Spring Cleaning: What To Toss, What To Get
“Babe, we should dust more often,” Brandon said to me the other day. Bristling at the idea that he earnestly hadn’t noticed that his beard and my head shed more than a medium-sized cat and that I dust twice a week at least, I asked him why he thought that.
“Oh, just because it’s spring. Spring cleaning and stuff.”
“…Huh,” I said, brilliantly, understanding just a little more of the difference between the way men and women think.
He’s right, you know. Spring cleaning is a great place to cull the herd of useless — or at least under-used — items that have collected in your home since last April. And loath though I am to say it, beauty products collect as well.
Get rid of…your heavy moisturizer
Spring in Virginia is really summer. No one wants to mention that, but I can tell you definitively, as a Good Ol’ Fashioned Midwesterner, that Virginia springtime is summer everywhere else above the Mason-Dixon. (Virginia summer is something we don’t discuss in polite blog-post company.) You don’t want a heavy pile of moisturizer on your face during the warmer months, and moreover, your skin probably doesn’t really need it. Even dry skin types get slightly oilier during the spring and summer, so it’s time to get crackin’ on a lighter finish.
Get rid of…your thick foundation
I’ll confess, I like a bit of coverage in my foundation. But the same way your heavy moisturizer becomes too rich for the warmth of the springtime sun, so too does your heavy foundation. Switch it out for a medium-full coverage concealer and a tinted moisturizer or BB cream with SPF for added coverage.
Get rid of…your warm, musky perfumes
Spring is the season for light florals and juicy citruses. Swap out your Olfactive Studio Chambre Noire for the grassier Bond No. 9 The High Line. (But don’t worry, you can return to your Chambre Noire come October.)
Bring on…more serious sunscreen
If you don’t wear sunscreen year round, I’m hoping you at least wear it from April-September. If not, adopt something as easy and foolproof as Coola’s Makeup Setting Spray with SPF 30. Easy to take with you anywhere and spritz over your made up (or not!) face for fast sun protection.
Bring on…more hydration
Instead of rich oils, your skin wants water. All the time, really, it wants water, but in particular, it wants water in the spring and summer months. First of all, drink more. Second, use a hyaluronic acid serum, such as Dr. Dennis Gross Hydrating Super Serum or the Skinceuticals classic Hydrating B5 Gel.
