govino

I've said it before: I can be a bit of a wine(glass) snob. I'd rather dink a mediocre wine out of a nice glass than sip the finest wine from a Dixie cup. Unfortunately, this can be problematic on the go. Enter: govino. Flexible, shatterproof "crystal." I picked them up at my favorite wine shop thinking they would be perfect on the beach this summer. We finally had a chance to use them at an oyster roast last night and they were a hit! I adore the feel and all my friends mistook it for an "real" wineglass. Can't wait to break them out on the boat for sunset cruises. (c'mon summer!)

Snow Day

There's something magical about snow at the beach. Dunes are the only hills to be found for miles and boogie boards are used as makeshift sleds. Tow ropes and knee boards are retrieved from our winterized boats and we pull them behind trucks. The streets take the place of the waterways, and in the midst of all this winter we find comfort in a familiar feeling. We pour salt on our walkways and the taste transports us back to the sea. The sting of rosy, windburned cheeks in January is reminiscent of July's sunburned skin. Neighbors gather around the fire instead of the grill, and our children build snowmen with buckets and shovels that are still a little sandy from their last trip to the beach. More than anything, the sense of community that we all thought went into hibernation comes out to play, if only for a few fleeting hours. The sun sets, albeit much earlier than the days of summer, we say goodbye and retreat back into our cozy homes with a sense of satisfaction that we haven’t felt since late September. In all the snow and ice, we find within our tiny town a private island, the spirit of summer, and the promise of warmer days just beyond the horizon… 

cool as a cucumber

I was a child of the sun, spending most of my formative years with sandy toes and red shoulders. This is in no way an indication of improper parenting, my mom tried her best to slather sunscreen on my little body, but I resisted. I hated the way it would burn my eyes as I splashed in the waves, the way it made the sand stick to my tan skin, the way the application process cut into my play time... It's worth noting that I also had an aversion to bathing suits. I would literally strip down the second my feet hit the shore. Fortunately, my feelings on swimwear have matured, but the distaste for sunscreen remains. All too often it's heavy and greasy, but knowing what I know about sun damage, I have no choice. 

Fortunately, last month's Birchbox included this fabulous organic, American-made sunscreen from Coola. Days after receiving it, I saw that J. Crew was featuring the product as well. It's fantastically lightweight and smells like cucumber. Perfection, if I do say so myself. I've used every drop from my sample and am promptly purchasing the full-size. 

feels like me

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: I'm not much of a makeup girl. It's not that I don't enjoy cosmetics, I just don't find the overdone, caked-on foundation, heavy black eyeliner look attractive. Don't get me wrong- there are people who can pull off a dramatic eye or a bold lip like nobody's business. I'm just not that girl. My minimalist routine becomes even more minimal as soon as the temperatures start warming up, so I like to think my natural approach is the direct result of being a beach baby. When you grow up by the shore, light makeup just makes sense. You don't try to fight your hair when the humidity rolls in for the summer and you certainly don't want black mascara streaming down you face the minute you decide to splash in the waves. 


When it comes to summer makeup, (summer meaning 10 months out of the year) I want to look like me... just better. These are three products that make me "feel like me." When I'm wearing them I don't feel done up, in fact, I don't feel like I'm wearing anything at all. Of course, for events and such I'll glam it up with shadows or a brown liner, but for everyday, real life... this is it. Beach baby, tomboy chic... call it what you want. 


1. Bare Escentuals: A Little Sun
Back before I knew what sun damage, skin cancer, and wrinkles were, I loved the look of fresh sun on my face. You know the kind: not burnt, but it hasn't quite turned to tan yet, so the cheekbones have a reddish-golden glow? I'm a total sunscreen nazi now, but this does the trick. When I'm applying it, I close my eyes and pretend I'm sitting on the beach. I run the brush along the parts of my face that feel the warmth of the sun first: cheeks, forehead, and down the bridge of my nose. Not only is it a great product, but closing my eyes and picturing the sea is probably the most "zen" part of my routine. 

2. Maybelline: Full 'N Soft Mascara
For long, fluttery lashes, this can't be beat. It doesn't look like you're wearing mascara. It doesn't look like giant spiders are feasting on your eyelids. It looks like your natural eyelashes, just longer, fuller, softer... better. 

3. Fresh: Sugar Passion Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15
This is my latest, greatest obsession. Our weekend in Atlanta was a basketball trip. Seriously, even when we were in our room, ESPN was on in the background.

[if you can disregard my "get that camera out of my face" face, you can see Dickie V. in the background.]

However, we did manage to squeeze in a little shopping at Lenox mall. I kept seeing chatter about the Sugar lip treatments on the interwebs, but at $22.50 a pop, I was skeptical. So I did what any sensible girl would do: I talked my mom into trying it and telling me how she liked it. Her rave reviews were all it took, so the next day we went back to the mall and I purchased it in Passion. Mom bought Plum the day before and decided to scoop up Passion too when I purchased mine. Bottom line: I love it. Seriously, the best lip product I've ever used. The nourishing, age-delay formula lasts for hours, it has the perfect amount of sheer color, and windblown hair doesn't stick to your pout like gluey gloss makes it. I was torn between Rosé and Passion and I am quite happy with my selection: it's like a lighter version of popsicle stained lips. And it hydrates so well I just might be officially retiring my Burt's Bees. 

Beach Baby

Maybe I've been listening to too much reggae. Or maybe the weather was just too glorious today. Or maybe my run on the beach was too perfect. Whatever the cause may be, I have come down with a serious case of beach fever. Balmy air, salty hair, casual coastal style. I'm craving it all. It didn't really hit me until I got out of the shower and wanted more than anything to let my hair air-dry, swipe on some lip balm, and wrap up in a gauzy sweater and denim cutoffs. It's not quite seasonally appropriate, and I'm fairly certain my ghostly legs could light up this town daylight savings time aside, so I resisted the urge. But I couldn't help but wander over to the Roxy website. Before you judge, I will say their selection has come a long way since my "Teenie Wahine" days. If you don't believe me, flip through their look book. Caution: you might hate the brown-haired model in a totally high school, jealous, I want to be her kind of way. (guilty.) And it may have you wanting to hop on the next flight to Hawaii. (double guilty) Or just buy all their clothes.


Here are my picks!


I would wear this pretty cover up...

Over these (1,2,3)

Dry off with this

And cuddle up in this when it gets chilly in the evening

Oh summer, where art thou?