It's Beginning to Feel Like Summer

Here in Los Angeles, many of us are taking our fans out of storage in preparation for another California summer. My own little apartment is slowly turning into a sauna and I’ve been using my SPF 50 sunscreen on a regular basis. Although many of us wear sunscreen on our faces, we often forget about protecting our lips. As a matter of fact, I have noticed that my pigmented lips become a deep pink by the end of the warmer months.

Exposure to UVA and UVB rays is dangerous but having to cover natural lip pigmentation prior to using trendy lipstick shades is just plain annoying. The solution for your health and vanity comes from an old favorite: Softlips. With an SPF 20, smooth texture, and a multitude of great flavors (my favorite is Strawberry), you can’t go wrong! I wear Softlips underneath lipstick to combat my notoriously dry lips and create a good base for my lipstick. Since Softlips is neither oily nor pigmented, there is no need to blot. And although your lips will feel moisturized, you won’t mind reapplying after meals to ensure that your lips are protected from sunburn.

Do you remember keeping a tube of Softlips in your backpack throughout middle and high school? I find myself doing the same as an adult; it makes me nostalgic for summer vacations from school and running through the sprinklers with friends.

Tell me about your favorite summer essentials!


Image Credit: Softlips.com

The Elusive "Casablanca"

NARS Casablanca, that is. And I am riddled with guilt over having purchased my most expensive lipstick to date. I swear, I only approached the NARS counter with the intent to get a glimpse of the lipstick I have been unable to find at any Sephora (or anywhere else for that matter). It all started with the Coral Lips excerpt in the March 2008 issue of People Stylewatch magazine and I've been trying to find the exact shade that Leighton Meester is wearing ever since. I've tried all of the lipsticks recommended in the article and believe me, it is none of those. Boots No. 7 in "Sienna" comes fairly close, at least on my pigmented lips.

Unfortunately, NARS Casablanca isn't it either but it sure is gorgeous. On me, it is a very subdued coral-red. It would be appropriate for any occasion and gives my lips a my-lips-but-better dose of pigment. Although it can look orange (or even mauve) in the tube, depending on the lighting, it truly is just as Sephora describes it: Classic Coral. There is no overbearing orange undertones as tends to be the case with most corals.


Is it worth $25? I'm not sure. While it is long lasting, I find NARS Casablanca somewhat drying and while the packaging claims the net weight is 3.4 g, it doesn't look like much product (to me) when compared to my MAC lipsticks. Perhaps I just expect more for the extra $10? If you're wondering whether I plan to return it, the answer is no. I hate returning cosmetics and I do love the color but this may be my only treat for a while.

Image Credit: People Stylewatch (March 2008 issue), Hqhair.com