You gotta admit, it’s pretty damn hot these days, and there’s nothing worse than spending time on your makeup only to have it melt on you the moment you step outside. So here’s a few tips I’ve been using that will sure keep you looking like a sun-kissed goddess with minimal effort:

1. Take the time to prime

Primers are great because it helps take the shine away from your face, smooth fine lines while acting as a silicone layer between your skin and your makeup. My favourite find has been the MAC Prep + Prime which also comes in an SPF version.

2. Lessen the load

Rather than going for a heavy coverage foundation, opt for oil-free or water-based products that will feel lighter on the skin. Try Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer or Max Factor’s Liquid Touch Illuminating Liquid foundation, which make you feel like you’re not wearing any makeup at all. 

Summer is a long awaited season for most of us, but this is also the season which can bring the most damage and for skin and cause “photo-aging” later in result. The damage is caused by several “burdens” for skin in summer - strong heat, dryness, dust, excessive sweat clogging the pores, air conditioners. So to protect and care for skin in summer, the seasonal regimen needs to be focused on 3 main actions: Gentle Cleansing, Hydration and Protection.

Cleansing

Cleansing skin should be very very thorough in summer, as the grease and oils combined with dust can form an invisible, yet thick layer on skin. In summer we absolutely have to avoid harsh scrubbing, peeling or whitening procedures. These would overexpose and make skin and pores vulnerable to heat, sweat, dust and might cause a major skin breakouts and acne.Gentle, cleansing scrubs (the best is natural solution such as crushed almond or apricot kernel seeds, crushed flax seeds, crushed walnuts with some nourishing oils) once a week is fine. Also herbal or green tea steam for face is very beneficial.

Welcome to my world: the world of fashion and make up.  For as long as I could remember as soon as a new issue of Vogue, Allure, Instyle, Bazzar or Elle would be on the stands, I would buy every issue and just study the models’ faces, and wonder how they would do that specific smoky eye or the classic 1920s look. So ten years ago, I took up a make up course and realized that it wasn’t as difficult as it seemed.So when I was asked to write monthly fashion and make up blogs giving tips on how to apply make up and what products to use, I couldn’t be more enthusiastic!Today’s blog is about foundation and its misconceptions.Having spoken to many friends and random chicks I’ve been meeting lately, I’ve realized that many of you don’t use foundation. Now this is really interesting to me (and perhaps to many other makeup artists) because foundation is a fundamental step to applying make up. And when you find the right one that suits your skin type and tone, it should feel as though you’re not wearing any make up at all.

Summer is about baring skin and showing off the beautiful (fake) summer tan you have. But in order to look good baring that skin, you need to take some time to ready your skin and reverse the signs of neglect you showed your skin during fall, winter and spring.

Knock of each step on my skin care tips for glowing skin and you'll be ready to pull out your favorite summer dress or bikini in no time flat. Most of the products mentioned in the article I buy from the well-known beauty online store strawberrynet.com, which I also recomment to you.

So here goes my ultimate list of 10 skin care tips for glowing skin in summer:

After moving to Shanghai I noticed a huge difference to my skin and hair, and unfortunately that difference wasn’t a good one!  I am sure most of you have suffered from dry skin and lifeless hair after having a shower in the metal-filled / chlorine soaked Shanghai water…  For almost two years I have been using a ShowerBaby in my bathroom and it makes a big difference!  My skin is nowhere near as dry and my hair is actually shiny!  The ShowerBaby removes over 95% of the chlorine and heavy metals out of your water, which in the end helps your skin to stay nice.

The company that sells these also sells other products that can be used in your kitchen or when you are washing your clothes.  They can also test your apartment water to let you know what scary things are lurking within.  They were the most highly recommended company when I started doing some research about options to help improve my health in this city.

I found a facial place that is really good and definitely worth a visit! They do extraction (not many places in Shanghai do that) and they also can do things like Microdermabrasion. They have treatments for both men and women. This is a new spa and is a totally different concept to your normal Spa’s - the design is very modern and it has different functions like being able to listen to your own music while receiving a treatment, etc. They have very good deals on at the moment, because of being new. Their memberships also have another great benefit, which I haven’t found at any other places in Shanghai and that is that you can go in with one or two friends instead of having to pay for the whole thing yourself!

With a membership Connie said facials will range from 140 – 400rmb and massages start from 75rmb! Definitely not a bad deal for a western style Spa in Shanghai.