How To Simplify Your Summer Beauty Routine

Don't you just love summer??
It gets a little on the warm side here in Phoenix, but even so I love summer. I love summer clothes, I love escaping to the beach, I love long summer evenings by the pool with friends and margaritas - I love it all.

Simple Summer Beauty
image by Kyle Goldie
makeup by Corinna Cooke

One of the things that I especially love is being able to relax the beauty routine over the summer months. 

Most of us get some extra color in our faces during summer, (even when we are trying not to!) so we can scale back on other makeup, streamline the makeup process, and get out the door more quickly with a fresh dewy look. Remember, a full face of makeup looks silly on a hot summer's day.

So here are 5 quick steps to a simple but fresh summer face that's perfect for your everyday look .

1. Cleanse

Give your skin a quick cleanse in the morning to make sure it looks fresh and pretty.
If you tend to get oilier in the hot months, need help with your 
T-Zone being extra shiny or get more breakouts (like most of us!) try Ren Clarimatte T-Zone Control Cleansing Gel. I order it online from Space NK

2. Even Out Your Skin

After your facial SPF has soaked into your skin use a BB Cream instead of a foundation. BB Creams have moisturizer and primer built in, and give you a thin veil or gorgeous color so that you look polished but fresh.

Try Clarins BB Skin Perfecting Cream. It's easy to buy online from Nordstrom because it color adjusts to match you - all you do is choose from Fair, Light, Medium and Dark

3. Work Your Cheek Game

 Get a gorgeous glow on your cheeks with my favorite new product (it was new to me but is has been around for a while), Stila's fantastic Aqua Glow Perfecting Bronzer. 

I'm obsessed with this super easy to use gel bronzer. You can mix it into foundation or use it alone to create a glowy bronze to your cheeks. It's not sparkly like most bronzers, instead it melts into your skin and just glows, leaving you fresh faced and looking like you've been running around outside in the sunshine.

4. Accent Your Brows

My new favorite brow game is Anastasia of Beverly Hills Brow Definer. 

The texture is fantastic, I love the colors, and the shape of the pencil makes it easy to give yourself a defined brow without morphing into those ludicrous "Instagram brows". I get mine at Nordstrom.

5. Seal It with A Kiss

The final step in a super simple summer makeup routine is creating a gorgeous mouth.
You can go one of two ways, either keep the soft, neutral, glowing look by adding a spectacular neutral lip (as opposed to a boring neutral lip). Or, dial it up with a bold, vibrant lip.

I am obsessing over the new Charlotte Tilbury lip collection. Charlotte knows her way around a sexy lip, and her new celebrity inspired Hot Lips collection doesn't disappoint.

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips in Kim K.W.

If you want a neutral lip look, try Charlotte's Kardashian inspired Kim K.W. It's a pink toned neutral, so super pretty with warmth to it.

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips in Hot Emily

If you are a golden skinned girl and want a bold lip, try Hot Emily, inspired by the ridiculously sexy Emily Ratajkowski.

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips in Carina's Love

If you are a cool toned girl and Hot Emily feels a little too orange/coral for you, my other favorite that will not only give you vibrancy all summer, but will be your best friend all winter is Charlotte Tilbury's new Hot Lips in Carina's Love

8 Fantastic Home Remedies For Sunburn

Sometimes even your best plans go sideways.
Maybe you fell asleep in the sun, or you forgot to reapply your sunscreen, or perhaps you've found an inconvenient patch of skin that missed sunscreen altogether, and now you are fried and miserable.
Or worse, your child is.

Ouch!!! That sunburn had to have hurt!!

8 of the best sunburn remedies can be found at home, or hopefully at your vacation rental, at worst case scenario at the grocery store.

1. Cucumber

Cucumbers provide instant relief to skin that is sun scorched, not just because they feel cooling but also because their antioxidant and analgesic properties promote healing great relief from discomfort.

Keep cucumbers in the fridge, and should you get sunburned or windburned, or even if your face just feels parched after a day at the beach, grate them and then smooth onto the affected area, leaving it to soak into the skin.

For a really bad burn liquefy the cucumbers in a blender and then make into a paste with cornstarch and aloe, apply to the area and leave it for as long as you can.

2. Plain, Live Cultured Yogurt

It must be plain, non flavored yogurt, not vanilla yogurt. Plain, live cultured yogurt is full of probiotics and enzymes that help heal the skin.

Apply a liberal coating to the affected area, leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes - it will feel wonderful and cooling. Then gently rinse it off with tepid to cool water.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar

People swear by this remedy, especially when using unfiltered apple cider vinegar.

Use about a cup of apple cider vinegar and a spray bottle. Have a cool shower first (avoid soaps as they will dry the skin out, making it worse), air dry or pat dry, and then spritz liberally with the apple cider vinegar.

