10 Things I'm Loving This May

I'll be honest, this month has been a struggle for me. I got sick at the beginning of the month for two weeks and also found out we have to move at the end of our lease. In order to fund this unexpected move, I've been selling a large chunk of my Halloween collection. The whole month feels like one long battle against being sick and then another battle of purging belongings. I don't share this because I want pity, but just to show that life can throw us some curveballs sometimes and I just wanted to share why I've been so absent from here and social media. I know it will all work out in the end and I'm excited for a change of scenery, but it sure has been stressful.

Still, this month hasn't been all bad - I feel like even more than usual I need to focus on the positive and savor the little things I sometimes take for granted. As per my monthly tradition, I'm sharing 10 things I'm loving this month below, which encourages me to reflect on things I'm grateful for this month as well as sharing some cool things with you!

Check out 10 Things I'm Loving This May below:

What's in My Spooky Purse

Hello lovelies! Confession: I am obsessed with posts showing what is in people's purses/fridges/etc. It is so much fun to get a peek at what people use everyday and seeing how they live day-to-day. And I don't mean just celebrities, I mean like regular people like you and I, especially if they have a spooky or vegan (or both!) aesthetic. Plus, this is a wonderful way to discover new products, bond over similar items and styles, and just get more of an insight into someone else's habits and style!

Ever since my ghoulfriend-in-crime Miranda from Spooky Little Halloween shared what was in her purse, I've been wanting to share what's in mine! I figured now that we are going into spring it would be the perfect time to clean out my purse and share what's been lurking within. I've decided to omit any necessities like my phone, wallet, keys, etc. because everyone has those. Though I do love mine so I've include a photo of them at the end!

Check out what is lurking in my spooky purse below:

10 Things I'm Loving This February

Hello darlings! I hope you are having a spectacular February! Valentine's Day is behind us (did you see my goth love songs playlist, spooky love decor ideas, creepy cards, and ghoulish gift guide posts?) and hopefully you've all been celebrating Black History Month and Women in Horror Month! As for me, I've been watching a new horror documentary, listening to gloomy tunes, reading a thrilling book, eating delicious vegan sweets, and more. As I've been doing on a monthly basis with these "ten things" posts, I'm sharing with you 10 items I'm loving this month, which encourages me to be grateful for the little (and big) things while also passing along cool things for you to check out. See the 10 Things I'm Loving This February below:

10 Things I'm Loving This January

A new year brings endless possibilities for reinvention, improvement, and becoming your best self. I'm all for that, but I'll be honest and say that this new year started off rather languidly for me. No harm in that, I've just been enjoying easing into the new year! I also celebrated my birthday at the beginning of the month, so that, along with the holiday break has encouraged what I like to call a "gentle laziness."

So far, this easing into the new year has gone very well, and I've enjoyed it along with some wonderful treats this month. Like I'm trying to do every month, I'm reflecting on ten things I loved. This both encourages me to be grateful for the little (and big) things, while also sharing some of my favorite things with you (which I always love to do)!

For January, here are 10 things I loved:

10 Things I'm Loving This December

Despite how fast Christmas is bearing down on us, I have to say I am really enjoying this month. I am staying put over the holidays, so it hasn't been as crazy as it usually would be and I'm so happy I don't have to travel. It means I get to do one of my favorite things - hole up at home! I've been hunkering down, writing, watching tons of movies and TV, reading, and just enjoying the spirit of the holidays. This month, I've also seen some recent projects come to fruition, which I'm pretty proud of.

I'm so glad I've been able to finish the year out on a high note. And as I do every month on these "ten things" posts, I'll be sharing some of my favorite things I experienced this December. This month, this includes the 13 days of Creepmas, a festive new perfume, oodles of holiday movies, some dark folklore, vegan sugar cookies, and more!

See my 10 Things I'm Loving This December below:

20 Goth Gifts for Darklings

Let's face it, sometimes shopping for gothlings can be a difficult task, even if it is for yourself or someone you love. Luckily, I've scoured some of my favorite spooky shops and picked products that will delight the recipient. These items range from adornments to home decor to art to bath and body products and more! I've also made sure to include a wide range of prices, from small stocking-stuffers to more extravagant presents. As always, all items I've selected are vegan and cruelty-free.

