savoring summer

Well, it's August 28th and summer is almost over. I'm mostly sad to see it go, but a tiny part of me is excited for the fall (key word: tiny). To me, summer equates to happiness, glowy tan skin, yummy BBQ foods and late nights spent with friends and family. Fall has its perks - pumpkin spice everything, the best fashion trends, and that "starting fresh" feeling, but summer will always have my heart.

So what am I doing to savor summer as it slips away? I have a few tricks up my sleeve which I am happy to share below. I'll be following this list into the fall, so if you see a girl carrying a neon pink straw bag walking down the streets of NYC (when it's 55 degrees and mid-October), you'll know it's just me with a case of end-of-summer blues :)

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Here's the plan! I will continue to:

1) Incorporate my favorite summer products into my daily routine

This is a big one for me because seasons totally dictate which products I use. During the summer, I barely use any makeup - my main skincare focus is to enhance the natural glow that comes along with the sun (and humidity - sometimes it's good for something!). Below are a few products I turn to in the summer months and plan to use as long as I can before switching to heavy face oils and creams.

- True Botanicals Renew Nutrient Mist: This is a toning mist made with kombucha - yes, you read that right! The kombucha helps balance good bacteria on the skin, similarly to how it helps balance your gut when you drink it. It also helps improve elasticity and tone, and I've noticed it brightens my skin and enhances my glow. This luxurious-smelling spray also has milk thistle, which is super detoxifying and anti-inflammatory, and neroli flower water, which helps regenerate skin to reduce scarring and any other discolorations. There is also green tea in it which helps fight free radicals! It's the ultimate refreshing summer face spray, and I am so happy to continue using it throughout the fall.

Kari Grain Lip Whip in "Jolene": I discovered this one a few months ago and it's quickly become a staple in my beauty cabinet. Not only does this lip whip have the most moisturizing, light texture - it's also the most gorgeous pink poppy color. It contains peppermint oil, which is always a plus in my book because I love the refreshed feeling it gives. This product has been a go-to during the summer for a fun pink color, but I can definitely see myself wearing this throughout the fall and winter. I love that this lip whip really falls in the intersection of lip care and lip color, which will be important as it gets colder and my lips need more care.

- W3LL People Bio Bronzer (Stick or Powder): I love a good natural-looking bronzer, especially in the summer. As much as I would love to be tan all of the time, I try to prevent my face from being in the sun as best as I can. During the summer, I rely on bronzers to do the trick and fake that baking-in-the-sun all day glow. I love the W3LL People Bio Bronzer formulation (in both stick and powder form). They are made with all natural ingredients that work! I will be using these into the cooler days to look and feel like I just stepped out of the sun.

2) Make iced lattes on the reg

I go through phases with coffee, and I'm currently in an "organic iced cold-brew adaptogenic latte" phase. I start each morning with a blend of organic cold-brew, almond milk, coconut butter, MCT oil, vanilla bean powder and some adaptogenic potions. It gives me just the right amount of energy, and doesn't make me jittery because of all of the healthy fats I throw in there. I'll be savoring the sunny, warm days by continuing this ritual until I can no longer bear to have iced drinks in the freezing weather (or until I hop off my coffee phase)!

3) Practice self-care

Self-care is hugely important to me (I wrote about it here) and I think it's even more important to nurture ourselves as we go through transitions. I am very gentle with myself and make sure to give myself what I need, mentally and physically, when we are saying goodbye to a season that brings me so much happiness. I was never one to love change, so I try to make the change as positive as possible. Whether it's reading more books (I recently got back into reading fun fiction books so if you have any recs let me know!), allowing myself to rest more, or setting aside more time to bake and be creative in the kitchen - I make sure to keep my self-care game on point during and into the transition.

What are your tips for savoring summer? Or are you happy to see it go? I'd love to know!

xx

This post was written in collaboration with Follain and all opinions are my own. I am so grateful to be able to work with brands that I love!