Ann Arbor is wonderful. It is packed to the brim with bookstores and coffee shops to wander into whenever your friends are busy or when you just need some good old-fashioned headphones-and-sunshine time. Unfortunately, in my small town in Alabama, there is one coffee shop, a Mexican restaurant and zero bookstores. Still nostalgic and good in its own right, but incomparable to my beautiful college town. However, there are a few things that have helped mitigate the absolute heartbreak that is leaving Ann Arbor. This summer is about finding beauty in everything, especially yourself! So, hopefully, this assortment of items, from a lip stain to a summer film to live by, will help you find the beauty that has always been there, because you’re there.
Crochet Top
$: Gap Factory Sleeveless Crochet Top
$$: Aerie Crochet Vacay Sweater
$$$: Madewell Crochet Polo Sweater
Crochet tops are everywhere this summer. They are everyone’s go-to beach cover up. I recently took a trip to the beach, and this was my most-worn clothing item throughout the five days I was there. It’s perfect for throwing on over a bikini for a late lunch. I love mine because it’s more put-together than a simple T-shirt, but just as comfortable and versatile. I “thrifted” mine from the Mary Markley Residence Hall donation bins, but it is most similar to the Aerie sweater. I have a sneaky feeling that my crochet top and Zara shorts will be my uniform this summer.
Cheek/Lip Tint
$: Essence What A Tint! Lip & Cheek Tint
$$: Benefit Liquid Blush & Cheek Tint
$$$: Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tint
Say it with me: This summer, we will not purposely get sunburnt on our faces so we don’t have to put on blush. I have the Benefit Liquid Blush & Cheek Tint in the shade Floratint and it is one of my favorite makeup products. I have super pale skin, and Benefit makes me look fresh off the beach. I typically apply a liberal amount to both my cheeks and lips — I am a blush over-indulger until the day I die — so only apply a lot if you want to be super rosy. The only complaint I have is that it dries quickly, so you’ll have to blend it with a moist beauty sponge immediately. Other than that, it’s a flawless product.
Journal
$$: Papier Let’s Dance Hardcover Notebook
Don’t let the hometown blues get to you! Write about it! Writing is so cathartic to me — obviously, since I’m writing this right now. I’ve found that journaling is my favorite way to wallow in my feelings. Phoebe Bridgers blaring in my headphones, the chorus of cicadas in the background and my journal in my lap are the key components of a sad girl summer. But whether you’re having a hot girl summer or a sad girl summer, writing can be a great creative outlet. I think that writing for future nostalgia is still therapeutic, even if you’re not wallowing. Whenever I am having the best day, I love writing about it, so that later, when I feel like I have never had a good day in my entire life, I can reflect on this one amazing day I had in the past. Get to writing, folks! I’m serious!
Picnic Blanket
$$: Hearth and Hand Picnic Blanket
$$$: Baggu Puffy Picnic Blanket
I am enthusiastic to announce to all of my loyal readers that I have received an internship this summer! My main tasks are lying in the sun, photosynthesizing and finally, laying in the sun some more. The company is super small … you, uh, wouldn’t know them. Let’s be proactive this summer to improve our mental state! I am a victim of doom scrolling for hours and then asking myself, “God, why do I feel so awful?” I don’t know babe, probably because you have been sitting in the dark for four hours doing nothing but engaging with content that is exclusively the highlights of other people’s lives. Lying in the sun reminds me that there is a sun. It also reminds me that, fortunately, there is light and there is brightness in every single day. The sun is proof! After applying sunscreen — or don’t, honestly, I won’t — lie out in the sun and let yourself feel the rays. Produce that glucose and let your leaves turn toward the light.
I am trying to recover my skin from nine months of washing my face with Markley’s water, and this toner has been amazing. It is so brightening and effective: I saw results within a week. This is my favorite skincare product I have ever used. I have acne-prone combination skin — typically more dry than oily — and it has saved me. So much so that I have decided to do a mostly makeup-free summer. If you are still trying to repair your skin from residence hall air/water and dining hall food, I highly recommend it.
