Summer Living Essentials — As Seen On CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin”
It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy — or at least it should be! To help you simplify your makeup routine, protect your strands and skin, power through these long and steamy days, and have the most fun along the way, I gathered some of my summer living essentials and shared them with my friends at CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin.” Check out the segment here, and keep on reading for more on every product seen on air!
IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream with SPF 50+
Applying and reapplying SPF throughout these long summer days can be a huge challenge when you’re wearing a full-coverage foundation — unless, of course, your go-to foundation includes the requisite broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. The award-winning IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ delivers full coverage but feels lightweight and breathable, making it a long-standing hit with consumers — in fact, it’s the #1 SPF foundation in the US.
Developed with dermatologists and plastic surgeons, this multi-tasking foundation offers the benefits of seven different products in one powerful formula. In addition to SPF protection, this full-coverage foundation delivers the color correction of a CC cream and the hydrating and anti-aging properties of a serum. Infused with skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin E, the formula helps to hydrate, smooth, plump, and brighten the complexion, while camouflaging skin imperfections like acne marks, redness, dark circles, wrinkles, and dark spots. The result is flawless-looking coverage with a natural finish.
And should you need to reapply some SPF while you’re out and about, you can simply brush on a thin layer of this product, refreshing your makeup while getting that necessary UV protection.
The IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ retails for $47 at ULTA Beauty stores and Ulta.com
Lottie London Hot Glaze Bronzing Serum Drops
No summer beauty look would be complete without a complexion that looks positively sun-kissed! But, of course, we want to get that bronzed glow without subjecting our skin to harmful UV rays. To give your complexion a healthy sun-kissed glow, reach for the Lottie London Hot Glaze Bronzing Serum Drops ($9.98 at Walmart). These long-lasting, transfer-proof bronzing drops feature a buildable finish, allowing you to customize the intensity of your glow. Plus, the formula is infused with nourishing ingredient like hyaluronic acid, coconut extract, squalane, and niacinamide, so this is the epitome of skin-loving makeup.
To use, use the dropper to place a few drops on your hand, then apply to your face using your fingertips or a brush. You can apply the bronzing drops under makeup to warm up your complexion, or you can apply them over foundation on targeted areas like on the highs of the cheekbones and along the hairline. For an all-over glow, mix a couple of drops with go-to your skin tint or CC cream. Whichever way you apply them, you’ll have a glistening bronzed radiance!
Le Rouge Français Lipstick
A great lipstick will take your look from basic to baddie in an instant. Le Rouge Français is a French makeup line that specializes in luxurious natural and organic cosmetics formulated with plant-based pigments — no petrochemicals, no titanium dioxide, and no non-renewable mineral pigments. Its gorgeous lipsticks contain nourishing ingredients like shea butter and apricot and sunflower oils, so they soften your pout and feel like flower petals on your lips.
Each creamy, richly pigmented Le Rouge Francais lipstick is formulated using a hero vegetal color such as hibiscus, lotus, or beetroot. The red shades are particularly innovative as they’re carmine-free — a rarity in the realm of red lipsticks. What’s camine? Well, it’s a bright pigment produced by harvesting, drying out, and crushing cochineal insects. Perturbed? Well, don’t be! La Rouge Français’ red lipsticks contain zero carmine and, instead, they harness the power of a tinctorial plant called dyer’s madder to deliver that vibrant red pigment.
Each lipstick is refillable and packaged in a transparent case made of bio-sourced castor oil rather than plastic. And to foster a regenerative economy, the brand plants one young mangrove for every order placed.
Each lipstick is $52 on lerougefrancais.com
V&Co. Beauty Haircare Collection
Austin summers are all about that pool life, but all that exposure to UV rays and chlorine can really take a toll on our strands. To safeguard our hair’s health, look to V&Co. Beauty, a peptide-infused haircare brand that launched this spring and already won a Marie Claire beauty award.
V&Co’s unique Proprietary Peptide Blend features peptides, amino acids, proteins and vitamins that penetrate deep within the hair follicle to boost hydration and strength while also increasing volume and shine. The one-of-a-kind collection caters to the needs of all hair types, with Straight, Wavy, Curly, and Thickening options. All the products are sulfate- and paraben-free, vegan, cruelty-free and color-safe.
V&Co. Beauty Shampoos and Conditioners retail for $8 each at H-E-B.
Oceanfoam Sustainable Foam Rollers
Now that we’ve got some products to help us look our best and feel our most confident, let’s talk about some ways we can prioritize our health and wellness! Foam rolling has been growing in popularity, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a great way to activate muscles pre-workout, and it’s an incredibly effective way to release any post-workout tightness and promote faster athletic recovery. Outside of an athletic context, foam rolling can help with tension and aches caused by sitting on our desks and slouching over our computers, carrying our babies and toddlers around, and maneuvering our day-to-day lives. Family-founded brand Oceanfoam specializes in eco-friendly foam rollers that are sustainably made using algae and recycled materials — all boasting a unique wave texture on their outer layer for optimal muscle stimulation.
