Beauty Blog

There’s nothing like some great beach hair.  The kind of textures, waves and body you can only get from being at the beach, in the ocean, under the sun.  I used to have it all the time when living near the ocean…its fabulous!  The ocean and its salt water can offer many vital nutrients to your skin, and it can give your hair a great natural look, but salt water and heavy sun exposure can also dry out the hair badly.  I know that at this time of the year and the closer we get into summer, the more women want “beach hair!”  Interestingly enough, with a stroke of marketing genius–products were created to help women achieve this look without actually having to go into the ocean.  They’ve been around for a few years now, but I have yet to try any of them.  It seems as though these products would work well on finer, more straight hair–I could be very wrong about this though.  As a curly-haired girl, I have plenty of texture and body.  After one dip in the ocean, the curls are somewhat weighed down and have a beautiful shape to them.  Unfortunately, the ends would feel like sandpaper and the roots would become a bit oily.  I am curious to see if the beach hair products work, and after shopping around, I found a few that I would consider purchasing:

Fekkai by Frederic Fekkai created a small line of products for summertime hair including the Marine Summer Hair Beach Waves Style Spray ($23).

Apparently this spray is formulated with marine waters, AquaNutrients, sea kelp and a UV Shield to give you moisture locked texture and shape.  A few spritzes of this stuff is good for sun-exposed, moisture thirsty hair.  Sounds like it would be perfect to use after you’ve come out of the ocean and rinsed hair with freshwater.

John Frieda created a product called Ocean Waves Sea Spray Texturizing Styler.  Made with “sea water”, this spray is only $6.49 and was rumored to be discontinued but available at johnfrieda.com

Ok, so picking up one of these products is convenient, but I did some research and learned how to make my own product for “beach hair” and found out it’s easy as pie! I’m going to save a few bucks and opt for creating my own.  All you will need is a small spray bottle, one cup of water, four or five drops of essential oil (this would include natural lavender, rosemary, or any other fragrance of your choice) and two teaspoons of sea salt.  Mix together in a spray bottle and your done!

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more Frederic Fekkai products and John Frieda products.

1 . Philosophy ‘Shelter’ Tinted SPF 30 Sunblock: $20

This antioxidant-rich, broad-spectrum sun protection moisturizer tops as an absolute summer must have for it not only provides basic moisturization, but also incorporates anti-aging benefits of peptides and protects us from the harmful effects of the sun with SPF 30. Wait there’s more- it even provides sheer coverage with a universally flattering tint that compliments most skin types.

2. Nars Monoi Body Glow II and South Beach Multiple Set: $49

Who does not crave for that sensuous Jennifer Lopez glow? The South Beach Multiple set helps you achieve that bronze goddess look by giving your eyes, cheeks, and lips a sun kissed radiance while the Minoi Body glow lends a luminous sheen to the whole body to achieve that perfectly stylish summer chic.

3. Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15: $22.50

Remember, lips need SPF too!  Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 blends reparative oils and waxes together with real sugar for an intensely moisturizing sun protection.  Sweet and tart blackcurrant oil cushions the lips with essential plumping fatty acids, while antioxidant grapeseed polyphenols and vitamins A, C and E provide extra protection.

4. Bare Escentuals Perfect Bronze 100% Natural Lip Trio: $ 30

This all natural paraben free lip trio is all you need to give your pucker that sexy, bronze pout.  The lip liner, gloss and lipcolor set come pre-matched for you in a creamy, moisturizing formula that is sure to help you pack a punch in your summer look.

5. Guerlain ‘Le 2 de Guerlain’ Waterproof Mascara: $35

Summer definitely calls for a water proof mascara.  Who better to deliver it than the legendary Guerlain?  It comes with two brushes: the main brush provides volume, length and curls the lashes, while the mini-brush helps to precisely define all small lashes and lower lashes.  It contains polymers to first surround the lash with a flexible coating by encasing natural waxes and then a humid resin a humid resin, to form a setting film over the first coating as it dries to protect curl and maintain hold .

6. MAC ‘Fix+ Rose’ Mist: $17

This rose water mist formulated from spring water, rich in added minerals hydrates and conditions the skin.  It is the perfect finishing touch for your summer makeup.  Smells great.  Feels so refreshing against the skin.  A real summer pick me up!

7. Matte Cover FX Oil Absorbing Powder: $22

While we love the seductive summer heat, we can certainly do without the oil and grease that make our faces look shiny and our makeup blotchy.  The sweat and dirt of summer days require this mineral rich oil absorbing pressed powder compact to absorb the oil and deliver an evenly matte appearance..

