BBQ Beauty: Sun, Smoke, and You
by Alexandra Owens
Summer barbecues are a tricky business. You want to look pulled-together (no, sloppy ponytails and ripped shorts don't cut it) but not fussy. You're going to be outdoors near an open flame, after all, and eating a hot dog in a full face of makeup might just be the picture of high maintenance. Here are a few tips to keep it real--and pretty--in the smoke-filled air.
See more:The 12 Best Eye Creams
Get twisted. Braids are an easy and elegant way to beat the summer humidity--not to mention keep your hair our of your face while you're going Animal Planet on a burger. We like the "feminine, simple, and '70s beautiful" ones Guido created for Valentino's spring 2011 show. Just part your hair where it falls naturally, back-comb a section at the crown for volume, and braid softly at the nape of your neck. "Be careful not to pull too tight, or you'll lose the height you created at the crown," says Guido. Free a few small strands of hair around your face for a softer, more disheveled effect, and set with a light hair spray.
Gloss over it. The just-eaten-a-popsicle lipstick look is great until it morphs into just-eaten-a-raw-steak after you've smeared your M.A.C. Matte Lipstick in Russian Red all over your chin. Instead, add a little shimmer and color with more wearable peach and caramel tones, like L'Oréal Paris Colour Juice Lipgloss in Strawberry Smoothie and Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Knockout Nude.
See more:Find the Best Haircut for your Face Shape
Add color. If you still want to go colorful, add some festive spirit with blue eyeliner. Dick Page suggests a wax-based pencil, like Shiseido The Makeup Eyeliner Pencil Duo in Electric Iris, that will last all evening. "Don't worry about drawing on the eyeliner perfectly straight--what's more important is that the color is tight around the upper lashes so no skin shows between the lashes and the line," he says.
More from Allure:
Summer's Most-Wanted Beauty Products
10 Easy Summer-Hair Ideas
Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains
Celebrity Hairstyles That Will Make You Look 10 Years Younger
