1. Favorite New Album “Heard It In a Past Life” by Maggie Rogers It wouldn’t necessarily be easy to label or classify my music taste, seeing as my “Alternative” (as opposed to “Pop”) taste is too polarizing. That being said, I gravitate towards music with a good beat, melodic background, and strong lyrics. If Maggie Rogers doesn’t encapsulate my exact musical needs, I don’t know who would! Her tunes are catchy and contagious, yet beautiful and hard-hitting. The entire album has a song for every mood, whether it’s “Burning” or “Retrograde” for the energetic workout, or the more soothing vibe of “Say It” and “Back in My Body” for studying. Some other favorites from this masterpiece of an album include “Light On” , “the Knife”, and “Overnight.” However, my all-time favorite song by Maggie will always be “Fallingwater,” which, althought featured on the album, was debuted about six months ago. “Fallingwater,” along with the artist’s other songs, is the type of music that makes you take a deep breath wherever you are and never fails to bring up that feel-good nostalgia.
2. Favorite New Beauty Product Mario Badescu Rosewater Spray
I have combination skin that is highly sensitive to ‘fancy’ beauty products ~ shoutout to the $44 Bobbi Brown Bronzer that automatically made my cheeks explode in acne! Therefore, I have adopted the same ritualistic beauty routine I’ve kept since solving the severe acne I had in middle school. However, even with skin that can get super oily, going to school in a Tundra requires me to have at least one staple product for a quick boost of moisture.
For the occasional pimple spots I get during my menstrual cycle or after a long night, I always use the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion as a lifesaver for emergency blemishes. I figured I may as well try out Mario’s other products, and thus stumbled upon the Rosewater spray. I was blown away to say the least! I used to apply a light moisturizer like Aveeno after a shower or after washing my face, only to have my then-dry skin become oily and shiny within thirty minutes. However with the Mario Badescu Spray, infused with rosewater, aloe, and herbs, my skin has that perfect dewy glow all day without veering towards oily or eventually drying out. It’s also a great pick-me-up for your skin midday if you need a quick spritz between classes, or also works as a setting spray that adds that natural glow back after you apply your setting powder. All in all, this product is probably the most versatile of all my skin care and makeup staples!
3. Favorite New Makeup Product Glossier Boy Brow Let’s get real for a second: we’ve all gone through the drawn-on, frankly terrifying eyebrow phase. I was a junior in high school when the beauty scene became obsessed with that perfectly sculpted brow look, and I was eager to run to Walgreens and spend $15 on a brow pencil that would miraculously transform my over-plucked brows. Needless to say, I had no clue what I was doing and ultimately looked like someone had stamped two black, upside-down Nike symbols on my forehead.
Fast forward six months, and I finally realized that that was not the look. That’s when I found Glossier Boy Brow! It’s a non-sticky, perfectly pigmented, mascara-like brow brush that helps you gently guide eyebrow hair into place while adding subtle color to create the look of natural thickness. Though a hefty $16 for a small tube, Boy Brow is definitely worth it if you’re someone who wants a little extra brow boost without the blockiness, drawn-on look of a brow pencil.
4. Favorite New Beauty Enhancement Rodan and Field’s Lash Boost My eyelashes are naturally long, and have always been my favorite feature. Recently, though, I’d been itching to do something to them, as I’m surrounded by my eyelash extension obsessed friends. However, these extensions weaken the eyelashes, only last for a couple months, require massive maintenance, and cost at least $200 per set! That’s why Rodan and Field’s Lash Boost Enhancement is the perfect supplement to your natural eyelashes: it helps enrich, thicken, and lengthen what you already have without damaging your lashes or feeling heavy. Additionally, the maintenance is little to none. All you have to do is apply the serum onto your upper lash line, like applying liquid eyeliner, every night before bed, and within three weeks your eyelashes will look longer and fuller! Each tube is $150 and lasts three months, but in my experience my eyelashes stayed long and didn’t fall out after I ran out of the Lash Boost and didn’t replace it for a month.
