0 - WELCOME

Hello!

Hello friends and Happy Canada Day! How are you doing? I’m writing to you from cloudy Toronto, where I’ve spent the last week hanging with the fam and obviously getting in all of my beauty appointments. June was kind of a whirlwind — I know I said in last month’s newsletter that ”I will be staying put in NYC”, but clearly I was all over the place. I ended up extending my stay in Paris by 5 days, which was exactly what I needed to feel like a true Parisian lol. Can’t wait to be back in Paree!

Anyway, this month is unfortunately a little hectic. People who have been trying to make plans with me will know that I am very behind on dinners and catch ups (sorry!!). Tomorrow, I’m heading to Aspen for 4th of July — I’ve never been in the summer, so I’m looking forward to a lot of hiking and nature stuff. I also started a demanding project in Chicago (hence the delay in this month’s newsletter). At times like these, I find it very hard to balance a busy corporate job on top of social media/content creation and styling… I wish there were more hours in a day! But alas, I will make it work :)

1 - FASHION

Sheer Bliss

Sheerness is big this summer, and although I am not a super trendy person, I’m looking forward to incorporating it into my wardrobe, whether it’s with a completely sheer outfit or a top that has some sheer elements. I just bought a set from The Frankie Shop (linked below) that I plan to wear with a slip underneath or perhaps an oversized sweater. Here are others I’m considering:

Wedding Season

Wedding season is back! This year, we don’t have nearly as many weddings to attend (the past few years have averaged 6-10). Many of the previous weddings have been in lovely foreign destinations, but there are none this year beyond good old United States and Canada (which I’m sure will be beautiful and and wonderful too). Below are a few options I am considering. Can you tell that I’m into black and red?

How to Dress in Heat & Humidity

NYC is always unbearably hot and humid in the summer. Because I am prone to sweating very easily, I always try to find ways to look stylish and not sweat through all my clothes (spoiler: it’s really hard). Here are a few tips that I’ve learned along the way:

• Wear loose, breathable garments: I wear a lot of cotton, linen and silk in the summer, and avoid anything form-fitting. The last thing I want when it’s hot is to have something stick to my skin

• Colours are important: In the summer, I tend to wear black to avoid sweat stains from showing, but white is actually the better colour as it reflects sunlight and keeps your body cool

• Look for technical fabric: Fortunately, a lot of brands (like Uniqlo Airism, and Lululemon) make stylish, sweat-wicking clothes that don’t look like workout clothes

• Consider long sleeves: Long sleeved shirts do a better job at keeping you cool, dry, and not sunburnt in the summer than short sleeves. I always see locals in warm climates wearing long sleeves

• Leather bags are a no: This is probably obvious, but don’t wear your leather bags for extended periods of time when it’s hot and muggy. For me, the leather ends up sticking to my skin and I’m pretty sure it’s not good for the bags either. I tend to use my raffia bags like Cesta Collective (or canvas bags in true NY form)

• Carry a portable fan: I’ve collected a number of portable fans over the years, and they come in very handy on hot days! The one I have has 3 settings and charges via USB

Five Things I Bought

Below are five things that I bought and loved last month:

2 - BEAUTY

Makeup Routine

I think it’s time for a refresh of my makeup routine! Every year, I like to feature my makeup routine, because I always end up doing something different (and it’s also fun to see how it’s changed).

On my face, I always start with sunscreen and/or a primer depending on how much time I have. When I’m traveling, I use Supergoop’s Unseen Suncreen as both sunscreen and primer. When I’m not as space-constrained, I follow up with Hourglass’s Vanish Airbrush Primer for a really airbrushed (as the name states) finish. For foundation, I use Westman Atelier’s Foundation Stick in IV with Hourglass’s Foundation Brush, followed by YSL’s Touche Éclat in 3.5 with Hourglass’s Concealer Brush. Then I apply Nars’s The Multiple in Orgasm with Merit’s Blending Brush over my upper cheekbones and nose. I’m obsessed with Victoria Beckham’s beauty line, and use the Contour Stylus in Travertine along my cheekbones, forehead and nose. I typically blend the contour stick with my fingers (but I should probably buy a contour brush). Sometimes I use Westman Atelier’s Highlighter Stick right below my eyebrows and along the top of my nose.

On my eyes, I use Victoria Beckham’s Vast Lash Mascara (which is truly sweat-proof). I’ve also taken a liking to drawing a cat eye most days using her Satin Kajal Eyeliner in Cocoa (also very good). I don’t use an eyelash curler because I get my lashes curled every few months in Toronto.

On my eyebrows, I use Dior’s Brow Styler in Dark Brown to fill and brush them out afterwards. I used to use eyebrow gel, but I’ve found that I like a pencil look more.

On my lips, I’ve been sticking to a formula of lip liner + lip balm. I like Victoria Beckham’s Lip Definer in No. 4 (yes, I love her stuff), Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Liner in Iconic Nude and Rare Beauty’s Lip Liner in Worthy. For lip balm, I currently have Sonsie’s Basic Balm, Sisley’s Phyto Lip Balm and Augustinus Bader’s Lip Balm on rotation.

To finish it off, I use a few pumps of Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray, and I’m good to go!

3 - OTHER

4 - PARTING NOTE

What are some good restaurants in the Chicago burbs? Asking for a friend because all I will have time to do over the next few weeks/months is order to my hotel room lol

Until next month, friends.