Summer heat waves send me searching for airy sundresses and strappy sandals; I need relief from these wilting Southern temperatures. Unfortunately for me, wearing summer clothing involves showing a bit more skin than I'd like. Like many other women, I want bronze color and firm tone before I wave, "Bye ya'll!" (Picture flabby, pale arms waving here.) Years of experimentation with the latest summer beauty trends has granted me some unhappy results. Luckily, no beauty-lovers were seriously injured in the making of this confession.
This Beauty Guru has your beauty reputation in mind. I'm unveiling my least favorite summer beauty memories to save you from making the same shameful mistakes I have. Take note "Summer Girls" and try not to laugh too hard.
Reverse-skunk eyebrows: A day before attending my cousin's June wedding, I decided to splurge and treat myself to a spray tan. I was a bridesmaid and felt nervous about my walk down the aisle. I'd never been to a sunless tanning booth before and wasn't sure what to expect other than instantly perfect tan skin. As you might expect, other than a mild stink, the process went smoothly. I headed to the beautician's afterwards for a quick cut and style. Feeling pampered, I splurged even more springing for a professional eyebrow waxing. The whole process, tan and cut, only took about 45 minutes.
I headed back to work to finish my shift. By the end of the day, I couldn't pretend that I didn't hear the sniggering that seemed to linger around my desk. A quick stop by the bathroom mirror told me all I needed to know. My spray tan was working nicely but the eyebrow wax job was a big mistake. The furry caterpillars I called eyebrows were tamed and neat but regrettably, I had two large upside-down commas over my eyes. Oh yes, this was going to be a great wedding.
My beauty advice to you: wax before spray tanning!
My bad wrap: I hate cellulite but it adores my thighs. One summer before unveiling my sexy new bathing suit at a pool party I was excited about, I decided to take action. A friend suggested an herbal body wrap offered by a local spa. It only took a few minutes to detect that something was amiss with my treatment. After being wrapped in a concoction of stinky herbs, plastic cling wrap, towels and foil, I felt like my loins were on fire. I had an allergic reaction to some peanut shells that were used in the mixture. I spent the pool party in a mu-mu.
My beauty advice: Don't believe that everything labeled as "herbal" is safe. Ask to see the ingredients list before exposing yourself.
At-home bikini wax: Epic fail! You'll thank me for not getting graphic with this beauty mistake. It involves an at-home wax kit, a hand mirror and later, a blow dryer. Painful for me, humorous for the boyfriend.
My beauty advice: Allow the professionals to tackle your hairy, personal parts or become skilled with a razor.
Are you brave enough to share you worst summer beauty moments?
Monica Bullock is a Yahoo! Shine Beauty Guru with serious addiction to French skin care. When she's not trying out new eyeshadow colors, she's writing about the world of beauty.
