September Favorites

Hooray! This one is actually on time! After last month's super favorites, I figured that this time I'd actually take care of my blog post on time and get my favorites for September up at....the end of September. But how is it already the end of September?! WHERE did the month go? I feel like it was just Labor Day and yet, here I am with my calendar all set for October. 2014 may have been the fastest year of my life.

The first items on my favorites were purchased in the last week but I love them so much, they're  making the cut for this month's favorites anyway. They're all skincare products from Lush.

-Mask of Magnaminty. My skin has never been happier than after using this. I initially went into Sephora last week to pick up another product but after having yet another Sephora employee not help me and instead refer me to a computer to read reviews from their website, I left and headed to Lush where the lovely girls in there suggested Mask of Mag to me. I used that along with the sample of the next product and the next morning, everything on my face had shrank significantly.

-Coal Face Soap. This stuff. This stuff. It's magic. Combined with Mask of Mag, I swear it can cure all that is wrong with the world. Ok, maybe not all that is wrong, but if it's wrong with your face, this will clear it right up. It isn't much to look at, but my skin loves charcoal, which I've mentioned before and as a result, this has been a great week for my face.

-OPI Steady As She Rose Nail Polish. My go-to nail polish color for my almost never manicured nails is a pale, baby pink shade. Except when I busted out my nail polish stash at the end of August thinking I'd like to paint my nails, my cheap little Sally Hansen bottle was gloppy and gross, meaning I needed a new bottle. I'd had my eye on this color when the collection came out in 2011 and  since I needed a new light pink, I ordered it on Amazon. It almost looks like a nude color because of the grey tint in it which I personally think makes it even more wearable. It's been on both sets of nails this month and have enjoyed the neutral polish it gives to my nails.

-Dolce and Gabbana Escape to Panarea Perfume. I blogged about this when I purchased it for myself early in the month but I've worn it literally every day since. The best part about it is that I can't smell it on myself. I mean, I can if I literally sniff myself but unlike my favorite DKNY perfume, I can't constantly smell it all day. To me it doesn't smell so much like perfume as just a person who smells really good, naturally and I love that.

-MAC blush in Harmony. This is an oldie but a goodie for me. I bought it about 3 years ago when I was going through a phase where every blush I owned was "too pink" on me. Enter Harmony which looks scary dark in the pan but on looks like a gorgeous natural flush on the skin. Once it gets to be autumn, I typically switch from peachy and pink toned blushes to more natural shades and this is my go-to right now.

-Clinique Longwear Lipstick in Creamy Nude.  After an entire summer of Kylie Jenner's lips being a trending topic on just about every social media, I decided I needed a new, matte-ish lip color to wear for Fall and after many trial and error experiences at the Clinique counter, I landed on Creamy Nude. It's a pinky brown shade that gives me a my lips but better look and it lasts for a long, long time.

-Bath and Body Works Triple Moisture Cream in Comfort. One of my coworkers wears this all the time and I kept smelling it at work and finally had to find out what it was. Supposedly it is supposed to smell like a pumpkin latte with marshmallows but to me, it smells like a better, more autumnal version of Pink Sugar. I bought one bottle and then had a coupon for 20% off and did the buy 2 get 1 free just so I could have more. I'm obsessed!

-Apple Donuts. I started September at Apple Hill. I kept bringing it up and bugging my family so my parents and I went on Labor day, specifically for apple donuts from High Hill Ranch. Clearly we got a dozen of them! The crumb was my favorite, but the glazed and cinnamon sugar were really good too. Unfortunately, with the King Fire going on, I haven't been able to go back up, but the plan is to go back up next month just for more donuts ;)

-Celestial Seasonings Pumpkin Harvest Tea. I discovered this tea last year when I snagged it on a whim at the grocery store and immediately loved it. It's pumpkin-y without being overly so and the spices make it a truly unique tea. I typically make myself a mug every morning with my cereal.

-Tazo Vanilla Caramel Chai Tea. Another tea picked up on a whim, I bought a box the last time I was at Target with my mom shopping with our 5% off coupon and I'm OBSESSED! To me, it doesn't really taste like vanilla caramel, it tastes more like maple...but I really don't mind that at all. My only problem is that I've been making lattes with it using Trader Joe's brand coconut milk but I don't want to have a half gallon of coconut milk in the fridge for just lattes. That's silly. The tea on its own is ok. But the latte is amazing.

-Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. I've loved this show for a while, but the second season finally premiered at the end of August and I've been watching it all month long. I tell you, this show is better than the stupid Kardashians any day of the week. I think that I love it because in spite of the ridiculousness of their lifestyles and spending habits, there are moments on the show where they're really just human, especially Morgan Stewart, who I just love. I'm bummed that the seasons are just so short.

