Festival Season Beauty Essentials — As Seen On CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin”
South by Southwest is officially kicking off here in Austin, marking the beginning of festival season. So what beauty products do you need to look your best as you head out to check out your favorite musicians? And what should you carry in your bag to ensure you feel and smell fresh all day long? I stopped by CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin” to offer some tips and chat about a few groundbreaking products, so you can get festival-ready in no time. Read on for the scoop!
SHOW SOME PERSONALITY — AND TAKE A RISK — WITH AN EDGY AND UNEXPECTED HAIR COLOR
We’ve all seen some fun rainbow-colored hairstyles on Instagram and Pinterest, and there’s no better time than the present to take a risk and test drive a new hair color. After all, festivals are celebrations of creativity and individuality, so why not show off your own willingness to experiment and try new things? Joico has two great options for those who want to color outside the lines during SXSW (0r any other festival coming up!) without making a huge commitment. In other words, if you want a few days of rebel chic color so you can show your wild side at a music festival, but you but need to go back to your regular hair color once you return to work, these are top notch choices for you!
The Joico Color Butters ( $19.99 each at Ulta.com or LoxaBeauty.com) combine the best of fashion and hair care, so that they’re color-depositing treatments that also effectively nourish and strengthen strands. They can be used to refresh any existing fantasy hair color — particularly if you get your hair colored at a salon and you need to stretch out the time in between appointments and fight the fade. Or, if you have blonde or pre-lightened strands, you can use these to color outside the lines and experiment with funky new hair shades.
The color lasts up to 10 shampoos, so it won’t wash out immediately but it’s also not a huge commitment — and it’s perfect for those who are contemplating making a more long-term switch to an edgy shade, but are fearful of taking that leap without seeing the results first. With the Color Butter, you can get used to seeing yourself sporting a new shade and decide whether you want to keep it! And because they condition and strengthen strands, these won’t damage your hair — just the opposite! They actually reduce breakage by over 44% which means you can color your strands as often as you want without it leading to frayed ends or dryness.
If you want a zero-commitment hair color option, you can try the Joico InstaTint Temporary Color Shimmer Spray ($9.99 each at LoxaBeauty.com; certain colors available at Ulta.com), which lasts up to 3 days and washes away with a single shampoo. If you’re going to a festival for the weekend and just want to add some color to your look, this is a perfect way to do so. I personally love spraying these (which are available in 13 amazing shades) onto braids to play up the Boho vibe that’s a must during festival season.
GIVE HAIR SOFTNESS, SMOOTHNESS AND SHINE — WITHOUT YUCKY SILICONES!
Whether you’re planning on creating loose, beach-y waves, styling your hair in playful double top knots, or getting creative with intricate intertwining braids, you need to get your hair to cooperate so that it will appear lustrous, feel soft, and remain frizz-free. The SheaMoisture Silicone Free Miracle Styler Leave-In Treatment ($14.99; available at CVS) is the perfect way to begin your hair styling process since it does it all: detangles, moisturizes, softens strands, offers heat protection, protects from UV rays, creates a shield against humidity, boosts shine, enhances silkiness, and shortens drying time.
Now, if you read through the ingredient lists of most leave-in treatments and styling primers, you’ll notice they tend to contain silicones such as dimethicone. And while these heavier silicones have some benefits — for instance, they help hair feel smooth and silky — they also can have some serious drawbacks. Why? Because these heavier silicones aren’t water soluble and hence they don’t wash off when you shampoo your hair, which means they can build up along the cuticle over time, weighing hair down and making it appear lackluster. If you have fine hair, this is problematic since your hair is likely to appear limp and lifeless. If you have curly hair and prefer a co-washing regimen, that can also exacerbate the build-up problem as, again, there’s less of a chance of those silicones leaving your strands. The other issue with silicones is that, because they coat strands, they can prevent them from absorbing the nutrients they need, thereby drying hair out. Think of silicones as a layer of rubber atop your strands — no matter how many oils you apply to your hair they won’t penetrate that rubber coating!
In other words, silicones have some advantages, but they’re not exactly full-proof. That’s why SheaMoisture sought to find alternatives to these molecules. What they discovered was that sugarcane extract, marshmallow root, and meadowfoam seed oil can work synergistically to provide many of the same benefits as silicones — without the unwanted side effects. This trifecta of natural ingredients is at the core of this leave-in treatment, so that it will leave your hair will be tangle-free, smooth, and shiny — and it’ll have body and bounce.
HYDRATE AND REVITALIZE YOUR SKIN AND LIPS AS YOU DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!
We’ve been hearing about the “athleisure” movement in fashion for quite some time, and now the beauty world is seeking to find ways to address the needs of today’s active, fitness-minded consumers, devising products to help them optimize their workouts and better transition from gym to street to office. And here’s the thing: a lot of physical activity happens throughout our daily lives. For instance, during SXSW, attendees tend to do quite a bit of walking and dancing so, while you’re having fun, you’re also kind of sneaking in a little workout! So, if you find yourself sweating as you jam to your favorite bands, give yourself a little pat on the back and just reach for some products to cool you down, keep your skin hydrated, and keep you feeling fresh. I highly recommend checking out some of the offerings from sweatWELLth, a new brand that’s bringing the concept of athleisure to the personal care space.
Festival-goers can all benefit from packing the sweatWELLth HydraDrech Refreshing Facial Mist ($20 at sweatWELLth.com) inside their oversized hobo bags or backpacks. This refreshing mist which contains hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and aloe to refresh the complexion, cool you down, and restore a healthy glow, so it will give your skin a pick-me-up anytime it needs one.
