Lately I've Been Loving...

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• Journaling. I've been the proud owner of about three diaries since I was around nine years old, and I haven't even filled up the first one yet. Recently, I've been going through some emotional and personal issues, and I find that writing it down in a diary, or even just writing random happenings in my life, really helps to relieve some of that tension. My goal is to finish my first diary at some point during college!

• Fishtail braids! I finally mastered the fishtail braid, albeit a messy one. My hair is not quite long enough for all the hair to actually stay in the braid, so what I've been doing is going to bed with two fishtail braids to give my second day hair nice waves. I find it looks so much nicer than when I wake up after putting in regular braids, because the waves come out looking more natural. I look forward to the day when my hair is long enough to go out with a nice fishtail braid.

• "I Need a Dollar" by Aloe Blacc. This song is apparently not new at all; in fact, it may be from 2009. I came across this when one of my recommended YouTube videos was a recent cover of this song. This video was made this year, however, and I can't quite figure out why. I never knew about Aloe Blacc until I heard this, and I love his voice and the style of the song. 

• Jon McLaughlin's new album, Forever if Ever. In my last Lately I've Been Loving... post, I put the link to my current favorite song off his album, "Summer is Over." Another that I've really been enjoying is "What I Want," which you can listen to here, if you like.

• Listening to music in general, including many of the songs by the artists that I've loved since the end of my high school years. Examples, besides McLaughlin, are Jason Mraz, Juanes, Luis Fonsi, the late Gregory Lemarchal, Sara Bareilles, and Eric Hutchinson.

• Milani nail polish in Bijou Bronze, particularly over black polish. I just painted two coats of this over one coat of Wet n Wild's Black Creme. Using a black base actually makes the bronze show truer to color and emphasizes how metallic it is. I love it. I have a feeling this combination may be one of my fall favorites, if not my favorite of all.

• My daily makeup routine, which has remained the same except for one new product. I'm trying out the NYC Smooth Skin Loose Powder in Translucent for the time being, just to change things up a bit. I actually like this better than the other powder because it does not get cakey and it gives more of an even finish and a tiny bit of coverage. I definitely need that at the moment since my lack of sleep astounds even me. I don't know how I'm still functioning properly considering how little I get. And while I do get a ton of homework, my sleep deprivation has to do largely with the fact that I save everything until the last minute and have an 8 am. class. So my makeup seriously brings me back from the dead. It's not Halloween just yet! No need to scare everyone so soon.

• Friends and family are always on this list, if I can recall correctly. I'm sort of discovering who I consider a true friend this year based on what friendships should be. I need friends that care just as much about me as I do about them, and I am not getting that from all of my friendships. My family is always extremely supportive and they're trying so hard at the moment to make me happier. If the blogging slows a bit, it will probably be because I'm not in exactly the best place in my head, if that makes sense.

• Singing. In my room. Along with my iTunes or YouTube. I love coming up with or learning the harmonies to songs because it's something I'm pretty good at. I'll probably be rejoining choir next semester, because this is the first time I haven't sung in any kind of choir since...preschool? And I know I am far from the best singer in the world, so I'm not bragging in the least. It's just that singing in a choir is like walking and talking to me by this point, so it's strange not being in one.

Let me know what you've been loving lately!

Happy almost Friday!

xEsther