Hey there, my most patient of readers! I am back with a general life update and a favorites post, because it seemed like a good way to ease my way back into regular blogging.

Life Update #1: I got a job! Yay! I actually sort of have some money to support my makeup habit! This is also, incidentally, why I have not been posting as much. I'm working in retail and I'm so exhausted by the time I get home, I fall asleep while watching six-minute Youtube videos. 

Life Update #2: I've also decided that I'm going back to school; or at least, I'm applying for more acting training, with a focus in musical theatre. I've got my first audition for that in October (at the American Musical & Dramatic Academy), so wish me luck! 

I'm also thinking about applying for programs in the UK. I'm most seriously looking at LAMDA, and possibly Guildhall, but if anyone has any suggestions of places to look at, with programs no longer than two years, let me know.

And now, before this post gets too long and chatty, here are my July/August favorites!

Beauty

Face: e.l.f. Translucent Matifying Powder, e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set, L'Oréal Paris True Match Concealer in shade 2 (Vanilla), Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso, and Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Luminizer in Star Dust

e.l.f. is honestly one of the best cheap, drugstore brands out there (I also have two of their lip crayons and one of their eyeshadow pots), but I think I like their face stuff best. I have combination skin that gets pretty oily in the t-zone throughout the day, and the matifying powder and setting spray have been doing a really good job of keeping my makeup on.

Everybody loves the True Match concealer, and for good reason. Super blendable, a decent range of colors, just an all-around great concealer, especially for someone who has pretty darn chronic dark circles/bags under their eyes (... me, obviously). 

I feel like Luminoso is also a favorite amongst the beauty blogosphere. It's a very natural, peachy color, and because it's baked, is very glowy. It really gives the skin a sun-kissed look, and I feel like it would look good on most skin tones.

The Sephora brand makeup is also really nice, and I absolutely love this highlight. It's a more pearlescent tone, which I really love, and it's fairly pigmented for a highlight, so you only need a little bit to really light up your cheekbones.

Eyes: L'Oréal Paris 24 Hr. Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush and Golden Sage, and L'Oréal Paris Telescopic Mascara in Original Black


Clearly I just love L'Oréal, am I right? Their product is overall really great though, and I especially love the eyeshadow. They're basically pressed pigments and the color you get from them is unreal. I find they go on best with just a fingertip, but you can blend out really easily with crease colors as well.

The mascara is the most lengthening mascara I've ever used. I think it's because it's got this neat, tiny brush that really grabs the lash. I think the only slight downside is that it takes a little longer to dry than I'd like.

Lips: Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose Kiss, Revlon Colorbust Lip Butters in Candy Apple and Berry Smoothie, Maybelline Color Elixir in Captivating Carnation, L'Oréal Paris Le Matte Lip Pen in She's So Matte, Milani Amore Matte Lip Crème in Embrace, MAC Lipstick in Midi Mauve (lustre finish), and Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Pink Souffle (06)


(This is unsurprisingly the largest category.)

The first one is a regular lip butter, so there's not much to say except that it's super moisturizing and smells amazing.

The Revlon Lip Butters are amazing and I think it's gonna be one of those gotta-catch-'em-all things for me. They're ridiculously moisturizing and I really like the sheer finish they have, which is new for me (usually I like a more satin or velvet matte finish). The Candy Apple is a nice bright red tint, and the Berry Smoothie is a good drugstore 'your lips but better' shade.

The Color Elixirs are also really beautiful and will also probably be a gotta-catch-'em-all situation. This particular one a is a pretty neutral pink gloss (the your-lips-but-better is definitely a trend I've been keeping up with) that has a nice sheen to it. My favorite thing about this is probably the scent, though. It smells like honeysuckle!

I want to get more of the Le Matte Lip Pens as well, because the finish of it is my perfect matte. Ultra matte lips are not my favorite, but these have a velvet matte finish. It has the matte look without being too drying or making your lips look chapped. This one has a pretty peach tone, and I've been wearing it very frequently these last couple of weeks.

These Milani Amore Matte Lip Cremes are a new launch, and I really love the formulation. This one does dry to a true matte, but it doesn't dry out your lips at all (it does stain them a teeny tiny bit though). You have to let it dry after you apply it, as it is sticky for a minute, but once dried it's beautiful. The one I have is a gorgeous purple-y berry color, which I was looking for for the fall, and I'm glad I got this one.

The Sephora Lip Creams are also really great and I love the one that I have. It's a mauve-y pink color that airs on the neutral side, but is just a hint too purple to be considered a 'nude.' (More on why I hate that word at 12! - for future reference, I'll probably refer to 'nude' colors as 'natural' on my blog and vlog from here on out.)

Last but not least is the MAC lipstick. This is actually my first MAC lipstick, even though my first makeup item I ever bought (an eyeshadow) was from MAC. This was definitely a good choice - it's the perfect brown-toned natural lip color for me, and the lustre finish is a nice happy medium between sheer and satin. The ultimate your-lips-but-better!

Books/TV

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs: In an effort to not make this post much longer, I'll just say that I need to get the sequel stat. It was a really enjoyable read, and if you like fantasy and mystery I highly recommend it.

The Harry Potter series, by JK Rowling: I've been rereading them and I'm currently on the sixth book. If I had to pick a favorite it might be the third, but this time around I really loved the fifth. An oldie, but a goodie, and I'm still noticing new things, even twelve rereads later.

Grace and Frankie: A new show on Netflix starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Sam Waterston, and Martin Sheen, about two forty-year marriages ending when the husbands reveal they want divorces so they can marry each other. It's really funny and really touching, with a lot of heart. 

Food

Himalania Dark Chocolate Goji Berries: A really good snack if you love chocolate but want to stay 'healthy.' Really sweet on the outside with a tart inside (the berries). You can get them at Whole Foods.

Not a specific brand, but I've been doing vanilla yogurt with granola and fruit (usually strawberries) for breakfast recently, and it's been delicious.

***

So I'm aware this was quite long. I hope you got through it without being bored to tears. Up next on this blog is actually excerpts from a memoir I wrote as part of the completion of my English major. It'll probably be a one-part-a-week kind of posting schedule, with other stuff to break up the monotony. I can't wait to share them with you!

Much love,
Rachel Shoshanna