i’m trying to party like it’s 2016 this summer

When I was younger, I used to love summer. To be fair, I don’t really remember this, but my mom insists on it. She tells me about how I used to want to go to the beach to swim all the time and how I wanted to spend all summer outside. I’ve been trying to relearn that feeling over the past few years. I love swimming, but I don’t go swimming often because I struggle to find swimsuits I’m comfortable in. I hate the beach- sand is my enemy and the sun is even worse. I like sunbathing just fine, but I swear to god, the sun at the beach is a million times hotter than the normal sun. 

All that is to say, I’m trying to hype myself up for this summer. I have a lot planned; I’m gonna finally get my drivers license, hopefully lock down a job once I have legal access to a car, and hopefully spend the rest of the summer hanging out with friends and family. Now you’re probably asking, how does 2016 fit into any of this? To that question, I pose my own question; When did summer seem the most fun? I was eight in the summer of 2016, and all I wanted was to look and dress like the influencers going to Coachella or the instagram models with their cakey, colorful makeup. I was a child, though, so I never got to live that dream. I’m finally old enough, and comfortable enough in my identity, to live out my childhood dreams. So besides the important things, like my license and job, here are some 2016-themed things I have on my summer checklist: 

1. Makeup

A cut crease, a bold or nude lip, thick contour, even thicker brows, so much highlighter that you’re seen from space. I miss it all. I’m always going to prefer cakey, over-the-top makeup to the “natural” or “no-makeup-makeup” looks. No hate for what you prefer, I’m just a sucker for the dramatics. I’m trying to get my hands on some of the popular makeup products from 2016, like Kylie’s nude lip sets and dip brow gel. 

2. Outfits

Here’s where the major difference of 2016 style begins to show. Even as a kid, I knew the difference between a tumblr girl and an instagram influencer. I also knew I wanted to be both of them. While I definitely feel more comfortable in the alternative, indie style that comes from tumblr, I want to venture out of my comfort zone and try to recreate some of the iconic outfits from 2016 Coachella. 

3. Music

I have at least two playlists dedicated to 2010s music. Most of my love for these albums comes from nostalgia, but I do genuinely love some of these songs. Colors by Halsey is one of my favorite songs, there’s a bunch of old P!ATD that I really love, and the entire Blurryface album by T∅P has ruled my life since I first heard Ride. Anyways, I’m gonna be playing these in my headphones all summer long. 

4. Recreating Iconic Photos

There are thousands more that I couldn’t fit here, but here are some of my top few. When I tell you these photos had a chokehold on me. Some of them will be easier to recreate than others, but regardless, you can expect to see them on my instagram at some point this summer. 

Now, I’ve got a bit more planned, but this is all that’s super important. I do plan on rewatching a bunch of tv shows and movies from the 2010s/late 2000s because I love nostalgia chasing. I also want to use this summer as an opportunity to watch some of the movies that I was too young to watch/never got around to when they came out in the 2010s. I also really want to read more, so I plan to spend a lot of this summer sunbathing with a good book. That’s pretty much it. I’m super excited for the summer and I can’t wait to party like there’s no tommorow.