#i'm going to need some really good waterproof mascara because the only time my makeup will remain intact is while i’m queueing outside

[itwaslegendary]

okay i’m sorry i was scrolling through tiktok and i got a video of the eras tour intro and i started crying so hard because what the fuck do you mean that i’m going to see and hear that in EIGHTEEN DAYS. those violins start playing, i hear "it's been a long time coming", i imagine the dancers coming out with those outfits and i just start sobbing like a little kid

[celestialevie]

Birthday surprise // Niall Horan x singer! Reader

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 1.6k

Warnings: none

A/N: Since it's officially my birthday week and Niall's has just passed, I decided to write this very self-indulgent fic (even though I can't sing, but a girl can dream </3). I mostly wrote this for myself because I adore this human with my whole heart. Anyways hope someone will enjoy this fic just as much as I did writing it.

Finishing the first two songs, you chat a little with your fans. Noticing some of the signs they brought with them to get you to notice them, some of them making you laugh, while some of them made your heart clench with love. Sitting down at the piano, starting to play 'champagne problems'. While you were in the happiest relationship to date now, you still had some issues with your past relationships, where you were made the villain and them a victim when in reality it was the literal opposite. Niall was the blessing you were praying for. So what if you were fucked in the head? Niall loved you just the way you were.

Your birthday was coming up, and you were going to spend it while being in one of the cities you absolutely love touring in – Dublin. Although you were heartbroken because this will be the first birthday you were going to celebrate without your boyfriend, Niall. Ever since you've known him, you celebrated both of your birthdays with one another. His tour lead him to being in America during your birthday, which really sucked. You were both bummed out about it, he even offered to reschedule that concert, so he can be with you in Dublin, maybe even visit his family whilst already being in Ireland, you told him no. You didn't want to be selfish just because it's your birthday. Talking on the phone with him right from the moment he was awake (which was already in the afternoon for you). '' It feels weird to not be with you on your birthday, how will I survive without my birthday kisses and hugs from you? '' you ask while pouting. Niall chuckled and mimicked your put. '' I will give you your birthday kisses and hugs as soon as I see you. With extra ones for each day between your birthday and the day we see each other again. I promise. '' he gives you a smile. And you just pout harder. '' I really miss you. I can't wait to see you soon. '' checking the time, you realize it's almost time for you to start getting ready. '' Hey baby, I have to go start getting ready soon. I'll make sure Jenna calls you to FaceTime and shows you at least some concert if you're not busy. I love you and I miss you. '' as you say that, you hang up and quickly text your makeup artist, she can come over. Two minutes later, her and Jenna (your assistant and close friend) are in your dressing room, and you're getting ready. An hour later, you were done with your makeup and hair and all that was left was to put on your outfit. Ten minutes later, you were slowly making your way towards stage. Quickly texting Niall another I love you, and wishing him good luck on his own show later, you were off on the stage, the intro of your song' dress' starting to play as you were brought onto the stage. Let the fun begin.

After champagne problems, one of your favourite songs you wrote was next.

''... Don Perignon you brought it, no crowd of friends applauded

your hometown sceptics called it, champagne problems.''

'' A lot of you might not know, but this next song was inspired after I was done watching the amazing spider-man 2 for the millionth time. My love for Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield is unmatchable. Just ask my boyfriend, who's been hanging out with Tom Holland, how both of them are feeling betrayed by my love for both Amazing Spider-man's movies. This is How you get the girl. '' The intro of the song started playing and so were the screams of people.

Singing two more songs, you go get changed into a different outfit. Going back onto the stage, you're surprised that your manager Anna is standing there with a grin on her face.

'' Stand there like a ghost

Shaking from the rain

She'll open up the door and say 'are you insane?'

Say it's been long six months

And you were too afraid to tell her what you want, want...''

