the concert | lorde

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a historic show for one of our generation's most gifted voices, the perpetually mind-blowing Lorde.

She performed at the Grand Ole Opry, a world-famous venue as well as one she mentioned loving. She stood on the stage where she imagined the Man in Black performing decades ago and gave an understated but enchanting performance.

I have loved Lorde ever since last June, when one of my good friends introduced me to "Royals," so hearing that she was coming to Nashville was a dream come true. As you can see, I sat way up in the balcony, but it gave me a good vantage point. Everyone at the concert was polite for the most part, and the Grand Ole Opry really is one of the best venues I've attended.

I don't want to give too much away in case you're going to one of the later spots on the tour, but know that if you are going, you're going to have a great time!

Have you gone to any concerts recently?

the face | great scott

Today, I thought I'd try something a little different. Let me know how you like the change in image formatting!

This morning, my dear friend Scott did my makeup. I did my own base—my standard cocktail of Hourglass Veil mineral primer, NARS Pure Radiant tinted moisturizer in Terre Neuve, NARS Radiant Creamy concealer in Chantilly, and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light—with a light dusting of NARS blush in Mistinguette, and Scott contoured my cheekbones with Illamasqua Hollow. Scott has a fondness for bold hues and smokey eyes, so he dipped into the Urban Decay Naked and Naked3 palettes, using the shades Toasted, Creep, Mugshot, Blackheart, and Dust. Even over my favorite NARS Smudge Proof eyeshadow base, you can see that they have creased after roughly seven or eight hours of wear.

The lips, though, are where it gets even more fun: Scott used Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics's famous lip tar in Technopagan—what a name!—with some Butch dabbed in the middle. I haven't yet reapplied the now-discontinued Butch since eating as I wanted to show off Technopagan for the purposes of this post. I understand the appeal of the lip tar formula: it's not too drying, and it stays decently put throughout the day. I did need to reapply after failing to eat nachos neatly, but I actually enjoy the process of reapplying.

Metallic navy is a departure from the norm for me, and I'm loving it! I've received several compliments throughout the day, but, more importantly, I got to spend time with a friend and try something different.

What beauty experiments have you tried with your friends?

the rediscovery | bourjois color boost lip crayon

For those of us who love beauty in the United States, we have it pretty good. Prices here are relatively low, and we have a truly overwhelming variety of products available to us.

There are a few brands, though, that are much harder to find in the States that our friends across the pond can find in every Boots and Superdrug around. Among these covetable brands is Bourjois, one of my favorite drugstore brands that I finally got to play with when I studied abroad last fall. While I was living in the United Kingdom, Bourjois's Color Boost lip crayons took the high street by storm: just about every beauty blogger was featuring them, and nary a negative review was to be found.

I ended up buying one of every shade except Orange Punch throughout my time in England, although I've given away or had to throw away all but one of them: Red Sunrise. A lovely sheer-medium red with pink undertones, it's a no-fuss balmy lipstick in the vein of your typical chubby stick. I have to be careful while eating with it on, but it fades beautifully, and it feels comfortable on the lips. It doesn't last for ten hours on me as the long-faded packaging would claim, but it does last well with only minor touchups needed if I eat or drink a lot of tea.

If you live in the States, these babies will cost you about the same as a lipstick (before shipping, that is), and I think they're worth it. I heartily recommend these if you're interested in a comfortable, balmy lip color that's fairly easy to maintain.

the favorites | august 2014

It's time once again to talk about my favorite products from the past month!

makeup

I decided not to mention favorites from last month as you'd quickly tire of my waxing poetic for the NARS Pure Radiant tinted moisturizer. This month has been a month of rediscoveries and new discoveries: I bought the Bobbi Brown Corrector in Extra Light Bisque last fall, but I didn't get the hang of it until recently. I just dab a bit of this on the inner corners of my eyes—wherever I am bluest—and follow it up with my beloved NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly. 

As far as new products go, I made a bit of a haul a couple of weeks ago to pick up the Kat Von D Tattoo liner and the Hourglass Veil mineral primer. Both of these have turned out to be holy grail products for me: the liner is brilliant to use, and the primer suits my base of choice perfectly. Additionally, I won a giveaway on /r/MakeupAddicts and received a box of goodies, including this exclusive blush from Hello Waffle in But At Least I'll Look Pretty. Although I received it for free, I'd happily pay for this. I'm unfamiliar with loose blush formulas, but this one is soft and gorgeous: imagine MAC Syrup in blush form.

skincare

As summer is starting to wind down—at least in theory here in the South—I'm beginning to get back into my more moisturizing products. The CeraVe Hydrating cleanser has thoroughly impressed me so far with its creamy, non-foaming, and non-irritating formula. I've only had this for about the last couple of weeks, but I am chuffed so far.

tea

Ah, tea: the elixir of life! I drink tea regularly, but since I've moved back on campus, I've been guzzling the stuff. Barry's Tea Gold Blend is my favorite! I've been drinking it since I first picked it up in Dean & DeLuca three-and-a-half years ago. It brews beautifully with milk: it's robust but never bitter. It's becoming easier and easier to acquire, too, at least in the States, so snap some up the next time you see it.

What have your favorites been this month?