Beauty Beat: Summer Staples

Hello readers! 

Welcome to another Beauty Beat roundup! This month I am sharing some summer must haves to add to your beauty collection that will most likely end up becoming summer staples for you. This line up ranges from perfume to cosmetics and beauty creams that are sure to keep you feeling fresh and fly all summer long. 

The roundup this month is focused on cosmetics, save for a select few skincare items. There is a focus on eyes, lips and skin. Many of these products have staying power and some offer that natural "no makeup" made up look. Summer time in Chicago gets humid, so I tend to opt for waterproof mascara and products that don't slough off with a little sweat. This latest array of products definitely have staying power. 

When it comes to summer makeup, it is vital to prep the skin. Primer is a great option to help set the skin up for proper makeup application. Makeup primer acts as a base for foundation or face makeup. It essentially allows makeup to go on smoother and last longer. There are different types of formulas that are available in cream, gel and powder. In the summertime, something lightweight and breathable is always a good option. 

Clinique Pep Start is a lightweight eye cream provides a rush of hydration and instant brightening so you look and feel refreshed, wide awake, and ready for anything in as little as three seconds. It's definitely a product to add to your morning routine. It has a cooling and de-puffing tip to help keep eyes looking fresh while smoothing and prepping the undereye area for makeup.

Lily and Lolo BB Cream is can be used before foundation application for a smooth, lightweight and flawless look. It can also be used as foundation itself for a light coverage look. The cream is organic and vegan and naturally scented from essential oils. It is a silicone free Beauty Balm, filled to the brim with nourishing and anti-aging ingredients. The mineral pigments help blur imperfections and even skin tone. This cream goes on smoothly and doesn't weight the skin down. It offers a breathable and blendable start to your makeup routine. I enjoyed the fact that this is both a skincare and beauty product that helps to blend out imperfections, but also nourish the skin. This is great for those of you who wear mineral foundations as it acts as added coverage and can lengthen wear time.

Eleve's Bombshell Beauty Balm offers a lightweight foundation that is perfect for those of you with sensitive skin. The foundation is formulated with active anti-aging ingredients, including Collagen Tri-Peptide, to stimulate collagen production and improve elasticity. It also contains no petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances or dyes and was formulated for all skin types. It works to conceal, treat, hydrate, prime & protect. Despite the fact that it is lightweight, it still offers beautiful even coverage. It also contains vitamins A, C & E to nourish and preserve your skin. The brand also offers a free sample if you are not sure what color to test - you just pay for shipping. 

Stains are a must try for heat-proof color. Combination lip & cheek stains and tints are a great solution for adding color to your face during warm weather and ensuring that it stays where you put it. Today’s modern formulas offer sheer, waterproof washes of color that look incredibly natural and can be layered to create the optimum level of color intensity. Elevé is an Austin based beauty brand launched by makeup artist and former ballet dancer, Gertie Wilson. The collection offers a beautiful range of high end cosmetics at a moderate price. Elevé products have been created to inspire women to “rise up” and feel fabulous! Our mission at Elevé is to offer you the best all-natural ingredients in every product, without sacrificing qualityTheir Cheek & Lip Rosé goes on flawlessly leaving you with a beautiful flush of color. Cheek tints offer a sheer, youthful and healthy glow! The Elevé formula is infused with Mango Butter and Camelia Oil to help regenerate, protect and replenish the skin. The sheer tint is smooth, easy to blend and should be layered on to build up the color.

As the warmer days ware on, the summer tan is inevitable. Adding a bronzer to your routine adds just a bit of additional color. Jennifer Bradley offers medical grade cosmetics that work wonders for those of you with sensitive or acne prone skin. The Best Bronzer in her cosmetics line can be added to the temples and cheekbones for that beautiful summer glow. Remember, when applying bronzer, use a big, fluffy brush and tap off any excess product before swiping it on your face.

