Summer emanates the notions of breezy sundresses, sexy sandals, sun-kissed skin and radiant beauty. With this in mind, making a luminous splash without basking in the sun is about creating a softer, lighter look.
Tresses
Preparing hair for the season of sun, chlorine and sea salt begins with removing all product build up from your scalp and starting the summer with a clean slate. Nelly Greenfield, hairstylist, owner of Nelly Greenfield Salon in Brentwood Village suggests doing a Loreal Serie Expert Soft Peel, an in-salon treatment that contains exfoliating microbeads that deeply cleanse the scalp, removing excess scalp residues and sebum. “Moroccan Oil is also a great scalp treatment,” says Greenfield. “The oil lifts debris from the scalp. Simply apply a minimal amount of the oil into the palm of your hand, massage into scalp and comb the scalp vigorously with a wide-tooth comb.” To protect the hair this summer, Greenfield recommends beginning with the Hydrating Moroccan Oil Styling Cream followed up with Moroccan Glimmer Shine Spray, an invisible veil of shine that enhances highlights prevents frizz and protects hair against the elements.
To create a defense system for the hair, try water-resistant Huile De Palme from Leonor Greyl. The Huile De Palme adheres to and coats curly and straight hair alike, locking into exposed hair and protecting it from excess sun, UV rays and the environment. The product also softens dry hair, repairs brittle or split ends and compensates for any damage caused by color treatments, highlighting, straightening methods and weather exposure. Argan oil has created a lot of buzz in the beauty industry and Russell Organics recently launched a 100% pure Argan Oil product that can be used to hydrate the whole body. Rub a tiny amount in the ends of towel-dried hair and style naturally for the perfect amount of shine and moisture without looking greasy. Argan oil is rich in antioxidants and omega 6 fatty acids and can be used on both the hair and the skin. Russell Organics Argan Oil is extracted from trees in Morocco, contains more vitamin E than olive oil and is inherently rich in phenols, carotenes and fatty acids providing regenerative and restorative benefits necessary for a healthy, vibrant complexion and hydrated, shiny hair. For smoothing out unruly locks attacked by the sticky, humid summer air, Brazilian beauty company, nuNAAT introduces the Karite Special Line, formulated to tame frizzy hair. nuNAAT incorporates ingredients found within Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest to restore shine and silkiness and revitalize dry and damaged hair. The Karite Special Line is an intensive treatment for restoring dry and damaged hair and is rich in shea butter, which revitalizes the hair’s capillary fiber leaving hair soft and silky.
Summer humidity may be the culprit of bad hair days, but Blow Out Spray™ and Samy Heat Guard Heat Protection Spray will help you kiss mad-scientist-hair goodbye. Inspired by the fashion runways of New York, Blow Out Spray is a weightless wonder that goes beyond traditional hair sprays to actually enhance the movement and fluidity of blow-dry styled hair while preserving your style in any kind of weather. Fortified with an exclusive Pure Protein Blend, including natural soy and silk, Blow Out extends the look and life of your blow out without the stickiness and crunch. Samy Heat Guard Heat Protection Spray is designed to dramatically transform hair into ultra smooth, sleek, shiny, frizz-free hair instantly. The product provides superior heat and breakage protection from styling tools, smoothes and adds shine, has long lasting style memory and seals split-ends. Samy Heat Guard Heat Protection Spray is available at Walgreens, Rite Aid, and select drugstores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
One of Nelly Greenfield Salon’s key stylist, colorist and extensions expert, Alex Doerken, is spearheading summer hair trends in LA with Shimmerlys. Shimmerlys are radiant, tinsel hair extensions that are attached to a single hair and last until that hair strand falls out. “The hot colors for summer are blue, gold and silver for blondes, red heads love magenta, red and orange and brunettes are all about the blues, greens, golds and coppers,” says Doerken. In addition, Doerken has created her own colored hair extension line using 100% real human hair that she has dyed in a rainbow of colors. These extensions can be easily clipped into your hair for a fun, but temporary, summer night or can be bonded for a longer run. Once in place, Doerken cuts the extension to the shape of your style and educates you on how to use and care for your extensions. Doerken’s colored hair extensions are sold exclusively at Nelly Greenfield Salon. For appointments, call (310) 440-9107.
