Great Big Beautiful Life: Liked it a lot. Emily Henry really nails the rom-com while not being total fluff, and is a very strong writer. Eve’s Hollywood: A fun read. I didn’t like every story, but her writing and observations are very direct and acerbic. Atmosphere: I like just about everything she writes. Her books are so cinematic, and I can actually imagine the characters IRL. Broken Country: Also very good, and worth the hype. Engaging story. So Far Gone: Just okay. I found the characters hard to believe and care about.

Text

It seems that everything I use is running out these few months. A new batch of empties.

Sunday Riley Good Genes – I used to use this product all the time, but I think it is way too intense for my skin these days. MZ Skin eye cream – felt very nice on, but like most eye creams, I couldn’t really tell a difference. Brio Toner – a cheap, effective hypoclorous acid spray. I couldn’t get over the medicinal smell, though, so won’t repurchase. Innbeauty Extreme Cream – my favorite night cream at the moment. You can find on sale, so it isn’t horribly expensive. Uriage Cleansing Milk – I use this to remove makeup or give my skin a quick refresh during the day. Gentle and effective. IS Clinical Face Wash – this lived in the shower, which is why the label is rubbed off. Great for post-workout sweaty skin.

I made these ice cream sandwiches from Lidey Hueck’s excellent cookbook for our July 4th celebrations. They took a bit of time, but were delicious and very festive for the holiday.

Milton hair oil: Made my hair too oily. Daily brush cleaner: Great for cleaning brushes between uses, and lasted me well over a year. Crown Affair Mousse: Not for my hair type (thick, course) at all. Overhyped on the internet. Tower 28 Rescue Spray: I love this for calming my skin and helping prevent breakouts. I am trying cheaper alternatives at the moment but will probably come back to it. Honest hydrogel cream: My favorite all-purpose moisturizer. I use it day and night.

Starting back to front, left to right.

Milbon anti-frizz oil – made my hair too greasy, but does work against humidity; Hydrinity spray – I love hypochlorous acid (for after workouts or whenever my skin needs some anti-bacterial treatment), and this might be one of the best. But it’s so expensive that I am trying out cheaper alternatives; Milbon detangler and moisture replenishment mist – my go-to right after the shower before I brush my hair. I buy this brand at my hair salon; REN vitamin c eye serum – just fine, most forgettable; Fresh rose lip balm – my favorite but probably unnecessary to spend this much on lip balm; Wild Source cleansing melt – this was a sample and was really nice to use to remove makeup; Glossier lip gloss – hated it so much that I didn’t even finish. Way too sticky and didn’t stay on at all; La Roche Posay cicaplast lip balm – an excellent lip balm for super dry lips at a much better price than the Fresh rose lip.

We are definitely in May.

I know I’ve been pretty light on the shopping posts this year. I’ve been thinking a lot about my (over)consumerism, and how I want to use my money to really support the causes and businesses I believe in. I established 3 criteria for any piece of clothing (excluding undergarments and gym clothes), shoes, or accessories that I purchased this year: each item must be either 1) preloved/vintage; 2) from a small/independent brand; or 3) be purchased from a small business.

I’ve been looking for an everyday animal print bag to add some interest to my everyday outfits, and I found this vintage Fendi Mama Baguette from a vintage store in NYC. It is in amazing condition, and the quality is exceptional (lined in leather)!

Here’s what I keep in it. The mini Longchamp pouch has various essentials, including masks, blotting paper, cough drops, lip balm, Tide pen, hand sanitizer, Band-Aids, and a pen. The pouch makes it so easy to transfer my things between bags, and I leave it at home if the bag is too small.

Back row: Mother Science Hero serum – great serum for overall brightness and fading acne spots; Glossier deodorant – still my favorite Glossier product; Decalt exfoliator – pretty good at keeping blackheads away; Gimme sleep melatonin gummies – the only product I buy from the Kardashian industrial complex. It really works to lull me into a gentle sleep.

Front row: Sam McKnight hair mask – got as a sample and would not repurchase. The scent was way too strong for me; Augustinus Bader cream – got to try as a travel size and would not repurchase. So expensive and didn’t notice a meaningful difference; Ouai shampoo – again, a sample that was fine but nothing special. Would not purchase.

This was my least favorite stack of books in a while. None of This is True: awful writing, trying to get by on a “thriller” plot. This genre of books is not for me. The world is stressful enough. A Winter In New York: also bad writing. Would have preferred the story to be in a Hallmark movie instead of a book. Age of Vice: pretty good, but not the best book about corruption in India (for me, that is the White Tiger). Also the story is so relentlessly sad. The Granddaughter: Interesting point of view about German politics and identity, but didn’t connect with the story at all. Also the translation in English was a bit stilted. Echo Blue: It was fine, but definitely a Taylor Jenkins Reid-lite story (not nearly as good). I couldn’t believe in the main character’s obsession with Echo.