The Top Ten Award

Thank you Alexis of Dolly Rocker Girl for awarding me the Top Ten Award! I am always so honored and surprised when another blogger acknowledges my existence in any way, let alone with an award! What this means is that I can list my top ten cosmetic products that I use and love-- and would recommend to my readers! 

Now, I should explain a few things before unleashing this list. I don't wear a ton of make-up and I'm pretty minimalist about it. I don't own a lot of products. So what I use, I use because it WORKS for me, consistently! So that might be a comforting thought if you consider trying one of these things out. And as you can see, only about five are actual "cosmetics." Well, that's because, as I mentioned, I don't own a lot of make-up. But I spend as much, if not more money, on hair products as well as other things. Also, I am a college student and live on a TIGHT budget. So 90% of these products are drug store ready! But enough of me, go ahead and see for yourself!

GQ is SPD's Magazine of the Year & Esquire UK's Redesign

There are two new occurrences happening right now in the men's magazine world. Of course I am very intrigued by it all, since I love men's fashion and publications. And they are correlated with each other in an interesting way... Firstly, GQ recently won SPD's Magazine of the Year award. Across the pond, Esquire UK has gone through an overhaul- complete with a new look, new size and new Editor-In-Chief. 

KEANE- 5 years of "Under the Iron Sea"

I've decided to branch off a bit from fashion and design today and talk about another huge obsession of mine. Today is the 5th anniversary of one of my favorite records by my number one favorite band. It's called "Under the Iron Sea" by the British band, Keane. For those who aren't super-obsessed with them like I am, you most likely know their very popular hits: Somewhere Only We Know, This is the Last Time or Everybody's Changing. (At lease those were the big hits here in America.) From this album, perhaps you've heard of Is It Any Wonder? or Crystal Ball.

Regardless, if you haven't ever heard of Keane, please check them out. You're life will change. And "Under the Iron Sea" is so incredibly brilliant. It's so beautiful, emotional, energy-charged, incredibly catchy, and so easy to sing along to. 

If you didn't know, this album was created when the band was going through a tough time. Lead singer Tom Chaplin was having troubles with drugs & alcohol and actually went to rehab, forcing the cancelation of some shows. Pianist Tim Rice-Oxley writes all of the music and lyrics, so when you listen to this album you can hear how he, Tom, and the band were struggling during that time. It all feels incredibly real. Imagine how hard it must have been for Tom to sing those lyrics! But he does it beautifully. 

Bridesmaids: Kristen Wiig's Wardrobe

Bridesmaids was an absolutely hilarious movie.. I actually saw it twice in the theaters. Not only was it very funny, but I couldn't help but notice that I LOVED Kristen Wiig's wardrobe throughout the movie. Her style was very polished, classy and cute, consisting mainly of short summer dresses with perfectly tailored blazers. And we all know how much I love blazers... There weren't as many photos online as I would have liked, but it did come out fairly recently. Plus Kristen's hair was lovely as a blonde, with perfectly messy shag. 

US versus UK: Magazine Covers, June 2011

Eek! I haven't done a post in over a week! I deeply apologize. I hate it when bloggers don't post for long periods of time and come back apologizing saying how busy they are, but that's exactly what I'm doing right now. But this might be a good excuse: my sister got married on Saturday and I was the maid of honor-- so HECTIC! Then the next day I had to immediately leave for Columbia to start my internship- the next day! So I've been settling in now since I moved into my new rented place. And now I'm living on my own for the first time in my life! So many changes in my life right now, but I'm trying hard to be calm and grown-up. 

1. VOGUE

Vogue US: I think this is an incredibly flattering photo of Penelope Cruz. She looks naturally beautiful with her sun-kissed skin and dark eyebrows... I never really understood the fuss over Penelope, but she is gorgeous! The best part is that she doesn't look photoshopped. The lighting is natural-- it just feels very organic. Also, the text is balanced with the photo, freeing the area around her face without distracting, staggering text.

Vogue UK: I am a HUGE Alexa Chung fan, ever since she had her American MTV show It's On. However, I'm a little bored with this cover. It's Alexa freakin' Chung, so she has been and will continue to be on tons of magazine covers, so I think a little creativity is needed. This one is my favorite of her, so far. I mean, it's a beautiful photo, she is lovely, and the light blue background is very pretty. But, I wonder if their weren't more dynamic photos to choose from.

WINNER: Vogue US. Just a beautifully organic photo. Also, the text placement and sizing makes me happy.