I still have two more weeks until move-in, but that still makes me feel like summer is over. School for everyone else has started and I've been scrambling around to get the last-minute errands done and making the most out of the last free bits of time I have. It's sad, I know, but I am anxious to get the year started!
I have been long overdue with a beauty edit this summer so, I've compiled a couple of the most essential products I have been using over the past few months—and really not many at all. I got very lucky with my skin this summer and was blessed to not have any bad breakouts (fingers crossed), so minimal makeup was a move—as per usual.
My tried and true all-time favorite...
Nars concealer is always at my reach. I can get by with just dabbing this under my eyes and around some trouble spots and out the door I go! I've really just embraced natural skin and only using concealer as a touch up (and tired-eye savior). It's reliable, long-lasting, creamy, and my best friend.
On days when my skin needs a little boost...
I've been trying out the GlamGlow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer. First, it smells amazing and of green tea. It also gives me a very nice pearly highlight while hydrating my sun-kissed skin! A perfect pick-me-up moisturizer.
An added touch of glow...
The Too Faced Sweet Peach Papa Don't Peach Blush has been hiding from me for awhile until recently I discovered it when a Sephora beautician recommended it to me after searching for the perfect peachy-orange blush. I have olive skin, so most blushes can be too dark or show up too pale for my skin tone. The best part—it smells like peaches!
For unruly eyebrows...
The Glossier Boy Brow needs more praise! I swear, one swipe of this and my face already looks ready and prepped to go. There's something about groomed brows that just pulls everything together and cleans it up a bit. I always reach for this to add more depth and structure to my brows. A quick one swipe fixer upper.
When I need an eye-lift...
I made this splurge in Spain and I have not regretted it. The Givenchy Disturbia Mascara brings effortless curl and volume to my lashes with 24 hours of wear (which I have never tested), but it definitely lasts all day long. I love when mascaras separate my lashes without clumps, smudging, and smooth application—this mascara does just that.
For a clean eyelid base...
I'm not sure if I'm the only one who does this, but for someone with very oily eyelids, I like to dab a touch of eyeshadow primer to keep them matte and color controlled with the rest of my complexion. The Morphe Eyelid Primer dries on clear and lasts all day long. This is one of the best and most inexpensive eyelid primers I've ever used.
An added spritz of femme...
Last, but not least by far, this is my favorite product of the whole summer. I don't know how I never knew about it, but the Chloé Nomade perfume is me in a scent. It is a warm floral scent with notes of Oakmoss, Fressia, and Mirabelle Liquor. A combination I've never heard of before, but works so well together. It has a balance of floral and fruity—I'm terrible at describing scents, but it smells divine.
So, that's my wrap up for products I've used this summer and will continue to enjoy throughout fall. I'm a simple person when it comes to makeup, but I believe that there are some amazing products out there including the ones I mentioned. A little goes a long way, and that says a lot for a girl who only puts eyelid primer on. What are your go-to beauty products this month?
Stepping into a new school year with Vans. I love Vans. They're the perfect in-between of a Ked and a Converse sneaker. Vans are labeled as "skateboarding" shoes, but so many people wear them as casual walking shoes more than they do skateboarding. One of the reasons I love them is because they're flat. I have flat feet and because they're made to be used on skateboards, the bottom "sticky sole," is to ensure that your feet stay on the board or the ground for that matter.
The color range and designs of Vans amaze me. I chose the Vans Old Skool Pro Marshmellow and Black skate shoes. For all the colors I had to choose from, I stuck with a classic neutral. As much as I love white shoes, I was able to avoid the whole white-turns-into-yellow situation by just purchasing a pale yellow color instead. There's something unique about owning a pastel shoe and also just the classic black stripe in the middle that I love.
It also has mesh along the sides to ensure durability and suede on the toe, which is something I've never seen on a sneaker. I feel like Vans are becoming the new Converse of our age as I see more and more people wearing them. I already have three pairs and am eager to find new styles and designs.
I will link, here, to the other pair of Vans that I own so you can check out those, too. Vans has a wide variety of styles, designs, colors, and sizes for you to choose from and I would really recommend checking them out if you're due for a new pair or are curious to see their options. I would honestly love to be a Vans ambassador or something, ha!
