What is the opposite of gate keeping? Welcome to “Payment Review,” where we ask stylish, often cool people who have tried it all about their favorite fashion and beauty purchases.
Being on Bravo’s “Summer House” isn’t all fun and games (…and drama). It also requires “refreshing your wardrobe” throughout the season, according to Ciara Miller, who has been on the show for the past five years. “I’m always looking for pieces that are a little different,” she told Ujo Shop. “I really don’t want to wear what everyone else is wearing.”
The New York City-based nurse has excelled at finding styles that withstand the humid heat of the Hamptons while still looking cool. But that’s not the only reality show she has to wear: In Season 3 of “The Traitors US,” she wore white skirt suits with matching Ruslan Baginskiy hats, Kate Ok statement coats and Zimmermann mini silk dresses.
Image: Euan Cherry/Peacock via Getty Images
So does his packing process change from Scotland to Sag Harbor? “I feel like I’m shopping the same way. But ‘Summer House’ is difficult because you have to think about so many different clothes for so many different occasions,” she says. “That’s the really tricky part, where it’s like, ‘Oh, maybe I’ve worn that in the past. How can I make it look a little different?’
Miller has a particular approach when it comes to creating her look: “I like to have a little girly updo and mix it with something dramatic.” Ahead, Miller details her Hamptons closet essentials, beauty products she’s stocking up on for summer and more.
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What’s your favorite high-end beauty item?
I really like Dr. Pads. Dennis Gross AHA BAH. I do the middle level, I think that’s what it’s called…I like them a lot. They are a splurge, but I feel like I see a huge difference in my skin when I use them compared to when I don’t.
What about drugstore beauty?
I feel like the UV rays are getting stronger and stronger. So in the summer, I really like sunscreen — especially Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Invisible Gel Sunscreen…I can put it in the car [without looking] and I don’t have to worry about having white actors. It also feels like a primer, so it goes well under makeup.
Image: Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage
What beauty staple do you always keep at home during the summer?
In fact, it’s probably hairspray. I absolutely order the TreSemmé Keratin Smooth collection. [Editor’s Note: Miller has partnered with the brand on content.] That hairspray is something I always have with me.
What device are you looking at?Have you bought your own Kangol hat yet?
I didn’t buy my Kangol hat, [but] I’m really looking. I want! I have a big head. I actually have a small head, but when I have a weave, I have a big head, so I have to find something that I can wear with both.
A fashion accessory that I am always on the lookout for is arm cuffs. I feel like it adds just the right amount of pizazz to an outfit, but it’s not too in-your-face. My favorite ones are from Amazon.
What shoes are you after?
I’m looking for black Valentino shoes with a clear strap. They are sold everywhere. But I have my friends hunting for these shoes. They are very good. But here’s the thing about shoes: There’s always a shoe I want to buy. I feel like all the shoes Matthieu Blazy had in Chanel, I want to have them all.
What are some of your favorite luxury fashion items?
I think my next big purchase will be a watch. I feel like that should be my 30th birthday present to myself, a really nice watch. I’m not serious yet. I think I might buy an AP [Audemars Piguet] or I can buy a Rolex. I think AP is my style.
How about an affordable fashion item?
I love a pair of baggy Levi’s. It is important to me.
Image: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tory Burch
What’s your favorite wardrobe staple that you buy multiples of?
A white cropped T-shirt. Aritzia and Abercrombie & Fitch. They are basic, but well built. They are very young; they can get old and torn, but then again, you can use bleach in the washer and they’re still nice and soft.
What was the last product a “Summer House” cast member influenced you to buy?
It was probably Mia. [It was] maybe these silver shoes he bought on Amazon. I feel like you get the best deals, so I always check and see what’s what [in her cart] or comparing carts. But she just bought these cute Margiela knockoffs that I thought were sick.
This interview is organized for clarity.
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