Style guide: Summer beauty must-haves

It’s that time again where we get you right for the season. We get sent and try many products throughout the year, so if it makes this list, I’ve tested and stand by it!

Here are my favorites as we head into summer.

Hair:

New clip ins for ultimate ponytail

KinkyCurlyYaki is a brand created by a black woman from Toronto who was looking for extention hair that looked like her natural hair. After years of research, she finally found the right product and her friends told her she should sell it. That’s what she did - to the benefit of all us. The range of clip ins are from yaki kinky straight to full on afro!

We also love a good wig!

The humidity, swimming and all the unpredictable elements that come along with summer can have you spending too much time worrying about what your hair does. So, a simple solution is to wear a wig! You can braid up your natural hair for protection and throw on a wig, style it and be on your way. The Annie half-wig by Outre is one of the most popular wigs on the internet. It’s cheap and mimics Afro textured hair that is blow dried. The wig is lightweight, but super long. (I had to cut it to make it a little more natural, but many gals leave it as is.)

ALSO READ: How to cut a wig (featuring the Annie half-wig)

Skin:

Cleanser:

Philosophy’s products always seem to make the list. The product range is for every skin-type and age group, so each season I experiment with something new. With my ongoing struggle with acne, I’ve been loving Clear Days Ahead face wash. It’s medicated, but gentle enough to use day and night. Your skin will feel balanced, instead of dry.

Mask:

When it’s time a deep cleanse, lately I’ve been grabbing for Philosophy's Purity Made Simple Pore Extractor Mask. It’s made of white clay, salicylic acid, and natural exfoliants, to form a creamy mask that draws out impurities, scrub away blackheads, and improve the look of pores. It’s exfoliating but gentle, leaving skin looking refreshed, smooth, and glowing.

Serum:

If you haven’t heard already, serums are the new moisturizer! Serums are great because a good one won’t have any fillers - only the essential ingredients, and absorbs right into your skin. I’ve been using Abella Skin Care’s Cellution C after cleansing and treating any acne. I immediately notice my skin balancing, so it helps simplify my beauty routine because often this can be my last step. I leave it on as an overnight mask.

Cellution C contains 12% vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid). This means this formula can deliver more vitamin C into the skin. You can also mix with your favorite moisturizer. Vitamin C helps the skin as a UV radiation protectant. But, if my skin is too sensitive from the acne products, I have to reduce the use of this serum.

On the road:

I have temperamental skin. It needs a lot of attention. So I need to stick to my routine and it will be fine. If I slack too much, then it starts misbehaving. It can be hard to stick with a beauty routine while on the road. That’s why I love SASE new Travelux Face Care Set. It allows you bring luxury skin care anywhere in just two simple steps. (Generally, my skin care is anywhere between three steps up to seven!) This kit includes hydra-purifying cleanser 3-in-1 and the advanced hyrdra-illuminating skin therapy. Seriously, this set is magical.

Makeup:

Waterproof mascara

For me, summer is about hopping in the water as much as possible. But, you don’t have to be without your fab lashes. That’s why I love Benefit They’re Real. It’s a little pricey, but we keep coming back to it. You’ll get all day wear, and with the first application you can notice your lashes dramatically change. However, I usually apply two coats. An unexpected surprise was that it was highly water resistant. Though it’s not advertised as waterproof, we got in a water balloon fight and I took one to the face. To my delight, my mascara was in tact.

P.S. For years I wasn’t getting the best out of the product. You must apply vertically - wiggle to get to the base of the lashes, then go up vertically. Wow! What a difference.

Nails

I’m simply too busy frolicking around in the summer sun to worry about my nails. Who has time for that? It’s always nice to have them done, but many times I’ll go without polish for weeks. The best I can hope for is to keep them neat and trim. So, back to the basics with Revlon Extra Life No Chip Top Coat. My mom first introduced me to it as a teenager, and despite me trying tons of high end polishes, I keep coming back home to this one.