'' Uh-oh, manager is grinning, prepare yourselves guys, it's not going to be good. '' The crowd laughs while Anna rolls her eyes and smiles at you. '' We have a small surprise for you. '' as she says that, she points on the big screen behind you, when you turn around you are surprised to see a familiar face of one of your closest friends, Lewis Capaldi, wishing you a happy birthday and saying you guys need to go clubbing again soon. Laughing as his face fades away and the next one shows up, your very close friend and sometimes co-writer Taylor Swift, again wishing you the happiest birthday and saying how much she adores working with you and that she loves you very much. It went on for a while, all your friends and even your parents were there. Tears were falling down, and you didn't care it ruined your makeup. And then at the end there he was. My favourite face to see. Niall. '' Happiest birthday to you angel. I wish I could be there with you, just like we are always for our birthdays, but unfortunately I am not there to give you all the birthday hugs and wishes. I love you so much angel, keep rocking the world, and I will see you as soon as we can. '' At the end you were full on sobbing happy tears, hugging your manager and your band. The best surprise ever. '' I am very sorry for being a mess so publicly '' wiping your tears and thanking to whoever invented waterproof mascara for being the reason your makeup is not that ruined. '' Anyway, the show must go on, so let's go. '' picking up your acoustic guitar, adjusting it, you announce the song. ''You are in love. Let's go.''

''(...)

As the show is slowly coming to an end, and you're about to play a song that is about your boyfriend, that he inspired you to write. And Taylor helped you co-write it.

Morning, his place

Burnt toast, Sunday

You keep his shirt

He keeps his word

And for once, you let go

Of your fears and your ghosts

One step, not much

But it said enough

You kiss on side walks

You fight and you talk

One night he wakes

Strange look on his face

Pauses, then says

You're my best friend

And you knew what it was

He is in love. ''

'' Sadly, the show is slowly coming to an end. You guys were the absolute best and I adore spending my birthday with you all. This next song is literally one of the most accurate songs I've written about any of my relationship. When I got inspired by my loveliest boyfriend, I had to invite Taylor to help me write it, as we all know she is the lyrics master. Lover is one of my many nicknames I use for Niall, and I know that he's probably watching this or will watch it later, so hi Niall. '' you wave to one of the camera's while the crowd laughs. Gently, you start playing the guitar.

What you didn't know is that your boyfriend is a liar and is actually hiding with your assistant Jenna, waiting to come on the stage to surprise you. Of course, he wouldn't miss your birthday, even if he has to reschedule the concerts. You were absolutely worth it. As he waits for the part of the song he's gonna crash in, Jenna and Anna are making sure you don't accidentally notice Niall before time. The plan is for Anna to quickly distract you on one side while Niall comes out on the other side of the stage.

'' (...)

We could let our friends crash in the living room

This is our place, we make the call

And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you

I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

And ah, take me out, and take me home (forever and ever)

You're my, my, my, my

Lover '' as you sing that part, you notice Anna waving at you like a maniac, distracting you and mouthing something to you. As you're trying to figure out what is she saying, the crowd starts screaming, and you freeze as the familiar voice starts to sing the next part of the song

''Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?

With every guitar string scar on my hand...''

The song soon comes to an end, and you're bringing Niall into another hug. He just smiles and wraps his arms around your waist. '' Happy birthday, angel. I hope you don't mind me crashing. '' You just shake your head while holding him as close as you can. '' You are always welcome to crash my show. The next song is your song anyway, so you might as well stay and sing with me. '' he pulls away and looks at you. '' Let's go finish this show, so I can give you all the birthday kisses and hugs you want. ''

You turn around with your hand on your mouth, as the man himself makes his way towards you. You're in absolute shock because this man is supposed to be in America. He only laughs at your reaction as he pulls you towards him in a tight hug while still singing. Hugging him back, not wanting to let go of him. Slightly pulling away, looking him directly in his beautiful blue eyes while singing.

'' I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover

My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue

All's well that ends well to end up with you

Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover

And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me

And at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover ''

[sunspritez]

Facial Skincare Products I’ve Used Pt. 3

Part 1/ Part 2/Part 4

Junior and Senior Years + Summer Before College 2020-2022

This is where I really improve here. I looked more for products that are popular and reputable within r/SkincareAddiction and r/AsianBeauty. Also, I got more into chemical sunscreens after hearing Lab Muffin debunk sunscreen myths. Additionally, I got over my fear of acids and retinol. The products I've used are mainly fragrance and essential oil free. There are brands such as La Roche Posay, CeraVe, and Vanicream.

