A Faerie Queen's Guide to Summer

Whispers of a Faerie no. 1

Hello Angels ♡

Summer is here and with the seasons changing, the veil between the faerie realm is thin. While dancing barefoot beneath the moon, the twinkle of wind chimes lured me deeper into the forest. There, I watched the Faerie Queen slumber with violets and sweet peas threaded through her golden ringlets. Her eyes fluttered open and she motioned me closer. I bent down beside her and she pressed a kiss to my cheek. All around me there was glitter and I was surely beneath her spell. Now all I see is beauty.

Oh, summer! My favorite season of all—when the days are longer and the ocean calls my name. How could I possibly resist the pull? The waves have a power to transform, and like Aphrodite birthed from her clamshell, I emerge from the water more supple and glowing than ever. Really, this time of year is so enchanting. You can’t deny the faint mist of glitter all around.

Though, if you struggle to find the same whimsy as I, take my hand and I will guide you . . .

Lately I have been more indulgent than ever and I cannot seem to satiate my desire for decadence and glamour. It would be a dishonor to the season if I didn’t live these days to the fullest. With that said, I have put together a guide for my fellow angels to live by so that we may have the most luxurious summer possible.

A FAERIE QUEEN’S SUMMER BUCKET LIST:

These past nights I have been consumed by dreams of enchanted forests, balls beneath the moon, and glittering gowns strewn with roses. Although the veil to the faerie realm has vanished, I yearn for my brief night with the Faerie Queen. In her absence, I have come up with a list of activities in hopes of feeling close to her again:

♡ A Midsummer Night’s Dream Makeover: When you were young, did you ever pay a visit to Club Libby Lu? It was a magical place where young girls went for princess makeovers—hair, makeup, outfits and all. They even had a perfume bar where you got to customize your own fragrance. How fun would it be now to dress up with your friends in your most extravagant Faerie Queen outfit and take turns doing each other’s makeup? You can incorporate glitter, shimmer, jewels, and even flower petals to your look. And don’t forget the hair! This is the perfect opportunity to make DIY flower crowns or thread tinsel through one another’s locks. You can even get a braid train going. Get creative and see how whimsical you can be! For an even more immersive experience, you can play A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999) in the background.

♡ A Vintage Nightgown Sleepover: Nothing is more luxurious than falling asleep in the softest silks and chiffons. Go vintage shopping with your besties and find the prefect faerie nightgowns to fall asleep in. You can put your hair in rollers, give each other facials, bake a sweet treat, and watch a whimsical summer movie accompanied by tea and your favorite candies.

♡ Stained White Cotton Picnic: I may be odd for this, but there’s something so ethereal about white dresses stained with juice. The though of staining something white evokes a feeling of childhood whimsy—when we were carefree and indulged in sweetness without consequence. Revisit your inner child by dressing up in white and having a picnic of blood oranges, summer berries, wine, or whatever you feel called to.

♡ Amalfi Coast Tea Party: Have a summer tea party with your friends on the beach, but instead of tea, drink cool Sicilian lemonade in your favorite vintage tea cups. Pair your spread with Italian desserts like cannoli, orange blossom cake, and almond cookies.

♡ Make a Glamour Magic Playlist: Listening to music that makes you feel beautiful, sexy, and empowered can really help elevate your vibration and unlock your divine feminine—and it’s actually a form of glamour magic. If you want to up-level your aura this summer, make a playlist of all the songs that empower you and play it every morning as you get ready. My personal favorite album to listen to for this has been Sincerely by Kali Uchis.

Honorable Mentions:

♡ Treasure hunt (antiquing and vintage dress shopping)

♡ Use that expensive product you’ve been saving

♡ Indulge in beliefs about the fae

♡ Harvest fresh produce in the garden

♡ Make dinner during golden hour

♡ Go to high tea with your friends

. . .

MOVIES:

♡ A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999): The 1999 version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream might just be the most visually stunning film I’ve ever seen. From delicate lace dresses to hair threaded with tinsel and a faerie forest wilder than my imagination can conjure, this film evokes a sense of whimsy you can’t help but yearn for after it’s over. Michelle Pfeiffer’s Queen Titania inspires a lavishness that makes me want to weave flowers in my hair, feast on berries at midnight, revel with my friends beneath the full moon, dust my face in glitter, and fall asleep on a bed of feathers in my softest silk nightgown. This is the perfect movie to watch during summer if you want to feel a touch of magic.

