Beauty

Summer Beauty Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

From the hair product you didn’t know you needed to the bedtime secret to better skin, these easy little tweaks to your beauty routine will make this season the prettiest one ever.

Postsun splotchiness, despite the sunscreen

The mistake: Applying SPF too quickly when you’re already out in the sun.

The quick fix: Swear off the speedy spray ‘n’ play approach. Give yourself a good chunk of time to make sure you get every single square inch and apply 30 minutes before going out, says Vermén M. Verallo-Rowell, M.D., author of Skin in the Tropics: “Sunscreen needs time to soak in.

Dry arms and legs

The mistake: Applying an SPF-filled moisturizer only in the morning.

The quick fix: Your A.M. ritual is a good start, but for dewy skin, you should moisturize each and every night. Keep a fan or AC on and sleep in a long-sleeve shirt and leggings—the fabric helps traps the moisture in.

Dehydrated skin

The mistake: Thinking your midsummer nightcap won’t affect your beauty sleep.

The quick fix: A few rounds at bedtime and you can wake up with dull, dry skin. Gulp a glass of water before you go to sleep to help rehydrate your bod—and eliminate the dreaded hangover headache.

Hard, cracked heels

The mistake: Walking in sandals and flip-flops can make your feet dry and rough-to-the-touch in no time flat. (It’s not exactly sexy when you go to curl up to your summer fling in bed.)

The quick fix: Try a foot-specific product like Kiehl’s Intensive Treatment and Moisturizer for Dry or Callused Areas, which has the kind of serious oils and shea butter ingredients that would be too heavy-duty for other parts of the body. And just like that long-sleeve tee tip, sleeping in socks after moisturizing will help soften your feet overnight.

Irritated skin at the ankles and legs

The mistake: Going in the surf ‘n’ sun right after shaving, waxing or laser hair removal.

The quick fix: Because skin is extra sensitive then, you could get a not-so-pretty rash. Skip the pool or surf and just hang out in the shade (with some guac) for a few solid hours after dehairing.

Fussy-looking makeup at the beach

The mistake: Plastering on the blush and eyeshadow, old-lady-style, when spending a day on the sand.

The quick fix: Save the heavy-duty makeup for more formal outside fun, like a friend’s barbecue. At the beach, try an easily blendable blush “stick” like Nars Multiple Stick to give your skin a natural, sun-kissed look. Can’t live without your standby powder blush? Dab a little on, then smooth cheeks with a some lightweight facial moisturizer to get that dewy, summery finish.

Fried hair

The mistake: Spending the summer at the pool or in the sun without switching up your hair products.

The quick fix: Like your sexy epidermis, your gorgeous hair can get stressed out by sun’s rays, so pile on the SPF-filled products. With UVA and UVB protection, Paul Mitchell Color Protect Locking Spray helps prevent color fade and keeps hair shiny, while Fréderic Fekkai’s Apple Cider Purifying Shampoo removes chlorine buildup.
Too much self-tanner

The mistake: Haphazard self-tanning that results in icky “yes, I’m faking it” spots.

The quick fix: There are a few different options. An oil-based makeup remover like Laura Mercier’s Light Purifying Oil will help take off a few layers of color, but good old-fashioned baby oil will also do the trick. Exfoliate to slough off the dead skin cells that color pigments tend to cling to or gently scrub skin with a washcloth dipped in milk (lactic acid makes a good exfoliator).