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A Letter from the Editor
Hi there!
Welcome to our first-ever Summer Beauty Digital Issue. Depending on where you live, “summer” means either more time outdoors … or actively avoiding the heat. If you’re like me, you look forward to getting away from it all with a little travel. Whether you’re planning to float in a pool, lie out on the beach, fly to a far-flung city or cool off close to home, your beauty needs are different now than they are for every other season.
Last week when I was in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, I got to watch our experts line up the latest and greatest products that will help you beat the heat, humidity and chlorine — and give you that sun-kissed, fresh look we all want. They’ve been working overtime to test the best summer-ready products (check them all out below!).
We’re ready to help you tackle the heat head-on with all the breezy skin, easy makeup and hair-taming tricks you need to look and feel fresh this season. Let’s dive right in!
Jane Fransisco,
Editor in Chief
Table of Contents
1. Prep Your Face | 2. Revive Your Hair | 3. More Summer Essentials
Meet the Experts
Our Beauty Lab pros share their best tips for looking and feeling fresh while traveling.
Sabina Wizemann
“I minimize the use of makeup brushes, instead taking one multitasking brush or products that apply and blend well with my fingers.”
Danusia Wnek
“If I am taking a hair tool on a trip abroad, I always check to make sure it is dual voltage, which is usually listed as a range on the tool."
Chiara Butler
“I love passing time at the airport duty-free shops and always stop in to smell new fragrances. But don’t be fooled by the ‘discounts’: The products might actually not be cheaper."
April Franzino
“I try to wear minimal makeup — just a little cream eyeshadow, blush and tinted balm — when traveling, so I don’t have to waste time on multiple steps or carry a ton of products.”
Catharine Malzahn
“My hair always gets tangled when traveling, so I braid it before a flight to help avoid snarls (you can also wrap it into a bun to keep it looking polished throughout your journey).”
Start with Face SPF
The GH Beauty Lab has spent years testing over 750 different types of sunscreens, and what we’ve found is that not all are created equal.
When it comes to your face, using one specifically formulated for that area can make all the difference. Why? Most face sunscreens are filled with extra skin-loving ingredients, so you’re getting more bang for your buck. Plus, they're typically ultra-lightweight, meaning they'll look and feel better under makeup.
Tote these winners, inspired by serums, to protect skin all season.
transparent Touch Face Serum SPF 30
This “super-light” value SPF outperformed pricey ones. It scored best nearly across the board for its pleasant texture, “tropical” scent, quick absorption and lack of residue or irritation.
Total Protection® No-Show™ Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Made with zinc oxide, this “airy” liquid SPF proved both gentle and “sheer.” Users rated it tops for applying easily; not stinging or leaving a film; and working well with makeup.
Invisible Daily Defense Fragrance-Free Sunscreen
Heavy-duty sun protection in a featherweight formula with “a touch of glow” made this a tester favorite. Boosted with skincare ingredients, it got the highest marks for its “smooth” texture and for not irritating skin.
Simplify Your Makeup Routine
Pare down your skincare steps — and still look your best — with transparent, forgiving formulas and uncomplicated pro tips. Start with one and end there, or build on as desired!
Prep skin
Even skin tone and counteract dullness without heavy foundation by smoothing on a brightening face primer, which also helps keep makeup in place. Two that we love: Estee Lauder’s Futurist Aqua Brilliance Watery Glow Primer and Revlon’s Photoready Prime Plus Brightening + Skin-Tone Evening Primer.
Cover (lightly!)
Instead of hiding skin under a full layer of base, target specific issues like blemishes, undereye circles and redness or discoloration using a lightweight concealer. Warm up the product between your fingers to help it blend seamlessly into skin, suggests Joseph Leon, a makeup artist for Nars Cosmetics in Charlotte, NC.
Brighten eyes
Forgo dark, dense powder shadows and liners in favor of a wash of iridescent beige or bronze to illuminate eyes. Glide a liquid or cream formula along your lashline for daytime; diffuse it up to the crease for night. Try out: Lancome’s Idôle Tint Liquid Eye-Blusher in desert sand and Maybelline New York's Color Tattoo Eye Stix Up to 24h Wear in I Am Courageous.
