Summer has officially started! ESP’s health and Beauty writer is back with more tips to get you through the summer season…
Hay Fever Tips & Tricks
Is anyone else feeling like suddenly they can’t breathe properly or that their eyes feel as though they’re on fire? Hay fever has taken me completely by surprise this year, normally I don’t suffer too much with it and I get it earlier on in the spring season, however I’m struggling so much with it, especially my eyes being itchy and an anti-histamine tablet isn’t even touching the sides, which I know will be the case for so many.
Below are some tips and tricks that I’ve come across on social media which can help with reliving hay fever symptoms:
Wear sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes
Vacuum and dust regularly
Dampen cotton pads (or reusable ones) with water, squeeze out the excess and place into the freezer for a soothing eye pad
Eat foods that are high in antioxidants such as grapes and berries
I always wear sunglasses in the sun however, after being out recently and being outside I’ve been unable to stop my eyes itching. I tried the frozen cotton pad trick though and it’s worked a treat. It’s key to make sure there isn’t much excess water left otherwise it’ll freeze too solid and won’t be flexible to wipe or place on the eyes.
Ombré lips back in fashion?
Take a look at MAC’s Liquid Lipcolours and how you can create that ombré affect. Using the darker shade, apply this like a thick lip liner and then with the lighter shade and a lip brush, blend this from the centre outwards to the darker edge which will help to blur out any harsh lines and create your fashion ombré lip!
Check out MACs range of Liquid Lipcolours here.
Sunscreen Reminder
In a previous article I’ve mentioned the importance of sunscreen and what key factors to keep an eye out for (like what I did there?) when you’re choosing which sunscreen to buy.
Always remember, if you had it last year, it’s likely now out of date and always check the star rating. A one star is the lowest and five star is the highest and this tells you how good the UVA protection is which is different to the SPF number which is for UVB protection.
You will often find that own brand supermarket sunscreen has a better star rating than household names. See below this one I purchased from Tesco last week, SPF 50, 5 star UVA rating, sensitive, fragrance-free and only £4! It’s also water resistant and non-greasy which I can confirm as it soaks in so quickly.
However should we be wearing sunscreen all year round?
The experts over at www.millies.ie have put together this fantastic piece on wearing sunscreen daily and their skin educator has also given some great advice on what’s best to do.
Pamela Hamilton, Skin Educator for Millies says, “Yes! It is so important we wear SPF all year round. Your face and body are exposed to UV radiation every day through clouds, rain, glass, sun or snow. Everyone, men, women and children over the age of six months should wear it every day all year round. Not only is SPF the most important part of our skincare regime, but it also reduces the risk of melanoma by 50%! Going unprotected on an overcast day can lead to as much damage as to a sunny day.”
Head over to www.millies.ie for more articles and their website where they stock over 100 Irish and international luxury beauty brands and is the top Irish destination for anyone looking for the best in skincare, haircare and wellness.
Airbrushed skin and tips to keep the glow of your tan
Now protecting your skin is the most important thing however, you can still make sure you’re being safe whilst having that summer glow. Along with fake tan, I’ve been using the AVON Skin so Soft Enhance & Glow Airbrush Spray which is a very light oil mist which when sprayed onto the skin and gently rubbed in, creates an airbrushed look.
It’s almost as though you have tights/makeup on your skin but it is so natural!
I find that it evens out my skin tone, blurs any patchy tan I may have left, adds a subtle glow and it also keeps away the mosquitoes!
You can see from my bottle that I’ve used it so much since the weather has been nice and this can go over your SPF and all over your body or where you want to ‘airbrush’.
I hope everyone has been enjoying the sun safely, even though the weather has made a turn on us over the last few days, the sun will soon be back!
Emily Rawlinson