July recommendations 💌
The perfect summer blush, movie to watch in theatres and a heartwarming rom-com.
My July recommendations are a few days late, but better late than never! Here’s what I bought, read, watched, tried and listened to last month.
Damson Madder striped and ruffled shirt
I’ve been stalking this Damson Madder shirt online for a while, hoping that it would go on sale (it did not). I finally bit the bullet and bought it in one of the only two sizes left, only for it to fit me like a garbage bag. When I returned it, I still couldn’t stop thinking about it so I did the only logical thing I could do: I bought the right size from the website, paid the exorbitant exchange rate to get it shipped from the UK, along with the delivery fees and duties. Do I regret it? I don’t! I’ve been trying to buy less but better and this purchase was exactly that. I can’t wait to wear it during Gilmore Girls weather (also known as fall). Maybe layered with a vest, maybe with a bow in my hair.
The Love of my Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
I just finished reading Kirsty Greenwood’s new novel and loved it. It was laugh-out-loud funny, so warm and life-affirming, which have been the sort of books I’ve been gravitating towards lately. The plot: a recently deceased woman meets the man of her dreams in the waiting room of the afterlife, only to discover that he was sent there by accident. She strikes a deal that if she succeeds in finding him on earth, she’ll get a second chance at both love and life. The book reminded me of a show from the aughts called Drop Dead Diva and also a bit of The Good Place so if you loved either, you’ll love this.
Twisters
I went to see Twisters in theatres during the opening week because the original Twister is one of my husband’s favourite movies. I went in neutral, vaguely recalling the original film, intrigued by the cast (Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos) of the current one, and mostly just there to be entertained. Having gone in with no expectations, I loved it. Not in a this-is-the-best-film-I’ve-ever-seen kind of way, but in that the movie delivers exactly what it’s supposed to, which is a solid summer blockbuster. It’s fun, entertaining and you get to see Glen Powell in full blown movie star mode (you can feel the palpable shift in energy the moment his character appears on screen). The cherry on top has been reading all the fun Glen Powell discourse on the Internet. I particularly loved Anne Helen Peterson’s essay on Glen Powell in her newsletter, Culture Study, which examines his appeal in everything from Anyone But You to Hit Man (I loved this one, too) and Twisters.
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Lip and Cheek Glow
We’re in a blush renaissance with beauty brands like Rhode, Rare Beauty, Haus Labs by Lady Gaga and Charlotte TiIbury all launching new cheek products. My favourite is Charlotte TiIbury’s Beautiful Skin Lip and Cheek Glow, which kind of feels like a sleeper hit amongst all these viral heavy-hitters. It gives you that deep, luminous, lit-from-within glow. The kind of glow you notice on a person and feel compelled to tell them that they’re ✨ glowing ✨, rather than the fact that you just really like their blush. My favourite two shades are Peach Glow and Beach Glow, both of which are in heavy rotation. In the past, I’ve applied cream blushes using my fingers but these days, I’m using the e.l.f. Kabuki Makeup Brush and it’s the best $10 I’ve spent on a beauty product.
My Lady Jane
I just started watching My Lady Jane on Prime, which is about Lady Jane Grey, a tragic figure in Tudor history. The show presents an alternative history, imagining a world where she was not beheaded after her brief, nine-day reign as queen. There’s also some magical realism involved, which I don’t want to spoil, and there’s a delightful narrator that brings some LOLs to this quirky show. Tonally, it reminds me a bit of The Great with Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning. I’m enjoying Emily Bader as Lady Jane Grey (side note: she was just cast as one of the main leads for Emily Henry’s People We Meet On Vacation, which I’m very excited about). Overall, this take on history has more romance, less beheading.
I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang
I’ve been on an audiobook kick lately because I find myself falling asleep within minutes of opening a book to read. With an audiobook, I can listen during walks, when I’m driving, or while I’m cooking. I devoured Ann Liang’s YA book, which was recommended to me by author Alina Khawaja when I interviewed her for the newsletter. It was everything Alina said it would be be and more. Academic rivals to lovers perfectly executed, 10/10, no notes. The author creates such good friction between the two characters. Would listen to it again, just for the clever insults.
"Who would teach Latin in a ditch?" I actually LoL'ed