Summer is FINALLY, officially here! The hot, sunny days. The warm, breezy nights. I absolutely adore this time of year, and fully intend on savoring every moment from now until the leaves start turning. I wish that I could constantly be adventuring in the outdoors or lounging on the beach, but my 8-5 job makes that pretty difficult. Fortunately, whenever I'm feeling the pangs of being landlocked, I can turn to my beauty stash for a little mental escape. A sunkissed glow, tousled waves, and sweetly perfumed skin are easily recreated at home with these beautiful, beach inspired products.
There's something I love about the summertime ritual of getting myself super smooth and bikini ready, even if I can only sunbathe in my backyard. Before shaving or applying sunless tanner, giving yourself a good rub down with an exfoliating body scrub will ensure that you have the smoothest, most even finish. Right now I'm loving the Limited Edition
LUSH Life's a Beach Body Scrub ($6.95), which utilizes fine sea salt and actual sand to slough off dry, dead skin. It has an absolutely delicious caramel-vanilla scent, and if that isn't enough to sway you, 100% of the profits from each tub purchased are going to organizations that protect our waterways.
Nothing says "I've spent my day at the beach" like gorgeously golden skin, but if you're trying to avoid the damaging rays of the sun, or just don't have the time to get outside, you can easily achieve a faux glow with sunless tanner. These
Tan Towel Self-Tan Towelettes for Face & Body (10 Half Body for $27.00) not only give you a natural finish, but also are easy to use and mess free. Hard to reach spots (like the middle of your back) also become way more accessible with a towel than with just your hands alone.
No one wants to worry about rough patches and dry skin when trying to wear a flirty dress or sleeveless top. Keep your skin silky smooth with the
Julep Beach Tonic Dry Body Oil ($23), which not only provides lightweight moisture, but will also conjure up thoughts of walking by the ocean on a hot summer night. Unlike a body lotion, this dry oil spray has a fine mist that makes it easy to cover large areas of your body in a snap. It does feel a little slick on the skin at first, but it quickly sinks in and leaves a soft, non-greasy finish.
Messy, textured, beachy waves are probably the quintessential summer hairstyle. A few spritzes of
Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray ($19.99) on damp hair will immediately impart a fresh scent, volume, and just enough grip to hair to either define your natural waves, or help you create them. It doesn't leave your hair sticky, stiff, or dried out like some sprays, keeping it looking healthy and soft. As someone with stick straight hair, I like to spray this in, let my hair dry almost completely, and then either put it up in a high bun or a french braid. It keeps my hair out of my face all day, and at night I can take it down and have the perfect wavy hair.
I know it must officially be summer when I start busting out the BBs, CCs, and Tinted Moisturizers. They're the most effortless, easy kind of makeup that often offer skin nourishing benefits on top of minimizing imperfections. One of my all time favorites is the
Supergoop! Daily Correct CC Cream ($32), which gives you flawless, slightly dewy skin, as well as protection from the sun. This particular formula also only uses physical sunscreens (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) which are the oldest and most reliable forms of sun protection on the market. Dry skinned girls will probably love how hydrating and creamy this formula feels on skin, while oily or combination girls may want to set this down with a little powder to keep the greasies at bay.
If you're searching for instant golden goddess in a tin, look no further than
Cargo Swimmables Water Resistant Bronzer ($29.00). It instantly adds warmth to your skin without being orange or muddy, and has a very fine golden shimmer that gives you a subtle glow. It's also formulated to be water resistant, keeping it looking fantastic on even the must humid and sweaty of days. To get a perfect, sunkissed effect, use a large fluffy brush to sweep your bronzer in a "3" and an "E" shape (the spots the sun naturally touches) along each side of your face.
Unless you're modeling for a swimsuit catalog, beach days call for minimal, natural looking makeup. The
Becca Beach Tint ($25) is perfect for giving your cheeks a subtle wash of color that looks effortless and pretty. I love the shade Guava, a light coral pink, although there are a ton of stunning colors in the range. A little of this product goes a long way, and its creamy formula is super easy to blend. Just dot a little bit along your cheekbones and blend with your fingers or a brush (I often use the same brush I applied my foundation or BB cream with). While I think I prefer the texture of this products on my cheeks it can also be used to add a little color to your lips!
Scent has a powerful ability to tie itself to memories, hence the entire science behind the Replica line. For our imaginary getaway, what could be more perfect than the
Replica Beach Walk Rollerball ($25)? One sniff of this gorgeous fragrance will have you hearing waves crashing and feeling the sun on your skin, even if you're sitting in a cubicle. While some summer scents are overly fruity and tropical, this is anything but. Fresh and subtly citrusy, with some slightly musky and peppery undertones, this fragrance offers an intriguing complexity, while still being light and airy. A full sized bottle is a bit pricey, but you can easily compromise with this affordable rollerball. It also has the added bonus of being perfectly purse sized, so you can take your little mental vacation with you on-the-go!
So, whether you're lucky enough to have a pool to lounge by at the end of the day, or only manage to get a little sunshine on your lunch break, there are lots of little ways to enjoy the summer in between vacations or beach days. Hopefully these products will keep you in a beachy mindset and bring a little of the outdoors to you!
What are you favorite summertime products? Is there anything you do to tide yourself over until your next beach day?
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