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Thursday, April 17, 2014

Summer Essentials

Hey Loves... F & J here!

Since the weather here in Seattle has been GORGEOUS, and seeing all the pictures from Coachella, we have been bitten by the summer bug! We thought we would share some of our absolute favorite items we have for summer. Let's get this started!

To Begin:

Legs- Everyone wants silky smooth legs for summer, we have tested tons of products and methods, and these are the best we have found. We swear by them, so we hope they work for you.

Eos Shave Cream: We have searched high and low for hair blasting shave cream, because the shaving process is where the softness begins. This shave cream is the only one we found that leaves us with soft legs until the next day. This alone will leave your legs happy and hairless just the way you like them. The average cost is around $4 found at Target, and it is well worth it!
Schick Hydro Silk Razor: This is the best razor we have ever used! And trust us we have used almost every brand. It leaves your legs hair free, and has a moisturizing bar that helps prevent razor burn, and leaves it feeling lotioned. Pair this with the shave cream above and you have a winner. Also found at Target averaging around $10.


 
Johnson's Baby Oil Gel: We know this one sounds a bit out there, but stay with us. It works best right after the shower, when your legs are still damp. Just apply a dime size amount to each leg and you will have completed the perfect legs according to F & J. Your legs will look and feel smoother. This also helps make your hair grow back slower. ( At least we would like to think so) Who wouldn't want that! This can be found at Fred Meyer for $4.

On to hair: The summer heat can make your hair do crazy things, and as much as we love messy buns, we also love to have our hair down and looking fabulous in the sun, with a breeze blowing (model status!)
 
Coconut Oil: The best hair starts the night before. Coconut oil is very hydrating, and leaves your hair soft! (It also helps with dandruff-double win!). Apply a generous amount of melted coconut oil all over the head... and we mean all over! It can be kind of tricky to wash out, so maybe wash twice and scrub, because you do not want any left over, because it can leave hair looking greasy if there is any residue. It is totally safe to keep in your hair over night, but we suggest at least two hours before washing. It totally helps with swimmers hair (you know what we mean. Dry. Frizzy. Dry. Gross. Did we say dry?) Also you can apply it to your skin. The uses are endless. Found at Trader Joes for $6
 
John Frieda- Frizz-Ease Serum: We know it can't just be us who gets basically an afro when the humidity comes in like a wrecking ball! Ahh! But don't fret this product really works keeping frizz down, and the rest of humanity safe from the bird nest on your head... After showering and towel drying put a few drops in your hand and rub all over your hair. It doesn't take much but does a lot. Then go about the rest of your routine as normal. We found this miracle worker at Ulta for $10.
 

Nourishing Coconut Milk Serum by OGX: The sweet smell of coconut and summer time go hand and hand. This product also helps with frizz but is mainly for nourishing and preventing breakage of hair. We absolutely love this product because it leaves the hair feeling soft, and there is no residue. Just put a dime size amount and run through damp hair, and you will notice the softness right away. This can be bought from Fred Meyer for $8.
TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Protectant Spray: We all know how much damage heat can do on our hair, whether we are straightening it, curling it, or even just blow drying, which is why we all need to protect our precious locks. This is our protectant of choice, because it smells great, works amazing, and is nice on the wallet. Just spray liberally throughout your hair before you style and you are all set. We bought this protectant spray from Target for $4.

Speaking of protecting, Sunscreen- Everyone knows we need to protect our skin too! Soaking up the rays is, nice but getting a burn is never worth it (need we remind you how painful a sunburn is).

*Benefit Face Emulsion SPF 15: This sunscreen is meant for your pretty little face. It is really light and moisturizing. Most makeup does contain some SPF but using this as a base is a little extra to be safe and protect your skin from the sun. This product is a bit pricey, but it does its job, and does not leave our skin oily, which can be a big problem with sunscreen. Full Size from Ulta runs about $32

Coppertone Tanning Lotion: Just a quick disclaimer about this suntan lotion is that both F & J are more likely to tan then burn, so we do not suggest this product if you are prone to burning. We love this product because it smells like summer and protects our skin while still allowing us to get tan. We bought this at Fred Meyer and it usually runs around $9.
 
