Summer Obsessions Part 1

Obsession — “An idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind.”

-Oxford’s English Dictionary

October is here so that means summer is officially over.  Because my summer consisted of all things graduation and the bar exam, I didn’t get my normal obsessions posts up when I had originally wanted to.  However, I decided to combine all of my favorites from May through September into two giant posts separated by topic so here is the first of the two that focuses on the Beauty, Fashion, and Food that I loved this summer.

Beauty

1.  Tarte Brazillance+ Self-Tanner.  Since being inside all the time made me super pale during law school, I wanted something that could add a little color to my skin so I didn’t look like a ghost for law school graduation.  This self-tanner delivered without making me look orange, and since it comes with a mitt, it’s pretty easy to apply.  Tarte does sell a sample kit that comes with a travel size of the self-tanner and Park Ave Princess to try out.

2.  Tarte Big Ego Mascara.  Tarte released Big Ego as its latest addition to its mascara collection.  I have used Too Faced’s Better than Sex mascara for quite a few years and recently wanted to switch it up and try something new.  The wand is similar to Better than Sex, but I find the formula of Big Ego to be better as the BTS formula could be a little too wet until a few weeks after opening.  Big Ego is now my new go-to mascara.

3.  Tarte Pout Prep.  Tarte was my big winner of the summer.  Since I have Platinum status at Ulta, I received a $10 coupon for my birthday that I ended using on this lip scrub.  This lip scrub is gentle on the lips because the sugar crystals aren’t too big in the scrub.  However, it gets the job done of making lips smoother and softer so lipstick and lip pencils go on better.

4.  Nair Clay & Seaweed Leg Mask.  When I first started shaving my legs, I used Nair because I was a little scared of using a razor (funny, I know).  Nair has had a resurgence in the decade since I first used it and has created a leg mask that has the same hair removing properties as the OG Nair products.  I like that it’s not super harsh but makes your legs feel soft and removes hair pretty well.  It does have the trademark Nair smell but I don’t think it’s as strong as I remember other products being.

5.  BioClarity Clear Skin Routine.  I received this routine from Influenster to try out for free.  However, it was perfect timing because my skin was frequently breaking out due to stress and hormonal changes.  This is a three part routine, one for cleansing the skin, one for clearing up the pimples, and another for helping the complexion overall.  This system helps to clear up my hormonal acne in only one use and makes it look even all over.  I did find that the system caused my face to feel a tad dry when I first used it, but after my skin got used to it, it stopped causing my skin to be dry.

Fashion

1.  Kate Spade Margaux Work Tote.  My parents bought me this bag as my graduation present because I really wanted a black pebble leather tote for work.  I love that this tote has a pocket for a laptop and two other pockets for other items.  It has a long strap to carry it as a shoulder or cross body bag and two smaller handles.  I love the pebble leather as it’s super soft and looks really professional.

2.  Kate Spade Sylvia Set.  For my birthday, my parents also got me a new cross body and wallet from Kate Spade, the small dome cross body and the small bifold wallet in Orchid, my favorite color.  This has been my go-to set all summer since I got it for my birthday.  The cross body holds a lot, including the wallet, my sunglasses, keys, lipgloss, my phone, and some other small essentials, such as hand sanitizer.  The wallet has about six card slots, a pocket for change, and ID slot, and spots for cash.  My mom liked the wallet so much she bought one for herself.

3.  Lilly Pulitzer Palma One-Piece Swimsuit.  My graduation present for myself was a swimsuit from Lilly Pulitzer.  I have some two pieces from Athleta but have wanted a cute one piece that was strapless or had tiny straps.  This one fit the bill, but when I ordered it through the store, I didn’t receive the color I originally wanted.  However, the color they sent me ended up being my favorite.  I did have to size up in this.  Because Lilly already had their end of season sale, it’s currently sold out but hopefully they bring it back next year because it’s super cute!

  

4.  Sonix Southern Florals Phone Case.  I’ve had my old phone case for almost four years so I knew it was time for a new one considering the bumpers were broken off of the phone case body.  I found this one at Target and fell in love.  It looks super cute with my rose gold iPhone 6S (yes, my phone is old) and also works for the iPhone 7 and 8.  I’ve only ever had Sonix phone cases for my phones and haven’t broken any phone while it was in one of their cases.

5.  Keds Leather Champion Sneakers.  Keds may have been a staple in the 90s and early 2000s, but they’re still a go-to in my wardrobe now.  I previously had fabric Champions but busted a hole in the toe because of how much I wore them.  I found the leather version of them at DSW and loved how soft the leather was.  They also have memory foam insoles, which makes them super comfortable to wear.  These are so great and make an easy pair of slip on shoes.

Food

1.  O’Dough’s Bagels and Buns.  I’m always on the hunt for good gluten free foods since bread has always been one of my favorite food groups.  I found the O’Dough’s brand at my local grocery store, which carries their bagels, loaves of bread, and sandwich buns.  The brand is vegan and gluten free, but don’t taste like they’re either.  My favorites are the plain and pumpernickel (which you don’t find very often in gluten free items) bagels.

2.  Starbucks Teavana Shaken Iced Teas.  Starbucks changed up their shaken iced tea flavors yet again this summer.  Now, they consist of guava white, blueberry black, and peach green iced teas.  I had a lot of chances to form my opinion this summer as I consistently took a break from bar prep to walk to the closest Starbucks to my apartment and try them out.  I really like all of the flavors but find the blueberry black iced tea to be the best combination.  Definitely worth a try if you like iced tea.

Part Two of this giant review post should be up within the next few days!