Wow! Where did July go?
Time is flying by fast, so it's time for another monthly favorites post!
July also has a wide variety of products, so let's jump into it!
Fashion/Beauty:
Crop Tops and High Waist-ed Shorts
This combination is something I've been wearing a lot this month. I took a trip to Savers and bought some cheap jeans and cut them off into shorts, and I've been wearing them non-stop with some cute crop tops that I had in my closet. The above outfit is just one example. I love that I can show just a peek of stomach and still pull off the crop top look. There are days where I just don't want to show off my whole midriff, and high waist-ed shorts are perfect for the occasion. I can make one pair of high waist-ed shorts look different by pairing it with a different top. A tie top like the one shown here, a loose crop top, a tight one, tank top style, even my seifuku tops look adorable with them! I was worried that because I have a thicker middle I wouldn't be able to wear them, but I've been pretty satisfied with how I look in them so far. Thick girls, don't be afraid to try out this cute style!
Benetint
So I took a trip to Sephora this month, and I do believe it's been over a year since I last went, so I went around and played with different products to figure out which few I would buy (because money adds up at Sephora really fast)! After trying this lip tint, it was an instant favorite! I had been researching lip tints for a while since they seem to be trendy right now, and I was looking for a color that looked natural, but still made a noticeable difference if I layered it. This color looks dark in the bottle, but it comes out as a nice pale rose shade on the first application. My lips have a pink/red tint to them naturally, so just applying one coat of this plays up my natural color nicely. Put on two or three coats and it looks like you had a red Popsicle, and I always liked that look. Put on more, and you've got an in your face red lip that lasts for hours! Another awesome point about this product is that you can put lip balm over it, and it won't mess up the color! Dry lips are so annoying, but that's not a problem with this product since it stains your lips, so putting lip balm over it throughout the day is A-Okay!
So I took a trip to Sephora this month, and I do believe it's been over a year since I last went, so I went around and played with different products to figure out which few I would buy (because money adds up at Sephora really fast)! After trying this lip tint, it was an instant favorite! I had been researching lip tints for a while since they seem to be trendy right now, and I was looking for a color that looked natural, but still made a noticeable difference if I layered it. This color looks dark in the bottle, but it comes out as a nice pale rose shade on the first application. My lips have a pink/red tint to them naturally, so just applying one coat of this plays up my natural color nicely. Put on two or three coats and it looks like you had a red Popsicle, and I always liked that look. Put on more, and you've got an in your face red lip that lasts for hours! Another awesome point about this product is that you can put lip balm over it, and it won't mess up the color! Dry lips are so annoying, but that's not a problem with this product since it stains your lips, so putting lip balm over it throughout the day is A-Okay!
Music:
"If You Do, Do"
"If You Do, Do"
Lately I've been on a Vocaloid binge, so I've had this song on repeat for a while:
This song is also called "Pomp and Circumstance" as well as "If You Do, Do" so you may know it as one of these two names if you're a Vocaloid fan. This song is performed by Miku, Luka, Gumi, IA, and Rin. To me, this song is different from any other Vocaloid song I've heard so far. It has a dark, sexy feel to it and the chorus picks up to a dance tempo so you can really get down! It's a bit strange to think that an automated voice program can sound sexy, but it definitely can! I love how the range of this song goes from a smoky alto to a clear mezzo, then there's the rapping in the midsection that adds a fun twist. Make sure you click the video and give this a listen!
Heyne's "Red Lie"
This is another song that I've had on repeat for a while. It just came out on July 23rd, but I've been hooked ever since I saw this on tumblr! I hadn't heard of Heyne before this, but she's very good and kind of quirky, which I like. The song is super catchy and upbeat, but it's about a girl who's been lied to in her relationship and she's had enough! The video is fun to watch, and the editing is done well. There are points in the video where there are multiples of her onscreen but only one is moving, then that one moving figure will take the position of the frozen figures and move on. Does that make sense? I thought it was very clever, so make sure you watch the video so you understand what I'm blabbering on about! Heyne is signed to Crescendo Music, and I do believe she's their only artist, so this particular company is in the clear for now. I don't know much about the label, but if I find out more information I can make a post about it if you like.
Anime:
Princess Tutu
When I went into Savers to buy some old jeans to cut into shorts, I was by the check out line and noticed they had some DVDs for sale. Immediately I saw that they had the complete collection of Princess Tutu, squealed, then picked it up and bought it. It was only four dollars!! Anyway, Princess Tutu was one of my favorite anime back in high school, and I hadn't watched it in a very long time. Before I get to deep into my ramblings, let's look at the plot synopsis from Anime News Network, shall we?
"13-year-old ballet student Ahiru is clumsy, good-hearted and sweet... and has a big secret. The mysterious Drosselmayer morphed a young duck into a girl to give her a mission: help a Prince to get the parts of his heart back. With that in mind, she morphs into Princess Tutu, whose magical dances ease the pain and purifies the bad feelings."
