Hello and hope your holiday weekend was everything you wanted it to be! We had a good one in the Philly suburbs visiting my dad and attending both a family and a friend BBQ.
My dad is doing a bit better since I was there in June for his birthday and Father’s Day, but of course, we all miss my mom. My family dynamic feels different, as you’d imagine. We were Nirvana; now we’re The Foo Fighters. Things aren’t the same without our lead singer but we’re somewhat settling into the new normal.
The day-to-day still feels somewhat Black Mirror episode to me, but I look forward to the signs she sends me, which are usually in the form of giraffes, her favorite animal. Yesterday, she sent me the one above, which I saw in a neighbor’s tree on my walk, exactly at eye level. A giraffe in nature. It’s unmistakable. It came after a particularly hard day of an 18-page story I was on deadline for early this week on a day I thought I’d have full-day child care, but wound up having only a few hours. I finally filed the story at 10:45pm. If you know me, you know this is NOT my steez.
Anyway. I’m lucky that that’s the first experience I’ve had like that in Reid’s six months on earth. June was better than May, and I had a lot of great discoveries and rediscoveries. Read on for my favorites of the month, plus what you were buying in June.
Best of June
Ultra Violette Queen Screen I’ve been dying to get my hands on this Australian SPF that’s sold everywhere but the U.S. but it’s impossible to have it shipped. Why? It contains (better) sunscreen ingredients not approved here (eye roll) for no good reason. BUT! I just learned Harrods will ship it — and while it’s expensive ($30), it’s probably what I’d pay for my friends Dana or Marina to ship it from there, which I keep putting off asking them to do. Anyway, it arrived this week and what a phenomenal formula. It imparts a subtle luminescence, which I love.
Future Society Floating Forest Body Wash & Lotion I love this new brand with elevated scents and stunning packaging. I added pump tops to these and keep them in my bathroom for hand soap and lotion. I’m a fan of Floating Forest, but Solar Canopy is also sublime. Hot tip: I use old pump tops from my go-to oil cleanser from Curel for these. They fit perfectly.
Prequel Moisturizing Milk Do not sleep on this moisturizer. I can’t believe the cost for how much you get and how well it works. I can feel the moisture on my skin a full 16 hours later — this simply does not happen with other formulas, even the pricier ones I’ve tried, I’m sorry to say. It comes in a positively huge bottle you can use for face and body — but I tend to save it for my face. For $22, I should slather that stuff all over! (I don’t know what I’m going through).
Aelfie Rug This brand has the best rugs and I’m obsessed with its latest black and white design.
Ambition Monster is just so good. Having an infant doesn’t leave me much (or any) time for reading. Still, I positively tore through Jenn Romolini’s memoir and devoured its insider media info, plus how it addressed the girlboss era so many of us (including me) got so caught up in.
Charlotte Tilbury Lip & Cheek Glow in Paradise Pink Glow I’m always on the hunt for a shocking pink (think: Schiaparelli types of pinks) and this pigmented but utterly blendable formula is just the thing. I wish it came in a stick formula (those are always easier for me to deal with) but the color payoff and special hue are worth digging my fingertip into a pot.
Beloved Vibe Vegan Body Wash With Mimosa Flower & Bamboo I love how fresh and bright this scent is, how soft it leaves skin, and how it just feels like a breath of FRESH. I’m using the bottle I received as a PR sample in the shower, but I also decanted a second bottle I bought into my upstairs bathroom hand soap bottle. It’s the perfect sinkside scent and it won’t break the bank. I’ll probably decant it into the Future Society bottles once I go through those.
Soshe Precision Eyeliner I struggle to keep my liners fine enough that I don’t have to go in and sharpen my cat-eye and this is the solution I’ve been looking for. The micro tip of this super skinny, twist-up liner makes the whole enterprise easy.
Jergens Wet Skin In-Shower Lotion I don’t understand how this genius body lotion you apply in the shower (after you turn off the water) to wet skin keeps my once-weekly self-tan application going without patchiness or dryness. But it does, and it also doesn’t stain my white towels. Let’s just pause and appreciate this excellent, wallet-friendly miracle, mmkay?
Feng Shui Fountain I realized my office needed a little money-manifestation moment, so I put this inexpensive fountain in it and I’m in talks with some great copywriting brands and am finalizing a couple of retainer clients. Fingers crossed, because I’m looking to return to full-time work in the next month or two.
What you bought in June
A New Day Lemon Dress This $30 lemon dress looks like it’s from Hill House Home or some such designer, for much, much less. I lost the strap to mine and simply bought a second. I wear this dress once a week — it’s a heatwave staple.
Pomander Place Finley Flutter Sleeve Dress Speaking of heatwaves, use code HEATWAVE for 20% off this dress, which was the TIBAAC best seller of the month. Wear it now with sandals or platforms and with tall boots come fall.
Away Bigger Carry-ons were a best seller for June! The brand’s collaboration with La Ligne was huge and sold out quickly, though there are still some packing cubes available. But it seems everyone was looking to upgrade to the best carry-on there is. I’ve had mine since 2016 and it’s going strong. July is all about the brand’s newest launch: Softside luggage. Get involved.
Hotel Lobby Positano Candle Ideal for summer, I’m lighting mine and dreaming of the Aperol spritzes I’ll have in Italy again — one day.
Shell Coaster These are so cute for a beach house vibe (if not an actual beach house).
Agolde Becker Short You’re buying these more polished, yet grown-up shorts with a longer hemline in droves.
Brooklinen Luxe Sateen Sheets I learned about these writing about sleep many years ago for Domino and haven’t used anything else since. Nothing compares, in the words of Sinead.