Fashion

They say beauty is only skin deep. Those of us that have experienced a small shock at the sight of our red, disheveled faces in those unnecessarily bright gym mirrors will likely agree with this.

However, regular exercise, be it a round on the green, a daily walk or a dip in the pool, has benefits that extend beyond trimming and toning your midriff. Exercise literally breathes life into your body and skin- enriching your blood cells with oxygen, opening and clearing out your pores and facilitating the flow of nutrients to heal skin and tissue inflammation. Breaking a sweat even speeds up the skin’s collagen production, thwarting wrinkles and dull complexions.

Having said that, exercise very often also puts you at the whim of the elements, leaving your skin, body and hair exposed to UV rays, cold temperatures, hot, humid conditions and wind burn, all of which require a touch of TLC to combat. Likewise, if you’re in the gym or at the pool, sweaty conditions and chlorine can wreak havoc with your skin and hair, leaving you looking a little less Anna Kournikova than you might like (or imagine, in my case).  Follow our quick guide to your sports beauty essentials and reap the benefits of good skin and a healthy body.

Shampoo & Co-Wash

If you swim on the regular you will know that your hair really takes a beating. The chlorine can leave hair dry and brittle, not to mention that it can wreak havoc with blonde dye (that pond weed colour is never a look to aspire to). To keep hair soft and nourished, use a clarifying shampoo every week combined with a good conditioning shampoo. Lavish co-wash by Beauty & Pin Ups is a non-lathering cleansing conditioner that moisturizes and helps to neutralize chlorine and trace minerals to stop oxidation in its tracks, protecting hair from breakage and color from fading- a perfect all rounder for the active beauty maven!

Invigorating shower wash

Whether it’s before or after exercise, sometimes you just need a lift. Opt for a body wash with citrus ingredients, such as lemon, orange, pomelo or grapefruit to achieve this. Grapefruit is thought have antiviral, antiseptic, astringent and antibacterial effects on the body and hair, clearing the skin and adding shine to the hair.  Grapefruit oil also has a fresh, zesty fragrance which has an uplifting effect on the mind and can help alleviate stress.

Products with grapefruit, whether fresh or in an essential oil, have invigorating cleansing and energy boosting properties ideal for an active lifestyle.
Products with grapefruit, whether fresh or in an essential oil, have invigorating cleansing and energy boosting properties ideal for an active lifestyle.

Talcum Powder

Whether you’re on the course, in the gym or out for a run, few of us are immune to chafing, especially in humid whether. It’s painful and uncomfortable and could definitely put you off your game. Opt for a talc free non friction powder like Lush’s Silky Underwear dusting powder, it’s super gentle and natural, smells divine and keeps you soft and dry without blocking your pores.

Multi Purpose balm

Having a multi purpose skin salve to hand soothes a myriad of ailments- bramble scratches, chapped lips, sunburn, wind burn, blisters…I could go on. Designed as a ‘desert island’ one-pot skin savior, the Coconut Universal Skin Slave by Glossier is as useful on as well as off the course and boasts an incredible ten uses – cleanser, moisturizer, lip balm, mask, complexion enhancer, nail balm, after sun, healing balm and will probably sort that whole world peace issue as well.

Miss Designer Golf knows sport and we know beauty! Follow our quick guide to ensure your skin and body get the most of your workout.
Miss Designer Golf knows sport and we know beauty! Follow our quick guide to ensure your skin and body get the most of your workout. From left: Sanctuary Youth Boost Cleansing Oil, L’Occitane Roses et Reines Solid Perfume, Lush Silky Underwear talc free dusting powder, Glossier Universal Skin Slave Coconut Balm, Beauty & Pin Ups Lavish All in One Cleansing and Conditioning Co Wash, Anthropologie Lolilla Hand cream, Kiehl’s Grapefruit bath and shower gel,.

SPF

Even though we’re not always blessed with the balmiest of temperatures, SPF should be a year-round staple in your golf or gym bag. According to Candice Gardner from the International Dermal Institute: UVA is responsible for most of the ageing process of the skin, as it causes damage to the integral proteins that give skin its strength, elasticity and plumpness. Regardless of time of day or season, UVA is present and can penetrate cloud cover- If you’re planning on spending a day on the course make sure to keep a SPF 20 with both UVA and UVB protection handy – P20 is the sunscreen of choice for many athletes; a clear liquid that lasts 10 hours and absorbs rapidly without streaks (£13.99, Boots). You can also combine SPF with your beauty routine – La Roche Posay’s Anthelios SPF 50, (£15, Boots) is specifically formulated for sensitive skin and will leave a healthy sheer tint on the skin.

