Faded Spring’s Summer Beauty Regime

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a wee confession to make. Contrary to popular belief, I am not this fabulous creature that you see before you. In fact half of the time I am make up free, have frizzy wild hair and look like I have been camping in the woods for months on end. In other words, when people tell me I am ‘elegant’ and glamorous it makes me laugh because it is pretty clear that they haven’t seen me when I am at home or need to nip to Tesco’s. I feel sorry for the poor late night staff that have to deal with seeing me in my bedraggled state, in fact the one time I came in and was dolled up I am pretty sure they did a double take, as though I looked like a completely different person! But as usual I am rambling; despite looking like a tramp half of the time, I do have some sort of a beauty regime, particularly now that the summer is here. After all I want to look presentable at least in public ( Tesco’s doesn’t count LOL)!

To find out how I turn from drab to fab, during a stinking hot summer ( Who am I kidding, this is England, welcome to Rainville) read on below for Faded Spring’s very own summer beauty regime.

Get ‘dem brows’ on fleek 

Everyone knows that without threading my eyebrows would be a sorry mess. In fact last month I did not have a single shoot and as I ‘time’ my threading sessions in alignment with my shoots, it was safe to say that my eyebrows were getting hairier by the minute. I was starting to look less like Faded Spring and more like those furry eyebrows you get in joke shops and trust me that is not a good look. Of course some do prefer going au nauturel and they look freaking great but for me, who is conscious of having ‘dark hair’ and a self-confessed perfectionist, even a few stray hairs is enough to send me up the s**tter! I am lucky enough to live in East London, where getting your eyebrows (and lip threaded) is as cheap as £6 a go, but when I was going to university near Kingston, I was paying £12-14 so getting your eyebrows threaded is priced per location rather than what you are actually getting done.

I realize that for some they may prefer ‘waxing’ but ever since I was 16 I have been getting my eyebrows threaded and it has enabled me to create a more defined eyebrow arch as opposed to the sparse straggly mess I had before I started attending to my brows.  As well as getting my brows threaded on a fortnightly- three week basis, I also have semi-permanent eyebrows and fill in my brows with brow gel.

Shop The Eyebrows On Fleek Look Below

I seem to have phases where I will wear nail polish and months when I don’t bother at all. These days though, I am more likely to have my toe nails painted (as I like to wear open toe shoes like sandals) than my fingers but that is generally down to laziness rather than personal preference. When I do wear nail polish I have a penchant for autumnal and pastel colours, whereas on the rare occasion I get my nails done professionally, I opt for shellac, which usually lasts a week to 10 days, depending on what activities I am doing during that time. Of course while I like to have simple colours as opposed to nail art ( I can barely paint my nails never mind create nail art) I love how extra some people can be in getting their nails looking super fly.

I was actually recommended by a self-confessed nail-enthusiast to get my very own gel nail kit, which she said would give me salon-style nails that would be minimal but at the same time make a statement. Gel nail kits can be expensive but the professional packages like Ellisons professional gel nail kit give nail artists everything they need to pamper you.

Wear Bright Eye Colours & Contrast With A Nude Lip

One of the main reasons why I will use a yellow, gold or bronze eyeshadow on the lid, with a contrasting darker colour above is because it works ‘better for street art shoots’ but it is also because it feels ‘lighter’ and fresher for my summer beauty regime. When I first started blogging I would wear ‘blacks and browns’ which were too harsh and did not compliment my skin tone. Because I have olive skin and dark eyes, bright colours like orange and yellow help my peepers to stand out. While I love a red lip, I am more likely to rock a nude lip, as it is a lot easier to wear in the summer. Wearing ‘bright coloured eyeshadow’ and contrasting it with a nude lip helps bring balance to the summer beauty look. Not to mention what a pain in the ass a darker lip can be to re-apply, even with the help of baby wipes.

Shop The Bright Eyeshadow Look

Get Yourself Some Golden Glow

Whether its fake tan or a generous sweeping of bronzer, a fake bake does wonders for achieving that effortless holiday glow. As I already have tanned skin, I don’t use fake tan but I do use a bronzer on the apples of my cheeks to create contoured definition and bring some colour into my sallow skin tone. For some, a tinted moisturizer works just as well but for those who are ‘blessed’ with oily skin, we all know that ‘matte’ does nothing for that ‘sweaty sheen’ we seem to sport, thus a powder will help mattify and reduce the oiliness to make you look ‘glowy’ rather than sweaty. For those who want to achieve a glow, even when on holiday a holiday SPF with tinted moisturizer will do a great job of allowing you to capture those delightful sunrays and turning into a gorgeous golden goddess.

Shop The Bronzed Look

Avoid Overwashing Your Hair 

I used to have this terrible habit of washing my hair everyday, because I have an oily scalp and hated the feeling of ‘greasy hair’. What I was actually doing though was stripping my hair of all the essential oils and nutrients it needed to ‘feed the hair’ and over time my hair became dry and brittle. Now I tend to wash my hair every 2-3 days which means that my hair gets a break in between washes. I have also gone cruelty free as some of you might know from reading my quest for cruelty free skincare so finding a shampoo that is ‘non toxin’, cruelty free and good for the hair has been difficult so if you have any suggestions please pop them down below!

Shop The Perfect Hair Look

*Disclaimer

Please note this is a collaborative post in conjunction with Ellisons, but this does not affect my opinions and all views are my own.