OK, so it's not the summer solstice or anything quite yet, but for all intents and purposes, summer is in full swing. 8:30pm sunsets and switching from reds to rosé makes it official. Hoorah.
At this point, if you're anything like me, you already have your sandal-and-swimsuit situation on lock, took a chainsaw to your toenails, and have blacked out the next three months of Saturdays and Sundays as official beach/work-on-your-tan-with-SPF-of-course days. Brunch is for fall anyway.
Along with that comes the seasonal beauty rewrite. You throw your winter gear in storage, and switch from Americano to cold brew, so it's a no brainer that skincare at the very least needs a little switch-up storage-wise (unless you're swimming in extra shelf space). There are obvious issues like your mid-January concealer not vibing with your August tan, but what about things like shampoo or fragrance? Does Tom Ford Tuscan Leather feel too dark and heavy for an 80-degree rooftop BBQ with watermelon salad and Hall & Oates karaoke? I feel that. The second the weather gets nice, I spritz my Gap Grass-esqe (miss u) Comme Des Garcons Sherbet Toilette in Peppermint to keep things cool and light. Like, actually cool though because of the menthol and light enough that I can spray liberally at my desk without causing the dude next to me to have an allergy attack.
And then there's moisturizer. My Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream that works wonders on my wind-chapped skin in January is too heavy in July, so I’ll switch to Avène Tolérance Extrême cream for hydration without the slick. Face mists are also a summer savior that I forget about over the long winter when an icy spray to the face is not exactly the pick-me-up I’m looking for. When it’s hot, I don’t even go to Trader Joe's without one.
A relevant question: How do you deal with all your powder formulas in summer? Mix with a little Lucas' Papaw Ointment and repurpose? For me, hot months and anything RMS are inseparable. I need easy, creamy formulas that I can apply on the subway without a mirror that won’t look crazy after sweating profusely and wiping my face 1,000 times over the course of the day. And waterproof mascara if I’m going to wear it. Obviously.
The season switch is also when I gently remind Feyoncé (what I call my fiance) that if he doesn’t like the Pu Pu platter of products in our bathroom he’s welcome to start using Pert Plus 2-in-1 again, but it’s best to stay silent and enjoy the abundance. ExfoliKate doesn’t grow on trees after all, and is pretty crucial to summer exfoliation so…
How do you do the summer switch?
—Jesse Dickenson
Photo by ITG. How do you pack your products when traveling?
