Well, Look Who's Back! (and Lately I've Been Loving...)

Well, hello, dear readers,


I have been gone for nearly a month, and I really miss blogging! I could give you several legitimate excuses, but I've pulled disappearing acts so often that I don't feel it's necessary. One thing that I have been doing in the meantime is writing for CHAOS Magazine. I've mentioned this in the past, and I'm just bringing it up because it has changed websites. CHAOS moved from Blogger to Wordpress, so all of my posts are on there, if you're interested in reading. Like I've mentioned before, I totally understand if you don't have the patience to look for my posts specifically, because you can't just click on my name and read the posts. If you go to the Beauty category under Skincare or Makeup, you can scroll through and find most of my mini articles. 


Enough shameless self-promotion and CHAOS promotion. I owe you all a blog post, so I am bringing you another edition of "Lately I've Been Loving...":

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• Pottermore. Who else was thrilled when this site finally opened to everyone? I've gone through all the levels in the first book, which is the only book available, but I haven't read all the content yet. I was so eager to be sorted, that I ended up leaving quite a bit of reading for myself. I got into Ravenclaw, by the way, as did my brother. Have any of you joined? If so, what house are you in?

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•  LEGO® Harry Potter™Years 5-7. Yes, I am a Harry Potter nerd and extremely proud of it. There's no doubt about it. It's so fun wandering around "Harry's Wondrous World," and, yes, that is a reference to one of the two themes composed by John Williams. Exploring the castle and going through all the challenges that Harry Potter faced is just too much fun. It's based on the movies, not the books. I've played Years 1-4 with my brother when it came out, and I've also done LEGO® Pirates of the Caribbean™, also an enjoyable experience.

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• Marie Claire magazine.  I am aware that I have far too many magazine subscriptions [three that I pay for; Marie Claire was a present from my sister; and I get two more for free through some magazine website- that's not to mention the fact that I read my mom's magazines and borrow from my friend!] . However, I do like that this one is not only full of fashion and beauty, as per usual, but contains news stories and relevant content. It makes it more interesting and less shallow than, say, Allure, to which I also subscribe.

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• Clinique Perfectly Real Makeup in shade 01. This is my very first foundation! I actually prefer using my fingers to apply it, though a foundation brush works nicely as well. It's nice and light, with sheer but adequate coverage. A funny backstory: The lovely lady at the Bloomingdales's counter suggested Acne Solutions foundation, but the lightest shade was too dark! This one is a much better match, and I only use it where I need it. I may do a review of it if I feel this isn't a good enough description.

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• Revlon lipsticks. I believe these were present in my last "Lately I've Been Loving..." post. I've rediscovered my love for Super Lustrous lipstick in Gentlemen Prefer Pink, a very light, blue based pink. It's a bit of a cross between a Barbie pink and a bubblegum shade. I use it most when I'm wearing pastel or grey tops, because I can look washed out otherwise. I also still love Super Lustrous lipstick in Demure, a warmer version of my lip color. The two lipsticks together make a really perfect neutral pink, everyday sort of color. I also love the same type of lipstick in Love That Pink, a bright reddish pink. It's quite a bold hue, and it almost shows up more red than pink on me. I like that I can tone it down by applying it with my finger and amp it up by using it straight from the tube.

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• Reading. It's recently been a bit sporadic, but I do enjoy reading for pleasure and often don't have time for it. At the moment I'm concentrating on Harry Potter y el misterio del príncipe, which I've been taking out of the library since last November or December. The problem isn't that I'm a slow reader; it's that I don't crack open the book often enough. I'm also reading Straight Talking, by none other than Jane Green. It's a great book for the most part, but I got annoyed when the main character did something stupid. I know it's going to end the way I expected, but I just had to put it down when I got to that part. I'm not going to spoil it.

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• Yoga. I tried it for the first time last week, and I've only done it three times total. Obviously, I'm the furthest from an expert as you can be, apart from someone who's never tried it. I love it because it's challenging and relaxing at the same time. You get to focus on breathing [which is a great ab workout! Who knew?] while holding poses that challenge your muscles. It's great! I almost feel as if it's a better workout for building muscle than Pilates. I still love them both.

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• Walking. I walk to and from school most days, and it's a wonderful way to get a workout in a practical manner. No basements involved. I managed to somehow injure my hip a couple of weeks ago, rendering me unable to do most exercises since it affected the rest of my leg as well. Walking has been the only form of exercise that I've been able to do until just about now.

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• Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Smoothing Serum. Yes, I still have the generic version. I wanted to finish this one up first, but it's the exact same product. It works wonders on my hair when I can tell it's drying into a horrible mess, or it already has dried into a frizzy mass. It's basically a lifesaver. 

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• Eric Hutchinson's new album, "Moving Up Living Down." I haven't bought it yet, but I've heard most of the songs. He writes brilliant lyrics, and his style is a mix of several genres of music, including jazz, folk rock, and pop. Just search his name on YouTube and fall in love. I'm going to his concert with my friend and fellow super fan on Monday. I'm so excited!

I realize these are mostly non-beauty favorites, but I think that's often the case. As always, I appreciate family and friends. I didn't include them in the list, because they're a constant "favorite," and I would have to continue to add them to all of these types of posts.

Let me know what you've been up to lately and what you've been loving.

It's nearly Friday, so I think it's all right for me to say, "Happy Friday!"

xEsther