July 4th beauty picks: Look your best with offerings from Coola, Essie

2022-06-24 19:26:39 By : Ms. Lyn Zhang

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Fourth of July weekend often means spending extra time under the sun with friends and family, and it doubles as a great opportunity to relax at the pool or beach. That said, you may need to exercise extra due diligence when gathering the beauty essentials you’ll need ahead of the fun-filled weekend.

Time spent outdoors calls for applying—and reapplying— SPF and may also have you wanting a frizz-fighting hair treatment that can withstand even the most humid of conditions. Ahead, find 10 beauty products that deserve a spot on your vanity or in your tote bag come Fourth of July weekend.  

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They say fake it ‘til you make it, right? If your skin has yet to be kissed by the sun before a weekend of Fourth of July-filled outdoor activities, you can create the illusion that you got a tan with the Reviewed-approved Bali Body Self-Tanning Mousse. The self-tanner earned high praises from our tester due to its ability to seamlessly coat the skin in a bronze hue. Furthermore, it doesn’t leave traces of residue post-application and fades evenly over about a week. Better yet, the tanner allows you to build up the glow as light or as dark as you wish by layering the foam formula. It is available in two shades: “Dark,” the shade our tester with very light skin used, and “Ultra Dark” for an even deeper tan. 

If you’re looking to dress up your nails for the occasion, consider glossing them in a coat or two of the Essie Neutrals Nail Polish. This drugstore nail polish favorite claims to produce “high, glossy shine finishes that provide flawless coverage.” With 19 neutral shades to choose from, you’re bound to find a color that coordinates with your outfits of choice for the weekend. 

One Ulta customer raved in the reviews about how beautiful the shade “Ballet Slippers” looks alongside her tanned skin: “I have the ‘Ballet Slippers’ pink, and it took several coats to fully cover my nails because it's so light. However, it looks great with my tan.” 

Whether you’re spending the 4th of July weekend at the beach, poolside or in the woods, you’ll definitely need to keep a trusty deodorant handy. The Dove Beauty 0% Aluminum Cucumber & Green Tea Deodorant Stick promises to safeguard the underarms from odor for 48 hours while providing them with a scent that is described as a blend of “refreshing cucumber and green tea.” 

A satisfied Target customer took to the reviews to share how great of an odor-buster this is: “I love this deodorant. Finally, I found a good one. I’ve tried the other versions of Dove deodorant and other brands but they never last or they gave me a rash. But this one works so good. It lasts and doesn’t give me any irritation. Plus, it feels light once put on and doesn’t stain clothes.”

Fluttery, voluminous lashes that get by with a little help from mascara may see their end once you dive into a pool, but that won’t be a problem with the Reviewed-approved Tetyana Naturals 4D Silk Fiber Lash Mascara. According to our tester, this waterproof mascara managed to stay put when dunking her head in a bowl of water and while partaking in sweat-inducing exercise. She also noted that it clung onto the lashes sans any clumping and created dramatic, voluminous lashes. 

Slathering sunscreen all over your body is a must, especially if your 4th of July plans call for several hours spent under the sun. That’s where the Coola Fragrance-Free Mineral Body Sunscreen Lotion comes into play. The mineral-based sunscreen contains SPF 50 and uses “non-nano zinc oxide protection” and titanium dioxide to shield the skin from the sun’s rays. It also promises to hydrate the skin and leave it without a white cast. 

An Ulta customer boasted how seamlessly it blends into the skin: “Goes on smoothly. Slight scent at first. Not greasy at all, not too white, but it is mineral, so I expected it to have a mineral look. I really like this for a body sunscreen and will buy it again. Others I have used were super greasy and so white they were blue. This is a great improvement over those. I don't even notice I've put it on.” 

Whether you’re heading to a party or are just hitting the beach for the weekend, there’s no denying that adding a fragrance to your routine can boost your confidence. For a hint of floral freshness, try Sol De Janeiro's Beija Flor Hair & Body Fragrance Mist, which features notes of Brazilian jasmine, pink dragonfruit and vanilla that are meant to take you to the “sun-dappled gardens of Rio.” The scent comes in a three-ounce mini that you can toss in your bag and an eight-ounce full-size bottle. 

One Sephora customer says it’s a great, long-lasting fragrance for the warm months: “I absolutely love, love, love, this body spray. This has to be my top one out of all the body sprays from Sol De Janeiro. I always reach for this one, and it never lets me down. The scent is so nice and not too strong that this is amazing for everyday wear. I personally love it for spring and summer time! This scent lasts almost all day and that’s another reason why I love it so much!!”

One of summer’s most unwanted guests is humidity, but you can minimize this pesky visitor’s wrath by prepping your hair with the Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray. The lightweight spray claims to give hair a glossy sheen “that lasts through up to three shampoos” while eliminating frizz and “block[ing] out moisture.” After spraying from roots to ends, use a hair brush to distribute the formula throughout your hair and use a hair dryer to "activate" the frizz-fighting ingredients.

An Amazon customer stands by its humidity-busting claims: “Wow is right! I was skeptical on purchasing this 6.7-ounce bottle with the price tag of $28. Now, I am looking to see if I can buy it by the gallon! [...]Since I’ve used this, it has completely stopped about 99.9% of all humidity effects on my hair. My hair is smooth, silky and feels like it has a major conditioning treatment on it.”

Whether you’re sporting a bathing suit, shorts or a dress, you may notice your skin chafing while you mingle at that barbecue or run around playing games outside. The Megababe Thigh Rescue Mini Anti-Friction Stick promises to prevent an irritating, thigh-chafing experience by “creating a friction-free barrier” on the skin, thanks to ingredients like aloe to soothe, pomegranate seed extract to protect the skin barrier and grapeseed oil to promote the production of collagen. Though it's designed for the thighs, you can apply it on other areas of the body that may experience chafing, including the feet (ahem, avoid those blisters).

One Ulta reviewer sings this product's praises: “I usually don't wear shorts/skirts/dresses because I get terrible chafing and those painful red bumps after like 15 minutes of walking around. This product is easy to apply, discrete and a life-saver! Now I can wear cute stuff and not worry about the painful day ahead!”

After spending time in the pool, your hair may not look salon-worthy chic, but you can try getting it to look effortlessly stylish post-swim with a spritz of the Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray. This hair styling product uses dead sea salt and sea kelp to deliver tousled beach waves without adding unwanted shine. Even if you don’t have naturally wavy hair, the brand maintains that it works on straight and curly hair, too, though it does not describe what results you may receive if you have curls that may overpower the waves.

An Ulta customer affirms that this spray does the trick when it comes to attaining that "just got out of the ocean" look: “I use this product right when I get out of the shower, and it gives me that perfect beachy look that gives life to my natural wavy hair. I love this product. It’s affordable and does the job!”

If you have a busy Fourth of July weekend ahead of you, an elaborate beauty routine is probably not a priority, so why not kill two birds with one stone by reaching for a makeup product that does the job of two? The UncompliKated SPF Soft Focus Makeup Setting Spray from Kate Somerville claims to act as both a setting spray and facial sunscreen because of its ability to lock makeup in place and protect the skin from UV rays with “broad spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen.” In addition to SPF 50, the formula contains silicone powder to blur the look of fine lines and wrinkles, hyaluronic acid to hydrate and smooth the skin and lavender essential oil for a subtle scent. 

One Ulta reviewer praised this spray for its multitasking abilities: “I was looking for a setting spray with SPF and I found this. It works well and lengthens the wear of my makeup. I even bought one for my mom!"

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