No one panic. There are six weeks until Christmas.

Your diaries, inboxes and iCals are probably starting to overflow with invites to festive events. Multiple diary dates call for a little extra streamlining of your skincare routine and perhaps adding some products with a little more oomph.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The key to glowing skin is a beautiful base. Forget layers of cover that need constant touching up – a luminous complexion is the perfect blank canvas for easy day-to-night looks.

Perhaps it’s cliché, but well-hydrated skin is possibly the best thing you can wear during the party season. Everything applies better to skin that is hydrated and nourished. Skincare will soak in like it should. Makeup will glide onto the skin better, and last throughout the day. So make sure you drink water throughout the day, as per usual, but also drink it throughout the night too. Not only will you avoid a sore head in the morning, but you’ll keep your skin clear. I personally aim for 3 litres a day! For added benefit, I will often add a Proplenish sachet to my water. This natural, marine collagen plumps the skin from the inside out. I have had many clients comment that after a few weeks they notice their skin is more hydrated, glowy and their hair and nails are stronger. Plus, it can be added to your morning smoothie of a cup of tea.

When I need a bit more oomph, I take the time to do a facial massage as I rub in my oil or cream. It helps to stimulate your blood’s circulation, which leaves your complexion all plumped up and radiating. There’s a great online tutorial here.

Make sure you take off all your make-up every night with a gentle cleanser before applying a night cream or serum. Emerald Elixir is basically magic – it helps reduce pigmentation and increases hydration. I’d recommend using it before something like the Daily Dose Cream.

Finally, set aside one night a week that’s off limits. This is your new spa night. Use it to give your skin (and liver!) a rest, redo your nails, wash your hair and wear a mask. I love the clay-based Glow Mask, which draws out impurities and gently exfoliates.

And if you need a fuss-free easy makeup kit to take you from office to party, a few of my favourites:

RMS Beauty Un-Cover Up (Available at Mecca)

I love this for its natural and “no makeup” look. Pop a little where you need it most and you’re set.

RMS Living Luminizer

When your skin isn’t quite the level of glow you want, this is the next best thing!

Ilia Lipsticks

When you need a little extra oomph, a pop of colour from these natural lipsticks is just what a girl needs!

Anyone who has known me or had a Kindred Toxin Free ritual will know I have a thing for beautiful, natural skincare. What you might not know is that I personally test every single product I endorse for months before putting online in the Kindred store. I get feedback from clients (everyone has different skin, after all) and the products you see in the store are only ones I absolutely love and would use myself.  

So I hope you’ll believe me when I say that I’ve found the magic combination to prime your skin for the heat! Summer brings all sorts of sticky, sweaty make-up woes, so I thoroughly believe in simplifying your routine and perfecting your base. Basically, healthy, glowing, hydrated skin doesn’t need a tonne of make-up. So get ready for your best skin ever! 

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Always and Always: Rose Mist 

Providing hydration and saturation, I use this morning, night and during the day as I need it. Hydrosol-based mists are your best friend in summer and help draw your other skincare goodies deep into your skin. Use underneath your morning and night products to hydrate without adding extra oil. For anyone working in an air-conditioned office this one is also a great addition to your desk. Spray throughout the day to refresh and rehydrate skin.  

Morning: Ultra Light Day Cream

This silk-like serum was especially formulated for Queensland summers! With no heavy residue, it’s incredibly moisturising without feeling thick on your skin. I like to use it with the rose mist. If you are quite dry, you can use it every night as well. 

Night: Balance Oil 

Use this oil nightly with rose mist. We do all our healing at night, so just one pump is enough – and give yourself a facial massage while you are at it! The Balance Oil contains 'dry oils' and essential oils to help balance out an oily or normal oily skin type. If you have scarring/pigmentation, dehydrated skin, acne, fine lines or are 30+, top it up with some Emerald Elixir too. 

Weekly: Glow Mask

Draw out impurities with this clay-based mask, which includes enzymes to gently exfoliate. Use it once a week and wipe away with a bamboo facial towel. Don’t use around the eye area or on very sensitive skins. For drier skins, add a drop of balance oil to the face before you put this on. It won't draw out as much, but you will still benefit from the glow. Keep this mask hydrated – use the rose mist to spray over it every 5 minutes so it doesn't dry out completely.  

Of course, you can always up the ante and use Emerald Elixir after misting, and before any moisturiser or oil, for the powerhouse of goodness that it is. It helps reduce pigmentation, scarring and increases hydration. I recommend this to all women 30+ – so if you have any scarring, acne or pigmentation starting in your 20s, get onto it now! 

Exfoliation isn’t just important for dry winter skin – our cells are constantly renewing, and light, regular exfoliation keeps those fresh new babies at the forefront of our skin, which leads to a glowing complexion. 

Facial peels do this exfoliation without the (gentle!) scrubbing normally associated with exfoliation. Let’s have a look at the different options… 

AHAs 

There’s a whole world of natural AHAs or fruit acids that give the skin a wonderful exfoliation. Think malic acids from apples; lactic acid from soured or buttermilk, yoghurt, honey and bilberries; citric acid from all types of citrus fruit; and tartaric acid from grapes, berries, honeysuckle and red wine! It has what’s known as a chemically exfoliating effect – it dissolves intercellular ‘glue’ within the skin, which encourages dead cells to shed. It can also make your living cells shed, which is why they’re associated with sun sensitivity and sometimes even pain and scabbing. If you do have a chemical peel, please please please, make sure you wear an SPF 30 in the days following. They are incredibly effective of course, but it can take weeks to see those benefits due to the down time. 

Enzymes 

Enzyme peels offer a gentler (and quicker!) solution – they speed up the natural chemical reactions in your skin that already renew skin cells. The most well known natural enzymes are from papaya and pineapple. They do not damage or remove live tissue, which makes them suitable for people with more sensitive skin – or who don’t have access to the downtime needed for a chemical peel. Lovers of the enzyme peel love the immediate, visible results – while they aren’t quite as deep or full-on as the results from a chemical peel, they are still gorgeous. 

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If you were to ask me, I would take an exfoliant using AHA and Enzymes over a manual scrub and if I had to pick one, it would be an enzyme exfoliant. Mostly because it is great for all skin types, especially when the skin is fragile, sensitive and unable to tolerate AHAs or manual exfoliation. Clients who have experienced my Glow ritual will know just how beautiful the results are when an enzyme exfoliant is paired with light diamond-head microdermabrasion. And for extra love I aways follow the up with healing oils.  

If you’re wanting to create a gentle at-home mask here’s a great home recipe. I love to add it to The Little Alchemist’s Glow Mask, to really beef up all the skin benefits. The Glow Mask uses papaya enzymes, which is pure magic for your skin. Use it once a week for an at-home version of a facial peel in between your salon sessions.