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TL;DR:

• What it is: A lightweight liquid bronzer and contour serum
• What it does: Adds warmth and soft definition with a skin-like finish
• Who it’s for: Anyone intimidated by traditional contour products

My mornings usually look the same: coffee, Wordle, makeup, sprint to the subway, and a full day of meetings. So when someone says it looks like I’ve gotten some sun, I take that as the highest compliment.

The truth? Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Bronzing & Shaping Serum deserves most of the credit. The celebrity makeup artist calls it his “softest sculpt yet” (hence, the name), and I get what he means: It’s nearly impossible to overdo.

Here’s how I use it: After applying foundation and concealer, I swipe the doe-foot applicator along my forehead, beneath my cheekbones, and around my jawline, then blend everything out with a dense, angled contour brush.

I never feel like I have to be especially precise—and that’s exactly what I want from an everyday bronzer. It just makes me look like I spent a little more time in the sunshine than I actually did. (My weekly screentime report would beg to differ.) And if glow is what I’m going for, a couple of drops—used like an allover primer—give the prettiest, dewiest finish.

Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Bronzing & Shaping Serum is in the July Allure Beauty Box.

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Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Bronzing & Shaping Serum

$36 at Makeup by Mario$36 at Makeup by Mario

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TL;DR:

• What it is: A peptide-powered heat protectant and blowout styler
• What it does: Helps protect hair while leaving it smoother and shinier.
• Who it’s for: Anyone who blow-dries or heat styles their hair regularly

Anyone who’s spent a summer in New York City knows humidity and fine hair don’t mix. By the time you’ve made it to work, any styling you may have done at home has somehow dropped and/or completely disappeared.

This year, though, I’m on a mission to maintain my blowouts longer after I leave the house. Aside from a trusty can of hairspray, I’ll be reaching for the Goddess Maintenance BioTech Blowout Hair Mask, a pre-styling leave-in treatment that preps hair for hot tools, to help hold everything together.

Here’s how I use it: After shampooing and conditioning, I rake in a dime-size dollop of the lightweight cream from mid-lengths to ends while my hair is still slightly damp. Then I grab my blow-dryer and, sometimes, if I’m feeling fancy, my curling iron for some quick bends.

I’ll be honest, even with the mask, my blowout still isn’t invincible (again, this is New York in the summer), but at least now I have a fighting chance.

Goddess Maintenance BioTech Blowout Hair Mask is in the July Allure Beauty Box.

GET THE BOX

Goddess Maintenance BioTech Blowout Hair Mask

$40$40