I like to consider myself a mascara aficionado. I've tried drug store brands and high end brands. Eyelashes are my calling card. This round up I tried two mascaras that I use in tandem to create luscious, long and full lashes. For summertime wear, it is important to have a product that can withstand sweat and heat.

First up is a brand that made me ask, "What is this magical beauty voodoo?!" Wunder2 is clearly a wonderful beauty brand. Their WUNDEREXTENSIONS Lash Extension Tint and WUNDEREXTENSION Lash Extension & Volumizing Mascara help to create full and long lashes. The WUNDEREXTENSION Lash Extension Tint works with a PermaFix gel that provides flexibility and locks mini tinted lash extensions to existing lashes. The product also has concentrated pigments that bind to the existing hairs, defining and creating the appearance of a fuller lash. The WUNDEREXTENSION Lash Extension & Volumizing Mascara is a lengthening and volumizing mascara combines two formulas in one tube for instant results. It is long-wearing, standing up to tough conditions like sweating. The blue part of the formula plumps while the black part adds mini extensions that grip the lash. After I used the Wunderlash Mascara, I apply Lily and Lolo Mascara for an extra oomph. Lily and Lolo Creamy Organic Natural Vegan Mascara definitely adds a pump of volume to produce a dramatic effect.  It is suitable for all eye colours. Lily Lolo Mascara is soft and creamy and has no artificial ingredients, is gluten free and vegan friendly.

Depending on the look you are going for, you may opt for shadow or a simple cat eye. It is important to utilize a long wearing shadow and of course add a bit of shimmer. The Lily and Lolo Laid Bare Eye Palette has a beautiful assortment of neutrals with just the right amount of glimmer. The neutral shades work well for every skin tone and are perfect for creating a natural daytime look with darker shades for added drama. The colors are easily blended and are great for building up to a dramatic look. The colors are long lasting and wear well throughout the heat.

Don't be scared of a bold cat eye during the hot summer days. You just need a product that is made to stay. Hard Candy has the Bold & Gorgeous line that features a triple black formula that lasts up to 12 hours for smudge-proof, budge-proof all-day wear. It is the perfect companion for a cat eye look that won't leave you looking like a raccoon. The collection offers three innovative felt tip liner. The triple ball tip liner holds 3x the color for a dramatic, bold effect. The expertly designed Dare to Flick tulip tip was created to achieve precise lines, but it is still flexible enough to flick on the outer edges for the perfect cat-eye look. The last liner in the collection is the smart 2-in-1 Fat & Fine liner. The design allows the wearer to create a thin or thick line using the same tip. All you have to do is turn the pen for a different angle. Hard Candy continues to be one of my favorite cosmetic lines when it comes to high quality products at budget prices. 

Clinique Sweet Pots is a Lip Scrub & Balm Duo. It is the perfect sweet summer indulgence that your lips can’t resist. The duo offers a sugar-smoothing scrub on one side and a sheer, tinted moisturizing balm on the other. The balm comes in six different shades that give just a hint of color. It's great for a natural day look. The scrub can be used up to 3 times per week to scrub off the dead skin and keep your pout smooth and lipstick ready.

Jack Black Intense Therapy Balm is my go-to summer lip balm. It is great for those days that you want a simple no color balm that nourishes and protects. It is an emollient balm that soothes and relieves dry, chapped, irritated lips. The balm ingredients feature grapefruit and ginger to refresh and soothe, while shea butter and avocado oil soften and condition lips. Vitamin E, green tea extract, and antioxidants help protect lips.

Charm Club Forever Perfume by Thomas Sabo is definitely a scent to add to your collection. It has flirty floral undertones that layer well. This scent smells like summer, is sweet, but not too sugary. The focus for this perfume collection features symbols of endless love. From the sensual scent combinations to the designs found on the bottle, embossed in exquisite rose gold. The black satin bow and the calligraphic Forever lettering represent the preciousness of love. Give this scent a try to mix up your perfume rotation this summer.