Spring-a-ling-ling!
Spring is here, y’all. Woot! Of course, it doesn’t feel like it in NYC. The wind is whipping about mercilessly (‘My hair Mommy! Dat wind wants to blow my hair away!” – Bobina) and it’s drafty boots in my apartment. But it’s April, finally, which means May is not far off, which means I will soon be half-naked in mini-dresses and poom poom shorts. Tangent: I wonder when it’s no longer age appropriate to go so short and leggy? For me, it’s about knowing my assets. I have no boobs, so I can’t wear sexy, cleavage-baring tops. There’s certainly no ass to accentuate and my straight-up-and-down figure does not lend itself to waist-flaunting. So legs it is. What’s your favorite it’s-hot-outside-lets-sex-it-up area to enhance?
Me and my legs expounding on summer makeup tips at the Essence Music Festival. Glowy gams courtesy of Too Faced Royal Oil Coconut Oil Body Bronzer ($35).
Okay, so let’s get to why we’re here — my favorite springtime essentials. These four superstar products make me feel sparkly, sunny and fresh, despite the fact that I’m still rocking flannel adult onesie pajamas to bed. Let’s get into them!
Bury me with this.
YSL Ombres 5 Lumieres No. 13 ($56) is total eye candy, literally. Can you get over these shades? Each one has a different finish — matte, shimmery, satiny, and velvet — and they’re strongly pigmented, so they look the same on your skin as they do in the compact. Such a pretty alternative to neon! If you’re not into the super-bright stuff, here’s a way to rock color but in a more subtle, pastel way. My favorite is that sunny yellow hue. Rock it alone, or as a highlighter, blended on the inner corners of eyes and at your browbone.
I haven’t been on vacay in two years, kids. TWO! I need a beach, a glamorous, tropical beach — maybe in Greece or the Cayman Islands (really, anywhere there aren’t chicken bones and condoms stuck in the sand). Zoya Natural Nail Polish in Zuza ($8) gives me that Costa del Sol, fancy mermaid vibe. An oceanic aqua shade through with sparkly shimmer, this bright hue is my vacation in a bottle.
Let me start by saying that I’m not a foundation wearer. I’ve never liked the feeling of it, and in the past I’ve only worn it for TV appearances. But a couple months ago, I started a new birth control pill, got zitty, and switched up my whole perspective. I refused to subject innocent bystanders to my spotty complexion, so I went on a hunt for a wearable foundation. Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Foundation in Honey Beige ($50) swept me off my feet, girls. It’s so lightweight — like tinted moisturizer-lightweight — that I don’t even know it’s there. And yet it provides enough coverage to erase my zits! Plus, it moisturizes my dry, flaky skin, keeping it hydrated and smooth all day. Can’t gush enough.
I wear one of Stila’s new Smudge Crayon Waterproof Eyecolors ($22 each) every single day. I mean, if I leave the house. These gel-based, waterproof sticks function as primer, shadow and liner…and they don’t dare budge, fade or crease. My favorite is Pink Violet (third from right), the purple shade. I trace it along my bottom lashline and rough it up a bit my finger. Deliberately messy and mysterious, but bright and cheerful, too!
