Another month long past, and it already feels like May is over as it is. Let's talk about some of my favorites from the month of April.
-Fashion-
Forever 21 Neon Floral Scarf- This beautiful scarf was a gift to me from one of my students. I absolutely adore it, for both sentimental reasons and from a fashion-y perspective. It's lightweight but with a good amount of fabric, so it is practical for light, Spring-layering. Though the colors are extremely vibrant and neon, the black background of the print really grounds the neon-floral print nicely, and makes it practical to wear with many different outfits. It's pretty much the only scarf I've been reaching for since receiving it, but especially so since in the last few weeks.
Forever 21 Rose-gold Triangle Necklace- I picked this simple necklace up early on in the month of April and it has become one of my top five favorite necklaces that I own. Which is saying a lot, because I own a ridiculous amount of necklaces. I love that it is such a dainty, simple looking necklace in such a flattering color. It pairs really well with other necklaces just as well as it looks great on its own.
-Beauty-
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| Right-to-left: City Color Be Matte Blush, Toasted Coconut/Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush, Captivating/L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow, Amber Rush |
City Color Be Matte Blush in Toasted Coconut- This blush, and brand, was a new find for me this month. I'd never tried anything by City Color before, but saw this in a local makeup wholesale shop and heard good things about it from the girls who work there, so I decided to try one out. Toasted Coconut is a warm, muted brown, with a hint of orange to it. The quality of this blush is great; it is very pigmented, soft, and lasts for a long time. I love that it brings such a nice warmth to my face without looking like blush. I'm thinking of picking up a few more colors of blush from the line now.
L'Oreal Infallible Shadow in Amber Rush- This eyeshadow is definitely not new to my collection, however I've found myself reaching for it a lot more during the month of April. It is a very beautiful eye shadow, and I really love pairing it with other brown, berry, and bronze shades. I think it is one of the most perfect rose-gold eye shadows available.
L'Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper in Medium/Dark- I picked this product up towards the end of March and have been using it every single day since then. Whether I am using it alone or combined with my Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil, this brow mascara is amazing and I absolutely love it. It's been a very helpful addition to my routine, even making it possible to shave off a little time from having to fill in my brows.
Morphe G5 Blush Brush- This brush is amazing. Hands down. It is soft, it picks up color nicely, and blends it out beautifully. I'm very interested to try more from this brush line in the future.
-Skincare-
Simple Cleansing Micellar Water- This is such a great makeup removing product. I've been using it in conjunction with coconut oil to remove all my makeup, before then going in with Philosophy's Purity Cleanser. I'm left with completely clean, makeup free skin. I love how quickly this Micellar Water works to break down product buildup. I really feel like I'm getting every last bit of makeup off my face. This was also very inexpensive, I was able to find it at Target.
-Entertainment-
AFI, Burials- I have to give a long-winded explanation and back-story for this favorite...
Towards the end of middle-school, all throughout high school, and even early college, AFI was one of my favorite bands. I loved the deep, poetic lyrics and raw, emotional screams of Black Sails in the Sunset, The Art of Drowning, and Sing the Sorrow. As a socially-awkward, emotionally frustrated teenager and young adult, those things really struck a chord with me.
After their release of December Underground, I felt like a large part of what I loved about them was lost in an attempt to please a larger audience. Their lyrics had become seemingly simpler and straightforward, and their music much more...pop-rock in sound than their original "East Bay Hardcore," style. I still loved them, but I was not over-the-moon about that album. It was the same with Crash Love. And although there were a few great songs off both of those albums, I didn't feel the same excitement in listening to them as I did with many of their earlier albums. As I result, I didn't keep up with any of their most recent releases, which leads us to Burials.
I found this album online by chance, and after listening to it once through, had many mixed feelings about it. I couldn't decide if I loved, liked, tolerated, or hated it. The next day, I realized the album single, "17 Crimes," was stuck replaying in my head when I caught myself singing it. So I listened to the entire Burials album again. And again. And again. I have now decided that I absolutely love this album.
It is a completely different sound when compared to Black Sails in the Sunset, however it is still very much an album by AFI. I could hear a lot of influences from The Smiths, The Misfits, Depeche Mode, and other 80's rock and punk bands. The lyrics are still not quite on par with what I believe Davey Havok is capable of writing. I mean, the man has written a freaking novel for God's sake, he is incredibly well-spoken, and his lyrics from their early albums are heartbreaking and beautiful- I'm fairly certain he can manage more poetic lyrics than what's made up the majority of their last three albums. Maybe that's just my opinion...so I'm sorry if that sounds overly critical.
Aside from the lack of depth in the lyrics that I so desire, the songs are still outstanding and meaningful. I really am enjoying this album. If you haven't heard it already or have this set idea of what a band like AFI is all about, I suggest you check out the songs "17 Crimes," "Rewind," and "The Face Beneath the Waves." Those are my favorite songs from the album, and the ones that I strongly connected with in regards to the music, lyrics, and underlying message.
Thanks for reading and for your support! Hope you're doing well and enjoying the start of May. What were some of the things you loved the most in April? It didn't have to be something new to you, it can be an old favorite that you still can't get enough of. I'd love to hear about it!
May the Fourth be with you,
and be prepared for the Rise of the Fifth.
Love, Little Mouse
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