Add color
To give your face instant vibrance, pat on a double-duty lip and cheek tint like one of the new jelly-texture formulas that impart a translucent pop of color (think a pink or berry hue). Our go-tos right now are Milk Makeup’s Cooling Water Jelly Tint and Fenty Beauty’s Match Stix Adaptive Cheek + Lip Stick
Get glowing
Tap a liquid highlighter (which can double as eyeshadow) or luminizing lotion onto the high points of your face where the sun hits (tops of cheekbones, browbones) to impart a flattering radiance. Try: Dior’s Forever Glow Maximizer in 015 Peachy or Jergen's Melanin Glow Face Moisturizing Glow Enhancer.
“A foundation stick doubles as concealer, takes up very little space in your bag and is perfect for quick touch-ups.”
GH Beauty Lab Pick: MERIT The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick
Quick Saves for Your Hair
Has your hairstyle gone awry in the heat and humidity? Here, fast fixes for frizzy hair from top hairstylists to bring new life to all looks and textures.
The issue: “My hair gets fuzzy as soon as I step outside.”
The fix: If you’re noticing frizz, your hair may be damaged or lack moisture, says Lacy Redway, a Dove partner and celebrity hair-stylist in New York City. To remedy this, start by incorporating moisturizing and anti-frizz haircare products into your shower routine, says Harry Josh, a Kerasilk ambassador and celebrity hairstylist in New York City. After washing, apply smoothing stylers like serums on wet hair for more even application and easier styling.
The issue: “My strands feel fried after a day at the beach."
The fix: The fix Sea salt (and chlorine) can have not-so-fun effects on hair, including making strands feel dry and brittle, Josh says. To bring back softness and suppleness, turn to a nourishing hair mask, Josh and Redway recommend. Use it in place of conditioner at least once per week, Josh advises.
The issue: “My style looks limp within hours.”
”The fix: “When it’s humid out, the moisture in the air can cause hair to collapse without a styling product to keep it lifted,” Josh explains. Finish your style with a texturizing spray to hold hair in place and impart lasting fullness (it also works as a style refresher). But don’t overdo it: “Excess product or oil sitting on your scalp can weigh down thinner strands,” Redway says. In a pinch, brush the top and the underside of hair, or flip your head upside down and tousle strands with your fingers, to re-volumize your style, Josh advises.
The issue: “I see greasy roots even after washing.”
The fix: The quickest solution is to mist the area with dry shampoo to absorb oil. To get to the root cause (literally!), pay attention to your scalp. “Sometimes people don’t shampoo their roots enough to remove all the buildup or fully rinse out conditioner,” Josh says. To ensure that strands are clean (and oil-free), shampoo twice and apply conditioner only to the ends. Still greasy? Switch to a clarifying shampoo for a deeper cleanse.
Restyling Stars
Secret Weapon Touch-Up Crème
Rub a dab of this water-light cream, a Beauty Lab expert favorite, between your hands, then glide it over dry hair to instantly smooth and soften frazzled strands with no heavy residue.
Triple Sec 3-in-1 Finishing Spray
Add body and bounce (along with a slightly sweet scent) back to lifeless waves: Spritz this fine mist, another Beauty Lab pro go-to, onto strands, then tousle with your fingers.
Hair Milk Refresher Spray
Reactivate spirals on the second day and beyond by spraying this milky liquid all over dry hair, then scrunching for softness and definition.
“Summer is the perfect time to try air-drying your hair. Apply one of the new air-dry styling products to your damp hair before letting it dry to help smooth and enhance shape.”
GH Beauty Lab Pick: Orlando Pita Play Well Behaved Anti-Frizz Cream Serum
Glow-Giving Self-Tanners
The fact that you’ve got your SPF on (right?) doesn’t mean you can’t achieve that just-off-the-beach glow. Get vibrant skin the safer way with self-tanners. Our Lab experts evaluated over 2,332 data points to identify the best self-tanners on the market.
And trust us, there’s nothing fake-looking about these “tans in a bottle.”
