BY LAUCHLAND LEE

Summer is upon us, and with that comes double shifts, rushed after work plans and the glorious effects of sweat-inducing humidity.  Achieving a dewy and versatile look can prove more demanding than one would hope, so we’re here to keep you looking as glowing as possible while being mindful summer is (unfortunately) time for saving. No two beauty routines are the same, just as no two people are willing to drop the same amount of their summer job paycheck for products to carry themselves through the humid months ahead of us. My personal inability to withhold myself at the sight of a miracle serum or infused lip balm is a curse financially, but the gift in it has given me plenty of opportunities to wean out what’s effective versus what just looks nice on your bathroom shelf. With that said, I’ve narrowed down some of the essentials that whether you draw the line at moisturizer or a full face of makeup for the day, we may have found your new holy grail product you never knew you needed. 

LET’S PINPOINT THE PROBLEM

FRIZZY HAIR

Frizziness can be credited to dehydration. Your hair depends on being nourished from the nutrients that are carried in the blood. This means whatever you’re putting into your body, is affecting what it’s looking like on the outside. Not drinking enough water and lacking nutrients and minerals in your diet deprives your hair follicles of necessary in natural oils that give your hair its healthy sheen. So as a long-term remedy, up your water intake, sneak in raw veggies and fruit. In the meantime, try these out. 

LET'S TALK MOISTURE AND YOUR NEW BFF, SPF

  is all about preventing the two extremes. Oiliness and dryness. Maintaining a skin routine and most importantly protecting your skin with SPF works to ensure dewy skin far past just this summer. Let SPF rich products become your best friend because it’s no longer just for pool days. Loading up on titanium dioxide and zinc oxide all work to speed up cellular turnover and by fault, help soften lines and keep a nice, even skin tone. 

LET'S GET YOU GLOWING

In my humble opinion, the best part of summer beauty routines is accomplishing that healthy, carefree glow. There’s a fine line between looking dewy and looking sweaty when summer rolls around, and what I’ve found, through much trial and error, is to keep the highlighter application light and selective. Knowing when to skip it for the day time and to simply save it for the nights has been my newly acquired tip for keeping things cute and shine free. 

IS IT SWEAT? IS IT LEFTOVER HIGHLIGHT? OR IS IT JUST OIL?

Oily skin is annoying as is, let alone when the heat is added into the mix. In the hotter months, your skin’s sebum (basically the oil your body naturally secretes) increases. For anyone with oily skin, there’s a couple of ways to help combat it and limit shine, pore size, and unwanted bumps. Toner is the best bet to limit oiliness and maintain an even complexion. 

WHAT'S WITH HUMECTANTS AND WHY ARE THEY WORTH IT?

Humectants are things I strayed away from for far too long, out of fear that any oil or acid being applied to the skin was a direct line to oily breakouts and problematic skin. The biggest myth surrounding humectants are that they sound harsh and by fault will lead to blotchiness and unwanted marks you may not have even had in the first place. Humectants are products that pull moisture from the depths of your skin to promote dewy, plump and young looking skin. The key to navigating what humectant is right for you is to resort to natural humectants. This ranges anywhere from aloe to hyaluronic acid and glycerin (huge game changers in my experience).