Born with fiery tresses? These redhead beauty essentials will help you channel your inner ginger goddess.
It’s one thing to be blessed with ginger, auburn, chestnut or flame-red tresses, but figuring out what to do with them can be a challenge. Throw a pale, freckled complexion into the mix, and beauty tricks that work wonders for blondes and brunettes can go horribly wrong.
Fear not fiery goddesses! These beauty essentials will help you channel your inner Christina Hendricks…
SKIN
1. Never skip sun protection
To keep a ‘peaches and cream’ complexion from looking lobster, redheads need a heavy-duty SPF.
SPLURGE: Clarins UV PLUS Day Screen Multi-Protection SPF50 (R 465; Clarins counters).
SAVE: Bioderma Photoderm MAX Crème SPF50+ (R 208.95; Clicks).
2. Wear freckles with pride
A BB or CC cream evens out skin tone and conceals minor imperfections without covering up your beautiful ‘sun kisses’.
SPLURGE: Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream SPF 50 in Light (R 525; Kiehl’s counters).
SAVE: Essence All-in-One CC Cream Clear & Correct Even and Perfect Complexion SPF 30 in Natural (R 76.95; Clicks).
Ginger tip: If you need heavier coverage but still want your freckles to pop, apply foundation then dip a cotton bud in water and gently dot on your face to expose your freckles slightly.
EYES
1. Create a soft lash look
If you’re a natural redhead with translucent lashes, you may reach for mascara to do more than just enhance but black mascara can appear glaringly harsh against pale skin.
Create visible but natural-looking lashes by wearing a volumising black mascara on your top lashes and a defining brown mascara on the bottom.
Volumising Black
SPLURGE: MAC Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash Mascara (R 240; MAC stores).
SAVE: Max Factor Masterpiece Transform High Impact Volumising Mascara in Black (R 109.95; Clicks).
Defining Brown
SPLURGE: Benefit They’re Real! Mascara in Beyond Brown (R 295; Red Square)
SAVE: Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara in Blackened Brown (R 159; Dis-Chem)
2. Consult the colour wheel
When your hair colour is so striking, other equally beautiful features often don’t get a chance to shine. Enhance your eyes with a little colour science…
Brown eyes
If you’re a brown-eyed girl, pink shades are key to peepers that pop.
SPLURGE: Clarins Ombre Mineral Mono Eyeshadow in 03 Petal (R 260; Clarins counters).
SAVE: Catrice Absolute Rose Eyeshadow Palette (R 89.95; Dis-Chem).
Green eyes
The red undertones in plums, violets or mauves make greens even more gorgeous.
SPLURGE: Bobbi Brown Peony & Python Eyeshadow Palette (R 299; Zando).
SAVE: Almay Intense i-Color Party Brights No. 1 (R 209; major retailers).
Blue eyes
Colours with orange undertones like bronzes, light copper and peaches bring out the best in your baby blues.
SPLURGE: Clinique Wear Everywhere Eye Shadow Octet in Sahara Sand (R 435; Clinique counters).
SAVE: Revlon Colorstay 16 Hour Eyeshadow Quad in 500 Addictive (R 199; Clicks).
CHEEKS & LIPS
1. Blush it up
A light touch of pink coral blush makes every redhead look fresh-faced and polished.
SPLURGE: Stila Convertible Color Dual Lip and Cheek Cream in Petunia (R 295; Woolworths).
SAVE: Essence Blush Up! Powder Blush in Heat Wave (R 59; Clicks).
2. Red my lips
A true red lipstick with blue undertones is a ginger’s beauty best friend.
SPLURGE: MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo (R 210; MAC stores).
SAVE: Maybelline Color Sensational in 547 Pleasure Me Red (R 100; Dis-Chem).
BB beauties, what’s your biggest hair colour beauty challenge? Let us know below…