Fun Claw Clip
$$: Colette Bernard Love Letter Hair Claw
$$$: Emi Jay Sweetheart Claw Clip
I have a Yin Yang claw clip similar to the one from Etsy, and I think it is my most complimented accessory. I have had it for two years, and I love it so much. It can be used as a fun addition to any bag or to add some spice to an outfit. The Colette Bernard claw clip is my next purchase for sure. Overall, claw clips are the best way to throw your hair up whenever the summer sun is too much, since they don’t leave the hair damaged as a traditional hair tie would. I could not survive without mine.
Summer Cheeky Bev
This essential is whatever you make it. I implore you to find a drink that will remind you of this summer. Last summer, I survived on Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea’s Mango Matcha Jeweled Lemonade, which was truly summer in a cup. The earthiness of the matcha perfectly balances the sweetness of the mango lemonade. An ideal cheeky bev for me is just as refreshing when it’s watered-down and mixes well with the sunscreen residue that is inevitably on the lid. This year, I am drinking the iced Front Porch Special, a sweet black tea from Piper and Leaf, a local tea company. This tea is special to me, because it tastes like the beach without the sand and seaweed. Sweet tea is Southern summer time, and words cannot describe how much I’ve missed it since I’ve been at school. Finding a summer cheeky beverage is a million sweet treats in the making, which you deserve as your summer essential.
Oval Drop Earrings
$: Universal Thread Flat Oval Orbital Drop Earrings
$$: Adina Eden Graduated Oval Drop Earrings
$$$: Etsy Vintage 14k Gold Door-knocker Earrings
I go through earring phases, and these earrings are my current obsession. My roommate, Annalyse, bought me a pair most similar to the Adina Eden earrings for Valentine’s Day, and at first I wasn’t sure about them. However, accompanied with my denim maxi skirt, these are beautiful. They make it seem like I’ve put more effort into my look than I actually did, a quality I look for in every accessory. I promise these will become your most-worn pair of earrings before the summer ends.
A Summer Mantra
I create monthly Pinterest boards to curate the vibes for the month. As I was finding my May aesthetic, I stumbled upon a graphic that said “The sun never forgets me even when I have lost myself.” It is so easy to forget the joy in your life whenever it seems so far away. For me, so much of my joy comes from the people that surround me, and a lot of them are now spread out across the country and other continents this summer. However, the sun never forgets me. The sun’s light is always there in Ann Arbor and Alabama, which brings me a lot of comfort. I think finding a phrase to live your summer by is crucial to making the most of it, whether you’re interning, working your high school job or staying in Ann Arbor.
Canvas Tote Bag
$$: Pamela Barsky I love new york Tote Bag
On Dec. 21, I bought my Pamela Barsky tote bag from the Union Square Holiday Market in New York. From that day forward, I have used it almost every day. This tote bag means more to me than it does to most people. It works as a laptop bag, an overnight bag and purse. The quality of the canvas is unmatched. I have not found a single tote bag that even slightly compares. To make it even better, it’s washable! I love this tote bag and I am sure y’all will too.
Summer Film
What will be your summer comfort film? I have decided that mine is Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird.” I am home for the summer and, boy, do I feel it. A good film to model your summer after helps you get your summer priorities in check. Would Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”) listen to boygenius in her headphones so loud her ears might bleed? For. Sure. Whether you want to be retrospective (“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”), a menace (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”) or lovesick (“To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”), a summer film will have you covered.
Summer TV Show
After a long day in the sun, nothing beats getting into bed freshly showered with some fruit and a fun show. I am currently binging “Sex and the City,” which I highly recommend to anyone. Even my very masculine and non-whimsical brother-in-law enjoys the episodes whenever I put them on for us. In the same vein, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is slightly cringe but, in my opinion, just as good an option. If you want a more lighthearted, brain-off show, “Modern Family” is what I plan to pick up with after I finish “Sex and the City.” I love having a show to watch whenever I am blow drying my hair or doing my nighttime skincare routine, and I find myself looking forward to those otherwise annoying tasks so I can watch my show.
Daily Arts Writer Sarah Patterson can be reached at sarahpat@umich.edu.
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