The Monthly Edit: Love Letters to April and May

Playing catch up and sending friend mail to a lucky reader.

Welcome to the latest installment of The Monthly Edit, a gluttonous feast of my favorite things each month. Well, months, in this case (I’ll explain below). The last two months embraced us with an explosion of spring showers (five hundred days of rain, to be exact), vibrant blooms and golden skies. And despite a deluge of chaos, April and May ushered in a surprising bouquet of new treasures and timeless classics. From the unassuming delights hidden in my collection to the unexpected upgrades in my routine, the new-to-me makeup that changed my life (??), the clothing I’m rewearing more than I’ll ever admit and so much more. My favorites aren’t always what I used most but rather what I cherished most. Every month is different, there’s the newcomers and the holdovers, the unexpected and the obvious, the crowd-pleasers and the brow raisers. You can find every installment of The Monthly Edit here. Let’s dive in.

Programming Note: This post includes more goodness than an email can handle and will get cut off. Don’t miss a thing, read it here! Don’t forget to click the 🤍 button before you go!

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The (April &) May Edit: In Full Bloom

I plead the fifth. As someone who loves to see everyone’s monthly favorites and has shared my own for more than a year, I truly cannot believe I forgot last month. April was brilliant and awful and everything but forgettable. I blame the fact that wedding planning has taken over my entire life (more on that in a moment), making it impossible to remember what day it is or to share all of my favorite anything. Thankfully, many of my April favorites carried over into May (that’s how you know they’re good) so everyone can stop panicking — because obviously you were all waiting with bated breath.

Look, I’ve really tried my best not to be that person who’s getting married and only talks about their wedding. We all know at least one and they were insufferable. That said, I really want to be that person who’s getting married and only talks about their wedding. I’ve been ripping wedding dresses out of magazines since I was six and now my wedding is in less than a hundred days. And not to pat myself on the back but I think I’ve been pretty good about not keeping mentions of my wedding to a minimum (that is, unless you’re one of my close friends). I could write a book about being a bride, planning a wedding and all the things that would rival the length of War and Peace — and that would actually be a pretty apt title. Thankfully, I have the most amazing wedding planner and things have more or less come together perfectly. I’m not sure if this is my way of saying buckle up for the deluge of wedding content I’m about to share or if I’ll continue to spare you from my thoughts on the Wedding Industrial Complex. Either way, let me know what kind of wedding content you’d be (even mildly) interested in seeing. And most importantly, if you ever find yourself engaged and/or planning a wedding — contact me immediately.

Anyways, let’s catch up on the highlights:

• I’ve gone down a somewhat unbelievable beauty rabbit hole in recent months and it’s changed my daily makeup routine in all the ways. And after months of testing, expanding and learning, I’ve done the unthinkable and abandoned some of my most favorite products for new discoveries. At the same time, I’ve also developed an even deeper love for several of my tried and trusted classic that truly best all the rest. Have you found any new products that upended your makeup routine? Are you also hyper fixated on all things beauty? I really need to declutter my makeup collection.

  • Nat Note: In all of my beauty (mis)adventures, I happened to find myself trying to apply false eyelashes to get a sense of what they would look like for the wedding. After what felt like hours, there were more false eyelashes on my body than my eyes and later in the day I ended up ripping the ones that did make it on my eyes off. In public. In an elevator. With other people. So when in doubt, remember that the internet is a highlight reel.

• As promised, I’ve been working on a post dedicated to my favorite sunscreens and other forms of sun protection. However, after fiGurIng out how to get my faVoritE sunscreen shipped to the U.S., I hAd to repurchase all the sunscreens I used to love and several neW-to-me products to test. And of course, shipping delaYs and Purito randomly discontinuing the best sunscreen ever has forced the post to be a bit late. But it’s coming and you won’t want to miss it! (Get it? 😉)

• While resort wear has taken over every corner of the internet, I’m still living in my favorite loungewear. Resort wear really isn’t practical for me and it’s all so expensive (???), and I try to only invest in what I will realistically use / wear. And aside from my favorite basics and denim, loungewear is really the clothing I wear all year round. While my winter and summer loungewear is largely the same (read: I’m still in my favorite sweatpants of all time), I’ve finally found the perfect summer robe. I *love* a great robe and I *love* how lightweight and easy this one is. I take a size XS.

• Happy Gemini season! We’re all Geminis.

Now, Let’s Get to the Feast…

Pictured: A fraction of my favorite things.

May Highlights

While I can’t possibly speak to or feature each product or item included each month in a graphic or post, I always link the full list of the scrumptious treats I’ve cherished most that month for you to nibble on. If you have questions about the products featured in this month’s edit below or in the longer list, let’s discuss in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.

• BYREDO | Sundazed Eau de Parfum: If you’ve been looking for your next fragrance obsession, one that captures the essence of summer and sunshine in a bottle, let me introduce you to the love of my life: Sundazed. I’ve tried so many perfumes in recent months but nothing will every compare to the magic that is Sundazed. With notes of lemon, mandarin, neroli, jasmine sambac and musks, Sundazed is the ultimate summer scent and my signature scent. No matter how many bottles I go through, it truly never feels old. Sundazed is both intimately nostalgic and uniquely immediate — there’s something about it that feels like it’s transporting you between timezones while also causing the world around you to stand still, just for a moment. You’ll know what I mean when you wear it. In that and so many other ways, Sundazed feels like a hazy daydream — of long days at the beach in the middle of the Indian Ocean, of sunstreaked happy hours at your favorite spot in the West Village, of embracing a moment in time with the ones you love. While it’s perfect for any and every season, the scent lingers late into the evening — like the summer sun — and never fails to make me feel alive.

