lead to split ends in the middle of the hair shaft. Rather leave hair loose with some leave-in conditioner or spray and wrap with a headband or silk scarf to minimise breakage and dehydration.

4. Apply a deep conditioner after swimming

The warmth of the sun can help your hair soak up conditioner. After swimming, rinse your hair with fresh water and follow with a deep conditioner. Look for a formulation with hydrating or moisturising properties for maximum restoration.

5. Be gentle with snags and knots

When we perspire, our hair is more prone to knots and tangles closer to the scalp. The best way to beat this, is to be gentle. Your curls and coils are more vulnerable in summer, so it’s safest to use your fingers to detangle as much as possible before using a tool. Use a wide-toothed comb or detangling brush to gently brush hair out, starting from the bottom, working your way to the top. To minimise the risk of breakage, apply a detangling lotion or spray before combing.