Beauty

• This month I discovered makeup artist and glossy skin enthusiast, Katie Jane Hughes, and now I’m stalking her all around the Internet, soaking up all the tips she shares about how she creates gorgeous, glowing makeup looks that work just as well for real life as they do for her editorial work. I don’t throw this word around casually, but I’m obsessed.

• I mentioned the Tatcha Silken Sunscreen in a previous post, but it’s so good it bears repeating. While the price tag is certifiably insane, I decided it was better to get spendy on an SPF product I love to use, rather than skip daily sunscreen because of my frustration with how it makes my skin look and feel throughout the day. (This is especially important since I incorporated exfoliating acids and retinoids into my anti-aging skin care routine, because they both cause photo-sensitivity and increase the risk of sun-related pigmentation.) This sunscreen leaves zero white cast, wears beautifully on bare skin and under foundation, and acts as a skin-smoothing primer that actually improves the application and wear of your makeup. If you consider it as three products in one tube to streamline your summertime morning routine — a lightweight moisturizer, SPF, and makeup primer — the cost is easier to digest.

• Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Cheat lip liner in ‘Pillow Talk’ is a cult-favorite among the beauty set as the perfect nude for defining and [slightly] over-lining the lips. Charlotte released her Matte Revolution lipstick in the same shade last year, and I managed to avoid the temptation to purchase until I saw Sali Hughes wearing it on her Instagram; then I went straight to Nordstrom’s website and ordered both the lipstick and liner from my phone. If I lost my entire lip collection (heaven forbid!) and could only replace one nude lipstick, this would be it. It’s the most flattering, “your-lips-but-better” pink in a hydrating matte formula that lasts. (And the rose gold packaging feels so fancy and luxe!)

• One of my favorite beauty vloggers, Jamie Paige, always raves about the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders, so I bought a mini size to try it out before committing to the full-size splurge. I loved it so much, I bought the full size and put the mini in my handbag for on-the-go touchups. I typically hate setting powders: I don’t ever wanna be matte, and as I get older, loose powder wants to hang out in my fine lines; especially around my eyes. But this stuff is magic. It sets makeup and controls shine, and gives the skin and gives a gorgeous, candlelit glow. It’s like the Snapchat beauty filter IRL. I use the shade ‘Dim Light’ (a neutral peach beige) as an all-over setting powder to lock in all my cream products, and they hold up all day through the Florida heat and humidity.

Books

• I finally broke down and bought a Kindle Paperwhite, after a decade of e-reader avoidance. While I’ll remain a paper book purist until I die — or they stop printing them, in which case, I’m not sure I’d like to continue on living — I wanted something I could travel with and keep stashed in my handbag every day. (I’m getting old and my poor shoulders need a break from schlepping hardcovers all over town!) For now, I exclusively use it to borrow e-books through our public library’s website, which I’m thoroughly enjoying because I don’t have to worry about returns and late fees. This marble shell case may be my favorite part of Kindle ownership; it’s $16.99 from Amazon.

• I’m super late to the party (and haven’t seen the HBO show) but I finally read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and thought it was great! Moriarty has a knack for creating stories that hook you from the beginning, with a fun-to-read mix of humor and suspense and a cast of characters that feel so relatable they could be your friends or neighbors. If you’re looking for an easy beach read, I highly recommend this one!

• Two audio books I loved this month were The Wife Between Us, a thriller by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, and last year’s highly-buzzed novel Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng. I also listened to Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, a book I read and enjoyed years ago, but loved even more after hearing it in Amy’s own words.

Style

• My Pinterest style boards are filled with easy outfits built around what I consider to be the perfect jeans: a throwback, curve-hugging silhouette, with a high rise and relaxed-fit leg that hits just above the ankle. (Think classic Levi’s 501s, or Madewell’s ‘Perfect Summer’ jeans.) The style feels timeless, easy, and comfortable, which is the trifecta for my personal aesthetic, tbh. I found a pair that achieves the same ‘cool girl’ look for less, and you can find them here. (This weekend they’re on sale for $39.50!!)

• My mom gave me her vintage bamboo basket bag from the 70s, so I’m feeling very on-trend this summer without having to drop the cash on the Cult Gaia bag that took the Internet by storm last year. She said she and her friends used to line their basket bags with colorful handkerchiefs or bandanas, so I’ll have to give that a try. Thanks, Mom!

Other Stuff

• While listening to an old episode of the podcast How To Be Less Old, Kristen Bell talked about her obsession with having a variety of beverages on-hand at all times (me too, girl) and mentioned her current love of dairy-free Ripple pea milk. So I bought a bottle of chocolate pea milk to add to iced coffee for a quick morning grab-and-go, and YOU GUYS, it is so good. A serving has 8 grams of protein (compared to 1g in almond milk) and 50% more calcium than dairy milk. It’s made with a sustainable manufacturing process that has a carbon footprint that’s 93% less than dairy milk, so it’s also better for the environment. (And as someone who sat through many dinner table stand-offs with my dad over my refusal to eat green peas, I can tell you it tastes just like milk and nothing like peas.)

A note: Unfortunately, How To Be Less Old was cancelled shortly after I discovered it, but there’s lots of good stuff in the archives to help all of us who are “too damn young to be this damn confused.”

To keep up with all the other stuff I love, subscribe for email updates to receive fresh posts straight to your inbox!

[wc_html name=”Subscribe”][/wc_html]

Shop The Post