These posts used to be a list of my favorite things, products, TV shows, etc, but with the new re-brand and focus of this blog, I’m renaming it and showing off the basic necessities for a weekend of fun adventures for any Fabulous Single Gal. (Note: Fabulous Non-Single Gals can also find these items useful. We don’t discriminate. Oh and no one pays me to talk about these products. So, I’m not gonna recommend something I don’t actually really love and am not obsessing over).
1. They’re Real Beyond Mascara by Benefit – I might have blogged about this before, but this one is totally worth gushing about again. And again. And again. The quest for voluptuous, thick, long lashes is a never-ending search for many, many ladies out there, I believe. If you’re like me, you’ve tried it all — your drawers are filled with various types of mascaras, false lashes, lash glue, and remnants of your dashed hopes and dreams of awesome, almost natural looking lashes. I’ve had eyelash glue stuck to my face more times than I can count, “spider” lashes due to getting a little excited and applying a few too many layers of mascara, and scary “doll-like” extensions that not only looked awful but felt awful as well (they were GLUED to the insides of my eyelids!) And one day, the clouds, parted, light shined down on me and the angels sang a harmonic chorus – I discovered, They’re Real by Benefit. I don’t know what kind of magic they do to make this stuff freaking incredible, but it is just that. INCREDIBLE. It takes a little while to get used to applying it perfectly –the first couple of times I applied too much and it looked a bit clumpy, but after getting used to using it properly (and using an eyelash brush), it’s easy to apply, volumizes, holds a curl really well, and adds length. I’ve stopped wearing false lashes while going out cause I don’t need it! The only downside is that it is not waterproof and I tend to have oily skin so it will smudge a bit if I leave my makeup on overnight (I know, don’t tell anyone!). It’s a bit pricey at $23, but Sephora has a mini tube for $10 if you just want to try it out…
2. Athleta Cargo Tote: In recent years, I’ve become a gym rat. I haven’t gotten to the point where I can actually say that I like working out, but if I look at my week, I log most of my time at the gym. So, I figured it was time to invest in a good gym bag, you know, to lug around all the protein bars, hair ties, training gloves, wraps, shoes, cute outfits, towels, waters, and headphones. I searched high and low and a functional, trendy, cute, gym bag did not seem to exist, no matter how many different Google keyword combinations I could type into my search bar. One day, I was at a photoshoot and one of my models had about a billion different outfits, shoes, and accessories all stuffed in one adorable bag. As any fabulous gal would do, I pounced on her, grabbed the bag and said, in a normal, not totally psychotic, I just grabbed you and your bag way, “Omg! Where did you get your bag? It’s EXACTLY what I’ve been looking foooorrrr!!!” Turns out she worked for a fitness store called’ “Athleta” and she graciously got a bag for me. And trust me, it’s TRUE LOVE. It’s the perfect weekend bag. It has lots of compartments, pockets, zippers, straps (even a hidden strap for your yoga mat!) and it’s super cute — which, let’s be honest here, is the MOST important aspect, Pretty > Useful. I’ve taken it EVERYWHERE. In fact, I may just get another one –one for the gym and one for my weekends. And at $73, why not?
3. Slater’s 50/50 Vampire Dip: After a weekend of hanging out with friends and partying it up, grab your Rockstar Recovery drink and head over to the nearest Slater’s 50/50. If you haven’t heard of Slater’s, you definitely should acquaint yourself with the place. You make your own burger, they have the most amazing shakes and the Vampire Dip is the perfect hangover food, greasy and guaranteed to sop up all the remaining levels of alcohol leftover from the previous night’s transgressions. Vampire Dip is a conglomerate of garlic, cheese, and artichoke in a bread bowl surrounded by homemade pita chips and heavenly goodness. My mouth is watering thinking about it right now…$8.95 and it’s big enough to share, but who would want to?
Well, my Athleta tote is packed for a mini weekend getaway in Palm Springs. Have a fantastic, adventure-filled weekend and don’t forget to be fabulous… oh, and wear some kick-ass shoes while you’re at it. XOXO, Hanssie