Solid or Roll On Perfume

It might seem a bit frivolous, but you’ll smell lovely and feel super relaxed, ideal post workout or to help you unwind for your yoga class. L’Occitane are renowned for creating beautiful scents and this  Roses et Reines (L’Occitane, £8) is convenient and portable- whether you’re off to the course or travelling, and as it’s balm based the fragrance will last longer than traditional liquid perfumes.

Oil based cleanser

If ever there was a reason not to wear makeup to the gym, this is it. During exercise your skin pores open and any dirt or impurities on the surface layers of the skin have a chance to exit. Sweating regularly, if followed by proper cleansing, will help you to achieve softer and smoother skin. To really take advantage of your open pores, opt for an oil based cleanser. Based on the premise that like dissolves like, vitamin infused oil cleansers offer a far deeper and more thorough clean than traditional soap and water cleansers. Sanctuary’s Youth Boosting Cleansing oil is packed with vitamin A and E boost  skin cell renewal and improve collagen production.

Therapeutic Bath salts

Everyone from your personal trainer to your granny know the magical benefits of therapeutic salts. A wind-down salt bath after a long day on the green is not just the ultimate luxury, but by replenishing magnesium in the body also helps to eliminate toxins, relax and repair the muscles, prevents hardening of the arteries, reduces the risk of blood clots and relieves pain and tension. Up the spa factor and mix simple Epsom salts with Himalayan pink salt and dried rosemary or lavender.

Add nutrient rich Himalayan pink salt to your Epsom salt bath for the ultimate detox post workout
Add nutrient rich Himalayan pink salt to your Epsom salt bath for the ultimate detox post workout

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Those of us who lived through or remember first hand the eighties and early nineties will likely approach current fashion trends with some trepidation. But pastels are a trend worthy of revisiting! Follow the MissDesignerGolf guide to achieve the look in style.

There’s a general rule in the industry that style and taste rotates on a twenty year cycle – so the fact that you’re seeing mom jeans, scrunchies, gold chains and high-water pants back on the rails should come as no surprise. Having said that, there are certain trends worth recycling, many of which have been updated and modernised to suit all tastes and shapes.

Of the more wearable throwback trends, pastel colours have dominated both A/W  and S/S lines since 2012 and have been equally as prevalent throughout sportswear. Sorbet shades of peppermint, lemon yellow, lavender, powder blue and baby pink can be found everywhere from accessories to outerwear to wetsuits to hair colour. Championed by Burberry Prorsum, Dior and Peter Pilotto, among others, the trend has also been popularised by sportswear brands, with the sell out success of mint green Nike trainers, the pastel hues of Stella McCartney for Adidas and Cynthia Rowley’s geometric pastel Surf & Swim collection. Ever colourful, Callaway’s S/S 14 selection of polo shirts and windproof jackets have brought the trend to the course; with Belen Mozo and Paula Creamer both fans of the style.

Continue to read to learn all about this seasons pastels, in a guide complete with the trending shades and the prettiest ways to sport the pastel hues this season.

 

 

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Anti-Clockwise from left: Polka Dot Soft Collar Shirt, Reiss : Mint Pumps, Kate Spade : Nude Top, Mango : Jacquard Dress, Matalan : Boucle Shift Dress, Topshop: Floral Blouse, New Look ; Bag, Dolce and Gabanna ;Lambswool quarter sleeve top, Debenhams; Boucle Jacket, Armani.

Colour and Texture Combinations:

One reason many shy away from muted pastels is the difficulty of finding complementing colours, without looking like one of the Golden Girls. Surprisingly, pastels work well with classic prints, such as Breton or thin stripes and old fashioned, bold florals. Combine pastels with a tiny polka dot print for a youthful, preppy look, or channel mod by matching your pastel piece with a geometric grid print. If prints aren’t for you, pastel colours work well with whites, greys and taupes.

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Textures: Natural fibres such as denim, boucle, tweed, cotton and silk work best, as synthetic or shiny fabrics such as lycra can make the colour look cheap. Broderie anglaise, and french lace (i.e.cotton lace, not polyester) are also beautiful but should be worn sparingly, as a statement piece.

