Oh, the Ides of March are upon us and with them arrives midterms. So it's only natural that we here at FBG are more frantic than usual. During all our scrambling to finish papers and complete exams, there is a much needed time for a break. Be it music, food, or what have you - this is how we wind down when life just needs to not (insert sassy talk to the hand emoji).

rachel
April Come She Will - Simon & Garfunkel
     I know you get a large enough dose of my music taste via On Repeat, but I couldn't not mention this. It is possibly the most cliche choice ever for laid back music, but whatever. Any time life, school, or functioning in general gets old, I tend to pop on my noise cancelling headphones (lifesaving) and have a listen. It's quite a short song, so an easy way to take a quick break from studying. Not to mention it made an appearance in Parks & Rec and I CANNOT resist an Andy/April reference.
tessa
Netflix
Well I'm going to join every college student ever here and pick Netflix. It's easily my favorite distraction from life on a regular basis (and biggest procrastination tool - because I just HAVE to fit in one more episode before I start homework). Anyway, lately I've been hooked on the Once Upon a Time series, which I'm approximately 5,000 years behind on, but whatever. I saw a preview that they were tying Wicked in this season and thus made it my mission to catch up. Another favorite go-to, especially when I'm studying, is any Disney movie. I've seen them all so many times that I don't have to actually pay attention to it, but it's nice background noise and I enjoy my fair share of sing-a-longs.


tori
The Princess Bride
I know I just talked about this movie in February, but I mean, it's The Princess Bride. This movie (along with Pride & Prejudice) have been so engrained in my memory that I don't need to fully pay attention to know exactly what part of the movie is on. That being said, this movie is great to have on as background noise or just to take a break. By break I mean once you start watching a movie, you're probably not going back to studying, so good luck.

     Now, I'm going to be upfront: I very rarely have an actual event to attend. Getting into bed every night and deciding what movie to watch is usually enough of an occasion for me.  Events unfortunately call for a little bit of extra effort. Seeing as I do have a family wedding next weekend, I'll divulge my routine.

MASKS
     If you'd like an expert opinion on facial masks, let me first direct you to my makeup Messiah Lisa Eldridge. If you'd like a mere mortal's thoughts, read on. I tend to focus on two key issues before an event: breakouts and dullness. Blemishes can put a wrench in proving to all of your family and friends that you are in fact, flawless. Hairflip. So to make sure I'm in the clear, I start upping the use of a clay based mask about a week prior to the event. My favorite is the Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra Cleansing Mud Mask. It's chalk full of lovely spot-fighting ingredients such and kaolin and bentonite clay, bergamont, and orange. I find that this clarifies my skin and calms any blemishes, and leaves me looking quite even and clear overall. As a bonus it is not dehydrating as clays often can be. I stop use three or so days before the actual occasion, as to not invite anything to surface last minute. Typically I fight what remains with a spot treatment such as tea tree oil.
     To remedy dullness, exfoliating masks are a must. I recently added the Nuance Wild Lime Exfoliating Facial Gel to my collection. This is from Salma Hayek's skincare line to which I was completely ignorant. You can find it in CVS if you're interested. This particular product boasts enzymatic exfoliators with no granular particles. Not only does this improve texture and luminosity, but it also avoids the spread of bacteria and thus blemishes.

HYDRATE
     I find my skin undoubtedly looks its healthiest when well hydrated and moisturized. I make sure to use my Seventh Generation Boost every night, massaging it directly in to damp skin. I also increase my water intake in the week leading up to my event, to help flush the system and give skin an all over glow. I also take special care to moisturize my body, I like this Dove offering. If you're showing a little more skin that usual, tending to your body skin is crucial. It's pretty unsexy to speak about bodily breakouts, but they do happen. I'll be wearing a backless romper (and p.s. the bra situation seems perilous at the moment. Sigh.) After the shower I apply a mixture of a simple, fragrance-free moisturizer and tea tree oil to allay bacteria and breakouts.
 
LOOSE ENDS
    Day of, there's not much left to do to get things in order. I do *try* to cut down on carbs or salty food to decrease bloating. A pain, but it will help. I also go in for a slightly heavier duty facial exfoliant, such as the Kate Somerville Exfolikate. Doing so will impart some serious glow and ensure the skin is fully prepped for makeup. I'll also exfoliate my lips, quite conveniently with the e.l.f Lip Exfoliator. It is shaped like a lipstick bullet, and will prep the lips for a bright color if you opt for one. Brilliant. As if I hadn't exfoliated enough, I'll also use a body scrub to keep thangs soft. Would highly recommend the Soap & Glory Flake Away.

Alright everyone, that'll do it for me. What do you do in preparation for an event?

xx
Rachel

TORI
Killer Queen- Queen
     I'm not sure what brought this on, but I have been obsessed with this song as of late. It's safe to say that everyone loves Queen, and if you don't, you're wrong. "Killer Queen" is just quirky and upbeat. This song is perfect on the drive to work to start my day. I'm not sure what it is but I've been obsessed with Queen and ZZ Top moreso than usual. That being said, Spotify radio seems to think that the Foo Fighters fit in with those two. If you figure that out, let me know.

TESSA
Crazy Town - Jason Aldean
   A combination of my two favorite categories: throwbacks and country. I somehow had completely forgotten about this song until I heard it on satellite radio the other day (which is a fantastic investment btw, I highly recommend it if you can get it) and only then did I realize that it wasn't on my country playlist. 500 songs, and this wasn't here. SMH. Continuing on, this song is just too catchy and plus we all know my desperate need to move to Nashville ASAP, so for now I've settled on listening to this song an obnoxious amount of times.




