Five More Awesome Summer Beauty Products

Even though the kids are back in school, there are officially several weeks remaining in summer. So, enjoy the weather and check out some more awesome beauty products that I’ve found.

1.  L’Oreal EverCreme Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner ($6)

My hair was beginning to appear dry and brittle this summer, so I tried several products in order to revive it. My search stopped once I found L’Oreal EverCreme Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner. These paraben-free, sulfate free products do not contain any heavy waxes and they moisturize the hair using natural botanicals. They are so rich and luxurious, I feel like I’m getting a spa treatment for my hair. Best of all, they have a light, pleasant scent (and I’m super picky about fragrances).

2.  Ulta Simply Clean On-the-Go Fragrance Spray, .25 oz ($7.50)

I like to switch fragrances when the seasons change, so at the beginning of summer I took a trip to the Ulta store at the mall and sampled (OK, overdosed on) a multitude of scents. Since I have trouble committing to a new fragrance, I was grateful to learn that Ulta offers their own brand of fragrances in on-the-go sizes. I bought three different fragrances and then found myself gravitating toward the Simply Clean one, which vaguely reminded me of the original “Herbal Essences” shampoo that I used in the summertime when I was a teenager decades (yikes!) ago.

The Simply Clean fragrance has notes of bergamot, water florals and light musk. All of Ulta’s On-the-Go fragrances are free of parabens, phthalates and DEA. If you want to sample several of these fragrances to find the one that best suits you, keep an eye out for one of Ulta’s promotions, such as Buy 2, Get 2 Free.

The next two beauty products are food items; after all, beauty starts on the inside.

3.  Dannon Oikos Toasted Coconut Vanilla Greek Yogurt ($1)

Historically, I have not been a big yogurt eater. It usually tastes too sweet for me and doesn’t fill me up. Then I met Greek yogurt. With its tangy taste and higher protein content, I reevaluated my entire stance on yogurt. This summer, I tried the Toasted Coconut Vanilla flavor from Oikos (a Dannon product). Immediately, I felt like I was on a tropical beach eating an indulgent dessert.

My summertime breakfast consists of Oikos Toasted Coconut Vanilla Yogurt topped with fresh berries, nuts and hemp seeds (more wonderful protein!). This keeps me full and energized for hours.

4.  Propel Zero Raspberry Lemonade Flavor, one box of 10 packets ($2)

I love drinking refreshing lemonade in the summer, but I don’t like the high calories and sugar content in traditional powder mixes, and I usually don’t have time to make my own from scratch. On a whim, I picked up a box of Propel Zero packets that you mix with 16.9 fluid ounces of water (a standard bottle of water) and I’ve kept this stocked in my pantry ever since.  This drink satisfies my lemonade craving without any guilt.

5.  Jessica Smith’s FREE Exercise Videos

Because a healthy body is a beautiful body, I’ve included the Jessica Smith TV website, which offers a variety of FREE workout videos.

Jessica Smith is a certified fitness instructor who offers a variety of workouts, including kickboxing, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), pilates, yoga, and walking workouts. You have the option of doing many of the low-impact workouts barefoot, which helps strengthen the muscles in the feet.

I like Jessica Smith’s instructing style.  She is very personable, encouraging and clear in her cueing. As a former pilates and Zumba instructor, I appreciate the freshness and originality of Jessica Smith’s workouts. It’s very easy to fall into an exercise rut, but Jessica Smith usually avoids that by performing traditional exercises in new and unique ways. And most of her workouts are about 30 minutes long, which is a manageable amount of time – even for busy people.

Enjoy the rest of the warm days of summer and stay beautiful, inside and out.

To see more summer beauty products, click here. If you are interested in natural products, click here.

Featured image courtesy of en.wikepedia.org. Prices of products are current as of 8/19/14.

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Living Life to The Fullest!

I love seeking out new experiences and finding places off the beaten path. I started Joplin MO Life in August 2013 as a way to share my discoveries with others in the Joplin community so that they can learn about the resources that exist right in their own backyards.

I have worked in education and event planning, and have always loved to write. I hold a master's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor's degree in marketing from Tulane University.