summer skin saver

okay, longweekendstylers, it's hot outside.


like really hot.


in some locales, really, really, really hellfires hot.


and nothing bugs more than skin irritation in hot weather. so you gotta moisturize up or risk yyour skin looking like something is trying to escape from within you.. let us introduce you to NOW solutions 100% natural shea butter.



NOW solutions 100% shea butter comes housed in a big ol' 7 oz tub, is non-scented and melts like butter. it is an absolute skin saver in hot and the cold months ahead, if we ever experience cold weather again (thanks global warming). brought to our attention by a LWS operative who is currently knocked up in her almost-7th month, this stuff really does the trick from moisturizing cracked heels (it IS high flip-flop season and nothing, i mean nothing evokes that ewww-gross response more than seeing dry cracked heels everywhere you look), soothing sun parched lips, preventing stretch marks and just really, truly, deeply moisturizing the skin you're in. today. tomorrow. and on and on.



each 7 oz tub is packed with solid shea butter, which once scooped up, is easily warmed in the palms of your hands, creating a creamy, soft moisturizing deliciousness ready to be soaked up by the skin.



it's non-scented but that is easily remedied by adding a few drops of lavender then mixing the whole concoction with a popsicle stick. easy peasy.


NOW solutions 100% shea butter 7 oz tub is available at whole foods stores nationwide for the mighty moisturizing price of $10.29.


so stop scratchin' and get some.

cherry bomb

ok, so a HUGE fan of cherry kool-aid, cherry slurpees, cherry popsicles, cherry jell-o, and well, anything "cherry/red" flavor generally, i am not so much a fan of the actual cherry itself.

unless we're talking rainier cherries, which are the absolute cherry bomb of cherries.

rainier cherries are here and gone in the blink of an eye; they make their appearance 3rd or so week of june and are completely MIA by mid-to-end of july.

rainier cherries, known by their distinctive dual coloring of red and yellow, sometimes looking like a sunset over the beach when the 2 colors blend together in a seamless lusciousness. they are totally, superbly sweet, unlike the traditional bing cherry that is usually a tad bitter as well as THE cherry that comes to mind for most people. rainier cherries are like no other - creamy sweetness, plump juicy taste, and on the downside, more expensive than the bing, being that their window of opportunity is tiny-tiny. the rainier cherry is the cherry child of the again, traditional bing cherry and the van culitivar, making it's debut in 1952.

so get 'em while they're here LWS'ers, only a little while left before we're left wanting and waiting until next summer's crop of rainiers to hit stores.

hot. like. fire.

as we continue to ring in summer, this is currently what's on repeat in the LWS office these days: "hot like fire" by the XX.

"hot like fire" originally penned by missy elliot & timbaland for aaliyah, we cam across this amazing version by glish indie band the XX . it's a short one, clocking in at under 4 minutes, it hynotizes mind and body like a hot summer day with a softly plucky guitar and a deliciously breathy, lazy he said/she said back-and-forth about the virtues of holding out.

the XX's version of "hot like fire: is a bonus track from their xx album. let this set you afloat in the summer heatwave . . .

www.youtube.com/watch?v=88ZyJrSeI7A

argh mateys, it's argan oil

so, as of june 21st, summer has offically arrived. have you adjusted your moisturizing routine accordingly? are you looking for a moisturizer that is light, completely moisturizing AND all natural?

well, longweekendstylers, look no further because we've found your next go-to facial product.

josie maran argan oil ticks off all the boxes - fragrance free, 100% natural, organic, paraben, toxin AND petrochemical free, vegan plus it's also a cruelty free product, meaning no little animal cuties were used for product testing.

always wary of any skin product with the word "oil" in the name or even in the vicinity myself, being of oil slick-like skin variety, oils, or serums as they are typically refered to these days, have been formulated by scientists to literally sink into the skin upon application. ahhhh. making serums and oils more skin friendly, especially to those who have shunned oils/serums in the past.

hailing from morocco, where argan is organically grown, this vitamin E-rich oil is known for it's ability to treat a mulititude of skin ailments - from acne, eczema, psoriasis, and even the oft-dreaded stretch marks plus it can double as a cuticle softener and smooth split ends.

just a drop goes a long way to helping your skin into a better version of itself. josie has designed her product with a built in drop dispensing dropper. absolute perfection. the perfect dose each and every time. and because of it's light and supa dupa fast skin absorbing properties, josie maran argan oil can be used morning, noon and night. giving you beautifully supple, dewy yet not oily skin on demand.

$48 for a 1.7 fl oz/50ml dropper topped bottle that is completely recyclable as well as a travel size 15ml bottle for $14, josie maran products are available online through the product's official website, www.josiemarancosmetics.com. also sold at all brick and mortar sephora stores or online: www.sephora.com