Cost-Effective Summer Beauty Trends

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/.

{dress, necklace, bag: H&M;
sunnies: David Yurman}

On Mother's Day Aiden and I headed to Park Slope to enjoy a delish brunch with my sister. No, I didn't get a day off like I would have wanted, but at least brunch involved unlimited mimosas. Silver lining, people... there's always a silver lining. Because it was so nice out, I threw on a hot pink short dress that featured a V-neck collar and three-quarter sleeves. It was fun and playful and had me thinking of one thing... summer, summer, summertime!

Summer's right around the corner and this delicious single mama couldn’t be more excited! (You know I’m a huge champion of mini skirts and summer is, like, min skirt season for me.)

But it's also the season for other trends. Beauty trends. And cost-effective beauty products that I can snag from my local drugstore. Here are a few of my fave trends and beauty products:

Hair, there, everywhere

I love to wear my hair down and out, but the summer humidity in NYC is sometimes no joke and causes my beautiful tresses to suffer a frizzy fate. So... topknots are my style of choice in the summer. They’re cute and easy, and accent all of my facial features. Can’t beat that! To create the look, I simply slather on a little bit of leave-in conditioner mousse (and sometimes a little bit of hair gel too) and brush my hair all up in a high ponytail. Once I wrap the remaining hair around in a bun, I'm good to go!

Facial features

I love, love, love applying and experimenting with makeup because it's so much fun! Usually, I'll apply Neutrogena’s Oil Free Moisturizer and then my foundation over it. (In fact, I’ve recently tried out the new COVERGIRL & Olay Tone Rehab 2-in-1 foundation base and it’s totally amaze! The foundation evens my skin tone to highlight my best features and the serum hydrates my skin.) But, in the summer, I sometimes like to go with tinted moisturizer because it’s quick and easy. Plus, it gives me a bit of a glow and sun protection. Score!

{via}

Nail it

Mani-pedis are an absolute must in the summer. (Actually, I enjoy mani-pedis all year round as part of my "mommy self-care" to-do list.) While I don’t always have time to head to the salon, I have lots of fun and festive nail polish colors in my bathroom so that I can switch up as deemed necessary. OPI and Essie are quite the contenders when I'm making polish choices. Oh, and nail art. Can't forget about nail art. I buy nail polish strips from the drugstore and just peel and apply.

Skin is in

Now, if I'm going to wear miniskirts and short shorts all season long, then I've gotta have radiant and smooth skin. My skin is pretty sensitive so I'm not one for soaps and lotions that have perfumes and frgrances in them. I like to keep it simple and stick to Aveeno for my skin.

What about you guys? What are your must-have beauty, hair, and skincare products for the summer?

{Disclaimer: This post is being sponsored by Walgreens. All opinions expressed herein are my own, duh!}