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1. Quench sun-damaged skin
Sunburns happen, but you don't have to suffer in silence. After a long day out in the sun, I love to reach for an aloe or gel-based product because they're cooling and calming for skin that's just about had enough exposure to the rays.
Our picks: Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Treatment (moroccanoil.com, $36); Burt’s Bees Aloe & Linden Flower After Sun Soother (drugstore.com, $10)
2. Lighten up your fragrance
Fall and winter are the perfect seasons to experiment with heavy, musky fragrance but summer demands a lighter approach to your fragrance routine. This season, I'll be ditching my signature eau de parfum in favor of a light, travel-friendly roller ball.
Our picks: Lavanila The Healthy Fragrance Roller-Ball Vanilla Grapefruit (lavanila.com, $19); Taylor by Taylor Swift Rollerball, (Macy's, $20)
3. SPF, SPF, SPF
This one's a no brainer. Whether you're running to the grocery store or heading out for an afternoon at the beach, sunscreen is a must to shield your skin against those harmful UV rays. And it's no excuse to avoid it because of sticky, nasty-smelling formulas. We've done the searching for you and found a few brands whose formulas smell pretty darn great.
Our picks: COOLA Sport SPF 50 Unscented Sunscreen Spray (coolasuncare.com, $32); Vichy Laboratoires Capital Soleil SPF 50 Lightweight Foaming Lotion (vichyusa.com, $29)
4. Protect your highlights
Whether you have highlights or not, hair protection is a beauty must in the sunny months. If you get sick of wearing a hat pretty easily like me, hair SPF is your next best defense against burned scalps, dry locks and dull highlights. Another idea? Go classic chic with a scarf worn over your hair. If it worked for the classic Hollywood beauties, it's good enough for us.
Our picks: Paul Mitchell Color Protect Locking Spray (Available at professional salons, $13); Mangrove Distressed Scarf (mangrove.us.com, $94)
5. Banish body acne
Between sweaty workouts and running around all week, I've always suffered from the inevitable occasional summer body acne breakout. This summer, I'm banishing body acne before it has a chance to pop up with a targeted product that mops up oil on the spot.
Our picks: Dickinson’s Original Witch Hazel’s NEW On-The-Go Refreshingly Clean Towelettes (Walgreens, $7) ; Neutrogena Body Clear Body Spray (neutrogena.com, $9)
6. Master travel hair removal
Hair removal while on vacation has always been one of my least favorite beauty chores. After all, who wants to lug around a cumbersome razor and a bottle of shaving cream? This season, I'll be taking turns toting a tiny yet effective travel razor that takes up little space in my beauty bag and a full razor I can use with or without shaving cream (thanks to a lubricating strip).
Our picks: Gillette Venus Snap Razor (Walgreens, $10); 800razors.com 5 Blade Women's Razor (800razors.com, $26 for 12 cartridges)
7. Don't neglect your hands and eyes
A lot of us just coat our faces and bodies with sunscreen during the summer months, but the eyes and hands can get hit pretty hard by UV rays too. When you neglect the backs of your hands and the corners of your eyes, they can end up revealing your true age fast, and what woman wants that? This summer I'll be fighting back against unnecessary aging with some targeted sunscreens for these two tricky spots.
Our picks: AHAVA Age Perfecting Hand Cream SPF 15 (ahavaus.com, $32); Skinceuticals Physical Eye UV Defense SPF 50 (skinceuticals.com, $30)
8. Simplify your beauty look
Heavy eyeshadows and foundations are better for the cooler months when melting makeup isn't a top concern. When the mercury rises and the sun starts shining, I always reach for a tinted moisturizer that will give me a bit of coverage without clogging my pores and a melt-proof mascara.
Our picks: glo minerals Water Resistant Mascara (gloProfessional.com, $20) ; Sonia Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 15 (Target, $14)
9. Rethink your lotion
Heavy body butters are great for the dry, cold months but the summer calls for a lighter moisturizer that won't leave your skin sweaty and your pores clogged. Is daily SPF coverage also a priority? Reach for a sunscreen that doubles as a light moisturizer.
Our picks: eos Nourish Revitalizing Care Hand & Body Lotion (drugstore.com, $8); Bioelements Sun Diffusing Protector Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Sunscreen (bioelements.com, $39)
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