I’ve been having the best summer romance of my life.

I, of the shiny t-zone and oversized pores, have fallen in love with this translucent powder. It’s been all soft focus, blurred lines and true radiance.

If you need any help at all with shine or sweat— or if your makeup isn’t faring well in the heat, this sturdy little compact might help. I’ve been lightly applying it on top of my BB cream or foundation every day. It doesn’t change the look or finish of either, and it seriously controls oil and shine.

I like the translucent, but it also comes in a tint.

I’ve discussed in the past how my sparse eyebrows are basically the bane of my existence. And I, admittedly, tend toward high end products from Tom Ford and Anastasia Beverly Hills.

But then my toddler got into my makeup bag and used my sacred Tom Ford to draw all over herself—and proceeded to chew on the spooly brush at the opposite end. So, it was an in immediate R.I.P. for my beloved Brow Sculptor in Chesnut, and there was no way I was making it to Bergdorf Goodman any time soon to buy another.

Sheer panic.

So I put on my largest pair of sunglasses and went to the drugstore in search of a substitute pencil. A pencil that could be both precise and blendable. A pencil with good pigment that was natural looking. A pencil that would wear well in heat and humidity. A pencil with staying power.

I found THIS pencil and it is my everything. For about $3, you get TWO and a sharpener! Please don’t judge them by their size or cost—their diminutive stature is actually pretty brilliant because you get more control. I apply the pencil in quick, short, light strokes in the direction the hair grows. Once I’ve built up the desired intensity of color, I go over the strokes with a small stiff brow brush to blend.

I’ve bought a bunch and given a few away to friends and family who all agree with me that these little babies are the bomb.

P.S. This eyebrow growth serum is working!

I think I’m really beginning to age.

Technically, I mean. On the surface. Because lord knows deep down, despite my love for kale, I’m still a kid who sits criss-cross-applesauce and likes bubble gum flavored lip gloss.

This summer my normally oily skin is dry. Flakey, even. I’m completely flummoxed. I’ve battled a shiny t-zone ever since my hormones kicked in in 1987. 

Thankfully, Ole Henriksen’s Vitamin C Collagen Booster, my standby skin brightener, is really saving my face from looking utterly parched. This is one of those products I recommend to everyone. It benefits every skin type and contains important antioxidants (free radical fighters!) that should be a standard part of any skin care regime. The nourishing serum contains rose hip, green tea and fruit extracts, along with hyularonic acid, to diminish fine lines and protect skin. And, nothing brightens the skin like a powerful punch of vitamin C—and Henrksen’s vitamin C is a proprietary blend like no other.

I apply it under moisturizer and sunscreen. It dries in instantly.

As always, Ole Henriksen products are formulated without parabens, sulfates or phthalates.

I am not a summer person.

I sweat too easily. I don’t enjoy swimming. And, as we’ve discussed, I sunburn in under six minutes flat.

This magical bronzer from YSL, however, has enabled to me to actually fake a summer glow so well that I look like the carefree, lawn-game-playing, beach-strolling, sun-happy mom that I SO am not.

The formula is unique—a powder in balm technology that vanishes like velvet into the skin, blurring imperfections and minimizing pores. (How cool is blur makeup technology??) And it wears so well in the heat and humidity. I’ve totally retired my powder bronzers until further notice. I’m a medium shade of fair and I use #3, which is just deep enough to use for subtle contouring or more broadly as an all-over bronzer. There is no shimmer, yet, there is radiance. How this is possible might be the eighth wonder of the world.

This gilded compact epitomizes one of the reasons why I love makeup so much—for creating illusions, for helping us create another version of ourselves, if only temporarily. (After all, who really needs to know that I wear giant brimmed hats all day and throw picnics for my girls in an SPF tent?)

P.S. The safest sunscreens for you and your kids

So many friends have been asking me about contouring makeup lately. I think all the hype, the intimidating “before” and “after” photos (like these) and the deluge of contouring kits (my favorite one here) have made this age-old makeup technique illusive and intimidating.

Have we not been sucking in our cheeks forever to apply blush and bronzer?

Put simply, contouring is about light and dark: light pushes features forward, darkness sets them back. I think everyone can benefit from a little flattering light on the face, even if you don’t want to delve into the darkness.

This beautiful highlighting pen from Tom Ford is perfect for dotting the inside corners of eyes, cupids bow of the lip and lightly patting on apples of cheeks, tops of cheekbones and sides of eyes. It’s such an easy way to achieve that subtle, ever-so-pretty glow.

This is the shimmery version of Tom Ford’s iconic concealer pen—and it comes in many shades but only Lavender Voile and Citrine (the shade I use and is most universal) are sheer with shimmer.

“Clinically proven formula is designed to transform weak, uneven and sparse brows into healthy-looking, fuller brows in as little as 60 days.”

I happen to think 60 days is a really long time to wait, but I’m committed. I think I spend 15 minutes a day crafting my eyebrows. And that’s on a good day. I’ve heard positive feedback on RapidBrow. I’ll keep you posted. I’d love to hear from you if you’ve tried this—or any other eyebrow growth serum, for that matter.

Until anything short of miraculous happens, I’ll be faithful to my favorite eyebrow makeup and tools.  To note, I recently added this incredible drugstore eyebrow pencil to my routine and it just might be trumping all my others.