Summer Beauty Essentials

[Miwi]

What are your can't-live-without favourite beauty products for summer?
Everything from skincare to make-up and hair and even non-beauty favourites.
Feel free to share your tips on how to stay cool in these hot summer days and how to keep your make-up looking fresh and pretty.

You can also post about product you would like to try or think that will soothe, treat and refresh your skin during summer.

Let the summer begin!

 

[barbaraaa]

Sunscreen! I often will go out with nothing on my face but sunscreen.

 

[La bordélique]

^ I second that! I can't leave the house without sunscreen. The one I'm using right now is Coola Face SPF 30 Cucumber (matte).

I also spray on some sort of mist more often than in winter (Mario Badescu aloe-herbs-rosewater spray, LRP thermal water) just to get a refreshing feel on those really hot days. I find myself using more toner after washing my face because it's so easy to feel icky at the end of the day (when it's humid outside) or else my face doesn't feel clean enough. I've run out of my Caudalie Beauty Elixir and I'm thinking about getting another bottle.

As for makeup I like to be as light and simple as possible. I go for concealer, Fairy Drops mascara... sometimes NARS tinted moisturizer and that's it. If I do wear blush I prefer it powder form, I really like the Rose ambré by Bourjois. I want to avoid creamy textures as much as possible because they tend to make me look "shinier"!

 

[MulletProof]

I also wear very little foundation.. sometimes none. I've found that it gets to a point where it's impossible to not have a shiny face that the only way to "beat" it is to join it: making things even shinier .. I'll add a thin line of metallic eyeshadow or brighter lips.. I also love bronzing powders with that sheer metallic finish (wearing very little obviously!).

Wish I could add sunscreen but living in the desert you have to carry it all year round (I buy travel-size tubes at this point and put them everywhere), I do apply it obsessively during the summer, not really concerned about sun damage like most members here but tan lines really piss me off, especially feet ones caused by strappy sandals (any sandals really), I feel like it gives a very dirty look.

Summer essentials for me:
- Insect repellent
- Bug bite relief
- Pumice stone
- The Body Shop's peppermint cooling pumice foot scrub and cooling lotion
- Neutrogena's pink grapefruit face + body scrub (the smell = summer )
- Ibuprofen (40 degrees and white light are knock-outs for me- migraine right away)
- Mandatory cold showers


And excuse me while I sound like a broken record but running very early in the morning or late at night works like no product for me in order to keep my skin clean in the really nasty months (August-early September).

 

[Melisande]

Ooh, great points; esp. thanks for the reminder to run Mullet
I couldn't agree more about the feet, yuck for tan lines!! I always use a cheapo sunscreen for that.

I'm lucky (?) that I don't perspire much even when it's hot and humid, but here are my essentials:

--SPF 50 Shiseido or Lancome
--I love Johnson's baby powder when in Japan since it's so humid
--I get my hair thermally reconditioned before going to a humid climate to combat the god-awful frizzies.
--refrigerated rose water to splash on face and body
--for the beach/pool makeup, I tint my cheeks and lips with L'Occitane shea balm in the dark red, or Benetint, and use Mac Liquidlast on my eyes (I use this 365 days a year anyway)
--I sometimes use a kind of tinted/shimmery body lotion on my shoulders, arms and legs when I'm tanned

 

[Miwi]

Face: I'm totally aware of the importance of wearing sunscreen, but unfortunately I still haven't found the right one. The same old story every year- breakout. But I'm not giving up. This year I'll try Vichy Capital Soleil Mattifying Face Fluid Dry Touch SPF 50. It's still not perfect, but it has the most acceptable ingredients I've seen so far.

vichy.co.uk

Oh, face mists! I'm obsessed with them. I love to use thermal water from different brands (Avene, Vichy, LRP) and I keep them everywhere. One in my bag, one in the office, one on my nightstand. I've also discovered floral waters and currently I'm using Melvita Orange Blossom Floral Water, an alternative to toner.

dooyoo.co.uk

Body: I don't like rich body butters or heavy body lotions in the summer, I want something without feeling greasy and sticky, but still something moisturising and nourishing.
After 'sunbathing' (I don't really sunbathe)/when I'm back from the beach, I like to use one of Hawaiian Tropic After Sun body lotions (love their sunscreens as well) or L'Occitane Verbena body lotion. But lately I've been having problems with dry and extremely itchy skin so I'll probably have to stick to La Roche Posay Lipikar Baume.

