Vacation, Foundation, and General Ramblings

Hello, dear readers,

Long time, no type! I'm sorry I've been gone for the past few weeks without any notice. I think I just wanted to enjoy the first few weeks of summer without thinking too much, though I'm still writing for CHAOS Magazine [In the Models: The Girls and Life: Party Time sections]. I was also setting up an editorial internship with an extremely nice girl I met at my brother's graduate school graduation. I'm interning for an independent publishing company, aptly named The Little Things Publishing, LLC, and I'm excited to get my first assignment in a couple of weeks or so.

I've been looking for other writing and editing outlets, because it's something I really love to do. Besides, there's nothing better than writing about things you love or being part of a big project like a book publication. That's the case for me, anyway.

I was in the Twin Cities in Minnesota from June 2 until June 10, and it was a pretty interesting trip. A little mix-up with the hotel turned out to be for the best, as it left my parents and I with a studio apartment. This was absolute heaven for me because I got my own bathroom, and I take longer to get ready than both of my parents combined. It's not even because I have an elaborate beauty routine; I didn't even wear makeup every day, and when I did it was super quick and minimal. I'm just not a morning person, and my skincare takes up time.

Did I mention that I ended up with a handicapped room? It was quite roomy and comfortable. Probably my favorite part of the trip, besides the great time I had on the last day, was seeing Jon McLaughlin in concert. I mentioned this in a previous post, but I was bummed knowing I wouldn't be in town when he came to my area, so I happened to browse his other tour dates. Luckily for me, he happened to be playing in Minneapolis while I was there! It was so fantastic, and my mom had a good time as well. It was at the Varsity Theater, which I just happened to write about in this post [shameless self promotion alert]. Here are some pictures from the event; I tried to pick the ones that were of a decent quality:

The reasons I haven't yet posted an updated foundation routine are:

1) I haven't been wearing makeup very often.
2) The foundation I was using [the palest in the collection] was slightly too dark for me.
3) I wasn't sure if my foundation was breaking me out.

Due to an unfortunate near-death, car-towing experience, my parents and I had to stay in a hotel without any of our belongings. We went to a nearby ShopKo, and my mom insisted on getting me a foundation. I got the Cover Girl CG Aqua Smoothers Makeup in 705 Ivory, and it turned out to be a perfect match! When I wear makeup, I put the product mostly on the center of my face [nose and surrounding area, chin] and blend out. Then I use Almay Smart Shade Concealer in the lightest shade, just under my eyes, and finish with Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent dusted all over my face.

I'm not using Hard Candy Glamoflauge right now, because it really is quite obviously yellowish and makes my eye area look sallow when surrounded by foundation that actually matches. I will be doing an updated skincare routine post as soon as I can.

Is your summer starting out wonderfully? I hope so. Let me know what you're up to.

xEsther

And the Concerts Keep Coming: Jon McLaughlin Hits the Road

Hello, dear readers,

As you may have noticed, this post is about yet another concert. I feel like that's all I've been posting lately, but it's so exciting! I'm going to see Jon McLaughlin in Minneapolis, MN, on June 5th, and I am more than thrilled. It's part of his Promising Promises tour to promote the album of the same name that will be launching around that time. McLaughlin is another of my top three favorite male singers. He plays multiple instruments, all wonderfully, I might add, and his lyrics are deeper than your average Top 40 pop hit. That's not to say he doesn't deserve to be in a "Top ..." list; he really does. You may remember his hits "Beat of My Heart" and "Industry" from a few years back; they were played on several radio stations for a long period of time.

In any case, if you're in Minneapolis, you should check out his concert. Tickets are available here, and if you don't live there, here's his tour schedule. If he's playing near you, and you've never heard him before, check him out on YouTube and see what you think. I'm biased because I have seen him perform, but it was a short set at a free event.

For the record, no one is paying me to mention any concerts. McLaughlin and Eric Hutchinson just happen to be two of my favorites [Jason Mraz is the third, but I'm not thrilled with his new album.]. I'm super enthusiastic about going to concerts, especially because I've hardly been to any, so I want to share with you what I truly believe is fantastic music.

My posts will be beauty related shortly, but I find it fun to write about my interests and the goings-on in my life. I enjoy the fact that it makes me feel closer to my readers, even though I can't see any of you!

So see if you like his music, and definitely get tickets in Minneapolis if you'll be there on June 5th. What if we ran into each other?

I hope you have a lovely weekend!

xEsther