1. Your sexy summer hair color is fading fast.
Brighten up your hue with Kool-Aid! Mix a pinch of the powder with your shampoo. Blonds should use lemon-flavored and redheads can go for cherry. (Brunettes should skip the juice mix and use instant coffee instead.) Lather up and rinse well. The boost will last through a few shampoos.
2. Dips in the pool tinting your light hair green?
The metals in the pool water can bond to your hair, causing a greenish cast. But if you saturate your strands with a water-repellent oil before you hit the pool, it'll seal your hair's cuticle so the chemicals won't seep in.
3. Your lip stick melts in your bag.
Choose a lip color that comes in a plastic tube rather than a pot or a bullet (same goes for other creamy primers, like concealer). This way, even if it melts, it won't get all over.
4. Your waterproof mascara doesn't come off. Ever.
If the party ended hours ago, but your mascara is still going strong, put eye-makeup remover on a cotton pad, hold it on your lashes for several seconds longer than you would normally, then wipe.
5. Ingrown hairs are the bad news for your bikini line.
Excess oil production in the summer can plug up hair follicles and cause ingrown hairs. Use a salicylic acid scrub on the area to clear away the dead skin cells. Follow up with a pad that contains either salicylic, glycolic, or hydroxy acid.
6. You're perspiring in scary places.
You can use your antiperspirant to control sweating in unusual areas, like between your boobs and thighs. I like using an aerosol version, which is less sticky than a roll-on or solid and won't look chalky on your skin.
7. You have oily roots and dry ends.
For starters, shampoo just your scalp area and only condition your tips. Then try a dry shampoo, if roots are still too oily.
8. You have a ring-around-the-eyes sunglasses tan.
Mix a drop of liquid bronzer with your eye cream, then blend it around your eyes. Next time, apply SPF to your entire face — and wear a hat.
9. You're going through your beauty supplies too fast.
If you shower twice a day in the summer — once before work and again at night — watch your product serving sizes. Use a nickel-size blob of body wash and a medium strawberry-size amount of lotion for your whole body. Also, pick up economy size bottles.
10. The only do you're doing is a boring ponytail.
To upgrade your standard style, tease the roots at your crown, then gather your hair into a high pony. Push it forward for extra height at the forehead before securing with an elastic that matches your hair color.
11. Your concealer comes off in the pool.
It's so annoying to put cover-up on a zit only to have it disappear when you take a dip. Your best bet is a water-resistant version.
12. Your lips are burnt (and not from a make-out session).
Why weren't you wearing an SPF gloss, Missy?! Soothe your lips with a compress of milk and ice. Follow up with an SPF lip balm that contains a hydrator like shea butter.
13. Your skin is slicker than a shady used-car salesman.
A mattifying lotion will help avoid an oil spill. Also, skip foundation (or use an oil-free one), and just dot concealer where needed. Top with powder.
14. Stubble is making your pits look less than pretty.
For bump-free underarms, the key is to lift your arm so the skin is stretched tight, then glide the razor from the bottom up. A three- or four-blade tool gives fab results.
15. Your tootsies are totally trashed.
Get your soles back in shape by applying foot cream every night, then slipping on a pair of cotton socks.
16. You hate revealing cellulite in your swimsuit.
FYI: Guys at the beach are just psyched to see skin! But to boost your own confidence, downplay your lumps with a body bronzer. "A tan makes your skin look smoother."
17. High-temperatures are making you sweaty...and a little stinky.
Since your sweat doesn't actually smell until it comes in contact with bacteria on your skin, suds up first with an antibacterial body wash. Then swipe on a strong antiperspirant/deodorant.
18. Self-tanner turns your palms orange.
When scrubbing with soap isn't enough, try soaking two cotton pads in lemon juice, then rubbing them all over your hands. The acid will exfoliate away the color. Next time you fake tan, wear a pair of latex gloves.
19. Your breakouts are migrating toward your back and chest.
The best body zit-obliterating method is to treat the affected areas with a scrub that contains salicylic acid.
20. The heat is making your hair limp.
The moisture in the air can zap all the body out of straight strands. Pump them back up with a volumizing mousse. But instead of just applying it to your roots, scrunch a golf-ball-size amount throughout the length of your hair, then blow-dry with your head flipped over. If your do falls flat midday, just spritz it with water to reactivate the mousse.
21. Your foxy floral fragrance is attracting boys...and bugs.
The sweeter you smell, the more enticing you are to bees, mosquitos, and such. This means you should avoid strong flowery or sugary scents in favor of clean, fresh-smelling juices. To further prevent becoming a bug buffet, use an insect repellent (some of them smell nice now!).
22. Your pale nail polish yellows in the sun.
When wearing a light pink or beige lacquer, you should apply a UV-protectant topcoat. If it's too late, just buff away the top layer of your polish with a fine-grained block file and slick on a clear lacquer.
23. You have ugly red bumps on your arms.
Almost 50 percent of women have "chicken skin" (red bumps from skin cells that build up around your hair follicles). Chlorine and heat exposure can make it worse. The solution: a scrub that has a combo of glycolic, lactic, and azelaic acids.
24. Your hair is drier than hay.
Summer activities like swimming, playing sports, and cruising in a convertible can sap your strands of moisture, leaving them feeling strawlike. Keep them hydrated with a weekly intense oil or cream tress treatment.
25. Summer is almost over.
Enjoy it while it is here!
