Summer is drawing to a close and school is starting up again soon. Our highlights will fade, along with our tans. Our summery glow will disappear once the stress of school and work returns. We will crave the long summer days and endless nights and wish for the beauty of it all to return.
Thankfully, there are some awesome beauty products that will help make you feel like a summery goddess all year. The best part? They're all cruelty-free, too.
1. OGX Coconut Curls Shampoo and Conditioner
This is by far the best shampoo and conditioner combo I've ever used. My hair is notoriously frizzy and out-of-control, but these products have made my locks far more manageable. Since the products are designed for curly hair, they do a great job of taming frizz, while giving even fairly straight hair a nice beachy wave.
Bonus: wash your hair in the evening and sleep in two French braids. In the morning, you'll save yourself a ton of time getting ready and have wonderful no-heat curls. Not only can wake up a little later, but you also give your hair a break from constant exposure to heat.
2. Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray
To help make my curls last all day, I spray a generous amount of this sea salt spray in my hair after I take out the braids. I go through my hair and scrunch the ends, which spreads the product around while adding extra volume. The spray can leave your hair feeling a little crunchy due to the salt, but it really helps achieve beachy curls with minimal effort.
3. It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation
OK, this is by far the best foundation I have ever used. The company advertises it's "30 seconds to flawless skin!" and before I tried it, I thought to myself, "yeah, right" but they're not BS-ing you. I rarely get excited about makeup products, but this one is an exception. This foundation is all I need to cover blemishes, uneven skin tone, and other imperfections. Even when my skin gets really, really bad, this foundation makes it look like nothing ever happened without looking cakey. The product is so light and stays on all day, which is perfect for summer heat when you want a lot of coverage, but don't want to be weighed down by makeup. I've been using this product religiously since it came out and I seriously cannot image my life without it. Even though it's the most expensive makeup in my collection, it's totally worth it. One container usually lasts me about 3 months or so when I use it daily. 10/10 would recommend.
4. ELF Illuminating Palette
This palette is seriously beautiful and comes with 4 complementary shades of highlight and bronzer for only $6! It's shimmery and beautiful and definitely captures the summer glow all year. Another bonus is that the shades are compatible with a wide variety of skin tones, meaning anyone can enjoy this palette.
5. ELF Prism Eyeshadow
If you're a broke college student like me, chances are you can't afford the Urban Decay Naked palette, or anything even remotely in the price range. Lucky for us, ELF has a beautiful shimmery neutral palette that I am in love with. I'm not a big eye shadow person, but this is my go-to whenever I'm in the mood for eye shadow. I used to use this similar palette by Maybelline, but I no longer buy products that are tested on animals. This eye shadow palette is almost identical to the one I used to use, but goes on way smoother, lasts far longer, and has more shades to choose from.
6. bareMinerals Vintage Peach Blush
I've been using bareMinerals blush forever and I love it. A little goes a longggg way with their blush, so one container lasts me well over a year. They don't make the exact color I use anymore (sniffle) but their Vintage Peach is very similar. I suggest pouring a tiny bit of product into the cap, lightly dabbing your brush and tapping out any excess. It's very easy to put too much of this blush on and no one likes accidentally looking like a clown.
Fun Fact: bareMinerals also doesn't produce in facilities that produce anything tested on animals. Isn't that awesome?
7. ELF Makeup Mist and Set
Some people try to tell me that makeup mists don't work, but I beg to differ. I love my ELF setting spray and use it daily after I finish applying all of my makeup. This spray lets all of the product blend together, making any distinct lines between your blush, bronzer, etc. disappear, which gives your makeup a way more natural effect. The spray also makes your skin look super glowy and summery. If you're going to be out for a long time (school/work, for instance) throw this spray in your bag and do a few quick spritz to freshen up your look once your makeup starts to wear off.
8. THE BEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME
O M G this product is without a doubt the best purchase I have ever made. I have ridiculously sensitive skin and a condition called KP, which is super common...you may have it and not even know! Anyway, I heard about Konjac Sponges through some "beauty gurus" on YouTube and I decided to give them a try. I found the ones linked above on Amazon for under $10. The package came with two, one regular and one infused with charcoal. I've read that the charcoal infusion is kind of BS, but I haven't tried that one yet so I don't have an opinion on that yet. The sponges are made from all-natural plant fibers and gently cleanse your skin. They remove any and all trace of makeup and are pretty much a step up from a washcloth as far as exfoliation goes. I've used it everyday since I got it, which is quite the feat since my skin would normally be pealing by now. The sponges are supposed to last a few months, but make sure you hang it somewhere it can dry out completely between uses so bacteria doesn't grow. I like to hang mine in a sunny window and I haven't had a problem yet. The sponges are great for cleansing skin, removing makeup, removing dead skin cells (your skin will GLOW within a few days), and alleviating KP symptoms. Your skin may feel a little parched after, so just make sure to moisturize with something light that won't clog your pores, such as coconut oil.
With summer quickly coming to an end, it can be hard to say goodbye to sunkissed skin and beachy waves. With these beauty products, you won't have to! Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't have to be ridiculously expensive to buy cruelty-free and natural products. Not only will your body thank you for using better products, will also feel better about your purchases knowing that no one had to suffer in order to bring the product to the store's shelves. This lack of emotional baggage around your makeup and hair care will also enable you to feel more confident and radiate positivity. If you're going to use products like these anyway, why not make the switch to cruelty-free?
