Blog Posts by Style.com

As previously mentioned, I'm going to a wedding this weekend that's been on my calendar since last summer. Attendance is not optional, nor is showing up without a makeup arsenal (such is my life as a beauty editor). For this occasion, said arsenal is lip-specific, as I've been approached by the bride and her bridesmaids regarding the age-old question about wearing a bold lip at the altar. Can it be done? If yes, how? The answers, ladies, are yes, and lip stains. I've long been a fan of the stain, but am even more so now that brands, both mass and niche, have started marketing them in near fail-safe chubby marker incarnations. Seeing as how I'm such an enthusiast, I often find myself giving tutorials in the ways of the stain to those less familiar with its pucker power, focusing mostly on its layering capabilities and the fact that it's a commitment; once it's on, it's not coming off. For functions like weddings, this is a huge plus as you can set your mind at ease that glossy red

This column features weekly tips and advice from a revolving cast of industry leaders, on hand to discuss your beauty dilemmas, from blemishes to Botox.

I rarely break out, but suddenly, as the temperature rises, so too do the chances that a pimple, or more likely, pimples will appear. My face and body are taking a beating, which is making it difficult to strip down for the beach. Is there anything I can do to remedy the situation?

All the sweating during the summer months-plus an increased seasonal skin oiliness-tends to lead to more breakouts on the face and frequently the back as well. After you work out at the gym, take a shower immediately so sweat doesn't sit on the skin. You can also try to wear breathable fabrics like cotton instead of synthetics to help avoid accumulation of perspiration. If these things don't help, ask your dermatologist for a prescription-strength medicated body wash to use in the shower. Something containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide

Today is the solstice, and if New York's 90-degree temperatures yesterday didn't already tip you off, summer has officially begun. What better way to welcome the season than with an abridged version of the best skin salves, fragrances, and humidity-friendly makeup out there? To save you the googling trouble, we polled our favorite bloggers from across the Web for their seasonal favorites in our new Summer Beauty Guide, and provided our own below. Enjoy the warm weather (and don't forget your sunscreen!)

Celia Ellenberg, Senior Beauty Editor

"Full disclosure: I don't wear deodorant in the winter. I don't really need it, nor do I like the way it feels, so I just forgo application altogether. In the summer, though, I break out La Vanila's The Natural Deodorant. It's free of aluminum, propylene glycol, and parabens, yet still manages to work pretty well. Go for the lavender scent-very refreshing."

La Vanila The Natural Deodorant, $18, www.sephora.com.

Phyllis Fong, Copy

In London-where the skies are gray and it rains and rains-James Read is the god of sun and light (Apollo, who?). The celebrity spray-tanner is known as the "tan tailor" for his customized bronzes, which Brit socials and pop royalty, including Lady Gaga, are fans of. Read recently opened up the new Aqua Spa in the Sanderson Hotel, just in time to reap the benefits of the infamous tanning-bed fallout of 2009, in which the WHO equated artificial UV rays with the carcinogens found in cigarettes (for shame, Daria!) Here, he talks about how to avoid streaking, the importance of moisturizer, plus the eight products he can't live without.


What did you do before getting involved with spray tanning?

I was an actor, trained in theater, which helps when it comes to talking to people in my current profession.


Because you're so used to already imagining them naked, I presume. So, how do you "tailor" your tans?

I mix and match brands for different skin tones. So for fair skin, I

Beach hair may be our favorite thing about summer. But if there's no wave-riding in your future, there's always surf sprays, the saltwater texturizers that true beauty connoisseurs have come to think of like fine wine, carefully examining the bottle to determine the source, the blend of ingredients, and the time spent on the shelf. Every brand has its own unique formula that offers a slightly different take on briny tousling, and since there's no rating system for weighing the options, we took the liberty of playing salt sommelier to search out the best varieties for your hair, whether it's fine, thick, straight, or curly. No, no. Thank you.

The East Coast Classic

Iconic and often imitated, Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray is housed in a bottle made from wet suit material to shield and protect the ingredients inside, which include sea kelp and magnesium sulfate to add body and a matte texture.

Best for: Fine, straight hair.

Nouveau Discovery Worth Trying

New from the

Ties, putters, and universal remote controls are flying off store shelves, and that can only mean one thing: Father's Day is around the corner. But what to get the dad who's got everything? No doubt that question is weighing heavily on the minds of Stella McCartney, Sofia Coppola, and Ivanka Trump, among others. After all, how do you show your love for the guy who gave you not only the gift of life, but also beauty, style, connections, a talent for success, and a sizable trust fund? Father dearest, indeed.

See more favorite father-daughter pairs

This month, Style.com celebrates a few of our favorite daddy-daughter pairs, from the legendary (Pablo and Paloma Picasso) to the lippy (Mick and Georgia Jagger). We've got a word to the wise for these daddy's girls, too: As Euripides once said, "To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter." So don't worry about the gifts-though you really can't go wrong with the universal remote. Happy Father's Day.

By Maya Singer

As evidenced by the hordes of women who carry her gold emblem-emblazoned handbags and wear her easy ballet flats, Tory Burch has a great sense for what we all want to wear. Her beauty savvy is spot-on as well. The designer sticks to classics that keep her looking pretty and polished no matter where she travels-think dark eyeliner, tinted foundation, and a fragrance that brings back memories of her equally stylish family. On the eve of opening her latest boutique in her home state of Pennsylvania, Burch talked shop with Style.com and shared her favorite summer essentials, iPad included.

Your skin is flawless. What's your secret?
Patricia Wexler. She is my dermatologist and I love her Universal Anti-Aging Moisturizer with SPF 30. It's great-and inexpensive, too!

So you don't wear any foundation? I'd need a magnifying mirror to tell.
[Laughs.] Yes, I don't wear a lot of makeup, really. I pretty much stick to a tinted moisturizer from Bobbi Brown.

Your lip color is

I recently suffered a major hair trauma that, thankfully, few people ever got the chance to see. Against my better judgment, I let a hairstylist I had never met before trim my hair at a beauty event, my underlying thought process being, "This man has his own salon; surely he can reshape my hair ever so slightly by cutting an inch off all around." Not so, it turned out. There were at least two tearful nights following this episode, which left me with shockingly short and misplaced layers mixed with longer, choppy sections on one side only. After the crying stopped, I got pro-active and made two phone calls, one to my trusted stylist, Thomas Heinz, and one to Tosler Davis, home of Jermina James, a master in the art of hair extensions. If Thomas couldn't fix me, I was prepared to take desperate measures. In fact, I never made it in to see Jermina, as Thomas did work some scissor magic (I am now the proud owner of an adorable chin-sweeping bob), but I did get a chance to chat up the