If you're unlucky enough to work in an office without aircon during one of the UK's rare sunny days, you will know just how uncomfortable it can get in the heat and my work office is no exception. I've got some advice to those of you who find the heat
What to wear?
The first thing you can do is wear clothes and shoes that are going to help keep you cool. Look for clothes made from lightweight cotton fabrics. I love this Phase Eight Sophie dress, as it's 100% cotton and will still look smart in the office. I'd most definitely avoid wearing trousers or anything too tight fitting if you can.On your feet, these Warehouse tan buckle sandals would be ideal - the leather again is a natural material, and they look perfectly smart enough for most offices. If your office is more formal, you could always wear your usual shoes and take a pair of flip flops to pop on whilst you're at your desk - in this case, choose a nice leather pair such as these Roberta rose gold flip flops from Accessorize and you'll still look professional rather than looking like you're off for cocktails by the pool!
Looking and feeling fresh...
Let's face it, when the temperature rises outside, so does our own body temperature. Feeling fresh is super important when you're stuck at work for 8 hours in a stuffy office, so you need to get yourself a good anti-perspirant to avoid those dreaded sweat patches. The best one I've found is the Mitchum 48-hour anti-perspirant & deodorant; it really does help keep you feeling dry.If you hair is anything like mine (and Monica Geller's), the humidity in the air can make you hair look a frizzy mess. When I feel the weather heating up, I swear by TIGI S-Factor smoothing lusterizer which is a light-weight smoothing lotion that can be used on wet or dry hair and it really does smooth your hair and tame frizz. This is the only styling product I use when I go on holiday somewhere warm as it is just that good. Also, it smells like strawberry shortcake, yum!
If you hair is long enough to tie back, I would definitely suggest putting it in a bun, braid or ponytail to keep it off your neck; these hair ties are awesome as they don't tend to make a 'dent' in your hair so you can always put it in a ponytail during the day if it gets too warm and take it back out later on.
My final tip is to avoid foundation and keep the rest of your makeup light. Either go bare skinned or use a lightweight base; I prefer one that is oil-free. A tinted moisturiser would be my first suggestion, and although I haven't personally used it, I've heard very good things about the Laura Mercier oil free tinted moisturiser and it's on my wishlist. Alternatively, I've found an oil-free BB cream such as Garnier's oil free bb cream is much more comfortable in the heat than my usual foundation.
Keep cool and hydrated!
Dehydration can make you feel even more tired and sluggish, and it's super important to keep hydrated during a warm spell. I keep my Brita fill&go bottle next to me at my desk so I can drink cold, filtered water throughout the day. Alternatively buy some bottled mineral water and pop in the fridge.Get yourself your very own desk fan. Best thing I ever bought. I once read somewhere that these fans are designed to cool down people rather than rooms, so place it right where you're sitting and let the cool breeze wash over you.
If all else fails and you get super warm and the above tips just aren't cutting it, then I've found Magicool spray (or any other cooling spray) really helps to cool you back down, even if it's just for a few minutes or so.
