Seven Ways to Hit Refresh on Your Pandemic Look
Wardrobe makeovers, makeup makeovers, and, yes, designer masks: Seven ways to leave home and look like you’ve done it before.
Photo by Mona Miri
1. Get Thyself a Stylish (and Functional) Mask.
It’s official: Face coverings are the new must-have summer accessory. But if an old T-shirt or bandana doesn’t go with your warm-weather wardrobe, the more-stylish alternatives from these local purveyors might be just what the doctor ordered.
Erin Robertson
Some have oversize bows, some have prints from local artists—but all come with this Project Runway winner’s hallmark sense of whimsy.
Marc Allen Fine Clothiers
Tailored from the bespoke clothier’s high-quality shirting fabrics, this is an office-appropriate face covering if there ever was one.
401-435-0025, marcalleninc.com.
Ministry of Supply
Worthy of a brand founded by MIT alums, these 3D-printed masks provide more than 95 percent bacterial filtration efficiency when used with the filter.
855-667-1920, ministryofsupply.com.
Styling by Kaylei McGaw/Anchor Artists / Photo by Mona Miri
2. Give Your Skin a Boost.
A steady diet of Netflix and banana bread isn’t exactly the recipe for a dewy, summer-ready complexion. When you’re finally ready to shed that quarantine skin, give the beauty and wellness destination Vega Vitality a call. Its soup-to-nuts at-home chemical-peel program starts with a virtual consultation, during which a nurse assesses your needs and instructs you on how to use the product, and a few days later—voila!—a personalized peel kit arrives in the mail to help banish dullness and fine lines. Cucumber slices optional.
617-658-3421, vegavitality.com.
Styling by Kaylei McGaw/Anchor Artists / Photo by Bruce Peterson
3. Find a Hand Sanitizer With Local Spirit.
Turns out, craft gin and antimicrobial gels have a lot in common. With shelves bare and demand as high as ever, many local artisanal spirits makers have pivoted to producing much-needed hand sanitizer with their alcohol supply. A 2-ounce bottle from GrandTen Distilling comes complimentary with any online or phone order picked up at its Southie retail location, or can be purchased separately for $4.
617-269-0497, grandten.com.
Bully Boy Distillers, meanwhile, went so far as to partner with Organic Bath Co. to launch Clean Giving—a buy-one, give-one initiative that donates hand sanitizer to local organizations in need. Please squirt responsibly.
617-442-6000, bullyboydistillers.com.
Photo by Bruce Peterson
4. Plot Your Escape With a New Bag.
We’re calling it now: This is the summer of the day trip, with no trains, planes, or ferries required. A chic carryall, then, seems like a smart investment—especially one from the wildly popular FORESTBOUND. Made from durable found and salvaged textiles, designer Alice Saunders’s bags are cut and sewn right here in Somerville.
1950s-era salvaged-ticking-fabric carryall, $349, forestbound.com.
Photo by Jared Kuzia
5. Finally Ditch the Loungewear.
We’re all guilty of letting things slide with our work-from-home outfits. Thankfully, Back Bay boutique All Too Human is shipping out personalized try-on packages so you can shop the season’s freshest fashions from the best fitting room of all—your home. Ask an associate for styling advice over FaceTime, pay only for the pieces you decide to keep, and send back the rest with a prepaid shipping label.
857-350-3951, alltoohumanboston.com.
Did someone say bronzer? Clean-beauty retailer Follain has everything you need to get summer-ready. / Styling by Kaylei McGaw/Anchor Artists / Photo by Bruce Peterson
6. Bring the Salon Home.
Not ready to step back into the stylist’s chair just yet? Boston’s top salons are still making it easy to score professional hair care from the comfort of your own bathroom. Newbury Street favorite Megan Graham Beauty pairs its custom-blended single-process hair-color kits with one-on-one online coaching sessions so you can DIY with confidence.
617-236-8100, megangrahambeauty.com.
ZenaRose, meanwhile, launched a whole new online platform offering at-home gloss and conditioning treatments as well as root touchup kits for both new and existing customers.
857-991-1680, zrlabs.co.
And Avanti Salon is accepting email orders (with free delivery!) for all of your favorite salon products, including Goldwell Color Revive conditioners. Your ’do will thank you.
617-267-4027, avantisalonboston.com.
Styling by Kaylei McGaw/Anchor Artists / Photo by Bruce Peterson
7. Up Your Summer Makeup Game.
How do you emerge from quarantine without looking like you’ve been living under a rock since March? Tara Foley, founder of the clean beauty retailer Follain, offers tips for achieving that “I’ve definitely not been inside for three months” glow.
857-284-7078, follain.com.
Don’t forget protection.
If you haven’t seen the sun in a while, shielding your face from harmful UV rays is more important than ever. Foley suggests a product that combines the coverage of a tinted serum with the added protection of SPF.
Ilia Super Serum skin tint with SPF 40, $46.
Fake it till you make it.
For the same reason, “bronzers and highlighters are a no-brainer” this summer, Foley says. Opt for lightweight formulas that won’t clog the skin, especially if you’ve been going makeup-free at home.
RMS Beauty luminizing powder, $38, and Ere Perez rice-powder bronzer, $35.
Make it a double.
Versatile multi-sticks combine a lip and cheek stain in one tube, offering the instant dose of vitality people need right now. “It’s easy and summer-friendly because it doesn’t look like you have a huge face on,” Foley says.
Ere Perez Beetroot cheek and lip tint, $26.
Keep it simple.
A wise sage once said all you need to look alive is mascara and lip gloss (or was it a mug of coffee?). Either way, Foley recommends a swish of both to get you through your entire day of Zoom meetings.
Saie Mascara 101, $24, and liquid lip balm, $16.
