Five Things I Loved Throughout May

Maybelline Total Temptation™ Washable Mascara

In full disclosure, I was cursed with acne-prone skin that continues to break out to this day but was somehow blessed with long eyelashes that tend to work with most mascaras. One that I've been vibing with lately has been the Maybelline Total Temptation Washable Mascara. I've used plenty of Maybelline mascaras before. Maybelline Lash Sensational is still one of my favorites, but I've played around with their iconic Great Lash Mascara (not my favorite, admittedly), their Colossal Volume Mascara (better), and their Falsies Mascara (nightmare). Still, I tend to prefer drugstore mascaras over high-end ones because, as I said, my lashes are fairly low maintenance and I wear it every day because, despite my dark eyebrows, my lashes are the shade of dirty blonde that was my natural hair color.

This mascara is meant to give your lashes volume while also keeping them soft and separated, even as you layer multiple coats. The formula is whipped and infused with coconut extract to make them soft, so it definitely feels drier than some other wet formulas. It's drier than I'm used to working with, but I don't mind it one bit. The brush is dense and has short bristles, which is something I usually don't like but this really works to make my lashes look voluminous and if I take my time to apply, they end up looking super separated. My only gripe is that sometimes the layering does get heavy and feels like you have a ton of product on your eyes, especially with the creamy whipped formula. It doesn't happen every time though, so I'd just recommend combing your lashes and applying it one coat at a time slowly.

Maybelline Total Temptation Eyebrow Definer Pencil 

I am not a brow pencil person by any means. I'm used to filling my brows in with powder, but sometimes pencils are just so much easier and convenient, especially when summer comes around and the potential to sweat the powder off is always high risk. I have the Maybelline Total Temptation Eyebrow Definer Pencil in two shades: 310 Medium Brown and 315 Deep Brown. The pencil has a narrow, slanted tip that allows you to created long, skinny strokes with the tip. The colors match me pretty well, which I find rare with most pencils. A lot of the medium browns end up having a reddish tint to them, but the darker shades are just ever-so-slightly too heavy for me. These are soft pencils that don't feel too waxy, which is usually a gripe I have with brow pencils. It's easy to blend with the spoole to create a seamless look. I think my only concern is if you had thinner browns, sometimes the tip can feel a bit too wide, especially when trying to fill in the tail of my brows so it looks thin and precise. Other than that though, I've thoroughly enjoyed using them and can't remember the last time I used powder to fill in my brows since I got these two pencils!

I Might Regret This by Abbi Jacobson

Admittedly, I haven't seen anything past the first episode of Broad City, not that I don't think I would like it. In fact, I think I would love it, but I haven't had time to dedicate my life to it yet. However, I'm a sucker for good book covers and knew that if I was already somehow in love with Abbi's work without actually having seen the show, then I'd be just fine reading the book without having seen Broad City. The book isn't even about the show anyways. It's a book about being honest with yourself  (and subsequently, your readers), vulnerable, and just straight up figuring things out. 

I'm a huge sucker for books of essays, so picking up I Might Regret This was kind of a no-brainer for me. Abbi Jacobson is a great storyteller and reading her thought process broken out into various chapters, lists, schedules, and observations was really enjoyable. The book follows Abbi as she drives across the country alone from New York to Los Angeles after a particularly bad break-up and the ending of Broad City. Through anecdotes and revelations, Abbi goes on a journey both literally, mentally, and emotionally across the United States. As you would imagine, it's funny (I definitely laughed out loud more than a few times). But it also tugs on your heart and makes you dive a bit deeper into yourself, too. Or maybe that's just what I got out of it. That's kind of the point of consuming media, right? You get what you need out of it?

Life Itself

I've been known to trust audience ratings more than critics ratings. I'm not pulling a Lizzo or Olivia Munn by saying critics and reviewers don't need to exist. However, I know my taste and what I like and most of the time, it's not what critics tend to enjoy. This is why I wasn't surprised to have loved Life Itself despite the fact that I did not read a single good review about it after I finished (I know not to Google things before I watch, just in case the Rotten Tomatoes ratings do influence me). Despite Peter from Rolling Stone calling it the worst film of 2018, I enjoyed it. I documented my ugly sobs for the last hour of the movie on Instagram Stories, because really, why not show your followers that you cry all too often? 

I'm a sucker for media like Life Itself. I mean, Dan Fogelman is the man behind This Is Us and Crazy, Stupid Love, so it's no surprise that I completely dug Life Itself. Don't get me wrong, it is depressing as hell. I'm not 100% sure it had a plot, but I'm a sucker for emotions so anything that can evoke audible sobs from my body deserves some applause from me. Life Itself follows the crossing paths of two different families over the course of decades and the chain reaction of one event. It's hard to explain, but if you're a fan of crying, tragedy, and Dan Fogelman's work, you'll like it. If you're not into that, you might agree with Peter from Rolling Stone. 

Someone Great

Y'all. This movie. This fucking movie right here *chefs kiss* is fantastic. Not only did it introduce Lizzo's "Truth Hurts" into all of our lives, but it literally invoked tears out of me the entire week after watching whenever Mitski's "Your Best American Girl" came up on shuffle because I played solely just the playlist for like, a week minimum after watching the first time. Plus, what can I say? I'm a sucker for movies that are not only based in New York, but are also filmed here so you get the true vibrancy of the city.

The movie follows a trio on one of their friend's last nights in New York City before moving to San Francisco to pursue her dream job at Rolling Stone (another Rolling Stone reference, huh?). Jenny (Gina Rodriguez) went through a rough breakup after telling her boyfriend Nate about her move and goes, well, on a bender with her two best friends Blair (Brittany Snow) and Erin (DeWanda Wise). Shenanigans ensue, including a lot of booze (note: green juice does not go well with alcohol), drugs, banging on office desks (amongst other unorthodox spots), and a lot of crying in public. 

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What were some of your favorites from May?