Jill's List
 Beauty made effortless
 By: Jill Lieberman

White is the in color for summer — in clothing, accessories, swimsuits, you name it. Or, according to Vogue, “Yes, white is everywhere.”

White clothing reminds me of my mother. She’s always loved relaxed white linen pants and crisply tailored white shirts (and no one can iron a shirt like my mom, especially me). White looks fresh and bright and just so clean against sun-kissed summer skin. However, white is not a color (or an absence of color) to be taken lightly. Obviously, it soils easily. I can’t wear anything white more than once without having to wash it. And wear too much or the wrong combination and you end up looking like a nurse rather than a stylish girl of summer.

Furthermore, what do you wear on your face to complement your summer whites? You know, to give you that leisurely “Oh, I just threw this together and ran out of the house” look of the season?
 
MAC’s “To the Beach” Collection captures the sexy, laid-back vibe of languid days spent seaside. Packaged in stylish, whimsical cases featuring various inhabitants of the ocean, the lip, eye, and cheek colors are either sheer summery neutrals like peach and pink or hot weather brights such as turquoise and coral.

Of course, the collection also includes bronzer, because how could beach-themed cosmetics not? I am particularly partial to the crème bronzer because: 1) I’m all about cream blush lately. I love the natural, “lit from within” look it gives; 2) I’ve been looking for a good bronzer that was either a gel or cream versus a powder because I like that dewy, glowy look. To the Beach Crème Bronzers come in two shades. Weekend is a deep orange brown with a soft pink pearl. Beach Bronze is a golden glow with a soft, luminous finish. MAC is available at Belk and on-line at maccosmetics.com.

Now, while MAC enables my beach babe look, there’s no question most of my bronzed fabulousness will be wasted lying by the pool versus frolicking at the shore. So it goes. I do still adore a lazy day by the pool, but one thing I loathe is how that chlorine and chemical-laden water leaves my skin feeling devoid of any moisture. It seems to particularly suck the life from my hands and feet. Furthermore, my beach bag is so heavy with magazines, sunscreen, and water bottles, adding a bottle of lotion to slather on poolside doesn’t seem feasible.

Enter an ingenious, on-the-go moisture product that you can use on your cuticles, lips, feet — wherever you want. Candle Logic’s Body Balm comes in a big twist-up tube, so it’s like a giant lip balm for your entire body and doesn’t weigh down your tote bag. I’m fond of swiping it on my feet and cuticles post-swimming. It’s quick and easy to apply — not nearly as laborious as lotion. I also love its versatility, not to mention the fact that it’s all natural. Plus it comes in a variety of fragrances, or my preference, unscented. I recommend one for your purse, one for your pool bag, and one to keep by your bed to hit those cuticles and heels before turning in. Additionally, if you don’t use it all this summer, Body Balm is just as essential in winter for dry and cracked skin. Body Balm is available on-line at shop.candlelogic.com.

One of my conundrums with summer is that my lips sometimes get more chapped in the scorching sun than they do in the cold and wind. Couldn’t someone come up with a lip product that really heals and moisturizes, protects from the sun, and gives your lips color? Yes, Bobbi Brown did! Bobbi Brown’s Treatment Lip Shine with SPF 15 gives your lips both immediate and long-lasting moisture, along with gorgeous color in a wide range of hues. The color doesn’t last super-long, but you won’t mind re-applying because it feels extraordinary on your lips.

We all have experienced makeup melting during summer’s sweltering temps, especially around the eyes. Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Wheat keeps other eye shadows in place, but on its own it is “my skin but better.” It is a yellow-based neutral beige that can help correct any purple or redness you may have on your lids, so it really brightens and opens up the eyes. It also has a slight shimmer to it — not so much that it looks like glitter, but just a little texture so it doesn’t look too matte.

But — beware the applicator! Just make the tiniest dot on the lid and pat into place with your finger. Allow to dry, then add other eye shadow on top, or do as I usually do and wear it alone. It’s perfect for summer because it stays put when you’re crazy from the heat and gives you that natural “me only better” look we all work so hard for! Laura Mercier is available at Belk in Greenville or on-line at lauramercier.com.

I’ve written previously about my love for Stila Kitten eye shadow and Nars’ Orgasm blush. Both are cult classic beauty products that have been expanded from their original iterations into a variety of must-haves, and both are great complements to tanned (or not so tanned) summer skin.

Stila’s shimmering pink nude, Kitten, is now not only a classic for the eyes, but also the lips. It’s now available as a lip glaze in Stila’s famous clickable pen and a shimmering gloss that’s beautiful on its own or over a deeper color for extra oomph. The eyes have it as well. Kitten also comes in a Stila Smudge Pot, which is a crazy cool gel formula that can be used as both shadow and liner. For evenings, try a little on the inner corner of your eyes or just under the lower lash line. Last but not least in the Kitten collection is the new One Step PrimeColor. This latest innovation from the Stila wizards combines primer, eye shadow, highlighter, lip color, cheek color, and bronzer with mineral pigments to deliver long-wearing, all-over color. Don’t ask me how it works or how that’s even possible. Sometimes you just gotta believe.

Nars Orgasm Blush always receives top honors in every magazine’s “best of beauty” awards and with good reason. With the ideal shade of peachy-pink with just a touch of gold shimmer, this blush looks amazing on most any skin tone. Believing you can never have too much of a good thing, Nars now offers Orgasm in their famous Multiple, a chunky twist-up cream-to-powder makeup stick for all-over color (lips, cheeks, eyes). Additionally, there’s a lip gloss, of course, and Orgasm Illuminator, which can be worn alone or mixed in with your foundation. It’s also great on the décolleté for a night on the town. Stila is available at Belk in Greenville or on-line at sephora.com. Nars is also available at sephora.com.

I’m still working on my self-tanner research. By the time I figure out the best choices it will be fall and no one will care anymore, but there’s always next year…thanks to everyone who has e-mailed me their preferences. If you have one you haven’t sent, please do. For that matter, e-mail me any of your beauty secrets or obsessions. I always love to hear about them and am always up for trying something new. E-mail me at Jillslist.sophie@gmail.com.

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