What’s the opposite of gatekeeping? Welcome to “Payment Processing,” in which we ask stylish, generally cool people who’ve tried it all about their favorite fashion and beauty buys.
Being on Bravo’s “Summer House” isn’t all fun and games (…and drama). It also requires “reinventing your wardrobe” throughout the season, according to Ciara Miller, who’s been on the show for the last five years. “I’m always looking for pieces that are a bit different,” she tells Fashionista. “I don’t really want to wear what everyone else is wearing.”
The New York City-based nurse-turned-model has excelled at finding styles that weather the humid heat of the Hamptons while still looking polished. But that’s not the only reality show she’s had to dress for: On Season 3 of “The Traitors US,” she wore monochromatic skirt suits with matching Ruslan Baginskiy hats, statement Kate Spade coats and silk Zimmermann mini dresses.
Photo: Euan Cherry/Peacock via Getty Images
So does her packing process change from Scotland to Sag Harbor? “I feel like I shop in the same way. But ‘Summer House’ is hard because you have to think of so many different outfits for so many different occasions,” she says. “That’s really the tricky part, where it’s like, ‘Oh, maybe I wore that on a season before. How can I make it look a little bit different?'”
Miller does have a specific formula when it comes to building out her looks: “I love being a little bit girly on top and mixing it with something edgy as well.” Ahead, Miller details the wardrobe essentials she has on hand in the Hamptons house, the beauty products she stocks up on for the summer and more.
What’s a luxury beauty item you’re into?
I really love the Dr. Dennis Gross AHA BHA pads. I do the medium level, I think that’s what it’s called…I really love them. They are a splurge, but I feel like I notice the biggest difference in my skin when I am using them versus when I’m not using them.
How about a drugstore beauty item?
I feel like the UV rays are getting stronger and stronger. So for the summer, I definitely love a sunscreen — specifically the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Invisible Gel Sunscreen…I can literally put it on in the car [without looking] and I don’t have to worry about if I’m going to have a white cast. And it feels like a primer, so it lays well under makeup.
Photo: Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage
What’s a beauty staple you always keep at the house during the summer?
Honestly, probably hairspray. I definitely order the whole TreSemmé Keratin Smooth collection. [Editor’s Note: Miller has partnered with the brand on content.] That hairspray is something that I always have on me.
What’s an accessory you have your eye on?Have you purchased your own Kangol hat yet?
I have not purchased my own Kangol hat, [but] I am really looking. I want to! I have a big head. Actually, I have a small head, but when I have a weave, I have a big head, so I’ve got to find something that I can wear with both.
A fashion accessory that I’m always obsessed with and looking for is probably arm cuffs. I feel like it adds the proper amount of pizazz to an outfit, but it’s not super in your face. The ones I love most are from Amazon.
Any particular shoes you’re after?
I’m looking for the black Valentino shoes with the clear strap. They’re sold out everywhere. But I have my friends literally hunting down these shoes. They’re so chic. But here’s the thing with me and shoes: There’s always a shoe I want to buy. I feel like all of the shoes that Matthieu Blazy had for Chanel, I want to have them all as well.
Any other luxury fashion items you’re into?
I think my next big purchase will be a watch. I feel like that should be my 30th birthday gift to myself, a really nice watch. I’m undecided right now. I’m thinking I might either buy an AP [Audemars Piguet] or I might buy a Rolex. I think an AP is more my style.
How about an affordable fashion item?
I love a pair of baggy Levi’s. It’s my essential.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tory Burch
What’s a wardrobe staple you love so much you’ve bought multiples?
A cropped white T-shirt. Aritzia and Abercrombie & Fitch. They’re basic, but nicely structured. They’re not too thin; they can have wear and tear on them, but also, you can use them with bleach in the washer and they’re still great and soft.
What’s the last product a fellow “Summer House” cast member influenced you to buy?
It was probably Mia. [It was] probably these silver shoes that she bought on Amazon. I feel like she gets the best deals, so I’m always looking and seeing what’s [in her cart] or comparing carts. But she recently bought these really cute Margiela knockoffs that I thought were kind of sick.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
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