Farewell summer and hello fall! To kick off this new season, browse through my latest fashion faves, beauty must-haves and playlist additions, plus preview what’s next in my reading pile. There are so many options here for pandemic-approved entertainment!

Fashion

* Leopard Print (and the Jilly Jacket 2.0) *

Jilly Jacket 2.0, Joe Fresh, $89 (currently unavailable online; in stock in select Canadian stores) // SIMILAR: Go-H20 Water-Resistant Narrow-Channel Puffer Jacket in Olive Leopard Print, Old Navy, $60 (sale); VERO MODA Cana Puffer Jacket in Leopard, The Bay, $49.99 (sale)

Leopard print has returned as one of the hottest looks of the season and I’m seeing it pop up in all sorts of styles — jeans, sweaters, cardigans… but nothing is cozier than an oversized, fit-for-fall puffer jacket! Canadian retailer Joe Fresh, with the help of West Coast influencer Jillian Harris, launched the “it” jacket of the season with this trendy, longline leopard print puffer (pictured above), dubbed the Jilly Jacket 2.0. Needless to say, I was in love at first sight — and it was so worth the fight to snag one online! In fact, demand for the jacket broke Joe Fresh’s website, with many customers trying for 7+ hours to get one of the limited quantities available. I’m still hearing reports of restocks at physical stores, so keep an eye out (or check out one of the similar jackets linked above!).

* Masks *

Assorted Styles, Old Navy, 5/$15 (great value!)

In case you’ve missed the headlines, the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is officially underway in many regions, including my home province of Ontario, Canada. To keep everyone safe, face masks will remain the must-have accessory for the fall/winter fashion season. Fortunately, there are now so many cute and comfortable styles that it’s tempting to buy one to match every look in my closet. I’m still a huge fan of Old Navy’s masks, which come in packs of 5 or 10 and are fit for the whole family with designs like tie dye, camo and plaid.

Beauty/Skincare

* Rare Beauty *

Fave products: With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm in Blessed, Rare Beauty at Sephora, $21; Always An Optimist Illuminating Primer, Rare Beauty at Sephora, $18 (mini) or $34 (full)

Singer, actress and business powerhouse Selena Gomez did not disappoint with her highly-anticipated Rare Beauty line, which received great praise from fans and beauty influencers alike upon its launch earlier this month. I’m looking forward to trying more products from the collection but already love the lip balm, which is highly pigmented and moisturizing (so hard to find!), and the illuminating primer, which masks your pores while giving you a beautiful, lit-from-within glow.

* FAB Pharma BHA Acne Spot Treatment Gel 2% Salicylic Acid | First Aid Beauty *

Sephora, $34

Maskne be gone! This product from First Aid Beauty (a FAB brand, if I do say so myself!) has been a holy grail to stopping breakouts in their tracks, especially around my chin. My skin has always responded well to salicylic acid, so I was super happy to find this. When applying, remember a little goes a long way!

Books

While I catch up on my growing book pile, here are the next two reads on my list!

* My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams *

Available from Indigo for $24.62 (sale)

Earlier this month, we lost an iconic voice for women’s rights, social justice and a better world following the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a beloved Supreme Court Justice (the second female to hold the title) and co-founder of the Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU. I remember wanting to read this book when it came out in 2018 and have since picked it up to learn more about Ruth’s inspiring upbringing and journey. Rest in power, RBG!

* The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey with Michaela Angela Davis *

Available from Indigo for $25 (sale)

Fresh out on bookshelves, Mariah Carey’s long-awaited memoir is Mariah unfiltered. Mariah goes deep into her childhood and shares behind the scenes secrets about her songs, struggles and survival, giving readers an incredible inside look at one of the industry’s biggest stars. Bonus: the 11-hour Audible audiobook is narrated by Mimi herself, with musical moments weaved in throughout the memoir. This may finally get me on the audiobook train!

Music

As promised last month, I put a lot of thought into my final verdict for the song of the summer. My winner: “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles! As runner-ups, I also loved Dua Lipa’s “Break My Heart” and Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s “Rain on Me.” With so many new releases due out soon from artists like Shawn Mendes and Blackpink, it’s definitely going to be just as difficult to pick a favourite fall track!

To cap off another epic summer of music, press play on this selection of recent releases I’ve had on repeat.

* Passive Aggressive by Charlotte Cardin *

Charlotte Cardin is one of my absolute favourite singer-songwriters (and a Canadian!) and her new single is proof that she needs to be on everyone’s radar. “Passive Aggressive” is a bad b!tch anthem about dropping toxic relationships, knowing your worth and celebrating newfound independence. It’s no surprise this track is topping so many of Spotify’s pop playlists — it’s a whole bop with a much-needed message!

* Justin Bieber *

September was unofficially the month of Bieber. First, Canadians were finally blessed with a Drake x Justin Bieber collab, which came in the form of Justin’s epic takeover of Drake and DJ Khaled’s music video for “Popstar.” This was due in part to COVID-19 filming restrictions — and the fact the Biebs was already mentioned in the song and fit the video storyline perfectly. More recently, Justin debuted a new era of music with the release of “Holy,” a beautiful song with Chance the Rapper about the power of love and companionship, especially during trying times like job loss or a global pandemic. I won’t lie — I shed a tear watching this video for the first time!

* Be Happy (Remix) by Dixie D’Amelio feat. blackbear & Lil Mosey *

You likely recognize her from TikTok, but 19-year-old Dixie D’Amelio is also racking up some serious cred in the music industry with her debut single “Be Happy.” The anti-happy, sad girl anthem was first released in July, but alt-pop artist blackbear and “Blueberry Faygo” rapper Lil Mosey hopped on the official remix and I’m not ashamed to say I love it! Sometimes you really do just have to embrace the bad days and be happy being sad for a minute.

* Diamonds by Sam Smith *

As a longtime fan of Sam Smith, I have to shout out their latest single, which is a total jam. “Diamonds” was also the catalyst for the announcement of Sam’s third studio album Love Goes, due out Oct. 30. We can always trust Sam to get us in our feels, so I’m very excited to see what they have in store for this mid-fall release!

September Favourites

Fashion