One more hour on the beach doesn’t have to interfere with your summer night dreams. Shampowder takes you from a hot day in the sun to cocktails at night. Shampowder the original pigmented dry shampoo, allows you to have freedom between washings and will revive, volumize and deodorize your hair. By absorbing the oils that weigh down unwashed hair, sagging tresses are transformed into full, more manageable hair while the pigmented powder blends seamlessly, disguising the fact that you skipped a washing. The lightly scented powder comes in three shades and blends beautifully into an array of black, brunettes/red and blonde hair colors. Perfectly purse-sized with a handy all-in-one applicator, Shampowder is compact enough to go with you.
Face and Body
Summer nights can run into the wee hours of the morning. For looking chipper the next day, try First Aid Beauty Detox Eye Roller. This eye roller is chock-full of caffeine to reduce under eye circles by shrinking blood vessels, witch hazel and menthyl lactate to tone and smooth the skin, sodium hyaluronate and advanced peptides to diminish fine lines and blended with First Aid Beauty’s Antioxidant Booster to combat free radicals. The roller ball delivery system eliminates baggy looking skin by gently distributing lymphatic build-up. The Detox Eye Roller is available at sephora.com.
Sweat and sunscreen can clog pores and leave your complexion a shiny, broken out mess. Ava Anderson Non Toxic and Belletaré, product lines both target environmental factors such as sun and pollution, but they do it naturally. Created by teen Ava Anderson, Ava Anderson Non Toxic does not contain PEGs, phthalates, parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, dioxane or fragrances offers and offers an array of products that work to cleanse and restore the natural balance of your skin. The Ava Anderson Cleanser is enriched with anti-oxidants and skin softeners and leaves skin feeling clean and refreshed. The cleanser is mild enough that it can also be used as a substitute for soap and/or body wash and can be used daily. Three times per week, Ava Anderson suggests using her Exfoliator, which is a gentle skin softening scrub that buffs away dry skin and imperfections. The fine apricot kernels ensure a light exfoliation while the punica granatum seed oil (derived from pomegranate) is a natural anti-oxidant for fresh and radiant skin. The exfoliant is also great for pre-pedicure prepping. All-natural, cruelty-free using certified organic ingredients, Belletaré fuses powerful antioxidants, botanical extracts, essential fatty acids and vitamins to carefully address the signs of aging summer stressors such as sun and the environment. Belletaré’s Intermezzo Body Polish is perfect to exfoliate dead skin cells to reveal fresh skin and is also a great pre-cursor to sunless tanning. Like the Ava Anderson Exfoliant, the Intermezzo Body Polish can be used on dry, cracked heals followed by Brava Body Lotion to instantly relieve and moisturize.
If your skin needs a little more care during the summer months, Clearogen normalizes oil production for healthy vibrant skin using ingredients such as salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide that are released gradually over the day through a patented delivery system to unclog pores, kill bacteria and reduce inflammation. This process heals existing blemishes and sets the stage for consistently clear skin. “We developed this product to offer the best of all worlds in terms of acne care and prevention,” says Dr. Khadavi, who also serves as Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Southern California. Clearogen’s line includes a Foaming Cleanser, Clarifying Toner, Acne Lotion and can be used for all skin types.
Take advantage of the lazy summer days and whip up a homemade Blueberry & Brown Sugar Body Scrub, recipe courtesy of the Cliff House Resort & Spa. The Blueberry & Brown Sugar Body Scrub will leave your skin feeling rejuvenated and nourished and is gentle enough to use on your face. In addition to nutrient-rich blueberries, the brown sugar provides a gentle exfoliation without drying and lemon juice to brighten and soften the skin. Simply combine two cups brown sugar, two teaspoons pureed blueberries and three tablespoons lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. Apply the scrub using circular motions with gentle pressure during a warm shower, lavishing on face and paying close attention to elbows, knees, heels and other rough areas and rinse.
