Beauty Buys--July

Summer is in full swing! Today, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite products with you to keep you glowing in that bright sun! :)

Firstly, I want to say that I don't like spending a lot of money on products, and I despise having to go out to constantly restock. The best thing about these products is that they are all very reasonably priced, several you can get at your local drugstore, and they LAST. All of these products last me a good 6 months at least--which makes them doubly sweet. Besides that, they all smell really good. (Who knew I was so into smell when it comes to beauty?)

I'm going to start with the first beauty product I think of in the summer: Sun-screen! I turn from porcelain white to lobster red faster than that my perfect golden-brown marshmallows become burnt to a crisp. So, I always wear SPF even on cloudy days or in the winter. Mostly, my SPF coverage comes from my make-up--Bare Minerals has SPF 15 in each of their powder foundations--and daily face moisturizer (which I'll get to in a bit!). However, I always add extra protection to my skin if I know I'm going to be outside more.

I'm also always on the lookout for better smelling and less-greasy sunscreens. So, when Sephora had an exclusive deal on over a dozen sun-protection products, I jumped right on it! These 2 samples were my very favorites, and the ones I would recommend:

Philosophy's Hope Oil-Free SPF: I love this stuff! Not only are Philosophy's little blurbs on their packing so freaking adorable, but this sunscreen has SPF 30 and is lightweight enough to wear on your face. It smells like sunscreen, but it isn't over powering, and it feels dry instead of greasy on your skin. Because it's oil free, it doesn't muck up your skin or make your face shiny. I put this on under my foundation everyday I know I'll be outside quite a bit.

Murad's Essential-C Day Moisture: I put this 2nd because I like this one more, and I didn't want its awesome-ness to distract from the Hope brand I also like. All I know about this one is that not only is it a non-greasy daily moisturizer with SPF 30 (1 step beauty, yes please!), BUT it also smells so citrus-ly delicious. Plus, it coats your skin lightly and smoothly. I loved this so much, that I gave it to Jameson to try. (Conclusion: boys love it too).

Neutrogena's Oil-Free Moisture: This is THE best product I use. If it was discontinued or changed, my face would probably be emotionally devastated and start crying. I use this facial moisturizer whenever I'm done washing my face whether it's at night before bed or in the morning. I used to have horribly oily skin, and this was the only face lotion I would ever use. I still use the oil-free versions of everything because I don't have to worry about my skin feeling greasy or dirty. It's incredibly light feeling, and using a daily moisturizer and SPF 15 makes a world of difference to you skin in the future. Paige Henry, this is for YOU!

Tired of hearing about SPF? I'm sorry... let's move onto hair! Luscious summer locks are just a rinse and repeat away...

John Frieda's Root Awakening Conditioner (Strength Restoring): I honestly just bought this product because I needed more conditioner (long hair takes a LOT of conditioner!), but I was thrilled with it from the get-go. Firstly, it smells wonderfully fresh--it has eucalyptus and a hint of coconut which is sweetly summery. Also, it has peppermint, so when you use it, your head feels tingly clean. Plus, conditioner is really rich, so I think it will last a long ways despite not being the typical half-gallon size I use. :)

Essential's Ultra Honey & Shea Butter Hair Mask: I saw this on BubzBeauty's blog and thought I'd give it a go. Because my hair is blonde and I curl it a lot, it can sometimes feel dry, so I wanted to get a hair mask. This mask smells really good and its very thick and luxurious. A little goes a long way too--about a teaspoon can coat my hair completely. After 10-15 minutes, I just rinse and bask in its silky softness! The only place I could find it was online. It took a couple weeks for it to come in the mail, but it arrived in a brown paper package tied up with string, and as I had never actually received a real brown packer package tied up with string before, it made it all the better!

Agadir's Argan Oil Spray Treatment: I got this at my hair salon because my stylist recommended it, otherwise I never would have personally picked it out. However, I think it's so great! It's a leave-in conditioner and heat-protection spray. Plus, it also helps your hair dry faster! It also apparently has some sunscreen in it to protect hair from getting damage from the sun, and it's supposed to help with frizzy hair. All I know is that I spray it all over my hair before I blow dry it and it removes the tangles, keeps it healthy, and helps it dry faster. And, despite my constant use, I still have well over 2/3rds of the bottle after months of owning it. Plus it smells rich and exotic--just look at the picture!

And lastly... my newest purchase: a new brand of chap-stick. I'm a chap-stick junkie. I blame my father who always carried Carmex in his pocket and let me use it whenever I wanted. To this day, I can't go a couple hours without applying chap-stick. I never wear lipstick, but I have at least 4 chap-stick versions in my various bags. Here's my newest one:

Eos' Sweet Mint Lip Balm: Ok, so do you remember those milky gel pens, or the white silver lip gloss that tasted like chocolate, or jelly sandals? Well this is my 20-year-old middle school fad of 2011. I've seen ads for this lip balm all over the internet, and either they're super popular or my cookies all point to the fact that I must like organic egg-shaped lip balm. (Maybe both). Either way, I know at least a couple people who have these, and so I decided to try it out. Results? It tastes and smells yummy like, well, like sweet mint. The top is all rounded so its easy to apply to your lips. Plus the sphere shape is just fun to carry around. They also have additional colors and flavors.

Anyway, that's what I'm currently enjoying this summer. Feel free to comment or contact me with any questions or let me know if you've found something fun! <3