Whether you are shopping for yourself or your significant other, check out the 20 eerie items below that are perfect for the strange and unusual.

Goth Gifts for the Strange and Unusual

Many darklings (myself included), struggle when telling our families and friends what kind of gifts we would like to receive during the holidays. Now, I know we should be grateful for whatever we receive (even if it is your millionth copy of The Nightmare Before Christmas), but wouldn't it be great if we could nudge our friends and family in the correct creepy direction?

I created this gift guide for goths the past couple years to not only share some fiendish finds I wouldn't mind having for myself but to also to make it easier on those that are shopping for strangelings. This year, I've listed items that are mostly from small independent shops and artists with a few products from larger companies. You will find something for everyone, including art, t-shirts, totes, banners, perfume, wallets, pillows, games, accessories,  hoodies, and more! As always, all items listed below are vegan and cruelty-free to the best of my knowledge.

Check out my Goth Gift Guide for the Strange and Unusual below:

Goth Essentials for Surviving Summer

I can't believe summer is already here, it feels like the spring went by so fast! Thankfully here in Orange County it is still relatively cool due to June Gloom (swoon!), but warmer weather has been creeping up on us (it will be in the 80s the rest of the week) and as soon as July hits temps will be shooting up to the 90s and 100s (ugh). I hate hot weather so I do all I can to stay cool while still keeping it spooky during the unbearable summer months.

Below I've collected some summer goth essentials to help you keep creepin' in the summer heat, including pool and beach accessories, some dark but gauzy clothing (I don't care how hot it is, I'm still wearing black), items that will protect your skin from the sun, boo-tiful bags to keep all these ghoulish goodies in, and much more macabre merch to add to your wish list!

Goth Gift Guide for the Eternally Odd and Eerie

I know how hard it is to find unique gifts for your favorite darkling or even yourself, so I've compiled some suggestions for you below to make this gift-giving season easier. These are all items I would love to receive, so this gift guide doubles as a wish list for myself as well!

I have suggestions for creepy clothes, eerie artwork, dark decor, scintillating scents and candles, and so much more! Of course, all fabrics/perfumes/candles/etc. are cruelty-free and vegan. In addition, the most of the items below are from small businesses (and even a non-profit), so your money is going to a good place and allowing like-minded gothlings to thrive!

Take a peek below at my Goth Gift Guide for the Eternally Odd and Eerie:

Samhain Scents That Will Make You Smell Like Halloween

In Type O Negative's song "Black No. 1," Peter Steele sings "Her perfume smells like burning leaves," and I've been forever searching for a scent like that which evokes the spirit of Samhain! What do you picture the autumn season smelling like? For me it's a woodsy, smoky scent of autumn leaves with a bit of candy corn sweetness, apple orchard tartness, pumpkin patch earthiness, and a sprinkle of brimstone. Who knows if a scent like that actually exists, but I'm on a quest to find it!

In my search this year I've come across a few small, independent companies who are making perfumes, bath bombs, lotions, and other potions in lovely autumn and Halloween scents that I'm absolutely drooling over! I've compiled some of these for you below, all of which are vegan and cruelty-free (note: always double-check ingredients since formulations can change, though most of the businesses listed below are themselves vegan and cruelty-free!).

Hopefully this year I can find some scented treats that will keep me smelling like Halloween long after all the jack-o-lanterns have been blown out on October 31st.

Beauty Review: Goddess Provisions Box

The Goddess Provisions monthly subscription box was created by the lovely couple behind the awesomely successful Vegan Cuts subscription boxes (my reviews of the snack box and the beauty box). The Goddess Provisions box is geared more towards getting in touch with your self and the Earth while nourishing both, along with mind, body, and spirit. The monthly box features aromatherapy, crystals, superfoods, natural makeup, and other tools for spiritual growth! Everything is always cruelty-free and vegan, and there are about 4 - 6 full-size products in each box.

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Goth Gifts for the Darkly Inclined

This gift guide came about for rather selfish reasons, I must admit - all these goodies are items I would LOVE as gifts for myself this season. I am lusting over beautiful baubles, witchy subscription boxes, beautifully bound books, an array of cruelty-free, dramatic makeup, glittering jewels, scintillating scents, recluse-themed clothing, eerie accessories, and music!

