7 Things / LA Edition

the nuances of what’s happening in hair, makeup, skin, clothing, accessories, tweakments and micro-trends in LA right now

Hiiii! For today’s 7 Things, we’re diving into all the LA-ness, a little trend report of sorts as I’ve been in the city a lot this summer (I’m here now actually). We’ll get into the obvious standouts, the subtleties, the archetypes and the nuances of what’s happening in hair, makeup, skin, clothing, micro-trends and accessories right now. Oh and a playlist! I made you a new one inspired to the sounds of LA.

Let’s break it down category by category:

1. HAIR

Summer hair is in full effect, it’s undone, air-dried, and it feels long. Far fewer blunt bobs, not as many slicked-back buns from the “clean girl” aesthetic. Girls are letting their hair down, literally.

Blowouts are looking less polished, and waves aren’t exactly “beachy” anymore - they’re not overly styled with a wand or curling iron. Instead, they fall in different directions, softly and subtly, with that effortless, lived-in feel. Natural including running out the door with wet hair (lots of wet hair).

Here are the best products and techniques for effortless waves (besides doing nothing at all):

• Crown Affair Texturizing Air Dry Mousse for a weightless, texture-enhancing styling foam that promotes effortless, tousled waves and soft, touchable volume without crunch.

• Messy Rough Dry Hair Styling Cream for a soft hold, healthy shine and enhanced texture for effortless waves.

• Sam McKnight Cool Girl Texture Mist, just a spritz for dimension and texture à la Sienna Milller.

• Sam McKnight Happy Endings Nourishing Balm for a styling/ treatment that smooths frizz and fluff, defines texture, and conditions without weighing hair down.

• RŌZ Santa Lucia Styling Oil for a lightweight styling oil that smooths frizz and adds lustrous natural shine.

• Techniques to try (with the mousse or rough dry styling cream added on wet hair): twisting pieces up like this and letting them dry, braiding hair loosely and letting it dry, twisting hair into two tight buns (one on each side of your head) and letting dry or rough dry buns.

For washing, RŌZ shampoo & conditioner is my personal favorite (and 25% off at Sephora this week for their 25% off shampoo & conditioner event).

RE: cuts, I asked Nic who I see for cuts (he cuts everyone from Sofia Richie to Kelly Wearstler) what cuts he’s doing most. His answer? It’s more all over the place than over. Long layers, mid-lengths, bobs, it’s never been less specific.

2. MAKEUP

No-makeup makeup is looking more like actual no-makeup than ever. We’re talking:

• No mascara on more girls than I could count (I think this is a Hailey Bieber trickle down thing?)

• No foundation or barely barley barrrrrley there

• Fresh plump skin that’s not sparkly, not glittery, just alive

• Glossy lips

Overall: Less makeup and it feels refreshing. My thesis is that girls are either just young with beautiful youthful skin and/or skincare is very dialed in, including taking advantage of winter to go hard on lasers, tweakements (I do a deep dive into all of this in #6 - doctors names and clinics included), etc.

Glow: is subtle and lit-from-within, like you just got back from vacation. If you’re wearing a glow product, the goal is for it to be undetectable. The kind that leaves people wondering how many liters of water you’re drinking a day.

For that just-got-back-from-Europe-and-drinks-gallons-of-water glow, everyone’s obsessed with the Westman Sun Tone Bronzing Drops (but good luck finding it, I’ve checked Sephora, Violet Grey, and pretty much everywhere online… most shades are sold out).

The next best thing? The Westman Super Loaded Drops. Her bronzer feels inspired by this best selling glow product, the formula and application are very similar and so is the finish. I LOVE these drops. I’m on bottle four, maybe five?

Also: glazing mist, misted often.

Blush: It’s not a pigmented cherry-girl summer, blush is softer, more subtle, a natural looking flush. Think a dab of Rhode, Jillian Dempsey, Merit… and sneakily, this peptide glow balm which my chic Australian friends are obsessed.

Lips: Smooth, full, and glossy. It starts with a good overnight treatment (Maed’s is essential, it’s my nightly), an occasional lip exfoliant, and then a steady rotation of your favorite gloss/balm. Constant reapplication is part of the vibe. Favorites? Rhode, Summer Fridays, Tower28.

For a tinted SPF breakdown, here you go.

3. CLOTHING

L.A. is always a bit of a mishmash, but five distinct archetypes are standing out (any of which may be wearing jelly flip flops and use Gab Waller for sourcing):

• The bright-clothed Gen Z girl

• The serious minimalist browsing at The Row

• The algorithm girl

• The effortless bohemian goddess

• The cool Westside mom

Let’s break them down.

The Gen Z girl is dressing for joy. She’s colorful, often baggy, rarely polished…and that’s the point. She’s not loyal to a single aesthetic but committed to a vibe. Think: personality over polish, mood over minimalism, a playful rejection of capsule dressing.

On the other end of the spectrum, the minimalist browsing at The Row is tightly curated. Every item is considered (and yes, she’s pre-ordered Marlo for fall). Specific, intentional, expensive. Black, white, beige. She’s invested in her wardrobe (Sloan, Kallmeyer, Khaite, etc.) the same way she’s invested in her skin: tightly curated products, lasers in the winter to go bare all summer and always protected by SPF. Her makeup is barely there, maybe a touch of Merit blush and a chic, lingering scent (I sure did go into Violet Grey to experience Madame Grey). Hair is undone, but deliberately so. She loves her barn tote and Chloé jelly’s this season.

The algorithm girl is dressed in stamped clones of what’s trending on the ‘gram. Every detail feels familiar, seen, saved, shopped, repeated. Cute nonetheless! And taking photos of what she’s eating at Great White.

Then there’s the cool Westside mom. She’s in Donni (she loves the simple pant), she’s in DÔEN, she’s in Jenni Kayne. She’s color agnostic. There’s a powder blue or cherry red sweater tied casually around her waist or shoulders. Her dresses are sometimes printed, but nothing too bold. She has a OSSA phone chain dangling as she texts, lives in a comfortable sandal or Chanel ballet flats and loves her fancy face creams (and botox sprinkles). She’s currently picking up $48 olive oil along with a hand soap at the Country Mart, post-Farm Shop lunch, of course. And has good sunglasses, very good sunglasses.

And finally, the bohemian goddess. Effortless. Breezy. A little harder to find, but when you do, she stands out. Her style isn’t dictated by trends or brands, it’s personal but very Chemena Kamali’s take on Chloé. There’s a fringe bag you can’t place, interesting Amanu sandals, a natural tan, and layered jewelry that looks collected, not styled. She has great denim, listens to great music and lingers at dinner. Her phone is nowhere in sight, she’s on an Instagram hiatus which didn’t entirely matter because she rarely posts.