Summer is essentially one very long bad hair day for me. Even though my hair is fine, it's curly, and it turns into a ball of frizz at the very mention of humidity. This summer, however, is going to be different, thanks to Aveda Smooth Infusion Naturally Straight, $26. It's a cool new hybrid between a leave-in conditioner and a smoothing treatment.
After you wash your hair, you apply the cream section by section and blow-dry each section with a round brush. The product contains plant-derived fibers that lock around each hair strand, making it straight, and it has cassava root, which creates a barrier against moisture. The coolest part is the treatment-like benefits: After five applications, you can wash your hair up the three times and it will still stay straight and frizz-less. I know my summer is saved.
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Lipstick Love
Most lipsticks aren't right for summer -- they're drying, and they're high maintenance. (They also make you look high maintenance, which is exactly the opposite of what I try to achieve with my makeup this time of year.) Dolce & Gabbana Cream Lipstick, $33, on the other hand, is perfect. It's unbelievably hydrating, yet it really lasts, so you don't have to reapply 17 times a day. I like to pat some on with my finger, concentrating the color on the middle of my lips for the I've-been-eating-berries look. And the colors are perfection: The 20 new shades were all inspired by different types of roses.
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Magic Mask
I only go outside wearing SPF 50 (and a hat) this time of year, but I still try to stay away from more aggressive treatments like lasers and peels -- they make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Instead, I'm slathering myself in Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Mask, $45. It contains a blend of five different types of rose stem cells to brighten and exfoliate. Plus, it smells like a rose garden in heaven, and the gel formula feels cool and refreshing when you put it on -- it's exactly what I need after a day of rigorous sunscreen reapplication.
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Anti-Wrinkle Makeup
When I discovered that dermatologist and healthy living guru Nicholas Perricone, M.D., was coming out with a makeup line, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. He's been revolutionizing skin care since 1997, and I knew there would be something special about his latest venture. Sure enough, it's a homerun. The collection, called No Makeup Skincare, is made up of two types of foundation, concealer, bronzer, mascara, lipstick and -- my favorite -- Perricone No Blush Blush, $35.
The serum-like blush only comes in one shade, but it adjusts to different skin tones. It has mineral-based SPF 30 for added sun protection, and it contains DMAE, an ingredient with tightening and anti-inflammatory benefits. Regular blushes pale in comparison.
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Dry-Like-The-Desert Dry Shampoo
My dry shampoo collection is extensive -- anything that saves me the time and annoyance of washing and styling my hair is pure gold in my book. My current favorite is R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo, $29. The name is fantastic, the packaging is gorgeous and the scent is refreshingly floral. It contains rice protein to moisturize, vitamin E for shine and silica to absorb oil. And did I mention that it was created by superstar hairstylists Garren, Howard McLaren and Thom Priano? The brand new R+Co (which stands for Rogue and Company) line is made up of 23 amazing products from shampoo to primer. Hair enthusiasts, get ready to fall in love.
Ahh, June. Summer is finally here. And -- at least according to the "Farmer's Almanac" -- it's going to be a hot, wet, miserable one across much of the country.
In order to get through it (and maybe even enjoy it), I tracked down the best, new, perfect-for-summer beauty products launching in June. There's a cream that will keep your hair smooth and frizz-free for days, a mask that will bring your skin back to life after it's been caked in makeup and sweat, and even a blush with built-in SPF.
Pick up these products, and you're guaranteed to have a better summer. They're already working for me.
