Surviving The Sweet Stickiness Of Summer…

Escaping Summer's Sweet Stickiness

Summer in New York City is an event all of its own. After an inevitably long, cold and dreary winter, New Yorkers can’t wait to throw off their coats and expose their chilly, pale bodies to the sun.

If you’ve never visited the city in the summer, let me summarise (ha!): it’s hot, sticky and humid. Most people live in walk-up buildings, meaning there is no elevator, and the hallways are muggy and thick with stale air. If you’re lucky enough to have an air conditioner, you spend a lot of time lying in front of it, cooling your skin, walking back and forth to the fridge. If you don’t, you while away the hours on a stoop in your neighbourhood, hoping to catch the slightest breeze.

When it’s that hot, your sartorial options become limited. You want to avoid sweltering as much as possible, and you want to play up your best features, too. My goal is always to look confident, but not show too much. Cleavage isn’t really my jam — not that that’s an option for me! — so I prefer to put the focus on my legs.

I’m completely obsessed with self-tan, and in order to get an even application, exfoliation and good depilation is essential. To help with this, I’ve been using the Gillette Venus & Olay Sugarberry razor that has 5 blades that gently exfoliate the skin and Olay moisture bars to help lock in moisture for less dryness vs. Venus Breeze, over time.

Escaping Summer's Sweet Stickiness

In fact, the last time the three of us — Shauna, Kat, and I — travelled, not one of us thought to bring a razor. (There’s always something you forget!) We grabbed a value pack of cheap disposable blades in a convenience store, and oh, did we suffer the consequences! Nicks, razor-burn and sad, sore legs were our reality. It was so not worth it!

If you, like the three of us, have dark hair and pale skin, and prefer to have smooth pins, you know that in summer, shaving becomes an everyday reality. Buying a bunch of products in a rush is always a mistake! It’s definitely worth splashing out to get the good stuff: a razor with multiple blades, good shaving cream, or a 2-in-1 product like Gillette Venus & Olay (perfect for travelling!). Your legs will thank you!

Escaping Summer's Sweet Stickiness

This silk sundress definitely falls into my “oldie-but-a-goodie” category. I threw it in my miniature pink suitcase at the last minute, and I’m so glad I did. It’s the perfect thing to wear on a hot summer night.

Kat took these photos of me as I rolled around seductively in some Midwestern grass, and strolled around the neighbourhood sans shoes. What a fantastic city…

Smooches and smooth shanks,

This post was created in collaboration with Gillette Venus and Olay and Style Coalition.