I still remember the day I decided to change my routine. I got fed up with the state of my face and the limitations and lies from greenwashed companies. At the time, I was using the Urban Skin Rx cleansing bar and Pacifica Dreamy Youth Cream. I went to CVS with my friend and cousin and just decided, fuck it, I'm getting that blue stuff. By that I mean the Vanicream cleanser and CeraVe lotion. And you know, good decisions were made that day. The cleanser is a staple and I've bought the lotion multiple times.

Cleansers

Ambi Skincare Even & Clear Exfoliating Wash - I didn't use this on my face, but on my body. It didn't have those microbeads most exfoliating washes had but it had something gritty. Honestly, I wanted to get PanOxyl BP cleanser instead but some lady was looking at it and I didn't want to go "excuse me" 'n stuff so I just picked this up.

Urban Skin Rx Even Tone Cleansing Bar - It came with a sponge, which ngl bothered me because sponges can harbor bacteria and bacteria can cause acne. I got this because of Dr Dray and regretted it. Inconvenient and didn’t help my own acne. I’ll stick with liquid cleansers thank you.

Vanicream  Gentle Facial Cleanser - My holy grail cleanser. It's so good at removing makeup (minus waterproof mascara) without being overly stripping. Usually, I can just use this cleanser by itself without needing to double cleanse. However this cleanser isn't the most "gentle" as far as gentle cleansers go. Like, it's not battery acid but it feels a bit "tougher." That's the only way I can describe it.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser - It was a pretty gentle cleanser. I doubled this as both cleanser and body wash. Also, the price for this cleanser was a great deal. The only problem I had with this was that it wasn't good as Vanicream when removing makeup.

Elf Skin Holy Hydration! Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm - As I'm writing this, I'm currently using it as a makeup remover. Yeah, it's pretty good at removing makeup as far as cleansing balms go. Whenever I'm rinsing this off and I open my eyes, my vision goes blurry which is :// .

Murad Environmental Shield Essential-C Cleanser - This is my mom's. I sometimes use it in the morning for a "morning boost." It's a gentle gel cleanser that smells mildly citrusy. Also very pricey. It's aight but I would not spend $42 on a cleanser.

Treatments

Peach Slices Acne Exfoliating Toner - I feel like it didn’t help a lot and sometimes it made my skin irritated after applying moisturizer. I also didn’t like the scent very much. This acne line didn’t have a good scent.

Cetaphil Deep Hydration 48 Hour Activation Serum - This did a decent job at hydrating. The consistency reminds me more of a lotion than a serum. The smell of the serum reminds me of the three-part structure of perfume: top notes, heart notes, and base notes. It had this pleasant smell at first but then it smells like my elementary school's cafeteria during summer school.

Peach Slices Deep Blemishes Microdarts - Didn’t help. Also, it struggled to stick to my skin.

Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Original - I have better luck with these than Peach Slices. Also, they’re good for already popped pimples. They really do suck out the gunk.

PanOxyl PM Overnight Spot Patches- This one also worked well and came with a lot more patches. However, it’s thinner.

Neutrogena HydroBoost Hydrating 100% Hydrogel Sheet Face Mask - This mask came in two parts: the top and bottom half. Just like in its name, it hydrated my skin. It was also thicker than regular sheet mask.

Avatara Chill Out Face Mask - I used this to prep my skin for the (my friends') school dance. It was a nice face mask for relaxing. No noticeable effects besides a little extra hydration for my skin.

Avatara Avobravo Soothing Mask - I used this one after the dance. Same thing as the chill out mask.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% - I remember walking into a Sephora in Pasadena, vegan mint chocolate chip ice cream in hand. I asked one of the employees if I could bring food inside. "No," she said. Anyways it was meh for me. I prefer the INKEY List's formula better. Also for some reason, residual niacinamide leaves behind a powder. I kinda get it cause I remember learning that serums are created with water + the powder form of an active (vit c, for example).

