Summer is ending in a few days. With my job search still moving along and taking up a good deal of my time, with a small bit of time to enjoy the weather, I've not authored as many articles as I would've liked. But, summer is the time to keep things light, products and life schedule. That's what I love about summer, and what I miss most when the weather gets cold and dreary (pumpkin spice lattes be damned). I'm definitely not the person talking about fall and cool weather in July.

I spent the rest of my time formulating a few balms (for lips and lip-cheek) and a gloss. My personal formulating and testing process takes a lot of time. As of now, I think they're pretty perfect (for me, at least); I hope everyone else will love them just as much. So, that is coming soon.

Now, let's talk summer products.

SKINCARE

The same drill. Pond's Cold Cream to remove my makeup, Cetaphil morning and night, with philosophy's Purity cleanser for those hot, sticky days, and then a combination of toners. I always apply First Aid Beauty's Facial Radiance Pads after cleansing in the morning and Pixi's Glow Tonic at night. Glycolic Acid is the best AHA to clean out pores and help with eruptions.

Always Vibriance Super C Serum. Morning and night. It's so good. Perfect all year round. I don't hear much about this product. Another Amazon whim purchase. But, it's really helped my skin to look smooth and healthy.

For day, I followed with Vanicream (the closest to perfection I can think of) and sunscreen, usually Summer Fridays' ShadeDrops because it's light and great in the summer.

At night, I followed the serum with either a face cream from Ole Henriksen (discontinued but I'm hoarding many jars) or Sunday Riley's Afterglow Brightening Moisturizer. No eye cream. And then my own lip balm.

MAKEUP

I've always been inspired by the way many French women use and wear products: basically, bare skin, with some color mostly on the eyes and lips; and even then, they don't wear that much. This is another reason I miss really great fashion magazines. Websites, TikTok videos, and other social media are way too overwhelming for ideas. It's like it becomes an archaeological dig; at least for me. In the past, magazines were great for ideas and dreaming; in a single month and in a single moment. Too much information is just too much.

I continued wearing Laura Mercier's serum concealer, a clean brow, and then color. The only product I tend to totally change is mascara. This summer, I rotated in Ilia Beauty's Fullest Volumizing Mascara. I really love this mascara (I need to write about it). It just looks so natural, like your lashes are naturally lush and long. It reminds me of my discontinued favorite, Clinique's Naturally Glossy Mascara. Why does this always happen? I think lines should meet with their clients before discontinuing a beloved product. But Ilia's is very, very close. It's definitely one of the best mascaras out there—if you like natural-looking lashes. (And, no, ChatGPT did not add that em dash.)

Because Viseart was having a sale, I picked up their Noix powder bronzer (for me, mica and talc in moderation are fine). It's such a pretty shade: very natural, a bit warmer than Benefit Hoola, and perfect for cheeks and eyes. Their eyeshadow palettes are beautiful, so I knew this bronzer would be great. This bronzer is also the perfect size. Some lines make such super-huge palettes and bronzers that I'll likely never finish. For example, Charlotte Tilbury's Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer. I have it and love it but it's almost the size of a frisbee. I prefer smaller, almost travel-size products because they're easier to hold and travel with plus I don't feel guilty if I don't hit pan.

Another new product, Too Faced's Chocolate Soleil Melting Bronzing & Sculpting Stick in Chocolate Mousse. (Are the lines competing for longest product names or what?) This stick is everything everyone says it is. I like that it's more of a neutral shade; the warmer shades look like mustard on me. This stick is really pigmented but it blends right away and lasts all day. Oh, and it smells like a chocolate bar.

And, finally, lips. Along with testing my 3-4 lip balms and a few lip-cheek balms, I've been wearing Too Faced's Pillow Balm in Juicy Watermelon. I got the original a few years ago and loved it but this shade and scent are so yummy. Shiny, soft, and definitely smoothing.

Also, Maybelline's Lifter Gloss in Gummy Bear. Shiny, natural baby pink. It's taken a while to get this but seeing it on a friend a few months back convinced me to buy it.

Basically, I wore some shade of pink, glossy balm all summer long.

FRAGRANCE

The usual scents I've been rotating but I added a fragrance oil I happened to hear about on Fragrantica. Pirette by Pirette Beach. Pirette Beach is a small indie line co-owned by professional surfer, Coco Ho. Not many products, mostly body and room scents. There are so many beach/island scents and you have to find the one you prefer and love most. Some are coconutty, some are pikake/jasmine, some are straight up sunscreen. Personally, I think there's a fine line between beach-y and plastic.

Pirette fragrance oil is a combination of all versions but it's subtle with a hint of surf wax. Not heavy on the coconut, which I prefer. I think it smells like my skin at the end of a long beach day; sunscreen, fragrance, and my own body scent all melded together. Plus, it's got good staying power. No beach required.

NAILS

Not having a full-time job has pushed me to put a bit more effort into smaller rituals. I normally have pretty short nails because of my work plus I just like them that way. This summer, I've switched between Kur Londontown's Illuminating Nail Concealer in the Original shade and two OPI reds: Infinite Shine in Unequivocally Crimson and their cream shade in Big Apple Red. Topping it off with Seche Vite for a longer wear. When I have a slight tan, I always love a pretty beige or nude pedicure and a red manicure.

Unlike some, I am not "an autumn". Au revoir summer.