Many people deal with having to go through the process of purchasing a new phone—you know how it goes. Your old one "breaks" and you're instantly made to think, by some god of Apple, that there's no more use in trying to get it fixed, so you resort to the process no one really wants to go through, or pay for, but since society makes you believe that you should get a new iPhone, you get a new iPhone. We've all been there.
This past week I bought a new phone. The iPhone Xs to be exact. I will not beat down this phone, because it is a really nice phone—fancy cameras with depth effect and a facial recognition passcode system that makes me feel like I'm James Bond. The phone itself is one thing, but the reason I got the phone was another. Details aside, my old iPhone 7 was perfectly fine. It was just that "time".
Earlier this year I took an environmental science class that focused on sustainability and one of the things that stuck with me was the idea of perceived obsolescence. That "time" which urges us and our very consumeristic selves to buy the next iPhone, upgrade to a better car, replace something out of "trend," all of these disposable and subconscious desires pop up out of nowhere—we're left dissatisfied and conform to what companies tell us we need to buy, replace, upgrade, and all for something better.
I've had my fair share of Marie Kondo-ing my life and organizing, decluttering, or taking inventory of everything I own. It's just a part of me that gives me release, satisfaction, and room to grow. The tangible "things" that exist in my life have been greatly thought about—no I don't name my knick-knacks—but, I have found that dwelling on the things I have and don't have has no place in my life.
I've come to this conclusion before and push it aside—prioroties and all. It makes me sick. Why this "urge" takes over, I don't know. Monkey see monkey do. We are creatures of desire and want. This urge hasn't just occurred with the tangible, but during times when I'm at an all-high in my life and the dark cloud wooshes over me like no bitch, you don't get to be happy.
Gratitude and finding it is hard. I've talked about it before. It can be like a cow grazing in the grass, so much grass to choose from, but the cow just eats in the same, overeaten hole in the ground every single day. My metaphors need more work, but the point is, the cow is perfectly content with its overeaten hole of dead grass. No other cow to please.
Maybe I'm the cow. Maybe I'm not. Maybe you're the cow.
Don't take offense to me calling you a cow. I love cows. Anyway, finding appreciation in the disgruntled, dilapidated, and average or less than is a challenge, to say the least. Things we wish we had, but are forced to settle with: our hair, our car, our home, our relationship, our degree, our job, etc. There's always going to be more, but we are so impatient with life. We run on double-shot lattes and malcontent.
Being active online and a blogger has come with its malcontents. You always want to have the nicest photos, perfect outfits, and a perceived aesthetic. You think your photo is good? Wait until you see hers—posted five minutes after you worked two hours for the perfect selfie.
I'll be honest, I have never had to sit in front of the camera for that long, but I'm sure others have. It's the culture we have created. Perfection is emanated from our screens day and night. We keep up by having this urge tell us we need to change, spend money, photoshop, etc. I'm distracted, obsessed, and at times I am so frustrated with myself for feeling like I can't be present with the people I'm with or the things I'm doing because there's something else I need or want slapping me in the face.
I always think about ways I can be more grateful. I am so lucky to be where I am right now. I think I can be very hard on myself because I fear that it could all just vanish. So much so, that I find ways to control it. All of the good in my life has been painted over with my inability to envision this life as it is, nothing more, nothing less.
My teen years resulted in me beating myself up with "what ifs" and I'm ready to start thinking more of "what is". There are many ways I have tried to cope with this urge I have been talking about. Meditating and having a mental break to just check back in with your values and priorities has helped. I do yoga, so any time I can redirect my focus has allowed me to re-connect with things that matter: my family, my friends, my health, my drive, my mood, my gratefulness, all of the above.
It is not an easy feat. I'm with you. You don't have to do yoga to be grateful. You could be in your car during rush hour, finishing a load of laundry, in an Apple store buying a new iPhone you think you "need," anywhere you are gratefulness comes with great power—and responsibility. We are responsible for fostering it into our lives, our interactions, our relationships, our daily urges. What we have is all we got. How do you graze in gratitude? 🐄
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons