Simplify your beauty routine this summer!

Hopefully, you're spending your days on sandy beaches, at backyard BBQs, or on leisurely bike rides with your one true love. Maybe you've got your toes in the sand, an adorable polka dot umbrella in one hand and a rum punch in the other. Cooler is full of watermelon and Coke in retro glass bottles, sitting on ice ... You're just perusing the latest Cosmopolitan and of course checking in with your fave beauty blog Pretty in Prestige. 

OK, so most of us working adults can only dream of such summer days, but hey, it's still summer, we've got our weekends, and tis the season for funshine (fun in the sunshine. Wear your SPF!). 

And while us beauty addicts love a sultry smokey eye, a vixen red lip, or perfectly stenciled brows, there is one cardinal rule of summer beauty: Hot summer months call for lightweight, natural makeup. Keep it light and keep it simple. That's not to say you won't go into full glamour mode for your BFF's wedding, but for your day-to-day, you need not spend more than 15 minutes on your beauty routine. 

Here are a few tips to trim down your routine to just 15 minutes or less.

All you need is an all-in-one BB cream or tinted moisturizer, cream shadow, mascara, bronzer and a tinted lip balm to create a simple, reliable go-to summer look. 

Here's what I recommend: 

1. Skip the sunscreen, primer, foundation & setting powder multi-step routine. Instead, grab a BB cream or tinted moisturizer. Most have SPF, hydration for your skin, and don't require primer. Check out the Skin79 BB Creams (I believe there's a linked photo in the right column, or just Google them), and for a tinted moisturizer, check out NARS in your local Sephora or online.

2. Instead of priming eyelids, followed by powder, contouring, blending in the crease, highlighting the brows, etc. etc. etc. ... keep eye makeup simple with a long-lasting cream eyeshadow instead, like Tarte's Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow. Tip: apply with a flat synthetic brush, not your fingers. Fingers will deposit oil onto the lids and will cause the eyeshadow to fade quicker. Or hey, skip this step and go to step 3. After bronzing your face, dust a little on your eyes too! Voila -- eye shadow in a hurry. Follow up with your fave mascara, of course.

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3. Warm up your entire complexion with a natural-looking bronzer. You can forgo the blush and dust the bronzer on your cheeks instead. I love Tarte's Park Ave Princess, MAC's Hey Sailor bronzer in Refined Golden, or Physician's Formula (for a budget-friendly alternative). 

4. Bring your lips to life with a tinted lip balm. Just a touch of color, lots of hydration. Just what we need this time of year. Burt's Bees offers some pretty ones available at your local drugstore -- love these and love everything Burt's. Maybelline's Baby Lips are an absolute hit and selling off the shelves; haven't tried those suckers yet but I hear wonderful things! Also, Fresh's sugar lip balm is a best seller for a reason, and the tinted one looks great on anyone, and even has SPF. My husband thinks sugar lips tastes good too! Check it out at Sephora.

If you followed these quick and easy steps, you can look like this girl! Woo!

BB MANIA

BB creams, though they've graced the faces of Asian movie stars for quite some time, have just recently debuted in the American beauty scene. They originated in Germany, where dermatologists used these creams to sooth their clients' tender skin after a procedure.
"BB" stands for beauty balm or blemish balm. When the cream is called a blemish balm, like Skin79's Hot Pink Super Plus Beblesh Balm (supposedly "blemish" is trademarked by another Asian BB cream company), it usually has whitening properties to lighten pigmentation. It's not an acne-fighting agent. Generally, these one-step beauty wonders provide ligh to medium coverage, hydrate, prime, even skin tone, protect from UV damage, and sometimes have anti-aging properties. It's like your moisturizer, primer and foundation in one product, though I'd look at BB creams more as a make-up product than skin care, so don't skip your moisturizer.
Asian BB creams tend to have a thicker consistency, come in one light shade, and appear to have a gray tone when first applied. Some of the most popular include Skin79 and Missha, which can be ordered online.
American cosmetic and skin care companies have taken the concept behind the BB's and created new products with a variety of consistencies and coverage, and a greater selection of shades. Origins, Stila, Too Faced, Smashbox, Dr. Jart, Dr. Brandt, Garnier -- those are just a few of the brands to jump the BB bandwagon. For lighter and somewhat luminous coverage, try Too Faced or Garnier. Both feel so silky smooth. For oil control, Smashbox does the trick and offers more shades than most brands. I tried it but it clogged my pores, so be careful if you are prone to breakouts or sensitivities from silicones.
If you're worried about the way your cosmetics are affecting your skin, BB creams may be the way to go for you. They have skin care benefits that most cosmetics don't have, and when you find the right brand for you, you'll likely notice some improvements in the appearance and texture of your skin. I've found just what I was looking for with Garnier's BB cream, and the bonus? It's the most affordable BB I've seen yet.
If you're curious to try a few, ask your Sephora beauty consultant for samples and see how your skin reacts.

Beauties, there's a whole new world of make-up waiting for you, so go explore!