What You Need To Protect Yourself This Summer!

During the summer our hair and skin take a beating from the heat and the humidity.  At least they due in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States where I am.  In Virginia, the heat gets up over 100 degrees many days, and the humidity makes it a steamy hazy mess.  If you live somewhere hot and/or humid, knowing how to change up your skincare and haircare routine can be the difference for looking a radiant and glowing as J-Lo herself, or like a melting Popsicle.

Skin:

Any time that you're going to be outside, make sure you're slathering every exposed area of your skin with a sunscreen.  I like to use three individual products targeted towards the face, lips, and body for the best forumlas for that particular area.  I know like many others out there sunscreen breaks me out, so the Neutrogena Clear Face is a definite for any extended time outside for me.  It doesn't break me out or make my pores itch.  Seriously, where has this stuff been all my life?  It's way stronger than my daily moisturizer with it's SPF of 55.  When I'm not outdoors all day and just want some general sun protection under my makeup, I like to reach for the Jergens Natural Glow SPF 15 for face.  It gives me a hint of color without looking like I'm using a self tanner, all while protecting me from actual sun damage.  I love that it's double duty.  It's also a nice lightweight oil free moisturizer, so it doesn't make me greasy and works well under my foundation without causing it to slide off in the heat.

For my lips again I have two different formulas I reach for depending on whether I'm going to be outside all day at the beach or theme park (or even just doing lawn work).  My heavy duty product is the Hawaiian Tropic with SPF 45.  During these times, I'm usually not wearing any lipstick or other products on my lips, so I want something with a slightly strong protection factor.  The eyes and the lips are the first two places we age since they are very thin skin with little to no oil glands, so they dry up and are effected by sun damage first.  If I just want some hydration and moderate protection, I reach for my Blistex Five star Lip Protection with an SPF of 30.  This is the best smelling, tasting, most hydrating chapstick I've ever used.  It's so nice, I use it even when I'm indoors all day!

On my body I use the Banana Boat Protect & Hydrate when I'm outdoors, since even in summer my skin can be dry.  This is lightweight, absorbs quickly with no greasy residue, and is fairly water resistant.  The rest of the time I like to use the Jergens Natural Glow.  Now they make it with an SPF30, so even if I do spend some unexpected time outside I know I've got some protection already soaked in.  Since I avoid the sun like the plague (my Irish roots means I'm highly likely of developing skin cancer!) I'm so pale, and the Jergens products keep me from glowing!  I've used this for years, and it's the brand I recommend to my spray tanning clients to use to extend the life of their color.  It doesn't turn me dark like a spray tan, but it does take away the edge and at least get me on the normal skin range scale.

Hair:

Hair is just another form of skin, so it's just as critical to protect it from the damage of heat and humidy, not to mention chlorine if you're at the pool or salt if you're at the ocean.  First thing I pack in my beach/pool bag is a wide toothed comb to detangle it without tearing the hair.  Next, I make sure that I apply either a spray in conditioner with sunscreen or a serum to lock in hydration and lock out humidity and tame frizz.  I'm loving the Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal with Argan Oil.  A few drops worked through damp hair and I'm good to go.  I can toss my hair in a braid, and when I take it out have soft touchable waves.

The Accessories:

It's all well and good to protect your skin from the outside, but you have to nourish it from the inside, too! I always keep a bottle of water with me.  I'll even freeze some grapes and use those in lieu of ice cubes to keep my drinks cool without watering them down.  Then, when I'm done I have a healthy snack!  Sunglasses are a must as well, not just for fashion but for protecting your eyes from damaging sun rays.  Did you know that you can get skin cancer in the retina of your eye?!  Blue eyes are especially susceptible, so be sure to wear your shades out whenever you leave the house.   Bacteria also thrives in hot humid areas, and with so many people off of school and work, public areas are major breeding grounds for all things nasty.  I make sure I've got a handy little anti-bacterial gel hanging off my bag everywhere I go.  The ones from Bath and Body Works are the perfect size, and they have adorable holders, too!

Summer Makeup Must Haves!

With summer comes heat and humidity and a whole lotta sunshine in most areas of the United States where I live.  This means that the products that worked for you in the drier, colder, or gloomier months of winter (and sometimes into spring!) may not be so appropriate now that the weather has changed.  Skin goes through cycles depending on the level of moisture in the air, and so as we switch our skin care to adjust, so should we switch our makeup products as well.  Here are my top picks for summer-worthy makeup for every budget!

