DailyCandy

Fourth of July weekend brings with it late nights, plenty of booze, and balmy temps. We plan to look fresh the whole way through with this depuffing serum. The metal ball applicator rolls under your eyes, erasing all traces of how late you stayed up and how bad you probably feel (damn that last mojito) with a combination of caffeine and antioxidants. Stick it in the fridge for extra chilly relief.

Taking back citrus green from the ‘80s, one vintage-inspired piece at a time.

New releases from a husband-and-wife duo, Shabazz Palaces, and a few hip-hop legends made our Tuesday.

What About Us?” by Handsome Furs
“Wildfire,” by Sbtrkt
“Nightlight,” by Little Dragon
“Work,” by 1,2,3
“East Harlem,” by Beirut
“Street Joy,” by White Denim
“Cuckoo,” by Still Corners
“Endeavors for Never,” by Shabazz Palaces
“Monumental,” by Pete Rock & Smif-n-Wessun

Download the playlist here. And then mix in the fun, new song, “Womyn aka Hitch,” from Heems of Das Racist.

(Photo by Liam Maloney via Subpop.com)

It’s summer, and that means two things: Legs. Our editors sound off on whether the short-shorts trend is just for the fairer sex or if men can get in on the action, too.

Yay: Men generally have more shapely legs than women (and less cellulite). Let’s see them.
Nay: Two words: leg hair. The fewer we have to see, the better.

Yay: Thighs that are full of power and class should not be hidden. See: Magnum P.I., Roger Federer, Daniel Craig.
Nay: We like a little left to the imagination. We’re classy like that and expect the same in a man.

Yay: Really long shorts remind us of high school boys, and we like to keep things legal.
Nay: We’re worried his, you know, boxers might hang out.

Yay: Short shorts demonstrate confidence and self-assurance, which is hot.
Nay: They can’t be comfortable for dudes. Imagine the anatomy involved in sitting down in those things.

You decide.

Sookie has landed in a fairy world that looks like a high school set of A Midsummer Night’s Dream where — wait for it — there’s glowing, apple-like fruit. Luckily, the ever-so-astute Miss Sookie catches on to the Disney lameness that surrounds her as she chats with her long-lost grandfather. The cheesy façade turns into a bleak desert, and she narrowly escapes the wicked fairy dame by jumping into a dark hole. She arrives back in Bon Temps to find more than a year has gone by. Jason shows up in uniform (which makes him look more like a Chippendale than a cop) to inform her the house was sold to a corporation called AIK since everyone assumed her dead. Naturally, Bill and Eric show up at the front door, bickering over who missed her most and who gave up on her. Both of whom, it should be said, look more handsome than last year, perhaps due to the PR position Eric’s taken up and the political role of Bill.

Elsewhere in Sookieland, Tara’s loving the ladies while boxing in an underground ring and calling herself Toni. Jason is still caring for the ironically named (and traitorous) Hotshot kids with Crystal nowhere in sight, and Andy Bellefleur is addicted to V (and notably thinner). Arlene’s baby looks strikingly like Rene, making his doll decapitation that much more sinister. Sam joins an anger management group of shifters, and Tommy has recovered from his gunshot wound in the bosom of the Bible-beating Mrs. Fortenberry. The other Fortenberry and his baby vamp, Jessica, are both starving and seem to find cohabitation less than thrilling.

Jesus attempts to bewitch (har, har) Lafayette into joining his necromancing coven. But there’s a traitor in the witches’ mist reporting to the vampire king, who happens to be Bill. Guess that battle in the old Compton mansion didn’t turn out too sweetly for Sophie-Anne. As the show wraps up, Eric barges in on Sookie, despite her revocation of the invitation. In a bastardly move, Eric has purchased the Stackhouse home, giving him unfettered access to Sookie. He declares “You are mine” in a decidedly less breathy way than Bill. We want to love Eric (especially in that black tee), but boyfriend needs to take a solid step back.

Once in a while a book comes along that makes us feel bad about ourselves. Unlikely Brothers is one of those books. While we were busy digging coins out of the sorority house sofa so that we could go to nickel beer night for free, John Prendergast was working for peace and human rights in Africa. He was also mentoring underprivileged boys — in particular Michael Mattocks and his younger brothers. Prendergast and Mattocks co-authored this inspiring new memoir that details Mattocks’s life as a homeless child and teenage drug dealer and the impact that Prendergast had on him even as Prendergast flitted between continents as an activist. But make no mistake: Without Michael, Prendergast also wouldn’t be the man he is today. We read it while sitting on the beach sipping Mai Tais. Some things never change.

We’ve been fans of YSL’s sweet-scented lipsticks for years, so you can imagine our excitement when this gloss/balm mixture showed up on our desks. It came along to a Florida wedding, where the bridesmaids couldn’t get enough of it on the beach and at the celebration. Throw it in your bag for a weekend getaway and it’s all you need.