12 Top Summer Essentials

I am not a fan of the heat, so summer is a struggle for me - is it October yet? I want to delve into all the fall makeup collections that have been popping up on beauty blogs. Alas, it's only mid-July so I rely on certain products to get me through the heat and the dog days of summer. I thought I would share (I'm thoughtful like that) my most relied upon products to help me stay beautiful despite oily hair, shiny skin, and stinky arm pits (sorry but I had to go there)!

Summer MVP's - Most Valuable Products

• BIC Soleil Sensitive Skin Razors - This is my go to razor when shaving. I think the fact that is comes in a cheerful sunny array of colors is a bonus. 

• The Art of Shaving Pre Shave Oil - I rub this on areas that are prone to knicks with a razor like my knees and around my ankle to stave off cuts. 

• Tend Skin Ingrown Hair Solution - When wearing tank tops we expose our armpits more and no one wants to see razor bumps. Tend Skin truly has eliminated razor bumps from my life - can I get a hip, hip hooray? 

• Oil absorbing papers - powder can be essential but I prefer blotting papers to not clog my pores while still fighting shine. 

• Dove Prescription Strength Deodorant - this is a no-brainer that we sweat more during June, July, and August so I rely on the prescription strength of this stuff to keep me smelling nice. 

• Skinceuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45 - You can never be too careful in the sun and I like that this stuff goes on thick and is water and humidity proof. I even apply some to my arms, decollate, and arms. 

• Chantecaille Ultra Sun Protection SPF 50 PA +++ Is it a sunscreen, a primer or both? I like that this helps my makeup stay on longer and helps keep the shine that I normally get in my T-Zone at bay.

• Fresh Sugar Lip Balm with SPF 15 - an often overlooked area when it comes to sun protection is our lips. Can you imagine how painful sunburned lips would be - I'm cringing just thinking about it! Yet, lip gloss can actually reflect the sun's harmful rays. So baby your lips with some moisturizing lip balm with SPF already built in!  

• Dry shampoo by Ojon Hair - my hair naturally turns more oily as the temperature gauge shoots North, so to get me through the hump of washing my hair every day I like dry shampoo as an alternate. I only like to wash it every other day because the oils our hair produces is actually good for it. Washing too often can strip the hair of natural oils and make it oilier. I have been known to do the whole baby powder trick, but I could never master it. I would just end up with baby powder everywhere. I feel more mature and refined using this dry shampoo plus it also adds mad volume to my hair - bonus! 

• Aloe Vera Gel - Sometimes despite our best efforts we still manage to get sun burned. If you do nothing feels better than the instant cooling effect of Aloe Vera (store it in the fridge for added cooling benefits).  

• Kerastase Masque UV Defense Active- a protecting hair mask that deep conditions. It also helps perserve my hair's color while imparting lasting shine to my strands.  

• Summer is about having fun and wearing bold, bright colors  Le Metier De Beaute's nail lacquer Wango Tango is the epitome of a chic, yet "fun" color . I think this is an awesome color to wear when sporting your Tory Burch sandals. 

What is your #1 Summer Essential? 

Le Metier Beaute's Wango Tango Review

Wango Tango - isn't it adorable?

Size comparison

The brush

Overview

Whole Hand

I've really gotten into nail polish lately and have been on a bit of a streak with my polish posts. I'm personally loving the slew of colors available in stores. As you can see from previous posts, I am not one to shy away from color when it comes to my nails. From a bright cobalt blue to hot pink I like brights, now it's time to try orange. Orange is being hailed as the 'it' color of the season and I cannot think of a more appropriate way to usher in the season's hottest trend then with Le Metier De Beaute's 'Wango Tango'. This color is stunning and when gazing at the array of colors in their display case, 'Wango' is a definite attention grabber. I find the color to be vibrant and fun. One thing that jumps out to you and seems to be the main criticize about the polish is the size. The polish is  4ml and is tiny, this is roughly a third of the size of a Chanel polish (which is 13ml). Their lacquers retail for $15.00 vs. Chanel's $25.00. The way I see it is I have never used up an entire bottle of nail polish before it expires. The size of Le Metier and the fact that it is $10.00 cheaper than Chanel, for instance, is fine with me. I understand not every one will agree with me, but I  do think their polishes are a nice treat and I adore the bottle - it is a heavy glass. This brand and formula being compared to other high end brands (Dior, Chanel, etc.) is right on par. The brush as you can see is also very small, so it is a bit awkward to apply the polish. Once I applied it however, I was pleasantly surprised with how easily the color glides onto your fingertips. The color in the bottle was true to how it applied to my nails.

It is worth mentioning that just like Butter London, Metier's nail lacquers are free from formaldehyde, toulene, and Dibutyl Phthlate (DPB) an aspect I really appreciate. The polish glides in easily, and I get the coverage I covet in one coat (something I cannot get out of Chanel) -- which means I use less product.

I give myself manicures at home to save the expense of having someone else do my nails. Being a mom and housewife, I am hard on my nails. I typically find that my nails chip after only three days of wear, so I like to have nail polish on hand for touch-ups. Doing my nails myself helps in justifying the price of certain polishes (a girl has to do what a girl's got to do, right?).

So if you are a fan of orange and want to give an orange polish a whirl, I think you will adore Metier's 'Wango Tango', I know I did!