8. Frederic Fekkai Summer Hair Marine Clean Detox Shampoo: $23

We all know that the sun can do a number on the hair.  Add to it all the chloride in the pool and the salt water in the beach-you definitely need extra help!  Frederic Fekkai Marine Summer Hair Marine Clean Detox Shampoo contains marine botanicals to moisturize and gently detoxify chlorine, residue and other impurities. The Aqua Nutrients infuse deep hydration into sun-exposed, moisture-thirsty hair, and the UV shield helps prevent fading.  Moreover the summery smell just gets you into the mood.

9. Blot Away! Oil Absorbing Sheets, $2.99 on sale!

These troopers from Avon at just under $3.00 are the handiest things you could ever have in your handbag during those long hot perspiring summer days.  These portable, disposable compact blotting papers that come in sets of 50 help you blot away oil and sweat through out the day without messing with your makeup.

10. Marc Jacobs Splash - Lemon: $68

Have you put away your winter perfume yet?  It is time to get into the spirit with Marc Jacobs Splash in Lemon.  It promises to capture the essence of summer with the fresh, crisp scent of sun-drenched citrus.  Even its yellowy sparkling tint is reminiscent of the warm, sensuous days of summer.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more tinted sunblock, SPF lip treatment and waterproof mascara
Buy absorbing face powder, detox shampoo and Marc Jacobs fragrances.
Discounts on NARS beauty products and Bare Escentuals products,

This season’s beauty trends are definitely very corresponding with the looks I’ve seen on the streets lately: red lips, natural skin with little to no make-up, darkly lined “bedroom” eyes, and slightly messy long waves for hair.  I’m thinking that “low maintenance” is going to be the theme this year.  Casual up-do’s are making a little comeback as well ranging from a twisted crown style to a very wispy twist on the traditional french twists.  These trends make me happy because a lot of them are beauty styles that I feel remain classic through time.

Let’s start with the lips: I’ve heard more women tell me that they can’t pull off red lipstick, or they wish they could wear red lipstick, but just can’t or don’t know how.  Ladies!  There is never any reason to be intimidated by a small tube of color for the lips.  I have always remained very loyal to my red lipstick, the trick is finding the proper shade and applying properly.  Tried and true, MAC lipsticks are definitely my favorites.  This is because the range of colors is always fantastic, and no one does a matte lipstick better than MAC.  I’ve tried to stray, but always come back to their matte formula.  Ruby Woo is the truest cherry red you can find out there probably, and should look nice with most skin tones.  A lot of women think they need lip liner with lipstick, but these two don’t always need to go hand in hand. If you are going red for the first time, a little lip liner probably won’t hurt…it will aid in case the lipstick bleeds out of the lip line a bit.  MAC’s Cherry lip liner is a good one, just make sure it’s sharpened properly and don’t apply it with a heavy hand. Fill in with the color and blot.

Skin: Not everyone is blessed with glowing, clear skin.  It’s true.  What you can do though is make your best efforts to take care of the skin you do have.  If you work with it, it shall work with you.  Cleansing, toning, and moisturizing is key of course, making sure to wash your face before bed and in the morning when you wake…ALWAYS!  Applying any sort of face makeup, liquid in particularly is best to do immediately after moisturizing.  The result will keep your complexion looking smooth and fresh. I try my best not to use face makeup, but when I do, my top choice is Loreal True Match.  It has an SPF 17 in it, which is important and super affordable.  A little dab (blending with fingertips) on each cheek or on any reddish or trouble spots and leave it at that…that’s what I call bang for your buck.

Loreal True Match Super Blendable Makeup: $10.35

If you decide to go with the darkly lined bedroom eyes, keep it simple and use a well sharpened black eye pencil.  A medium sized line on top of the eye, and on the bottom inner rim of the eye is all you need…just be sure to smudge gently with your ring finger.  Top with a lengthening mascara.  A tip for removing stubborn eyeliner: a little dab of Vaseline underneath the eyes with a Q-tip will gently banish raccoon eyes.

Time for hair:  The secret to this season’s low-maintenance do’s are leaving it slightly messy.  Using a big barrel curling iron–1 1/2 barrels are best, take thicker pieces of the hair and rather than clamping them into the curling iron like you normally would, wrap the hair around the entire iron to create a larger, more natural looking wave. Apply a light styling cream after your done–like the Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream, then tousle with your fingers at the base of your scalp.

Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream with Pure Olive Oil 4 oz: $19.50

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop through a variety of MAC makeup, L’Oreal makeup, and Frederic Fekkai products.
Discounts on red lipstick, foundation and hair styling cream.