For your lips, there’s the LipQuench Electrolyte Balm SPF 25 ($12.50 at sweatWELLth.com), which features an exclusive technology that time-releases minerals like potassium and magnesium, replenishing any lost electrolytes, and which also features an encapsulated cooling technology that keeps lips feeling cool and comfortable. Plus, this lip balm offers SPF protection, which is beyond critical when going to outdoor concerts and spending long hours under the sun!
TAKE WINTER-WORN ARMS AND LEGS FROM ASHY TO CLASSY WITH A GREAT COFFEE SCRUB
It finally hit 80 degrees this week in Austin, which means we’re all dreaming of retiring the sweaters and long-sleeved blouses and breaking out our bell-sleeved mini dresses, distressed cut-off shorts, and playful rompers. That said, given how harsh this winter was, chances are many of us have legs and knees that are looking a little ashy. So, before you go showing off those stems, get them in tip-top shape by indulging in some serious exfoliation.
I’m currently obsessed with GlamBody’s coffee scrubs ($17.99 each at IAmGlamBody.com), which will take you from dry to fly in no time. They contain ground coffee to gently polish off dead layers of skin, making everything softer and smoother. And since coffee is loaded with antioxidants, these will also rejuvenate and brighten the skin. Plus, caffeine temporarily minimizes the appearance of cellulite, making everything look tighter and more toned. In addition to ground coffee, each sulfate- and paraben-free scrub contains hydrating and brightening natural ingredients — from brown sugar to sunflower seed oil, pink Himalayan salt, sweet orange essential oil, coconut oil, peppermint oil, and more.
At the moment, I’m crushing hard on the Coconut Coffee Scrub, which has coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and sugar to hydrate the skin, in addition to coconut flakes that make this product smell so good, I literally have to keep reminding myself not to eat it! If you love citrus scents and want to add some pep in your step, check out the Pink Grapefruit Coffee Scrub, which is formulated with grapefruit essential oil and sweet orange essential oil and hence will brighten your skin with all that vitamin C while revitalizing your senses.
COMPLETE YOUR LOOK WITH MAKEUP THAT’S GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN — AND THE PLANET
Whether you’re rocking a graphic tee and boyfriend jeans or a flora print maxi dress, the best way to complete your festival-ready look is with a bold, statement-making lip. That’s why you should check out the new-and-improved Phyto-Pigments Liquid Lip from Juice Beauty, which is a leader in the realm of natural, organic, vegan, chemical-free beauty. This innovative product goes on like a slick liquid lipstick, nourishes like a lip balm, and has the staying power of a lip stain, so it’s the best of all worlds. It’s also a highly convenient lip product for a music festival when you don’t want to worry about your lips feeling dry and tight or about your vivid lip color feathering, running, or fading away — after all, who wants to search for a lipstick in their purse so they can reapply every hour? No one!
Each Liquid Lip features vibrant pigments derived from plants like cape lilac and ivy gourd, as opposed to artificial dyes, and features a base of organic botanicals like shea butter and sunflower seed oil, as opposed to petroleum byproducts. The sources of the Phyto-Pigments vary by shade but they include turmeric extract, neem leaf and flower extracts, basil flower and leaf extract, and eggplant extract.
There are 8 shades available — all named after family members and closest friends of Gwyneth Paltrow, the brand’s Creative Director, so you have colors named Reese (in honor of Reese Witherspoon), Chelsea (a nod to Chelsea Handler), Apple (after Gwyneth’s daughter), and so on. They retail for $24 each and are available at JuiceBeauty.com, ULTA, Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s, Belk, and select Neiman Marcus locations.
Another makeup bag must-have is the Phyto-Pigments Light Diffusing Dust, an ultra-fine, tinted face powder that provides sheer, luminous coverage. It contains certified organic ingredients and plant-derived pigments that diffuse light, camouflage imperfections and absorb excess oil, so you can remain shine-free all day and all night. It’s incredibly subtle so it’s perfect for any no-makeup makeup look. It’s available in 5 shades and retails for $30 at JuiceBeauty.com, ULTA, Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s, Belk, and select Neiman Marcus locations.
FRESHEN UP ON THE GO WITH A SHOWERLESS BODY MIST
If you follow me on Insta, then you know I’m really excited about this new brand, Love Beauty and Planet, which just launched in January and which specializes in planet-friendly hair and body care products. The brand is all about looking good while doing good, so each product constitutes a small act of love designed to make us (and the planet) a bit more beautiful. All of the brand’s offerings are packaged in 100% recycled bottles and contain responsibly sourced natural ingredients, plus many of their products are designed to conserve water so that their conditioners, for instance, boast a fast-rinse technology that helps to break down the conditioner faster when it comes into contact with water.
In keeping with the idea of saving water, Love Beauty and Planet designed its Showerless Cleansing Mist ($8.99 at mass retailers), which is an absolute must for festival season. It’s like a dry shampoo for your body, so it’s going to clean away oil and sweat and deodorize the body, letting you freshen up while on the go. To use, you just spray the product onto your arms or legs and allow 30 seconds for it to dry. When finished, you will smell amazing — like coconut water and mimosa flower. Remember: it’s cool to see a funk band perform, but it’s no cool to bring on some of your own body funk to the show!
SAY NO TO SMELLY ARMPITS — AND CHALKY DEODORANT MARKS ON CLOTHING!
I’d be remiss to talk about festival must-haves without mentioning deodorant, right? Talk about a necessity! I love the new Dove Invisible Dry Spray Deodorant ($5.49 at drugstores) since it goes on completely clear and leaves no white marks on over 100 colors. In other words, you practically have to reinvent the color wheel to get this product to stain your outfit!
Most importantly, it gives you 48 hours of odor and wetness protection, so you can smell as fresh as the daisies on your floral crown.
