As much as I love to play with make-up, lipsticks are a hard topic for me.  I feel like I am constantly searching for *the* perfect shade - something that is easy, versatile, and is a fun color.  But mostly, I just feel stuck in a rut of my usual 'safe' colors.  On the advice of some other bloggers, I most recently purchased two more vibrant shades from MAC: 'Girl About Town' and 'Ruby Woo'.  I love them both, but they are a stark contrast to what I'm used to wearing. 

My advice if you are going to take the color plunge (which is a huge trend this summer), is to ease into it.  Go to your local makeup counter and speak to one of their very knowledgeable staff about what brights work best with your skin tone.   Also, make sure you have a good base - moisturize, moisturize, moisturize and exfoliate.



[Colors: Covergirl Dazzle, Covergirl Coquette, MAC Girl About Town, MAC Modesty, MAC Ruby Woo]

Regardless of what you have in your house, if you are anything like me, you change up your beauty routine seasonally to account for weather changes.  Here are some of my favorite summer beauty products.



1) Exfoliate - A good skin foundation can make or break your beauty products.  Exfoliation is the key to maximizing the effectiveness of your other products.  I love the Clarisonic Mia because I'm able to use my usual facewash and exfoliate all at once.  If you don't want to spring for the Clarisonic (which is worth it's weight in gold), I would definitely recommend an exfoliating scrub (St. Ive's Apricot is my fave).

2) Sunscreen - Use it often and liberally.  There's a lot of changes going on right now in the sunscreen realm with the FDA stepping in to ensure the quality of the products, as well as that the labels are written in a less confusing manner. Regardless, I would recommend Josie Maran's line. Ah.may.zing.

3) Moisturizer - Ole Henricksen for my face and Jergen's Natural Glow for my body.  I try not to use a moisturizer on my face that has any sunscreen in it anymore because the sunscreen can break down as it ages and mess with the balance of things.  And Jergen's has been my go-to for years for the rest of my body.  I love the subtle tan it gives you without an orange glow.

4) Self Tanner - When I really want to step up my tanning game, I jump all in with St Tropez's foaming self-tanner.  It's hands down the best.  Just don't forget to wear gloves when you apply or wash your hands well after it's application or you'll have weirdly tanned palms.  Other recommendations for making your self tanner stick: showers a few hours after you apply and before you go to bed dust yourself with baby powder to avoid rub off on your sheets.

Iris Apfel has been around for ages; she's a fashion icon for the better part of a century.  Her wardrobe has been on exhibition at Metropolitan Museum of Art, her stunning home has been highlighted in Architectural Digest, and she has her own jewelry collection, among other accolades such as working with presidents.  I find her utterly fascinating.  That's why when MAC announced her as the face of their new campaign, I was in awe.  In a society where people value youth and celebrities start getting plastic surgery when they are younger than I am, I thought it was a bold and fantastic choice for MAC.  Beauty is ageless and Iris sure proves that.

• You should be washing your brushes pretty frequently to ensure that bacteria doesn't build up in your brushes.  I would recommend at a minimum of once a month.  

• Select a cleanser that is specific for make-up brushes or gentle enough to use on the brushes (MAC Brush Cleanser or Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo)

• Use warm water to dilute the cleanser and clean the brush gently with your fingers.  You should see the pigment begin to come off of the brush.  Continue until the water runs clear and there is no visible pigment left on the brush. 

• Lay flat to dry overnight on a paper towel (DO NOT place on end in container to dry)