For us, summertime is synonymous with barbeques, long nights, beach days, the brightest, punchiest shades of lipstick and breaking out our most adorable summer sundresses. For bugs, summer means one thing: dinnertime.
Face masks are an undeniably satisfying part of the spa visit, as there's nothing quite like the feeling of pampering yourself and giving your skin some much needed TLC. While, massages, hot tubs and aromatic meditation rooms also rank high on the self-indulgence scale, spoiling yourself with a facial mask takes the cake. Who can resist the relaxation time and skincare benefits?
In the beauty world, the hottest hydration ingredient of the moment is good ol' H2O. Water lotions, creams and gel moisturizers use, you guessed it, water (along with other lightweight hydrators such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin and dimethicone) instead of oils to deeply quench parched skin, leaving it soft and supple, but never greasy. "They absorb more easily than thicker moisturizers, making them choice for anyone with oily skin or who simply doesn't like the feeling of heavy creams," explains Dr. Michele Farber of
It's the future, which means we can now give ourselves microdermabrasion at home with "Friends" playing in the background. Beauty innovators have made DIY-safe versions of the gadgets we would normally only trust a professional to wield so close to our face. There are all kinds of lip-plumping, wrinkle-removing and acne-clearing skin-care devices created specifically for the beauty layman. While many of these gadgets don't come cheap, the one-time investment can save you money compared to monthly trips to the pros. Ahead, the best anti-aging devices that will give you the results of a professional beauty treatment without a trip to the derm.
Estimate: I spend at least 50 percent of my time by the pool rubbing white streaks off of my swimsuit. For someone who's compulsive about covering every inch of her body -- and that should be all of you -- a sheer sunscreen is a summer must-have. Aside from broad spectrum protection, the most important part of a sunscreen is that it's user-friendly enough for you to want to reapply all beach day long.
If you're thinking about trying microdermabrasion at home, there are a few things you should know about the beauty treatment before you begin. Microdermabrasion uses physical exfoliation to slough away the top layer of skin to give it a healthy glow and help increase cell turnover. If you've been to a spa or dermatologist's office for a microdermabrasion treatment, then you may have loved how each and every dead skin cell was removed, leaving you with softer skin, fewer fine lines and even a reduction in acne.
We'd never dream of knocking a good face mask, but, let's get real, sometimes (most of the time) popping one on and then kicking back with our feet up for half an hour is just not an option. So what's a girl to do when she's in crunched for time, but still wants glowy, de-puffed, refreshed skin? Enter flash facials (aka flash masks), the fast-acting skin-savers that offer the same benefits of traditional masks -- minus the time suck. Exactly how speedy are we talking? These 11 face masks all do their thang in five minutes or less. Now you'll always have time to get your glow on. Image via Getty
Gone are the days when mineral sunscreens were thick, chalky, and left your face covered in a (very unappealing) white residue. The latest formulations are sheer, weightless and barely detectable, not to mention ideal for layering under makeup.
Not to rain on your summer parade, but here are a few facts that should wake you up from your margarita-and-sun-induced coma, forcing you to take a big whiff of sunscreen: The incidence of melanoma (a deadly form of skin cancer) isn't going anywhere — an estimated 73,870 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the US this year. If that doesn't scare you, this will: 80 percent of the aging that dermatologists see is due to excess sun exposure, since it can break down the collagen and elastin in your skin and cause more wrinkles.
Remembering to apply sunscreen daily makes you feel pretty darn good about your skin-care routine -- and general adultness level. If you're applying SPF every day (or close to it), we suspect you also regularly contribute to your 401K and eat vegetables with most meals.
Whether you're battling blemishes, clogged pores, dullness or a frustrating combination of all three, there's a face mask for that. Better yet, some of the best and buzziest masks can be found in the sparkling aisles of your favorite drugstore. Potently packed with skin-loving ingredients and available for under $25, we've rounded up the holy-grail drugstore masks that will boost your squad's complexions with a one-two punch of TLC and Instagram-worthy radiance. Cheers!
Glow is having a serious moment. Brands like Becca and Anastasia Beverly Hills are all about the highlight (see: Becca x Jaclyn Hill and Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit), and even Kim Kardashian has traded her signature contour for strobing (check out our tutorial here). Plus, there's just something so youthful and fresh about dewy, glowy skin. As someone who is a fan of glow, shimmer, sparkle and all iterations thereof, my glitter-encrusted heart skipped a beat when I heard about glotions, the latest way to give your skin a luminous finish. Glotions (sadly, I cannot take credit for the name) are part moisturizer, part luminizer. They make your skin look ethereal without being OTT sparkly (no disco ball effect, scout's honor). Wear one solo for an effortless look, mix it into your foundation for a dewy tinted moisturizer effect or dab some on the tops of your cheekbones to get that Taylor-Swift-post-gym glow.
Every month, we round up the best new beauty products hitting store shelves. For May 2017, there's a drugstore mascara with a tiny built in teasing comb, an LED eye mask that zaps wrinkles in three minutes, and even a new makeup brush attachment for your trusty Clarisonic. These new beauty products are innovative, exciting and unlike anything else. So get yourself to the nearest Sephora, drugstore or computer -- we know you'll be excited to shop after clicking through our list.
We couldn't be more pleased that wearing leggings all day, every day is now totally acceptable. And just like the athleisure trend has taken over the fashion scene, it's having a major moment in the beauty industry, too. No, it's not about wearing a full face of makeup to the gym, but rather the glorious array of casual, easy, wearable new makeup and skin-care options that -- like your fave pair of leggings -- you'll want to live in and never take off.
Millennial pink, pale dogwood, rose quartz -- whatever you want to call it, there's no doubt about it: blush-pink is in. In its rightful place, such as on the apple of your cheeks, a flush of color can work wonders. But when a natural flush covers your face, thanks to redness-prone skin, your complexion can read more ruddy than rosy.
When it comes to a skin-care routine, it's easy to go a little overboard. Of course, you have your everyday staples like a cleanser, face sunscreen and moisturizer -- but when you start adding things like essences, face mists, anti-aging serums and exfoliators, you're basically swimming in a sea of products.
The 2017 TotalBeauty Award winners are in, and they will not disappoint. We sifted through thousands of submissions and spent countless hours slathering, dabbing, spraying and spritzing to choose the best new beauty launches in every category imaginable. Not only did these products outperform all the others in their category, they also highlight some of the key trends of the year: concentrated pigment drops, detoxifying charcoal and lightening-fast hair styling tools, to name a few. Here are the trends we spotted that show no signs of slowing down.
Fact: A sign of adulthood is wondering whether it's actually worth it to spend more for an organic label on anything from your produce to your yoga towel. But what about when you're restocking on a skin-care staple you've been using since high school? After all, a 50-cent difference between two varieties of apples is no big deal, but in the world of trendy, eco-friendly skin care, swapping your go-to brand for an organic brand can sometimes translate to extra zeroes on your bill.