The Lazy Girls Guide To Being Cool as a Cucumber
The Lazy Girls Guide

The Lazy Girls Guide To Being Cool as a Cucumber

That’s actually the opposite of how I’m feeling.

I like a nice bit of sunshine. Picnics by the river. Fanning yourself gently with a sun hat as you rest in the shade while someone brings you freshly squeezed lemonade. Sunny days that feel like these pictures look. Relaxed, a gentle breeze. Lovely.

Only that’s not actually what the weather’s been like. It’s overcast, occasionally rainy, and incredibly muggy and humid at times.

I don’t know if you are sharing my weather woes this week, but regardless, I thought a few tips for maintaining a cool, calm and collected exterior in humid weather would be quite timely in mid August. People go on holiday after all……

I’d also love to hear your tips for staying cool. I’m a terrible one for immediately turning into a mess of lank, clammy, shiny disgustingness the minute the humidity rises a few percent, so I want to hear any hidden secrets you have!

Hair

Humidity doesn’t agree with hair. Curly hair turns to frizz and straight hair turns lank and any attempt to curl it is destined to fail.

The obvious answer, an up do. Keeping your hair off your neck and face will also stop it getting sweaty and therefore convince people that you are really a cool and glamorous woman, utterly impervious to heat and humidity.

Suggestions are my own quick pin up do (which I did really badly in the video!) and Caseys Elegant Musings chic high bun. If you’ve got a bit more time and feel a little more glamorous then a curled “poodle” up do is ideal. (I don’t have a tutorial, but there’s one in the Style Me Vintage book I reviewed here). Even a pony tail can be glammed up with a hair flower and short hair can be pinned and slicked, just keep it off your face and neck.

THINGS TO AVOID

  • Tumbling Curls – beautiful on models in photoshoots. On a humid day a recipe for sticky sweaty hell and / or completely straight hair by lunch time
  • Too much product – Essentially anything that needs a quarter ton of hair spray to hold it in place. It can melt and make your hair and scalp feel scummy.
  • Hats – Might seem like a good idea, and on a normal sunny day they may be. In humid weather you’ll find they make your forehead sweaty and your hair lank, leaving you stuck in an uncomfortable hat all day.

Make Up

Trying to look glamorous while sweat is cutting deep furrows through your foundation leaving different coloured rivulets is nigh on impossible. If your skin is up to it I recommend skipping foundation altogether and embracing your natural (ish) glow. Something like a mattifying primer (I currently use this No 7 Shine Free one), combined with a little powder and concealer will provide enough coverage for most people.

Swap powder formulations for liquids and tints. BeneFit Benetint is pricey, but goes a long way. It’s excellent for cheeks and can be used as a lip stain too. Heavy creamy textures can also melt more, you’ll find your lipstick can bleed, your eyeliner end up creating a shadow on your top lid and creeping under your eyes. Carry cotton buds and a mirror for emergency tidy ups or leave them out all together. If you favour a “vintage” look you can still look very vintage with no eyeliner and rose lipstick, it’s all about the hair and outfit. Remember, red is not the only colour…..

Carrying tissues or blotting papers is another good idea. They’ll remove shine without clogging up your skin or clumping up like powder can.

My final suggestion is a skin mist. I’ve been carrying Simple Kind to Skin Moisture Boost Hydro Mist (which, was sent to me by Simple!) I love the smell of it and find it nice and light and it drys quickly without leaving me shiny or my skin tacky. In the past I have also used Lush toners as facial sprays, Evian sprays, or just a mini spray bottle with water and a touch of essential oil. My favourites are the Lush toners and the Hydromist as they smell lovely!

THINGS TO AVOID

  • Heavy, powdery formulations – They will clog as you sweat (sorry, as you *glow*) and clump up. They will also clog your pores and you will be spotty.
  • Eyeliner and lipstick running all over your face – Not attractive. Don’t wear it, or keep a close eye on it and clean it up. Adding a powder layer over cream can help stop this. Try patting powder eyeshadow over eyeliner, or dusting your lips with loose powder through a tissue.

Clothes

It’s tempting to turn to a shapeless kaftan, but actually lots of glamorous clothes can be nice and cool. Jumpsuits, wide leg trousers, chic cotton dresses with short sleeves and crisp cotton blouses can all be lovely and cool.

A quick tip – Modern poly cotton blends crease less easily in humid weather and mean you don’t have to iron them but will still look fresh as a daisy. Sneaky.

THINGS TO AVOID

  • Too tight busts and waists – High humidity can make you short of breath and if you can’t breath in your dress you’ll either panic or die. (maybe, you’ll definitely be uncomfortable though)
  • Synthetics – Anything with absolutely no “breathe” to it. Like pure 70s polyester. You’ll boil like boil in the bag rice, and then you and your lovely dress will stink.
  • Very high heels – and too tight shoes, and synthetic shoes with no stockings. You will have puffy, unattractive, achy feet. You’ll look way prettier in a nice low wedge sandal than you will hobbling home or barefoot. Trust me, I was that girl.

