Posted on May 12, 2014 by  | Categories: summer, skin, hair, nails, hair tips  | Comments (0)

Of course we adore the summertime. But we’re stylists, so we have a professional obligation to throw shade on the hot months and the beauty insults they bring. There are 3 main areas of havoc that summer wreaks on our appearance — we’ve listed them here, along with our tips on how to avoid and fix summer’s most cruel beauty punishments.

Stressed Skin. Catching rays can bring a healthy glow — but it doesn’t take much for the delicate balance to tip into sunburn, and the peeling, inflamed, dry skin it creates. There’s also the lovely clogged-pore situation that occurs when skin poaches in heavy makeup, moisturizer or sunblock. And who can forget the razor burn and bumps that plague us, when all we’re trying to do is get swimsuit-sleek?

To Avoid: Block that UV! Make these your besties from June til August: a superlight face moisturizer with a high SPF (we adore Dermalogica’s Oil Free Matte and Super Sensitive Shield, both SPF 30) and a waterproof spray sunblock with a high SPF for the bod. Those, along with a cute sunhat, are your high-priority summer investments. Using sheer mineral makeup is a great way to avoid breakouts. Ditch foundation for light tinted moisturizer, like Beauty Addicts’ Mineral Sheer Tint Moisturizer with SPF20. As far as razor burn and bumps — girl, quit shaving til September and embrace waxing. In just a few minutes, you’re smooth for weeks. (One of our summer specials: a bikini wax. You’re welcome.)

To Fix: Okay, so you forgot the almighty SPF and now your face is red, tender, and peeling. Or you used heavy, pore-plugging products, and your resultant acne now rivals your worst day of high school. To the rescue: our Coconut Lime Mini-Facial, which will soothe and refresh your sad scorched skin, while our JG Customized Facial will clean out every one of those clogged pores.

Harassed Hair. Summer turns hair into a hot mess in two main ways. The sun bakes your once- glorious mane into a dry, flyaway fright wig, or extra pool time chemically damages your hair or even turns it green.

To Avoid: Protect your locks from the sun, and add moisture, by using a leave-in conditioner with sunscreen daily. We’re fans of Bumble + bumble’s Color Minded UV Protective Styling Balm, which replenishes moisture and shields hair against UV rays. Before you hit the pool, apply leave-in conditioner liberally to your tresses — your hair will absorb the conditioner, not so much the chlorine. You can use any type of conditioner for this, the richer the better. Wash once a week with Bumble + bumble Sunday Shampoo, which rids hair of buildup and chemical/ mineral residue. A color glossing treatment is a good layer of sun protection and helps tame flyaways and frizzies.

To Fix: It’s our Demineralizing Swim Damage Hair Treatment to the rescue! We use Back Bar Clarifying Treatment to remove chemicals and minerals, fix the appalling green chlorine tint that curses blondes everywhere, and leaves hair soft, shiny, and super clean.

Frightening Feet. One of the nicest parts of summer — living in flip-flops, sandals, and bare feet — has an unfortunate side effect: all that exposure can leave feet sunburned and dirty/ sandy, with wrecked toenails.

To Avoid: Don’t miss the tops of your feet when sun-blocking; carry wet wipes for consistent cleanup (some contain SPF, for double duty), and book pedicures every 7-14 days. Our Coconut Lime Mini-Pedi is the go-to summer pedi — not much fuss, just great maintenance and fabulous polish changes on the regular.

To Fix: Get in our massage pedi-chair stat for a spa pedicure — it has the exfoliation, callus attention, moisturizing, and extra cuticle care you need to turn your terrible trotters into the fabulous tootsies you deserve.

But we’ve got your backs … our summer salon deals make you look fierce before you step into sun & sand, and fix the problems that can occur when you do. Remember, when you book two of our summer specials, you get a free brow wax … because bad brows are a year-round concern.

Don’t be a victim of a cruel summer — plan ahead and stay gorgeous until it’s cold again!