Freezing rain, blinding sun, bone-shaking wind, hair-curling humidity—any sort of drastic weather condition can put a cramp in your style. But we've got the expert tips that'll keep your hair, skin, and makeup looking great, no matter what the forecast says.For sunny destinations
Protect your hair
UV rays can turn your hair color, so brassiness is a big concern in sun-filled locations. Besides keeping your tresses covered, Luca Blandi, senior stylist at the Oscar Blandi Salon has a go-to tip: “I often tell my clients to dilute shampoo with a little water when they travel to new places. This prevents it from stripping your hair when combined with new water.” And that's key to keeping your color fresh and true.
Condition with coconut
When it comes to hair, post-sun-time is is when you want to reach for what Dr. Howard Sobel, director of skin and spa at the New York Institute of Aesthetic Dermatology and Laser Surgery, calls “super oil”: coconut oil. Yes, like the kind you get in the health-food aisle. Besides providing deep moisture, it helps to strengthen underlying tissues and remove excessive dead cells or flaky skin on the scalp. But, he warns. “A little bit goes a long way. Run just a dime-sized amount through hair down to your ends to hydrate from root to tip.” And as an added benefit, it also tames flyaways.
Don't forget these spots
When it comes to applying SPF, these areas are often forgotten: the neck, chest, hands, ears, and scalp. Simply reminding yourself to hit them with your regular face or body sunscreen will fix that problem for all those areas but one: the scalp, where you don't want a greasy liquid, especially in hot conditions. Dr. Sobel's solution? Dust a powder-based SPF along your hair part and on the other exposed areas of your scalp. One to try: Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral Powder SPF.
For the extreme cold
Give your hair some help
The dry air in colder climates can make your hair go limp and lifeless. And while volumizer can help, most ladies will concentrate it on their roots. But Blandi has another suggestion for times when you really need a bodifying assist: Mist it throughout the length of your hair. “It'll give it great lift and texture!”
Prep your skin
To get the best canvas for makeup, makeup artist Elle Leary advises her clients to switch to cream cleansers in very low temperatures. Why? “They are richer in hydration and in general don't have as many harsh detergents in them that make skin dryer.” Then she has them exfoliate three to four times a week with their favorite gentle facial scrub to prevent patchiness.
Go BB and CC
It's no wonder doing your makeup in humid spots seems harder, says Leary. “Makeup doesn't really work the way you are used too—it has a tendency to stick to dry spots and not blend into the skin very well.” Her suggestion? Skip your regular foundation and go for "BB" and "CC" creams (tinted moisturizers spiked with good-for-you ingredients and SPF), which let your skin breath and allow the natural glow of your skin to shine through. Then she says to skip blush—cheeks will be naturally flushed in low temperatures.
Think bold eyes
Here's something most women don't think about when it comes time to do their makeup in frigid conditions, says Leary: It's a safer bet to play up your eyes and leave your lips on the nude side. You see, since lips can get dehydrated, chapped and dry in cold weather, lipstick can settle into lines and cracks, despite your best efforts to keep them moisturized. So eyes it is. Just remember to stick to waterproof mascara and eyeliners in case your eyes tear up in those low temps.
For windy places
Tackle tangles
If you find yourself dealing with a knotted mess, here's Blandi suggestion: First, apply your favorite serum to the bottom half of your hair to give it some slip; then, very gently, work through it with a soft-bristle brush in sections, starting at the ends and working your way up to the roots. “Once it’s all detangled, put a few more drops of serum at the ends and secure your hair with a ponytail.”
Head off windburn
That red, ruddy, overly dry feeling you get in windy locations? “It's a combination of very cold temperatures and low humidity, causing a decrease in the natural oils found in the skin resulting in a dry, red, irritated texture,” says Dr. Sobel. So for skin that you can't comfortably keep covered, slather on an unscented moisturizer with SPF, and here's the key: Just like at the beach, you need to reapply every two hours to keep your skin both hydrated and protected from the sun's rays—an easy thing to forget without a crowd of bathing suits around you as a reminder!
Switch to blotting papers
Skin can still get oily in windy locations, which means you might find yourself needing a mid-day touch-up. But according to Leary, you need to skip powder, and instead use blotting paper to soak up any oiliness. The idea is to leave some oil on the skin for protection from the elements.
For humid or tropical locales
Tackle frizz
The war against frizz in humidity can be one tough battle. If serums and other products aren’t working, here's Blandi's trick: mousse. "It seals the cuticle and makes [the hair] more compact,” she says. Work it into wet hair and then dry as usual. Afterward, you can apply a serum or pomade for extra smoothness—just make sure to use a few drops only. Too much serum in dry hair gets greasy-looking really quickly.
Moisturize with a serum
When it comes to moisturizer, Sobel says humid climates call for serum formulations. “They still help to retain water into the skin which is needed in humid weather but won’t leave the skin feeling sticky or slimy.” So look for emollient formulations that are water-based or oil-free—they're lighter in texture and more likely to absorb into the skin quickly.
Melt-proof your makeup
Sure, you know to stay away from creamy formulas and reach for primer, but Leary has the real trick to getting makeup to stay in humid conditions: a setting spray like Merle Norman Expert Touch Finishing Spray. “They help the longevity by sealing the makeup and creating a small barrier between the skin and the environment,” she explains.
source: cntraveler
