Beauty Essentials
Tis the season for complexion issues – From sunburns to flaky, dried skin to sunscreen & oil induced blemishes – Summer can be rough on your skin. And since taking care of your face is extra important this time of year I’d like to share some of my skin care secrets as well as some great tips & recommendations that I found on other sites.
Exfoliator: My number one go-to product during the Summer is an exfoliating scrub – I love the feeling of fresh, clean skin. And while I’ve tried many many brands, I always go back to St. Ives Apricot Scrub. It’s the Little Black Dress of exfoliating – A classic. 🙂
Lotion: A good moisturizer is a must during warm weather months and if you use it religiously you’ll keep your skin soft and manageable all Summer long. My current favorite is Clarins Extra-Firming Night Cream which feels great when you slather it on and you wake-up with your skin feeling great.
BB Cream: At this point I don’t think that we can claim that BB Cream is just a fly-by-night trend, it seems to be here to stay. With so many choices & brands out there, I’ve found myself trying new ones from time to time, but my favorite so far is Dior Hydra Life BB Crème. It goes on light but is quite effective, which is perfect for the warm-weather months.
Below are some great pieces from around the blogosphere featuring well-loved beauty & skin care products as well as tips for great Summer skin.
- Beauty Secrets From Top Bloggers from The Rachel Zoe Report
- How To Look Good Wet from Harper’s Bazaar
- The Essential Pro Advice (& Products!) To Beat Summer Breakouts from Refinery 29
- My Favorite Skin Care Products from This Chick’s Got Style
- Summer Skin from Allergic To Vanilla
What’s your favorite trick to keep your skin healthy & glowing for the Summer months?
Vacation Planning: Spring & Summer Beauty Routine
Welcome to Part II of your Spring & Summer vacation planning guide – Check out Part I for some ideas & inspiration for fun updos and hairstyles to try on your next vacation.
When the weather starts to warm up I immediately start thinking about simplifying my beauty routine. Who wants to go to all the trouble of putting on a full face of makeup when you’ll sweat it off by 10am? This goes for daily life in the city as well as for vacations and weekends away – I want as little time in front of the bathroom mirror as possible. So as you’d think, my go-to products for this time of year are versatile ones that you can serve multiple purposes:
(1) Argan Oil – I cannot travel, or live really, without argan oil. It may be having its 15 minutes right now but I’ve been using it for years and highly recommend picking up a quality version like Josie Maran’s Organic Argan Oil or L’Oreal’s EverSleek. This oil can be used on your hair, your skin, your feet, your cuticles…
See what I meant about multitasking?
(2) BB/CC Cream – When it comes to one-stop-wonders is there anything more magical than the BB and CC creams out there? Light coverage, evening out skintone, and best of all, SPF. Nothing worse than having to smooth an oily sunscreen over your face! I’ve tried a handful of different versions and so far my favorites are Maybelline, L’Oreal, and Rimmel.
(3) Chubby Stick – These little sticks are great multitaskers, you can use them on your lips, cheeks, or eyes. Perfect for a quick freshening up midday or before a night out. Clinique and Cover Girl both make lovely versions in a number of shades – I love the versions with a little coral in them!
Need some more recommendations & tips for simplifying your routine? Check out Favorite Natural Beauty Tutorials from Coco of My Precious Confessions, Mars – Mes favoris beauté spécial peau pourrie from Coline of Et Pourquoi Pas, and Drugstore Cowboy from Irina over at Into The Gloss.
{This three-part series is part of The Girls Inspired Group’s Spotlight Series called Spring Fever that I’m hosting w/ the lovely Mari of I Love Green Inspiration}
Links You’ll Love
Health & Fitness:
Adding some healthy recipes to your repertoire is a great way to stay in shape and make sure that you’re getting all the necessary nutrients and vitamins. Here are some great options to try out:
- Choosing Raw’s Quinoa Chickpea Burgers with Za’atar Spice and Creamy Tahini Sauce
- FitSugar’s Tasty Twists on Traditional Hummus Recipes
- Prevention’s Summer Fruit Recipes And Vegetable Ideas
Interested in the benefits of a raw diet and how eating high raw can help your health and digestion? Why Raw? Revisiting the Question from Choosing Raw.
Staying hydrated while you’re working out during the summer is key, whether you’re hitting the gym or going for a long run, it’s something that you need to be sure that you’re considering – 5 Tips for Staying Hydrated in the Heat.
And what’s life without a little dessert? 25 Vegan Desserts – Including every delicious thing from Coconut Tiramisu to Fudge Daddy Brownies to Cinnamon Sugar Monkey Bread to Caramel Peach Sticky Buns.
You can eat it or you can take it in a pill, but you should be sure that you’re getting enough! Enough what? Garlic, of course. Read Organice Your Life’s Garlic health benefits.
Fashion:
Here’s a fun, quick project that will help you entertain fashionably at your next dinner or cocktail party – Cupcakes & Cashmere’s Sparkly Rustic Tray DIY.
Need some new nail art ideas? Check out Refinery 29’s Nail Art’s New Wave: How To Get The Bubbly, Beautiful “Pop Fizz” Look.
I’m a fan of Fashion Vibe’s Zina Charkoplia’s personal style so it’s great to see her showing up on others radar as well – Looks of the Week & Looks of the Week. Check out some of her best looks on WhoWhatWear’s Style Stalker piece.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Moi Contre La Vie 