How to extend your summer glow

by Colleen

With labor day around the corner, the slow transition into fall begins. Personally I like to prolong that just back from vacation feeling and summer glow as long as possible. How to achieve that well rested, refreshed, tanned look even after you are back at the office, or school? It just takes a few extra steps in your beauty routine to maximize your glow potential.

Step 1: Moisturize! And then moisturize again.The scorching sun dries out your skin and if you want to maintain a tan, you need to moisturize immediately following your shower. It is even better if your skin is still a bit damp. Then once you are dressed, if you have any skin showing, maybe your legs or décolleté, place a few drops of body oil in the palm of your hands and go over your legs, arms, shoulders, décolleté , anywhere that is showing. This second moisturizing layer acts as the glow extender. One of my favorite products for this is from Nuxe. (see my post here) It smells deliciously like summer and will remind you of your vacation during the day. I use this double moisturizing trick on photo shoots when I want the models skin to look healthy and glowing.

The same applies for your face. Maybe you are like me and you religiously hide your face from the sun with SPF 100 and hats in the hope to keep wrinkles at bay. This is the reason I add a few drops of self tanner to my regular moisturizer( that contains SPF) every morning until I get the desired shade. This way my face and body match and I look like I may have just popped back from a weekend on some beach. I have done this for a while , and recently I found a product from Clarins called Radiance- Plus Golden Glow Booster that actually is just for that.You only need three drops mixed with your regular moisturizer to give you some color, so the bottle should last a while. When you are done with your makeup you can place a few drops of your favorite face oil ( I like Tsubaki Beauty oil from Boscia) between your fingers and tap this along your cheekbones for a healthy glow. Makeup artist often use very thick moisturizers as a more natural looking highlighter for the skin.

Finally, moisturize your interior…meaning don’t forget to hydrate with water throughout the day , maybe a nice fresh coconut water to remind you of the moments you spent sipping fresh coconut water out of a real coconut on a beautiful beach in Malaysia….sigh.

Step 2: Exfoliate! Eventually even after all that moisturizing your tan will start to fade and the best way to rev up dull skin is to exfoliate. Keep one handy in the shower, one for the body and one for the face. Exfoliating will rid your skin of dead skin cells and increase circulation to the surface giving the skin a fresher look. Don’t forget to moisturize afterwards and continue to mix some self tanner with your moisturizer or use a gradual self tanning cream. My favorite body scrub is Bliss’s blood orange + white pepper sugar scrub, it smells fresh and citrusy like summer. For the face I’ve been using Nuxe’s Gelée Exfoliante Douce with rose petals, it’s gentle and I love the rose scent. For a DIY option you can always mix up a larger portion of this recipe I developed as a lip scrub.

Step3: Cheat a little with makeup! Brush some Bronzing powder along your cheekbones, across your nose , along the jaw line and even in the eye socket, for an all over sun-kissed look. A bronze eyeliner along the top lashes and some mascara accentuate tanned skin and the slight shimmer of the bronze will catch the light to add to your glow. Finish with a pop of peach or pink creme blush on the apples of your cheeks and a swipe of moisturizing tinted lip balm.

Step 4: Wear white! A white top acts as a natural light reflector and accentuates a summer glow.