Simple Summer Makeup

During the summer, it's nice to go easy on the make up and simply play up your natural beauty. Here are my picks to get you glowing in four easy steps.

1. A Light Sunscreen
If you want to look young forever, you either have to have amazing genes or wear sunscreen on your face and neck every day. My favorite pick is Neutrogena's Clear Face Sunscreen. It goes on matte, so it won't make your face oily or cause breakouts. For youthful lips, don't forget to apply a lip balm with sunscreen in it too like Kiss My Face's Sport Lip Balm. It has all natural ingredients, so you can feel good about putting it on your lips.

2. Powder Foundation
I would love to be one of those girls that has beautiful skin without foundation, especially during sticky summertime weather. My skin needs a little extra help though. Powder foundations are a great option during the summer to hide imperfections without putting on a lot of product. Just a few swipes with a brush and you're done. Plus, they're great for shine control during the summer months. My favorite is Bare Minerals Matte Foundation. With Bare Minerals, you can really control the amount of coverage you want, especially if you have the brushes from their starter kit. The big one is great for light coverage all over. Then, you can go back and hide dark circles, blemishes, and veins using the dense, small brush.

Sometimes you just don't have twenty five dollars to shell out on foundation. When, I'm low on funds, I turn to L'Oreal's True Match Powder. It's not a mineral foundation, but it gives the same buildable coverage as Bare Minerals. Plus, since their shades are grouped into Cool, Neutral, and Warm, you can find your exact shade easily.

3. Sweat-Proof Mascara
Eye shadow usually just sweats off during the summer, but you can still bring out your natural beauty with a little mascara. If you're like me, you want a mascara that will stay on while you want it on but will come off when it's time to take off your makeup. L'Oreal Paris' Million Lashes gives me thick, dark lashes that can stay put in the Mississippi summer humidity. When I'm ready to take off my makeup, I just wash my face with gentle soap and water. Then, when I'm drying my face, I gently run the washcloth over my eyes, and the mascara comes off. Million Lashes is a great pick for those of us who are anti-waterproof mascara.

4. Pop of Lip Color
To finish off your summer face, add a pop of color to your lips. You can either go natural and choose a color that intensifies your natural lip color or you can be more daring and choose a color that makes your lips the focus of your face. My favorite lip color for summer is Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Rose. It takes gives my lips a healthy, rosy glow. If you're more adventurious try a matte fuchsia or sangria color, like Burt's Bees Lip Crayons in Hawaiian Smolder or Napa Vineyard.

How to Style Curly Hair Fast Updated

Curly hair is so beautiful and fun when you have the time to fix it, but when you don't, it can be a mess! Since the first "How to Style Curly Hair Fast" post I've learned a few more tricks and have found some even better products. I know it seems like a lot of steps, but it's really not. I just wanted to break the steps down, so that if you're new at embracing your curls and wearing your hair curly you'll have some direction. Hopefully, this post will help you embrace your curls instead of just throwing your hair into a bun or ponytail!

Part 1: In the Shower

For this step you'll need a wide tooth comb, cleansing conditioner, a clip, and conditioner.

1. Use your comb to part your hair how you want it.

2. Get in the shower and wet your hair.

3. Tilt your hair to one side and gently work cleansing conditioner into your scalp taking care to not mess up your part.

My favorite cleansing conditioner is Pantene's Color Preserve Cleansing Conditioner. Even though the name sounds like it'd be for color treated hair only, it's also for coarse curly hair because it's so gentle. I also really like Head and Shoulder's Coconut Co-wash for when I need dandruff control. It's not tingly like Pantene's, but it smells wonderful! Really, any cleansing conditioner should do. If you have curly hair and haven't tried cleansing conditioner, you should! It'll clean your hair like shampoo but without stripping your hair and making it frizz. 

4. If you're short on time, simply work the cleansing conditioner down to the tips of your hair.

If you have a little more time, grab your favorite conditioner and work it to cover the rest of your hair. I like Pantene's Curly Hair Conditioner and Dove's Curly Hair Conditioner.

5. Make a bun and secure it with your clip. Now, go about your regular shower routine while you let the conditioner work.

6. Let your hair out of the clip and rinse out your hair without messing up your part.

7. Brush out your hair with either a wide tooth comb or your fingers. You can do this either with your head under the shower or out of the spray of the water. I can't really tell a difference in results.

