5 Fresh Summer Beauty Picks
Minimal effort/maximum enjoyment products worth adding to cart.
I'm knocking the dust off my Substack because: 1.) I miss you! 2.) I'm doing my first complete watch of Sex And The City and it makes me want to haul my laptop onto my bed to write a flirty little column about clothes and skin care; and 3.) I have a handful of very good, newly-released summer beauty finds to share with you.
Necessaire Oak Moss Body Bar. This new addition to Necessaire’s body wash lineup is not your mama's bar soap: it's a silky, lusciously-lathering, gentle cleanser infused with hydrating hyaluronic acid that smells so fresh. (Mossy/verdant fresh; not powdery fresh.) It's nourishing enough that I can get away with skipping body lotion after a shower -- perfect for humid summer days -- and it's also great for shaving.
Crown Affair Texturizing Air Dry Mousse. There's nothing that interests me less than wielding a hot hair tool during a triple-digit heat index. I was finishing up my first bottle of Crown Affair's leave-in conditioner and ready for a restock when they lauched the air dry mousse. I added both to cart, and upon arrival, they instantly became my summer hair dream team. After washing: I work a couple pumps of the conditioner from mids to ends for hydration and shine; add a handful of mousse from the roots down; and brush it all through with a Tangle Teezer brush to make sure it's evenly distributed. Then I go about my business, and as my hair air dries, it's smooth and tamed, and my natural waves are softly defined without any crunch. I couldn't ask for more with less effort. Plus, Crown Affair's products smell like a very expensive hotel spa, so bonus points for that.
Eadem LeChouchou Lip Softening Balm. I received a PR tube of this balm from the brand, and I liked it so much the first time I applied it, I hopped on their website and ordered two more shades. The glossy formula is thick, so it sticks around on your lips, but it's also weightless and not sticky?! A revelation! Plus it contains lactic acid that gently exfoliates to keep flaking and peeling at bay, and it's not a plumper but I swear my lips look plumper when I wear it. Oh, and it has a cooling metal applicator, which just sends the whole product experience over the edge for me, especially in the summer. Have I effectively communicated how much I love this stuff? (I'm not the only one; it sold out at Sephora shortly after it launched, but you can buy it directly from Eadem.)
Allies of Skin 'The One' SPF 50 Invisible Sunscreen Gel. Allies is the only brand of skin care I use, and since falling in love with the brand over three years ago, I wondered if/when they’d release an SPF. Well, they just did, and it was worth the wait. If you like SuperGoop's Unseen Sunscreen, this is the rich aunt version. It's similarly invisible, pore-filling, and dries down to a blurred demi-matte finish, but this one is packed with beneficial skin care ingredients and antioxidants. All for just $7 more. It's officially my #1 pick for the best sunscreen to wear under makeup.
Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick. This one technically isn’t new, but they recently released two new shades, and I love this multi-use cream stick very much so let’s talk about it. Gucci Westman’s edited “second skin” product range is the kind of effortlessly luxurious makeup that makes me happily swipe my credit card for way more money than is reasonable. But! The Baby Cheeks shades are flawless — there’s something for every skin tone. It wears beautifully over bare skin, sunscreen, or foundation. And it’s the only cream blush in my collection that stays put all day, even through Florida heat and humidity. My only complaint is that there’s too much product in the standard size. It’s a clean formula and a little goes a long way, so I’ll never finish my tube of Chouchette — the perfect nude peach — before it expires. I’d love to see more shade options in the mini size, please, Gucci!
Tried-and-true summer beauty favorites worth mentioning while we’re here:
Soft Services Buffing Bar: a powerhouse exfoliator that’s like an in-shower microdermabrasion for your body; use it to prep for the closest shave of your life and/or the most even fake tan application.
St. Tropez Gradual Tan Tinted Lotion: I’m generally too lazy to take tan, but if I did, this daily gradual lotion would be my pick for the best results with the least effort. I wrote a detailed review about it on my blog back in 2017.
K18 Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo: if you’re leaning hard on the dry shampoo to get you through a sweaty summer, a weekly wash with this clarifier will get your scalp cleaner than you thought possible.