Each Oceanfoam roller features an inner core made with 80% recycled materials (specifically, post-industrial recycled EVA foam) and an outer layer made of 15% Bloom algae foam. Why algae, you ask? Well, algae is a natural and renewable material with a great deal of environmental value due to is vast ability to absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, thereby helping to purify the air. And while it’s an essential part of marine ecosystems, there is such a thing as too much algae. In recent years, a number of factors (among them global warming and fertilizer runoff) have contributed to more and more instances of algae overgrowth. Many of these harmful algae blooms can actually release toxins that can harm marine animals and, in turn, aquatic environments. Bloom is a company that helps to remove and repurpose that algae overgrowth, transforming wet algae into pellets that can be converted into cool foam products. After seeing what Bloom could do with shoes (the brand had partnered with Adidas, Volcom, and Merrell, to name a few), Oceanfoam’s founders saw an opportunity to make truly innovative and foam rollers using this very same algae foam.
Through its partnership with Bloom, Oceanfoam is making high-quality performance products while restoring clean aquatic environments. With these foam rollers, your body will feel renewed and so will your spirit.
A full-sized foam roller retails for $58 while a travel-sized one is $28 on Oceanfoam.com.
Lucky Energy
Long summer days require for us to muster up a lot of energy! So if your morning latte isn’t quite doing the trick and you want a refreshing pick-me-up for the mid-morning and afternoon hours, check out Lucky Energy, an Austin-based, better-for-you energy drink that features five super ingredients: maca, which is known to increase stamina and mental focus; ginseng, a natural anti-inflammatory that is also known to boost energy and reduce stress; taurine, an amino acid that the body uses for cellular energy production; caffeine; and beta-alanine, an amino acid that increases athletic performance and decreases fatigue. Each can of Lucky Energy contains zero sugar and only five calories. It’s available in five refreshing flavors: Red Ryder Punch, Tropical Thrill, OG Luck, Bodacious Berry, and Orange Drizzle.
Austin-based entrepreneur Richard Laver founded Lucky Energy to motivate others to persevere in the face of life’s challenges. Laver survived a plane crash when he was 12 and he’s experienced a lot of highs and lows, so he knows all about perseverance and resilience. Through Lucky Energy, he’s reminding us to live life to the fullest.
A 10-pack of Lucky Energy retails for $34.88 on Amazon and LuckyBevco.com.
Right now, “We Are Austin” viewers (and you, my Sicka Than Average readers) can enjoy 20% off on LuckyBevCo.com with the code AUSTINWEIRD
Mary’s Gone Crackers Gluten-Free Snacks
The first rule when packing for family road trips or all-day outdoor adventure: don’t forget the snacks! If you want healthy snack options that the whole family can enjoy (and that don’t involve too much slicing, dicing, or pureeing), check out Mary’s Gone Crackers‘ expansive range of delicious, organic, gluten-free snacks.
Mary’s Gone Crackers is perhaps best known for its crunchy, flavorful, gluten-free crackers, but the brand has been steadily expanding its offerings, which now include such craving-inducing options as its Mary’s Gone Cheezee snacks (which are dairy-free and plant-based but incorporate a delightful cheesy flavor) and its new graham-style Mary’s Gone Kookies treats (which are sure to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth).
All Mary’s Gone Crackers snacks are certified kosher, USDA organic and non-GMO Project Verified. You can pick them up at MarysGoneCrackers.com, on Amazon and at retailers like H-E-B.
Betty Booze Sparkling Canned Cocktails
Whether you’re spending the day out on the lake, trekking to your favorite watering hole, or lounging by the pool, you’ll want to keep some flavorful and refreshing drinks on hand. Blake Lively’s sparkling canned cocktail brand, Betty Booze, offers delicious, effervescent, ready-to-drink options that will titillate your taste buds.
There are five gourmet-inspired flavors, including two that were launched just in time for summer: Sparkling Tequila with Smoky Pineapple and Sparkling Bourbon with Oak Smoked Lemonade.
A 4-pack retails for $14.99 at Total Wine & More.
Pantalones Organic Tequila
If there are two things Texans know well, it’s tacos and tequila. So it should come as no surprise that Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila would go about launching a brand of tequila that would wow consumers and critics alike. Pantalones is a 100% USDA certified organic tequila that’s smooth, flavorful, and great for sipping, shooting, or working into cocktails.
Since launching last year, Pantalones has earned gold medals for all three of its tequila offerings at the 2024 Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards, a consumer judging spirits competition, as well as top honors at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Simply put: Pantalones is undeniably great tequila.
There are three offerings in the line: Pantalones Blanco Organic Tequila ($39.99 at Total Wine & More), which combines the sweetness of cooked agave with notes of honey and a hint of citrus; Pantalones Reposado Organic Tequila ($44.99 at Total Wine & More), which is aged in American oak whiskey barrels for 9 months and features notes of cooked agave, decadent vanilla, and a hint of oak; and Pantalones Añejo Organic Tequila ($44.99 at Total Wine & More), which is aged in American oak whiskey barrels for 15 months combines notes of vanilla, butterscotch, and brown sugar.
