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