3 Glam Bug Sprays That Really Work

Generally, my skin isn’t sensitive. I can sleep in my makeup (horrible habit, don’t do this at home) without breaking out. I can do at-home microdermabrasion treatments without getting a hint of redness. I never pay attention to hypoallergenic shout-outs on labels, because you could literally slap a mask made of pollen on my face, and nothing will happen. However, in the summer, the second—no, the millisecond—I step outside, I get attacked by a small army of mosquitoes and end up with bites all over my body. I don’t know what it is about certain skin types that makes them mosquito magnets, but whatever it is, I have it.

So, I have to wear bug spray every time I leave the house. No choice, no exception. But I loathe the way it smells, and it’s just so unsexy. Who wants to go to a swanky rooftop day party reeking of DEET? Luckily, this season, brands have finally realized that glamorous women need glamorous insect repellent. Here are a few I love.

Intelligent Nutrients Organic Bug Repellent Serum | $26.50

This ultra-lightweight, non-drying serum is loaded with organic seed oils that keep bugs at bay naturally. Plus, it smells like the massage room in some mysterious spa in Marrakech.

LWillia Remedy Bug Off Herbal Insect Repellent | $9.99

This spray is whipped up in the kitchen of a couple of Brooklyn hipsters (and looks it). Chock full of essentials oils like apple cider vinegar, eucalyptus, and cinnamon, its scent is delicious to us, yet totally repels gnats, mosquitos, ants, bees, and the like.

InsectLogic Bug Repellant Gel | $15.30

InsectLogic Bug Repellant Gel is just that—a gel. A moisturizing gel that not only protects from bug attacks, but also  keeps skin conditioned and supple. Plus this citrus-scented stuff is made of 100% botanicals. Love!

Tia Williams has been a beauty editor for 15 years, at publications like Elle, Glamour, Lucky, and Essence.com. Back in 2005, Tia created one of the first beauty blogs, Shake Your Beauty, where she wove her love of products through hilarious vignettes from her life as a beauty expert and mom living in Brooklyn. She’s also written several books, including the best-selling novel The Accidental Diva and supermodel Iman’s The Beauty of Color. Follow Tia on Twitter @shakeyourbeauty.