Pretty Busy Weekly, 06.29.20

The past two weeks have been, to say the least, pretty busy. Chris and I came back to Brooklyn from the shore, and there really is nothing like sleeping in your own bed and being in the comfort of your own space.

I’ve been busy wrapping up the school year, and spent the last two weeks racing to the finish line with grades, graduations, and celebrations. And while all of these end-of-year moments were different and special in their own way, there is a real sense of non-closure as I end my eighth year in education.

I’m also in the last two classes of my Master’s program, and to be very honest, my motivation is dwindling and it’s been get to get work done with everything else going on. I’m pretty much swimming in research, but I finally feel a bit better now that I submitted a part of my first thesis chapter last night. I am eager to finish in August, but grateful that the break from school is here to allow me to refocus.

I’ve been trying to avoid so much television time the past couple of weeks, and really get back into my reading routines before bed, which is harder when you have to read for grad school. But alas, I finally finished a book! I just wrapped up Untamed, and I must admit, I did really like it. While I think it’s a pretty privileged and informal analysis of female constructs, I think the author is both aware and attempting to recognize that throughout the book, which I’d classify as a memoir of sorts. I resonated a lot with her own experiences with religion, faith, and the church, and the role they played in her own desires and identity.

I also grabbed Caroline Hirons’ book, Skincare: The Ultimate No-Nonsense Guide, and it covers a wealth of knowledge she has developed over her years in the beauty industry. I definitely bought this to help inform my own understandings of the science and biology behind skincare and beauty, as well as dig a little deeper in the beauty industry as a whole so I know what’s really worth it. Will report back!

After a whirlwind week, I completely crashed on Friday night. I got into bed around 8, and started Defending Jacob on Apple TV. Less than 24 hours later, I finished it, after a long + lazy day in my pajamas. I love a little Michelle Dockery and Chris Evans combo, and the story was pretty gripping. Although I wish there was a second season (it doesn’t look like there will be as it was based on a book), I think it’s an interesting take on the subjectivity of the criminal justice system and human limits.

I’ve decided that tuna salad has a love-hate following. And personally, I LOVE tuna fish and tuna salad. Chris despises it, and can smell it for days if I make it in our house. But it turns out, the bloggersphere agrees that tuna salad is just delish, and the perfect lunch during summer. Defined Dish (my fave) posted her own tuna salad recipe, and Lemon Stripes posted a whole round-up of ways to make tuna salad. I am here for tuna salad, and this is the content it deserves.

Spending more time at home has definitely meant buying more things for our home. I love anything kitchen-related and bought these glasses last week, which I think are so cute for juice, wine or cocktails. There’s a much more expensive (and likely better quality) version I’ve seen a lot on Instagram lately with the rise of rosé season, but I just can’t justify the price. I also love seeing fruity cocktails served in these adorable jars– hoping to get my hands on some soon.

I’ve also ordered a lot of new beauty and replacements in the past few weeks. I am trying out the Isle of Paradise hyaluronic acid tanning drops to see if they will be slightly less dehydrating on the skin (so far, I really like), as well as the St. Tropez facial tanning mist (has the best tanning product smell). Also had to reorder my tried and true Drunk Elephant d-bronzi drops. Check out my post on using these products here.

I’ve had my eye on the Ilia SPF foundation serum for a while, but had read a lot of mixed reviews on both the coverage and the smell. I had a gift card so I decided to buy it. I love that it has SPF 40 in it so I can use it when I go to the beach. It smells fine to me, but I’ll keep you posted on how I like it. Also decided to try a new lip-cheek stain as I pair down my routine for summer. And this travel hair set from Briogeo, a Black-owned company.

Ending on some self-care inspo- my lips have been so dry lately, and I am not sure why. I saw Celeste Thomas do a lip treatment to remove dead skin. She uses a combination of a facial serum with regular sugar to prevent breakouts around the lips that other lip treatments often give me. Going to try it out today! If it works, I’ll put together a post on lip care for you guys.

Well, another pretty busy week up ahead. We will be heading to the shore for the long weekend, and I’m looking forward to being on the beach and grilling food outside. I hope you have a safe and healthy holiday weekend. And don’t forget to wear a mask!