Ask A Stylist: The Beauty List
My short edit of beauty finds for heatwave days
Glad Midsommar!
Apologies this Substack is a little late today. I decided at 9am to go strawberry picking as the weather has been so very warm and the season here is so short. Wandering fields of juicy, ripe berries and enjoying the morning sunshine reminded me that this season is all about being present and spontaneously switching up our routines.
Today is a brief interlude of beauty notes. Despite a few years on Substack I’m still trying to decide on the format when it comes to these Saturday newsletters. Edited, curated and listed seems to work best. You want the insider notes and I’m here to provide.
Best In Musk!
In Florence I decided to switch up my fragrance (Perfume H Steam) when I stumbled upon one of the central pharmacies that had a bespoke collaboration with an old-school organic Tuscan brand Acqua Di Bolgheri. Despite trying all manner of ‘summer’ fragrances I settled on the simple and clean ‘muschio bianco’ white musk edition. There’s something about paring back in summer and editing your clothing, beauty, home and mind to the absolute essentials. Stripping back to a clean yet sophisticated and powdery scent felt right; like your skin after a thorough soapy hammam, but better? Then I read Emily Morello’s brilliant Substack piece about CBK’s beauty routine where I discovered that Egyptian musk was her signature scent. Naturally, I was thrilled. If you enjoy a clean, soapy-fresh-out-the-shower perfume oil might I advise good old Byredo Blanche in roll on? Perfect for travels too.
A Bricky Lip!
There’s something about the warmth of summer that elicits a ‘bricky’ lip. Reddish, sunset, coral tones complement bronzed skin in a way that never works for other seasons. Texture needs to be soft and velvety while rich with pigment too. A bit Gilded Age meets 90s London? I love Gucci’s limited edition shade 217 Valeria Rose within the Rouge à Lèvres Mat collection - surprisingly good on paler skin-tones too. I’ve also been getting a lot of wear from Chanel’s Rouge Coco lipstick in 264 Sunset which reminds me of a beloved and discontinued Bobbi Brown shade. A little more glossy on lips but once rubbed together on the base of my palms and then patted high on cheekbones gives a beachy glow we all desire.
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