Take a peek below to see what's on my wish list and get some ideas for what to ask for/buy for yourself this year!

Beauty Review: SoapyLayne Vegan Perfumes

I discovered the coolest vegan and cruelty-free company at Vegan Faire this past July called SoapyLayne. Their witchy signage first caught my eye, and when I investigated I found that they had some lovely perfumes and other body, bath, and makeup products. By the time I checked out their booth at Vegan Faire I had spent the majority of my cash on food, but I still had enough money to pick up two scents that I was swooning over, a solid perfume called Moonlight Butterfly and a roll-on perfume oil by the name of The Woods.

Beauty Review: Tulip Perfumes in Neroli Wood, Redwood Forest, and Oakmoss Lily Blossom Scents

I absolutely adore Tulip, an independent, woman-owned perfumery from the Northern California coast that makes some of the loveliest scents! I don't see them much in stores down here in SoCal, but when I went up north last month I actually found their scents were carried in one of my favorite shops in Ferndale - the Golden Gait Mercantile (if you are ever up that way, do stop in - it is the most charming old-timey shop with tons of neat stuff!!). I couldn't resist picking up two scents - Neroli Wood eau de parfum from their Classic Collection and Redwood Forest oil from their Charmed Collection.

Vegan Faire 2015 Report

Vegan Faire 2015!

This past Saturday I attended the second annual Orange County Vegan Faire, hosted by Healthy Junk and held on Anaheim's Center Street Promenade. It was my first year attending, and I braved the 90 degree temps for vegan food, vegan friends, and vegan vendors! I was so stoked to have a vegan festival just 20 minutes from my house in Orange County - I'm so happy OC has a veg fest so I don't have to drive all the way up to LA. Even better, a lot of vegan friends came out to the event so I was able to get my grub on with some rad vegan peeps! 

Product Review: Balanced Guru Energy Mists

Balanced Guru's Energy Mists

I discovered so many incredible new products at last month's Natural Products Expo West! One amazing company I came across was Balanced Guru, who makes aromatherapy scents/perfumes called Energy Mists to help elevate or regulate moods and feelings. I briefly discussed them in my best products of Expo West post (read here), but I wanted to give them their own full post, as they were kind enough to send me home from Expo with a travel kit of their Energy Mists, which I've been using ever since!

Beauty Review: Pacifica Perfumes for Summer

I wanted to find some nice summer scents for myself as it is starting to get warm here in SoCal and my usual scents aren't quite cutting it. I needed something light and fresh!

I'd never tried Pacifica's products, so I thought I would give them a try, especially since the company is cruelty-free, vegan and strives to use eco-conscious ingredients. They make a wide variety of beauty and home products besides perfume, including soy candles, reed diffusers, lip balm, body lotion, body wash, body scrub and more (can't wait to try all their other products!).

I found Pacifica's perfume at my local health food store, but they are also available on Amazon or on their site. I picked up three different scents to try in the roll-on size and they were only $10 a pop! The fragrances I choose were Tahitian Gardenia, Lotus Garden and Indian Coconut Nectar.

I love gardenia, so I knew right off the bat I would love Tahitian Gardenia. And, of course, I did! It has a strong, heady scent that envelopes you in gardenia blooms. Gardenias are said to be the blossoms of love, and with this scent it is easy to see why...I absolutely love it!

The Lotus Blossom perfume reminds me of violets dripping with early-morning dew. It is a unique and sexy scent that I love wearing out in the evenings. According to the Pacifica site, the fragrance is "perfumed with green notes, citrus, lotus and olibanum....The lotus, said to always be looking for its place in the sun, is a symbol of strength, unyielding passion, spiritual enlightenment and unconditional love."

I love, love, love Tahitian Gardenia and Lotus Blossom, but my absolute favorite of the three has to be Indian Coconut Nectar. This perfume smells like a summer's day to me, with full-bodied coconut and hints of vanilla. It is a deliciously sensual and playful scent! I will definitely be wearing this all summer.

I adore all three of these Pacifica perfumes and I cannot wait to try more of their scents, along with their other products! I highly recommend Pacifica's perfumes and with their many selections there is no doubt you will find a fragrance that is perfect for you.