UrbanUpdate

All said and done, this summer hasn’t been half bad. We learned that the torment of flossing might not really pay off after all. Frank Ocean finally released that album we’ve all been waiting for. And while the Olympics may have had their fair share of hiccups (see: Lochte-gate, that not-so-blue diving pool), the world didn’t end when its elite athletes descended upon Rio de Janeiro. But alas, all good things must come to an end, and in summer’s case that end happens to be Labor Day. Fingers crossed you’ve got something good planned to mark the occasion. Before that happens, though, you’re going to want to do a little prep work. After all, it has been a long summer; chances are, if you’ve made the most of it, your skin and hair are in need of a few slight repairs right about now. Here, six grooming tips to help you look, feel, and smell your best this Labor Day weekend.

1. Don’t Skip the SunscreenFirst things first: Summer may be coming to an end this weekend, but that doesn’t mean you can go ahead and put away that SPF just yet. Save yourself the trauma of a late-season sunburn by slathering on just as much of the good stuff as you would at any other point this July and August.

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2. Freshen Up Your ’DoIf you’re anything like us, then you started off the season looking fresh as hell with a new haircut—maybe something along the lines of what we dubbed “the Two-in-One Summer Haircut.” Since then you’ve hopefully tried to spend as little time as you could thinking about your hair, and as much time as possible enjoying the fleeting ideal weather. That said, things up top might not be in the best condition. So before you wrap summer up with a bang, it's in your best interest to sit your ass down with a stylist and have him or her work some magic.

3. Give Body Hair a Good Once-OverRemember how, before summer officially hit, we instructed you to trim, pluck, shave, or wax whole swaths of your body so that when you got to taking your clothes off at the beach, everything would look the way it should? Well, that was a long time ago. And unless you’ve been keeping up a regular maintenance schedule, then things have probably gone a bit downhill since. So picking up that razor once again might not be a bad idea. Or at least scheduling an appointment for someone to do that for you.

4. Don’t Forget to ExfoliateWe’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: With everything you’ve put your skin through this summer, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re not sloughing off dead cells on the regular. So switch out your standard soap for an exfoliating bar, STAT. Dry, damaged skin will never know what hit it.

5. Give Your Feet Their DueCracked heels. Calluses. Gross, off-color toenails. After a full three months of forsaking socks, sporting flip-flops, and walking around barefoot in all sorts of conditions, your poor soles are no doubt in need of a little TLC—especially if you plan on unleashing them one final time. Good news is, we’ve already covered how to handle your jacked-up feet here.

6. Switch Up Your Scent ProfileLight aromas like citrus and sea may have been the perfect scents to get you through July and August, but with this weekend marking the official start of autumn, what better time to break out those richer, more robust fragrance notes than right about now? Think vanilla, tobacco, and leather.

Always better to be ahead of the curve.

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