RACHEL
II. WORLDSTAR - Childish Gambino
     It's been awhile since I've posted about rap, so it's beyond time I start again. Somehow I've managed to neglect because the internet in my queue, and ohhh what a mistake that was. I still need to properly (read: obsessively) listen to it but for now I can't stop jamming to this track. Gambino subtly references The Little Mermaid so you know it's a winner. This has made a week of hellish school and work marginally less painful.

Inspired a bit by Estée's favorite rose products, I thought I would do my own little post about the subject. Most of this is really just rose colored makeup items rather than products with rose in them (that would be whole post in itself). I think my obsession with rose started with the Naked 3, it's just so beautiful and now I think I need everything in that color range.

Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour in Decadent
I had debated this quad for quite some time and I'm glad I bought it. It has a really nice rosy bronze color and a gold that compliments it really well. For $6 at Target, this was worth the money. It does have a bit of fallout but that's kind of to be expected with a drugstore brand.

Essie Fun in the Gondala
I just purchased this the other day and thought this rosy pink was perfect for our non-existent spring. I typically wear a neutral nail but I think this color will be just enough without being over the top. Lord knows I can't wear a bright color.

MicaBeauty Lip Balm in Fiesta
This product was in my Ipsy bag last month and I wasn't massively impressed with it when I got it. I still don't wear it as a lip balm because I still feel like it stained my fingers more than my lips. However, I have been wanting a blush this color and so I have been wearing it more as a cheek stain. While I love the color and its stay on the cheeks, I don't think I'll be repurchasing it because it's a bit expensive for a brand I had never really heard much about and it also has mineral oil in it. The mineral oil was a turn off for me but since I am using it over all of my skincare and foundation I am hoping it's not terrible.

What rose colored products are you guys loving?
xx Tori

tori
GlamGlow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment
     At $69, the price alone makes this an extra special pampering treatment. As I have mentioned about 100 million times, my skin has been so dehydrated this winter. It really is as amazing as everyone says. I've been using this about 2-3 times a week, overnight, and my skin feels so soft and hydrated when I wash it off in the morning. This was a late Christmas present to myself, so when I run out I'm sure I'll cry when I purchase another tub.
rachel
Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
     Much like Tori, I begrudgingly have to deal with dry skin. Come winter I look for anything that will restore moisture, so the idea of an overnight hydrating treatment really appealed to me. The concept is quite similar to that of GlamGlow, actually. I complete my normal evening skincare routine but substitute my moisturizer for Drink Up Intensive. This boasts ingredients such as avocado and apricot kernel oil, as well as seaweed. It even smells lovely and fruity. My skin instantly feels plump and well hydrated after use. The only issue is I wish the moisture stuck around better after washing off. Regardless, I still thoroughly enjoy using this to give my skin a treat.
tessa
L'Occitane en Provence Divine Cream
    I guess I'll just keep on with the theme of dry skin here and talk about this lovely moisturizer. Unfortunately, I only had a sample (that I recently ran out of, hence the stock photo) and the $106 price tag just isn't quite in budget right now. Anyway, this product is a must for a good skin pick-me-up. I've never had a product make my skin look as radiant as this, except for maybe Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Serum. Boasting anti-aging ingredients and 5 patents, it definitely lives up to it's naming of divine. If you can get your hands on this, I highly recommend it. Plus, it smells like heaven.

Hello, loves!

Here's a nice little way to end your Monday night with a new video on our channel! This look was inspired by a look on Pinterest and I hope you enjoy! Let us know what you want to see next in the comments.

xx

     First off, apologies for the late post today everyone! It's been one of those days where I barely venture out of bed, because I have priorities (Sherlock and a smattering of other programs). Anywho, the past couple of months I've accumulated a few samples of products so I figured I'd share my initial thoughts.

OLE HENRIKSEN TOTAL TRUTH EYE CREAM SPF 15
     I believe I mentioned this on my skincare wishlist back in January, and I picked up a sample soon after. I was quite drawn to the idea of an eye cream with sun protection. Dedicated SPFs can tend to be a little too heavy for under the eyes so this is a nice alternative. The girl who fixed my sample at Sephora gave me a very generous amount, so I still haven't been forced to purchase the full size. However once it does run out I'll definitely be off to pick it up. This is hydrating enough for this horrendous cold we're experiencing, but is in no way greasy. In fact, it has almost a priming texture that makes applying makeup over top a breeze. No doubt the sun protection will be much appreciated once it does warm up as well.

ORIGINS CLEAR IMPROVEMENT MASK
    This product has pretty much reached cult status, so when Sephora offered it as a 100 point perk a while back I sprung at the chance to try it. Though my skin is typically normal I do experience the odd breakout. During these times I always turn to masks such as this to draw out impurities and keep things in check. After using this a few times, I'd have to say I think I'm underwhelmed. It does seem to calm any blemishes slightly - but I have products I prefer. Something slightly more clay based seems to work better for the type of spots I have to deal with. I will definitely use up the tube, so my opinion may change, but for now I'm sticking to some other tried & true options.

KATE SOMERVILLE EXFOLIKATE
     Surprise! Another skincare sample. Again, this was a part of a 500 point perk back in November or December. While the kit included Somerville's Daily Detox Cleanser and Oil Free Moisturizer, this is easily my favorite of the bunch. Usually I steer clear of manual exfoliants as I find they can be much too harsh for my skin. However sometimes I just *need* their help. Plus, this product also boasts chemical exfoliating ingredients. My skin has been ridiculously dry, and this always manages to lift it and impart some glow. The texture of my skin post application is much improved and seems more willing to gain moisture. The product comes out an odd green color, and smelling vaguely of cinnamon. It's an invigorating treatment, and one I would seriously consider repurchasing come next year's cold weather.

That's all for me folks!

xx
Rachel