1. It’s all about that base..

Your daily skin care routine is just as, (if not more) important as your make-up. Catering to your skins needs does all the hard work for you when it comes to make-up application. There are many different products out there to cater to different skin types from dry to oily. One brand you will find in our toolbox is Dermalogica. Try their ‘Speed Mapping’ to see which of their regimes would best meet your skin’s needs.

As most of you may already know, skin types are usually divided into 3 categories; dry, combination and oily. There are of course sub categories that cover more specific skin types, but these are how most brands categorize their products. During hotter weather many people suffer with an increase of natural oils, what once was combination skin may now be more prone to oily and so on. A good way to tackle this is to switch your daily moisturizer to a ‘light’ or ‘oil free’ version of your preferred brand. However, if you’re one of the lucky few who can get away with it, a brilliant way to lighten up this summer is by using a tinted moisturizer.

2. Prime Time

Investing in a good primer is a sure way to help your make-up routine all year round, not just in summer. Primer creates a thin layer between moisturizer and make-up, helping smooth out creases, lines and even some acne scarring. Primer powers do however really shine through in summer months when make-up would otherwise slip and slide without it. With primers finally getting the credit and ‘coverage’ (excuse the pun) it really deserves, there are now many out there that cover different skin types from deep pores to mature skin. Here are a few that can be found in our kit..

3. Building Good Foundations

As we spoke about before, with the right base, your usual foundation should hold on tight. If however you are still finding oiliness creeping up on you throughout hot days, switching to an oil free foundation is the next step you should try. Many brands now offer oil free alternatives so ‘season proofing’ your make-up bag from Winter to Summer should be pretty easy. We do of course always recommend setting your make-up with a translucent powder and/or setting spray, this should help absorb any excess oil and keep your make-up in place.

4. Cream Of The Crop

Firstly, let us state that the list of beautiful powders we use here at Catherine Elizabeth is endless, but for some, with hot weather comes powder incompatibility. This applies specifically to eyeshadows and blushers, in hot weather, even the best brands can sometimes bake into lines and creases, which does not help get us that ‘sun-kissed’ and ‘glowing’ look this summer. If this sounds familiar, try changing things up and switching to cream blushers and eyeshadows. Have a little look below at some of the products we use on our clients..

 5. Most Importantly..

If you take one piece of advice from this post, please let it be this…

SPF, SPF, SPF, please make sure that at least one of your base products contains SPF, whether it be your moisturizer, primer or foundation, protecting your face from harmful UV rays is a must. It is not hard to come by, there will be an SPF option in one of your products and can be easily added into your daily routine. Last, but certainly not least, don’t forget your lips, the skin on your lips is easily damaged by the sun and there are many balms available on the market that provide SPF.

Love,

The Catherine Elizabeth Team x

P.S. All images will link you to the brand websites, happy shopping!

Keeping Your Skin and Hair Healthy This Winter

Even though we are still in summer we need to be ready to take care of our hair and skin during the winter.  Your hair and skin respond differently to cooler temperatures, so with winter around the corner, it is important that you adjust your beauty and hair routine accordingly.

The harsh winter elements and colder climates that we have in the height of winter, have a harmful, drying effect on skin and hair. But by following these simple tips, it is easy to have healthy, glowing hair and skin all year round!

Tips for healthy winter skin

1. Exfoliate

Going from the cold winter wind and moving into a heated room, it has

a major drying effect on the skin. Exfoliating your skin will remove layers of skin, allowing for new skin cells to develop.

2. Moisturise

In the colder months it’s a great idea to switch to heavier moisturising creams this is vital for keeping your skin glowing and smooth. Ingredients such as green tea, coconut oil, macadamia nut oil, grape seed, melatonin or vitamins C and E all contain antioxidants which help reduce damage caused by winter sun and leave.

3. Use a gentle cleanser

In winter it is important to be much more selective when choosing a cleanser. A scented anti-bacterial soap can be extremely harsh and often will strip the skin of essential oils that it needs however using products with natural oils and ingredients, are much more recommended as they are absorbed more easily.

Tips for healthy winter hair

1. Use a gentle shampoo

Winter hair care includes using a shampoo that won’t strip your hair of its natural moisture. It is very important that in the colder months to cut down on frequent washing, as it will dry out the scalp and hair more easily.

2. Use a deeper conditioner

Richer heavier conditioners and leave-ins allow for more protection on your hair as they provide lubrication which will prevent damage and stops the hair becoming too fragile by rebuilding the hair structure which helps it grow and shine.

3. Use a weekly treatment

It is common for hair to experience breakage in the colder winter months, so to ensure this doesn’t occur, a protein-rich treatment should be used at least once a week this will ensure that your hair stays soft and healthy.

Ingredients to avoid when choosing skin and hair products are mineral oils such as Petroleum, Paraffin, Parabens, Comedogenic By following these simple tips you can be sure to have soft skin and hair all year round!