 If you find that your hair is really tangled, then try brushing it out before you rinse out the conditioner. Now, you're ready for part 2.

Part 2: Out of the Shower

For this step you'll need a Turbie Twist or large t-shirt, a setting product, a curling spray, and a diffuser.

8. Once you're out of the shower, put your hair in a Turbie Twist or a large towel. If you have thick hair, you may need to put it in another towel to get more water out of it. So usually I put it in my Turbie Twist, then I get dressed.

9. Smooth in curl or hold cream.

I love Argan Magic's Curling Cream (which I can't find on Amazon). I get it at T.J. Maxx for about ten dollars. It does a good job of keeping my hair from frizzing without being crunchy. Dove's Curling Creme Serum looks like a similar product.

For more hold, I love Got 2B Kinkier Curling Mousse. This mousse should work on just about anyone's curly hair, and the price is great. It has hold without being greasy or too crunchy. Just don't use too much or it will get crunchy. Depending on your hair, you can either just smooth a pump or dollop of your product over and under each side of your hair or you can scrunch it in. Scrunching too much makes my hair too frizzy, so I try to avoid that.

10. Spritz in some moisturizing spray to help with frizz.

Organix's Weigthless Hydrating Oil Mist and Shea Moisture's Coconut Hibiscus Spray both smell amazing if you like tropical coconut scents! I also have used Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Spray and loved the scent and light hold. I've also tried Garnier Fructis' Curl Shaping Spray and Got 2B Kinkier Curling Spray. Both are great unscented, non-greasy options.

10. If you plan to use a blow dryer later, then be sure to spritz in some heat protectant spray too like Silk Element's Heat Protectant Spray. At first, it feels like it's going to be oily, but once you use heat it ends up not feeling oily anymore. It makes my hair feel super soft. 

11. Once you have your product in, you can put your hair in another dry Turbie Twist or t-shirt to get even more water out of it. While you're waiting, fix your makeup or eat breakfast.

12. Then, you can either let your hair air dry, which I usually do, or you can help it along by blow drying it. For curly hair, you definitely want a diffuser to keep it from frizzing.

 According to all the curly hair websites, the Deva Diffuser is the "gold standard," but it's really expensive! So I use my trusty Relvon blowdryer with a diffuser attachment. Once your hair is semi-dry you may want to flip it over and shake it out, and then fix it however you like.

If you're new to wearing your hair curly or are just having trouble getting your curly hair under control, Curly Girl: The Handbook is a must. I used to straighten my hair all the time because I thought I had frizzy, poofy hair. After I read the book, I realized that I actually had really pretty, wavy-curly hair, it just needed a little nudging. If you know a middle-schooler with wild, curly, frizzy hair, make her life easier and buy her this book. She will love her curls! I wish someone had done this for me.

What are your favorite curly hair products and tips? I'd love to hear them! 

June Journal Prompts + Printable

Thanks to everyone who's been following along over the past month. With my return from France and adjustment to things at home again, it's been a busy, but enjoyable month for me.

Even though I haven't had as much time to post here as I would like, I am making it a priority to get these journal prompts to you for each month, and I plan to make a point of doing that through out the summer.

Edit: Updated and completed prompts are available in a printable version through Etsy and an ebook version through Amazon.

Here's June's journal prompts.

1. A step you have taken towards your goals
2. Something good from last week
3. A time when you were frightened
4. A really good idea
5. The books in your to-read list
6. Something to remember
7. The best thing about your day
8. Your best qualities
9. Your top priorities
10. A new thing to try
11. Where were you a year ago?
12. Where were you five years ago?
13. What is home?
14. Your dream job
15. Favorite things in your town
16. Reasons to feel happy
17. Words you need to share
18. Something to give up
19. An area to grow in
20. An exceptional skill you possess
21. What motivates you?
22. What do you need?
23. A way you relax
24. The personal you are currently grateful for
25. The song you know all the lyrics to
26. A movie you can quote by heart
27. What fills you?
28. Who is your role model?
29. Are you a role model to anyone else?
30. What makes you proud?

A printable version is available at the bottom of the post.

Download your printable PDF of the prompts here.

Make sure that you get next month's prompts by following along with Life of Lovely on bloglovin, pinterest, or twitter.

 We hope that your summer is off to a great start! Let us know how you're using these journal prompts in the comments.