How do you cope when mercury rises? While I love the idea of blazing hot summer weather, I'm not very good at it. I wilt easily and feel the need to seek shade (and an ice cold summer fruits frappucino) often. After a morning spent running around after the children, trying to keep them still while I smother them with suncream and keep their hats on, I'm ready to dive head first into the paddling pool myself.

Certainly, when the heat is on and the kids are off school, beauty is all about feeling fresh, avoiding make-up meltdown and keeping skin soft, soothed and glowing. Not forgetting, of course, the crucial pop of ice pop-bright lip shine or nail polish to keep you smiling. Why should the small people have all the fun?

Keep your cool

Nothing beats a short, sharp shower to soothe that hot and bothered feeling. For maximum, get fresh benefits, treat yourself to one with a made-for-summer fragrance such as Dove's yummily fruity new Go Fresh Beauty Care Body Wash in Burst (£2.59) or The Body Shop's Coconut Shower Cream (£5.85) or Mango Bath Shower Gel (£2.40, nationwide and at www.thebodyshop.co.uk). For a super-luxe treat, splash out on Origins' citrus-floral Paradise Found Balinese Body Cleanser (£14.68, nationwide and at www.origins.co.uk), inspired by "a land of languid waterfalls, lush flowers and deep turquoise skies". We'll have some of that...

A soft touch After showering, apply a light but hydrating body lotion while your skin is still slightly damp. We love Nirvana Natural's Green Tea & Shea Butter Body Balm (£4.29 at selected supermarkets and www.nirvananatural.co.uk). This trick will help to seal much-needed moisture into the skin and give it a flattering sheen. Save heavier creams for the evening, if at all, or you are more likely to feel hot and sticky again before you can say "who had the last Nobbly Bobbly?'.

Playing safe Similarly, don't be tempted to skimp on sun protection because you're just pottering around at home and don't want your skin to feel greasy. Instead, opt for a spray-on mist which offers great protection, such as the new L'Oréal Paris Solar Expertise Transparent Spray SPF 20 or 30 (£14) or Nivea Sun Invisible Protect SPF 20 or 30 (from £13.29). That way, you know you're covered for all those times you nip outside to top-up the paddling pool/untangle the Swingball/pop next door to ask for the Thomas ball back (again).

Keep glowing If possible, squeeze in another shower in the evening to cool you down, wash away the stickiness of the day and help you feel fresh rather than frazzled (preferable if you are going out or have people coming over for an impromptu barbie). This time, use a fragranced body lotion or cream to ‛layer' your favourite perfume, try a glistening body cream such as Elle Macpherson's Get Glam! Shimmer Cr√®me (¬£9.95 at Boots and www.boots.com) or an exotically scented body lotion, like Molton Brown's Sensual Hanaleni Body Satiniser (¬£16, at www.moltonbrown.co.uk). If you're feeling the effects of sun exposure (maybe you missed a bit or, so easily done, got caught out on an ‛overcast' day), soothe and cool skin and get a sneaky shot of self-tanner while you're at it with Ambre Solaire's brilliant Aftersun Hydrating Tan Maintainer (¬£6.99), which we raved about last month but deserves a mention here, too. You can't keep a great multi-tasker down ...

No-melt make-up

Less is more is definitely the motto here this month. Right now, the idea of wearing pore-clogging foundation, gloopy lip gloss or heavy powders is enough to bring me out in a heat rash. Added to that is the challenge of preventing your make-up from doing a disappearing act by midday/smudged, ‛panda eyes' mascara and suchlike.

In summer, skin has a natural glow of its own, so you can get away with a lighter base. Look out for one which offers sun protection, too. A hot new find that's perfect for summer, Olay's new Total Effects Touch of Foundation (¬£18.99) combines serious skincare with just enough healthy-looking coverage to leave your complexion feeling ‛finished' but not masked. Check out, too, Lancome's new Hydra Zen Neurocalm Soothing Anti-Stress Tinted Moisturising Cream SPF 15 (¬£23.50), designed to soothe and hydrate dry and/or sensitive skin whilst adding radiance (available now, nationwide).

Skin glowing (in a good way), all that's needed is a quick swirl of cream blush, such as No 7's clever new Cheek Tint Blusher (¬£8.75) in Rose, Maple or Peach (at Boots or www.boots.com) or an exotically scented body lotion, like Molton Brown's Sensual Hanaleni Body Satiniser (¬£16, at www.moltonbrown.co.uk). If you're feeling the effects of sun exposure (maybe you missed a bit or, so easily done, got caught out on an ‛overcast' day), soothe and cool skin and get a sneaky shot of self-tanner while you're at it with Ambre Solaire's brilliant Aftersun Hydrating Tan Maintainer (¬£6.99), which we raved about last month but deserves a mention here, too. You can't keep a great multi-tasker down ... ">www.boots.com), and/or sweep of bronzer - try Max Factor's Terra Mediterranea Bronzing Powder (¬£5.95).

Keep mascara from treating your cheeks like a Center Parcs flume by opting for a waterproof formula. We can't resist Urban Decay's new, gorgeously Retro-looking Big Fatty Waterproof Mascara (£13). It looks like something Carol Brady would have worn, making it all the more irresistible for those of us who remember The Brady Bunch the first time around (available nationwide and at www.urbandecay.co.uk). Or try Maybelline New York's The Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara (£6.99), which comes in a beach towel-bright yellow tube. Loving that!

For lips, bag a tinted shine or balm such as Clarins' limited edition, super-moisturising Instant Sun Light Lip Balm SPF 6 (£12.23), or 17's Ultimate Volume Lip Gloss (£3.71), in 10 shades including Pink Ice and In The Nude.

Happy feet

When you're rushing around all day in flip-flops (or the famously thigh and bottom-firming Fit Flops, see www.fitflop.com), feet need some fast, effective TLC in order to stay pretty. Keep them buffed and pedicure-smooth with an effective foot file, such as Soap & Glory's Foot Buffer (£8, at Boots and www.boots.com), created by Marcia Kilgore, who founded the Bliss spa empire and the Fit Flop, so she knows a thing or two about foot fabulous-ness. In addition, applying a cooling and rehydrating foot cream twice-daily, such as The Body Shop's classic, calamine lotion-pink Peppermint Cooling Foot Lotion (from £2.90).

Last, but by no means least, take your pick from this summer's hottest nail polishes. A great budget buy, Marks & Spencer's Nail Colour (£2.50) comes in a range of great, super-glossy shades such as Tangerine and Shocking Pink.

For more beauty advice from Jenni - click here