Honorable Mentions:

♡ Romeo & Juliet (2013 - my personal favorite)

♡ The Great Gatsby (also 2013 - my personal favorite)

♡ Cinderella (live action - 2015)

♡ The Little Mermaid (live action - 2023)

♡ The Notebook

♡ The Last Song

♡ Marie Antoinette

♡ Funny Face

♡ Paris When it Sizzles

♡ Mamma Mia (1 & 2)

♡ Monte Carlo

♡ Aquamarine

. . .

BOOKS:

♡ Tenderly, I am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone: I cannot express how absolutely delicious this book is! Lyndall Clipstone is a sensory master and Tenderly, I am Devoured has become one of my favorite books of all time. Everything from the yearning to the atmosphere is utterly breathtaking. You will finish this book covered in chills from head to toe.

Think—falling in love with your childhood best friend after years of estrangement, stolen kisses in the night from the alluring girl you always admired, ribbons in your hair, delicate dresses that flutter in the wind, biting into the ripest strawberry, almond blossoms falling over your shoulders, pastel oil paintings, swan feathers brushing your wrist, the scent of milk and honey, the feeling of sea mist gently brushing your face, broken promises to a God.

Tenderly, I am Devoured is an ethereal masterpiece that is so heart-achingly beautiful, I have tears in my eyes just thinking of it. It is a haunting tale that’s sure to leave a lasting impact.

Tenderly, I am Devoured is out now and can be purchased here. See below for the full summary:

Perfect for fans of Saltburn, A Study in Drowning, and Don't Let the Forest In, Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a moody, monstrously Gothic romantic folk horror in which a young woman must bind herself to a dangerous chthonic god with the help of the son of a rival family to save her family's legacy—and herself—from ruin.

Expelled from her prestigious boarding school following a violent incident, eighteen-year-old Lacrimosa Arriscane returns home in disgrace to discover her family on the point of financial ruin. Desperate to save them, she accepts a marriage of convenience… to Therion, the chthonic god worshipped by Lark’s isolated coastal hometown.

But when her betrothal goes horribly wrong, Lark begins to vanish from the mortal realm. Her only hope is to seek help from Alastair Felimath: the brilliant, arrogant boy who was her first heartbreak, and his alluring older sister, Camille. As the trio delve into the folklore of gods, Lark falls under the spell of both Felimath siblings.

Ensnared by a fervent romance, they perform a bacchanalia with hopes the hedonistic ritual will repair the connection between Lark and her bridegroom. Instead, they draw the ire of something much darker, which seeks to destroy Therion—and Lark as well.

Featuring a polyamorous bisexual romance, lush prose, and flower-threaded horror, Tenderly, I am Devoured is a romantic folk horror that is intoxicating as chthonic liquor, and as unstoppable as the haunted tides.

Honorable Mentions:

YOUNG ADULT FANTASY

♡ The Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black

♡ Wicked Like a Wildfire by Lana Popovic

CREATIVE NON-FICTION

♡ The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

♡ Black Swans by Eve Babtitz

ADULT FICTION

♡ Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

♡ Chlorine by Jade Song

CLASSICS

♡ The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

♡ A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

. . .

INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES TO SUPPORT:

♡ Hometown Vintage by Gabi Demartino: Oh, my angels, Hometown Vintage has been my absolute obsession of the summer!

If you don’t know who Gabi Demartino is, she’s a Youtuber who got her start on the Niki & Gabi channel before branching off with her own channel, Fancy Vlogs by Gab. I like to say Gabi is the original coquette influencer (she started coquette before it was even a thing!). The entirety of my feminine aesthetic was completely inspired by her. Through watching Gabi, I have learned how to romanticize my life, find beauty in the little things, indulge more, and discover what truly brings me joy.

I’ve watched Gabi repetitively for years, studying how to achieve the ultimate girly lifestyle. Gabi is like a real life Disney princess and I couldn’t help but want to bring that same magic into my own life too. Now, it’s easier than ever because Gabi has become our own personal Fairy Gab-mother!