Final Tips

  • Drink lots of water – If you’re sweating, you’re loosing water and you’ll feel rubbish if you don’t replace.
  • Stay indoors – Find somewhere air conditioned, put on a fan and sit right in front of it, but stay out of the hottest parts of the day if you feasibly can.
  • Carry a hand fan – A proper paper one will make you feel quite glamorous and cool you down.
  • If you get really hot running the insides of your wrists under a cold tap can really help. Apparently the blood runs closer to the skin there and it cools you down from the inside (ick). This may be an old wives tale, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work! I also find that patting cold water on the back of my neck and chest makes me feel cooler and fresher temporarily. If you’re not near a cold tap then try using a face mist on the back of your neck, behind your ears, on your wrists and chest.
  • Lighten up your skin care routine. Avoid heavy creams when it’s humid as they could contribute to blocking your pores. Keeping products in the fridge is very refreshing when you’re hot and bothered as well.
  • Last year I wrote some tips on Summer Skin Care. They’re still relevant. Go look!

Now I’ve finished wittering on, I hope that was somewhat useful!

What’s your best tip? Do you have some super secret key to staying glamorous in the heat and humidity?

17 Comments

  • Bridestock Bride August 12, 2011

    Tinted moisturiser is my friend in hot weather! (Actually I

  • Bridestock Bride August 12, 2011

    Damn – posted before I was ready. Actually I use it all the time – but it provides just enough coverage. I also like to do up-dos when it’s hot – accessorising with a big quiff and a fake flower stuck in the side. Lovely post! 🙂 x

  • Roisin August 12, 2011

    Running cold water over your wrists might be an old wives tale but it does work, and it always helps quell the feeling of panic I get when it’s very humid. These are great tips – you’re exactly right about synthetic shoes as well!

  • I use tinted moisturiser during summer, never actual foundation, I know I’m pretty lucky cos I don’t have stuff to cover up (black circles or spots) but it helps a lot. I can’t even imagine wearing proper foundation in hot weather! In fact if I’m on my hols and have caught the sun a bit I just use powder, love it when I an do that!

  • Susan -Living Vintage August 12, 2011

    I have been doing lots of scarf rolls with my hair such as Miss Lina Sofia shows here
    http://spiffingsporadics.blogspot.com/2011/02/video-tutorial-for-scarf-back-roll.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SpiffingSporadicsOfAVintageGirl+%28Spiffing+sporadics+of+a+vintage+girl%29 Although I cheat a bit and put my hair in a hair elastic to before rolling as it seems to stay better for me. I lay off lots of make up and just go with some eyeliner, and lip stain instead of lipstick. I also like my snoods when it is really heated up.

  • Aislinn August 12, 2011

    Great post… might be a bit late seeing as how the british weather has turned as of late…. fingers crossed for more sun!

  • Lina Sofia August 12, 2011

    When I went on holiday recently where it was about 35C and very high humidity. I was totally unprepared for the extent to which I became a sweaty, sticky, dishevelled mess!! I couldn’t do my hair, couldn’t wear makeup and just felt icky and unglamorous all of the time! Horrible! Great tips here, I should have read this before my holiday! 🙂
    @Susan – thanks for mentioning my scarf roll! (embarrassing tutorial though, yuck!) I wear that a lot too.

  • Up Toon Girl August 12, 2011

    My two big tips are switching to very light mineral makeup during hot weather as it is budge proof and allows skin to breathe (I wear it in the gym and it still looks great when I’m done – maybe I’m not trying hard enough!).

    The other is similar to yours – avoid man made fibres like the plague. I won’t have anything apart from cotton, linen or silk next to my skin on sticky days.

  • Perdita August 12, 2011

    I agree with all your tips, also:
    -switch to a lotion moisturiser even if you usually use a cream (for example I switch from Nivea Soft tub cream to Nivea lotion in summer)
    -Clear spray-on sun lotions are much lighter and fresher than cream formulations.

    My favourite up do at the moment is a bun but with my usual parting. Less product (because the hair is going where it usually does) is needed and it gives a quite efficient ‘sexy secretary’ look. I love my hair down though, and with all the alice bands (some with flowers) in the summer sales it’s a good compromise for no sweaty face!

  • LandGirl1980 August 12, 2011

    All of these I try to stick to. Especially when in France recently. I wore my usual makeup on the way out – but ditched the foundation and eyeliner the next day due to the humidity. I stuck to Primer (I use Maybeline “The Smoother”. 1 pot had lasted me 2 mths so far – win!) and powder (MUA shade 1 – for a whole pound) and lippy. And an up do. Oh the UP do!!!

    Running cold water on your wrists does help 🙂 As does imagining that your feet are cold. Apparently,

  • Melanie August 15, 2011

    My best tip would be to live in Manchester, which doesn’t seem to have been affected by this problem lately.. 😉

    When I’m anywhere tropical I tend to live in loose cotton shirt dresses. Can’t buy enough of them..

  • Sara August 15, 2011

    Love, love, love your site! 🙂 In regards to sunscreen: I spend hours at a time out in the sun gardening, and can’t live without sunscreen (nor should I). My favorite is Neutrogena spray, specifically their “wet skin” line. Other brands like Aveeno & Coppertone left my skin sticky, attracting dirt & even lint from my clothing like a magnet! Ew. My secret trick is to apply spray sunscreen while standing naked in my shower (after shower, moisturizer, etc.). I’m able to make sure it’s thoroughly & evenly applied, without getting it all over the place. Just be sure to give the shower a quick rinse afterward because it can become pretty slick from the sunscreen! (I would’ve posted this on your Summer Skin article but the comments were closed).

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