5. Favorite New Food Elizabeth’s Chocolate Sea Salt Probiotic GranolaMy favorite food is almond butter, favorite snack is yogurt, and I almost always can be seen scarfing down blueberries; so, it seems almost natural that I’d need a staple granola to have on hand! Elizabeth’s Granola is by far my favorite brand because of their all natural and minimal ingredients, low sugar, and variability in flavors, but my all time favorite is the Chocolate Sea Salt Probiotic! It tastes like a broken up chocolate sea salt cookie with chunks of dark chocolate mixed in, is vegan, and has healthy probiotics to aid digestion. I love to grab handfuls on my way to class, crumble on yogurt, or even on top of ice cream for a dessert!
6. Favorite New Article of Clothing Free People Peach Faux Fur Coat My wardrobe mainly consists of jeans, basic hoodies, yoga leggings, and graphic T-shirts, so statement jackets are usually my go-to if I need to spice an outfit up! Though Free People can sometimes be pricey, this fur coat long, incredibly fluffy, considerably warm, and is only $150! On days when it’s too warm for a Canada Goose and too cold for a hoodie, this coat dresses up any outfit and keeps you warm. I also love the tone of the peach color~ it’s not too rich that it’s cheesy, but is bright enough that it pairs perfectly with blacks, whites, and patterns!
7. Favorite New Accessory Urban Outfitters Gold Cherry Hoop Earrings I have eight ear piercings: four on my left lobe, and three on my right lobe with a half cartilage. It can get pretty expensive and tedious and change all my earrings all the time, so I tend to have three staple pairs of hoops in my back three piercings, while leaving the first open for fun and varying styles. The pair I bought his break at Urban are bright, fun, versatile, and only $18, and look adorable with a simple graphic tee and jeans, or even with some booties and a black dress! Urban Outfitters can get pricey, but I will say they always kill it with their jewelry.
8. Favorite New Song Closer by POWERS
Being a yoga teacher – specifically for hot vinyasa, which is typically energizing and fast paced – I’m always scouring Spotify for songs that will make me and my students dance in their downward facing dogs! POWERS is an artist I hadn’t explored before, but they showed up in my suggested tracks based on my love for Maggie Rogers, Chelsea Cutler, and Quinn XCll. When I listened to “Closer,” I automatically wanted to go on a long, summertime drive, tan at the beach, and laugh with my friends all at once! It’s upbeat, catchy, and the exact type of pick-me-up for any day of the week.
9. Favorite New Coffee Drink Starbucks Iced Skinny Caramel Macchiato with Almond Milk With a crippling caffeine addiction, I’m all too used to buying four-shot lattes every morning. That being said, I recently grew tired of my routine and, being away from my favorite local cafe- if you haven’t tried Mighty Good Coffee on South U, do it ASAP – and a severely caffeine-deprived me stumbled into a nearby Starbucks. I remember loving caramel macchiatos in middle school, but don’t love drinking dairy milk and was not in the mood for the inevitable sugar headache I would get after. Impulsively, I ordered my childhood treat sugar free, or “skinny,” and with almond milk, hoping the modifications would taste okay. Thankfully, the resulting drink tasted just how I remembered and didn’t leave me feeling sluggish or heavy after! If you’re a starbucks drink or caffeine junkie, I would highly recommend this healthy-ish twist!
10. Favorite Yoga Brand/Product DIY Take Control Tight
Day-to-day I usually wear yoga leggings and a hoodie – obviously because I’d never make the effort to wear “real clothes” to class – as I always go to the studio straight from class. I love Alo Yoga leggings, because they’re cute and soft, but certain styles can feel heavier and give you less room to breathe. They also can be notoriously expensive, and as someone who goes through 7-8 pairs per week, I needed to stock up. DIY is a brand that feels stretchier, lighter, and is cheaper than Alo, while also providing similarly beautiful colors and cute styles! My favorite style, however, is the Take Control Tight: it feels like you aren’t wearing anything and is perfect for working out in too, as it allows for lots of mobility and room. I’m still loyal to some of Alo’s leggings, such as the ever-loved Motto Legging, but love the Take Control Tight by DIY for running to class and kicking ass at a vinyasa class!
Images courtesy of amazon.com, beautybay.com, allure.com, mediumblonde.com, purelyelizabeth.com, freepeople.com, and poshmark.com