My Summer Must Haves

So I've been a little MIA lately, which tends to happen when the weather starts to get nice, but also I've been busy planning Ava's second birthday party! It's less than a week away and I've been going crazy buying ALL THE FLAMINGOS! Yes, we're having a flamingo party and I can't wait to share all the little details here once it's done. 

I'm writing this post to share some of my summer must haves. I get so excited when summer is close because that means we're able to get out of the house and play. Also because I can wear sandals and not have to bundle up in 10 different layers of clothes. My style is pretty laid back, with some girly touches, but there's also a little edge to it. 

Sunless tans, bright nail polish, a fun graphic tee, surf spray for summer waves, and the perfect foundation. 

Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Mousse- First let me say that I was a little overwhelmed when I was at Ulta shopping for a self tanner. The last time that I tried one, that wasn't a gradual self tanner, I was in high school, and I remember being an odd shade of orange, with lots of streaks. I have heard amazing things about St. Tropez but I just can't bring myself to spend that much.  I have used Jergen's 3 Days to Glow lotion before and it's decent but 1. it takes time (hence the 3 day name) 2. it can sometimes look a little orange after awhile and 3. once the color has started to develop, it smells. The reviews of the Instant Sun Mousse were all amazing so it helped me with the decision. I made sure to exfoliate before using it, which is really important, and also that my skin was moisturized beforehand as well. The mousse has a color guard to it, so you can see exactly where it's going, which I liked a lot. The smell is pleasant going on, and once it's developed, there's only a slight smell, which came off after I showered the next day. My tan looks natural, it's not orange, and it's not streaky. I most definitely recommend it, especially for the price! (Look for coupons here) 

Essie's Boom Boom Room- Probably my absolute favorite pink nail polish, ever. It's super bright and I think it looks fabulous on toes in the summer. This was actually the same polish I wore when I went in to have Ava. I remember all the nurses commenting on my toes, and how much they loved the color! I also love Essie's Bottle Service and The Girls Are Out as well as OPI's Bold and From Here To Eternity. 

Recycled Karma Rolling Stones tee- I got this the other day, with a 15% off coupon. I love graphic tees, especially when they're band tees that are timeless. I grew up listening to the Stones, thanks to my awesome mom. I'm going to pair this shirt, tied on the side, with a high waisted black skirt and some gladiator sandals. Another favorite tee of mine to wear the same way is this one and I have my eye on this tee too. 

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray- Ever since I cut my hair, I have had to change the way I style my hair. I love wavy hair and I found a great way to do it with a 3/4" curling iron, some Bed Head hairspray, and the surf spray. I curl it around the iron, like you typically would a curling wand and I alternate wrapping my hair over and under so they aren't all the same curls. Once it's all done, I give it a good spray with hairspray and then I use the surf spray to tousle the curls into waves. For some extra shine, I love Josie Maran's Argan Oil Hair Serum and if you need to make your hair last a little longer before washing I love this dry shampoo. It works on my hair great and gives it some extra volume so you can have big hair, for all those secrets....please tell me you get that reference. 

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation- So I know a foundation isn't usually on a summer must haves list considering how heavy they can be but this one is uh-maz-ing. I have always loved the look of full on makeup, especially in pictures, because I feel as if a tinted moisturizer or BB cream never photographs as well as foundation does. For the longest time, I used MAC's Studio Fix and never had an issue but I started to notice it settling into my pores differently...I blame it on me getting older. I bought some NARS Sheer Glow and while I really liked the feel of it, it made me a little too shiny and I noticed it made me a little yellow. With the Lancôme foundation, there are loads of colors to choose from and my match didn't show up yellow! (I'm 260 Bisque N) The guy who helped me at Sephora was actually wearing it and he looked so flawless, like his skin was airbrushed, so I told him to give me whatever he was wearing and I'm so glad I did. I use a makeup sponge with it and it goes on so smooth and it blends really nicely. I do get a little shiny with this at times but it's usually after quite awhile, but it doesn't sink into my pores and it truly can last awhile....one morning I woke up after not washing it off and my face still looked flawless.