I seem to have fallen off the bandwagon with these favorites posts for a few months so this one is going to be kind of a catch all of everything I've been loving from the past few months. I've got quite a bit to get through in this post so I'll try to keep things short and sweet - some of this stuff is just too good not to share!
James Bay "The Chaos and The Calm"
James Bay is a new-to-me artist that my roommate and I discovered back in April through listening to a random playlist on Spotify while making dinner. To put it simply, I became obsessed with his album very very very quickly. Come to think of it, I don't think I had binge listened an album this bad since Taylor Swift's 1989 came out.
Favorite Songs: Let it go, Incomplete, When We Were On Fire
For Fans Of: Hoizer, Vance Joy, Ed Sheeran
Marina & The Diamonds "Froot"
I had been awaiting the release of this album for SO LONG. I started listening to Marina my freshman year of college right around the time "How To Be a Heartbreaker" was becoming really popular. I loved her music because it was poppy and fun and made me feel great. "Froot" has a significantly different feel than "Electra Heart" did (much less bubblegum) but I love this album all the same. The lyrics have more depth, all of the songs still have a great beat, and it's just as fun to listen to as any of her previous music.
Favorite Songs: Blue, I'm A Ruin
For Fans Of: Florence + The Machine, Ellie Goulding
Sylvan Esso "Sylvan Esso"
I find trying to describe this album really difficult because it's really different from a lot of the stuff I usually listen to. Listening to it just feels good, maybe that's why it was all I listened to during finals. Just give it a listen, if nothing else it'll make you want to dance.
Favorite Songs: Wolf, Dress, Coffee
Similar To: Purity Ring, FKA Twigs
Angus & Julia Stone "Angus & Julia Stone"
I've been a big fan of Angus & Julia Stone since the days of "Big Jet Plane" but for some reason I never really got into their newest album when it first came out about a year ago. When I got home from school this summer I was in a bit of a music lull and was looking for something new to listen to when I remembered about this album and gave it another chance. I was hooked right away. To me, this is really the perfect summer album because it just kind of floats over you like a nice warm evening breeze. It's perfect.
Favorite Songs: Grizzly Bear, Wherever You Are
For Fans Of: Radical Face, The Paper Kites
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
I don't even know how to begin with this book. I picked it up on a whim when browsing the "Staff Picks" at the local bookstore before heading out on my road trip west because I was in need of a new book. On the back there was some review that compared it to one of my favorite books, Everything Is Illuminated, so I took that as a good sign. The story takes place in war torn Chechnya between the early 90's and the early 00's and I'll be the first to warn you that much of the story is very grim and provides very few instances of hope or joy. But the story is gripping from the beginning, characters are complex and complicated and the ways that their lives entwine emphasizes the power of resilience, family, and loyalty. When I read the last page and closed the book I felt so full and overwhelmed with love. The language is so beautiful and the imagery is so rich that I wanted to linger over each sentence and milk them for all of their worth. In summary, this book is the best thing I have ever read, I cannot recommend it enough. There hasn't been a day since I put it down that I haven't thought about it.
For Fans Of: Everything is Illuminated, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Clinique Acne Solutions BB Cream
Find it here
Recently, I fell out of love with my trusty old Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Powder Foundation. Come spring time I realized it just wasn't performing the way I needed it to anymore. It was clinging to my concealer in a weird way that made me look really cakey in some places and like I had nothing on my face in others and I just felt like I had so much powder on my face all of the time. When I watched this review of the new Clinique BB Cream I knew I would love this product, and I do. I've got really oily skin so tinted moisturizer type products don't really hold up on my face, especially in the summer. The formula of this product is so unique though - it's really watery, and you have to shake it up before you use it, so it's very lightweight but it had really great coverage and lasts really well all day long. I apply it with my fingers and it just blends seamlessly into my skin and covers so well that most days I don't even need to put any extra concealer on my blemishes. I do still set it with a very light dusting of powder, but even with that my face looks much more natural throughout the day than when I was wearing a powder foundation. I highly highly recommend this product for those with oily skin who want long lasting coverage that doesn't feel or look heavy.
Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Mandarin Muse
Find it here
I had heard a lot of hype about these lip stain/liquid lipsticks from different beauty blogs that I regularly read and had been in the market for an orangey/red lip color for the summer so when I wandered into Sephora a few weeks ago picking this product up was a no brainer. My thoughts on this super hyped up product? It's great, it's so great! At only $13 the price point is very reasonable, the color is super vibrant, it lasts incredibly long (although it do have to touch it up after I eat), and for being a matte liquid lipstick it's quite comfortable on the lips. I'm so glad I picked this up because I've been wearing it non-stop all summer, and plan on continuing to. Next, I think I'll have to pick up the classic red shade and maybe something a bit more pink.
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
Find it here
I finally ran out of my Make-Up Forever Waterproof Full Coverage Concealer (seriously, one tube lasted me a year) and had heard a lot of good things about this NARS concealer so I thought I'd give it a try when it came time to take a trip to Sephora. I really like this product. It is very very creamy but also lasts really well throughout the day. I mainly use it on blemishes but have tried it under my eyes and it works just as well. They also have a very wide range of color to choose from (I was the fairest, obviously) which I think is a huge plus. Definitely, definitely recommend - I feel like this is something that would work for everyone.
Mad Men
After years and years of hearing people talk about how great Mad Men is and how much I would like it I finally started watching the show when I came home after school ended. And I love it, just like everyone said I would. I won't talk too much about the show because I don't want to spoil anything (and because I'm only on season 5) but I am totally hooked. I love/hate the characters (Peggy and Joan are my favorites, Pete is my absolute least favorite), the costumes are amazing, and I just really enjoy the story in each episode. I know I'm going to be very sad when I finally finish the whole series!
Yoga with Adriene
Since I've started working my office-oriented internship I spend the majority of my days behind a desk hunched over my computer so by the time I leave work in the afternoon I feel stiff and in the need of some movement. In an effort to both get some exercise in every day and get back into taking time for myself every day I've been really enjoying Yoga with Adriene's 30 Day's of Yoga on Youtube. Each video is different and I've enjoyed doing every single one so far. I really love yoga and I was really into it my first two years of college but fell out of my routine the in the last year. Doing these videos regularly has just reminded me of how good doing yoga is for my stress levels (I'm am a very unnecessarily stressed out person a lot of the time). Taking the 15-30 minutes out of my day to breathe and stretch and work my muscles and focus on something other than what is making me upset or stressed is such a nice outlet to have available.
Watch the videos here
And we made it! Thanks for sticking around the reading the whole post - an outfit post will be coming up next.
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