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Rachel Shoshanna

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I’m going to start off this post with perhaps the most important favorite of The Blogger for this summer is YouTube - I’m finally following through with my desire to make videos, and so far I’m six for six on my goal of one video every Sunday! I’m really proud of myself, and even though the equipment I have available to me is limited, I’m having a lot of fun stretching a more technical part of my brain with the editing involved. Please go check out my most recent video and give me some views!



This consistent YouTubing also means I’m making some changes to the content on here - I’m going to make this blog solely a lifestyle blog. That means books, books, tv/movies, music, and such will be what you see here. Favorites will also probably be here as well, though I may do videos for that every once in a while. My YouTube will host exclusively beauty and fashion content, so if that’s what you’re looking for a highly recommend subscribing to stay updated! Now without further ado, here are my favorites from this past summer.

FASHION



If you watched the video, you should have figured out that chambray shirts, specifically this one from Old Navy, have been my jam this summer. I’ve also been living in these sandals from Old Navy. Maybe I should just say that Old Navy is one of my summer favorites.
I can probably count the number of times I’ve worn a real bra this summer on one hand. I’ve definitely been favoring bralettes in this hot weather, and this one from free people is by far my favorite one.

BEAUTY
I’ve been sticking with really minimal makeup this summer for the most part, so I’ve been using my bareMinerals Tinted Gel Complexion Rescue in the shade birch and the L’Oreal Lumi Glotion in the shade light religiously all summer. And when I feel like experimenting with my eye looks, I’ve pretty much exclusively used my Ace Beaute Paradise Collection palettes - I specifically have Classical Paradise and Paradise Fallen. Also, basically the only blushes I’ve used this summer are the bareMinerals Gen Nude Blush in That Peach Tho and the Burt’s Bees blush in Shy Pink.

I’ve also been loving a really bright pop of color - whether it’s in my clothing (similar to the one I have) or my lips. It elevates a look in two seconds and gives any outfit a bit of attitude.

BOOKS/TV/MOVIES
I read The Husband’s Secret, by Liane Moriarty, earlier this summer, and I loved it. The epilogue was one of the best things I’ve ever read in contemporary fiction. I also read the first book in the Darker Shade of Magic series, by V.E. Schwab, and it’s one of the coolest, most original fantasy series I’ve read in a while. It took me a second to get into it, just because it moved kind of slowly, but it picks up and the ending managed to completely surprise me.

All I’ve got to say as far as TV goes is Degrassi. I didn’t watch it back in the day when it originally aired, so I’ve been binging it for the last week and it’s honestly the best decision I’ve ever made.

A lot of great movies have come out this summer, but one of my favorites was Sorry To Bother You, the directorial debut of Boots Riley. I also had a blast at Ocean’s 8 and Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again.

LIFESTYLE
I started working out again this summer, and I’ve been feeling strong so that’s definitely a favorite. For days when I either don’t have the time or the energy to go to my gym, I’ve been loving the at-home, equipment-free workouts that are abundant on YouTube.

Some of my college friends and I do trivia basically every Wednesday, which is a great time and often the highlight of my week - we go to Amity Hall on the UWS, which in addition to having fun trivia nights, has great food and great drinks to enjoy with friends as well.

I’ve also been exploring New York City a lot more, and found some new neighborhoods that are really fun to walk around and find cool historical things - my favorites so far are Tribeca and the Lower East Side.

I’m going to end this favorites list here, before it gets too long. I hope you found some cool recommendations! Until next time 😁




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A new video is live on my channel! It's all about the new Ace Beauté eyeshadow palettes developed with RachelCMakeup over on Twitter and Instagram. Just click that play button below to watch 😁


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Living in NYC, it’s imperative that you find ways to stay cool in the summer - the humidity here could knock out the strongest woman. Lightweight fabrics and as little material as possible without feeling overexposed (for me, at least - you do you!) are key for me feeling comfortable, even when I feel sticky as hell. Here’s a peek at the pieces in my wardrobe that I love for those hot summer days.

1. Rompers
Madewell; free people; American Eagle

Rompers are a really useful piece of clothing when you have thick thighs like me - there’s not too much tight fabric making you hot, but you’ve still got that barrier between your legs to keep them from rubbing too bad. These are all of the ones I have, and I love them all, but I’ve especially been loving the middle white one from free people this summer.

2. Chambray
Madewell; Old Navy; GAP

Chambray is commonly mistaken for denim, which it isn’t. It’s actually usually linen or cotton, grained to look like denim, which makes it considerably more lightwight. These are three chambray shirts that I own that I’ve been loving this summer. I love it in a button down, clearly, but you can also find really nice chambray dresses, and I also love that it’s easy to make casual and dress up.

3. Flowy dresses
GAP; Old Navy

Despite my thick thighs, I do love wearing dresses in the summer - you just pull one thing on and you’re out the door. As long as they breathe enough, it’s probably the easiest thing you can wear during summer, minus maybe a tank and a pair of shorts. I thought I’d show my favorite (read: only) maxidress and my favorite jersey dress, just for a little variety.

