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I can’t believe Summer is already here! I don’t know if it’s because LA winter lasted so long this year or because our family was hit so hard with cold & flu season, but I feel like the weather skipped Spring completely and jumped right into shorts weather! That means it’s high time to stock up on some of my favorite skincare go-to’s and a couple key beauty refreshers to prep myself for the impending barbecues and beach trips.
I was seriously stoked when Walmart’s beauty team asked me to partner and pick out some of my favorites to share with you guys because I definitely needed a little treat-myself time and I’ve been obsessed with finding the perfect quick routine lately that works with my mom life. I mean, I adore my babies but I don’t want to look like my hair is dead and crunchy or that I’m adding extra sun spots to my face. 😉 Walmart also has free 2-day shipping on most orders of $35+ so it’s extremely convenient when you can’t run to the store, not that I’ve ever been that busy in my life, cough, cough baby’s asleep on me again, cough. Free returns on those orders too if you don’t like something!
Speaking of sun spots, I’ll start off with one product I am SO eager to test out. I’ve heard for ages about the Elta MD Skincare UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 and how it’s especially good for those with acne-prone skin. A little research revealed that a key ingredient in it is niacinamide which has worked really well for my skin in the past at increasing clarity and brightening and is cool to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Woohoo! It’s oil-free and fragrance-free so it will integrate with my current skincare quite nicely. Know what else is oil-free and rocking niacinamide? CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion! I recently ran out of my nighttime face moisturizer so it will be nice to have that niacinamide boost day and night without using a separate serum.
With bare arms and jean skirts, it’s very important to remember to moisturize right out of the shower when your skin is still damp for maximum hydration so I grabbed Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion. It’s a great basic that is fragrance-free and non-greasy. I feel like I became so boring after my high school and college days of perfume-laden body butters but I really appreciate only having scents I choose, only where I want to apply them, especially since my kids come in contact with my skin so often. Is it just me?
Also out of the shower I like to use a hair protectant to soften and protect my colored hair. It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product works great to make my hair look its best but also works as a heat protectant before using the blowdrier or curling iron, or just running around outside in the sun.
For days when I skip the makeup I really adore using Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water to clean my skin which is something I’ve been using for years. It never breaks me out or leaves a sticky residue and you can use it during the day after working out or going to the beach.
The makeup-oriented products that everyone should have in their collection for daily use are Smashbox Photofinish Primer (Which, again, I’ve been using for years and my mom always manages to take my backups because it’s a holy grail for her too!) and the original Beauty Blender sponge. Obviously the primer blurs skin imperfections and helps foundation last longer and the Beauty Blender is actually so great for getting that super natural, healthy-looking skin because when you wet it first, it uses less foundation but gets the most even coverage out of every foundation application technique I’ve tried.
Finally, there is nothing like a gorgeous pastel polish to really make me feel like I’m ready to rock some cute espadrilles and OPI Suzi Without A Paddle is the palest baby blue that I’m completely in love with. I’ve been obsessing over OPI’s Infinite Shine formula since it lasts longer than most polish lines on me, so I’ve been hoarding a small collection of my most-worn shades.
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That’s it for my Summer beauty picks. What are you guys using to prep your beauty shelf for the summer?
Disclaimer: Thank you to Walmart for sponsoring this post