Tack Trunk Beauty

The words tack trunk and beauty are not synonymous with one another. Horseback riding and summer bring hair, sweat and post-helmet head to a whole other level. But for those of you who ride, have horses and might want a few suggestions to feel a little less icky and more 'human' after riding or a day at the barn, here are some tips:

1.) Don't get sunburned. Seriously, it is so easy to get a nice t-shirt farmer's tan or a burn elsewhere from riding in the sun, especially since it's gorgeous and so much fun to ride outside. I recommend keeping at least a bottle of suntan lotion in your trunk, but if you want to get make things really easy, purchase some Supergoop! (http://www.supergoop.com/) wipes. They are easy to dispose of, handy wipes to coat your arms and back with a non greasy yet effective SPF 30.

2.) Hand Sanitizer- this may seem like a given for those of you who board at my barn where there is no hot water, but it definitely prevents any possible germs or dirt from spreading to the outer world once you are done at the barn. While all natural, spray-on brands are great, I have to differ and go to the high power ones included alcohol...call me a germaphobe, but if I am trying to prevent bacteria, I wana do it right.

3.) Tinted Moisturizer w/ SPF- After your done riding or sweating it out with some manual labor at the barn, slap on a tinted moisturizer for excellent sheer coverage, giving your skin a dewey finish. I like Dermalogica's Tinted Moisturizer (SPF 15) or Boscia's Tinted Moisturizer (comes in a variety of shades to match skin tone). If you want to go a little pricier, Stilla makes a fantastic foundation with bits of crushed up pearl it up for a nice finish. It's measured in watts. They also have another nice tinted moisturizer for about 28 bucks.

4.) Blotting sheets- These little pieces of paper take all the shine glistening on your face off and I find help to reduce oil on skin and potential breakouts. Boscia makes some nice facial blotting tissues in a wide array of scents, excellent for on-the-go cleanup (including green tea, lavender and rose).

5.) Sheer lip color/lip tint- A nude or slightly rosy gloss or lip stick is fantastic for moisturizing chapped lips after a day in the sun and also adds a punch of light color if you are headed out to a dinner, meeting friends, etc.

6.) Hand cream- I find that when riding (even with gloves) in the summer, the process of hosing, sweatscaping, cleaning up after my horse and performing other necessities like cleaning tack leaves hands chafed and dry to the touch. So stick a small tube of hand cream (LOVE L'Occitane's signature hand cream or cherry blossom scented version). You can also dab a bit of cream on your hair, to eliminate or help tame flyaway frizzies.

Hope these tips inspire you to maybe include one, or more of the above in your tack trunk. Cheers!