4. Denim shorts/skirts
American Eagle; GAP

If you want to let your legs out during the summer, a good pair of jean shorts is a necessity. I actually have three pairs, all of which I love, but this one pictured has a really comfortable relaxed fit that I’ve been gravitating towards recently. A denim skirt is also a really useful thing - I love this style, with the buttons down the front, because it makes it really easy to look pulled together without looking too stuffy.

5. Crop tops
American Eagle; Zara; Madewell; Zara

I love a good crop top. I feel like they’re flattering on pretty much everyone, and they’re also a fun way to experiment more with patterns and textiles. All of these hit me just above the belly button, which is cropped enough for me, but obviously you can go higher if you want to! I love the whimsy of the camera print one, and the lace one from Madewell is also great with a bralette underneath on super hot days.


It’s pretty obvious what colors I gravitate towards during these months. Something about blue and white, with touches of color here and there, makes me feel less weighed down, and looking at them makes me feel so chilled out - which is exactly what I need in the summer.

I hope this post gave you wardrobe ideas! Share your favorite summer pieces with me in the comments below, and don't forget to check my most recent video 😁
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My newest video is live on on Youtube! What it says in the title 😁 Enjoy!

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Back in January, I made a public New Year’s Resolution to read a lot more books this year, and made a 36 book list to help me with my goal. Now that it’s July, I thought I’d catch you up on that list - what on it I’ve read, what I’ve added to it, and what I read that isn’t on it!

1. Big Little Lies, by Liane Moriarty
2. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Bronte
3. The Book of Dust, by Philip Pullman
4. Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys
5. Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller
6. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
7. The German Girl, by Armando Lucas Correa
8. Sweetbitter, by Stephanie Danler
9. Exit West, by Mohsin Hamid
10. Queen of the Conquest: England's Medieval Queens, by Alison Weir
11. Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan, by Herbert P. Bix
12. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, by Arundhati Roy
13. Children of the Jacaranda Tree, by Sahar Delijani
14. The Weight of Ink, by Rachel Kadish
15. Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
16. The Art Forger, by B.A. Shapiro
17. The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende
18. The Japanese Lover, by Isabel Allende
19. The Gene, by Dr. Siddartha Mukherjee
20. The Martian, by Andy Weir
21. And The Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini
22. Oleander Girl, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
23. A Little Life, by Hanya Hanagihara
24. 1Q84, by Haruki Murakami
25. The Rook, by Daniel O'Malley
26. This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women, collected by Dan Gediman, Jay Allison, and Studs Terkel
27. The Lowland, by Jhumpa Lahiri
28. Mary, Queen of Scots: And the Murder of Lord Darnley, by Alison Weir
29. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
30. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon
31. The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
32. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde
33. And The Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic, by Randy Shilts
34. Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng
35. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, by Neil Degrasse Tyson
36. Letter to My Daughter, by Maya Angelou

Obviously I haven’t crossed a ton off this list yet, but that’s okay because I’ve read a bunch of books not on here! I also read

1. Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda, by Becky Albertalli
2. Leah on the Offbeat, by Becky Albertalli
3. Heroes of Olympus, Books 2 - 5, by Rick Riordan
7. Trials of Apollo, Book 1 (and part of Book 2), by Rick Riordan
8. The Husband’s Secret, by Liane Moriarty

That brings my total to 15 books, if you count the fantasy series I had to finish before I even started on this list. I’m definitely a bit behind - I lost some steam for a bit there, but I’ve gotten it back and have been blasting through books again. I’m also currently halfway through Circe, Madeline Miller’s most recent release, and started A Darker Shade of Magic, By V.E. Schwab.

Other books I’ve added to the list are

Shades of Magic series, by V.E. Schwab (obviously)
Call Me By Your Name, by Andre Aciman
The Tea Planter’s Wife, by Dinah Jefferies
The Idiot, by Elif Batuman
Dietland, by Sarai Walker
Autumn, by Ali Smith
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mendel
The Poppy War, by R.F. Kuang
The Humans, by Matt Haig
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers

I need to shout out Books with Emily Fox for more than half of the new books listed here. She’s the one Booktube channel I follow, and I don’t really feel like I need to follow more because she reads such a wide range of books and gives such thoughtful and concise reviews of what she’s read.

There are definitely more books that I’ll add to this list, but if I’m being a hundred percent honest, this has become more of a guide/general To Read list. I’m not going to hold myself to these books alone if something else catches my eye, because something else will draw my attention, and I will read it without hesitation. Reading shouldn’t feel like a chore - it should be done for your own enjoyment 😊

Happy reading!!

(Also perhaps go check out my most recent Youtube video!)
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About me

Rachel. Actor/singer/dancer/writer. Music, fashion, and beauty lover. Trying something new here.

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