Waterproof eyes are a must for hot humid days or trips to the beach and waterparks!

Eyes:
When your skin just doesn't want a heavy layer of foundation, but you still want to look "made up", it's easy to play up your eyes for a more glamorous look.  But when you're sweaty or oily, your eye makeup needs to be able to stay in place all day without creasing up or running down your cheeks.  I think the best all around waterproof mascara is Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Mascara.  It's worth every penny, and it's what I reach for every day in the summer.  It's lengthening, defining, volumizing, and adds curl.  It's a wonder mascara, and it doesn't budge, even after a dip in the pool!  Liquid liners are my personal favorite, and the waterproof one that doesn't run even in heat is the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner.  Sephora makes a very affordable pencil version, the Flashy Liner Waterproof.  I paid full price in the store about a month ago, but it's on clearance now online for only $3.00.  I love the color Flashy Blue, a bright blue turquoise color I think is perfect for summer.  For shadows, I love the L'Oreal Infallible shadows (following with the turquoise theme, my favorite summer color is Endless Sea, but Bronzed Taupe is a perfect soft smokey brown that is perfect all on its own) and the Maybelline Color Tattoo (in Tenacious Teal of course!).  For brows that won't go anywhere, I highly recommend the Tarte Waterproof Brow Mousse (click for review).  My favorite part is that it comes with a dual ended brush/spoolie!  MAC pigment in Tan is a super versatile product that easily makes it look like you've spent way more time on your eyes due to it's prismatic color reflection, which naturally looks darker in the crease even without a darker color on top.

Purge your skin of breakout-causing bacteria and oil with purifying skin masks to deep clean your pores!

Cheeks and Lips:
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hr Blush (click for review, video) is probably my all time favorite blush product to date, with it's wide range of bright shades perfect for adding a pop of color to cheeks in the summer.  I've yet to find a blush that lasts as long, and the clay is supposed to help control oil- a bonus for oily summer days.  The Smashbox Bronze Lights Matte Bronzer is the perfect way to add some natural sun kissed color to your cheeks, and the Suntan shade is perfectly neutral with no hint of orange.  Lips I like to either stay with a hydrating sheer color like the NYX lip butters, a natural hue hydrating lipstick like the Milani Statement Lipstick (my favorite is Dulce Caramelo), or go with a bright bold statement lip with very simple eyes like Tesorio from the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick formula.  It's a bright coral-ish red that's very summery and wears all day long with no touch ups! (click for formula review, video)

If I had to pick only four products, these would be them!  Waterproof mascara, long-wearing blush in a bright shade, matte bronzer for a sunkissed look, and a hydrating sheer lipcolor.  Plus sunglasses, of course!

My multi-tasking favorites: Stila Convertible Color and Kitten shadow stick.

Waterproof shimmer for your eyes, cheeks, and cupid's bow?  Yes, please!

If you're looking for just a few products to work into your summer routine that will double-duty, you should check out the Stila Convertible Colors.  (Got a review for these, too!)  These little babies are perfect for adding a dewey flush to cheeks or soft color to your lips, and they aren't greasy at all.  My favorite color is Lillium, a soft peachy pink color that's great for any skin tone.  You can also use the Stila Smudge Crayon Waterproof Eye Color in Kitten for all over highlights that won't wear away or even all over the lid for a beautiful budge-proof wash of shimmering color to brighten your eyes.

Last but not least, I love a solid perfume stick for warm summer days.  Alcohol based liquid perfumes can evaporate more quickly, but the oils in a stick last for hours even when you sweat.  My new favorite came in my May Glossybox, and it's by Nicka K New York.  Free Spirit 100 is a warm sweet scent that makes me think of sitting in the sand, and it's tiny size makes it perfect for tossing in my purse without added weight or worrying about broken glass.

Plus, don't forget one of the most important beauty products to keep with you at all times during the summer- a pair of sunglasses!  The skin around your eyes is the thinnest on your face, and damaging sun rays penetrate to cause pre-mature aging.  Plus, squinting in the glare of the sun will cause wrinkles just as quickly.  Even more importantly, especially those with fair eyes, you can get "sunburn" in the back of your retina through your pupils that can cause eye cancer later in life!  My husband had skin cancer removed a few years ago, and they warned him to be sure to get his eyes checked every year and to pay for the retinal photo to make sure he hasn't developed skin cancer inside his eye.  A very scarey thought!

Be safe, be beautiful all summer long with these summer makeup must-haves!  Now step away from the computer and enjoy the weather!