Staying Pretty in the Heat

It's official summer to me here in DC. Since I'm from Texas anything over 75 degrees is hot. I know many feel that is spring weather, but I continue to visualize that 90 degree temperature vastly approaching. Since we will be exposed to lots of sun, please make sure that ALL your daily moisturizes contain an SPF of at least 15. I make mine an SPF 45 by adding a little boost. Dermalogica makes a Solar Defense Booster which is an SPF 30. (Yes, African-Americans can get skin cancer.) Also, the sun causes wrinkles and hyperpigmentation of the skin. I know when I was a child my grandmother always called them liver splotches. It's the areas of the cheeks where you see darkening or lightening. Back then we didn't know the sun could cause damage to color pigmentation, but not until the past two decades have studies shown the various types of sun damage. Many over the counter products that contain hydroquinone can help the dark areas, but the BEST way is to add an SPF to your skin routine. I have tried it and found out that I am currently in love with Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. I have used it over 20 days and must say that I really enjoy it at night. I love to use a heavier night cream and this will now be in the night cream rotation. Because I usually wash my face more with a glycolic wash more in the summer my face tends to become a little dry. I know many ladies have heard of Creme de la Mer and the price can be a little daunting for such a cream. I have found that the Bobbi Brown Extra Moisturizing Balm has a similar consistency and is around $80 cheaper. I also use Bobbi Brown's Vitamin Enriched Face Base which is a little lighter in consistency, but it just sinks in and traps all that great moisture into your skin. I am so excited because my favorite beauty shopping place, NM, has finally added Becca Cosmetics to its website. A few years back when Banana Republic came out with a line of lip glosses, they had this particular brown mocha color that I loved. Of course they discontinued it and I had to hunt to find a similar color. Then I found Becca Cosmetics at Nordstrom and they had it. I was satisfied. What happened? The Nordstrom in Houston's Galleria stopped selling Becca Cosmetics. I then found it at Sephora in Houston. What do they do? They stop selling Becca too. Well, I go to NM website and there in the Beauty and Skincare link is Becca Cosmetics. I was so excited that I ordered two tubes of the Glossy Lip Tint in Caipirinha (I'm trying to figure out why they named it after the famous Brazilian drink, but go figure). My day has gotten a lot prettier. I hope your day is as well. P.S. For all the ladies who are in love with Paris or any other city that captures your heart, you are not alone. There are many who understand.