4.  Witch Hazel

Witch Hazel contains tannins which when applies directly to the skin reduce swelling, help repair damaged skin and ward off bacteria.

Soak cotton balls or gauze in witch hazel and gently apply to the burned area.

5.  Aloe

The aloe plant is famous for its healing properties and for its ability to take the redness and the sting out of sunburn. Slice fat, juicy leaves along the middle, open them up and press them to the skin.
If you don't have fresh aloe, use an aloe gel and apply it liberally.

6. Baking Soda

Baking soda can take out redness and diminish the pain of sunburn.

Either add some cool water and make it into a paste to apply to the area, or poor a cup of baking soda into a cool to tepid bath, and soak in it for as long as you can.

7. Oatmeal

Oddly enough oatmeal is another great aid for troubled skin. 

Put 2 cups of any plain rolled oats into a tube sock, tying off the end. Add this to a cool or tepid bath, allowing it to soak for a few minutes, then squeezing it out. Repeat this a few times until the water looks cloudy, then soak in it for as long as you can. The polysaccharides in oatmeal will coat the skin, helping it heal.

Don't do a cold bath, as cold will close the pores and hold the heat in. Find a temperature that you can tolerate, somewhere between tepid and cool.

Don't stay in the bath too long as this will dry the skin out.

8. Potato

image via Natasha's Kitchen

Potatoes are known to be pain relievers and work wonderfully on everything from insect bites to scratches to burns.

Wash the potatoes really well and then either grate them into a bowl or slice them and put them in the blender to liquefy them more. You don't need to peel them first. If necessary add a little cool water.

Apply grated raw potato to the skin, or if you've blended and added water, soak cotton balls or gauze in the mixture and lay on the skin.

Final Note

Drink tons of water. Tons.

Avoid soaps and bubbles, stay out of the sun until your skin has healed, and wear a full sunblock and light clothing that covers your burns when you do have to go outside.

Unusual (But Fabulous!) Things To Do In Rome

This past week on the blog was spent on 5 fantastic things in Rome that most tourists miss.
If you are making your way to the Eternal City make sure you see the big sights, but don't miss out on these too! 
(Click on each link to see the original post)

Teatro Marcello

It looks somewhat like the Colosseum, doesn't it? The Teatro Marcello actually isn't too far from the Colosseum - read about it here

The Jewish Ghetto

Discover the world famous artichokes and a fascinating slice of history here in the Jewish Ghetto.

The Pyramid of Cestius

Did you know there is a 2000 year old pyramid right in the heart of Rome? Read about it here.

The Cemetery For Non Catholic Foreigners

With the best view of the pyramid you could ever ask for, this final resting place for Goethe, Shelley and Keats is a must see when in Rome.
Read about it here.

Street Art In Ostiense

World renowned street artist Blu took over this building as well as some other walls in Ostiense, and created some amazing, modern street art.
Have a better look at his work in this blog post.

Beach Beauty ~ What To Pack In Your Beach Bag

How's your summer going?
As for me, well I could do with more beach days, as in every day.
I was asked recently what I put in my beach bag (apart from towel, book, hair ties). I actually keep it pretty simple.
If you have some beach days coming up, here are 5 essential pieces to pack in your beach bag.

Caslon straw beach bag, on sale at Nordstrom

Broad Spectrum Facial Sun Protection

I can't stress enough how important a really good facial sunscreen is. You should wear it every day of your life, not only to protect you from getting melanomas on your face (have you ever seen someone with half their nose cut off from skin cancer?) but also sun damage is the fastest way to age your skin, so therefore preventing sun damage is the best way to stay youthful.
You just cannot get more sun protection than Neutrogena Dry Touch Broad Spectrum SPF 100

Sun Protection For Your Body

This summer I'm into Juice Beauty's Organic Moisturizing SPF 30 Sport Sunscreen. 

I love the whole organic side to it, but also like that it's a sport formula (I'm not sporty) because sport sunscreens tend to stay on better and longer. If they're going to protect you nicely while you're out running, chances are they'll take care of me nicely while I'm lazing in the sunshine.

Lip Balm 

You need to give your kisser some extra loving when you're at the beach, both keeping it hydrated and using some sun protection.
Try Juice Beauty's Organic SPF 8 Lip Moisturizer. 

These are ridiculously affordable, so  not only can you keep re-applying all day but it's not a big deal if it gets sand in it or gets melty in the heat. Win win win!

