I did this in September and I don’t care if it was annoying, I’m doing it again.

One of my friends describes fall, specifically late fall leading into winter is peak existential dread system, and I’d have to give her some credit with that one. I think she’s onto something. I’ve been questioning everything lately and panicking more than usual and just generally craving stability and answers and direction and lots of words that currently seem intimidating.

So instead of you know, working on myself, I’m distracting myself with material things that I liked this month. FUN TIMES.

So anyway.

HERE’S SOME STUFF I FUCKING LIKED THIS MONTH.

Luminizing Black Charcoal Mask by Boscia

I got a mini one of these in one of those packs you can get for free at Sephora after spending an ass ton of money there anyway in what was called a “Selfie Ready Skincare Set”. This is one of those peel-off masks that everyone does on their Snapchats to be gross or whatever. But it’s really great. I like how clean my skin feels after using it—it’s almost like a more effective pore strip. Incorporating some sort of mask into my nightly skincare routine I think has really been making a difference in my skin, as labor intensive as that sounds. And I really like this one! Just don’t get it in your eyebrows. That’s terrifying.

Phytodess Buriti Mask

My amazing colorist (follow him on Instagram) and I did a post about hair products this month, but one that I loveeeddd in October was this guy. My hair is sOoOoO processed I don’t actually use a “traditional” conditioner and instead alternate between two hair masks the twice a week I wash my hair. But this one has my ~*heart*~ after October. It doesn’t weigh my hair down, it doesn’t leave my hair feeling heavy or grimy at all. I’m just left with super soft, touchable hair that can be styled and doesn’t feel like I put bleach on it once a month. If you notice your hair has been on the drier side, consider using a hair mask once a week instead of conditioner. I bet it’ll help.

Glossier Invisible Shield

It doesn’t matter that it’s not summer and the living is easy or whatever anymore. You still need to wear sunscreen! Yes! Even if you work inside! You need to wear sunscreen, kids! Can I use another exclamation point! Yes I can! Okay but in all seriousness sun protection is really important and I really am obsessed with Glossier, so their sunscreen is an obvious YES from me. I like to mix it in with my moisturizer, and then I’m good to go whether I’m going to wear makeup or not. Get yourself some sunscreen and use it every day. An then tell your dermatologist or esthetician I said so.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner

I’m late to the game on this because I think it’s been literally every beauty blogger’s favorite eyeliner since like, 2012. But for some reason I always struggled to do eyeliner without a brush so I just avoided liquid eyeliner for the most part. But then it was the Friends and Family sale at Sephora so I got 20% off so I decided to give this a shot and HOLY SHIT. IT’S AMAZING. I feel like I end up with good eyeliner on the first try 99% of the time. Plus it’s super pigmented, goes on smooth, it doesn’t run everywhere after a couple hours. It’s really great. Highly recommend. The hype is worth it.

Harry Potter Quidditch Sweatshirt

I have three “looks.” Bridge troll, completely glammed up, or teenager kid who probably would have been a Viner if Vine hadn’t died. Needless to say in two out of those three looks, I wear a lot of sweatshirts. And because I’m a 28-year-old child, if I see something Harry Potter related I’m probably going to buy it. I found these sweatshirts on Etsy and after freaking out immediately bought one for myself (Slytherin, Team Beater obviously) and my best friend (she’s a Ravenclaw Chaser). It’s literally one of the softest things in my wardrobe and it just makes me happy. If you’re into Harry Potter I think you probably should get one.

Black and Decker Rice Cooker

You know you’re becoming a boring adult when you’re excited by things like rice cookers. But listen: I eat a lot of rice, and this has simplified the process. And as a very impatient, lazy person, simplification is the key to keeping me happy. I don’t know, there’s not a lot to say about this. But I got one and I love it. That’s it.

Himalayan Salt Rock Lamp

You’ve probably seen these in a lot of very aesthetic Instagrams or spas and truthfully I don’t know what they actually “do” other than look really great. But I have a couple and I really appreciate the light they give off and the general vibe they give my apartment. Big fan. Just don’t drop it. That would be very bad because they are *quite* heavy.

Amazon Echo 2nd Generation

Okay technically I got this at the END of October but holy shit I love it. I don’t know how I was Alexa-less for years. It’s a great speaker for music, I can use it as an alarm, set reminders, order things off of Amazon (which I do like, practically every other day), and play jeopardy which I’m weirdly competitive about. I’m very into the Echo. If you’ve even been considering getting one, I would say go for it even just as a killer speaker. This one little robot manages to fill my whole apartment when it’s not even all the way up volume wise. I love her. She’s my new best friend.

What I Didn’t Post On Instagram (Edited by Chrissy Stockton)

Earlier this year on of my favorite humans on the planet Chrissy Stockton approached me about putting an essay into a book she was working on, and I couldn’t wait to be a part of the project. What I Didn’t Post On Instagram is a collection of essays where women talk about the things that go on behind the scenes of our carefully curated and filtered social media posts and seemingly perfect lives. Yes, I have an essay in the book. And yes, it’s an essay I’m legitimately so proud of. But I’m not exaggerating when I say that this book is filled with some of the best pieces I’ve ever read. It’s one of the strongest books I think TC Books has put out this year. If you read it, I would love to hear what you think. 💙