Happy Monday! For those of you involved in Fashion Week, are you surviving ok? So far, so good on my end. It’s been great being back this season and jumping into the mix of things. I’m always sad to leave my family at the end of the summer, so I’ve kept myself busy by seeing close friends, attending dinners and parties, and of course going to fashion shows and presentations. All in all, I’ve really enjoyed the past week.

So I know I usually do my “Over the Weekend” post on Mondays, which will be coming a little bit later on today, but right now I am really excited to re-share this fun video I shot with L’Oréal Paris, showcasing my five summer must haves. I first shared it on the blog in late August, for those of you that saw it, but for those of you that might have missed it, here it is one more time! YAY!

The video was shot earlier in the summer and I was asked to pinpoint five things I can’t live without during the warmer months, which I go into detail below. For the makeup part, my focus was going to be on their Voluminous Miss Manga mascara, Infalliable Silkissime eyeliner and Colour Riche Fuchsia Lipstick. I’ve been a fan of the brand for a long time so I was excited to give these products a whirl, especially because the colors I choose were bright and bold, perfect for summer.

So even though it’s officially not summer anymore (although the weather in New York, begs to differ) I wanted to share with you again my top five summer items I can’t live without during the warmer months. Just press play, if you’d like to see! xo

My Five Summer Must Haves And Why…

Clare V. Leopard Clutch: I have coveted this leopard clutch for quite some time because I just knew it would go with everything I owned. Once I finally purchased it, I was right. The pattern is great, the material is soft and flexible and the best part is, it holds a ton but still pulls a look together instantly. It’s the perfect chic little carryall!

J.Crew Panama Hat: During the summer I am in the sun a lot, especially the past few months with all the traveling I’ve been doing, so I need to have protection from the sun. I basically lived in this Panama hat from J.Crew because it was the perfect way to keep the sun off my face while still looking stylish.

L’Oreal Infallible Silkissime Teal Eyeliner: In the past I always just stuck to black, brown or dark gray eyeliner. But recently, I’ve been branching out and on the lookout for a colorful eyeliner that won’t make me look or feel clownish. When I showed up to shoot this video, I was asked to choose between an electric teal liner and pretty marine blue color. I loved both, but I was drawn to the turquoise for some reason. I started playing around with it and was immediately impressed with how effortlessly it glided on without scraping or getting stuck on my eyelid. We used it in the video and then I took it home with me and used it all summer long. I especially love how it makes my green eyes pop!

L’Oreal Extraodinare by Colour Riche Fuchsia Lipstick: Throughout my years of working with fashion and beauty brands, I have accumulated a lot of lipsticks. Some I like better than others for sure, but I always figure, at the end of the day, you can never have enough lipstick options, right? I am always open to trying new kinds and brands, plus I love bright colors, so of course I picked out this bold fuchsia lipstick. You apply it with an applicator and at first it feels like your just wearing a thick gloss because of it’s shiny and creamy consistency. I was worried it would come right off. But after wearing it for many hours during the shoot, I only had to reapply a couple times. I love that it’s rich in color and has great staying power, lasting all day.

L’Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara: I go through mascara pretty quickly because I use a lot of it and often. I have my tried and true favorites that I’ve used forever, but then I was introduced to Miss Manga and immediately hooked. This mascara immediately gives you huge, doll-like lashes and has a flexible wand that allows you to cover all your lashes, even the hard to get, itty bitty ones, which you can reach easily without poking yourself in the eye. After the shoot, I was able to take it home with me, but went through it rather quickly and found myself at the drugstore a few weeks later buying a backup mascara. (I used Black the first time around and then tried out Black Brown because I loved it so much. Both are great.)

P.S. Thank you so much to the team who helped put this video together and for making me feel so comfortable.

I had a blast!