5 Products I’ve Ditched for the Warmer Months – And What I’m Using Instead
Erin Cook is a beauty and lifestyle journalist who has been slinging words for magazines, such as marie claire, ELLE, Harper’s BAZAAR, Cosmopolitan and Body+Soul, for the better part of a decade. As part of this role, she's had the pleasure of interviewing countless experts, such as dermatologists, trichologists, makeup artists and brand founders, to get their two cents on the latest beauty trends or to answer consumer questions. She loves a good hyaluronic serum, tinted moisturiser or glossy lipstick almost as much as she loves her cats. Almost.
I love summer as much as the next girl.
Wait, no… If anything, I probably love summer more than the next girl.
In my humble opinion, it’s the best season by far – and I’m prepared to die on this hill.
The benefits of longer days, balmy evenings and after-work dips in the ocean (lathered in SPF, of course) far outweigh all of the negatives associated with the warmer months. That said, there are negatives.
Where there’s heat, there’s often dry, frizzy hair and makeup that seems to slide off within 0.5 seconds of leaving your air conditioned house. Are these first world problems? Yes. Are they still annoying? Also yes.
As part of my personal philosophy to embrace the warmer months, I keep a few summer-specific products in my bathroom that I can sub in as soon as the mercury starts to rise.
These guys help keep my hair and makeup intact, even on the most hot and sticky days. So maybe they’ll work for you too?
Without any further adieu…
Hair:
ColorWOW Dream Coat Supernatural Spray.
What I’ve ditched: My usual blow dry spray.
What I’m using instead: ColorWOW Dream Coat Supernatural Spray 200ml
Why it’s great: Keeps hair smooth in a humid climate.
If you live in a humid climate or plan on jet setting somewhere tropical soon, you need to try ColorWOW Dream Coat Supernatural Spray.
This super hard-working anti-humidity spray protects against frizz and gives hair a glossy finish that lasts.
Spritz onto freshly washed hair and blow dry in to reap the benefits for up to three to four washes.
To be honest, I’m not exactly sure how it works (perhaps some kind of voodoo magic?) but I do know that it does what it promises.
You wouldn’t catch me dead visiting my hometown (Rockhampton, Queensland, just FYI) without a bottle of this in my check-in luggage.
evo fabuloso platinum blonde toning mist.
What I’ve ditched: Hair oil (love you MOROCCANOIL but I’ll see you in April).
What I’m using instead: evo fabuloso platinum blonde toning mist 140ml
Why it’s great: A lightweight all-in-one leave-in for blondes.
During summer, I need an easy spritz-and-go leave-in product with UV protection that I can use before heading to the beach or pool.
This one by evo is great for bottle blondes like myself as it has a light toning effect that also helps neutralise any brassy tones brought on by exposure to the sun and chlorine.
As a rule, I go easy on the heavy hair products on warmer days that could get sweaty.
evo fabuloso platinum blonde toning mist is lightweight and does a bit of everything (detangles, protects from heat, adds shine, etc) so once I’ve blow dried in ColorWOW Dream Coat Supernatural Spray, I follow with this as my daily go-to for keeping my hair feeling nice.
Makeup:
elf Cosmetics Hydrating Camo Concealer.
What I’ve ditched: Full coverage foundation.
What I’m using instead: elf Cosmetics Hydrating Camo Concealer
Why it’s great: A concealer that makes foundation redundant.
Hot tip: Your full coverage foundation is likely to slide off your face by lunchtime on a hot day. So why not ditch it like I have?
On days where I know I’m going to be outside, I apply moisturiser, sunscreen (more on that in a moment) and then follow with a few dabs of elf Cosmetics Hydrating Camo Concealer.
This concealer is one of my favourites.
It’s full coverage, hydrating, easy-to-apply and costs – checks notes – $14 full-price. I don’t know why no one else is talking about this concealer but I love it.
My pro tip is to apply it and then follow with a few spritzes of a hydrating mist before blending again with a brush or sponge. This will make sure it doesn’t look cakey and lasts all day.
Skincare:
AB LAB by Adore Beauty B3 Balance Water Gel Moisturiser.
What I’ve ditched: Thick, heavy moisturisers.
What I’m using instead: AB LAB by Adore Beauty B3 Balance Water Gel Moisturiser 50mL with Niacinamide and Hyaluronic acid
Why it’s great: This stuff is ultra-lightweight but still delivers a hefty dose of hydration.
Generally-speaking, I have dry skin – never more so than when I was pregnant – so I have a bathroom cabinet filled with thick, ultra-nourishing moisturisers.
While they have their place, hot summer days are for lightweight gel-based moisturisers that won’t sweat off.
My current obsession: AB LAB by Adore Beauty B3 Balance Water Gel Moisturiser.
This stuff has a five-star rating on the Adore Beauty website – and for good reason too.
It’s feather-light yet leaves skin calm and hydrated while doing an excellent job of priming skin for makeup.
If you have oily skin, this stuff could be your holy grail all year round. Trust me, try it.
Sunscreen:
Ultra Violette Fave Fluid SPF50+ Ultralight SKINSCREEN.
What I’ve ditched: Sunscreens that look and feel like sunscreen.
What I’m using instead: Ultra Violette Fave Fluid SPF50+ Ultralight SKINSCREEN
Why it’s great: This sunscreen is as lightweight as it gets… If it were any lighter it would evaporate.
Aussie brand Ultra Violette has truly created a sunscreen for every skin type and every occasion.
This one, which is one of their newest releases, is the lightest one yet. It’s so lightweight that it has a serum-like texture and blends into skin without leaving a sticky residue.
I find this sunscreen sits well over skincare and under makeup during summer as it doesn’t add a heavy layer.
If you don’t like that thick sunscreen-y feeling on your skin, Fave Fluid might be your cup of tea.
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