Beauty basics: fake tan tips

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You don’t need to spend hours in the sun to create a warm, carefree holiday look. These days, all you need to do is dip into your make-up bag. By Nikki Goldstein.

Summer is a time to let your hair down (and maybe add some golden highlights to it), take it easy, and allow yourself to be comfortable in your own skin – and bronze it up while you’re at it. Our guide to creating a sexy summer look is designed to inspire you to have fun and play with your image. With a few deft strokes you can perfect a holiday glow in next to no time.

FACE
In summer, the skin takes centre stage. Baring a clear, clean and fresh-looking visage is possible with the right products and techniques. “Caring for your skin in the summer is as easy as counting to three,” says hair and make-up artist Lucy Baldock-Sacchi. “When you wake up, cleanse, moisturise and use sun protection.” Lucy believes no matter what age you are, with the right approach your skin can look fresh, healthy and vibrant. “Many women make the mistake of using a foundation that’s too heavy for them, especially in summer. Using a sheer foundation that shows the natural texture of your skin is more flattering than caking on an opaque base and covering it with a lot of powder,” she explains. Lucy believes women of all ages should celebrate their skin: “We all get wrinkles and blemishes as we age. The idea is to soften them with make-up and present a confident, groomed face to the world rather than a mask.”

To create a natural summer look, Lucy begins by priming the face with a light moisturiser. We like Estée Lauder DayWear Plus Multi Protection Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer Sheer Tint Release Formula SPF 15, $76, because it’s a hydrator and sunscreen in one easy-to-use product.

Next, she applies a lightweight foundation over the entire face with her fingertips, such as Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Bare Perfection Makeup SPF8, $52. “If you go for an oil-free foundation you don’t need powder,” she says. Lucy uses concealer sparingly, but likes to brush a little under the eyes and on any pigmentation marks. “Make sure you pick a concealer that’s easy to blend so it’s invisible on the skin,” she explains. Try Lancôme Renergie Lift Duo Concealer, $58, which has a concealer at one end and a firming serum for the eyes at the other. The product is also boosted with a SPF 20 sunscreen and comes in three shades.

For summer colour, Lucy reaches for multipurpose products that glide over eyes, cheeks and lips with a few simple strokes. “These sticks and stains eliminate fuss – with a lick of lipgloss and a few coats of mascara you have a complete look without much effort,” she says. Becca Beach Tint, $35, which comes in a shade called Watermelon, is one of the best on the market and delivers a soft, fruity pink stain to the cheeks, eyes and lips.

Lucy recommends rose-beige shades for fair skin, pink-taupe for yellow-based skin tones and plum-bronze for dark or olive complexions. “You don’t even need a brush – just blend the pigments over your cheeks, lips and eyelids with your fingertips,” she says.

One thing all professional hair and make-up artists aim to achieve is a face that looks groomed but free of make-up. “Sheer, natural-looking lipstick is easy to apply and flatters any face,” says Lucy. Opt for a version of your natural lip colour. “Go a little deeper for a sexier look or a little paler for a fashionable look,” she advises. Tinted lipglosses and lip balms work well, and you don’t even need a mirror to put them on. Two great offerings are Clinique Glosswear for Lips, $32, which delivers sheer, shimmering colour, and Sally Hansen Lip Inflation, $13.95, which contains ingredients that help plump the lips while providing a slick of neutral colour.

If there’s one must-have tool for summer it’s surely a waterproof mascara. “You’re going for high-impact eyes with minimal hassle,” explains Lucy. Try Avon Astonishing Lengths Waterproof mascara, $19.99, or if the budget can stretch, try Christian Dior DiorShow Waterproof Mascara, $49, which curls, conditions and lengthens the lashes.

For warm summer nights you might fancy a little more eye make-up. Cream eye shadows require zero precision and no brush. Lucy likes the ones that come in pots, such as Maybelline Dream Mousse Shadow, $14.95. Shimmer gives the eyes sparkle, but can also be a tad harsh on mature skin. A neutral matt shade such as beige, taupe or olive can give the appearance of a contour and add dramatic effects.

BODY
Summer clothes demand you reveal more skin – arms, legs and décolletage are all on show. Here’s where cosmetics can come to the rescue, delivering shimmering pigments and camouflage where you need it.

The key to supple, fresh, youthful-looking skin in summer is a step-by-step beauty regimen that begins in the shower with a good scrub and ends with the application of cosmetics made specifically for your body. “Hair and make-up artists have known for a long time what the artful application of shimmer or bronzing oil can do for the skin, but it’s only now that really good ones have appeared on the market,” says Lucy, who was so fed up with trying to find a good bronzing oil that she made her own, Lucy B Frangipani Bronzing Shimmer Oil, $50.

Start your summer skin regimen with a good body scrub. L’Occitane Almond Exfoliating Delicious Paste, $44.95, contains crushed almonds and almond shells with sugar crystals to gently exfoliate the skin and leave it soft and free of dry, dead skin.

Once you’ve buffed the skin apply a nourishing moisturiser. Nivea Body Skin Firming Lotion Q10 Plus, $5.35, is an effective and non-greasy body cream that provides the perfect base for the application of shimmer or pigment. When the cream is fully absorbed it’s time to apply some colour. If you like a liquid shimmer, try Hei Poa Monoi Oil Nacres, $28, from Kit Cosmetics, which delivers gold-bronze tones to the skin. If you like the ease of a cream, we love Bloom Shimmer Body Cream, $22, which hydrates the skin as it delivers a fine veil of shimmer.

For a quick and easy solution to covering up blemishes and achieving an instant all-over bronze, try i.d. bareMinerals Warm Radiance, $70, a bronzing pigment that can be brushed over the face, décolletage, arms and legs for natural-looking honey-coloured skin.

One summer essential is a spray-on camouflage such as Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs, $24.95, a transfer-resistant make-up designed specifically to disguise veins, freckles and sun spots on the legs. It’s a must when you wear shorter skirts or shorts.

Summer essentials