Glass hair, glowy skin, little effort: the late-summer beauty formula to follow

I was in New York a couple of weeks ago, where the heat and humidity reminded me that it is, in fact, summertime.

(I’m currently in San Francisco, where “Fogust” is in full swing, continuing the trend set by…all the other months of the year.)

To hang onto that summery-summer feeling, I thought I’d share a few ways to experiment with of-the-moment makeup and hair looks: they’ll capture the season’s spirit while also carrying you into fall looking current and modern.

And if the phrase “experiment with of-the-moment makeup and hair looks” elicits a touch of anxiety for you, don’t worry. I always prefer to let good health and good skin do the talking, and I don’t have tons of time on my hands, so any “looks” I like will never, ever be complicated.

Today’s muse. Photo: Philip Romano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It seems Zendaya and her makeup artist have been setting all the trends lately, and her angelic look from the New York premiere of The Odyssey is an excellent example. Lots of glow on the skin, sun-kissed blush, rosy and radiant lips, perfectly-in-place brows, and the lightest sweep of mascara: it’s perfect.

And even if you, like me, are decades older than Zendaya, it’s also easy. Here are the ways you can make it happen.

If it’s very hot and humid where you are, you may not need much help with this. But I’ve heard from some clients lately that their skin has been dry and red, which to me says that it could use a little more oil. Give it a go with a lighter-weight oil like Marie Veronique’s Dara’s Oil or VENN’s Multi-Perfecting Red Oil Serum: warm a few extra drops in your palms and press them in as a bonus top layer before a super-light application of foundation or tinted sunscreen, ideally applied with a brush or a sponge. Add a little brightness with a bit of concealer if you need it (you might not).

Apply a non-powder blush across the cheeks, letting it sweep across the nose. Blend it really well, layering on more if you need it. You can be creative with your shade choices; I don’t think anyone can go wrong with Olio E Osso’s Tinted Balm in Poppy, my favorite red, which can be mixed with Ganache to add more sun. If you want more pigment, try Manasi7’s All Over Colour in Ikura, Alizarin, or Densuke, which looks gorgeous on skin that’s gotten a little sun already.

One of the easiest ways to add subtly glossy warmth is Eye of Horus Bio Lip Elixir, which makes things even easier by only offering one perfect color to choose from. You might also like Olio E Osso’s Tinted Balm in Tea Rose for subtle color with luminosity, or Manasi7 Tinted Beauty Potion in Acanthe or Hayate for more concentrated pigment.

Keep things simple by opting for a tinted brow gel instead of fussing with a pencil. Kosas makes a brow gel that’s super-popular: it offers great color choices with the right amount of pigment, and it really keeps brows in place.

I couldn’t love M Picaut’s mascara more, which is why we’re sold out right now (more is on its way, so put in a preorder to reserve one; you’ll want it). One or two swipes of the brush on each set of lashes, and you’re done.

Some of you might have read my “I’m decades older than Zendaya” and thought, “29?! Honey. I’m many decades older than she is.” A few bonus tips for you:

1. Curl your lashes before applying mascara to help the eyes pop. I’ve been partial to the Shiseido lash curler since the 1990s.

2. If you could use more definition, try lining the eyes with a soft pencil (I love this one) right at the lash line, then smudging it for softness. Opt for a lighter shade that provides just enough definition rather than a harsh black; the look right now is “healthy and blurred,” and this helps you walk the line between chic blur and just enough definition.

3. Place your blush just a tiiiiny bit higher on the cheeks for more of a lifting effect. And blend!

Glossy, glassy hair is hydrated, it’s manageable, it’s soft, it’s enviably shiny, and it’s what everyone wants these days. My favorite way to get it is Biofficina Toscana’s magnificent Glycolic Shine Leave-In Serum, which isn’t thick and greasy like typical shine-boosting products; instead, it cleverly pairs glycolic acid with lightweight camellia oil to smooth and seal the hair fiber. It’s also an excellent way to highlight the color of the moment, a glossy brunette with ribbons of caramel and honey known as “Golden Hour Brunette.”

Straight hair trends these days are less about the bouncy blow-dry and more about a smooth finish without excessive curl at the ends. If you have curly or wavy hair, the look of the moment is air-dried and tousled, with natural movement: almost a fairytale-like look, just like Zendaya’s.

Either way, to ensure the fairytale doesn’t get overtaken by frizz, proactively load up your hair with moisture. It’s an excellent time to reach for a great conditioner or hair mask, an extra frizz-fighting spray, and a styling cream—either with or without hold.

If you look up current makeup trends, you’ll find numerous references to looks that move the prior “clean” look into more sensual territory. This reminded me of something that Annee de Mamiel told me about this time of year, inspired by her work with Traditional Chinese Medicine:

“TCM works with five elements, late summer’s being the Earth element. I call late summer ‘the lost season’; in the Western world, we don’t understand it, or we don’t think about it. But it’s about the ripening of the fruit up until the picking of the harvest, and that focus on self-nurturing becomes quite vital… Summer is quite a complex season; there are so many intricacies relating to the natural cycles and rhythms within us. But when we aren’t in sync with them, it tends to throw the system. In monoclimates, you’ll feel these intricacies on a smaller level, but they’re still there.”

So if you’re enjoying Fogust, too, all the more reason to channel that sticky, humid, end-of-summer New York heat.

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask them in the comments. And a final tip, if you’re in New York: the gluten-free fried chicken at Maison Passerelle is to die for.