August Favorites

I can't believe August is over and September is upon us. As an Angeleno at heart, I'm an eternal summer kind of gal. I'll hold onto it as long as I possibly can — as you can see here by my picks.

Between wearing masks and working from home, I’m opting for tinted lip balm and sheer lipstick formulas that I can easily apply and reapply. I’m also looking for lip products that give my lips some hydration throughout the day. All of my pigmented, matte lipsticks are woefully neglected right now, but I’m okay with it because there are so many beautiful tinted lip formulas on the market right now. Specifically, I’m loving orangey red tinted lip formulas for summer.

I’m loving the Becca Cosmetics Hydra-Light Plumping Lip Balm in the shade Surge. This is a shiny, hydrating tinted lip balm formula, a newer release from Becca. The shade Surge, which starts out as a sheer and shiny coral, and builds to a more bold orangey red. This is a thin, slippery balm formula. I like to apply one or two layers, as anything more tends to slide around a little bit.

The Gucci Beauty Rouge á Lévres Voile Lipstick in the shade Agatha Orange is truly a treat. Rouge á Lévres Voile is Gucci’s sheer lipstick formula (pictured here next to the matte formula in the shade They Met in Argentina). It’s luminous and transparent, but buildable. It’s not quite as shiny as the Becca formula, and slightly waxier, which makes it also more long-lasting. The vintage vibe packaging is just so cute. It has a slightly floral fragrance that fades over time. I love it so much I just ordered another shade, Marguerite Jade.

Real talk: I’ve been feeling not-great about my body this summer and was unhappy with how all of my shorts were fitting, so I decided to invest in some new denim shorts this summer. I turned to Agolde and I decided to try the Parker and Dee style shorts, and I love them both for different reasons.

The Dee shorts are super high rise, which are perfect for my long torso. They cover my bellybutton. They’re slightly longer than my usual shorts, while still flattering the leg. I really enjoy that they are roomy in the thighs. I find that hourglass shape of these shorts actually elongates the body. I do get a bit of creasing in the thigh fold area, but IMO that’s pretty unavoidable with most shorts. I found that the Black Dees ran TTS, while I sized up in the Ricochet blue denim (pictured left) and the White Dees, which I can't seem to find online now. They did stretch out a bit, but in a good way — not enough to size down.

The Agolde Parker shorts are also a higher rise (just below the bellybutton on me) and a shorter cut. So they don’t rise as high and they don’t cover as much as the Dees. Like the Dee shorts, they are roomy in the thighs in a way that flatters the thigh area. You won’t get any tugging with these. I got the Swapmeet vintage blue style (pictured right) with distressed fraying at the bottom. I bought my usual size, but these stretched out a lot more than the Dees. I actually enjoy the roomier look, but if you want something with a closer fit, you may want to size down.

I have been raving the Colorescience Sunforgettable Face Shield Glow SPF 50 PA +++ all over Instagram, so I’m sorry if you’re sick of me talking about it; it's just that good! Face Shield Glow is the only mineral SPF I’ve ever felt this way about. It’s lightly tinted and gives a glow pretty similar to the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (I know, pretty surprising). Most tinted SPFs don’t work for me. This one does. It sets down and doesn’t budge. It reapplies and layers beautifully. Pictured here with the Total Eye 3-in-1, which I also love. I use shades medium and tan depending on the season.

A few caveats about tinted SPF. I struggle to apply the proper amount of tinted SPF (1/4 teaspoon for the face) without looking cakey or heavy. So, I use this over my usual SPF. I like to use it almost as a highlighting SPF product because it leaves the most beautiful glow. This strategic application is a perfect way to reap the benefits of this glowy formula. It’s a pricier SPF product ($39/1.8 oz/55ml) so this is also an economical way for me to use it. This bottle was gifted but it’s the first mineral SPF I’ve loved like this. I’d totally repurchase.

There’s also a Bronze version that’s among the deeper tinted mineral SPFs I’ve seen. That said, tinted mineral SPFs still have a long way to go by way of shade range.

An oldie but a goodie, the Tom Ford Honeymoon Quad reigns as an all-time beauty favorite of mine (my actual palette pictured here). I purchased it a few years ago, and it remains one of my most-used, most-loved eyeshadow palettes. It contains a warm champagne, the perfect bronze, a warm cranberry, and a deep plum. These shades are all Tom Ford’s signature wet/dry formula: a baked gelée formula with little to no fallout and serious shine. I rarely use it wet simply because it has so much shine and dimension even when used dry. The top left champagne shade contains

slight micro-glitters that look like a very fine twinkle on the lids. I use the top two shades all over the lids and use the bottom two shades to deepen and add some dimension. I even use the plum shade to line to lash line.

For me, this quad is functional (contains light to deep shades to highlight, contour, and define the eye) without sacrificing luxury. As much as I enjoy a large eyeshadow palette, there’s something about an edited and beautifully curated quad that speaks to me. I would be more than happy if Honeymoon were my desert island palette.

Last but not least, I’m obsessed with AHA Sparkling Waters. I drink at least one a day, usually two in this heat wave. In my personal opinion, Peach + Honey and Strawberry + Cucumber are the best flavors. Followed closely by Ginger + Apple, Lime + Watermelon, Orange + Grapefruit, and Citrus + Green Tea for a slight caffeine kick.

And that's it! I hope you're all enjoying the dog days of summer and staying cool and safe.