 Banana Boat Aloe Vera Gel: Sometimes no matter how many precautions you take you forget something... possibly sunscreen. (We have all done it... no judging). The best thing you can do for your skin, is put aloe vera gel on it. It cools upon impact and helps with the healing of your burn and moisturizing the skin. You can buy any brand but this one usually runs about $6, and unless you get burned all the time, this should last a while and is well worth it.

Moving on to personal health products.
 
Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant: In the summer heat deodorant is not something you can skip, but on days where you know you can't reapply, or don't want to risk stinky, or you are doing strenuous activity, sometimes regular deodorant just doesn't cut it. It doesn't matter if you are usually someone who needs a lot of deodorant, it is just nice to know that you don't have to worry, which is why a clinical strength deodorant can put your stress away. This doesn't mean you don't have to put it on everyday, it just means your covered when you do put it on. Still apply daily. A bit pricier than normal deodorant but worth every penny, we bought this at Target for $8.
 
*Smashbox Photo Finish Primer: We all love running around in the summer, but we don't want our makeup joining in on the fun, we want it to stay put. Putting this primer on before applying your makeup leaves your face as soft as a baby's bum and keeps your makeup just where you put it, just the way we like it. It also fills in and smooth's imperfections (yay!). This product does make your wallet lighter, but it lasts for a long time. This is the breast cancer edition which is why there is a pink ribbon, and the normal bottle doesn't have one on it. Found at Ulta for $35.
* Lush Ocean Salt Scrub: This scrub though pricey is amazeballs, we can not stop obsessing over it. It is made entirely from natural ingredients and smells like the beach (not the stinky fish smell). When mixed it is a beautiful blue tone that screams summer. It is a body scrub that you can literally use anywhere. Even your face. Its guaranteed to make your skin supppper soft. We love to use it on our hands. Found only at lush for $22.


Last Section is just things that we love, and remind us of summer!
 
* PINK - Beach Towel: This towel is super cute and super soft. It is nice to lay on at the beach or use as a wrap after a dip in the water. We love this design, but there are different styles to choose from. Pink also has beach blankets that are twice the size but twice the price, so that is why we chose to show you the towel. The towels found only at Victoria's Secret costs $25
Essie Nail Polish: We adore the brand Essie for the most beautiful colors. The one pictured is something we are currently loving and is named 'Bikini So Teeny'. They have many colors that will make your nails pop this summer, and match with anything you wear. We usually buy Essie because it is good quality, dries fast, and it is undoubtedly cute. We bought this at Ulta for $8.50.

*Bath and Body Works Candle in Peach Bellini scent: The smell of this candle made us fall in love instantly. It smells like perfection. It is not too strong, and smells like fruit and wonder. That's basically all we have to say about it. Go smell and if you don't like it we don't like you (Just Kidding!) The large candle costs $22.50 only from Bath and Body Works.



Drumroll Please..... the inspiration to this blog post... the one we love the most... the smell of summer

  
Ladies and Gentlemen- *The Lost in Love Collection from PINK: Unfortunately you must run out and buy it right now, as it is a limited edition smell for Spring Break. The bottle is GORGEOUS and looks like summer, but the smell of it is indescribably perfection. It makes you want to jump up and run to the beach no matter how far that is. It makes you want to dance, and sing, and shout (of pure happiness of course), and basically make you look crazy (or maybe that's just us.. awk). Take a whiff and close your eyes and you will be transported to paradise. The cost of each item varies anywhere from $12-18 and can only be found at Victoria's Secret.
xxx 
That basically sums up our summer essentials. We hope you can try them out and love them as much as we do. Just so you know we are not experts on this topic, and this is just our personal opinion.  Also we are not rich, and we know you probably aren't either and don't expect you to pay full price for these items, because we did not ourselves. We bought all the items above on sale, and on the items that had them we used coupons, and suggest you try and do the same to save some money. The price posted is before any discount, so don't freak out too much if something is not in your price range.
 
Love,
 
F & J
 
 
*These items are sold only in specific stores

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