The Cowboygirl's Guide to Summer Skin

In the last 4 weeks I have probably sweated more than I ever have in my entire life. I mean, I’ve ridden in heat before…but the mornings in Nevada start chilly and end cool. Here in Kern County where I’m hanging out for the summer, it’s just a whole different level of hot. And the natives keep warning me that I haven’t seen nothin yet, and will want to die at some point. Great. BUT, thanks to the heat I’ve had to change my skincare routine so I don’t totally break out, and this is the best my skin has ever been in the summer time!

Here’s a quick CowboyGirl’s Guide to Summer Skin! I included some links from Amazon in case you live way out in the brush and won't have a chance to do a big "town" shop in the near future! 

Set A Foundation of Health

Help your skin out Eat organic, non-preservative food as much as possible and drink at least 64 ounces (1 gallon is optimum) of water every day. Yes, you’ll have to pee all the time but it will help the appearance of your skin immensely. Most people are dehydrated throughout the day and don’t even realize it. Drinking enough water will help the appearance of your pores and as a bonus, can even aid weight loss. It definitely cuts out bloat, especially around your tummy.

Get Enough Exercise I don’t mean going to your gym and checking in so you can post it on Facebook. Get your heart rate up and SWEAT!!! Lift weights, run, bike, climb, do yoga, box…whatever makes you happy but you need to do something even if you work outside all day. Lifting heavy weights burns major calories throughout the entire day even after your workout has ended. Plus, it diminishes cellulite. Mine is almost completely gone since I started working out again….WHOOP WHOOP!!

The Fun Stuff….Products!

SKINCARE

I’m probably the laziest person in the world when it comes to my skin care, so if I’m tired or just bored, or Venus isn’t in line with Mars, you can almost bet I’m not gonna wash my face at the end of the night, which we all know is a big “no-no.” Then I discovered Nurture Me Cleansing Cloths. They’re perfect. I just keep them by my bed and use one to wipe off any makeup that’s left over at the end of the day, and I think that’s made a huge difference in the appearance of my skin.

I also use Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Acne Wash whenever I’m in the shower. It’s a gentle scrub and I use it on my arms and shoulders as well as my face to help bring out that smooth skin if I wear a tank top.

MAKEUP

Yes, I wear makeup in the summertime, and when I ride. I feel like it’s just another layer between me and the sun, and most of the older gals I know that have amazing skin always wear makeup when they cowboy. To each their own, but that’s just what works for me!

I have oily skin, and I started wearing liquid foundation when I got Lyme disease because I was always so pale and I felt like my skin was kind of “BLAH.” For some reason I kept wearing the heavy foundation even as I got healthier….UNTIL that is, I got here to Kern County. It’s too darn hot to wear heavy foundation and it’s greasy and sweaty and makes you break out. At the advice of my friend, I started wearing bareMinerals Matte powder AND IT’S AMAZING!! I don’t have an oily face at the end of the day, and it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing anything. If you live in a hot part of the country, I HIGHLY recommend trying bareMinerals out! I haven’t had a break out since I started using it, not even at “That time of the month!”

My non-oily face is also probably thanks to the Murad Oil-Control Mattifier I started using. It’s a moisturizer with SPF 15 and EVERYBODY needs to use a moisturizer, even oily-prone people. This mattifier almost reminds me of a primer as well, your skin feels incredibly smooth afterwards.

I have been wearing Kat Von D’s Immortal Lash mascara, which is my new favorite because it doesn’t smear even though it’s not waterproof AND it comes off super easily. Winning!!

What’s your summer skincare routine??

xo xo Liz

My Beauty Favorites

Here are some of my favorite beauty products that I use every day, and others that are new, but that I can tell they are going to become staples in my makeup kit.

If you’ve never been to a Sephora, I suggest you get your cute little hiney on down to one ASAP and get yourself a membership card while you're at it. Whenever you spend money you earn points and once you hit a certain number of points you get to choose from a whole bunch of different samples and pick out what you want for free! It’s fun.

I don’t have eyebrows. I wish desperately that I had big, thick eyebrows that were a perfect mahagoney brown, but I don’t. I also feel really weird if I draw on super dark, fake eyebrows.

Enter the Sephora eyebrow pencil.

Mine is called ‘honey blonde’ and it can be applied lightly enough to hardly make a difference and softly darkens the harder you press. Pretty cool. They come in four shades, check ‘em out!

NARS is probably my favorite beauty company, hands down. I’ve yet to use anything by them that I haven’t loved. Plus that, they have really fun naughty names for their colors! 

This illuminator can be mixed in with your foundation for an all over glow, or you can just apply it to your cheekbones like I do instead of blush. Mine is called Super Orgasm and they come in four different shades of interesting names. ;) 

I always add a thick line of eyeliner to my top lashes because I think it gives the illusion of thicker, longer eyelashes. 

Which I don’t have. 

If I don’t have the patience to apply liquid eyeliner (which I generally don’t), I use this perfectly creamy soft kohl pencil stick from Rimmel. I have 06 Jet Black. 

This lipstick is from a dear friend, and the lipstick company is called Sei Bella. I’ve been wearing it every day and it is the perfect shade of natural pink. 

You know...like Angelina Jolie-esque pillowy lip color.

I LOVE it and I don’t generally do pink. Contact Anneka Anderson at 559-567-5421 or annekaanderson@aol.com if you want to try some out! I'm wearing Pink Sorbet. 

The other day I was feeling super “springy” and decided that I needed to paint my nails orange. 

I don’t know if you can tell from the photos, but my ring fingers are painted a sparkly pink with orange undertones (I can’t believe I just used the word undertones), and the rest are painted a bright orange. 

It’s awesome and I’m going back and getting bright blue tomorrow.

The brand is called Formula X for Sephora  and the orange is called "Uber" and the sparkly pink is called "Danger Zone." Rawr. 

xo xo Liz