We all love that feeling after a long day at the beach when your hair is wavy and you still smell like Australian Gold. Your beachy look is effortless with the help of the sun and salt water. Unfortunately, with the less than ideal spring weather we’ve been having, the beach bumming isn’t really an option. Here are a few tips on how to get the much loved beach babe look without the sun and sand.
Hair
There are often two problems in trying to achieve beach waves at home. Either your hair is stick straight and it won’t budge OR you have curly/ frizzy hair that goes wild even if you try to tame it. Waves are the common ground between straight and curly and with a little help, they’re completely attainable.
In the shower: Not Your Mother’s Brand – Beach Babe Conditioner gets you a head start on the waves before you even start styling your hair. It never hurts to rinse and repeat.
Out of the shower: Unless your hair is in complete dreads, don’t worry too much about brushing it all the way through. I would go for a comb if you have one. It seems weird but think about it; you go in the ocean to swim and don’t brush your hair every time you come out, right? We’re going for authentic here. Put in some leave-in styling product. For people with straight hair,you want a texturizing cream or gel to force some waves to form. For curly hair, use something like Its a 10 or a leave-in conditioner to help the frizz situation. Finally, find a beach spray you like and spray it on the bottom half of your hair. Don’t do this step until your hair about half way dry. Some good beach sprays are Not Your Mother’s Brand or Bumble and Bumble. Scrunch the ends of your hair to make the waves happen and keep messing with it until it’s dry.
Braiding: Putting your hair in braids overnight can definitely help the waving process, especially if you have straight hair. You can even put a few braids in your hair and flat iron each of them. This will make sure the waves last. Use the beach spray on just your ends for more texture.
Face
Use a gentle exfoliator to make your skin soft – much like the salt water would do in the ocean! St. Ives Apricot Scrub is a popular one and it smells amazing. Then, use a BB cream to even out your skin instead of a heavy foundation. Put a colorless powder over it to make it last all day/night. Apply your bronzer in the shape of two 3s. Start in the middle of your forehead around to the apple of your cheek then back around to your chin (on both sides of your face). Then do one stroke down your nose. You’ll subtly contour your face and make it look like the sun hit you in just the right places. My favorite bronzer is Too Faced Chocolate Soleil. It’s made with cocoa powder so it actually smells like chocolate! Put some highlighter in the corners of your eyes and right above your cheekbones to accentuate the “tan”. I like a non-powder highlighter like Benefit Watt’s Up!. If anything on your eyes, do a nude shadow and a pencil liner smudged into your lashes instead of anything dark. Mascara is always a must.
Body
Self-Tanner is a wonderful thing. If you find a good one and apply it right, it’ll give you the perfect bronze. Make sure when you’re putting it on you don’t skimp. If you miss spots or don’t rub it in well, it will be streaky. One product to try is Rodan + Fields’ tanning foam. A dermatology company makes it, so you know you’re treating your skin well and still getting a great tan. Another option for sunless tanning is called a Tan Towel. It looks like a little moist hand wipe but it’ll give you a really even and instant tan. The perfect bronzing body powder is Victoria Secret’s Rockin’ Body Shimmer Powder. The powder comes right out of a brush so it’s super easy to put on and take on the go. Brush it on your shoulders, chest and collar bone for a noticeable glow.