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Summer Beauty Tips
How to look your best through the searing heat of summer this June

It's only June and you have an entire summer in front of you. With the proper care, it could just be your brightest period. Here are Oman Today's hot tips for a beautiful summer:

Summer hair care
If you spend lots of time outdoors and want to spice up your look naturally, try combing a little lemon juice through your hair. The sun will lighten those strands faster, giving you a sun-streaked look. It's also easier on your budget than any salon highlight that you could get.

Be sure to deep condition your hair at least once a week, especially if you swim a lot. Hair tends to become dry, dull and brittle if it is soaked and dried too often. If you like to swim lengths, try putting on some leave-in conditioner under your swim cap to help ward off damage from the chlorine in pools or salt water.

Summer skincare tips
Be gentle with summer skin. Skin is more tender in the summer due to excessive sun exposure. When your skin gets a tan, it's actually a defence mechanism against the harmful rays – it's trying to create a protective shield by darkening. The skin also dries out more as the sun's rays go through many layers of skin, so you don't want to use aggressive products.

It may be hip to be tanned, and it does tend to camouflage a great many imperfections, but don't deep-fry your skin for the sake of fashion. Your best bet is a high quality bronzer in a bottle. Remember to use a facial scrub prior to application to slough off any dead skin cells. You may also want to use a pair of gloves, lest your palms turn orange!

If you spend lots of time outside, be sure to use sunscreen with a minimum rating of SPF 15. The cancer-preventing benefits are obvious, but protection is also a must for those of us who don't want to look old before our time.

Make sure that you are adequately hydrated – at least eight glasses of water a day and even more when you are outside. Our body does not always tell us how much water we need. If you ignore your need for fluid, you feel more tired, but you'll notice a glass of water makes you more energised, so it's a vital source of energy. Water also helps flush the skin of toxic matter.

If you do burn, apply aloe vera or lotions containing it. This will cool and soothe your skin and help you to heal faster. You could also try a mix of a pint of milk and a pint of cold water with a tray of ice cubes. Soak a washcloth in the mixture and apply it to your face for five minutes.

For a quick skin boost in the sun, fill a misting bottle with a little bit of toner and water, and spray your face and body for a quick cool off. Just remember to close your eyes so you don't risk burning them.

Use eye cream. You squint a lot in sunlight, even when you wear sunglasses. The skin around your eyes is especially delicate and can start to develop fine lines and wrinkles at an early age. Dab the cream lightly under your eyes and smooth out toward the sides of your face.

Give yourself a face mask. Treat your skin to a mask once a week during the summer. It's cooling, soothing, and gives your skin a pick-me-up, making it look fresher.

Summer make-up tips
Accentuate your glowing skin by brushing on a light shimmering powder instead of a heavy foundation. You don't want to appear like you are melting under the hot sun. A hot look on a bronzed face is shiny lip-gloss.

If you are wear mascara, try a waterproof. This way you will avoid 'raccoon eyes' when you are perspiring. Don't forget the must-have partner, eye make-up remover, or else you really will end up with the dreaded dark circles.