[title]
Raise your hand if you thought wearing makeup—or clothing—was a mistake today. Yeah, us too. Now that Gotham’s best beaches are open for business, it’s officially summer in New York. Lucky for us, the humidity came early, too.
Out of all the hacks New Yorkers might try to combat the heat during today’s work-day hustle, the sweatiest part of your Tuesday may occur tonight when you’re at home, lying half-naked inside your practically windowless apartment, contemplating whether or not you should ask your electric fan to marry you. (We’re not all blessed with central air conditioning, folks).
If your situation is similar to mine, then your skin is about to under-go treacherous turmoil, which often leads to clogged pores and a super-dry mug. For this predicament, here are five secret beauty hacks, which my fellow ladies (and dudes!) can try in order to keep yourself cool and cute for the summer.
1. Invest in a cooling facial mask
Your next Netflix-binge will be more precious once you slap on a cooling facial mask to soothe your over-heated hide. Trust me—after 10-minutes, they really do help. I highly recommend the Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask (it hydrates, detoxifies and feels like aloe on a sunburn). A budget-friendlier option (which you can easily carry on-the-go) is Milk Makeup’s roll-on Cooling Water.
2. Brew some green tea
A hot pot of green tea is probably the last thing you want to think about cooking on the stove tonight, but you should seriously consider boiling a super-concentrated green tea of your choosing, adding the liquid to an ice cube tray and letting the liquid freeze overnight. Why? Because green tea is loaded with antioxidants and impressive skin benefits. By rubbing one of those cubes on your face, you won’t only shrink your pores, you’ll get goosebumps.
3. Fill a water mist fan with rosewater
You can easily purchase a small, water mist fan from Amazon to keep yourself refreshed in your apartment and on the subway. (There is no shame in owning one. I have two). If you want to up the beauty benefits, ditch the H2O and fill the bottle with rosewater. The fragrant liquid is great for people with sensitive skin or rosacea, and can help soothe your mug while adding some much-needed hydration.
4. Dust off your gel eye mask
Remember this popular beauty trend from 2001? If you haven’t purchased one of these affordable babies, do so immediately. Stash the gel eye mask in your freezer during the day, and while you sleep, your face will enjoy a cool, refreshing sensation while the mask diminishes the puffiness around your eyes.
5. Fight chafing with chamomile
When the sun's harmful rays turn you into a lobster (or if your thighs and bikini line are on fire), chamomile tea is the perfect natural remedy for burns. Steep a few bags of chamomile tea in hot water and then put ‘em in the freezer for 15–20mins. Once they’re perfectly chilled, lay them on your skin to soothe the irritation and prepare to say, “ahh.”