like seven inches from the... well, you know

Blimey! It sure is a hot one out there, folks! The whole world is shimmering like a looney-toon desert and I find myself seriously contemplating the prospect of shaving my head approximately once every five minutes. And today seems like it'll be the worst one yet! But because we can't all live our lives in a Light Blue commercial (alas!) allow me to recommend the products that, over the past three months, have become essential to my summer beauty routine, such as it is.

Having indiscriminately sampled an array of dry shampoos (including some higher-end varieties at my local Sephora) I can confidently tell you this one is The Best; very effective as a mid-day refresher, adding mermaid-y volume while combating the adverse effects of sweaty-forehead. Gross. To address your forehead directly, I can't say enough about this toner, you guys! I've been using the rose petal variety for years, but only recently learned that it comes in other flavors: lemon, peach, lavender, medicated... Cucumber (plus aloe!) was an obvious choice for summer, and one I have yet to regret. Supes refreshing, not at all drying. I use it all day long!

But the main problem with which I'm confronted in weather like this is how to reconcile my aversion to antiperspirant with my need for deodorant. I'm not into the application of pore-blocking, potentially toxic aluminum found in every antiperspirant I've ever met, yet it's nearly impossible to find an effective, stand-alone deodorant that isn't made, and scented, specifically for gentlemen. Ten out of twelve months of the year, this delicate english rose can get away with skipping it altogether... unfortunately, this is not one of those months. And so I've adopted a handy trick shared by a dear, well-travelled friend, which is simply to use Tiger Balm! The positive results of this are twofold: not only does its minty, eucalyptus-y scent effectively function as a deodorant, it's has a lovely, tingly cooling effect that really beats the heat! I highly recommend it!

top image from US Vogue July,1993