It’s summer in most parts of the world, and we’ve broken out the summer staples and new favourites for the season! From perfumes to liquid blushes, from the prettiest eyeshadows to the prettiest lip conditioners, all are tried and tested for those summer days when you want to look great, but secretly can’t be bothered. We also share our ideas for some nice summery treats with you.
Dorit’s beauty favourites
Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Skinscent Eau Fraiche
Yeah, I know. I’ll stop blathering about my favourite summer scent asap (you’ve heard it before and I sound like a broken record player at this point). I’ll just give you the bare facts: Every year Estée Lauder releases the Bronze Goddess Skinscent Eau Fraiche, and sometimes it’s the same like the year before, and sometimes, it’s different. This year’s is the most-beloved iteration of the scent, a coconutty concoction that’ll remind you of sunscreen in the best possible way. It’s soft and creamy with a heady whiff of Tiare flowers, and I want to bathe in it. (Note that this year the bottle looks a bit different than mine which is older.)
There’s also an Eau de Perfume this year, which I find very exciting, plus a body cream and body oil. Official notes are “Bergamot, warm Amber, Tiare Flower and Vanilla combined with delicious creamy Coconut”. 500ml/1,7oz for 60$, 55€ at Estée Lauder everywhere.
MAC Fruity Juicy Pearlmatte Face Powder in Oh My, Passion!
I liked MAC’s summer collection from the very first glance and recommended one or two items in my quarterly round-up of new seasonal beauty collections. I bought (surprisingly) non of the eyeshadow palettes, but the awfully pretty Oh My, Passion! pearlmatte face powder. Pearlmatte powders can be used as a number of things, this one looks best as a blush OR an eyeshadow on me. Don’t be fooled by the seemingly very light swatch of this, on my cheeks it’s a bronze-y pink that just screams summer. Also note that it kicks up some dust when you swirl your brush in the pan, but it’s by no means a powdery formula.
As a cheek colour, I swirl my brush in all colours. When I use it as an eyeshadow, I usually use the brown colour as an easy all-over wash. It’s still available at some sites, and I enjoy it very much. I guess, though, it’ll be useless for people with a deeper than medium skin tone. 33$, 33€ at MAC online (Germany / US).
moonshot Powder Block in Frangelico
I picked up the eyeshadow in the shade Frangelico up when I last visited Seoul, because the insanely pretty rose-golden/ copper colour caught my eye. It doesn’t have any obnoxious glitter, but an highly reflective shine within a great formula that’s easy to apply and to blend. I find it super-summery and like to wear it solo or paired with bronzes and browns for a proper Bronze Goddess look. Because I always wear eyeshadows over primer, I can’t say anything about longevity. Over primer, it wore well even in the hot humid mess that calls itself summer right now.
I think it’ll look great on all skin tones and eye colors – it’ll complement brown eyes, and will make blues, greens or hazels pop. It’s proper name is Powder Block, it has 3,5g, and will set you back around something like 14$. I paid approximately that in Seoul. If you order it online (right now, I can spot it at ShopKorea and BeautyBoxKorea online) it’s between 15 and 19$. Totally worth it, in my opinion.
Treat yoself! But how?
Right now, my life is a bit hectic and stressful (I’m in the process of moving, for starters). An ideal treat involves winding down with a glossy mag and an iced coffee at the moment. I also try to always have flowers in the apartment – I just think they make life a bit more cheerful and colourful. It’s something I got from my mum. She (still) shops at the market and comes back with those huge bundles of flowers she’ll drop in vases all over the house, so flowers will feel instantly “homely” to me.
Astrid’s Beauty Favourites
June is my favorite month of the year. It’s my birthday month, and also it’s getting quite warm over here in Berlin. I realized I’ve been toning down my foundation these days for it, opting for powder + concealer on the needed spots (undereyes! I don’t think I will ever get rid of those dark shadows).
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Tan
This is my go-to powder for a light finish on my skin. MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinishes are classics for a reason. They come in a plethora of finishes, and the “Natural” one is made for both setting your foundation and wearing it as a (super sheer) foundation. Its finish is, as the name suggests, natural – satin-y but never lifeless or cakey. It doesn’t feel heavy at all on a warm and humid days, and yet it makes me still look made-up in pictures! It’s also important to note that you can re-apply it during the day without it looking all weird and gross. Available at all MAC counters/ stores for 33$/ 33€.
NARS Liquid Blush in Orgasm
A perfect match for natural skin days, aka not wearing foundation. This liquid blush has a very light consistency, with properties that are supposedly good for your skin. It has definitely less shimmer than the powder one blush, but still has a subtle sheen to it. Veeeeeery pretty! Their new line of liquid blushes consists of four colours, all of which have their matching counterpart in powder form (Orgasm, Luster, Torrid and Dolce Vita).
Again, Orgasm (we’ll just pretend that we added the usual crack about the name here) is a pretty iconic shade, and while it’s one we’ve seen thousands of times by now, there’s definitely something to that peachy coral shade that’s universally appealing. Fair skintones and medium to dark skintones alike can wear it, too! Like most liquid or cream blushes, you can fine-tune the effect you want to reach with it: Layer it under your foundation for a more subtle effect or over it for a more intense one. Nars says you can layer the formula over powder, as well. It’s 30$/ 31€ at all places that sell Nars (in Germany, it’s easiest to order at their European site online).
Ilia Beauty Lip Conditioner SPF15 in Kamikaze
Kamikaze is a pink strawberry colour and very moisturizing on the lips. It’s also rather sheer, so you don’t have to use a mirror when applying it. It’s a great lip balm for summer due to the added SPF (that comes from including non-nano zinc oxide to the formula that’s 65% organic, btw). There’re a lot of moisturizing agents in it, like shea and cocoa butter and organic avocado, sesame, cranberry, and passionflower oils. (So beware leaving that out in the car during the heat!) While it seems bold in the tube, the colour itself is very natural and pretty. Ilia is available at Net-a-Porter, Harvey Nichols and Colette, but they also have their own site. In Germany, you can easily get it at Amazingy. Rather pricy for 26$/ 28€, but worth it if you want to give your lips some organic TLC!
Treat Yourself!
I know that when I’m feeling meh, it also means that I was sitting down for too long. I love taking a walk while listening to a business / inspiration podcasts, I guess the feeling of multitasking right there! My favorite podcast is Mentoring Moments by Denise Rastauri, wholeheartedly recommended that especially if you’re a businesswoman. After that, I will take time sitting down to get some good coffee (yeah, I’m an avid third-wave coffee fan) and possibly cake!
To end the post, I’ll just have to share this epic birthday cake I got for my birthday, courtesy of the super talented Phil of flavorphil.com. Yes, all the flowers are made from sugars. Yes, I got a sugar high :D. And the cake is a lemon-berries cake!
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