My feed is already full of muted fall shades and pumpkin-spice everything, and honestly? I’m not ready. It’s still hot enough that my air conditioner is fighting for its life, and somewhere in a TJ Maxx aisle, a pumpkin is staring at me like the season is already over.
I love a good pumpkin spice latte as much as the next person who gets excited when the temperature finally drops. But can’t we enjoy summer while it’s actually summer? Trends don’t wait for us — brands have calendars and creators are already three months ahead — but I’m still reaching for the bronzer that makes me look like I spent the afternoon somewhere I absolutely did not spend the afternoon.
So while everyone else is preparing for the muted looks, here are the six products helping me hold on to summer for as long as I can.
Haus Labs Power Sculpt Velvet Bronzer
Sun-kissed skin is one of summer’s little souvenirs. It’s the evidence of beach days, pool afternoons, and all the moments you managed to spend a little more time outside than usual. Even after the suitcase is unpacked and the vacation photos are buried in your camera roll, that bronze tint feels like a keepsake you get to carry home.
This is the product doing that work on my vanity right now. The Haus Labs bronzer is a talc-free, creamy powder infused with skincare actives, and it blends out into the kind of bronze finish that reads like a real tan — no airfare required. It blurs, it blends, and it lasts up to 12 hours, which matters when the day runs long. I use it when the weather finally cools and I want the vacation-skin feeling to stick around a little longer.
It’s a mid-range splurge I actually repurchase, and that’s saying something.
KISS New York Pro Touch Glow & Bronze Powder
Some summer outfits deserve to see the light of day one more time. I’m talking about the tops that show a little back, the dresses that leave your shoulders bare, and anything else that makes you think, “Well, I can’t wear this once fall gets here.”
This is where the KISS New York Pro Touch Glow & Bronze Powder in Deep comes in. It’s a mega-size pearl bronzer made for both face and body, with an intense shimmer, and I love sweeping it across my shoulders with a kabuki brush when I’m determined to get more mileage out of my favorite summer clothes.
I learned exactly how much of a difference it makes on a night out. I dusted it across my shoulders, chest and back, and by the time we were under the club lights, my friends were asking for a swipe of their own. Body glow isn’t really makeup. It’s an excuse to keep the night going.
Haus Labs Color Fuse Glassy Blush Balm Stick
There’s something about flushed cheeks in the summer that makes me feel like I’ve actually been outside enjoying it. The color reminds me of long afternoons in the sun, when your skin naturally picks up that warm, rosy look.
This multi-use lip and cheek balm gives me that exact feeling. I press it onto my cheeks to build a glassy wash of color that makes my skin look like it just came back from the heat, even when I haven’t. I like a little more color when I’m trying to hold onto summer — at this point, I’m basically collecting evidence that the season isn’t over yet.
Jergens Sweet Citrus Triple Butter Blend Lotion
Some scents can take you somewhere before you even realize you’ve left the room. This one smells like a fresh glass of lemonade by the pool — hot afternoons when the only real plan was to find a chair, get in the water and stay there until somebody told you to come home.
I rub it into my skin after a shower, and the scent lingers just long enough to make an ordinary day feel a little more like summer. The formula combines shea, cocoa and mango butters to moisturize and soften, while the essential oils give it that citrus pull that keeps me coming back. It’s a drugstore price that punches way above its weight on the mood front.
Brown Sugar Babe Juicy Peach
Chick-fil-A bringing back its Peach Milkshake is one of my unofficial signs that summer has arrived. There’s something about seeing that little peach on the menu that makes the season feel official. The shake is only around for a limited time, so when it comes back, you know summer has clocked in.
Then one day I was driving past a farmers market and spotted a handmade sign advertising peach products. I got so excited. Peach lemonade, peach milkshakes, peach-flavored everything — once they start showing up, I know we’re in the thick of it.
That’s probably why Brown Sugar Babe Juicy Peach is one of my favorite summer scents. It smells like a ripe, juicy peach without being heavy, and it’s become a go-to for summer events. It’s also the scent I layer over the Jergens citrus lotion — the citrus underneath the sweet peach makes me smell like summer decided to turn itself into a perfume.
Vaseline Cocoa Shimmer Jelly Stick
With Vaseline, shimmery skin is the highlight of summer — no pun intended. I use this jelly stick to bring that glow to the last-minute summer events. A swipe across my shoulders and arms, anywhere the sun might catch me, because if summer is going to give me a few more sunny days, I’m going to take advantage of every single one.
There’s something about glowing skin that makes a regular summer outfit feel like it deserves somewhere to go. A tank top suddenly feels more intentional, bare shoulders become part of the look, and even a simple pair of shorts feels like you put in more effort than you actually did. The jelly makes it easy to add shine exactly where I want it, and when you move, you get those little flashes of glow that make your skin look like part of the outfit.
Yes, summer may be winding down, but my skin has not gotten the memo.
Let Me Have My Summer
Maybe I was thinking about the question all wrong. Living in the moment doesn’t necessarily mean ignoring what’s coming next. Maybe it means allowing yourself to notice where you are before rushing toward the next thing.
So while everyone else is preparing for pumpkin spice, muted makeup and fall wardrobes, I’m going to keep wearing my bronzer, smelling like peaches and finding excuses to wear the tops that show my back. Fall can wait. Summer still has a little more to give me.
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a note from the studio — I keep the Haus Labs bronzer and the peach layering combo in rotation through the end of summer, and both have already earned a spot on my repurchase list. Tested on my vanity, not on my ego. — Camille