Labor Day Beauty to Send Summer Off Right

SOME LABOR DAY BEAUTY INSPIRATION FOR DAY (LEFT) AND NIGHT, COURTESY OF JESSICA AND ROSIE.

The final weekend of summer is, sadly, here. Up next: fall fashion, fall makeup, and fall hair. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We still have one long weekend left, and we’re sure as hell going to make the most of it—starting with our beauty musts. We’ve enlisted hairstylist Danielle Irene and makeup artist Kim Gray  to help you pack your beauty bag for a final tribute to summer. It’s one last chance to try those summer trends you’ve been checking out all season long.

THE HAIR
“Since it’s the last weekend of the summer and beachy waves are a big trend, here’s what you need to achieve that look, for both day and night: a flat iron, René Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo, René Rurterer Molding Paste, BennieFactor b MORE building powder, a brush, two hair ties, and a few bobby pins. During the day at the beach, I suggest you wear your hair in a messy bun: just twist all your hair into a bun and put a pin in. For night: when you get back to your hotel, after you shower (no need to wash your hair), add the dry shampoo to the places that look a little greasy or wet; then add the building powder at the roots to add volume. Finish off some of the pieces in the front with the flat iron by actually twisting the curling iron around to give the middle of the strand a bend, leaving the ends straight. Finally, use a little bit of molding paste to add some texture and make it look chunky.” —Danielle Irene

THE FACE
“Your summer look should be easy, clean and beautiful. During the day, there is no need for a heavy makeup application. Keep it simple and lovely for your end of summer look.

“1. Mascara: never leave home without it. Use mascara on your top lashes, of course, but don’t forget your bottom lashes! Using mascara on your bottom lashes is a good way to accentuate your eyes without using heavy eyeliner. Since we’re in the summer season, it’s best to use waterproof mascara, so that when you get out of the pool or ocean, you don’t have black streaks running down your face. (That’s not cute!) Two good waterproof mascaras are Maybelline Define-A-Lash and L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Waterproof Mascara.

“2. Bronzer: an all time summer favorite. It brings life to the face and warms it up without going in the sun. There are matte bronzers (no shine or sparkle, just color) and there are bronzers with shimmer. If your skin is oily or prone to shine, it is best to stay away from shimmer bronzers. An excellent matte bronzer is NYC’s Matte Bronzer in Sunny 720a, available at Target for around $3. A good shimmer bronzer is the Shimmer Brick by Bobbi Brown. It comes in several shades to accommodate various skin tones (Rose, Bronze, Pink, Nectar and Beige). If you’re using a matte bronzer, sweep bronzer across cheeks and forehead. If you’re using a shimmer bronzer, don’t overdo it. Shimmer bronzer should not be used in more than two places on the face—confine it to the cheekbones and under the brow bone to give the effect of eyeshadow highlight. And remember that bronzer can be used as blush!

“3. Lip gloss: for summer, a lip gloss with a golden shine is always best and looks nice on any skin tone; pink tones look nice for summer, too. You can go high-end, like Lancôme or Dior, or you can go for a lower end gloss like NYX (I love their glosses) or Rimmel.

“4. Eye shadow: if you decide to wear it, make sure it is a shade that will complement your skin tone and your overall summer look. Good summer colors are neutrals (beiges, golds, and bronzes) and rose colors. Sweep the color in the crease with a fluffy brush, so there are no lines and the shadow is blended well. One of my all-time favorite colors is Kitten by Stila. When swept across the entire lid, it will give eyes a pop of neutral, almost see-through color. Bronze by MAC is a nice color, as is Amber Lights (a golden shade), which is a makeup kit staple.” —Kim Gray

SARAH HOWARD IS THE EDITOR OF BEAUTY BANTER.