A Bright Lipstick

 Electric Poppy

If you are going to wear any makeup to the beach, such as your brows and some waterproof mascara you will be putting them on at home before you leave, so the only makeup you need to throw in your beach bag is a nice, bright, vibrant lipstick or lipgloss to offset your beachy glow.
Try Charlotte Tilbury's new Hot Lips in Electric Poppy or in Hot Emily

Hot Emily

After Sun Hydration

After a day at the beach your skin is normally a little more dehydrated and maybe got some excess sun, so it needs some extra loving. I prefer to spritz on something refreshing rather than try to work a cream or lotion into my skin, and if you've been reading this blog for the past three years you already know that my go-to product is Tatcha's Luminous Dewy Skin Mist

Unusual Things To Do In Rome ~ Street Art In Ostiense

It's day five of the week long series on unusual things to do in Rome.

During the Glam Italia Tour last month I took my ladies to see some of the things the tour buses don't go to. It's amazing how there can be (literally) thousands of people at a famous tourist sight, but 5 minutes walk away there is something else equally incredible, and no one there to see it.

If you are planning a trip to Rome I hope you will read these blogposts and venture away from the crowd to experience some extra wonderful things in the eternal city.

If you haven't read the rest of this series yet, either keep scrolling, or check out these links for the Teatro Marcello, Jewish Ghetto, Pyramid Of Cestius and Cemetery For Non Catholic Foreigners posts.

Today we are going to the Ostiense neighborhood to look at some spectacular street art, orchestrated by one of the best street artists in the world.

Street Art In Osteinse

Much of my beloved Trastevere has been defaced with graffiti over the past few years. Redundant tagging blamed on the immigrant population, lacking the quirky political messages and artsy vibe of typical Italian graffiti. It is such a shame.

Not too far away from Trastevere in a neighborhood called Ostiense there is some absolutely incredible street art. (big difference between mindless tagging and street art.)

image via Fotografia Errante

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image via New York Times

Fronte Del Porto is an former aeronautical barracks on the via del Porto Fluviale, given a facelift by one of the 10 best street artists in the world, Blu.

The windows have been turned into the eyes of monsters, each in it's own color, and each a work of art in itself. 
There are also oceanic motifs.

Blu's work addresses social and political issues including pollution, war and housing problems. 

Hombre Banana apparently already appeared in a mural in South America.

I experienced the murals courtesy of a taxi driver. I was asking him about the murals while en route to the ghetto for drinks. He said "lets go now!", pulled a U turn in traffic and jetted us over there (less than a 5 minute drive), and then gave us a guided tour of the art work and stopped for us to take photos, before catapulting us back to the other side of the Aventine for carciofi and spritz.

He had already quoted the fare to the Jewish Ghetto, but ever the gallant Italian he refused to accept any extra money for taking us to Ostiense, telling me it was his duty as a Roman to show me this fantastic art!

Unusual Things To Do In Rome ~ The Cemetery For Non Catholic Foreigners

It's day four of this week's series about unusual things to do in Rome.

Everybody visits the Colosseum, The Vatican, The Pantheon, The Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps when they go to Rome. While these sights are sensational they are just the very tip of the iceberg - there is so much more to see and do in Rome!

That's why this week I'm looking at other things to do while you're in the eternal city, things that are a little more unusual.

So far this week we looked at the Teatro Marcello, the 

Jewish Ghetto and the Pyramid of Cestius. Today we are visiting the Cemetery For Non Catholic Foreigners, which just happens to be at the base of the pyramid.

The entrance to the cemetery

The Cemetery For Non Catholic Foreigners

I love going to French cemeteries. Resplendent in statues of wailing women and aching angels they are spectacular to visit. Italian cemeteries tend to be more streamlined, more about the business of the dead. This one however is beautiful. Statues, gardens, flowered walkways - it is gorgeous. And it has some fantastic statues, wailing.

This cemetery was the final resting place for all kinds of fascinating folk including, Keats, Shelley and Goethe.

Located in the Testaccio neighborhood, which borders Ostiense,
the Cemetery For Non Catholic Foreigners also has a park-like area from which you can look at the Pyramid of Cestius.

one of my travelers fraternizing with the felines

In the ruins at the base of the pyramid there is a cat sanctuary!

Romans love cats and provide sensational sanctuaries for strays, in this case, the fattest stray cats you will ever see.
These fat cats roam the cemetery, stretch out their full bellies on the walls in the sunshine, and generally enjoy life.
They are medically treated, spayed and kept very healthy.

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one of the cat ladies lining up giant bowls of tuna for the fat cat strays

An added bonus are the crazy cat ladies who work the sanctuary and walk through the cemetery with giant bowls of food for the felines. Like caricatures of themselves they speak to my deepest fears of one day becoming a crazy cat lady myself. Although if you are going to be a crazy cat lady, you might as well be one in Rome!

To find the Cemetery For Non Catholic Foreigners take Via Marmorata from the bottom of the Aventine Hill in the direction of the Aurelian Wall. Look for the giant pyramid gleaming in the sunshine and you will find the cemetery sitting right beside it.