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I love a simple beauty regimen, but summer seems to be the time when I find skincare actually becomes more time-consuming. From keeping skin hydrated, matte, and smooth to finding color products that are lightweight and can stand firm in warm weather, it’s a chore—and it frequently means using lots of…stuff. To cut through the beauty clutter, here’s a short list of core permformance products to get you through Colorado’s hottest months.
For all day and night eye color, try L’Oréal’s Infallible® 24 HR Eye Shadow (pictured, left). With a hybrid powder-cream texture, these highly pigmented shadows are waterproof and crease resistant. Get it: $7.95, available at drugstores nationwide
The one beauty tool I swear by is my Clarisonic. It truly gets my face clean of all the day’s dirt and makeup. If you have yet to try one, pick up the Clarisonic Plus version (pictured, above) with the body brush attachment. Besides deep cleaning your sweaty summer skin, it helps alleviate rough spots on knees, elbows and feet—key for a consistent self-tan. Get it: $225, clarisonic.com
Looking natural is an all-important part of summer beauty, and under-eye concealer can end up doing just the opposite by caking and settling into wrinkles. Perricone MD No Concealer Concealer (pictured, right) softens fine lines, treats discoloration and dark circles, brightens, and even offers broad sunscreen protection. Get it: $45, perriconemd.com, sephora.com, shop.nordstrom.com, and neimanmarcus.com
Between your hands and feet, summer stress requires near-constant nail care. To extend your wear time, try an OPI gel manicure, which uses LED light to cure nails in 30 seconds with long-lasting, high-shine color. Get it: OPI Stay Perfect Manicure Gift Card, $34, beautybrands.com
Looking for smoother, brighter skin? Try the Retexturizing Body Pads by Cane + Austin (pictured, left). This one-step, 10 percent glycolic treatment also contains Vitamins A, C, and E and COQ10 to exfoliate and refine skin while rebuilding collagen. Get it: $70 (60 pads), beauty.com, beautybar.com, skinstore.com, and caneandaustin.com
Make any regular mascara in your beauty kit waterproof with Anastasia Lash Genius Waterproof Topcoat. This clear topcoat prevents lashes from smudging in the sweltering sun without clumping. Get it: $21, sephora.com
Body cream is critical for maintaining moisture levels during hot, dry summer months. Yes To Blueberries Rejuvenating Body Lotion is packed with Vitamin C (blueberries) and fatty acid (grape-seed oil) to fight free radicals and help skin appear firmer. Get it: $9.99, yestocarrots.com, available at Walgreens, Target, and Walmart stores nationwide
Celebrating its 20th anniversary with a special edition bottle, NUXE Huile Prodigieuse® (pictured, right) is a worldwide best-selling dry oil for the face, hair, and body that leaves everything feeling soft, while releasing an intoxicating scent. Get it: $46, www.nuxe.com
Anyone that’s been a devoted reader of the Insider’s beauty section knows we adore multitasking products. So imagine our surprise when Centennial-based Shine Botanicals came out with its Bright Scrub Mask. This combination scrub and mask—duh!—leaves skin feeling soft and thoroughly cleansed of dead skin cells and debris. Get it: $35, shinebotanicals.com
Keep your summer face in place the same way Lady Gaga does on a hot concert stage: with Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray. Just a few spritzes in the morning helps makeup stay put all day without fading or settling into fine lines. Get it: $19–$39, skindinavia.com