I wish I could understand the hype behind summer, but after what seems like an eternity of dealing with summer in Florida, I could do without those sweaty summer days. Look, I enjoy warmer weather just as much as the next person, but when you add 100% humidity and daily thunderstorms to the mix? HARD PASS. But, after almost 23 years of dealing with summertime, I’ve found 10 summer essentials to keep me from looking like a hot, sweaty train wreck. Sure, you might feel like the inner depths of hell are consuming your entire body, but at least you won’t look like it!

1. Cocovit Coconut Oil– It may seem counterintuitive to use any sort of oil during the summertime, but I promise it isn’t! If you spend a lot of time in chlorinated pools, you are damaging your hair and drying out your scalp. Coconut oil is your summer hair savior! Trust me. It’s also amazing to use on sunburns. Is there anything coconut oil can’t do? Doubtful!
2. NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation– Call me what you want, but I am NOT giving up makeup in the summer regardless of the temperature outside. Using a lighter coverage foundation isn’t really an option for me either because, well, #adultacne. But I’ve found the perfect summertime solution: the NARS foundation. It truly does not feel like I have anything on my face. In fact, it is more lightweight than any tinted moisturizer I’ve tried out. And the coverage is perfect. It dries to a semi-matte finish, and I don’t even need to powder my face after applying. Talk about a miracle product! For the full review of this foundation, click here!
3. Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47– I couldn’t talk about summer essentials without mentioning a product with the most important of all summertime essentials: SPF. When it comes to skincare, I do my best to stick to companies that only use non-toxic ingredients. Josie Maran is one of my favorites, and is the most easily accessible.
4. Beauty Blender– This magical, egg-shaped sponge applies foundation like a dream. I don’t need as much foundation to get amazing coverage, and the cool sponge feels incredibly refreshing. Plus, when I use this sponge, my foundation stays put all day. Magic, I tell ya!
5. Macadamia Pro Nourishing Oil Spray– I’ve spoken about this oil spray before (click here for the full review!), and I maintain to this very day that this oil spray is a dream come true for thick-haired gals. Aside from the fact that it smells completely amazing, but I haven’t had to deal with annoying tangles and knots thanks to this spray. Beach days are no longer a hassle, mainly because this spray helps keep my hair in shape. Hurray!
6. Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray– One of the worst things that can happen during the summer is a case of makeup meltdown. Simply put, this spray prevents that from happening. I use this on all of my bridal clients, and it works like a charm every time. This is a must have!
7. Ofra HD Volumizing Waterproof Mascara– It’s pretty hard to find a waterproof mascara that is actually waterproof, but I’ve finally found the holy grail of waterproof mascaras. And I promise you it is truly waterproof: it did not budge when I went snorkeling in the Florida Keys. Click here for the full review!
8. Ofra Semi-Permanent Waterproof Eyebrow Gel- When it comes to waterproof products, Ofra really hits the nail right on the head. The second Ofra product in my summer essentials list, this eyebrow gel is completely waterproof and is a staple in my summer beauty routine. And don’t worry about it being semi-permanent… I promise it actually washes off at the end of the day!
9. Tata Harper Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tint– This has been a new essential in my summer beauty routine, and I don’t really know how I lived without it. I received a sample of this product, and I surprisingly used it up pretty quickly. I love multi-use products for the summer because 1) I’m maaaad lazy and 2) it takes up way less room in my makeup bag. I have the color “Very Popular” and it is such a gorgeous color for the cheeks and the lips. And it’s long lasting, too!
10. NARS Heat Wave Lipstick– And of course, I could not talk about summer essentials without mentioning one of my all-time favorite summer lipsticks: NARS Heat Wave. This matte coral lipstick is a staple in my summer makeup bag. I pretty much only wear this shade in the summer because it just feels wrong wearing it any other season. Weird, right?

Check out what everyone else’s summer essentials are, too!

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If you have hooded eyes or an eye shape where you don’t see much of your lid with your eyes open, then I have the perfect makeup look for you. The reverse smoky eye focuses on your lower lashline as opposed to the upper lashline, so you don’t really need any visible lid space for this look. But first, an anecdote from my childhood!

When I was in middle school, I was dying to wear makeup. At that point, all of my friends were wearing makeup of some sort, and one of my best friends at the time was wearing the highly coveted eyeliner. I begged and begged my mom to let me wear eyeliner, and she FINALLY caved. But under one condition: lower eyeliner only, and not the whole lower lashline. Only halfway. Considering the fact that I couldn’t wear any other makeup, this was not a good look.

The point of me telling you that lil’ memory from my childhood is that the reverse smoky eye is like the grown up, sophisticated version of the makeup my mom allowed me to wear in middle school. It’s a fun and super simple look, so I didn’t even do a step-by-step tutorial because it is that easy. Read on for the tutorial!

How To Create a Reverse Smoky Eye, smoky eye for hooded eyes

First, take a black pencil eyeliner and line your waterline and smudge onto your lower lashline. Now that the base is set, I used only the Naked Basics 2 Palette for the rest of the makeup look. Taking a small pencil brush, I smudged “Undone” over the pencil eyeliner on the lower lashline, and mixed some “Primal” in there as well to blend it out smoothly. On the lid, I took a combination of “Frisk” and “Cover” and blended it into the crease. Then, taking a mixture of “Primal” and “Undone”, I blended these colors into the outer corners of the eye and into the crease, and using “Stark” to blend well into the crease. Then I used “Skimp” on the inner corners and under the brow.

And that is it! Just finish off with mascara, some light blush, and the lip color of your choice. I used Ofra Liquid Lipstick in Mocha to give me more of a 90s vibe.

So, how do you guys feel about the reverse smoky eye? Can you see yourself rocking it? Sound off in the comments!…