Melt-proof Make-up (and other beauty basics that you can’t live without this summer)

   During a particularly sunny vacation to the East coast last week, we found ourselves ill-prepared for the humidity and heat that threatened our carefully planned vacation wardrobe and Summer make-up. After several trips to the local Wal-Mart, we discovered a few new stay put products to add to our beauty bag that kept our faces and bronzed bodies from melting off. The most valuable lesson we learned is that simplicity is key. The less you fuss with your make-up and hair, the better you’ll look by the time you’re sipping sweet tea vodkas at sunset. 

      Here: a complete guide to the season’s beauty essentials that will keep your make-up and tan where it belongs….. on you (not your brand-new white cotton Marc Jacobs dress!) Indulge and stay beauty-”cool”! Love J&J

Melt-proof Make-up

     *The first and most important product we found was the Neutrogena Age Shield Face Sunblock in spf 90+. Do not even think about stepping out into the sun without SPF on your body and face. This one had a high enough spf so, that when we added it to our moisturizers, we still got superior coverage from the sun’s damaging rays. To keep it from getting greasy on our faces we started with a base layer of L’Oreal Skin Genesis Pore Minimizing Skin Re-Smoother. The serum gave us a matte finish that was perfect for absorbing the extra sheen we usually get from high spf sunscreens. We then added a dollop of our favorite tinted moisturizer, Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20, to the sunblock and blended it on the back of our hands before spreading an even coat over our faces and necks. We brought the Laura Mercier with us from L.A. and since it has a thicker consistency, it was perfect for blending with the added spf. 

    Another lesson we learned the hard way is to stick with creme or gel products. Our powder bronzer was caked as soon as our skin hit the  hot, damp air. For adding a rosy glow to cheeks we like tinted cheek stain. We used a tube of Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain in Teasing Blush to dot on the apples of our cheeks and blend with our finger tips.  When we put it on our lips it left our pucker with a yummy berry stained shade, like we’d been sucking on a red popsicle or eating a handful of fresh cherries. We added a swipe of Kiss My Face Organics Lip Balm, SPF 15 in Vanilla Honey for sun protection. We skipped eye shadow and opted for waterproof eyeliner in a bright shade. We fell in love with  Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Sapphire. It allowed us to keep mascara light with a single coat on our  top lashes only. We tend to stay away from the water-proof varieties. Sure, regular mascara may not last through a dip in the lake but, you’ll do more damage trying to rub the water-proof kind from under your eyes. 

Melt-Proof (and protected!) Skin

    When it came to our usual self-tanning creams, one incident with a white cotton dress had us on the prowl for something a little less creamy and a lot more transfer resistant. Enter Jergens Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer. It is, in our opinion, far superior to most of the other tanning products out there. There was  no lingering smell, it dried quickly, stayed put, and gave us a nice bronzy glow after the first application. We spritzed on Hawaiian Tropic Oil Free Sensitive Skin Continuous Spray Lotion SPF 50 to all of our exposed areas for ultimate sun protection. No tan is worth wrinkled leathery skin by the time we’re  40!  And unless you want to be eaten alive by mosquitos, skip the smell good lotions and perfumes. We made do with the surprisingly fruity smell of OFF! Insect Repellent in Tropical Fresh. We applied it everywhere we would normally dab perfume (wrists, elbows, ankles, and  behind knees). It kept us bite free and smelling tropically fresh!

A Smooth Summer Do

    Our choice for hair product we can’t live without this summer is John Frieda Frizz-Ease Hair Serum, Thermal Protection Formula. It smoothed our frizzies from the humidity and kept our locks protected from those damage causing UV rays. We put a few little braids into the top of our hair and then pulled it all back into a messy bun. Feel free to copy!