This synopsis fleshes out the plot very nicely, but it leaves out one very exciting part: the love triangle between Ahiru, the Prince, and Princess Tutu's enemy, Princess Kraehe! The story line of this anime is dramatic, exciting, and gets you thinking about your own feelings as Princess Tutu returns the pieces of the Prince's heart.
One of the things I love most about this anime is the ballet. Ballet is obviously a pivotal part of this anime as you can tell from the title, and the animation of the dance scenes is executed beautifully. Each episode is titled after a famous ballet, and uses music from that ballet in the episode, and the episode reflects the story of that ballet with the characters that the writers have created. If you are a big fan of ballet like myself, you'll have a lot of fun pointing out the references in each episode and listening to the music you love. If you don't know much about ballet at all, this anime can get you started and point you in the direction of some of the most famous ballets to go watch and listen to. As a dancer, I appreciate all of the hard work that the production team put into this work to make it as accurate and emotionally raw as it could possibly be. I cannot recommend this anime enough.
When I went into Savers to buy some old jeans to cut into shorts, I was by the check out line and noticed they had some DVDs for sale. Immediately I saw that they had the complete collection of Princess Tutu, squealed, then picked it up and bought it. It was only four dollars!! Anyway, Princess Tutu was one of my favorite anime back in high school, and I hadn't watched it in a very long time. Before I get to deep into my ramblings, let's look at the plot synopsis from Anime News Network, shall we?
"13-year-old ballet student Ahiru is clumsy, good-hearted and sweet... and has a big secret. The mysterious Drosselmayer morphed a young duck into a girl to give her a mission: help a Prince to get the parts of his heart back. With that in mind, she morphs into Princess Tutu, whose magical dances ease the pain and purifies the bad feelings."
This synopsis fleshes out the plot very nicely, but it leaves out one very exciting part: the love triangle between Ahiru, the Prince, and Princess Tutu's enemy, Princess Kraehe! The story line of this anime is dramatic, exciting, and gets you thinking about your own feelings as Princess Tutu returns the pieces of the Prince's heart.
One of the things I love most about this anime is the ballet. Ballet is obviously a pivotal part of this anime as you can tell from the title, and the animation of the dance scenes is executed beautifully. Each episode is titled after a famous ballet, and uses music from that ballet in the episode, and the episode reflects the story of that ballet with the characters that the writers have created. If you are a big fan of ballet like myself, you'll have a lot of fun pointing out the references in each episode and listening to the music you love. If you don't know much about ballet at all, this anime can get you started and point you in the direction of some of the most famous ballets to go watch and listen to. As a dancer, I appreciate all of the hard work that the production team put into this work to make it as accurate and emotionally raw as it could possibly be. I cannot recommend this anime enough.
Books/Comics:
Turbulence
I bought this comic back at Texas Comicon, but didn't get around to reading it until last month. It's seriously AMAZING. Once I started reading this, I couldn't put it down! Turbulence is about a boy named Jacob, and how he chooses to fight for the forces of good because of his unexplained super powers. Unlike other super hero comics, Jacob isn't perfect from the start. He makes a lot of mistakes, has to ask for help, gets into trouble, a lot like a normal teenager would. He is spotted by a group of people with super powers who has joined together to fight, and he starts his training with them, trying to earn their trust and respect by fighting his hardest, even though it doesn't always work. I do believe that this is the fastest I have ever read through a comic, and it left off at a cliff hanger so I actually groaned when I finished it because I was already wanting more! I had a conversation with the author, Chris Garrett, and his wife at Texas Comicon when I bought it, and I could tell how passionate he was about his work. His company, Overtime Comics is based out of Austin Texas, and I was so happy to find an awesome local company to support. I'm definitely glad I bought this comic instead of the newest Captain America volume. The action-packed story and relate-able, endearingly flawed characters make this a great read! You can go to Overtime Comics's Website here and check it out!
Misc:
Belly Dance
As some of you may or may not know, I started taking Belly dance last October and joined the Eesabella Belly Dance dance company. I performed in my first belly dance concert in April (where the above photo is from, I'm the farthest to the right with the sword), and I had an amazing time. Since this Summer has been incredibly busy, I didn't have the time to take class like I wanted to. Last month I started taking classes again and I was reminded of how much I love belly dance! After my first class here in Austin, I was invited to take the advanced class offered by my instructor, and the dance studio I went to did a short interview with me about why I love belly dance! Needless to say it was an amazing way to get back into belly dance, and I feel so confident and empowered after I leave each class session. I miss my Eesabella sisters so much, and I can't wait to dance with them again once I'm back in Illinois later this month!
I hope you enjoyed this July favorites post! It's a little later than I had hoped, but it's out!
Please look forward to some new, exciting things from me this month, and I'll keep you updated with my creative projects as they come. I'm starting my senior year in University this month, so I'll be pretty busy, but my goal is to have one post a week for you!
Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you next time!
xoxo
Martha
No comments:
Post a Comment