Beauty tips and tricks: From coconut conditioning to drawn-on freckles

A reader shares her advice

‘Coconut oil is a great moisturiser and is nice in hair.’ Photograph: Thinkstock
‘Coconut oil is a great moisturiser and is nice in hair.’ Photograph: Thinkstock

Laura, Dublin: I'm never without coconut oil. I buy it in a big tub from the supermarket. It's a great moisturiser and is nice in hair as a deep conditioning treatment or rubbed into dry ends.

Now the sun is out, I make sure to wear suncream everyday. I especially like Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream for Face. It smells lovely and is as good as a moisturiser under your foundation.

I am currently mixing Laura Mercier Skin Illuminator with my Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. I have been wearing Luminous Silk for years. It is by far the best foundation for my skin, but during summer it can feel a little heavy. Mixing it with Laura Mercier Skin Illuminator makes it light and gives my skin a nice glow.

Because of the suncream, I won’t get that sun-kissed sprinkling of freckles that looks so pretty during the summer. To cheat that, after I’ve put on foundation I will occasionally sharpen a brown eyeliner and very lightly dot a few freckles around my nose. A bit of bronzer brushed on top and you look like you’ve been away for the weekend.

  • Email your beauty tips, tricks, must-haves, secrets, products of yore and up-to-the-minute recommendations to beauty@irishtimes.com