Get Glowing! How to Glow This Summer

Hello Loves

I figured I would take a break from my travel posts and add some variety with some of my favorite summer products! The following are what I use to ensure my skin stays supple, moisturized, and TAN during the dog days of summer. After all, the only way to get a tan to last a long time is to moisturize, so try these products and watch your glowing skin flourish.

1. Boots Mango Body Butter. Boots Health Inc. $12.
This is my current favorite body butter! It is cheap, but it gives my skin the perfect non-greasy moisture to keep my skin fresh and my tan bright. It also has an exotic summer smell that is light and not artificial-fruit smelling. Even better news for my British followers is they sell this stuff everywhere! My US followers can find this on boots.com, amazon.com, as well as drugstore.com

2. Sun Bum 3-in-1 Spray Conditioner. $14.99. Ulta Beauty
A hair sunscreen, detangler, conditioner, and color-protectant all in one! Perfect for days where you will be outside at the beach or a music festival and you don't want your color to fade due to sun, chlorine, or other elements. Also on days where you will be sweating and you don't want sweat from the back of your neck to tangle your hair (eww!). However, this is not the product to buy if you like your hair to obtain lighter hues due to the sun! (use Sun-In Hair Lightener in Lemon, for that ;) )

3. Bio Oil. $7.99-$13.99. Wal Mart
Alright, so here's the thing: Bio Oil has saved my skin and a lot of other people I know swear by this stuff too. Bio Oil is used for many things: curing stretch marks, evening skin tone, reducing razor burn bumps, chaffing, even clearing up cellulite. I LOVE this stuff for summer not only to smooth out problem areas during bikini season, but mainly because when I tan, the stretch marks stay light while the rest of my skin gets darker-Bio Oil for 2 weeks clears them so I no longer have to worry.

4. LUSH Magical Moringa Cream. $50. LUSH Cosmetics
Before you shut it down due to the price, hear me out. Magical Moringa is a combination of an emolient and a primer all in one. It completely smooths out your skin for a smooth face that I've never felt in my life. This is also one of the few primers that also can withstand summer sweat and keep my foundation in place all day. Yes, it is expensive, so here is what I recommend: a little bit goes a LONG way, so ask the LUSH worker for a sample: that little sample jar alone will last you about two months. You get the gist.

5. Hawaiian Tropic After Sun. $8.99. Drugstores
I feel like I put this in my summer essential bag every year. Why pay for gimmick after sun lotions when this one has everything you need? It is my favorite because it has a papaya-coconut smell and offers your body a bit of shimmer to enhance your tan. Plus the creamy ribbons also are loaded with Aloe Vera so it prolongs your tan while it soothes your skin.

6. Smashbox Be Legendary Creme Lipstick in "Posy Pink". $20. Sephora

I am convinced that a soft, pink lipstick can make any skin tone glow. This shade works for many skin tones, pale or tan, and is the perfect shade for this summer. It is also a very versatile shade too: you can wear it for a night out or even to a barbeque because it is subtle, yet still makes a statement. This is my summer must have.

7. Burt's Bees Coconut Oil Foot Creme. $10.00. Drugstores
Because for real, has Burt ever made a bad product? This is the one foot cream I will use for the rest of my life: not even LUSH foot cream can compete. I know they say pepermint creams are the best for feet, but the coconut oil is just so much more effective. I recommend lathering it in on (dont be afraid to glob it on the really rough parts), and sleep in some socks. You will wake up feeling like you just got a fish pedicure.

8. Benefit PoreFessional in Translucent. $44.00. Sephora
I thought I was the only girl whose pores expand when they get tan, but it turns out this is a very common problem, especially in Brazilian women. (Giselle Bundchen said this was one of her main struggles throughout her modeling career). I find that this pore minimizer is one of the best, and I have even compared it to other high-end brands such as Perricone M.D. and smashbox, and I found this one to be most effective. It also did not clog my pores some pore-targeting products tend to do. If the price is out of your reach, opt for the travel size which is $12, because like many Benefit products, a little bit goes far.

So, there you have it folks. My current summer go-tos to ensure my skin is radiant and healthy looking during summer weather. However, please make sure that if you do plan on long exposure to the sun, be smart about it. You know your skin: if you burn easy, were a higher SPF sunblock. One of my best beauty tips for summer is ALWAYS wear SPF on your face, be it in form of SPF in your foundation, powder, whatever it may be, PROTECT YOUR FACE. Why? Because your face will wrinkle easier than the rest of your body due to sun, your face is more prone to moles and cancer, AND if you wear more SPF on your face, yes, it will be lighter than the rest of your body, but bronzer can fix that. Bronzer can't hide wrinkles. That is my beauty tip for life <3

Thank you for reading, and happy summer
xoxo
-A