5 things I’ve Been charming Lately, Starring Songs, Pencils, Books, Scrubs and Scents

urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion
1. The song called Royals, by Lorde

So there I was, in the car, zipping down to my hair appointment the other day, when it starts raining.

It’s the first rain of the season, and I’m not overjoyed about it, but then a song comes on the radio (I think I’m physically incapable of driving without listening to music, especially in the rain, for some reason) that completely steals my attention.

ANZEIGE

It’s by 16-year-old singer/songwriter Lorde, from new Zealand, and I loved it from the first bar.

I have to alert you, though — it’ll get stuck in your head. Garantiert.

Du wurdest gewarnt…

ANZEIGE

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Oh, Lorde’s eye makeup in the video? MÖRDER.

2. The urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion

Not sure why, but my water lines have been incredibly sensitive lately, and they only thing they’ll tolerate is UD’s $19 Eye Pencil in Perversion.

It’s just fantastic. incredibly black, without any green or blue undertones, and it lasts all day long.

It’ll keep you on your toes, too, because it sets quickly, so you have to blaze through your work if you want to do any smudging along your lash lines.

And then there’s the name — Perversion — which just makes me laugh.

Every time I see it, I say something like, “Ooh, I love Perversion,” or “I’m so absolutely into Perversion.”

Try it sometimes. Es macht Spaß.

3. Parallel, a novel by Lauren Miller

Do you ever get a book based solely on the cover?

I used to do it all the time. now I try to read reviews and opt for recommendations (keep ’em coming!), but often I still just get hold of a cool cover.

Like Parallel, by Lauren Miller — I love that type on the cover. It’s so clean and elegant. and the shape of that R? Liebe es.

Rs (Arrrs!) are one of those deal-breaker letters, ya know? If the R is funky, no can do…

I started reading it in bed last night and could not put it down. I would’ve stayed up all night, but then I would have paid for it today.

It’s about a young woman who thinks she might be experiencing life in two parallel worlds.

Cra-zaaaay!

The writing is crisp, sharp, and the story moves like a sprint. all day I kept trying to sneak in a few pages, but Tabs was enjoying me like a hawk (no young adult reading on company time).

4. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne anxiety control Power-Clear Scrub

Neutrogena’s $7.49 Oil-Free Acne anxiety control Power-Clear Scrub just replaced my tube of Neutrogena All-in-1 daily Scrub, which had been a staple in my shower considering that the beginning of time the summer.

Actually, I still love All-in-1, but I got the urge to try something new… It’s the appeal Lover’s Curse, I guess.

Like All-in-1, Oil-Free Acne anxiety control consists of salicylic acid, which seems to work well for me. It also has a charming fresh, nearly minty, scent, and it leaves my skin feeling a little tingly and just really, really clean — but not tight or dry.

I keep a tube in my shower, and it’s been keeping my chin acne in check.

5. Estée Lauder modern Muse Eau de Parfum

Modern Muse Eau de Parfum, $78 for the 1.7-ounce bottle shown here
Oh, man, Estée Lauder’s perfumes get me every time. They always seem so sophisticated and feminine.

Pleasures, beyond Paradise, private Collection Gardenia — I’ve been loving EL’s fragrances for years.

They got me again, too, with modern Muse Eau de Parfum ($58-$98, depending on the size), their first scent in 10 years, and it’s a keeper.

Estée Lauder calls it a lush, floral, woody fragrance, and uh, yeah, I get that. It starts with floral notes of jasmine, tuberose, lily, honeysuckle and a squeeze of mandarin orange, but as the day wears on, warmer notes, like vanilla, musk, amber wood and two types of patchouli, appear.

It’s not as heady or robust as normal for a fragrance released in fall/winter. some of those are so strong they can give me a headache, but this doesn’t. It’s like autumnal with oomph…but not too much oomph.

ANZEIGE

I can’t wait to pair it with snuggly, oversized sweaters, leggings and boots.

Du bist dran. What are some things you’ve been loving lately (and they don’t all have to be beauty-related)? Ein neues Lied? Ein gutes Buch? A charming lipstick? Holla at me in the comments. What’s been rocking your world.

Ihr freundlicher Nachbarschaftsberichtszusatz,

Karen