Photo: Thinkstock

I have a friend who religiously packs her Clarisonic face brush alongside her lantern, s'more supplies, and sleeping bag on camping trips. She may not have running water or a toilet, but she definitely has clean pores and smooth skin. It sounds a bit crazy, but who am I to judge? I have a poster hanging in room that says "I love not camping." In fact, the last time I spent the night in a tent I was seven, on a family trip in Yellowstone National Park, and I begged my father to take me to a hotel on day two. But for those of you who have plans to head to the great outdoors this weekend, these five beauty must-haves will help you feel a bit more pampered while you get in touch with Mother Nature.

Next: Get your beauty essentials checklist.

Photo: Gregor Halenda

Because my spirits (and the delicate skin around my eyes) can sometimes use a little lift during the day, I like to keep a tube of Burt's Bees Sensitive Eye Cream in my bag. No bells and whistles here; just cotton extract for softening, rice extract for moisturizing, and a bit of soothing aloe. The crayon-shaped tube makes it easy to dab on and blend (even one-handedly, in case, like me, you sometimes find it hard to ignore the ringing phone that also happens to be in your bag).
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Entertainer extraordinaire Jennifer Lopez helps the O team create some major glamour.
           

Photo: Chris Craymer

When hairstylist Ken Paves (third from left) arrived at the Meatpacking District warehouse turned studio where we shot "Jennifer Lopez Is in the House!", he found our eight makeover candidates relaxing and grazing on fruit and yogurt. But at noon, when Lopez showed up for her stint as surprise stylist, the set suddenly buzzed with excitement.

Lopez's engaging personality helped calm nerves all around. "The ladies never had a chance to be starstruck because Jennifer was warm and laughing," says Paves. "They were like old friends." Her rousing call to the group: "You ready? Come on, baby—let's do this!"

Photo: Thinkstock

With the end of summer almost upon us, it can be tempting to start scheduling fall sessions at the tanning salon to feel that warm, sun-like sensation on your skin. Yes, this activity has long been known to cause skin cancer and premature aging, but according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 30 million people every year are still willing to hit the tanning bed. And if you ask them why, they'll say that a little color makes them feel sexier and look thinner. But what they may not realize is how hard it can be to stop.

Researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center recently discovered that frequent indoor tanning causes changes to the brain similar to those seen in people addicted to drugs and alcohol. UV light, says senior author of the study and professor of psychiatry at the university, Dr. Bryan Adinoff, has rewarding effects in the brain—causing people to continue flocking to tanning beds despite knowing the lethal side effects [as reported by The New York Times].

Bottom line: Skip the tanning salon and opt for streak-proof self-tanner to get your glow on instead. And when the colder temperatures set in, pretend you're still basking in the hot summer rays  by curling up with one of O's tantalizing beach reads.

What do you think of this study? Ever visit the tanning bed or know someone who has?

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For the many readers who poignantly confide unhappiness about their thinning hair, there's encouraging news, reported in The New Natural: Your Ultimate Guide to Cutting-Edge Age Reversal, a just-released book by dermatologist Neil Sadick, MD. Within the next year or two, several increasingly effective hair-growth-stimulating topical preparations will hit the market, Sadick says. And a recently completed study of an injectable drug, likely available within five years, showed remarkable results after a single treatment, including increased hair density and rapid hair growth that has continued over a 12-month period. Stem cell research, too, is yielding breakthroughs, says Sadick, so the problem of hair loss may sooner rather than later be a thing of the past.
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Photo: Thinkstock

The FDA has finally given its sunscreen rules a major update. Until now, the term "broad spectrum" has been unregulated. Going forward, a sunscreen calling itself "broad spectrum" must undergo testing to ensure that it provides protection against skin-aging (and cancer-causing) UVA rays as well as skin-burning (and cancer-causing) UVB rays (those included in the SPF rating).

And soon, you won't find sunscreens labeled "sunblock," "waterproof," or "sweatproof"—terms the FDA says overstate effectiveness—and a "water-resistant" claim will have to specify how long the sunscreen can stand up to swimming or sweating (either 40 or 80 minutes, based on testing).

Until these rules take effect next summer, look for sunscreens that contain some combination of avobenzone, oxybenzone, and zinc oxide, wear at least an SPF 30, and reapply every two hours.
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Photo: Patrik Andersson

Knowing when it's time to make a change to your hair isn't always easy—just ask one of these ladies who never realized how outdated their looks were. Master hairstylist Ken Paves suggests asking yourself these three questions:

1. Has it been more than five years since you rethought your style? Even the most classic look needs occasional tweaks.

2. Typically when you look in the mirror, do you love your hair? It seems like a simple question, but when life gets busy, it's easy to think, "Well, it's okay/fine/best I can do." Talk with a stylist about options you might like more.

3. Do you see your haircut—or anything remotely similar—in any current magazine? If your answer is no, except in a "before" photo, your style probably needs to be refreshed.

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Photo: Gregor Halenda

A rose is a rose, etc., unless you mix it with blackberry, neroli, and ebony woods to get the boldly sexy fragrance Gold Rush (left); or jasmine, gardenia, and vanilla to come up with the romantic Shakespeare in Love (right); or white peony, osmanthus, and white musk for the sophisticated Iced White (center). This trio, from A Dozen Roses, is bloomin' beautiful.

Photo: Courtesy of Kiehl's

Wondering why there's a wheel on the lid of a beauty product? Kiehl's hosted a week-long charity motorcycle ride, which kicked off in Philadelphia and ended in New York City. Besides the rich texture of this Ultra Facial Cream and the fact that this moisturizer absorbs instantly minus any residue, we love that 100 percent of the proceeds benefit amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. And if this cream helps relieve the wind-burned faces of tough guys/girls who spent seven days on the open road, then we're pretty sure it can handle our dry summer skin.

Kiehl's Limited Edition Ultra Facial Cream, $46


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Photo: Thinkstock

A cold shower doesn't just temporarily cool you down. "It lowers your skin temperature and can actually reregulate how much you sweat"; says Loretta Ciraldo, MD, voluntary professor of dermatology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.