-SacconeJoly Vlogs. I have a confession to make. This month I've discovered the Saccone Jolys on YouTube and have quickly fallen in love with their family, especially their two year old littler girl, Emilia. They post new vlogs every day at 6pm their time, which means 10am my time and I've had a blast starting my mornings with baby antics. They're just such a sweet family and the kids are stinkin' cute too!

Let's Geek Out: Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus

As a lifetime lover of books and all things magical, I decided that I'd like to start talking about my favorite series of books and also television every now and again and I thought that I would start with Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series for my first Let's Geek Out post. 

For those who aren't familiar with Percy Jackson, or maybe saw the awful movies they made that don't measure up at all to the books, I'll give a little bit of background. To me, it is almost similar to Harry Potter in that it is about a seemingly ordinary young man with extraordinary origins who is faced with challenges that we mere mortals could not even dream of. Except that Rick Riordan did. Percy Jackson and his friends are demigods, or the offspring of both god and mortal parents. In the books, they face a series of challenges that echo classic Greek myth and deal with them in new and interesting ways. I don't want to give too much away in case anyone out there does want to read them but that's the gist of it. 

Considering that I, yet again, preordered Rick Riordan's next book on Amazon the other day, I felt it only fair that I should probably write a bit about his book series since I think it is also safe to say that it is one of my favorites. 

I initially picked up the Percy Jackson series of books in 2010 when my family was headed to Florida to go to DisneyWorld. I'm a travel reader and wanted to make sure that I would have enough material to encompass all the downtime we had on the planes and outside of the parks which meant boxed set. I started and finished all of the first three books in the series and immediately checked out the rest from the library when I got home. 

Being a longtime mythology nerd (especially Greek mythology), reading and listening to the stories was doubly fun because I knew which myths they were mentioning and recognized the parallels between the story arch I was reading and the one that originated thousands of years ago. While it's a series for young adults, it is definitely a great series of books and an interesting way to brush up or learn about mythology as you go. 

The feelings of sadness I experienced after I finished the books was intense. Only to find out that he had released a whole new series of books that now incorporated Roman myth as well as the Greek called the Heroes of Olympus. I learned about this while I was still working at the college bookstore and luckily was able to read the first two books for free during my work hours at the desk (this is also how I read the Hunger Games series and Divergent). Since quitting that job over two years ago, I've had to start paying for my literature and I don't mind at all. 

It bothers me immensely that these are out of order. Son of Neptune is the second book, then The Mark of Athena. 

I've preordered and devoured the last three, now four, books that have been released in the series on my Kindle and I can't wait till October 7th to read the next one! 

I have a feeling that The Blood of Olympus will be the last book in the series and that bums me out a bit but I think that it should be a really exciting read nonetheless. 

Products Actually Worth Buying

Happy Friday, guys! I've been off for the last two days so I've been able to get a little bit done on the blog so we don't have quite as many scheduling snafus as we have the last couple of weeks. Anyway, since it's Friday and we've talked about products and treating yourself this week, I thought this post was incredibly appropriate.

As a 22 year old woman, I've bought my fair share of beauty products. I mean, we all do it. A new product comes out, promising to make you look like Blake Lively or Gisele but better and we run out and buy it immediately. And most of the time, they turn out to be complete and utter crap. Most of the time, I end up with like 5 of the same type of product just stockpiled in my bathroom trying to use them up or give them away. Lately, I've been working on finishing the stuff that I already have so I haven't been buying a lot of new products. But when I do, they're typically not so much new as products that I've bought before and continue to buy because they're the best. There aren't that many since I've yet to find a perfect product in every category but these are the ones I've found so far.

Haircare

OGX Coconut Milk Shampoo: I've talked about this stuff before in a favorites post and possibly even a haircare one as well but it is that good. Almost 2 years ago, a girl I was friends with told me that her mom was capable enough to color my hair for me. I ended up with patchy black hair that I had to have double processed to fix and a scalp so dry disturbed from chemical burns that it was flaking and dandruffy for almost a year afterward. It was October of last year that I decided to give this stuff a shot. I'd seen it around and my stylist at the time told me that coconut oil might help with the massive amounts of flaking I still  had going on after my horrific dye job. So I snagged it at Target on sale and a month later, the flaking was almost gone. In fact, it's been gone for months but I still use this shampoo because it smells amazing and it keeps my hair soft and my scalp hydrated. Three bottles later and I just bought the economy size because I need it in my life.

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle: For $3, this product can't be beat. This is my go to conditioner during the cold months because of how thick and moisturizing it is on my thick, coarse hair, and now that there are a bunch of new versions of it on the market, I will definitely be trying a few out.

