To think some people are effortlessly glamorous

[Basketofkittens]

On holiday in Southern Europe. It’s around 32C and sunny.

All around me are very slim women in loose flowing clothes looking very cool and glamorous. And long swishy hair.

Then there’s me looking very British in my Boden maxi dress (size 12) and sun hat, flushed and INCREDIBLY sweaty with my make up running off. Hair tied back and damp with perspiration. Came back to hotel to shower, wash hair, take off make up to redo it all to go out to dinner.

How on earth do some people manage to not be bothered by the heat? We’ve walked a lot today and my ankles have also swollen in the heat - very sexy! I wear big short pants under my dresses so my thighs don’t get sweaty and rub too. 😂

It’s 100% acclimatisation.

If hot summers are your norm, you have the right clothes, the hot weather doesn’t bother you as much, and you know how to live your life (ie no need to be on the beach between 11am and 3pm) for that climate.

I see the opposite in London - Italian tourists often look out of place in winter with their penchant for shiny puffa jackets and metallic trim trainers.

It is consistency too, when I arrive I have my nails hands and toes done, freshly shaved, by day 5 my nails are chipped, I've prickles of hair glistened in the Sun on my legs and bikini line, my big toe is spiky again, but I am enjoying the sun ignoring it all.
The flushes and heat don't affect me, I fail on the grooming.

always elegant and never seemingly bothered by the heat (despite living in seriously hot climes).

The more time you spend in seriously hot climes, the quicker you get acclimatised to it. At least, that seems to have been the case for me and DH.

After the first couple of days, the excessive sweating stops and the urge to drink gallons of water stops too. Luckily, I don't suffer from chub rub or wear makeup and I think that helps too.

I was in the South of France a few years ago, at the skinniest I have ever been and will ever be at size 10. I felt like a short, dumpy, pasty (with slight patchy sunburn) l, sweaty mess compared to all the tall, beautiful and golden tanned women who were wafting about with their long sun-kissed hair and their glamorous dresses and endless legs.

I think you either have it or you don't. I don't have it and do you know what, these days I'm OK with that

They’re probably not tourists Op and will be used to the heat and how they deal with looking good. I know the type of women you mean, sashaying down the street looking beautiful with not single hair that’s frizzed with the heat or a drop of sweat on their perfect faces

I know a woman who ran the london marathon and at the end of it, looked as glam as she did starting it - immaculate makeup, barely glowing, her running kit looked pristine.

Sickening (only because I can go from looking in the bathroom mirror and thinking I look ok, to bag lady by the time I get to the front door)

I can't even look effortlessly glamorous in this bloody country in the summer these days.

My long hair has to be up, my makeup slides off, I get panda eyes from mascara and I've even had to start putting deodorant underneath my boobs because I'm so sweaty.

I can leave the house looking lovely, catch the bus to work and end up looking like I've been in the gym for an hour with my red, sweaty face

I was in the south of France last month during the heatwave, and my only consolation was that almost everyone seemed to be visibly affected by it! Of course, my pasty British self looked worse (I got shocking sunburn that made my ankles swell) but it was a relief not to be around totally nonchalant people.

It was Copenhagen that made me feel a bit bad - I found the locals there to be the total Danish cliche of low-key, effortless style. But I chose to just admire everyone and take inspiration instead of beating myself up :)

I'm from a hot country and am not affected by the heat. The cold, however: I go dealthy pale, red nose, the hands of a dead person... I do not look good in the winter.

Linen is the best thing you can wear if you sweat. No bra if you can get away with it. Don't use too much product in your hair, let it dry naturally, and skip the makeup. Use fake tanning drops in your moisturiser if you don't catch the sun naturally.

Dammit this is making me long for the hot weather. Send the heat back to England, will you?!

It helps to have olive-y skin and not the pasty British look. Fair skin is likely to burn more, be freckly, erupt in mosquito bites and we tend to be pears rather than apples. If you look at older Southern European women their weight is carried round their stomachs as opposed to congregating on bum, thighs and upper arms.

I have family who have lived for over 50 years in the Mediterranean. Believe me, they have not acclimatised! Still pasty and sweaty and suffering if the temperature rises above 21 degrees!

I live in a place where there are a lot of tourists and I often see knackered looking tourist wandering around (not that you look knackered, op!) They are dressed for the weather, they've got sunscreen on and look generally like they've been sightseeing in the sunshine.

