As we stand at the threshold of June, I can’t help but notice how quickly the world continues to shift around us. Each day brings new changes, new challenges, and new reasons to pause and reflect. For me, the close of the academic year—grading final papers for eight classes—signals something both grounding and liberating: the beginning of summer. There’s a freedom in that transition, and this year, I’m choosing to celebrate it with color, texture, and a handful of new beauty discoveries that perfectly capture the season’s dual nature.
The Frozen Heat of Summer: SUQQU’s Seasonal Story
Summer usually brings to mind warmth, sunlight, and bold, bronzed tones. But SUQQU’s Frozen Summer 2020 Collection offers a surprising twist: a marriage of icy pastels with sunlit ease. It’s a paradox that works beautifully, turning soft, frosted hues into something not just editorially striking, but also wearable in everyday life.
Designing Color Eyes 132 Touka
Packaged in pristine white, this palette offers four shades that feel like a breath of fresh air: a cloudlike ivory, a tender pale blue, a coral pink that makes eyes glow with life, and a sparkling taupe-khaki with depth. The textures are buttery and luminous, giving the lids radiance without ever overpowering. I’ve been layering all four together and the result is a fresh, multi-dimensional wash of color that feels both playful and polished.
Frosty Shadow Sticks
Few things excite me more than multitasking products, and these retractable sticks deliver just that. With three shades—stormy grey (101 Hoshimabata), radiant rosy pink (102 Hanaginu), and chic khaki brown (103 Shimobikari)—they glide on smoothly, set without creasing, and provide rich payoff. Lately, I’ve been drawn to Hanaginu in particular, a pink with unusual depth that adds both softness and intrigue to the crease.
Radiant Cream Concealer in G-101 Frozen Glow
This clever pen-brush hybrid dispenses a formula that doubles as brightener and highlighter. It diffuses shadows under the eyes while catching the light on cheekbones, cupid’s bow, and brow bone. It feels futuristic yet effortless, like holding a little secret weapon in your makeup bag.
Moisture Rich Lipsticks
If there’s one area where SUQQU consistently shines, it’s lip color. The creamy peachy nude Benitsubata (108) and the sparkling coral-pink Adesango (116) are summer in lipstick form—fresh, face-brightening, and perfectly in step with the coral-pink nude family I love so much. Lately, I’ve been blending the two for a dimensional effect that looks polished without effort.
Sunlit Sculpting: Charlotte Tilbury’s Bronzed Classics
As the temperatures rise, bronzer becomes less of a luxury and more of a daily necessity. Charlotte Tilbury’s latest launches—the Airbrush Bronzer and Desert Haze Palette—arrived at just the right time, offering warmth and structure without a hint of heaviness.
Airbrush Bronzer in Medium
This bronzer is everything I hoped for: buttery, pore-blurring, and utterly seamless. The matte formula provides warmth without shimmer, making it ideal for those who want sculpted, natural-looking definition. I’ve been wearing Medium, a shade perfect for light to true medium skin tones, though deeper mediums may prefer Tan. The texture melts into the skin, smoothing unevenness and fine lines, leaving a finish that’s multidimensional but never powdery. It’s bronzer perfection—polished, flattering, and reliable.
Desert Haze Palette
I’ll admit it: I’ve never been a matte-eyeshadow enthusiast. Too often, matte formulas feel chalky or crease after an hour of wear. But this palette has changed my mind. With four warm neutrals that blend like silk, Desert Haze delivers earth tones that are versatile and elegant. Whether it’s a soft wash for day or something more structured for evening, the shadows hold up beautifully. The color story evokes minimalist, 1990s desert glamour—think Kate Moss under the sun, simple yet striking. It’s understated sophistication at its best.
A Trio of Skincare Finds
Of course, no seasonal refresh feels complete without new skincare. Alongside these makeup launches, I’ve been experimenting with a few discoveries that marry performance with indulgence. Their textures and results complement the radiant makeup looks, grounding the glamour with skin that feels nourished and resilient. More on these soon, but for now, suffice it to say: they’ve quickly become staples.
Final Thoughts: The Balance of Warmth and Cool
What excites me most about this season’s beauty is the balance—cool frosted shades paired with sunlit warmth, minimalistic earth tones alongside playful corals. These collections remind us that summer doesn’t have to be one-dimensional. It can be about contrasts: heat and frost, matte and glow, playfulness and polish.
As June unfolds, I’m grateful not only for the chance to reset after an intense season of work, but also for the inspiration these products bring. They remind me that beauty, much like life, thrives in balance.
Here’s to a summer of light, color, and endless discovery.