I can't believe June is this weekend and we're nearing the halfway mark of the year. We're closer to Fall 2019 than 2018 and that is just wild to me. The year is flying by but this past month has been one of the longest of my life.

I'm primarily working from home, after some tough career changes this month and it's pretty interesting. I can't say too much on here yet but I hope to be able to fully explain soon -- I know I keep saying that so I apologize for the vaguness.

I've mentioned a few times that I have gotten really back into beauty the past month or so and it continued well into this month. I am so excited about all things beauty related and it's so nice to love something again that I took a mild break from before.

May was also the month when I started up my newsletter again and actually found a clear vision for it. The newsletter won't be content you see on the blog but mostly touching on topics that are a little more philsophical. I will definitely be sharing

During the past month I've tried a few differnet new things but also rediscovered some old little luxuries that I simply adore. I shared my current favorite beauty products last week so those are definitely my favorites but these are a few other random things that really caught my eye this month.

Pilot Pens

I've used these pens in the past but it wasn't until reading The Skinny Confidential that I knew I needed to pick up a pack again. I came across an Amazon giftcard recently and these ended up in my cart. I have not stopped using them and they are truly the greatest, smoothest, easiest pens to write with. Go get some!

Select CBD Pen

Diptyque Candles

Rohto Ice Eye Drops

Maison Replica Under the Lemon Trees

I mentioned the Jason Wu fragrance in my beauty favorites post but I have to mention this one which I've been wearing even more. I loved using the "By The Fireplace" fragrance in the winter and really wanted a super summery fragrance for the summer. When I saw the "Under the Lemon Trees" on the New Arrivals page on Sephora, I knew it was the one for me. I have been obsessed with all things lemon lately so I knew no matter what, I would like this fragrance. It smells like a delicious, fresh lemon cookie and is ideal for all summer occassions.

What were your favorites this month?
xoxo
B

I don't think I have ever, in 5 years, talked about perfumes on the blog. That is a pure travesty because I really do love perfume and I have ever since I was 11 years old.

When I was younger, my favorite scents were Britney Spears Curious & Fantasy, J.Lo 'Glow' and DKNY 'Be Delicious'. The DKNY scent has a special place in my heart because it reminds me of elementary school, my first kiss, and school dances.

As I got older, my taste in scents changed but the idea of perfume has remained the same. Certain scents bring me back to specific times in my life and I'm filled with a true feeling of nostalgia. It's amazing how a smell can transport you back in time, and how important a scent can be to a specific occasion.

I love the idea of wearing a certain scent on a vacation or on your wedding day, and not really wearing it any other time. It's so special and so nostalgic. *I love anything related to nostalgia if you couldn't tell.

There was a time that I couldn't wear perfume and you may remember that because I talked heavily about it here on the blog. I was having an allergic reaction to fragrance so my dermatologist told me to stop wearing perfume. I stopped for a solid year and it was so difficult. I love perfume and feel so much more put together when I spray a bit on before I leave the house.

After about a year of no allergic reactions I decided to test it out again but on one condition: instead of using a spray perfume I switched to rollerballs. Ever since I haven't had any allergic reactions. I think it really does make a difference because I'm keeping the scent concentrated in one place instead of walking through the spray or spraying it too close to my face.

I also think rollerballs are better all around; they're perfect for travel and much less inexpensive. You go through them faster so you can try more scents.

With perfume, I feel like a lot of people have very specific tastes. Either they like musky scents or floral, or very sweet. As for me? I don't discriminate and I pretty much love all kinds of scents. I will say that I don't like scents that are overly sweet or sugary, but otherwise, I like everything.

I'm so confident in my scent tastes that I purchase a lot of scents online without smelling them first and I've never returned a single one.

I figured spring was a perfect time to talk about my current favorite perfumes so here we go!



Marc Jacobs Daisy: This is my OG perfume and I exclusively wore it throughout high school and college. I still have a rollerball in my collection but don't wear it too much anymore. It's the basic betch scent of our generation and it's produced a thousand spin off scents, including Daisy Dream, which I have and love! Daisy Dream is very light and airy but, still has that signature floral scent that the OG has.

Sarah Jessica Parker 'Stash': When I saw that SJP was releasing a perfume, I purchased it without even reading the notes. It's a very masculine, musky scent but it's so divine. It has notes of black pepper, sage, pistachio, cedarwood, patchouli and much more. It's definitely more of a winter scent and I wore it constantly in the cold weather. It has a comforting smell and I really love that.

