Warm Weather Beauty

I know I'm not the only one who equates spring/summer weather with all kinds of lighter layers—both in clothing and in beauty! I like to shed a lot of my makeup when it's warmer and opt for just a few layers of skincare—moisturizer, sunscreen, and a sheer tint, topped off with a bright lip and a hint of a cat-eye. 

If you're irked that all the images I've gathered for my beauty moodboard are blondes, well, hey—I go with what I know! I've always been a blonde but in the summer sun my hair really bleaches out. It takes a lot longer now that I work a desk job and not at a pool (insert nostalgic sighs for summers past here), but I definitely get a white-ish blonde layer on top and I fully expect this summer to be no exception. I'm already prone to letting my hair keep the mind of its own that's developed, but in the summer I really let it go and opt for braids, beach-y waves and tousled tresses as much as possible. Even if I won't be spending this summer on any other beaches than New York's, I'd like to pretend I can fool passer-by into thinking I just got back from a Mexico vacay.

So, tell me—how do you simplify your routine for warm weather?

Get the Look

Be Bold

Lip Color (noun): a disguise for lazy days; an easy way to look put together

I've never been one to shy away from bold beauty trends (Kool-Aid hair dye, anyone?). During my teen years, colorful eyeliner was my expressive makeup of choice. Not only were eye pencils pretty affordable—there were a lot of great options at my local drugstores for as little as $.99—they were highly pigmented and felt a little rebellious. I was frequently known to wear as many as three colors blended together at once, but I rarely ventured into lip color outside of the occasional candy-colored (& often similarly-scented) gloss. College brought out the "adult" in me, intermittently experimenting with a bubblegum pink or bright red lipstick, usually for a party or Greek life function (also known as more parties). 

Starting a job in the "real world" brought another shift, once I realized lip color is an easy addition in the morning to make me look more put together, as opposed to reserved for dress-up functions only. I've since toned down my eyeliner game quite a bit; lip color is a lot easier to wipe off before you sweat it out at the gym than eye makeup (hello, raccoon eyes!).

My latest lip crush is the Lip Elixir line from Maybelline. They're highly pigmented and come in tubes that look like a lipstick, but they're actually a gloss! I'm usually pretty hesitant about glosses and opt for a matte lip color instead, but in the winter it's just too damn dry for anything matte! These glosses pack a surprising amount of moisture that doesn't dry out or fade—I often re-apply lip color several times a day, but I only find myself reaching for another coat once or twice a day with these babies. I just might be a lip-gloss convert. 

#TBT to my teenage years, right?

Wearing: Maybelline Lip Elixir in Raspberry Rhapsody, Signature Scarlet and Floral Fuchsia 

Jewelry: Capwell & Co bracelet c/o, Sequin NYC necklaces

Disclosure: I received a sample of Lip Elixir glosses from Maybelline & Refinery29. The opinions expressed here are my own; thanks for supporting the brands that make Blonde in this City possible!

Weekend Casual + Inside My Bag

The weather in NYC has been beyond perfect over the last week or so, with warm, breezy temps during the day-but you can feel that touch of coolness on the underside of the air, whispering that fall is coming. While I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of fall (not helped by the fact that winter follows), I do love the crisp feeling in the air slowly ushered in by the change of season. Since we're still a bit off from sweater weather, though, I took full advantage of the weekend weather with a brunch date and a day in Central Park basking in the warm afternoon sunshine-and playing around with my film camera, which is making a reappearance in my life.

The people at Hobo International were kind enough to send over this Mariella bag, which is the perfect size to carry all my essentials for a day in the city. I'm also linking up with four other bloggers-Jessica, Laura, Lydia and Fran-to show you what those essentials are! Scroll down for a peek inside my bag.

Tee, Joana Avillez for Refinery29 || Pants, H&M (thanks, Jessica!) || Bag, Hobo Bags c/o

Sunglasses, Ray-Ban || Sandals, Kelsi Dagger (on sale!)

The great thing about the Mariella is it helps me to be a little bit more organized-if I'm carrying a tote, I just toss everything in, which can leave me digging for my keys in the dark (story of my life most nights!). I never leave home without my wallet, keys & phone, and during the day I usually toss in my planner (I know, I'm a nerd for still carrying one!), a notebook (Muji's are cheap and easy to carry) to jot down blog ideas and keep track of finances and other essentials, and a good book to read for the subway ride home. The Mariella fits my style perfectly, with a shoulder strap to keep me hands free when I'm lugging bags through the city and plenty of storage for the rest of my essentials.

