The Style Glossy: Beauty Counter

15 Tips for Gorgeous Summer Skin, Hair and Nails

By Shelley Levitt for The Style Glossy

What’s more beautiful than a sunset on a summer’s eve? You! Just follow these easy tips to warm-weather gorgeous.

1. Try the wet look.
This straight-from-the-runway ‘do is perfect for a summer weekend: Simply apply your favorite hair gel to your roots and comb through the crown of your head.

2. Explore the alphabet.
Try a new BB or CC cream. These multitasking foundations provide light coverage with sunscreen and skin treatment ingredients. You can find lots of choices that won’t bust your budget on drugstore shelves.

3. Reconsider bronzer.
If you have pale skin, why not follow the example of stars like Taylor Swift, Emma Stone and Cate Blanchett and embrace your peaches-and-cream loveliness. Skip the bronzer and simply apply a pop of blush in a summery peach or apricot on the apples of your cheeks.

4. Try a new polish combo.
Instead of painting your toenails and fingernails the same color, opt for a playful combo like navy and white, silver and lavender, gold and coral. Which shade to wear on hands and which on feet? Anything goes!

5. Pump up wilted hair.
Fight summer’s limp locks with these tips from Jet Rhys, a San Diego salon owner and stylist. Use a volumizing shampoo and conditioner daily. Follow with a root-lifting spray. When you dry your hair, lift roots with a small round brush. Aim the nozzle of your dryer at this section, and hold a few seconds before releasing the brush.

6. Hide sunburn.
Trying to cover sunburn with foundation will only draw attention to your scorched skin. Instead, first smooth flaking skin with an aloe vera gel. Then, suggests New York makeup artist Raychel Wade, neutralize redness and shine with a gold hue. Use a golden body lotion on your body and a sheer bronze tinted moisturizer on your face.

7. Smudge on some silver.
The smoky eye has been replaced with a hint of silver. Smudge a silver eye shadow on your lid, right next to your lash line

8. Choose bright hues in sheer formulas.
Wearing summer makeup shades like peach, tangerine, melon and coral can be scary, unless you opt for a sheer wash of color. Apply a bronze or apricot blush in a cream formula to the apples of your cheeks. Play up your eyes with peachy shadows that have a slight shimmer. Finish your look with lip gloss in your favorite citrus shade.

9. Brush on an artsy topcoat.
You may not have the patience or the skill set for nail art. But you can still achieve an artsy do-it-yourself manicure with the new special-effects topcoats that offer finishes like velvet, neon crackle and graffiti.

10. Sun-proof your smoocher.

Keep your lips kissable this summer by using a lip balm with SPF 15 or higher. Balms that contain glycerin are especially moisturizing, and you can find lots of tinted versions at the beauty counter.

11. Go for cream shadow and blush
When powder collides with sweat you can end up with a cakey mess. A better summer pick: blush and eye shadow in creamy formulas.

12. Tuck blotting sheets into your purse.
Got a shiny T-zone? Roll a sheet of blotting paper gently over your face. It will pick up the shine and leave your makeup intact.

13. Lighten your scent, along with your makeup.
Keep your perfume on your vanity table and switch to an all-over body mist. Tuck a purse-sized spray in your handbag for a midday cool-me-down and pick-me-up.

14. Exfoliate all over once a week.
To keep your faux tan from looking streaky and your pores from getting clogged with sunscreen and sweat, exfoliate body and face at least once a week. Choose a facial scrub with micro-beads and apply a light touch to avoid injuring your skin.

15. Protect your lashes.
The upside to waterproof mascara: It won’t run down your face when you sweat. The downside: It’s tricky to remove, and tugging too hard can cause lashes to fall out. Minimize the downside by choosing a makeup remover especially formulated for waterproof makeup.

Shelley Levitt is the managing editor of The Style Glossy. She is a former West Coast editor of Self and senior writer at People.