Olive & June And Megababe's Collab Is The Ultimate Summer Beauty Kit

We’ve spent so much time inside in the past year, it’s hard to remember how hot and sticky the summer can get. I’ve all but forgotten about wearing cute open-toed sandals, sweaty New York subway platforms, or the feeling of thighs chafing in denim cutoffs. Luckily, there are brands in the beauty space to help us regain our composure.

Olive & June, founded by Sarah Gibson Tuttle in 2013, began as an “It” nail salon in Los Angeles, known for setting trends on Instagram and having all of the best colors before they became known for their nail stickers — aka foolproof nail art. In 2019, the brand finally launched nail polish and the genius Mani System. The system includes all the tools you need for an at-home manicure, especially its patented bottle handle, The Poppy, which stabilizes shaky hands. At-home manicures have never been the same.

Megababe, founded by Katie Sturino In 2017, is a revolutionary brand that busted onto the scene with a product many people needed but no one talked about: Thigh Rescue. The balm-in-a-deodorant-shaped stick is made to help your legs glide past one another to prevent chafing from legs rubbing together. Since then, Sturino has launched more solution-based products including a “buttne” mask, boob-sweat-preventing power, and a cute hand sanitizer, among other products.

Now, these two brands have teamed up to help you keep your cool this summer. Launching Thursday, June 24, you can get the limited-edition collab consisting of an adorable, orange fanny pack, a mini fan, three exclusive Megababe-inspired Olive & June polish shades, the iconic O&J top coat, limited-edition nail art stickers, and a Megababe Rosy Pits Deodorant. All for $44.

Read on for Gibson Tuttle and Sturino’s thoughts on their new collaboration, Summer 2021, and creating products that people need as much as they want.

ON HOW THE COLLABORATION CAME TO BE:

SGT: I have been so obsessed with Katie for so long. I’m such a fan of how funny she is, but also how real she is, and how she tries to solve problems for people with her products. That’s also obviously what we do at Olive & June . When she launched Megababe, I was so impressed by what the products and her vision, but I was also obsessed with her branding. We got introduced by another founder who thought we should meet and I was like, try to keep cool, try to keep cool.

I originally was just going to ask her if she wanted a Katie Sturino color. Then, what we realized was that there's something so much bigger that we could do that because both of our communities focus on making people feel good, that we could do something that felt more exciting than one single nail polish color.

ON THE HOTTEST ACCESSORY FOR SUMMER:

SGT: Katie really wanted a fan. She's always warm or hot. She knows what he wants Katie and what really solves a problem for people. So she wanted a fan, and I said let’s figure it out.

KS: She really made my dreams come. The fan is so good and it’s so cute. It says “Olive You Megababe.” I was having dinner outside when it was like 90˚ and I thought I had to get out of here because it was so hot and I did not have the fan with me!

SGT: At Megababe and Olive & June we’re not making products that people don’t need. So if we’re making merch, we’re making merch that makes sense and solves an issue people are experiencing.

ON THE POLISH NAMES:

SGT: The Rosy Pits deodorant is in the collab set, and she suggested for the pink shade, what about Rosie Tips instead, because it’s a French (manicure color). We freaked out how perfect it was. You’re a 10 and Megababe Blue are named because that’s how our brands want to make people feel, without having literally said it before. We always say “everyone's a hand model” or “everyone's a Megababe”. So it felt really exciting to have the colors with names that embody our mission and our message.

ON THOUGHTFUL INCLUSIVITY:

KS: I have big hands and really big thumbs, in terms of nail size. So we made the nail sticker stripes in three different sizes so that we can be more inclusive. Sometimes stickers can be really tiny and stop half way across the nail, so I love that there are multiple sizes. The fanny pack is very inclusive when it comes to the sizing (it goes up to 57 inches) and it has a little tab where you can store the extra length if you need it. It can be styled versatilely to fit anyone.

ON SUMMER 2021 PLANS:

KS: I’m going everywhere. I think this is a roaring ’20s summer. I think it means that, within the safe guidelines, we’re going to have some fun. For me it means I’m wearing all three colors of the collab on my hands ­– it’s bright and it’s fun. I’m grabbing happiness in every little corner of my life because I think that’s what everyone needs and wants right now.

SGT: I think it’s “the summer of me” and by that I mean, people doing things just for themselves. Like, I’m painting my nails this bright color to make myself feel good, or I’m putting on Rosy Pits and going on a big hike because that helps me clear my head. I’m walking around New York and strutting myself down the street in whatever outfit I want to wear because that feels great. It’s the summer of doing your own thing.

TIPS FOR BEATING THE SUMMER HEAT:

KS: We all know I’m carrying my fan with me. I have my rules for New York summer survival: always wear your hair up. You either need to wear spandex or very loose clothing, not really anything in between and no heavy fabrics. I put Megababe Body Dust on with the Dust Puff all over my body. I carry Thigh Rescue with me. And if you take a spray mister with you and use it with your fan, it’s like instant air conditioning. And the fanny pack is important – hands free is better. You can’t be carrying a lot of stuff when it’s too hot out.

SGT: Nope, We’re not doing that this summer. We’re not doing that ever again. We’re not going to sweat the small stuff anymore.

ON DOING YOUR OWN NAILS AS SELF CARE:

SGT: People get worried that they can’t do their nails by themselves. But first of all, you’re doing this for you. So, take your favorite podcast or TV show and incorporate that into your mani and pedi routine. Make it something you do for yourself. And then, just rock it. Every mani is a mood. So pick your shade and ask, what mood do I want for this week?

ON THE CAMPAIGN:

SGT: Because we’re both so focused on our communities and making them feel amazing about themselves, we had an open casting and invited our communities to join us for a surprise shoot. It was awesome to see people lining up hours before they call time. We were able to kind of chat with our communities and talk. We make these products, but they’re not just for us. We are tirelessly devoted to our communities and making products to make them feel good. So it's really exciting to have that and be together in real life.

KS: The entire collaboration, it’s all about how all people are welcome. It’s speaking to all women ­–or men­– or whoever is painting their nails or has B.O .or whoever wants to participate. It’s kind of an all-are-welcome vibe.

Shop the collaboration now, at oliveandjune.com and megababebeauty.com