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June gloom is in full force at the moment in San Francisco, which has me packing my bags and heading to soak up some summertime sunshine in Chicago in two weeks. I always love making a trip back to Chicago in the summer because of how gorgeous the city’s lakefront is when the sun is shining and everyone in the city is out and about.

As I’m getting ready for a little weekend of Summertime Chi, I’ve been making a few swaps within my beauty routine to accommodate for the warmer temperatures and vitamin D, and I wanted to share some tips for looking like a total babe at the beach with the help of a few key products.

Whenever the temperatures rise, I immediately want my hair off of my neck to help me stay cool. For beach days, a top-knot is always my go-to. I’ve found the style works best with second-day hair and is as easy as pulling your hair back as if you’re going to wear it in a high ponytail, and then only looping the final loop of the hair tie through half-way. I recently swapped out my shampoo and conditioner to give Clairol’s new Hair Food line a try, and I’ve been loving the amazing scent (vanilla and jasmine!) and how soft and shiny it leaves my hair. I’ll definitely be packing travel-sized bottles for my Chicago trip to make sure my hair has the nourishment it needs to fight off getting dried out in the sunshine.

When it comes to beach beauty, nobody wants to be that girl with a full face of makeup. But let’s be real: Sometimes a little extra something can go a long way (and I’ll take all the confidence-boosters I can get in any situation where a swimsuit is involved!). For a no-makeup makeup look that’s perfect for summertime, I’ve been prepping my skin with Pixi Glowtion to add a little glow and turning to Pixi H20 Skintint to even out my skin tone and add a little bit coverage. Instead of using a powder blush, I love cream blushes that can be applied with fingertips for a subtle flush, and Sonia Kashuk’s ‘Rosey’ shade is great because it’s really buildable and smooth. To finish my beach look, I add a little swipe of color to my lips (W3ll People’s Nudist Colorbalm is just the right cherry shade and is really hydrating) and stash a few sunscreen options in my bag. Bare Republic’s Natural Mineral SPF 30 face sunscreen is amazing because it’s not at all greasy, while their Milk & Honey Daily Recovery Serum is really calming on skin that might have accidentally gotten too much sun.

With a new book in my beach bag, a pair of sunglasses and cute printed bikini, you can officially consider this girl ready for her return to Chicago’s gorgeous beaches! See you soon, Windy City!

What are your on-the-go summer beauty must-haves?

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