July Obsessions
Everything I can't get enough of this month, and a few things I can live without.
Current Obsession: 13 Months of Sunshine by Amine
Admittedly, I can be resistant to new things. I have to work myself up to try new foods, shows, and even music because I like what I like and I hate being disappointed. After years of being a Spotify user though, I will say the algorithm knows me and my musical tastes well, so I’m open to the app’s recommendations. My daily playlists are well curated, and recently songs from the album 13 Months of Sunshine by Amine began to infiltrate them. I was impressed by songs like “Arc de Triomphe” and “New Flower! (feat. Leon Thomas)”enough to give the entire album a listen, and I was delighted that I did.
13 Months of Sunshine is a successful fusion of house music and hip hop. Each song on the album manages to have a different sound, yet holistically, they come together to make a cohesive album. There are some great summer tracks on 13 Months of Sunshine, like “Vacay,” “Arc de Triomphe,” and “Feels So Good,” which are fun to turn up and dance to. However, that’s the not the only vibe represented on this project. Threading through the turn up anthems, are introspective songs like “I Think It’s You,” “Doing The Best I Can,” and “Be Easier On Yourself.” These tracks are vulnerable, relatable, and take us through some of Amine’s struggles. I love when hip hop artists allow themselves to open up and tell real stories outside of recycled narratives.
It’s clear to me that Amine crafted this album with intention, and the project was skillfully executed. If you’re looking for something new to listen to, consider giving 13 Months of Sunshine a try.
Ins:
Saying ‘yes’ to spontaneous experiences - The beauty of freelancing and having a flexible schedule, is that it’s given me the opportunity to say ‘yes’ more, which has made the summer months more exciting. I’ve gone along with last minute adventures, like a trip to Disney World and a day-trip to visit family down in Georgia. On a smaller scale, I’ve been out to a couple of group club nights, and I actually enjoyed myself even though I’m not really a “club person.” Summer is all about fun, and saying ‘yes’ to new experiences has definitely opened the door for more joy to enter my life.
Divine Purity Sacred Space Incense - My room smells divine right now, and it’s all thanks to the incense that’s burning. Divine Purity makes some of the best incense I’ve ever purchased. I’ve repurchased their Love scent several times, and recently I bought Positivity and it’s incredible; the incense really lifts my mood and leaves my room smelling amazing. In addition to creating products, Divine Purity is a Black owned, family owned business based in Chattanooga, TN, which makes supporting their brand feel even sweeter. I will be buying from this company again and again, and you should too.
Outs:
Eating too much processed food - A priority for me in July, was getting my diet back on track. For most of this year I’ve just being eating whatever, without giving much thought to whether or not my food choices were actually good for me.
The biggest pain point in my diet, for years now, has been lunch. Since I started working a 9-5 schedule, I’ve been overly reliant on processed, microwave lunches as an alternative to meal prepping or takeout. It’s no secret that eating processed food isn’t great for you, and in an attempt to clean up my diet, I’ve finally decided to walk away from the frozen food section, and steer clear of junk foods and simple carbs.
For most of this month, I’ve meal prepped some version of a salad or bowl for three lunch meals during the work week, and have eaten Trader Joe’s Sesame Miso Salad with Salmon (my fave) for the other two. Additionally, I’ve chosen healthier snack options like fruit, Skinny Girl Popcorn, Skinny Dipped chocolate almonds, and frozen fruit pops when I’m craving something sweet. The changes have helped me lose two pounds and have made my periods feel less brutal, which I consider a win win.
Out / In:
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm, buy Ami Colé Lip Treatment Oil instead - I recently purchased the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in the Poppy shade, and after spending a whopping $24 on the product, my review on it, is that it’s okay. The color is nice, but faint, and the balm doesn’t stay on my lips very long. It’s not a bad lip balm by any means, but I could definitely find a comparable product at the drug store for a lower price point.
Now a lip product that is worth the money, and that I don’t know how I will live without, is the Ami Colé Lip Treatment Oil. I have repurchased this product in the shade Excellence, a rosy brown color, more times than I can count. Unfortunately, Ami Colé is closing it’s doors after four years in business, and their lip oil is already sold out on their site and Sephora.com. I will be making a trip to my local Sephora, and TJ Maxx (since the girlies on reddit are saying you can find Ami Colé there), to stock up on a few more lip oils before they cease to exist. There is truly nothing like this product on the market, and I would highly recommend getting your hands on it before it’s too late.
Housekeeping
As much as I hate to write this, this is the last post you will receive from me for a while. If I’m Being Honest is going on hiatus, from August - October, while I work on my grad school applications. You can expect a piece from me at the end of October, and a full return in mid-November. I will miss you guys, but I will still be showing up on Notes and Tik Tok in the meantime. If you all miss me too, I hope you will, then you can keep up with me in those spaces and also explore my archive. All I ask during my hiatus is that you stay subscribed, so we can catch up when I return.
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I hope those grad school applications are going well! Glad October is just around the corner!
The Ami Colé news is so sad. I managed to stock up on my favourites, I hope you did too. 🙂