Summer’s always had its distinct beauty hallmarks: bright colors, wavy beach hair, lighter hair colors and more natural-looking makeup. If you have yet to completely update your look for summer, don’t feel like you have to break the bank by replacing your entire beauty routine for just a few months. Below are several cheap and easy ways to get carefree summer beauty.
Here are the best ways to achieve summer beauty without busting your wallet.
Beach waves at home
Nothing screams summer beauty like textured beach waves in your hair. This is a pretty easy look to get. Simply lightly curl your hair using a curling iron, though make sure to use a heat protecting serum on your hair first. Then brush out the waves slightly and add a loose-hold hairspray.
Another easy way to add a beach wave look to your hair is to make your own texturizing spray. A popular option is to combine one cup of warm water, a dollop of aloe vera gel, a palmful of sea salt, an optional dollop of coconut oil and a pinch of Epsom salt. Those ingredients will all add texture to your hair, but the mixture won’t dry it out. Only use the coconut oil if you’re prone to dry hair, as it can weigh hair down slightly.
To make the mixture, start by heating the water in a pan so it is very hot, right before the boiling point. Then stir in your Epsom and sea salts. Mix in the coconut oil until melted, and do the same with the aloe vera gel. Then you can put the mixture into a spray bottle. Shake before each use, and spray evenly throughout your hair while scrunching the strands.
Using bright nail colors
Bright nails are another hallmark of summer beauty. But don’t feel like you have to invest in tons of new colors. One option is to pick your one bright color of choice for the summer and rock it through the warm months. Options include hot pink, watermelon red, neon yellow, sky blue or bright tangerine.
Then there are the bold colors that work throughout the year. Bright, deep crimsons are a staple year round. You can also get away with a bright lavender almost all year. It’s pastel enough for spring, bold enough for summer and cool enough for winter.
Easy ways to lighten hair
One of the fun parts of summer is that it’s the perfect excuse to play around with your hair color. Since darker colors tend to fade in the sun and pool water, it’s a nice time to experiment with lighter shades of hair. You could either get a box dye one to two shades lighter than your current shade, or lighten your natural hair at home.
A host of household goods can lighten hair. Add a mixture that is one part lemon juice and one part water to your hair and sit in the sun for thirty minutes. Then rinse. (You may need to repeat until you see the desired results.) You can also go old school and lighten your hair by applying a 50-50 water/peroxide mix for about twenty minutes (strand test it first, though). Or apply strongly brewed chamomile tea to your hair for about thirty minutes, then rinse. Sit in the sun while it dries.
Quick and simple nude makeup
Since you might be sweating outside a lot, summer is not the season for heavy makeup looks. For a quick nude makeup routine, start with a tinted moisturizer as your base. Then blend a concealer well on top of any spots that might need to be covered. Add your mascara, an optional bronze or crème eye shadow and a nude lipstick shade or subtle lip gloss. It’s fast, saves on product and you won’t be sweating through layers of makeup.
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