Sunny Honey
This “rich foam” that dries fast gave skin the best bronzing “in minutes.” A full 100% of testers said it created a natural-looking tan they liked and that it allowed for ideal color-depth control.
Organic Sunless Tan Firming Lotion
The “user-friendly” lotion delivers a sun-kissed look that has staying power. Users ranked it tops at spreading effortlessly with no mess, soaking in speedily and achieving lasting color that faded evenly.
Sublime Bronze Tinted Self Tanning Lotion
Smooth on a flawless, “buildable” faux tan with this tinted lotion. It earned the highest scores for its light texture and even, streak-free color and for leaving skin soft.
“I save product samples, including perfumes, for travel; they take up minimal space and are under the liquid size limit. Ditto for single-use skincare capsules and liquid-free face wash tabs.”
GH Beauty Lab Pick: Olay Cleansing Melts
A New Way to Cool Down
Step aside, AC: Now your skin routine can offer relief from the heat. The trending category of “cryotherapy” skincare includes products “from masks and serums to tools that provide a temporary cooling sensation,” Wnek says. “Cooling ingredients like menthol derivatives and cold metal applicators can create the effect.” Inspired by cryotherapy (the use of extreme cold in medical treatments), these treatments can have real, albeit temporary, skin benefits.
Cold temperatures “help reduce inflammation and swelling by constricting blood vessels,” explains Mona Foad, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at Mona Dermatology in Cincinnati. The cold can help soothe and tighten skin and reduce puffiness, Wnek says. Those with skin sensitivity may want to skip this trend, though: “Some cooling ingredients have the potential to irritate sensitive skin, and cold could trigger rosacea flare-ups,” Wnek adds.
Pick a Fresh Scent
Swap out warm, rich fragrances for something lighter, such as these summer perfumes blooming with invigorating notes of garden herbs and even veggies.
Water Lotus
Like a refreshing drink for your senses on a steamy day, this water-based spritz features a mix of airy floral notes (peony, water lily) and dewy hints of just-picked cucumber.
Yuzu Zest Cologne
The lush herb’s rich, almost musky scent brings softness and depth to these fragrances starring fruity elements like citrus and fig.
REPLICA From the Garden
Inspired by the slightly sweet, herbaceous aroma of sun-warmed tomato fields, this perfume melds a tomato leaf accord with tart mandarin and green moss.
Bistro Waters
Several vegetable-garden staples, including bell pepper and basil, add an uplifting touch to this unique fragrance warmed with spices like nutmeg and coriander and topped with a twist of lime.
Jardin du Poete
A sparkling infusion of bracing basil leaves and staples and bitter orange along with wild greens is the perfect perfume co*cktail to conjure a balmy backyard stroll.
IPL Hair Removal Devices
Vitamin C Serums for Brighter, Healthier Skin
Natural and Organic Sunscreens
Ways to Tame Frizzy Hair
Callus Removers for Smooth Feet
Staff headshots, cover images, Fresh Scents, Cool Down Products and Restyling Stars (background image): Mike Garten; Prop styling by Alex Mata.
Prep Your Face and Summer Essentials: Mike Garten; Prop styling by Alex Mata; Hair by Steven Fernandes for contactnyc/@stevenmfernandes using R+Co BLEU; Makeup by Marc Cornwall for ABTP/@marc_cornwall. Models: Jacqueline Saguin and Temira Greene. Revive Your Hair: Getty Images.
Editor in Chief & Director, Hearst Lifestyle Group Jane Francisco
Group Creative Director Melissa Geurts
Executive Editor Beth Dreher
Group Digital Content Director Lauren Matthews IdeGroup Deputy Director Michelle Manetti
Deputy Design Director Betsy Farrell
Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab Director Sabina Wizeman; Senior Chemist Danusia Wnek; Reviews Analyst Chiara Butler; Beauty Director April Franzino; Beauty Assistant Catharine Malzahn; Lead Photographer Mike Garten; Editorial Stylist Alex Mata; Visual Editor Sara Neumann; Copy Chief Benay R. Bubar; Research Editor Clare Ellis
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