Hello there, my beauties!
With the arrival of warm temperatures and sunny skies, summer is definitely on my mind. I’m thinking about all of the fun activities to do, like spending time on the lake, taking my daughters to the neighborhood pool, and chasing butterflies outside. Aside from those classic seasonal favorites, a music festival (or concert) is the epitome of summertime fun. Spending time outside in the sunshine with good friends, while listening to great music, is something that I look forward to every year.
When I think of that particular atmosphere, I visualize certain beauty trends, which happen to be my personal favorites: beachy hair, shimmery skin, and flowy, bohemian clothing. You can thank Coachella for the reigning festival trends from recent years, which are still going strong: flower crowns, metallic temporary tattoos, beachy hair, and anything colorful. But, since we aren’t all spending our time in California, we need to go with watered-down versions of those trends. Let’s talk about how to achieve these quintessentially summer looks.
The tousled, mermaid waves that we can find all over Instagram are pretty simple to achieve: you need a good texturizing product and lightweight conditioner; a blow dryer with a diffuser attachment and curling wand can also be added. After shampooing, it’s important to use a lightweight conditioner; using one that is extra-moisturizing and oil-based will make your hair too smooth to achieve that beachy look. I really like Shea Moisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Crème Rinse (W, T, U) and Redken Beach Envy Volume Texturizing Conditioner (U). Towel-dry your hair, and then apply your texturizing product(s).
When it comes to a good texturizing product, there are pomades, salt sprays, and texturizing sprays to choose from. With whatever product you choose, apply liberally throughout hair and scrunch it through; you can also make twists using a finger. TRESemme Perfectly (UN)DONE Sea Salt Spray (W, T, U) and Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray (W, T, U) are awesome salt sprays to try. OGX Moroccan Surf Paste (W, T, U) is a pomade that produces nice mermaid waves.
After you’ve applied your products, you can let your hair air-dry, use a diffuser, or do this routine at night and sleep on your hair (this is my method of choice). If you want to add a little something more, you can use a curling wand to create more defined waves (don’t wrap the bottom one to two inches of your hair around the wand).
For daytime concerts and festivals, you want to make sure that your makeup isn’t too heavy; we don’t want dark, smoky eyes and winged liner. Instead, we’re going for a lighter look: think warmth, shimmer, and some fun color. Before you apply any makeup, slather on that sunscreen! I can’t speak enough about preventing sun damage. Aveeno Protect + Hydrate Lotion Sunscreen For Face (W, T, U) is a great combination of moisturizer and sunscreen.
Since the sun’s warmth might melt our makeup, we need to apply primer to our face and lids: Benefit POREfessional (U, S) face primer and Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (U, S) are good picks. After that, apply a tinted moisturizer or lightweight foundation to your whole face. IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream (U, S) and Covergirl Vitalist Healthy Elixir Foundation (W, T, U) will work well. After evening out our skin tone, we want to add some warm-toned shimmer reminiscent of the sunshine we will be basking in. One of my past columns focused on highlighters, but if you need me to refresh your memory in regards to some good products to use, try NYX Cosmetics Illuminator (W, T, U) or Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow Liquid Highlighter (U, S). A touch of bronzer will finish the sun-kissed look we are going for. Too Faced Sun Bunny Natural Bronzer (U, S) and e.l.f. Bronzer (W, T, U) should be applied in the hollows of your cheek bones, fanning out toward your ears.
Now, for the eyes: one of the looks coming out of Coachella 2017 was colorful winged eyeliner. Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (U, S) and Wet N Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner (W, T) come in a rainbow of shades. If you prefer a soft wash of color, lightly line your eyes in your favorite eyeliner (choose charcoal or brown instead of black) and then apply some pretty shadow on the lid; Colourpop (www.colourpop.com) and Urban Decay (U, S) offer amazing color options at different price-points. Curl your lashes and finish with your favorite mascara; Covergirl LashBlast Volume Mascara (W, T, U) and Too Faced Better Than Sex (U, S) both produce full lashes.
Finish off your look with a light bite of soft color on your lips. Bonnebell LipSmacker in Dr. Pepper (W, T, U) gives a perfect, soft lip. Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks in ‘Melancholia,’ ‘Ophelia,’ and ‘Nobel’ (S) are some neutral colors that will also look great.
When the sun goes down, bright summer days fade into warm summer nights, but the music goes on. If you’re attending an evening concert, your look can be heavier: think smoky eyes, winged liner, glitter, and dark lip (though not all together). I recently went to a Green Day concert, and my makeup reflected their punk rock music. I used e.l.f Triple Tip Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in ‘Black’ (W, T, U) to create a cateye; Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in ‘Trooper’ (S) is a really popular alternative.
Next, I used my Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette (U, S) to create a dark eye (use any dark shadows you like), and then topped it with glittery Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in ‘Moonspoon’ (U, S). NYX Cosmic Metals Shadow Palette (W, T, U) has a similar finish. I applied several coats of mascara (see options above) after curling my lashes. I then went with a medium-shade lip: Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in ‘Manic’ (U, S) is my all-time FAVORITE shade; one of the above-mentioned neutral shades will also look great.
If you would rather do a bold or dark lip instead of heavy eye makeup, only apply a black cateye; heavy eye makeup along with dramatic lips would be overkill.
Non-traditional lipcolors like purple are popular right now; L'Oréal Infallible Lip Paints in ‘Violet Twist’ and ‘Lilac Lust’ (W, T, U) are really pretty options. Dark, vampy lips are always good for a night of rock ‘n’ roll, so try Tarte Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in ‘Acid Wahs’ (U, S) and Maybelline Color Sensational The Loaded Bolds Lip Color in ‘Blackest Berry” (W, T, U). If you’re not into crazy colors or dark lips, but prefer a classic look, go with a red like Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in ‘Red Alert’ (W, T, U) or Lorac Alter Ego Lipstick in ‘Pin Up’ (U, K). Your nighttime look can include the beachy hair mentioned earlier; if you need to pump up your texture, use a dry shampoo like Dove Refresh + Care Volume & Fullness Dry Shampoo (W, T) to refresh any texture lost throughout the day.
Enjoy the warm weather! Until next time, feel free to contact me with you beauty questions at olivia.improperadult@yahoo.com. IA
KEY
W-Walmart
T-Target
U-Ulta
S-Sephora
K-Kohl’s
With Love,
Olivia
PRODUCT REVIEW: BEAUTY SPONGES
I want to talk about a tool that I started using a few months ago: a beauty sponge. This is a beauty tool that is used to apply foundation/tinted moisturizer/BB or CC Cream to your face. Before I used one, I applied my product with my fingertips, and then later graduated to a foundation brush. However, I have found that a sponge is by far the best way to apply face products. The sponge buffs the product into your skin, creating an even finish. The BeautyBlender (S) is a very popular (and the most expensive) beauty sponge on the market. However, there are other, less-expensive versions that work just as well. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (W, T, U, K), L'Oréal Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender (W, T, U), and Sephora Collection The Perfectionist: Airbrush Sponge (S-what I am currently using) are all great. To use, get your sponge wet, and squeeze out any excess water. Apply dots of your product on your face, and use the sponge to buff and smooth the product into your skin. Try it: you will love the results!
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