Not that you need us to tell you (sticking an arm out the window or, better yet! sitting in your kitchen without the AC on will do the trick), but it’s summer again. Or it will be, after Memorial Day weekend. While summer is always the hottest seasonal sister, literally and metaphorically, this one feels like it’s going to be particularly spectacular. The little bright spots we’ve been reveling in all spring are widening out, and the next few months are likely to be filled with reunions, travel, live music, and a rare opportunity for aesthetic rebirth. What are you most excited about sharing with the world, now that you can? What are you excited to experience again? We made some moodboards to organize our thoughts.
Ashley Weatherford, Senior Editor
Outer beauty
I passed by a block party last week and saw the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. As sweat sped down my back in the 90 degree heat, there she was: cool as a cucumber, smiling with friends in a tropical, belted, ankle-length dress. I couldn’t be her, but at least I had to have that dress! Turns out that it was a number from THE designer of the moment, Christopher John Rogers. And better yet, it was from his pocket-friendly Target collab. My size was sold out but I was able to snag an equally pretty green dress from the line for only 60 bucks. That and probably a few more bold colored frocks are going to be my summer uniform. Above the shoulders you’ll find me in 90s-inspired braids because I am OVER heavy ropes that threaten to break my neck. Comfort is key here, folks! Which is also why I’ll be wearing the lightest, yummiest, action-packed face oil I’ve ever tried. Furtuna’s Biphase Oil isn’t cheap but it’s the face oil to end all face oils. Its light-as-air formula has kicked my usual moisturizer to the curb, and its who’s who of antioxidants makes my skin look like it starts the day with an acrid but absolutely good-for-you green smoothie—it looks healthy! I use three drops max each time, so it’ll be with me for a while. Top that off with Louis Vuitton’s On The Beach perfume, which Vuitton describes as the “ecstasy of the sun... and the gentle warmth of the sand on the skin” and I swear I’ll be happy all summer.
Inner beauty
I feel like I’m recalibrating a bit from all of that pandemic wine, and something I’ve been really into lately is this drink called Vybes (please don’t judge them for the name). It is basically juice...plus CBD. Look, I still don’t totally buy into the magical idea of CBD, but there’s something about this drink that seems to center me. It honestly could just be the flavors: Strawberry Lavender, Honeycrisp Apple Basil, Blackberry Hibiscus...doesn’t that sound so good? Well, it is! I have this post-work routine where I pour a glass and go outside to water my garden. A big inspiration of mine has been UK interior designer Abigail Ahern, who shares a wealth of gardening advice on Instagram. She’s amazing because she has phenomenal style, but also because she’s not a professional gardener! And so she takes shortcuts and speaks in a language that a novice like me can understand. All summer I’ll be toiling away to make my little garden better. In the past year, since I’ve started gardening, I’ve learned that the corny metaphors that compare it to life are actually spot-on. No gardener really knows what they are doing. You try things out, and some things work, but a lot more fail. Too much of anything is bad, and you’ll mess up and learn from your mess up...eventually. You have to be patient and attentive, but not too attentive. Your best best is to exercise measured care, and then everything will really grow.
Ali Oshinsky, Associate Editor
Outer Beauty
You know when you’re walking down the street and you see someone visibly hot? Temperature-wise. They’ve made all these modifications to what they’re wearing… hair is up, sleeves are rolled, buttons are unbuttoned, heck, maybe they’ve gone and taken their whole shirt off. That’s my summer style vibe: visibly hot and practically cool. I want to wear teeny shorts with big shirts and all the buttons undone—I’ve always loved how Jenna Lyons does this. And, I also want to wear big shorts, like the ones Julia Roberts wears in Pretty Woman, with teeny tops. I think the key there is keeping things modern and sporty, flattening instead of upward-pushing. In terms of texture, I’m looking for cotton and nylon and nubby terry cloth. I want shoes I can walk in, because I want to be outside and moving. And for the beauty to go with it, just healthy skin and lipstick for me, thanks. Therapy and tretinoin have done wonders for my pandemic breakouts, and I don’t want to put on anything I’ll inevitably sweat off. (Being flushed and dewy is part of the visibly hot aesthetic anyway.) All I need is sunscreen—right now I’ve been testing and enjoying Avene’s new UV Solaire Mineral, which is thick but super soothing and dewy without feeling greasy, and on days I can’t be bothered I go for my Biore or Dr. Jart. Then I might swipe on some Ultralip (I think Coupe is going to be my shade of the summer). Or not! I have bright red streaks in my hair now, and the fact that they’re so close to my face brightens it up and kind of acts like makeup when I don’t feel like wearing any. Lucille at Mark Ryan Salon really did me good.
Inner Beauty
I’m really just looking to enjoy as many things as I can this summer. Especially since all of my friends (and most of New York) are vaxxed, and I don’t have any travel plans. But my lack of doing anything over the past year makes even the city’s hot garbage air feel all shimmery and special. I’ll be looking for pretty in-season stuff I’ve never eaten at the farmers market and inviting friends over to eat it. Or, do an activity. I… will not be learning how to surf, because I simply do not have the coordination (blame it on my spleen, as an acupuncturist recently did). But I do want to get back into tennis, and I have been enjoying running outside. Since I can’t hack nighttime sleeping lately, I am incredibly excited about the prospect of a warm daytime nap. Sprawling out, wrapped in a towel, with a half-read book draped across my arm… sounds perfect. Don’t wake me up unless there’s popsicles.
What's your summer mood? Share your own inspiration in the comments!