 

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Anti-Clockwise from left: Callaway Windproof Jacket, Callaway @ MissDesignerGolf : Callaway Polo Shirt, Callaway @MissDesignerGolf : Grid Print Visor, Calvin Klein @MissDesignerGolf : Full Sleeve Sweater, Callaway @ MissDesignerGolf : Sleeveless Polo Shirt, Callaway @ MissDesignerGolf : Pedal Pushers, Green Lamb @MissDesignerGolf : Sleevless Dry-Tec Shirt, Green Lamb @ MissDesignerGolf : PowerNet Pro Glove, Green Lamb @ MissDesignerGolf : Coral Skort, Callaway.

 

Body shape:

Pastel shades can suit all body shapes, but as with any style it is important to consider what will suit you personally. Like most bright colours, pastels can actually help balance out your body shape when combined with darker shades. If there are areas of your body that you want to give emphasis to or add volume use a pattern or lighter colour in that area. For example, if you want to add volume to narrower hips to balance a heavy top half, consider wearing a pastel coloured skirt or skort  and vice versa.

This season, pastel colours have been more commonly seen on structured 50’s style pieces, rather than floaty garments as we saw in 2013. Luckily, structured pastels are often more flattering, better suited as work-wear or for more formal occasions.

 

Skin Tone

Many of us avoid pastel colours because we fear it will make paler complexions look pasty, but no matter what your skin tone there is a pastel shade for you.

Firstly, you need to know whether you have a warm or cool skin-tone. There are several ways to do this, but having tried many of them, the most conclusive is to compare a piece of gold foil with a piece of silver foil against the skin of your face. The right foil will give you a healthy, glowing appearance. The wrong foil will make you appear grey and sickly. If the gold foil is right for you, then you have a warm skin tone. If the silver foil is right for you, your tone is cool.

Cool Tones- if, like Zoey Deschanel or Alexa Chung, you have pale skin, medium to dark brown hair and blue or green eyes, pale pink pastels or light rose shades will best suit you and bring colour to your skin tone. If, like Ditta Von Teese or Megan Fox ,you have a very cool, pale complexion, green or blue eyes and very dark hair, try light peach colours and powder blues to emphasize your dramatic colouring. Contrary to what you’ve heard (Christina Hendricks and Emma Stone have proved us wrong!), redheads can and should wear pastels- lavender and pastels with purple undertones are best.

Warm tones- if you’re a brunette and have a warm toned complexion like Jessica Alba, you can easily carry off pastel apricot shades, light corals and lemon yellows. Warm toned blondes like Cameron Diaz will look great in mint shades and lemon yellows- but steer clear of pinks!

Whether your wearing the trend on the course or off it, remember to have fun with the colour- as a statement piece or simply as an accessory.

x Kate

 

Spring is here with some fab weather. The Captain’s Drive-in at Brancepeth went without a hitch and got our season underway.

The male and female Captains drove off on the first tee surrounded by spectators cheering them on and then served a nice glass of bubbly to celebrate . A good day was had by all and it was finished off with a nice dinner in the Clubhouse .

My first competition of the year was a County Vets Team Amercan Texas Scramble at Hartlepool Golf Club and with me played Marianne Moore, Ann Charlesworth and Lesley Still.  We had never played this format before and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s such a fun way to enjoy a game of golf.

All four in the team hit tee shots and the best tee shot is picked and from there the other 3 in the group play the following shots and so on until the hole is finished. We finished with a very respectable gross 65 which was 7 under par. However, some friends of ours had a gross 64 and just pipped us!

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We finished 3rd best net and the top three scores were all within 1 shot. It was a fabulous day all round because the weather was fantastic, the course in superb condition and being a coastal golf course the views were great especially with the blue skies, and unusually for Hartlepool the wind did not blow.

Spring Meeting took place at Brancepeth this week and again we were blessed with fab weather, such a change from this time last year as our Spring Meeting had to be cancelled due to horrendous weather. Our ladies were out in force, but our greens were tricky and many of us didn’t have great scores. My good friend Julie won the competition.

Well I have a big week coming up, it is the County Vets Championship, so I am back to Hartlepool and hoping the wind stays away and I can be sharp on the slick greens.  The competition begins with 18 hole strokeplay, and then the top 16 gross scores battle it out in matchplay.

So wish me luck and I will let you know next time how I get on………..

Lyn

Lyn is Wearing

Callaway 1/4 Zip Sweater 

Accessories

Green Lamb Deluxe Golf Bag