June is a great time to stop and smell the peonies, freshen up your make-up stash and give yourself a generous helping of inspiration. So I thought I’d share a few things I’ve found lately that have helped me do those very things.

First, of course, is my total and uncompromising love affair with peonies. I know, who doesn’t love a pretty, poofy, perennial princess that smells like heaven? Well regardless of whether or not I’m a total cliché, I adore them and was thrilled to find some tucked away at my local grocery store. I was feeling blah and they completely transformed my mood. If you’re in a funk, maybe the job’s not going great, the guy scene is grim or maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, try filling your space or at least a vase with fresh flowers. The effect that a bit of beautiful green life can have on your mood and outlook is quite astonishing. In fact, I believe in the power of peonies so much that I’m sending some your way!  Stay tuned for my next post!

Let’s face it, the winter was long and it’s going to take a lot more than one sunny afternoon to give my face a summer glow. Especially when I’m frantically trying to avoid wrinkles and wearing 30 SPF at all times. So as they say, ‘fake it till you make it’ which I’m doing with a couple goodies I picked up at NARS. As far as I’m concerned the NARS multiple highlighter is magic and with a sweep from my upper cheek to temple and a swipe on the bridge of my nose my face is suddenly illuminated and light wants to gently dance around instead of disappearing into dullness. I follow up with a light brush of NARS blush in Orgasm and blend the two along my cheekbones. The beauty genius at the NARS counter showed me this trick and I’ve been attempting to perfect it since.

My last but probably most life changing June find is the book #GIRLBOSS written by my ultimate girl crush and career idol Sophia Amoruso. She is the founder and CEO of the e-retailer extraordinaire that is Nasty Gal. To be completely honest, I probably would have bought any book she wrote. BUT as it turns out this one is rammed with insight, thought provoking soundbites and just general #GIRLBOSS awesomeness. It’s not so much Sophia’s personal story that has my entrepreneurial gears churning but rather her candid advice on how to achieve your business goals. It’s a quick and easy read that I highly recommend for anyone who’s got big career dreams and is ready to act on them.