Feel Confident In Your Skin This Summer

Summer is here, and this year it’s a hot one. When you’re not sitting in front of an electric fan eating ice lollies, this is the time of year when you’re out and about, going to summer parties and BBQs, and maybe even baring a little skin from time to time. This time of year can be rough on your self esteem – sometimes when other people are all over social media having a great time, you can feel left out and self-conscious, and it’s easy to forget that they have their own insecurities and problems too. Here are some tips on how you can feel confident in your own skin this summer.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE SUN

First and foremost, you need to prioritise protecting your gorgeous skin from the sun.  Of course you should be wearing products that contain SPF all day long, even in the winter when it looks cloudy outside, so this time of year you should be even more diligent about protecting yourself.

Go for a factor thirty sunscreen, or above, that you can put on underneath your makeup, and ensure that it will protect you from both UVA and UVB rays.  Make sure you let it sink in before you apply your moisturiser and then your makeup, and get one that you can spritz over your makeup so you can top up during the day.  Sun damage can cause wrinkles, discolouration and premature ageing, along with skin cancer in the long term, so you need to protect yourself against it.

Go for a hat to cover your head – is there anything more painful and terrible than being sunburned along the parting in your hair? – and sunglasses with UV protection.  Take a cotton cover-up if you’re going to be outside during the hottest part of the day – just make sure it’s in a light colour so it doesn’t absorb too much heat!  Linen shirts for women that can be flung on over any outfit for some extra chic vibes would be ideal.

BOOK SOME SELF CARE BEAUTY TREATMENTS

There is no better time of year than summer for a beautiful pedicure and manicure.  A little bit of self care can go a really long way towards boosting how you feel about yourself; taking some time out for YOU is so important.  Get those nails done so that they look lush in your sandals, and make sure that you moisturise your feet when you get out of the shower or every night before bed so that they aren’t dry.  I use foot peel socks and an electric file to keep them super smooth too!

If you’re going on holiday and you’re going to be wearing a swimsuit,  I’d recommend going for a wax so you don’t have to deal with any hair removal products while you’re away or, you could always consider laser hair removal as another option.  I’ve been having laser hair removal for a number of months now and its making a big difference!

Finally, make sure that you use conditioning masks so that your locks stay shiny, healthy and undamaged by the sun.

BREATHE LIFE INTO YOUR SUMMER WARDROBE

When summer rolls around, it can be tempting to dig out the summer clothes that you’ve had for years – we’ve all got the ones, usually kept in suitcases until the first sunny day appears, at which point we bare our pale legs in a pair of slightly faded shorts that we haven’t worn for a couple of years.  But this summer, ditch those clothes, swap them with your friends, whack them on eBay or take them to the charity shop and go for some different pieces instead: think of them as an investment so you can stay as stylish during the summer as you do all year round.  This year neon is in, but even if that doesn’t appeal to you, go for bright colours and gorgeous prints or a monochrome look with pops of colour/metallic.

Go for a couple of long maxi dresses that you can fling on – you can wear them with flip flops to the supermarket and you can also dress them up with some jewellery if you’re going out.  I added a gorgeous dress to my summer collection with Curvissa that’s available in black and fuchsia.  Its the PERFECT option for summer, even if I do say so myself!

If you’re afraid of painful chub rub – and aren’t we all? – then I would recommend the iRelief stick by Ivyverdure (I do work with them on Instagram from time to time but I’m mentioning it here because it really is my go-to solution for chub rub!) and you can use the code LAURA15 for discount.

STAY HYDRATED

There are few things worse during the summer than those banging headaches brought on by dehydration – you feel faint, sick and shaky, and it takes a while to recover. It’s important to drink as much water as you can when it’s warm outside – when you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Keep a reusable water bottle in your bag and drink from it as often as you can. If you don’t really like the taste of water, stay away from sugary fizzy drinks and juices – instead, add a diffuser to your water bottle along with some slices of citrus fruits or berries for some added fresh flavour.  I bought mine on good ol’ Amazon.

Summer is all about living and loving, so it’s time to turn to yourself for validation – your opinion is the only one that really matters.  Enjoy the sun, blast some upbeat Lizzo tunes, and get out there to have some fun!  You’ve got this!