Shimmer for Summer!

Ever notice how some girls appear to be effortlessly glowing? They don’t look “done,” or like they’re even wearing makeup… just glowy and pretty and natural… like they just got back from vacation or spent an afternoon napping in the park. I had this glow for about two minutes upon returning from the Dominican Republic, and then my glow promptly went away. I was still tan, but my skin was dry and dehydrated from the plane + being in the sun. There’s a big difference between glowing and being tan, you see… and I particularly prefer the former.

Today, in collaboration with Target Style, I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite get glowing essentials. Yes, bronzer is involved… but there are a few other top secret products you need to know about!

First up, bronzer. Pixi by Petra has two amazing products that I really love because they make bronzing fool proof. When it comes to applying bronzer, my two favorite tips are below:

1) You want to mimic the way that the sun would hit your face, so apply bronzer to the areas that would naturally be sun-kissed. Sweep bronzer across your forehead, down the bridge of your nose, onto the point of your chin, and along your cheekbones. Bonus points for your collarbone.

2) You can always add more, but it’s harder to take away… so use a gentle touch!

I really love Pixi by Petra’s Quick Fix Bronzer. You apply it directly using the poof that attached to the product, for an easy fool proof application… it’s also great for travel. I also love the brand’s Bronze Glow with Kabuki in “After Beach Glow” as it gives you that exact glow, like you’ve been at the beach all afternoon. The Quick Fix Bronzer is more pigmented, so I typically apply this to my cheeks, collarbone, and forehead… and then sweep the Bronze Glow on everywhere else.

The next product, Pixi by Petra’s Glow Mist, is positively revolutionary. This is where we get that “no makeup makeup” type of glow from. You can spritz it on after applying your makeup or skip makeup altogether if you’d like. It hydrates your skin and leaves it radiant and glowing (blame it on 13 natural oils plus propolis, aloe vera and fruit extracts.) I use this every morning as a final step… either after makeup or after skincare, depending on if I’m going makeup free, which is usually the case on the days I work from home.

And I may have saved the best product for last… I can’t decide… the prettiest shimmer oil for hair + body.

I’ll preface this by saying that I typically avoid body products that contain shimmer for fear of looking like an eight year old, or reliving my college sorority days… not sure which one is worse! but Nuxe-Huile Prodigieuse® Dry Oil is one of the prettiest beauty products in my bathroom. It can be used anywhere + contains six botanical oils and Vitamin E and leaves your skin or hair super soft and silky. But the best part is the iridescent gold particles, which impart the prettiest but still natural looking glow. And it smells amazing in the most subtle sense… a little bit like the beach, a little bit like almond oil… I can’t put my finger on it, exactly. The beach, mixed with dessert, perhaps.

This post is brought to you by Target Style. Shop the new Beauty collection in stores and online.

photography by Lydia Hudgens.