Beauty: Trying tropical colour for summer

Now is the perfect time to inject some colour into your summer makeup, reports Janetta Mackay.

Brights are perfect for pool parties, so kick off your heels and let your toes twinkle in a tropical colour.

Make sure you makeup kit contains an all-purpose balm and a hit of strong colour - opt for either a luscious lippy or a jolt of eyeliner in anything but black. If you're planning to take the plunge make sure the liner and mascara are waterproof.

We love crayons for their quick and easy application for summer face painting. They are perfectly in tune with the fresh, fun approach to appearance that works best for outdoors. Try them on eyes and lips.
A multi-tasking lip and cheek cream colour is another easy choice.

Keep your makeup base minimal, with just a dab of colour correction where needed. If you have not had time to work on a tan, then tide yourself over with a wash-off bronzer or a shimmering body oil for a hint of glow on the legs and banish any lingering facial pallor with a light dusting of illumination until healthy holiday colour takes hold.

For the beach, your only real essential is a good sunscreen, but adding a tinted lip protector and wearing a BB or CC cream with an SPF will not only improve your overhead armoury but also your appearance.

Bright ideas: products to try this summer

Tender Love + Carry Puff chevron weave cosmetics bag, $18.95; Smashbox Photo Op Eyeshadow Trio in Wavelength $55; Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte Lipstick in Calypso, $54; Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, $29; Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Turquoise, $14.99; Clinique Chubby Intense in Plushest Punch, $40; Stila Convertible Colour in Lillium, $52; Kester Black nail lacquer in Bubblegum, $20; Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Limited Edition Rose Gold, $86; Kismet Opulent Body Bronzer Lotion, $39.

Bronze Brigade

Add a burnished beauty with beautiful bronzers. Remember, the best way to contour is with a matte powder; a shimmering one works better as a highlighter or lightly brushed across the zones where the sun strikes for an all-over sun-kissed look.

Don't neglect your neck, the shaded skin under your chin is invariably paler than your sun-struck face and often your decolletage so warm up the bit in between just a little for a more integrated look.

This is better than trying to match your face to your neck and ending up unnaturally pale, especially if your chest has seen sun as well. But do avoid overdoing your efforts, as too much matte bronzer can look dull and dirty, which is why a little blush won't go astray as well.

Try: Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Powder Bronzer (in four shades), $76; Clarins Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact, $87; Maybelline Dream Terra Sun Bronzing Powder $19.99.

Beachy Scents

Save summer scent for indoors and the evenings, as too much wearing fragrance containing alcohol in direct sunlight can cause pigmentation on the skin. If you love to wear it during the daytime go easy on direct application to exposed areas such as behind the ears and on the decolletage, preferring instead more discreet pulse points or an all-over spritz you walk through. Another option is to use a scented body lotion instead.

Try: Armani Acqua di Gioia Eau Fraiche, $118; Bobbi Brown Beach, $115; Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche Skinscent, $143; The Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Mist, $24.

STOCKISTS Selected department stores and pharmacies, with Bobbi Brown from Britomart flagship stores also and Maybelline also at supermarkets, Rimmel also at some Kmart and Warehouse stores (ph 0800 604 604) and Clarins also at selected salons. Tender Love + Carry pharmacies only and mybeautystore.co.nz. Becca from Apotheka, Newmarket, apothekaboutique.co.nz and Lucy & the Powder Room, at the Department Store, Takapuna. Smashbox from Ponsonby Rd concept store and selected Life pharmacies, see smashboxcosmetics.co.nz. Stila from Mecca Cosmetica stores, see meccacosmetica.co.nz. Kester Black from selected boutiques and online and Kismet see glamourboutique.co.nz.

- VIVA