Summer Makeup
Hydration, hydration, hydration – although the summer sun can be breathtaking, it can also be depleting your skin of much needed moisture. Skindinavia introduces Summer Moisturizer, a super-light moisturizer in a mist form that is applied right before your makeup. As the only lightweight and breathable spray moisturizer with SPF on the market, Summer Moisture pulls moisture to the skin surface for up to 16 hours, primes skin and helps keep makeup in place.
Stay cool as a cucumber with DuWop Flight Stick, a complexion perfecting, hydrating stick that contains antioxidants to protect and moisturize skin. With just a hint of color to even out and perfect the complexion, the Flight Stick’s cooling formula includes hyaluronic acid to firm, condition and restore suppleness to the skin. To create a smooth, shine-free palette before makeup, use Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer with SPF 15, a mineral-based primer with sun protection that neutralizes the skin and creates a smooth, uniformed canvas for flawless makeup application. A clean, satin-finish formula, Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer effortlessly smoothes onto skin to help keep makeup looking fresh and prevent fading. Veil Mineral Primer also absorbs excess oils and minimizes the appearance of pores by evenly distributing light to help hide and soften skin's imperfections and fine lines. Formulated with naturally-derived titanium dioxide and zinc oxide instead of chemical sun-blocking agents, Veil Mineral Primer is water-resistant, 100% free of fragrance, oil, and parabens. Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer is available at www.Sephora.com.
Los Angeles-based makeup artist Juliana Landis at Umberto Salon in Beverly Hills says summer makeup is all about keeping things simple. The smokey eye of the fall and winter is now softer and lighter using metallic golds, ambers, ecru and beiges. Brown liner is the new black. Landis loves Chanel's Quadra Eyeshadow in Dune and Liberty of London/MAC summer palette of creamy corals, pinks and greys. For that all over glow, Landis suggests Smashbox’s multi-use powder Baked Fusion Soft Lights for that “Jennifer Lopez-lit-from-within look.” To book an appointment with Landis, email her at info@julianalandis.com or call (310) 274-6395.
Lips are sometimes the last spot we think of when it comes to protecting them from the summer sun. To prepare lips for the outdoors and before you add your summer gloss, use Kinerase Ultimate Volume Lip Conditioner with SPF 20, a deeply hydrating anti-aging balm, containing an innovative ingredient that has been shown to mimic hyaluronic acid injections in scientific lab studies. By increasing hyaluronic acid levels and stimulating the production of collagen, this treatment visibly plumps and repairs signs of aging for noticeable smooth, full, glossy and youthful lips. Kinerase Ultimate Lip Conditioner with SPF 20 contains Volulip, a peptide complex that stimulates three types of collagen to increase lip volume by up to 15%, Dehydrasomes, organic microvessels that attract water, locking in moisture to rehydrate and plump the lips, Kinetin, a plant-based antioxidant that reduces the signs of aging and SPF 20 for sun blockage.
With lips guarded against the sun’s damaging rays, the Too Faced Summer collection lets you focus on coloring your kisser. Begin by taming the feathers with Lip Insurance Smoothing Anti-Feathering Lip Primer to lock down lip color and prevent fading, bleeding and creasing. The unique, creamy formulation applied all over lips promotes suppleness and glides on smoothly for maximum staying power. To give your pout definition, use Borderline Anti-Feathering Lip Liner, a one-color pencil that provides a resistant barrier around your lips. Perfect Lips Lip Liner in Perfect Nude shades lips in a natural color, and blends seamlessly into your lip line. You can stop there with just a little Vaseline for shine or give lips that extra boost in summer radiance with one of the twelve Glamourous Gloss colors containing a plumping and cooling action for the most kissable lips. The Too Faced Summer collection can be purchased online at www.toofaced.com and www.sephora.com and in-store at Sephora and Ulta.