Clear Scalp and Hair Intense Hydration Nourishing Mask: I picked this up after getting home from Punta Cana in April. Between the travel and the climate there, my hair freaked out and I had to wash it just about every day to combat the mess and frizz it turned into. By the time we got home, my hair wasn't sure what to do with itself. It was dry and my scalp was not happy with me so on a whim, I grabbed this mask because it was meant to be massaged into the scalp. It worked so well that I've repurchased it twice and I use it as my regular conditioner.

Garnier Hydrarecharge 1 Minute Moistureplenish Treatment: This is my go-to deep conditioner in the summer months. It's light, quick and easy and it smells like apple. It works perfectly in the hot months when I don't need quite as much moisture in my hair but want to give it a pick me up. 

Bodycare

Secret Outlast Deodorant in Completely Clean: This has been my go-to deodorant for years. It truly does last all day long. I've just recently switched over to a new scent from the same line for a change, but when it's gone, I'll certainly be going back to the old standby.

Nair Brazilian Clay Shower Power Hair Removal Cream: I've talked about this before and I can't stress how good it is for lazy girls like me who don't want to shave their legs ever. You just pop it on before you get in the shower and you can either use it like I do and shave it off, or you can use the nifty sponge that Nair provides you with. I personally use a razor just because it gets every single hair.

Beauty

Skin79 Gold Label BB Cream: This is one of the real deal BB creams from Asia. I started using it a few years ago when Allison Anderson, or Amarixe as she's known on YouTube, demonstrated it in one of her videos. We're the same shade in a lot of foundations so I thought I would give it a shot and have loved it ever since. It's super quick to apply (I use my Real Techniques sponge) and I don't even need to set it with a powder. I just sponge it on and get the rest of my makeup on. Right now I'm slightly too dark for it but by the end of the month, I'll be able to use it again no problem. I already ordered a new bottle for a backup for the winter months since it's all I use. 

Covergirl Lashblast Length Mascara: I'm not super picky about mascara since I have fairly good natural lashes, but when I find one that makes my lashes look as good as this stuff does, I stick to it. Most people don't like it but if you have long, curly lashes already, it gives perfect definition and adds a little bit of length as well. I love that it defines my eyes without making them look spidery. 

Sometimes You Gotta Treat Yo'self!

No, it isn't Tuesday and in fact, I'm late for posting this too (sorry guys, two overnight shifts at work have killed me), but I made a purchase for myself yesterday that was far from necessary but definitely helped to lift my spirits.

Not to go into it too deeply, since I've alluded to it on the blog before, but I've been in a major rut lately. Nothing that I'm doing has felt...right really and I've just been kind of waiting for things to change, rather than actually standing up and doing something about it. In spite of the rather silly nature, I think that this little treat for myself definitely is a step in that direction. 

To preface the story of the perfume, I want to say that I've been looking for a "fall" perfume lately. Everything I have is just not right. My go-to gal is DKNY's Be Delicious Fresh Blossom, and while I love her dearly, she smells like being punched in the face with springtime...which I love....in spring and summer. But the things I have had on the docket for fall in the last few years just smell wrong to me. Too college, too stripper-y, too light. Something is just wrong with all of them. So I've been keeping my eyes peeled for the perfect fall scent for me. Ironically enough, I ended up buying a limited edition fragrance released for the spring/summer. 

See, I saw this limited edition D&G perfume earlier this year and based upon the artwork on the box alone, I just knew I would love it. See, I have a picture of Greece in my bedroom that I magically found at Good Will last year when I was living in my apartment. The photo on the box reminded me of that picture and I fell in love. I knew I had to have this perfume...only to smell it on a Sephora test strip and not be impressed. That was it, I gave up. At least until I sprayed it on myself on Tuesday night before my shift and even after showering (it was 5 am. I just wanted to get my makeup off and the stench of Abercrombie adjacent mall real estate out of my hair) I could smell it on my wrists the next day and was in love. As a result, I picked it up last night on my way into work. To me it smells like vacation and adventure which is just what I could use right about now. I can smell it as I type now and get happy every time I get a whiff. 

If you're wondering, here is the description of the perfume from Sephora's website: 

Floating in the crystal Mediterranean waters above Sicily, the tiny island of Panarea imbues all who visit with a joyous and carefree spirit. Enticing and penetrating, Escape to Panarea reveals a sweet yet fresh soul with scents from the woody-musky olfactive family. 

The fragrance opens with a burst of Calabrian bergamot and pear, a contrast that blooms alongside the nocturnal jasmine and orange blossoms that define the heart notes. Base notes root the fragrance with an accord of ambergris, patchouli, tonka beans, and warm musky accords. 

Notes: 

Calabrian Bergamot, Pear, Nocturnal Jasmine, Orange Blossoms, Ambergris, Patchouli, Tonka Beans, Musky notes. 

I get a lot of the jasmine upfront and then definitely the pear and tonka bean for the rest of the dry down. But it's amazing!