I was thinking about how last summer, when we went camping, I ran into a nice lady in the women’s bathroom who was the most stylish person I’ve ever seen at a campground. Her hair was up but neat, she had on what looked like minimal makeup (base, blush, brows, bronzer, liner, mascara and gloss), and her clothes didn’t have a speck of dirt on them—and she was wearing a white shirt! I couldn’t get over how one could be so cute and clean while camping!
Anyway, this got me thinking about what beauty minimalists and maximalists wear when having outdoor adventures. The most I’ll do these days is tinted sunscreen, brow pencil, mascara and gloss. If I’m really paring back, then any ol’ sunscreen will do.
Oh, and the hair? Forget about styling it. I’ll brush it and put it into a pony or a high bun, and hope that it doesn’t look too crazy.
Or, I’ll throw on a hat because truth be told I’m self-conscious about my hairline. It’s receded a bit since I hit my mid-40s, and I swear the wild white baby hairs make me look like I’m a crazy physics professor who mumbles to herself while walking to and from class. Eh, it is what it is.
Side note, I saw a video yesterday where a gal sprayed root cover-up spray on her scalp to hide the sparse bits on her hair line, and it looked really good from afar! If I tried it, though, I would probably sweat all the spray off and have dark black sweat running down the side of my face. Plus, I’m thinking it would look kinda weird to have the dark spots there with my salt and pepper hair.
Deep hair thoughts, I know!
What level of beauty do you do when you’re doing outdoorsy things? Do you wear makeup or style your hair like you usually do, or do you opt for a paired down version of your regular beauty routine? Or do you skip it all together?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Today is my last day of working from home for a while. I’m hoping I get to do it again soon! Although, I do have to say, going into the office does have one good thing, and that’s the ability to draw a very firm boundary between home and work life. My experience has been that when I work from home, both the two blur into each other a little too easily.
Have a great Tuesday!
Last weekend I went to an outdoor concert (a new experience for me) on a both hot and rainy day. I wore full makeup, a fluffy ponytail, capris (haven’t worn shorts since 1994), and a cuter graphic t-shirt. By comparison to the rest of the crowd I looked like I was going camping. Most of the women were wearing sleeveless dresses (both short or long) with their hair down (both sweaty and damp), with varying degrees of makeup…they looked lovely in a flower child kind of way. I wish I had known!
Well that sounds like a beautiful scene of summer fashion. I wish I was there in a maxi dress and platform sandals!
Sunscreen. Lip balm with SPF. UPF clothing. Brush hair back and plop on a wide brim UPF rated hat. Trail runners and long pants. Good to go on outdoorsy adventures. At this point in my life makeup is for office work and date nights.
Dear Daughter is hiking the Continental Trail with her good friend. They met her friend’s father at one of the trail heads for a resupply. He took them to a motel so they could shower after weeks of hiking. Dear Husband will pick them up in another week and a half. I pray my child is wearing sunscreen.
Your girl is such an adventurer! How do you not worry every night?
She’s an adult. She’s way more competent than I could ever be. She’s level headed, logical and smart. That reduces the worry.
She checks in a lot with progress updates like, “my apartment is all packed going to Chicago Art Institute one last time”, “on plane”, landed. Found an apartment I like, movers bring my stuff tomorrow.”
It helps that the friend she is hiking with has a satellite phone with GPS. Although I’m certain my child could navigate the trails with a printed map.
I’m not sure what changed but I just don’t worry as much as I used to. That doesn’t mean I don’t miss her and don’t think about her.
I look forward to the hugs when she’s near.
Oh, btw, those weeks on the trail, carrying everything on your back, no showering are why I refuse to go camping with her and Dear Husband. I’m more of a clean, white sheets with six pillows on the cloud like bed type of girl.
I personally think you look fabulous, including your hair and your hairline! But I get how it’s scary if you think your hair is thinning or your hairline is receiving. Boy, do I understand. It’s not a vanity thing; more like a security blanket. And my hair definitely falls out about four months after a major event, and it’s bloody scary. My hair guru has recommended the spray of which you speak. It is some highly pigmented stuff! And it comes out really fast, so if you do it, don’t do it the first time right before you’re going anywhere. Also, just know what what we think is major hair loss might not necessarily be worrying hair loss (I know this because I have lupus and have had my derm look at my hair when I am freaking out about it). You are beautiful!
I used to be full make-up every day. It’s so liberating to not give a darn. I just do tinted sunscreen (SPF 50+), foundation (because my derm shamed me into it; otherwise I would not); three dots of blush on each cheek, comb eyebrow gel through those overplucked things, mascara, and lip gloss. I often go without foundation (shhhh!), blush, and mascara though. Because I’d rather sleep for five more minutes. lol
Enjoy the wilderness and company of your lovely family! If I had your hair and face, I would not touch a thing. 🙂
Thank you Divina for saying that. It’s weird seeing myself in the mirror sometimes; I don’t look like the person who I remember in my head. When I start to feel down I think of one of the things an 80-something-year-old student told me while I was helping him. We’re still so young in the grand scheme of things!
I used to do a full face every day, with false lashes and everything. Crazy! Nowadays I can’t even deal with foundation.
Short answer – it depends on who’s going to see me…Always SPF, then probably No. 7 colour correcting cream in green(!) plus Dr Hauschka colour correcting powder and Maybelline waterproof mascara.
Hi, Karen
I think you look great, too!
But…..I also emergency-situation-shoulda done-my-roots-last week spray around my hairline from time to time. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do, whatever that is, is my take on things.
As far as makeup when doing outdoorsy stuff ….depends. I’m down here in So-Cal, so if it’s something sporty (hiking, jogging around neighborhood or beach, whatever) , just good sunscreen and a hat – usually a baseball cap.
If it’s more social, BBQ or outdoor concert, minimal makeup like a bit of CC cream dotted strategically, then blush or bronzer blended for that – haha – no makeup makeup look – followed by a wash of color on my lips, and finally, the usual, good sunscreen…swap baseball cap for my “good” raffia hat (not the ancient, falling apart, beat-up one I got years ago from the gas station at the beach that I wear when I do yard work) …..final touch is add my sunnies – the “good” ones (see previous sentence haha)
Happy Summer, all!