summer beauty basics

While everyone else is ready for back to school, I feel like I’m just now getting into a summer routine. Luckily for me, I still have a month or two of almost-hundred-degree weather. Here in Texas, summer is definitely still here. And these super hot days always necessitate a change in beauty products. These are my favorite summer beauty products right now.

  
This was a Birchbox find and may be exclusive to the site. It has great coverage for a bb cream, and a golden shimmer that’s not really noticeable except for adding a brightening or dewy effect. It’s perfect to use in place of a foundation during the summer when my skin is tanned and doesn’t need quite as much coverage.

Not just for summer, this is the perfect palette for a basic neutral eye. I use the matte colors only for combining with the dewy face and cheeks. Walk of Shame (very light nude) and Naked2 (taupe) on the lids, and Crave (deepest, darkest brown/black) smudged across my lash line. These warm colors are great for summer, and I’ll definitely check out the cooler-toned Naked2 Basics palette for winter.

This is the first year I’ve ever tried using a bronzer, and I’m hooked. It took a lot of looking before I found this little guy. It’s inexpensive (less than 4$) and shimmery without being glittery or sparkly. Throw out the little brush it comes with. I use it in place of blush on my cheeks and as eyeshadow too if I’m in a hurry. Fun fact: I used Cheekers blushes all through high school.

Ok, this mascara isn’t actually waterproof. I’ve worn in the pool and looked like a raccoon after a few dips. But it is more natural-looking than my usual (let’s be honest, few mascaras are less natural-looking than Diorshow BlackOut http://www.sephora.com/diorshow-black-out-mascara-P175208), and can stand up to the sweat and sun. It’s impossible to remove with just soap and water; I use almond oil to remove it before washing my face.

I’ve gone through three tubes of this sparkling caramel pink gloss. It’s the perfect nude gloss for my skin tone, and a staple for casual style. Your perfect nude will probably be a different shade, but you can't go wrong with Nars glosses.

This is summer’s answer to a red lip, although it’s a staple year-round. It’s the perfect glossy orange-red shade, buildable so it can go from sheer to bold, and as easy to apply and wear as chapstick. This is one of my all-time favorite lipstick shades, so of course they discontinued it. Next, I think I’ll try Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Punch Drunk as a possible replacement.

On no-lipstick days –  whether I'm jogging along the river to heading to the pool   this Banana Boat lip balm with SPF 45 replaces my strawberry Chapstick.

I put this on instead of moisturizer in the morning under makeup. It’s not greasy, absorbs right away, and doesn’t leave a white residue, even though I use a lot of it. It doesn't irritate my eyes and, most importantly, doesn’t cause breakouts. It’s also water-resistant, although I always add a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses when I go to the pool or the beach. It’s pricy, but less expensive than the moisturizer it’s replacing, and totally worth it for protecting my face.

Most drugstore spfs cause major breakouts, but not this one. If you read the fine print, you’ll notice it is fragrance free. It absorbs easily and is inexpensive enough that I can slather on as much as I want to, and I use a lot of it. (This is for when I’m going to be outside for a little while. If I’m going to the pool or the beach, I use the SPF 50 or 100.)

The first shampoo that my husband and I both love to use. It smells like a day at the beach, and not in a fake coconut-scented way. I have to wash my hair much more often in the summer and this stuff combined with some surf spray makes it seem like I didn’t, but in a good way. Tips: Skip the matching conditioner – it’s no good – and make sure to swap it out for a clarifying shampoo about once a week to prevent build-up.


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