HOW TO | Humidify-proof your makeup

HOT, STICKY summer weather can devastate your makeup — melting foundation, creased eyeshadow running mascara, smudged eyeliner (and not in a smoky-eyes way). While the natural beauties among us can frolic makeup-free in such weather, the rest of us might prefer not to.

So what to do if the thermometer hits 90 and the air's so humid your foundation slides down your face almost as soon as you apply it? These tips keep you looking your best even the hottest days.

Continue reading

Image credit: flickr.com/photos/mauricekoop/1125753130/sizes/m/in/photostream/

TRAVEL TALES | Beauty at the bonfire

EVERY summer I look forward to camping season. It wasn’t always that way. Growing up, I protested furiously every time the van was packed for the weekend. I would take out the maximum number of books allowed on my library card and sit in the back of said van reading the entire time. I’d even sleep in there to the annoyance of my parents. As I got older, I pouted less and, what do you know? Camping was actually fun when I finally put down the paperbacks and gave it a chance.

As an adult, it’s still fun. Although, I get different things from it than I did when younger. Now it’s a welcome escape from daily life, from the trappings of the house, the city and all the noise that comes with modern life. I admit, it’s not always easy to just drop everything and flee to a campground. But you know what? You don’t have to go whole hog and become some wild cave woman (if you don’t want to), wild of hair, dirt smeared and grooming free. You can maintain some glimmer of glamour in your life even if your bed is a mat in a tent and you wash up in a bowl of water....

Read the full article on LOOKING GOOD, NO MATTER WHAT

EXPERT SECRETS | Alice Hart-Davis shares 3 top tips for great teen skin

BRITISH BEAUTY expert Alice Hart-Davis recently penned a beauty bible for teens with no other than her teen daughter, called Be Beautiful: Every girl's guide to hair, skin and make-up and shared a few tips on how to keep teen skin (and, let's face it, adult skin too) looking great... She says:

1. Keep it clean and moisturised: all skin needs moisture, even if it’s oily. Water and oil are two different things and however much you are trying to minimize oil production in your skin, you want to give it moisture to keep it hydrated. There are plenty of oil-free moisturisers out there."

2. "Keep it protected from ultra-violet light. That means sun-screen, worn every day. It’s not just hot sunshine that can damage the skin, it’s the slow build-up of damage done by everyday exposure to daylight. Get into the habit of wearing cream with an SPF, then you won’t have to worry so much about future wrinkles."

3. "If you suffer with acne, get professional help. Your doctor should be able to prescribe antibiotics that may help, or can refer you to a dermatologist. To docs and derms, spots are a condition that can be treated, not a rite-of-passage that you have to endure!"

Be Beautiful, by Alice Hart-Davis and Molly Hindhaugh, Walker Books, £9.99.