Beauty rules to live by, this summer!
Last post on the blog was on 14th of March. And here I am back with the next after one whole month. My first thoughts – Shameful! Embarrassing! But the more I think about the reasons behind starting the blog and how it has contributed to my work in the last few months, I feel immensely grateful. During my recent trip to Dubai, I had 13 grooming sessions in 2 weeks, mostly with ShimmerMe blog followers. I barely had time to catch up with friends and family, let alone blog. The learning was tremendous. Collaborations with other bloggers, photographers are on the rise which I am kicked about as I get to make up gorgeous faces and meet some really interesting people. A few thoughts while starting the blog were to do things at my pace, to not fret much when things slide a bit, to embrace the journey of where this is leading and ultimately just to be in love with what I am doing. And when I look back, I have done all of that. So apologies, but no apologies for not posting frequently and I hope you continue to enjoy this ride with me, at my pace :-)
Anyways, how has the summer been treating y’all? Bangalore is awfully dry and Cochin is terribly sticky. The heat is equally bad across. So I thought of doing a post and sharing with you a few beauty rules to ease your makeup/beauty routine this summer.
Go easy on the base
The simple truth - The more you have on your face, the more there is to melt! The trick is to use a lighter formula such as a tinted moisturizer for your face and a concealer just where you need it. You still get coverage but your skin wouldn’t feel as heavy as with a foundation. If you do not have a tinted moisturizer, you could make your own by mixing a blob of moisturizer/ or a drop of beauty oil to two drops of your foundation. Tinted moisturizer is essentially a lighter formula of your foundation and is great for summer.
Layer it right
I can say this a hundred times and it still won’t be enough! What gives your makeup staying power is how you layer it. And this is how we do it.
Moisturizer -> Sunscreen-> Primer-> Tinted moisturizer/Foundation-> Translucent powder-> Setting spray
Sounds cumbersome? It wouldn’t when your makeup looks and feels like skin and lasts through the day. Give a minute or two between each product as you layer, to ensure that it’s well absorbed.
Go Bronze, Go Blush
Bronzer easily creates an illusion of a sun kissed glow while blush adds freshness to the face. And summer is the perfect season to alternate between these two glorious products. Bronzer is great to team with subtle as well as bright, bold lips. Go light on the blush, if you are doing bright lips. As always, when it comes to blush, I love the creamy formula applied just on the apples and diffusing the color around for a fresh dewy look.
Cool off! Crop your tresses!
Been putting off your visit to the hair dresser? Now is the time, ladies! If you have been ruminating over a pixie or bob, crop your tresses and there is one thing less to stress about. Lob continues to have more than a moment with its blunt, asymmetrical, layered and choppy variations. Want to go shorter? Try the undercut bob or disconnected pixie. One tip if you are going shoulder length, make sure that you can pull your hair into a pony tail. Will help you keep your cool on those excruciatingly hot days.
Let your eyes sparkle, literally!
Gold eyeliner can be your summertime fix for subtle shimmer. Wear it above your black eyeliner or just alone, as I have, for easy and understated glamour. Bonus - You can do away with eye shadows too. Alternatively, use soft colors to create a subtle gradient look. On Rosh, I have used ‘Henna’ from Huda Beauty palette as the crease color, ‘Naked’ from the Urban Decay Naked palette all over the lid and ‘Coco’, a bark brown shade close to the lash line. The result is a very subtle and fresh transition of colours.
Bright pouts and nails!
So we are going light with the base. But, tis the season to go vibrant and all out with peppy colors on lips and nails. ‘Masochist’ by Jeffree Star is what we are wearing for this look. The color of crushed berries on ice - the description of the shade itself on the website is compelling to make it a summer pick. I love how it contrasts the mustard shade of Rosh’s dress and complements the berry shade on mine.
Poppy, Cherry, Fuchsia, Orange, Nectar, Coral…the list goes on. If you are into matching your lips with your nail tips, these are a few trending shades to choose from.
Remove the tan naturally
Even with liberal amounts of sunscreen, we still run the risk of catching that pesky tan. What makes it more annoying is when the tan is so uneven. Foreheads are prone to get a shade or two darker than the rest of the face. What would help is nipping it at the bud using natural home remedies. Yoghurt is highly effective in removing tan as it has active bleaching properties. The cooling effect it has on the skin makes it all the more desirable to be used in summer. Use it just as it is or mixed with orange peel/gram flour prior to shower every day to reduce and reverse the damage.
I hope to bring you more posts on how to survive the toasty months ahead. If you have any questions for me regarding this post or otherwise, you know what to do :-) Stay cool people xoxo...
Wardrobe: 6 Yards by Roshni Thomas (If you would like to get a few gorgeous summer outfits made, do reach out to Rosh here)
Photography: MayPhotos by Anis Sharma (Anis is excellent at portrait photography. Reach out to him here if you are interested in getting your portfolio done or looking for a photographer with expertise in bridal portraits.)