You definitely do not want to glow in the dark this summer and the key to that smooth, flawless finish is applying the right self-tanning product. A two-in-one face and body formula, Suncare Sothys Progressive Sunny Glow Lotion gradually gives your skin a golden and natural looking tan. Thanks to its light concentration of tanning ingredients, it can be used daily for a healthy complexion all year long. With Tan Envy, your skin will get an extremely even, non-streaky tan because this all-over body spray is not a dye, it is a solution that contains an agent that interacts with the skin to produce a color change. Naturally, it is important to apply it as evenly as possible, but as Tan Envy absorbs into the skin, it reacts with your cells, rather than applying a tint to your skin. Used by two-time Academy Award nominated celebrity makeup artist Christina Smith, Smart Tan covers any unwelcome blemishes, stretch marks, spider veins, birthmarks, rosacea and tattoos, while at the same time gives you a safe and natural-looking tan without making you orange. Ideal for summer days at the beach or pool, Smart Tan is waterproof, smudge-resistant, and long lasting.
If your sun-kissed shoulders are from the sun’s rays and those strap lines are going to be a big faux pas at your best friend’s wedding, make an appointment with Alex Doerken at Nelly Greenfield Hair Salon for airbrushing. Doerken will airbrush your strap line woes away and give you a flawless finish that is waterproof. In addition, Doerken’s airbrushed makeup applications hide acne scars, sun spots for a smooth, radiant glow – perfect for any event.
Add a golden glow to your tan with Wet n Wild Color Icon Bronzer. Available at drugstores nationwide, this bronzer is a fusion of treated nylon powders that give your complexion a long-lasting, blendable color to create or enhance a healthy, sunless tan. For creating a subtle, radiant sheen, Vapour’s Halo Body Spotlight in Moonlight is a creamy, chemical-free shimmer stick that can be swept easily over shoulders, arms, décolletage, back or legs for instant illumination. Formulated in the signature Vapour botanical base of 70% certified organic food-grade ingredients, Halo Body Spotlight immediately moisturizes and provides antioxidants as it beautifies.
Defense
Sun exposure can create blotchiness and irritations, but if you are planning to be poolside, try Sothy’s Sensitive Areas Care with SPF 30. The Sensitive Areas Care with SPF 30 will protect the skin from free radicals and photo-aging during intense sunlight exposure. Hypoallergenic and fragrance-free, it is particularly suitable for sensitive skin. La Roche-Posay Anthelios line of sunscreens introduces Anthelios 60 Melt-In Sunscreen Milk for Body. This fast absorbing, non-greasy sunscreen provides SPF 60 and broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection with the breakthrough Cell-Ox Shield™, to protect your skin, even at the cellular level. Sweat won’t break the barriers of Coppertone’s SPORT® Continuous Spray® SPF 30 With Replenishing Antioxidants. A quick, even coverage that sprays on clear is ultra-sweatproof and provides broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection.
Facing a summer day without protection is not “smart” thinking. Smart Girls Who Surf Organic SPF 32 Facial Sunscreen Face Stick is a chemical-free, paraben-free and fragrance-free facial sunscreen. Made in the good old USA, the Face Stick is available alone or as part of the Surf-Vival Kit for Surfers, which features the Chemical Free SPF 30 Sunscreen; an all natural, handmade glycerin Soap for Surfers (in tropical mist or cucumber scent); and an SPF 15 all natural lip balm (in iced pear or spearmint flavor). Surf-vival kit is sold in a biodegradable, natural jute packaging.
The Scent of Summer
As summer living is light and breezy, your fragrance should reflect that mood as well. Badgley Mischka Couture Parfum Elixir (available at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus) has the scent of the season as it blends sensual fruits with exquisite feminine florals and seductive musks. Just slightly bigger than a tube of lip gloss, the Couture Parfum Elixir won’t interfere with your sunscreen and can be easily taken anywhere. Burberry introduces its limited-edition Summer For Women, a lighter, summery version of its signature women’s scent, Classic. The fragrance features fruity aromas blended with delicate florals and a light woodsy musk. Where would summer be without the sunny Harajuku girls. Harajuku Girl Sunshine Cuties feature fresh new summer scents with hints of coconut, mandarin, bergamot, white peach, heliotrope, exotic tiare flower, orange flower, vanilla bean and creamy sandalwood.
Comments
tried the duwop stick - really liked how it covered up my uneven tones, but still don't get why it is cool to the touch on my face.
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