By feature writer Dakoda Carlson
I’m not one to shy away from expressing how much I dislike summer. I am strictly an Autumn girl. Lucky for me, Summer is finally winding down and coming to an end. In honor of this season ending, here’s a list of my favorite things that helped me knock out the summer blues these last three months.
Beauty
1) Rose Kombucha flower powered face wash by Pacifica & Canna Cell X.Foliate scrub by Andalou
These two items are a God sent. Summer is supposed to bring clear skin that glows 24/7. Because summer and I don’t have the greatest of relationships, it hasn’t been the kindest to my skin. I’ve been having random breakouts throughout the course of these three months. I started using these products at the beginning of June, and ever since then, they have helped prevent the breakouts on a daily basis. The Rose Kombucha face wash is gentle on my skin and is compatible with all skin types. It’s vegan and alsosmells lovely which is a huge plus considering I’m using it to wash my face. I use this product in the morning after I wake up, and in the evening before I go to bed. The face wash leaves my skin feeling fresh and new. (Plus, you can purchase it at your local Target for only $10) The Scrub is made with hemp stem cells and does the trick of removing my dead skin perfectly. I never used an exfoliating scrub before, but I knew if I started it would help prevent further breakouts. This scrub is all natural and vegan, which was essential for me while I was in search of an exfoliation scrub. Unlike my face wash, I only use this product once a week. This product allows my skin to feel free and soft, which I adore. This specific scrub I picked up at my local “whole foods” store. (Not the actual “whole foods”, just a little one by my house called “Kimberton”.)
2) Colour pop concealer in the shade, medium 22 & Palmer’s Coco Butter
As I stated above, summer has not been kind to my skin. I’m left with pimples left and right. This concealer by colourpop manages to hide all my blemishes and leaves me with a clear-looking face. (Buy it at your local makeup store for only $7!) Pimples are one of my insecurities. I’m trying to learn to become more confident in my skin no matter how it looks, because it’s normal to have pimples. But in the meantime, I refer to this product. I notice my pimples immediately and tend to pick at my skin because I think it’ll help the situation. (I know now, that was a very bad thing to do on my part). Because I picked and popped, I’m also left with scaring. To help with the scaring, my older sister referred Palmer’s Coco Butter to me. This product smells like heaven. I apply a small amount to just my scars before I go to bed. Within two nights, I already saw improvements. My scaring began to disappear. (Pick it up today at any drugstore!)
Arts
1) “Supermarket” by Bobby Hall & “Why I Write” by Patti Smith. (Books)
Summer is the time for me to really catch up on reading all the books that have been collecting dust on my shelf. The first book I read was “Supermarket” by Bobby Hall. (Also known as the rapper Logic) “Supermarket” I read while on vacation in June. The book was an easy read and I was done within a day. Now, I’m not going to say anything about this book in fear of accidently spoiling it, but to give you a little insight on what the story is about, here is a description from the book. “Flynn is stuck-depressed, recently dumped, and living at his mom’s house. The supermarket was supposed to change all that. An ordinary job and a steady check. Work isn’t work when it’s saving you from yourself. But things aren’t quite as they seem in these isles.” I’ll leave the rest for you to read! This book kept me on my toes and was a good thriller to breeze through. My second book, “Why I Write” by Patti Smith was actually recommended by one of my favorite writers, Orion Carloto. I also read this book while on vacation but this time, it was while on my flight. It’s a simple read and I finished it within 20 minutes. This book gave me a different view on writing. Smith’s style of writing is very intriguing and informational, I couldn’t put the book down.
2) “Peaceful, easy feeling” by the Eagles (Music)
Now I wish I could say that I’ve been obsessed with a specific album all summer but turns out I’ve just been obsessed with one song in particular. “Peaceful easy feeling” by the Eagles originally graced us with it’s sound back in 76’. Well, you know the saying, “an oldie but a goodie”, that applies to this song. My dad played it once during a BBQ and I couldn’t stop listening to it. It perfectly captures the essence of summer to me. A very care-free vibe and just going with the flow.
Fashion
1) My go to sunnies & netted bags (accessories)
We’ve got to protect our eyes kids, and what better way to do so then with a cute stylish pair of sunglasses. I have two that I’ve been wearing non-stop. As you can tell, I’m not much of a color person. I adore these sunglasses for two reasons. (1) They remind me of something the effortlessly beautiful Audrey Hepburn would’ve worn and (2), They were super inexpensive. (shoutout to Target, you’re the real OG). Along with my stylish sunglasses, I’ve also been obsessed with these netted bags I received off of Amazon. Not only are they practical and cute but also very environmentally friendly. In the wake of the plastic issue we have going on in the world right now, I wanted a bag that was alternative and still did the job without harming our planet. These bags hold everything and are reusable unlike single use plastic bags. I would recommend these bags ten times over. They come in different colors also, I just prefer the colorless option (what a surprise)
Those are my summer favorites. They’ve helped me survive this unbearable heat (I’m just being dramatic) while still enjoying the season. Now bring it on Autumn!