Elle’s Beauty Essentials: Hair and Body Edition

1. Philosophy 3 in 1 Shampoo, Shower Gel, and Bubble Bath. Rich lather and heavenly smell.

2. Pantene Beautiful Lengths Conditioner. Super rich, which is totally necessary if you have long hair.

3. John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Color Glaze. Read about my love for this product here.

4. Venus Embrace razor. Five blades. Five. If you have mediterranean genes, you need this razor.

5. Sephora Pedicurve Foot Scrubber Thing. I know there are a lot of products like this out there but this one is ergonomic so it is super easy to use while standing on one leg in the shower.

6. Jergen’s Body Lotion. I always buy fancy scented lotions and wind up going back to drugstore brands like this. They moisturize really well and are very lightly scented so they don’t interfere with your perfume.

7. Jergen’s Natural Glow. I use this in the summer so I can look like I have a tan when I don’t because I’m terrified of melanoma.

8. TRESemme Mousse. Any of them. The best mousse in the world. I blast my roots from the ears up with this after every shampoo.

9. TRESemme Finishing Spray. Love.

10. Dove Dry Shampoo. I’ve tried several brands of dry shampoo and this is my fave. It doesn’t leave a white residue or make you choke when you spray it. Win.

11. A teasing brush. Ditch the comb. A teasing brush enables you to get a much softer tease that brushes out easily.

12. A boar’s hair brush. Essential for smoothing long hair and brushing out pincurls.

13. Josie Maran Argan Oil. I use a half a dropperful from my ears to my ends for strong, soft, frizz-free locks. (I also slather this stuff on my face.)

14. Ribbon Hair Ties. These are from Sephora, but you can find them everywhere now. So comfy and not at all scrunchie-like. If you wear a scrunchie, please stop. Buy these instead.

15. Bobbi pins. I keep these everywhere. Purses, makeup bags, nightstands, medicine cabinets, windowsills, everywhere!

16. Rubber elastics. These are the best for tying off the ends of braids. Use clear, or whatever most closely matches your hair color.

17. A hair donut. I’ve tried doing the sock bun with a sock and found it very frustrating. The hair donut makes everything so much simpler! H&M has them to match every hair color.

I hope I tipped you off to some great products you might not have been aware of!

xo,
Elle

Elle’s Summer Beauty Essentials: Face Edition

1. Josie Maran Cleansing Oil This stuff cleanses so gently and removes every speck of makeup. No need for a separate eye makeup remover! The fresh orangey smell is amazing too.

2. Josie Maran 100% Pure Organic Argan Oil. You would think that slathering oil on your face would make it greasy, but it really doesn’t. This oil is absorbed by your skin in seconds. You only need a tiny bit. (Normal to oily skin can probably use about 3-4 drops for the whole face. My skin is dry, so I use 5-7.) Rub any excess on your cuticles. A drop on each cheekbone also gives this great glow over your makeup. Nature’s illuminizer, if you will.

3. Bare Minerals Original Finish Foundation. So light that it really looks and feels like you’re not wearing makeup; but it effectively evens out your complexion while providing sun protection.

4. Anastasia Beauty Express. Wax and powder for brows, plus a brush and two shades of highlighting shadows. The stencils included allow you to perfectly shape your brows as well. Especially when all other makeup is minimal, I feel that brows need to be filled out for the face to look finished.

5. Big fat waterproof eye pencils in bright colors. A quick swipe across the lids is all you need.

6. Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes. Long, full lashes with no flakes. Also, completely soft and touchable.

7. Evian spray. Cool your face off. Nuff said.

8. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment. For the softest lips with no waxiness that some balms provide. Tastes good too.

9. Big fat shiny lip pencils in bright colors. Because summer is all about bright colors. Just check out a garden or farmer’s market for confirmation on that.

I hope I provided you guys with info on a few new products you didn’t know you needed! What are your summer face essentials? Did I miss anything obvious?

xo,
Elle