Locals have spent the day inside, in the AC. Makes a massive difference to their hair, skin etc and chances are they are not wearing shorts for work!

If you look at older Southern European women their weight is carried round their stomachs as opposed to congregating on bum, thighs and upper arms.

^^

True. They tend to have long legs too

I went back to the UK from Canada at Christmas however and had to wear several layers due to how bloody damp and cold it is. Even if it's not that cold that damp really gets to your bones. The dryness makes a huge difference

Can I ask all of you that live in hot countries for eny recommendations for underwear. I cannot seem to find cotton bras with thin straps to wear under sun dresses, and cotton pants don't seem to smooth and hold me in like microfiber ones do.?

Definitely acclimatisation.

I moved to the UK years ago and still feel chilly as soon as the weather dips under 22 degrees. Anything up to 30 (which is incidentally around the average daily temperature where I’m from!) is great for me.

Hair: wear up. Make up: primer and setting spray (hallelujah for this convo). Activity: don’t do any between 1pm and 3pm (or 5pm depending on where you are!) - find a cafe and sit drinking something cold. Repeat as needed.

You might be being too hard on yourself. I bet most of us would have looked at you and thought you looked great.
I always feel a mess but am then often complimented by others. The swishy hair only works on days when I've just washed it (and I long for hair that can be effortlessly scraped back into a pony or bun but I have a stupid widow's peak/weird parting that just ruins it), the tan only looks good when I've just applied it, and my cheapie clothes only look good because I know to pick the exact right shades/tones for me. It's all a charade.

That said, I do remember wanting to die with the heat in Pompeii in mid-August a few years back. I found a tree to drop under and actually thought my skin was melting. Those photos got deleted pdq.

Actually, when I went to Sorrento I wasn't so much sweaty, I don't sweat much, I just go bright purple/red. So I'm walking around Sorrento looking like a poorly ripe tomato, all 5ft 2 of me in my George outfit, walking past the most beautifully stylish women!

I'm from a hot country and am not affected by the heat. The cold, however: I go dealthy pale, red nose, the hands of a dead person... I do not look good in the winter

I do that too, and I'm half bloody Scottish! The other half is from Sunderland and my ancestry is Irish!

I do love the heat though, I might look like I belong in a salad but I can sit out in it all day! 😁

I feel your pain. I was just saying to DSis this morning that I feel much fatter in the hot weather. I never look 'groomed', I just can't seem to pull it off, but I am Dyspraxic. I also take medication, one of the side-effects of which is sweating (classy) I only wear cotton or linen in the hot weather in the UK because it doesn't take much to turn me into a great, flubbering sweaty thing. I second the PP's who say face-saver gel and setting spray if you wear make up. Also have crazy curly hair and when I get hot it manages to look greasy and frizzy at the same time which I feel is quite an achievement! I bet you look lovely OP, comparison is the thief of joy...but I know how you feel. I look at other women and think how? Was there a class at school that I missed?

Wear a well fitting bra. Boobs that are properly uplifted won't collect as much sweat underneath.
Soft lace knickers won't go sweaty and soggy, which is what causes the chaffing. Go a size up for comfort and no VPL.
A sleeveless dress is cooler for your armpits. A knee-length shift dress in natural fabrics will look smart.
Use a body splash (with alcohol) to neutralise sweat smells. Especially on your feet. It will help deter biting insects too.

Avoid coffee and alcohol.
Keep makeup to an absolute minimum.
Flat elegant sandals let your feet breath. No plastic!

My peers say this about me if I'm brutally honest . I wear cheap clothes and a very small amount of makeup. For me it's confidence and posture, people always think I'm taller than my 5ft 5ins 🤷‍♀️.

I think as others have said that on holiday we tend to be walking around in the heat whereas locals might be popping out to the shops or on lunch from their air conditioned office.

If you go to say, a Disney park in Florida you’ll see very little cool wafting.
I can’t do cool wafting in any situation though, it’s an upper lip and hairline sweat thing for me.

Apologies for hijacking but this was on my mind today as my coloured blond hair is suffering dreadfully from the fuzz of heat and damp.

Best product suggestions would be much appreciated. Preferably without too much effort involved!

She may be a local.
Therefore used to it.

billy1966 Coconut oil/coconut spray for dry frizzy hair. And don't straighten it, embrace the natural wave/curl if you've got any.