Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Summer Skin


Whenever the weather starts to get a bit warmer, I'm the first to crack open the tinted moisturisers and lighter bases, and skin-permitting, I am much more of a fan of a barely there, natural look. For the last few months, however, as I'm sure you know, my skin hasn't been at it's best, which has left me reaching for medium-coverage foundations to hide a multitude of sins - otherwise known as unwanted hormonal breakouts.
With a few adaptations to my skincare routine (think AHAa), diet (lots more Omega 3 and minimal dairy), my complexion is looking a lot clearer now, and fingers crossed, is on the road to recovery. Currenty, I'm blemish free, so it's just a case of getting rid of the pesky scars that have been left behind (more on that in an upcoming post).
So, to celebrate my skin getting it's act together, I've been cracking out two of my favourite tinted moisturisers this week, the first of which being the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser SPF20 in the shade Sand (the fourth darkest out of twelve options). It's such a light product, and blends seamlessly into the skin, giving a polished, dewy finish while still looking completely natural. Sand is the perfect match for me at this time of year.
I must admit that, were I to repurchase this product I'd be tempted to give the oil-free version a try, as my t-zone does tend to start misbehaving later on in the day and I really don't want to be using powder on my skin when I'm going for the natural look.
Another favourite of mine is the Caudalie Teint Divin Creme Teintee Tinted Moisturiser. This one is SPF free, which I like in the sense that my skin isn't always the best of friends with SPF, but on the other hand it is a necessity, and I'm not a fan of including it in my skincare routine, preferring to get my protection from my makeup. That aside, this is another nice, light option. It does look alarmingly orange and a bit too dark when you first squeeze some out of the tube - this is only available in light/medium and medium/dark (mine being light/medium), but once blended out it provides a lovely summer glow, giving my skin an extra hint of colour without being too mask-like or overpowering. It does look surprisingly natural, as it does seem to adjust to the skintone to some extent, but a word of warning for the palest of ladies - this one might not be the best choice for you.
Until I got my hands on this at the end of last summer, I had no idea that Caudalie did any such products, and I'd love to see them dip their toe into the world of makeup a little bit more. I really enjoy using their skincare, and the standard is so good that I think they could be onto a winner if they were to branch out a little bit.
A quick word on BB and CC creams, if you're wondering why I haven't included any such products in my Summer picks: I'm not a fan. The BBs I've tried have been disappointing at best, leaving me looking washed out and grey. On the rare occasion that I have worn one out, I've been horrified to catch sight of myself in the mirror later that day and reached straight for my makeup bag to cover the damage. 
As for CCs, I was reluctant, but did decide to give one a go a couple of months back, holding out the tiniest bit of hope that they might be an improvement on BB creams. The result? A bright orange, broken out face. No thanks.

The full-size tube of Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser is available for £33 from Space NK.
A 30ml tube of the Caudalie Teint Divin will set you back £18, and is available from the Caudalie Website.

What are your favourite Summer products for glowing, radiant skin? Do you favour foundations, tinted moisturisers, or just going au naturel?

xx

12 comments:

  1. I swear by my Estee Lauder tinted moisturiser in the warmer months. I can't bear that matt powdered look when the weather is (suppose to be!) warmer. If I need a higher coverage if I've got something special on or a night out, I just put a smidgen of EL double wear light through my t-zone x

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    1. I love Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid - I've unfortunately just run out of it, which is a huge shame as it's so light but gives pretty good coverage at the same time - a very slight step up from a tinted moisturiser xx

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  2. I want to try the sleek tinted moisturiser because none of the drugstore brands carry my shade, i love mixing my moisturiser with a little foundation for a more natural look.

    In the summer i definitely prefer as close to natural as possible, especially on a hot day.

    BlogLovin' | BreezeyBee Blog | International Giveaway
    xoXo

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    1. Yes, the last thing you want on your skin is a thick layer of caked on foundation that is just going to melt off in the heat! Ugh. I curse the days when my skin is misbehaving and needs a bit more coverage! Ha xx

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  3. I either wear an Asian BB cream or LM's Oil-Free TM in summer. Though the Oil-Free one is a bit thicker (teeeny bit more coverage), but is not mattifying in any way (the colour is a bit darker as well than their Original). Have tried the Clinique CC Cream in John Lewis and really liked it though... Which one have you tried so far? x

    http://ravesndramblings.blogspot.com

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    1. I really want to try an Asian one as I hear they are a hell of a lot better than the ones we get. I tried the L'oreal Anti Fatigue CC, and it was sooo orange. Looked quite nice underneath something like the Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid, but it ended up breaking me out in places I don't break out anyway :(xx

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  4. I had a sample of the tinted moisturiser and absolutely loved it over the summer when I had more of a tan, lovely product. Don't u just hate... HATE hormonal breakouts! xx

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    1. Yep, more than I can express in words! Ha. I seem to have them constantly at the mo xx

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  5. I must admit I like my BBs Mel - current favourite being L'Oreal Perfect 10 - gives a bit of coverage but still looks natural. I'd like to say hormonal breakouts diminish with age but unfortunately not the case! xx

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    1. Hmm, maybe I just haven't tried the right ones, but I have been thoroughly unimpressed! I do like the sound of the new Clinique CC though, and as they do fab foundations I've got high hopes xx

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  6. I really wish I could wear more lighter base products like these, but I constantly seem so struggle with blemishes, that require much more coverage. I seem to never be able to move away from the foundations even in Summer :( xxx

    Gemma ♥ | Ɱiss Ɱakeup Ɱagpie

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    1. I used to live in them, but over the past few months my skin has been a nightmare and it's rare that I can go so bare-faced now too. Grr, hormonal breakouts!xx

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