Shopping from Hometown Vintage is the perfect way to explore an aesthetic you admire but might feel overwhelmed to pursue. The way it works is you choose a theme, make a Pinterest board, and create a mood board for Gabi to take inspiration from. It can be any theme you like! Some past examples I love are: Elizabeth Swan, Glinda, Alice meets Wendy, Blue Lagoon Honeymoon, Easter Bride, Vanilla Clean Girl, Priscilla, Nancy Meyers, and honestly so many more! View past examples of bundles here.

As someone who has admired Gabi for years, I have always envied her glorious vintage collection and have desperately wished I could find as beautiful and unique pieces as she does. With Hometown Vintage, Gabi personally sources a collection of 10 vintage items inspired by your theme to curate the perfect bundle for all your aesthetic wishes.

Each bundle is so thoughtfully made. Gabi truly puts her heart into every bundle and really cares about sparking joy in every customer who comes her way. Opening up a Hometown Vintage bundle is like waking up on Christmas morning! (Gabi is also known for sneaking in bits of makeup and perfume PR too just to make the experience all the more special).

If you don’t have an aesthetic in mind, you can also shop her preset seasonal bundles. This summer the themes are: Mermaid, Vanilla Clean Girl, Priscilla, Blue Glinda, and Old Money Vintage. She also has some permanent preset bundles such as: The Vintage Bride, Bridesmaid, and Mystery Girly Vintage. Shop all bundles here.

As soon as I saw a Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999), I couldn’t help but fantasize about being whisked away to the faerie realm. I purchased my second Hometown Vintage bundle this summer, inspired by a Midsummer Night’s Dream (both the film and the ballet). I also woke up from a dream that morning about Audrey Hepburn staring in the Midsummer Night’s Dream ballet—which doesn’t exist, but I wish it did! That’s why I thought it would be the perfect theme to send to Gabi. Your bundle can be as creative and fun as you like. Gabi is happy to accommodate your vision!

You can view my Midsummer Night’s Dream Ballerina Pinterest board here and my mood board down below:

. . .

♡ Your Favorite Sister: Another current obsession of mine has been BLYTHE DOLLS !!!! Oh, how I want one so, so badly.

Your Favorite Sister is an queer, independent business that specializes in custom Blythe Dolls. Something about their work in particular evokes an otherworldly feeling—as if you’d stumble across one of these dolls in a faerie glade, only to discover they are a product of a changeling bargain gone wrong.

I adore the attention to detail in their craftsmanship—from the hand-painted eyelids to the perfectly styled hair and the intricate outfits. It would be so pretty to have one of these dolls decorating my desk, vanity, or bookshelf.

There are many other doll makers who specialize in Blythe Dolls, but Your Favorite Sister has a quality unmatched. Where I notice this the most is in the styling of the hair, which is exceptionally polished compared to other dolls I’ve seen on the market.

While a Blythe Doll commission can be quiet pricey, it is a testament to the true talent and skill these artists possess. I see purchasing a Blythe Doll as a form of investing in a piece of collectable art.

This would be a perfect splurge for authors (like myself) after accomplishing a big milestone like—finishing your final draft, getting an agent, landing a book deal, having your book release. It would be so cool to have a doll made of one of your characters! I’ve definitely been saving up for a Lila inspired Blythe Doll from my book, Dance of the Starlit Sea.

. . .

OTHER SUMMER FAVORITES - A list of things I’ve been loving:

♡ Saltswan perfume by Biblioddities Fragrance: lotus | lilac | milk | sandalwood | warm woods | powder | bamboo | almond

♡ Under the Lemon Trees perfume by Maison Margiela: Kalamansi lime | cardamom | coriander | green tea | cedar wood | citrus absolute

♡ Anything faeriecore: jeweled hair pins, glittery makeup, sparkly floral embellishments, blackberry essential oil

♡ Sweets: guava ice cream, haupia pudding, coconut butter mochi, midsummer strawberry cake

♡ French countryside aesthetic - inspired by @laylalebleu

♡ Wearing oversized hair bows

♡ White puff sleeve dresses

♡ Antique lockets

. . .

Thanks for reading! Happy summer, my angels ♡ Please let me know if you try any of my suggestions :)

Love Always,

Lunalie