• SUPEREGG | Pure Transparency Treatment Essence (save w/ myskinterest): I always love learning about and even testing a product before it launches but the exciting anticipation also tends to raise my expectations for the product — which can lead to serious disappointment. However, Superegg’s Pure Transparency Treatment Essence easily eclipsed all of my expectations, checked every box and quickly became one of my favorite products in my collection. Pure Transparency feels like diving head first into a pool of luscious hydration and is a delightfully effective, elevated and lightweight hydrating layer that’s the perfect addition to any skincare routine. But Pure Transparency is so much more than a hydrating and plumping product. I live in a swamp and the heat always irritates my (usually resilient) skin, making it more reactive and unhappy. However, Pure Transparency has been one of the very few products that really soothes my skin — so I basically marinate in it each night. I could write a dissertation about how truly wonderful it is and out of all the skincare triumphs I’ve discovered in the last few months, Pure Transparency bests them all. I wouldn’t think about it as a product that’s best suited for one skin type or another but rather as an extra dose of hydration that’s effective yet lightweight enough for everyone. — save w/ myskinterest

• HOURGLASS | Veil Soft Focus Setting Spray (save w/ myskinterest): As I mentioned, I’m deep in a beauty rabbit hole that I’m not sure I’m ever coming out of. And while I’ve discovered new products that have replaced my former favorites, I’ve also learned about this crazy thing called setting spray. Obviously I’ve watched YouTubers douse themselves in it over the years but I always assumed I didn’t need it for one reason or another. However, I’ve had a change of heart in recent months after I realized just how much more longevity I get out of my makeup when I use a setting spray — particularly this one from Hourglass. It’s everything. Not only does this actually help my makeup last perfectly until I go to wash my face but the mist is SO fine that I never feel like it’s disrupting my makeup at all. It’s completely changed the game for my summer makeup (remember, I live in a swamp) and because I use a lot of the same products (and have for years), I truly can notice the difference in how well they perform with the Veil Soft Focus Setting Spray. I also appreciate that it doesn’t make my (very dry) skin feel dry or tight, and it doesn’t turn my makeup matte either. I love it and I’m not sure how I lived without it? — save w/ myskinterest

• PERFECTWHITETEE | The Harley Tee: While I understand that this is an unlikely place to come for fashion advice (though I am planning some more fashion things in the future), trust me when I tell you the Harley Tee is the plain white t-shirt you want to wear all summer. It’s perfectly lightweight and boxy and it’s one of those white t-shirts that actually does look good with everything — because let’s be honest, not all of them do. I think I have like seven of these shirts (including white, sugar and vintage black), and they’ve become my go to top whenever I want to feel comfortable but look more polished than your typical t-shirt. Wear it under a blazer to work, with your favorite pair of jeans or to bed — you can’t go wrong. It’s truly the perfect t-shirt and while pricy, it’s worth it. I take a size XS. I recommend taking your usual size or sizing down.

• DIOR | Crème Abricot Nail Cream: Before you ask, yes — I am going through a Dior phase (it’s a lifestyle). And while it’s not lost on me how obnoxious it is to recommend a Dior nail treatment, hear me out. I’ve always taken out my anxiety on my cuticles and I basically came out of the womb biting my nails. Which is to say, I knew I would probably have to go to extremes to make my fingers look presentable ahead of my wedding. But after a few weeks of using Dior’s nail cream (which is really more of a balm), my nails have literally never looked better. I apply the thinnest layer to my nail area each night and I noticed a visible improvement after a few uses. I have absolutely no idea how or why it works so well and I know it’s a bit ridiculous but trust me, this works. My once brittle nails are longer and stronger, and my cuticles look healthy for the first time in years. I cannot believe no one told me about this before and I’m confused why more people aren’t talking about it? Anyways, while you can get it at some retailers, I highly recommend buying it directly from Dior because [a] every order ships for free and [b] you get free samples.

In Other News…

Perhaps the most exciting update is that I’m sending a lucky reader some mail! I’m still working out a few of the logistics and to make a long story short, more to come soon. My current plan is to pick one (U.S.-based) paid subscriber each month to send a little treat, think three to five products — nothing crazy but definitely worth more than a yearly subscription (read: this is very much self-funded). To let me know you’re interested in that month’s treat, like and comment on the post by answering any of the questions at the end. You’ll receive an email from me if you’re that month’s lucky reader, so make sure to keep an eye out!

There will undoubtedly be a few issues along the way, and I appreciate your patience as I figure it out. While all content is free, this is my way of saying thank you to those who choose to support this newsletter. This month’s treat will include some of my favorite chemical sunscreens and a few other goodies I’ve purchased for us/you.

Also, we need a better name than “treat” or “reader mail.” Any ideas?

Let’s Chat!

• What products did you love in May? Any new discoveries or holy grails I need to try?

• Do you have a good flourless brownie recipe?

• What’s on your wishlist at the moment?

• Is there anything you need a recommendation for?

Until next time, follow along on Instagram and browse all of my favorite things. myMusings is a labor of love but it is labor. Don’t forget to click the 🤍 button before you go! Thank you for being here. Talk soon.

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