Feature: Beauty and Wellness

Get That Mum Bathing Glow

Also sun safety, yada yada yada. 

Full disclosure: I’m the first to admit that, even though UVA and UVB rays have been proven to increase the risk of everything from wrinkles to skin cancer, I love when my freckles darken and my skin gets bronzy.  It makes me feel 16 again – lifeguarding by day, hanging out at late night driving ranges by night (yes I did that, yes I was a total nerd) and giving (almost) zero fucks.  I did wear SPF back then (most summer days…) but now I’m far more vigilant about it, like, every damn day in my moisturiser vigilant – and so should you be!  But then, how do you stop yourself from looking like the colour of a peeled potato come spring and summer?  And what if, like me, you live in the UK and opportunities for vitamin d and melanin overload are few and far between? On top of all that, what if, like me, you’ve got a little critter crawling all over you, tearing your reading materials apart and throwing balls at you in an effort to play some sort of proto football? 

FAKE IT!

There are some awesome products out there, and some awesome tutorials.  Into the Gloss just did a fantastic ‘how to’ piece which is well worth a look.  I have to say though, they cater less to the mum bathing rushed-off-their-feet-slapping-some-bronzer-on-and-hoping-for-the-best crowd than they do to the well-moisturised-young-millenial-with-lots-of-time-for-self-care crowd, which is where I enter stage left with my own humble recommendations for achieving similar looks with fewer products and less time.

Before delving into these looks I’d like to note that moderate sun exposure is actually healthy and necessary, especially if you’re in a northern climate.  The key is avoiding over exposure.  15 minutes daily between 11am and 3pm is essential for vitamin d production in particular.  It’s worth looking into, as well as understanding your skintype. 

So, the looks and the products:

Fresh From the Beach

This is a little sweaty, a little pinky-red and a little bronzy. 

What I use:

RMS Buriti Bronzer

RMS Lip2Cheek in Rapture

Glossier Haloscope in Quartz (or RMS Living Luminizer)

Glossier Balm Dot Calm – optional

Glossier Cloud Paint in Dusk – optional

What I do:

First I go through my regular routine, applying SPF (obvs).  I am currently using Antipodes Immortal SPF 15 moisturiser.  It’s quite good, sinks in well after an initial greasy stage and works great under make up, which is crucial.   

I then go in with any skin tint or foundation if I feel like I’d benefit from it that day, and then I apply the glow:

Start with a sheer illuminator (e.g. Haloscope or Living Luminizer) high on the cheek bones, across the brow bone, down the nose and on the cupids bow (inner corners of eyes optional, I tend to think it’s a bit of a faff for relatively little payoff).  Then on top of that apply your bronzer of choice, liberally.  Don’t be afraid here – blend downwards and really buff out the edges (I use my fingers).  You want to hit everywhere you put your sheer illuminator PLUS the three high points of your forehead (i.e., the middle and the two sides up at an angle from your brow bones).  I also daub whatever little bit is left on my fingers onto my chin.  After the bronzer, go in with the pinky/reddy/brown – this requires a light touch; remember, you can always add more but taking away is a ball ache.  I use the RMS Lip2Cheek in Rapture on the inside apples of my cheek and then pat it all across my nose, following where my freckles are naturally.  Repeat until you’re happy with the amount of product.  Daub some of that Lip2Cheek on your lips as well to give them a reddy plumpness. 

DONE!

For bonus points, I also add some nude blush (Cloud Paint in Dusk), as well as some balm (Balm Dot Com) on the highest points of my cheekbones to go a bit OTT on that sort of sweaty, sort of moist definitely glowing look. 

Back From Holiday

So you’ve returned, smug and golden from your beach holiday where your relatives and/or partner did the bulk of child minding so you could relax in the sun with a book.  No?  Here’s how to fake it:

What I use:

RMS Buriti Bronzer

RMS Magic Luminizer

Glossier Cloud Paint in Dusk

What I do:

Normal routine/SPF/Skin tint or foundation if desired and as above.   Then:

Because this is a bit more of a settled tan look, apply the RMS Magic Luminizer to your cheekbones, brow bones and bridge of your nose.  This is a nice rose gold base, which works well with the bronzer and helps it to look a bit deep and more mature.  Sort of like you.  Over that, apply a generous helping of RMS Buriti Bronzer in the same way as above, really working it into your skin and buffing the edges to blend.  Apply your nude blush over the top (Cloud Paint in Dusk in my case) et voila.  How was your trip to Sorrento?   

I Spend Loads of Time Outside Enjoying Copius Amounts of Coffee in the Park, Staring Adoringly into the Pram Where My Perfect Child Slumbers While I Safely and Slowly Develop a Healthy Glow

This is more aspirational, but fake it ‘til you make it and all that. 

What I use:

RMS Buriti Bronzer

RMS Magic Luminizer

RMS Lip2Cheek in Smile

Ilia Beauty Balm in All Your Gold*

What I Do:

Normal routine/SPF/Skin tint or foundation if desired and as above.  Then:

Apply the Ilia Beauty Balm either onto bare moisturized skin or over your skin tint/foundation.  It is a rich but exceedingly sheer formula that feels so good on the skin, and sits amazingly over a tint or foundation.  I know it sounds crazy but it works so well.  I did it accidentally once and it was a revelation.  On top of that, apply your magic luminizer and then bronzer.  This really settled tan, which is the product of long and slow exposure over time, calls for a bit of maverick application.  I’ve found that patting it all around my hairline, ensuring it’s well blended with my skin and also lightly applied along my jaw line creates a really soft halo effect and warms up the whole face more uniformly.  After the bronzer a little bit of RMS Lip2Cheek in Smile – a corally/pink colour – and you’re golden.  Pun intended. 

Any of these products can be replaced with whatever your go-to’s of the same type are.  I do recommend cream based products that are sheer and buildable for these looks.  I’ve also focused solely on face make-up as I love bare lids with bronze skin.  However, I will occasionally daub some bronzer or magic luminizer onto my lids, though mostly I let them look fresh and pop against the bronze of my make-up.  If you’d like though, a nice swipe of warm brown creamy eyeliner, not too perfectly done, with some brown mascara will really drive home the point and provide a nice increase in drama for those cocktails you’ll be having after your day at the beach.  Oh, just bedtime and wine on the sofa?  That’s okay – you’re glowing. 

 *So sad but I think this might be discontinued, I just ran out too!!

Written by Mallory @the_parlour_hackney