I would like to extend a warm welcome to one of my dear blogging friends, Laura from Hollywood Housewife. If you are looking for great advice for books and beauty, she is my go-to girl! Today Laura is sharing a few of her favorite summer beauty tips for our m challenge and I’m so incredibly honored to share her tips with you today! xo
I am so honored to be posting at Mom Advice today! I’ve long been a fan of what Amy makes of this space, it’s such a good combination of practical and interesting.
Today I want to share with you a little bit about summer beauty routines. On my blog Hollywood Housewife, we talk a lot about lazy beauty. I confess to a certain amount of vanity – I care about the way I look, who doesn’t? – but I don’t want to invest too much time or energy into it. So I focus on finding products that give you a lot of bang for your buck, or are multi-use. The goal is to look (and feel) your best, with the minimum amount of steps required.
In the summer especially, “lazy beauty” is paramount. I don’t want to spend one extra minute in front of a mirror, but it’s also the most social time of the year.
Here are my favorite beauty tips and products for easily looking your best during the warmer months:
Sunscreen & Moisturizer
We should all be wearing sunscreen year ‘round, but of course this is the time of year when your risk of sun damage increases exponentially. I look for SPF in my face products, but beware not to get it too close to your eyes. For daily, no-makeup days, I use Aveeno Positively Radiant daily moisturizer. It evens out my skin tone more than pricier versions, and it really protects your skin. The Positively Radiant moisturizer is available in both SPF 15 and SPF 30. I trekked through Sri Lanka and Haiti wearing only this lotion and was shocked at how well it held up through the hot days.
For the face
If I’m going to wear a little makeup, I prefer tinted moisturizer in the summer instead of traditional foundation. It doesn’t do the heavy lifting that either a true moisturizer or foundation does, but it’s a great compromise between being bare-faced and being made up. It will give you a subtle glow, and hides imperfections. If I was going to splurge on one single product for my summer routine, it would be a good tinted moisturizer.
My favorites are Laura Mercier oil-free tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 and NARS Pure Radiant tinted moisturizer with SPF 30. The Laura Mercier has a bit of a sheen to it, while the NARS finishes on the matte side. The key is not to apply too much. You should use a much lighter hand than you would with regular moisturizer or foundation. I dot just a bit on both cheeks and the forehead, then use a brush to even it out. It’s fine to use your fingers if you’re on the go, or if you want just a little more coverage.
Eyes, Cheeks, & Lips
I don’t have the patience for an involved eye shadow routine in any season, but especially not in the summer. For the most natural look, I don’t use shadow at all, but just swipe a bit of concealer on the eyelids, because mine look slightly blue without it. If I want just a shimmer of something, I use my finger to apply a transparent shadow like Cover Girl Eye Enhancer in champagne or a cream like MAC’s longwear paint pot in chilled ice.
Typically when it’s hot, I forego blush altogether. It tends to melt in an unflattering way, and most of us have a pretty natural flush in the summer anyway. If you want to look more sun-kissed, apply a bronzer underneath the cheekbones, and just a touch down the middle of the face, lightly grazing the forehead, nose, and chin. Never apply bronzer all over like you would with regular face powder. Look for the places the sun naturally hits your face, and dust those areas.
I’m a big fan of lipstick (and contend that ANYONE can wear red lipstick, no matter their coloring or their personality), but it mostly bleeds when it’s too hot outside. Shiny lip gloss is more forgiving than colors with a lot of pigment, and can look surprisingly festive. For the added benefit of a protecting balm, I like the feel and gloss of Kiehl’s #1, and for a pop of color I like the Lancome Juicy Tubes.
Even if I apply nothing else, I never skip mascara. I look disturbingly like I’m about to fall asleep if I don’t highlight my lashes. I’ve experimented with expensive mascaras and drugstore brands, and I just keep coming back to L’Oreal Voluminous Original mascara. The waterproof version is too bulletproof for me (it’s really hard to get off!), but if that’s what you need near the water, then it does the job. Otherwise, mascara is the best and cheapest way to look instantly awake and polished.
Hair
Chasing my kids around the pool, the last thing I want to worry about is my hair. (Sensing a theme here?) I recently grew my bangs out (again), so I see a lot of messy ponytails in my future this summer. To keep from being really boring with your hair, try an embellished headband (like this one) or a colorful scarf (like this gauzy one). You can also add a sweet detail like a small braid near your hairline.
Or just embrace the beachy, messy look! My hair is fine and stringy, so when I’m not in the mood to fuss with a straightening iron, I spritz Bumble & Bumble Surf spray all over, and give my hair a little shake. Voila! Low maintenance is always the best policy.
I hope these few ideas help you find a no-fuss summer beauty routine. You can find all of my lazy beauty posts here. I’m always tweaking the products I use, so if you have any of your own suggestions about looking your best, I’d love to hear them in the comments.
Thanks for letting me share here today!
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