Summer Afternoon and Evening Muses

One of my favorite TV shows of all time, can't lie, is the short-lived, fast-peaked Fox series The OC. I had many an OC marathon in college, and loved watching the show every Thursday. The story lines were overdone and complicated (illegitimate children and secret porno, anyone?), the scenery was beautiful, the music was unique, and best of all, the women looked amazing. Ryan Atwood did too, of course, but his look rarely inspired me to make a trip to Sephora.

Mischa Barton as Marissa Cooper (drug-dependent, fragile, poor-little-rich-girl with the best body I've ever seen, and the perfect tousled bronde hair) provided me much inspiration for my daytime looks, especially in spring and summer.

It was her effortless, touchable hair (NOT Carrie Bradshaw's) that made me want to give beachy waves a try, and after a few stiff, frizzy and limp attempts, I finally found a successful wavy look for my long, very thick, brown hair. After showering, I brush damp hair, then flip my head and work in about a tablespoon of Garnier Surf Waves Texturizing Cream ($4, drugstores). Scrunch, scrunch, scrunch, then flip up, and use your fingers to create your most flattering part and smooth stray strands. You can also slide on a headband, or pin up half your hair at the crown.


Marissa's look inspired me to embrace my freckles, whiten my teeth, highlight my hair with lemons, and embrace clear lip gloss. The incessant crying prevented me from getting many eye makeup tips. Her daytime look was always simple, but she looked stunning. Fantastic bone structure and model body aside, I found that I could create a similar look for daytime makeup.

• Clinique Superdefense Moisturizer, SPF15 ($42, department stores, www.clinique.com)
• Sephora Mosaic Bronzing Powder, SPF15 ($15, Sephora) on cheeks, temples and the bridge of your nose.
• Clinique Cream Shaper for Eyes Duo in Chocolate Luster/Cocoa Shimmer ($13.50, www.clinique.com)
• Stila Lash Visor Mascara in Brown ($12.50, Sephora) on top lashes and bottom (lightly)
• Clinique Full Potential Plump-n-Shine Lip Gloss in Beach Bunny ($17.50, department stores)
  
• Vaseline ($3.49, drugstores) for eyelids*

On the other side of the OC Crazy Coin is Summer Roberts, played by Rachel Bilson. She started off as a ditzy, materialistic partier - in other words, typical rich suburban girl. She eventually morphed into a green Ivy Leaguer, but always looked drop-dead gorgeous, especially at night.

Summer's beauty and personal style meant even more to me, being a fair-skinned but easily tanned brunette. She didn't look bland during the day by any means, but charity fashion shows, restaurant openings and other evening events let Summer step out with an enviable face and the hair to match. To create the tousled waves below, blow hair straight with mousse, tease some at the crown, and then take a 2in curling iron to your whole head, concentrating on the ends. Finger-style the hair so some curls fall out more than others, then blast with cool air and hairspray.


Rachel's (can't say Summer, because Rachel Bilson always looks great on the red carpet) evening makeup is consistent, yet never boring. She relies on a killer trio: bold eyeliner, pink cheeks and pale, shiny lips. She uses navy liner to bring out her brown eyes, but tailor that color for your eyes. Brown liner for blue eyes, violet/gray for green, and khaki for hazel. Whatever makes your irises pop.

• Mineral Sheer Tinted Moisturizer in Pale, SPF15 ($30, salons and spas)
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder in Medium ($24.50, department stores, www.mac.com)
• Clinique Touch Blush Mousse in Petal Cream ($16.50, department stores) on the apples of your cheeks
  
• Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Violet ($12.50, department stores, www.clinique.com), heavy on top, subtle on bottom
  
• Clinique TouchTint for Eyes Cream Formula in Soft Heather ($15, www.clinique.com), to smoke-ify your lids
  
• Shu Uemura Mascara Basic in Black ($27.50, department stores), to make long, thick, lush fringe for your eyes
  
• Clinique Color Surge Lipstick in Perfect Beige ($14, department stores), setting a neutral base
  
• Clinique SuperBalm Moisturizing Gloss in Mango ($13.50, department stores) for shine and a sheer color
  

*For a dewy, day or evening eye shine with virtually no touch-ups required, tap a tiny bit of Vaseline on the center of your eyelid with your ring finger. This can be done over eye shadow or alone, but it highlights your eyes and gives you the coveted shine that the girls of The OC had, and took me a long time to figure out. Try it. Trust.

Cheers,
Hayley