Radiance: Summer without the rush

Hmm... what does the title of this article mean to you?

Perhaps you're imagining yourself beside a beautiful blue-tiled pool, a pink flamingo inflatable gently drifting across the water, your skin glowing with a hint of a tan as you sit beneath a parasol with a cheeky Buck's Fizz at 11 o'clock.

Or perhaps you're daydreaming about calmly getting ready for work. The kids have finally left the house for the last few weeks of school, on time. You've applied your skincare, popped on a little makeup and you're walking effortlessly glowing as you swish through the office door.

Or are you thinking, "I wish." “Are you having a laugh?" “It doesn’t exist!"

I hear you. You’re probably living the version most of us experience.

You’re sweating your bits off on a wet beach towel, in damp swimwear, reapplying SPF because it's disappeared somewhere between the suncream, the heat and the humidity, while your face is the colour of a tomato that's in your wilted Greek salad.

Or there is no calmly getting ready at all. Most of us are already hot, sticky and wondering why we bothered applying anything to our face or styling our hair before we've even climbed out of the car or stepped off the bus. Then we spend the day in an air-conditioned office, only to walk back outside and resemble a dried prune by the time we get home.

With these endless heatwaves, radiance and summer don't seem like words that belong together. Some days it's too hot to move, never mind trying to make ourselves look presentable!

So how on earth can we feel radiant without adding even more rush to these hot, sweltering months?

YLB’s Version of Summer without the Rush…

Will I be there this year? No! But that's OK. We can still find little moments of that feeling wherever we are.

Maybe we’ve confused radiance with perfection.

Forget the dreamy adverts that make us think we should glide through summer looking fresh as a daisy while it's a staggering 35 degrees. Most of us are simply trying to stay cool, and that's perfectly enough.

Instead, perhaps radiance without the rush looks like sitting in the shade with a cold drink during your coffee break. A real break, not one spent at your desk. Maybe it's wearing just a slick of mascara and a lick of lipstick, or no makeup at all because both your skin and you feel happier without it. If humidity leaves you looking like Ken Dodd, pop on a headband or tie it back. Slow your pace. And perhaps the most important reminder of all... everyone else is hot too.

Those little moments don't make us look radiant. They help us feel it.

Summer isn't supposed to be rushed. It's meant to be felt and enjoyed. It’s your time to unwind and reset. So find some shade, cool your pulse points, pour yourself something cold to sip rather than chug, listen to the birds for a few minutes or put on your favourite tune and simply breathe. That might just be the most radiant thing you do all day.