#041: Sun-kissed, heat-flushed, sweat-slicked
Who I Want to be this summer, Part II: Skincare & Beauty
A lot of new faces on here, so hello and welcome! If you’re new here, you can read about my journey here and follow me on IG. I talk about a lot of things on here both deep and maybe not so deep. Today, I’m talking skincare and beauty—where it falls on the deepness spectrum is entirely up to you to judge.
But really, thank you for being here.
The image to set the vibe for today’s issue:
Summer skincare is kind of funny because you really don’t need much. If you live in New York and/or are traveling anywhere this summer with the kind of climate associated with summer (aka the entire northern hemisphere…?!), the environment does its thing and there’s a 90% chance you’re already looking good. Sun-kissed, heat-flushed, sweat-slicked. I can’t explain why these are all positive states to be in or how they amount to one looking attractive but it’s just true. This is the second installment of Who I Want To Be This Summer, a guide to shopping for the best season of the year and being equipped to thrive in it. The first part can be found here.
Summer of 2022 was the first full summer I spent in New York, which is wild because I’ve been living here since 2013. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend my summers in far-flung destinations around the world with the common denominator being that they were all hot. As a July baby, I chase the heat year-round. I’ve kept my skincare routine minimal throughout the years of my young adulthood and that still rings true today, as I approach the last year of my twenties. I want my summer routine, both makeup and skincare, to reflect the nature of the season: carefree, fun, intuitive, easy. In this issue, I present to you my fool-poof summer skincare and beauty routine, with some alts for those who may need options!!! We are all built differently, after all.
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Skincare
Cleanser: Double cleanse, as always. And it’s actually more important in the summer than any other season because of the extra buildup on our skin. I start off with an oil cleanser to break up makeup and product on my face. I like Farmacy’s Green Clean Cleansing Balm. It has a deceptively light plastic container to make traveling easy. The product truly melts over your skin and takes everything off. The Tatcha one is also very good and very viscous so it feels summer-appropriate. My holy grail gel cleanser for now (and forever I think?) iS Clinical’s Cleansing Complex. Until I find one that does a better job, I’m going to stick with this year-round. (Btw, LAURA gets you 15% off on all Dermstore no matter the time of year)
Toner: In the summer, I like something a little bit more… dare I say, astringent. Aesop has a beautiful new Facial Tonic that I like to splash on my face with my clean hands. I also love the Caudalie Salicylic Acid one because it does a really good job at clearing out the gunk in my pores after baking in the sun all day with my makeup and sunscreen. Face Reality makes good one as well. Don’t be fooled into thinking salicylic acid is just for acne-prone skin! It’s one of the best chemical exfoliants out there. For my more sensitive girls, I love First Aid Beauty’s Toner Pads. You can also throw a bunch into a ziploc when traveling and throw them out as you go, which is always satisfying because traveling with 40 grams less of cotton pads makes a difference.
Serum: Something that works overtime with all the sun exposure we’re getting. My go-to with all the key ingredients I need is iS Clinical’s Pro Heal Serum. I’m really obsessed with this brand, as you can tell. It’s not the sexiest brand with the flashiest marketing but the brand’s cult following and success lie in its efficacy. I also love Comfort Zone’s Hydamemory Water Serum. This pure centella asiatica ampoule is also insanely simple and hydrating.
Moisturizer: Lightweight and preferably oil free is the move. Shani Darden makes a near-perfect one. If Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream is my winter hero moisturizer, The Cream is my summer sidekick. It is the perfect lighter rendition of their cult classic product. And one more plug, Sonsie’s Multi Moisture Mask is a beautiful all-in-one product in a travel-ready tube.
SPF: I swear by the iS Clinical Extreme Protect in the dryer months because it’s so deliciously hydrating and I’m honestly sad it’s just a bit too emollient for the summer. I recently discovered this priming moisturizer with SPF by Eighth Day, a skincare line founded by a reconstructive skin surgeon who I actually met at an event hosted by Violet Grey. Dr. Nakhla, the founder of Eighth Day, and I got into a deep conversation about how more and more research points to mineral sunscreens being the superior protector, despite by affinity for Korean and Japanese chemical sunscreens. I’m happy to report that I have had no qualms about using his zinc sunscreen. It pumps out a skin-colored formula but spreads out evenly and sheer on your skin with absolutely zero zero zerooooo white cast, for real. This isn’t an ad so I’ll stop talking about it. Another sunscreen I love is this viral Korean one that’s so affordable you can honestly use very liberally all over your body. Please, just wear sunscreen. And no, the sunscreen baked into your face makeup is not enough.
Makeup
Tinted Moisturizer: There is not a single product that does more for me in the summer than the trusty tinted moisturizer. Sheer, protective, lightweight and, most importantly, makes me look good. The one I’m using at the moment is Tower 28. It’s a delicious, buttery texture that blends in so seamlessly and I never feel like I have product on my face. Chantecaille also makes a gorgeous one. I just have to reiterate that using a proper SPF beforehand is key, even though your face makeup has a little bit of SPF in it.
Color: And by color, I mean cheeks. Bronzer, blush and highlighter kind of all just melt into one beautiful “color” on your cheeks creating that sweet glow of summer. Makeup By Mario’s new Soft Sculpt Bronzing Serum is as beautiful as it sounds.
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If you prefer a powder, Fenty Beauty’s Private Island is the perfect everyday bronzing color. For blush, I like a cream I can throw on quickly and easily and touch up along the way as I go about my day. The Chanel N°1 Lip & Cheek pots are perfect for this and have the most beautiful, buildable colors with incredible staying power. Vital Beige is my go-to warming color. Merit’s blush balms are too easy. Armani Beauty’s silk cheek tint formula feels like second skin. For highlighter, Westman Atelier’s Lit has been my go-to year after year. In the same vibe of a translucent, colorless glow that goes with whatever is already on your face, RMS Beauty’s Living Luminizer is beautiful and in every makeup artist’s kit (well, the good ones!) I’ve learned. I basically use my highlighter all over the high points in my face, like my cupid’s bow, brow bones and nose bridge.
Lips: Glosssyyyy! Juicyyyyy! There are many ways to approach yummy summer lips. One could go the lip oil route (VERY curious about these new Dior lip oil colors) or one could go to tinted balm route. I like to steer clear of matte lipsticks because they seem to kind of melt all over my lips in a way that makes me look sloppy. Also, the sun is out! Let the light reflect on every protruding corner of your face, lips included. According to a backend affiliate platform, I once sold $3,500 worth of these U Beauty Plasma Lip Compounds, which prove I am not alone in my obsession with them. Or maybe I’m just good at describing what I believe to be a necessary product in everyone’s lip rotation. Either/or, they’re fucking amazing. The Rhode one is equally good, for a fraction of the price, but doesn’t have the satisfying cool of a metal applicator. And finally, we need to talk about these Hourglass Phantom Glossy Balms….I’ve never met a product I wanted every single color in. The cutie portable size, the ultra glossy finish, the range of colors for every mood, the fact that they don’t rub off… It’s a perfect lip product and one I’ll bring with me on vacation in multiple (all?) color ways. I even wore it hiking and it stayed on through my sweat and complaints of stairs galore. See here:
Eyes: A little perky curl with whatever curler works best for you. For my eyes, I swear by Shu Uemura’s curler (Asian girlies, take note!) and stock up on them whenever I’m in the Seoul airport. Then a great waterproof mascara. Waterproof is key to hold your curl and get you through various ~dew~ points throughout your summer adventures. And that’s… pretty much all you need!!!!! Was that a lot? I hope not.
JULY 4 SALES REPORT INCOMING! x