I’m so excited to start this new series! I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, but I never knew when to post about it… the beginning of the month? The middle of the month? End of the month? I must’ve skipped this section in the blogging handbook.

Then I realized that this is my own website and I make up my own rules! Yay!

Thusly, here is a list of all the things I’ve been enjoying this past month!

First, let’s begin with a song for ~vibes~. I’ve been listening to this band nonstop for the past month, so it fits with the theme of this post.

I could only figure out how to play 30 seconds of the song… but nonetheless I hope it sets the tone of this blog post.

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez

My collection of Rare Beauty began small but quickly expanded over a few weeks. After some research through Tik Toks, I finally caved in. I bought some primer, blush, lip balm, and eyeshadow, and omg I’m in love. The formulas, colors, and quality all shine through in every product. I’m not by any means an expert in makeup, and yet I manage to pull off some incredible, flawless looks using RB. I highly recommend it to anyone at any makeup skill level. Plus, Selena Gomez’s commitment to making cosmetics that people can feel great in is such amazing quality.

Discovery Eyeshadow Palette, True to Myself

In a few words: amazing. Stunning. Gorgeous. The colors weren’t as easy to work with initially (since I’m a newbie at makeup and am used to working with analogous colors), but with some practice and a lot of blending, I finally got the hang of it. It looks and feels so luxurious on me. I can feel my self-esteem skyrocket whenever I apply this eyeshadow.

Soft Pinch Dewy Blush, Grateful

After some very convincing Tik Tok videos, I finally decided to splurge on this, and all the videos are right. Only one or two soft dots are needed on the face to blend and create a full blush look (although I am VERY tempted to apply a lot on my face… just to see what it would look like). I chose this bold red color to create a dewy, sunkissed summer look and definitely need to grab a softer pink color for the upcoming fall season.

Alway an Optimist Pore Diffusing Primer

This primer leaves my skin so soft, matte, and silky to the touch. It leaves my skin feeling incredibly smooth, the perfect texture for concealer, foundation, and any other facial products. This is the newest item added to my RB collection and I’m excited to use it more!! (Read: invite me out more, friends, I need to use this!!).

With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm, Empathy

This was the first RB product I purchased (and on sale too!). This is the perfect first item to buy since it’s a simple lip balm that can go with practically any look. It’s a soft, gorgeous color that is easy to apply.

Here’s a swatch of the lip balm.

Ilia Beauty - Lipstick & Concealer

If there was one thing on this list I wish I had more money for, it’s definitely Ilia Beauty. Ilia came into my sphere as I began learning more about clean beauty products and the harm that toxins in everyday makeup can cause. I know Ilia is out of budget for a lot of folks, and it sometimes seems impossible to follow the next “right” or healthy step when it comes to everyday care (especially since the goalpost keeps moving), but if you are able to, please splurge on Ilia!

True Skin Serum Concealer, SC1 Chicory

I cannot stress enough how amazing this concealer is. This lightweight product blends so perfectly into my skin and appears as though I am wearing no makeup. I was color matched in Sephora and miraculously, I was matched with the correct shade on the first try! This is also a new product of mine and I’ve only used it a couple of times but I’m already in love and will be repurchasing it as soon as I finish this one. (Once again I ask my friends to please hang out with me so I can have more excuses to wear this :).

Color Block Lipstick, Rococco

This was my first Ilia product (of two lol) and as soon as I swatched it and posted it online, everyone raced to tell me this was the perfect summer color for me. It feels luxurious and nourishes my lips as I wear it. I also feel great about this product because I know it’s clean, meaning it’s vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free. Yay!

Here’s a comparison of the Ilia Color Block Lipstick (left) with Rare Beauty’s With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm (right). Their similarity in color is a complete coincidence; I think it only speaks to which colors I tend to gravitate towards! Ilia’s lipstick feels thicker like lipstick while RB’s is more lightweight and lip-balmy. RB’s lip balm is also a bit more transparent, but you can easily build up the color.

Okay, let’s take a break from makeup and see what else I’ve been loving this past month…

Philz Coffee

I recently got a new dentist whose office is across the street from Philz Coffee. After visiting the office a couple of times within a few weeks, I made an accidental habit of grabbing an iced coffee from Philz on my day off. I’m not even a huge coffee drinker, but now one of my favorite things to do on my Saturday is to grab an iced Tesora that’s extra sweet and creamy! The workers wrote my name as “Adrianaz” one day which was such a cute touch 🥺

Shout out to my friends who first introduced me to Philz! We need more coffee dates ASAP!

Fruit Salads

My favorite thing about the summer months is the fruits that are in season, especially peaches and nectarines. Preparing and mixing them in a bowl with other fruits feels so refreshing and perfect for the hot weather. Plus, it’s quick and easy to prepare, which is why I’ve been loving making these bowls during my breaks when I work from home.

Is the second bowl an actual salad? Perhaps not… Nonetheless, it has fruit so I’m adding it to this blog post.

Book of the Month Subscription

This one took me a while to love. I was recommended by an academic advisor to check out Book of the Month after I shared how reading can feel overwhelming; there are so many good books out there, how do I know where to start?! BotM offers subscribers a chance to choose one book each month from their selection of carefully crafted books each month, all for a low subscription price. There’s a handful of plans to choose from, so pick the one that best suits your needs! If a selection doesn’t look appealing for a particular month, subscribers can skip a month and earn a book credit that they can use in the future. They won’t get charged for the month they skipped, either.

I was still confused and overwhelmed when I first signed up so I kept skipping each month for about half a year (bad, I know lol). This, however, caused me to earn a ton of credits and now I am buying books left and right with the number of credits I’ve saved up.

I’m a really slow reader, but my favorite book I’ve read from my collection so far has been Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Once I was hooked on the plot, I was on the edge of my seat; I felt scared, intrigued, heartbroken, and relieved all within a few chapters.

Yes, I picked Ariadne in my most recent box because the name closely resembled mine (we need more Adriana representation in the media).

Ok for this one, I actually have a personal link you can sign up from! Please do so if you’re at all interested! For full transparency, I earn a book credit for each sign-up through my link!

Trader Joe’s Tangerine Ice Cream Bars

Am I behind on this one? Are these new? Either way, I’m in love. These are light, airy, and very flavorful. Tangeriney, if you will. Do they upset my lactose-intolerant tummy? Sometimes. But I also need to build a tolerance to lactose, so I’m actually doing myself a favor here.

These are the perfect summer dessert and I hope they return each year to TJ’s!

What are some of your favorites from this past month? Are you trying anything I listed above? Let me know!

Until next time, friends!

Links are added for convenience. I make no commission from the links, with the exception of Book of the Month where I receive credits to redeem books for each new subscription through my link.