Tag Archives: Music

Birthday-ing is a Verb

July 14, 2016

In a few days, a new year begins for me. I’m turning 34! Birthday week! This one snuck up quick, on the heels of a big life change. Refresher if you missed the news: I moved in with my boyfriend, to a new place we are making our own. With this birthday, I’m not thinking about aging or any physical changes (though sun spots, I see you starting to creep) but instead living in the moment and taking care of a relationship that means everything to me. One of the bonds between us is music. Experiencing live music, listening to records at home and introducing each other to new sounds. He has brought me to punk shows and I’ve got him on a steady folksy run.

My actual day of birth (Saturday) is going to be extra fun this year because we are going to Pitchfork. It’s a three-day music fest in Chicago that is super chill. It’s one of my favs for that reason. I’ll also be hitting the stages along with Verb Products, the Austin-born, salon raised brand that I’ve dubbed the “grey tee” of hair care. Just like your t-shirt, the entire Verb line – every item is $14 – is effortless in style, light to the touch and completely layerable. Oh, and unisex. Total dude-approved. In a fun barter, I’ve given some Verb Sculpting Clay and Forming Fiber to my boyfriend in exchange for his t-shirts.

I’m sticking with my go to music fest hair of beachy waves but got a fresh set of balayage to give me an even summery vibe. To get my hair ready for mucho sun exposure, I’ll be using the Verb Hydrating Mask in the shower to deeply condition my hair.

And, the Ghost Oil is awesome after the shower on towel-dried hair. I only use one pump and then rub it in between my palms before massaging on my ends and then throughout the rest of my strands. Now that I’ve got extra blonde, I’ve noticed my front strands are more prone to breakage and this helps protect them from any further damage. I call this my unintentionally layered hair do. I try to flip the part around and keep a slight curl in so it isn’t as noticeable. I’ll spritz the Sea Spray after I curl and do some manual crunching and twisting of my hair so it’s imperfect.

For extra volume, I’ll squeeze some Dry Shampoo (with the uber smart narrow application tip!) along the roots but under a layer next to my part.

Forecast for Saturday is basically looking like the perfect day so I’m hoping all of the forces of nature are giving me good weather, and hair, for my birthday! Fingers crossed.

Anyone else in Chicago going to Pitchfork for any of the days? I’m most looking forward to Brian Wilson…love me some Beach Boys.

Thanks to Verb for sponsoring my Pitchfork birthday bash (that’s what I’m calling it, a giant party with thousands of fellow music lovers in Chicago!) and introducing me to the rest of their awesome line.

Sharing is Caring

January 18, 2016

It’s become a running joke with my boyfriend that I “acquire” his things. There was the t-shirt he bought and “gifted” me (I totally wore it to bed and never returned it) and the scarf he washed while at my house (must have “left” it in the dryer accidentally…nope). There’s also that cozy pair of wool socks I borrowed when mine got wet (may as well bring them home and wash them…mine now). I may have pushed the “what’s mine is yours” thing quite literally in our relationship but I’m down to share, too.

I welcome smelling like a dude as long as that smell is Molton Brown Tobacco Absolute. The scent sticks around so I usually skip the perfume days I use in the shower.

One of the passions I share with my boyfriend is live music. A great way to preserve the memory of an awesome night is a stop at the merch table. I love wearing his band tees. Tame Impala’s are some of the sickest.

Have you heard of MeUndies? It’s like an underwear of the month club. My boyfriend subscribed over the summer and I was excited to see they also had women’s styles. They are ridiculously soft.

Davines This is An Invisible Serum is intended to be used as a smoothing and styling serum for men or women. It manages to tame hair and give it some texture but doesn’t leave behind a greasy or waxy feeling. Any time I hear a man complaining about hair product, I mention this. Everyone loves it.

I got the Clarisonic Alpha Fit for my boyfriend for Christmas this year. I think he likes it; the Clarisonic was completely new to him! Happy to see they came out with a version for women, too. The main difference is the brush and the timing settings – the Alpha has a longer cycle for beards.

Osmia Black Clay Facial Soap is the perfect unisex soap. I sometimes lather it on my face and then let the Clarisonic do its thing. The coconut milk in the formula makes for an awesome and unexpected lather.

Much of Kiehl’s skincare flexes for sexes. One product to be appreciated by all – especially in the dead of winter – is the Intensive Treatment and Moisturizer for calluses and dry skin.

I’ve tried shopping in the men’s department for flannels but something about the fit is always off. My go to for that longer and oversized – but still feminine – look is Madewell’s ex-boyfriend shirts. I have them in a few different styles and hope they never discontinue the fit.

Anyone else into that whole sharing is caring model?!

Magic’s in the Makeup

December 1, 2015

What was your first concert?

I think I was 13 when I saw No Doubt. Thank g*d I started out a lifelong live music passion with something other than NKOTB. Years later, I would surrender any cool girl-ness by screaming like a lovesick nut at a NSYNC show, but at least I started out with Gwen. I had to listen to Tragic Kingdom in full recently – such a great album.

I can usually breeze by a celeb-fronted makeup collab. I cannot, however, gloss past a new Naked-esque Urban Decay eyeshadow palette. Is there a magnetic force around these palettes or something? Every single time. Plus, it’s Gwen. You may think punk past and bold fashion equals crazy colors but nah. The UD x Gwen Stefani palette might be the best non-Naked Naked eyeshadow palette ever. I’m betting that Gwen loves those Naked palettes just as much as we do. I think she just one upped the whole lot!

Details are everything here. The case looks like a collection of tiny eye shadow-sized vinyls and scripted on the mirror is a No Doubt song title, “Magic’s in the Makeup.” Gwen carefully selected the shades and the names are inspired by her life and career. I love every shade, including the lavender pink – very wearable layered with the soft brown colors or buffed out with the cream shade. But my favorite everyday combo is the rose gold Baby and deep burgundy Punk.

And, just in time to mess with your plans to shop for everyone else but yourself for the holidays, behold: it’s back in stock. Welp.