Freshen up

Fresh, glowing skin is one of the most requested make-up looks I am asked to create.

A minimal make-up look is so popular in summer because it oozes good health but the reality is, most of us lack the confidence to be completely bare faced.

Cleansing

It is incredibly important to cleanse your skin — morning and night. Removing your make-up is the first step to cleansing. Use an oil-based product as this is the only thing that can break down the make-up. I love to use rosehip oil, as it also balances the skin’s pH levels as well. KORA Organics has a beautiful cold-pressed rosehip oil.

Follow this by using either a cream or gel cleanser, depending on the oil levels in your skin. In skin care today there is more emphasis placed on hydrating the skin, which is why the use of toners is not as popular.

Most toners generally contain a percentage of alcohol which is designed to dry the skin out, ready for the moisturiser to replenish it. But I’d recommend avoiding the toner and instead using a replenishing mist, which lightly rehydrates and calms the skin. It is so important to re-assess your skin, as it changes over the seasons, from day to night and as we get older. If you feel like your skin is changing, make sure to adapt your products to suit the changes.

Protection

The most important step for everyday glowing skin is sun protection. Most foundations are made with an SPF built into them, although this is only usually SPF25 or lower. With our harsh sun, we need a high SPF; I like 35+.

When it comes to skin-care products and make-up, don’t lock yourself to one brand over another. Don’t feel like the more you pay, the more you’ll get, and above all, do not give up on finding “the one” foundation for you.

Moisture

So, once you’ve cleansed and protected your skin, the next step is moisture. This can be a very confusing area for women because there are so many products on the market. I’ll try to break it down.

Despite their popularity, tinted moisturisers have always baffled me. I like to apply a moisturiser and know that this is going to give my skin hydration. I then like to apply my primer and know that it is protecting my skin. My foundation follows, to give me the desired coverage. So you can see how it confuses me to have the two in one.

BB creams go a step further as they combine all three — moisturiser, primer and foundation in one. Again, not really for me, but I can see the appeal for busy women.

The CC cream is designed to include everything a BB cream has, only with the benefit of sunscreen as well as anti-ageing properties. The CC cream is known to give a little extra coverage as well. You will notice that BB/CC creams do not come in multiple shades as foundations tend to. These products are designed to oxidise and naturally match to your own skin tone, which is why you will find a light-medium or a medium-dark as the predominant shades in most ranges.

Putting it all together to achieve the flawless minimal look, you will need:

- Sunscreen

- Primer

- A sheer foundation (only if you want one)

- A skin illuminator

- Blush or bronzer

- Brown mascara

- A sun protection lip balm

Step 1. Apply your sun protection, all over your face, neck and chest, before you apply anything else. Using a foundation brush and buff a pearl-sized amount of primer all over your face, focusing on the centre of the face outwards. Follow this with the application of your foundation — use less rather than more, making sure you are always buffing downwards. (We all have tiny hairs on our face and buffing upwards tends to make them stand up — not a good look!)

Don’t feel like you have to wear foundation every day — if you can get away with using a small amount of concealer and setting this with a dusting of powder, do so. I prefer to use lightweight products and build them up in the areas that need extra coverage.

Step 2. Using your fingertips or the tip of your foundation brush, dab and blend your skin illuminator on to all the high points of your face. If you are in a hurry, you can always mix your illuminator into your foundation — however, be careful not to create too much shine, especially if you are prone to having more oil in your skin. Place a small amount of the illuminator on to the cupid’s bow of your lips to give your lips an instant but subtle pout.

Step 3. Lightly buff a warm toned blush or bronzer on to the cheekbones, blending on to outer corners of the forehead and a tiny bit on to the jaw line. The skin has different tones, from naturally flushed cheeks to a tanned forehead and nose. As we apply foundation, we eliminate this natural, healthy pinkness and become one single shade.

With a fluffy blending brush, sweep your blush/bronzer through the eye socket in a backwards/forwards arching motion. Be sure to keep your eyes open, as this will naturally hold the brush in place to follow the contour of your true eye shape.

Step 4. Give your lashes some chocolate love and follow with a coat of chocolate brown mascara instead of a harsh black.

Step 5. Pat some blush on to your lips, seal the colour with a light layer of sun protection lip balm. If you place a small amount of gloss into the centre of the lips, this will make your lips appear fuller.

Dare to be bare this summer, keep your make-up soft and youthful. Too often, women are wearing much more foundation then they need — embrace your skin and be natural.