Six Essentials for Your Summer Beauty Bag

Saturday, August 04, 2012

Donna Macdonald, GoLocalProv Beauty Contributor

Whether you're off to the beach, heading out on vacation, or out the door to work, we've got the 6 summer beauty essentials you won't want to leave home without.

There’s no denying that summer is in full swing so before the dog days of August are here, fine tune your summer beauty look by tossing these must have beauty products into your grab and go bag.

Lips

Your lips can dry up pretty quickly when the sea and sun beckon you to linger on your favorite beach after the crowds disappear. Murad’s Energizing Pomegranate Lip Protector is an incredibly long lasing lip emollient that not only revitalizes dehydrated lips but improves their texture by exfoliating them too. The delicious scent and uber shiny gloss has just a touch of color for summer sexy lips when you finally leave the beach for that boardwalk café (This terrific Murad product is available at The Apothecary, Newport).

Hair

If summer so far has been poolside, then you know how great swimming is for toned legs and how equally hard it is on your hair. Dove’s Nourishing Oil Care Anti-frizz Serum can detangle and soften your chlorine weary hair into silky strands again. It has a great summery scent too which will make you nice to be around at your next pool party (Dove products are at Target and local drugstores).

Face

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater comes in a handy 4 ounce size which is perfect to toss into your beauty bag on one of those heat alert days. The refreshing spray has a lovely mild rosewater scent and gently mists your skin for a refreshing pick me up. It will not harm your makeup and will revitalize and energize you as you go from office to drinks and dinner with friends (Mario Badescu’s facial spray is at The Apothecary in Newport).

No one likes to schlep too much makeup around on hot summer days and that’s why Stila’s Convertible Color is such a great little product for your summer beauty bag. It gives not only a sheer creamy blush to your cheeks, but it’s also a lip color and comes in several gorgeous summer flower shades. The small tin compact is charmingly decorated with Stila’s flowery logo and has a mirror inside for easy touch ups. A few swipes of “Peony” or “Gladiola” and you will look sun-kissed, fresh, and ready for that moonlit outdoor concert (Stila products are found at Sephora).

Most women wouldn’t be caught dead on the proverbial desert island or the annual company picnic without mascara. A great long lasting waterproof one is M.A.C. Splashproof Lash. This mascara won’t clump or flake a particle during a swim or through humidity and perspiration. It comes in just one perfect color, Blacksplash, which means you can forgo your liner and still get great eye definition. (M.A.C. can be found at Macy’s and Nordstrom, both at Providence Place).

Skin

Burt’s Bees Radiance Body Lotion will make your skin glow in no time flat. This unique lotion is beauty-bag worthy because it contains sunflower oil for moisturizing and mica, a light reflecting mineral that will take you to the next level of illuminated skin. It absorbs fast and is perfect for your legs, arms, and décolleté. You’ll have a summer glow at that family barbeque or as you sit around the evening outdoor fire pit (Burt’s Bees products are at Whole Foods Market, numerous Rhode Island locations).

There’s no reason to let the sultry temperatures wreak havoc with your special summer beauty and by adding these beauty bag essentials midsummer, you can keep your look going straight through to the Labor Day fireworks.

Donna Macdonald is a free-lance writer who enjoys covering topics of interest to women, especially fragrance, style, beauty. She has also written marketing material for a women's book that hit the New York Times Bestseller list and netted her an up close and personal discussion on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Donna currently writes her own personal blog, http://alovelyinconsequence.blogspot.com where she also writes about issues close to a woman's heart Donna believes that when a woman finds beauty in the world, she will find beauty in herself.

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Comments:

Heather B

9:57am on Saturday, August 04, 2012

So glad to hear from Donna again! I already love MAC's mascara, can't wait to try some of these products!!

Debra Rodgers

10:51am on Saturday, August 04, 2012

Thank you for writing about Burt's Bees, one of my favorite cosmetic lines. It is available just about everywhere and the products are natural. I always enjoy articles by this writer. Thank you.