Confused as to which lip colour will be hot for summer or whether to wear a braid or a bun? Susannah Taylor has the definitive guide to looking hot in the heat
1. Do the mighty flick
The French Vogue fashion editors have been rocking the mighty flick forever. Forget hair that’s neatly divided or coaxed into a parting, theirs is thrown to one side in the way it would be in the throes of passion. The result? Super sexy, wreckless hair.
2. Rock some hair jewels
I know K Middy wouldn’t approve, but if you’re going to a wedding, my advice is to ditch the hat this summer and wear some hair jewels instead. Golden hair bands looked ethereal and pretty at Dolce and Gabbana worn with softly textured, dishevelled up-dos, or go for a vintage hair clip. Try the Cochana hair clip from Anthropologie or their Summer Garden Hair Clip for boho beauty.
3. Take the central line
If you’re stuck for summer hair inspiration and always wear your hair in a side parting, then for a change move yours to the middle. It doesn’t have to be neat (actually better if a bit haphazard), but a centre parting will always evoke Bardot/ Fawcett/ Shrimpton hotness in one super fast beauty manouvre.
4. Get an appetite for orange
Wear it on lips, tips, toes and cheeks - this summer’s hottest shade is most definitely orange. If you dare, slick on a bright lipstick like the models at DKNY with clean, perfected skin, or for the orange averse, try Clinique’s Chubby Stick in Heftiest Hibiscus, a sheer, very wearable tropical shade. For nails, my favourites are Chanel’s Le Vernis in Holiday (a vibrant flaming orange) or Orange Fizz, a pretty pale tangerine.
5. Do tippex tips
If you want to be really directional this summer, wear your nails white. As seen at many spring/ summer shows, white nails look amazing worn with gold whether they be sandals on feet, or gold rings on hands. For maximum impact, add a tan. Try James Read’s Instant Bronzing Spray for streak free hands and feet and Kure Bizarre Nail Polish in Le Blanc .
6.The bronze smokey eye
Does your smokey eye repertoire consist of some liquid liner or a rubbing of kohl along your lashes? This summer, instead of using pencils, experiment with a blended bronze eye instead as seen at Gucci. My absolute favourite product right now is Chanel’s Illusion D’Ombre in Mirage, a beautiful shimmering, metallic brown. Shade over your lid and under the eye – you can build up the colour from subtle for day to dramatic for evening.
7. Mix uber brights with beige
Every summer bright makeup comes around again, and this summer will be no exception. However the way to update your look for 2014 is to play up one feature with brights and another with beige or nude shades. For example, wear cobalt blue eyeliner with a nude beige lip, or an orange lipstick with camel-coloured lids. Beautiful. Bobbi Brown has the best nudes selection in beauty from lip glosses to eyeshadows.
8. Underdo the self tan
I can’t state this enough - a mahogany tan looks really, seriously outdated now, and dare I say it - ageing. I’m not saying everyone should look like a milkmaid but perhaps it’s time to opt for a lighter gradual self tanner such as St Tropez Gradual Tan Every Day Mousse which develops into a believable golden glow.
9. Join the Braidy Bunch
Who says we can’t have fun with our hair? There are no rules. If you’re going to a fun, relaxed event – a BBQ, a festival or a beach party say, then why not experiment with a braid? All over this season’s catwalks, there are various styles to choose from, from the fishtail plait to cornrow braids, but my favourite to do fast on yourself is the halo braid which is a French plait running around the hairline. It takes some practice, but once you have the hang of it you can do it in the dark and remember - it doesn’t have to be neat.
10. Blush Beautifully
One easy way to update your beauty arsenal fast is to tweak the colour palette. This summer, swap your usual rose coloured blusher for a coral, peach or an apricot shade to create a less traditional look. Cream blush is the easiest to apply – just smudge and glow. Try Topshop’s Cream Blush in Flush , or Becca’s Beach Tint in Grapefruit .