I'm all over the place when it comes to beauty products, but I have a handful of essentials I can't leave home without. I've been carrying C. O. Bigelow's Rose Salve daily for almost ten years (!) and have been known to leave tins all over the place, from work to home to my parents' house, in case I need a quick fix-I kept so many at my college boyfriend's that he started buying them for me. I'm pretty minimal in my daily makeup routine, but I'm a huge fan of lip color and a little flush to the cheeks, so I keep a few options on hand for touch-ups. Having long hair requires some type of hair management on hand at all times, and a nail file is a must (these ones are $1 for a pack of three-I keep one tucked in my wallet and at my desk at work, too). All the little things tuck up nicely into a leather pouch so I'm not scrambling for them when I really need them!

Hobo Mariella Bag || Ray-Ban Sunglasses || Marc Jacobs Wallet || Quo Vadis Planner

Muji Notebook, Pen || Bill Bryson Book || C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve || Choward Mints

YSL Lip Color || Urban Decay Blush || NARS Multiple in Orgasm || Ms. Manicure Nail File

Goody Spin Pins || L'Occitane Hand Cream || Blotting Tissues

Beauty Must-Haves

I don't wear a lot of makeup on a day to day basis, but anyone who knows me is aware of my affinity for Sephora, and even more so of my love for nail polish...but more on that later! I put together some of my favorite products from my favorite beauty store, starting with skin care. Taking care of your skin should always be the first step to looking your best (and this really starts with drinking plenty of water).

I tend to try different brands all the time when I need a new product, but I've been loyally using Perricone MD Hypoallergenic Gentle Cleanser for three years now. I have very sensitive skin (I've had eczema since I was 12) and this gets all my makeup off in one go without irritating my skin. I received a sample of this Murad Clarifying Mask last year and I loved it so much, I bought the full size tube. I can very literally see a difference in my skin every time I rinse it off. Last on my musts for skincare-sunscreen!!! I spent seven years as a full-time outdoor lifeguard in the summer and I've seen every shade of bad sunburn there is, so I'm pretty adamant about getting proper sun protection. I've switched brands a few times and have finally settled on this Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection for Face SPF 55 PA+++. The higher price is worth it because I can put this on the the morning, let it absorb and put makeup on top within five minutes without any greasy residue & it has a great, light scent. I always make sure to cover my entire face, neck and rub the extra in my hands, even in the winter!

I switch blush back and forth between NARS Blush in Orgasm (a must-have classic) and Urban Decay Afterglow Cheek Tint in Quickie, which I received as a sample through Sephora before purchasing. Both blend like a dream and give the perfect flush, every time.

I don't actually own the Urban Decay Naked Palette yet but I've used a friend's before and I'm DYING to get my hands on one! It's got every shade you need for day or night, any outfit. They also make a great Shadow Pencil, which I run under my eyes or along my top lashes in Delinquent to bring out the green in them. I'm also a fan of Clinique High Impact Mascara, which gives me easy volume and length without clumping quickly.

Lastly, my favorite parts about my makeup routine! As I'm sure you've guessed by now, I'm a huge fan of color in all areas of my style. I change my nails every few days, & this Sephora by OPI in Screen Test is one of my latest picks for a pop of color. If you remember from my post about OCC Lip Tar, I've decided to make a bright pink lip my "thing," & this YSL Sheer Candy Gloss in Succulent Pomegranate is a quick way to add a sheer, bright lip. My other go-to is this NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage, which I wear pretty regularly. I love their matte lipsticks-I have a few other colors, but this one definitely makes it out of my beauty drawer most.

What are your go-to beauty products? (I'm always on the lookout for something new to try!)

Obsessing over Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar

Sorry for the slight pun in the title, couldn't help it!! A few weeks ago, I was browsing fashion and style sites for work and I stumbled across a photo of a celeb with a gorgeous bright pink lip. The sidebar said her makeup artist had used a product called "Lip Tar" from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, a vegan (!) brand based out of, where else, New York City!

I went to their site that weekend and was wowed by the variety of color choices-I'm a huge fan of a bright lip, and I already own a few other pinks from pigmented lip glosses to matte lipsticks. I was between going red, orange or pink, and finally settled on a color called "Anime".

OCC Lip Tar in Anime

I've decided to try out having a "color" and I think it's going to be hot pinks...I have gotten so many compliments on this product every single time I wear it, from almost everyone in my office at this point! It can be a little messy to apply without a lip brush, so I've taken to carrying one in my makeup bag when I'm wearing it, but it lasts a long time and goes on smoothly. I recommend doing a lip scrub once a week or so if you're wearing lots of lip products, and make sure you moisturize your lips frequently!.I'm a huge fan of C.O. Bigelow's Rose Salve, I've been using it obsessively for almost a decade (really though, I keep tins of it everywhere). If you're ready to try a bright lip, I suggest you pick out a color-you'll definitely want more, I plan on fulfilling my red & orange color desires with them soon. At $15 a tube (which I can tell will last quite a while), it's a great deal, especially for a vegan product. You can view all their available colors here.

Rocking my pink lip courtesy of Anime