Happy Solstice

On the summer solstice and learning to love this side of the year

This past weekend was the summer solstice and Chicago decided that was an opportune time to enmesh all of us in a severe heatwave. I had plans this weekend that required me to be out and about, so I spent most of the Summer Solstice outside under her beaming rays.

I’ve mentioned before that I try to live in accordance with the seasons. I love routine, predictability, and anything cyclical, and, while I naturally gravitate to the darker, cooler times of the year, I try to not be the most miserable presence at the function all summer long. So, I’m going to cover a few little adjustments I’ve made to bring myself more in line with this time of the year, from fashion to beauty to other little rituals and routines.

*Obligatory disclaimer that I am not an influencer and nothing I have linked below is an ad.

Fashion

I usher in the summertime by arranging my closet accordingly. I bring my linen, silk, and cotton to the forefront of my wardrobe and tuck away my denim, wool, and leather until the fall.

I am loving the sea-inspired fashion trends from the past year or so, with seashell necklaces and tortoiseshell bangles and rings. I got the most stunning bangles from Etsy that I will be wearing all summer long. I’ve been on the vicious hunt for a good pair of walking sandals, as I am spending two weeks in Sicily this September and we’ll be doing a ton of walking. I’m not a sneakers girl, but I found these Tevas that are allegedly comfy but still chic enough to wear with the army of dresses I plan on packing. They haven’t arrived yet, so I’ll keep you posted on whether I’ve finally found a winner.

I realized that I didn’t own many casual summer dresses, so I’m looking to add more to my wardrobe, particularly ahead of my trip later this year. I’ve got my eye on this one from Dissh that I think would be cute paired with a fun beaded necklace. I also had a few concerts already that I attended this summer and wanted a cute phone pouch that would be compliant with most venues’ bag policies, so I picked up this very summery woven crossbody from COS that has already gotten plenty of wears.

I’m trying to find joy in getting dressed this season by focusing on colors that look good on me and experimenting with fabric/color combinations I normally wouldn’t. For some reason I never considered how good chocolate brown, white and a pop of red look together until I paired a white tank, red beaded choker, red woven slides, and brown linen pants together:

The lighting in the only outfit pic I took Saturday is making these pants look black, but I swear they are dark brown lol

Like so many fashion girls right now, I am loving the way we are all embracing simple flip flops as chic. It’s Olsen-esque in the easiest, most budget-friendly way possible and I am so here for it. Feeling chic as hell in an outfit as easy as a flowy linen pant, tank top, woven bag, and flip flops has made getting dressed this season a breeze.

Beauty

In general, but especially in the summertime, I keep my makeup/beauty routines as minimal as possible. Makeup has never really been my thing, so to speak (a delicate way of saying I’ve always sucked at applying it). That being said, now that feel like I’ve gotten my groove back, I want to write a whole post on summer beauty, so for now I’ll keep it pretty straightforward.

I try not to get too much sun on my skin, which I hopefully will thank myself for later, but it does mean that I am pretty committed to a weekly self-tanner routine. I’ve used the Bondi Sands tanning mousse in Dark for years, but I’ve been considering giving the Salty Face tanner a try. If anyone reading has tried it, please let me know if you recommend.

I don’t want to give too much away ahead of my larger beauty post, but I will say I discovered Merit lately (I know, I am late to the game) and their tinted lip oil is to die for.

I’m going to touch on my haircare routine in my beauty article coming next week, but something that has added a touch of joy to my summer is that I kicked off the season with a fresh haircut and highlight. I typically dye my hair darker in the winter, but in my attempt to live seasonally, I lightened it last week to a chocolate-y brown with caramel highlights for the summer. I also chopped it back to a bob following a dark period where I thought I wanted to grow it out (what was I thinking?).

My previous jet-black hair, now lifted to a dark brown with subtle caramel highlights. Honestly, I kind of prefer it? Shocking.

Little Rituals

Ah, the rituals of summer. I wish I could say I was better at adhering to them. The romanticization of an evening stroll, a cup of coffee by the lake, a morning spent reading classic literature on a balcony. Unfortunately, I work what has lately been a pretty demanding 9-5, and by the time I have walked home from the office in 80-degree weather, all my body wants to do is take a cold shower and try not to melt into my couch.

So, I’m going to keep this realistic.

I enjoy waking up early and doing some stretching on my yoga mat if that feels right. A quick down dog, a sun salutation. I drink a cup of coffee first thing in the morning and I try to have it on my deck if the weather permits me to do so. If I am going into the office that morning, I spend time the evening before picking out my clothes to save myself the headache.

I walk to the office on the days I do go in. If I am not going into the office, I try to get some steps in via a walk on the treadmill or a walk to the coffee shop.

I enjoy showering in the evening in the pitch dark, except for a salt lamp I keep on the bathroom counter that I switch on so that I can tell which soaps I am using. I like to light a summery-scented candle.

I purchased a delicious blood orange flavored tea a few months ago from a small spice store in Bloomington, Illinois and I like to make that in the evenings in the summertime after dinner. I add a little bit of oat milk, and I swear it tastes like a creamsicle.

I like lighting a candle or some incense in the evening as I wind down before bed. I haven’t talked about this on Substack yet, but I enjoy using tarot and oracle decks to help me reflect on the day that I’ve had, so I pull a card from one of my decks before bed. I’ll either sit and meditate for a few minutes on how I can apply its meaning to my life or a situation that I struggled with that day, or I’ll journal about it a bit.

These are a few ways I’ve been trying to romanticize my summer so far. If you’re a fall person, I get it. For me, this summer has been about attempting to come back to my body, get out of my own head, and breathe fresh air whenever possible. I love chasing sunsets all year round, so I’m also adding below a quick little montage of some gorgeous ones I witnessed over the past year or so. The Earth herself dances around the sun, so I’m trying to take this time of the year to really pause and be grateful for each sunrise and sunset.

Take care, stay hydrated, and use SPF. See you next week (I promise this time).

xx Meghan