Tory Burch Love Relentlessly: This is my newest scent and I've been loving it! I've never tried a Tory Burch perfume and I smelled this in a magazine sample and couldn't stop thinking about it. The notes are Pink Grapefruit, Lemon, Sparkling Pear, Rose, Jasmine, Amber, and much more, but from those few, you can tell that it would smell floral & very fresh. It's a great everyday scent and I've been wearing it nonstop.

Elizabeth & James Nirvana: This is probably one of the most hyped perfumes of the beauty industry in recent years, right behind Marc Jacobs Daisy and Flowerbomb but I think the hype is real. The original scents were Black & White, which you could layer together. Later on, Bourbon and Rose were released. 2 years ago for Christmas, my sister bought me this mini set of Black & White and they both smell really wonderful. Black is a little muskier while White is more floral and feminine, but the good thing is that they're made to be worn together.

I also purchased Rose when it was released and it has a very strong rose scent but is not floral or feminine, if that makes any sense.

I also just purchased this set of Kate Spade travel perfumes because I've wanted them all for a long time and it comes with its own branded refillable spray case. I haven't tried them all yet but I wanted to include these as an honorable mention.

Shop some other perfumes that I have in my collection or have loved in the past below:

This was definitely not a winning month for Birchbox and I am getting very close to canceling it. Birchbox has always had its ups and downs over the years, but for the past year or so, it's really been on it's A game. It was pretty much September-November that I haven't been a huge fan of the boxes I've been getting.

I will say a lot of it has to do with the fact that I have so many beauty products now that I'm just not as impressed with the products in the boxes as of late. Also, I've been getting a ton of perfume samples and since I'm allergic, it's a total waste for me.

I may stick it out one more month and see what happens in December but if that box is a bust, I'll probably cancel for a few months.

This month had to be one of my least favorite Birchboxes in over 3 years, which is funny because this had to be my favorite design on a box ever. It is gorgeous! I have it displayed on my desk with the LE Everyday Glamour Box and I'm obsessed with both designs.



Even though I really am not a fan of everything in the box, I do like all the products, I just wasn't impressed with the selection.




//Harvey Prince Yoigini Perfume: Yep, another perfume that I can't wear. Well, that's a lie. I've been experimenting with wearing perfume the past week and so far, so good. I haven't had an allergic reaction yet so we'll see how the it pans out. I wore this to work on Friday and it's a very subtle, feminine scent. It has notes of grapefruit and star jasmine which is really pleasant and pretty.

Full size: $57
Sample size: 3/5




//LOC Vibrant Matte Lipstick in Glam Life: I was probably most excited for this product, not going to lie. Earlier this month, Birchbox released their FIRST MAKEUP LINE and they partnered with one of my favorite Beauty Guru's,  Tati from GlamLifeGuru. They released eyeshadow sticks and matte lipsticks and every Birchbox subscriber got to sample one of the products in this months' box. I was happy I got the berry shade of lipstick and wore this last Friday. It's smooth, gorgeous, long wearing, and extremely easy to apply. This is definitely going to be a staple in my winter beauty routine.

Full size: $8
Sample size: 5/5




//Moroccanoil Hand Cream Fleur d' Oranger: I was less than thrilled to see another hand lotion in my Birchbox. Usually I don't mind these products but I have so many hand creams in rotation, I don't know what to do with them all. However, it was a nice surprise to see a full size product in a box. I also love the Moroccanoil brand so I enjoyed that as well. This would be a total win if it wasn't for the scent. I know it says it's an orange scent and I usually like citrus scents but this is just plain gross. It's so faint and subtle, but at the same time it's just not inviting. I've been using it because it's very moisturizing but the scent is horrible.

Full size: $24
Sample size: 5/5

//Number 4 Elixer Restore & Repair Oil: I have enough hair oil to last me 100 years. I definitely didn't need another one. I like the Number 4 brand and it's nice to have a tiny sample size to travel with but I wish I would've gotten something else instead of this. I haven't tried it yet but I'm sure it's great.

Full size: $26
Sample size: 2/5



//theBalm FratBoy Eyeshadow/blush: I don't have nearly as much theBalm products as I would like so whenever they pop up in my Birchbox, I am very happy. I've seen this product around before and have been curious to try it out. The sample is expectionally tiny and I don't know how I would ever get a blush brush into the little compact, nor would I use this color as an eyeshadow but I'll try it out and see what happens. theBalm is super high quality and I've never been disappointed with their products.

Full size: $21
Sample size: 1/5

We'll see what happens with Birchbox next month, otherwise I'll say bye-bye to it for a little while.

What did you get in your Birchbox this month?