Hair: Tangle Teezer and a good detangling spray are the most important to me. Can't wait to get my hands on Uniq One All in One Cleansing Balm (I love their All In One spray), I love 2 in 1 products in the summer.

ubuhair.com

Make-up: I use Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation all year round and it's the ideal summer foundation. I can't imagine wearing something thick and creamy. BB creams just didn't work for me.
I don't wear much make-up anyway so my everyday make-up is pretty much the same all year. Lately I've been loving NARS blush in Sin and Revlon Lip Butters. I never wear bronzer. It would probably look weird on me anyway, but you'll never see me without blush.

Nails: My favourite summer trend is neon nails. And I really do love pink and coral shades.

Other: sunglasses, high quality flip flops.

Even though I love summer I can't stand the heat and humidity (I can take a cold shower at least 3 times a day). God bless the person who invented air conditioning. Unfortunately we don't have it at home and I have major sleeping problems.
I'm very grateful that I can spend every weekend (or whenever I want) at the seaside, where the heat is much more bearable. B)

 

[ad31214]

It doesn't get too hot here in San Francisco, 65-70 degrees maximum, so my list is pretty similar to the rest of the year.

-Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 45 (I love the smell of this I cannot describe it kind of creamy and citrusy, I love it)
-Dry shampoo of any kind for those days where the sun beats down a little too hard and my hair starts to look kind of greasy and not too cute...

 

[Belowen]

It's the dead of winter here at the moment, so I thought writing about my favourite summer beauty treats might warm me up a bit!

Skin: I find that less is more during the warmer months of the year, I have naturally oily skin so I try to balance that without overloading my skin with too many products. I do more clay based face mask treatments (rather than the hydrating options I lean towards in the winter) and put a lot more focus into what kind of SPF products I'm using on my face.

Hair: I use more conditioning sprays in the warm weather because I spend more time in the elements - at the beach, in the pool etc. I tend to wear my hair up more in the summer too (to keep it off of my neck, Australia is not ideal for loose flowing hair when it's 40-something degrees), so I apply texture products to give my hair some definition if up in a top knot or a braid sort of 'do.

Body: Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! I spend more time dry-body brushing and using body scrubs during the warm weather, probably because I know that more of my body is going to be exposed to the elements. I like lightweight body lotions and I use body oils in the lead-up to summer.

Nails: BRIGHTS are definitely the way to go in the hot months, and a favourite is Essie's Pink Parka, which is a super bright (almost fluro) pink shade.

Makeup: Less is more, mostly because it has a habit of melting off of my face in the Australian heat. I agree with MulletProof and I also try to "join 'em" because I can't beat 'em when it comes to shiny skin. I try to embrace the 'dewy' look and opt for tinted moisturisers and BB creams over heavy foundations. I like metallic eyeshadows and bright peachy blushes and lips to help brighten things up. I can't tan, so the fresh-faced pale look with coral/gold toned makeup is the way to go for me.

Fragrance: I would die to be able to wear floral fragrances, but they just do not agree with my skin chemistry. Instead I opt for light, coconut-milky scented perfumes in the warm weather. I don't like to wear anything too overpowering.

 

[Milada]

Urban Decay by Skindinavia Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray. Take that T-zone!

 

[BibiRose]

SPF SPF and SPF again. I really like Shiseido Urban Environment UV Protection Cream
SPF 40 for face & body, I take it everywhere. La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water is also my summer staple.

 

[Miwi]

I highly recommend Vichy Mattifying Face Fluid Dry Touch SPF 50. I think I've finally found the right UV protection for my face.