 The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA - I don't really have much inflammation problems for this to show its spark. I did have a nasty mosquito bite on my forehead but regardless of what I used, that bite was gonna be purple.

The Ordinary Latic Acid 10% + HA 2% - Holy grail serum. This helped smooth out my skin texture while preventing + treating my acne. It did feel tingly when I first used it and tbh I was worried because this is the 10% version, which is kinda strong. It was fiiiiiiine and my skin stopped tingling. All in all, this purchase is worth it.

The INKEY List Niacinamide - Ok tbh, I don't really see any results from niacinamide. I've settled on using it for post-shaving and I guess it helped? Ok ok I'll be honest right here. I don't use my serums consistently enough to see results (minus the lactic acid) so its my fault whoopdy doo.

Melano CC Vitamin C Brightening Essence - I liked the packaging. It's pretty innovative compared to amber jars. However, when the serum lingers around on the bottle it has a tendency to turn dark and crust over like its rust. It's also weirdly oily but watery kinda.

CeraVe Eye Repair Cream - It's just a moisturizer.

Moisturizers

Peach Slices Acne Oil Free Moisturizer - I didn’t use this enough to see a difference. It was mostly for my body. Surprisingly a lot more moisturizing than I anticipated. Although it had 2% salicylic acid, there were a bunch of soothing ingredients like allantoin, niacinamide, and Centella, which was nice.

CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion - Like Cetaphil, you get a lot of product for a low price. This would last me at least 5 months of daily + nightly use. It's good for summer/fall weather but not that great when it gets cold and dry. It's a bit thinner than Cetpahil but you could try layering it or adding an oil.

La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer - Very moisturizing and kinda thick. I wished it wasn't too expensive, however.

Eucerin Redness Relief Night Creme - One of my favorite moisturizers. It's so underrated. I had a bit of redness on my nose from where I popped a milia. After applying the moisturizer, the redness was gone the next day. It's a gel cream so it's lightweight, yet moisturizing.

Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer - This was good at moisturizing but for some reason, it kept stinging my skin. I looked up the ingredients but none of them are irritants. I would not reuse this.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion - This is a bit on the richer side. This is one my favorite lotions. It's so moisturizing and although it feels a bit heavy at first, it sinks in fast and becomes lightweight. This would sting my skin if I exfoliate a little too often. It was like an indicator that I need to calm down with that Peach Slices toner lol.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream - I got this during the holiday season the Sephora in JCPenny. It has this weird eucalyptus smell --something I did not expect. It was pretty rich and good for the cold times but probably too much for the summer.

Up&Up PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion - It's pretty lightweight and I was unfortunate to use this in December, where it's dry and cold. I'd say this is good for the hotter months.

COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream - I'm not a fan of this. I bought this from a K-Beauty kiosk at the mall and thought I might like this because I know that COSRX's snail mucin essence is a holy grail for people on the r/AsianBeauty subreddit. So I thought the cream might also be great. Nah. The consistency reminded me of slime and it felt tacky after application. It also made me break out a bit.

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Hydrating Treatment Mask - This was given to me by a friend. I didn't like this at first. It was moisturizing, but I didn't like the matte feeling once it sunk in. I did eventually grow to love this after using it more and more every night. When I finished this up and went back to Eucerin, my skin missed its richness.

Elf Skin Happy Hydration Cream - It's a lightweight moisturizer that dries down matte. Not too matte where it feels dry and tight.

Elf Skin Dope Dreams Sleeping Mask - I was surprised to find jojoba beads in it. It was kinda jarring? You usually see these beads in those wash-off scrubs but this didn't feel abrasive at all. It's rich and moisturizing but isn't heavy at all. No, it did not give me dope dreams. Loved this

CeraVe Healing Ointment - It made my lips look plumped. i think it's because of the hyaluronic acid. I didn't really like it because it didn't have much-staying power and left my lips feeling dry once again.

Aquaphor Healing Ointment - Better than vaseline. It's a bit more moisturizing and feels comfortable on my lips. Not very healthy but I can feel it's "shield."

Mom's Stuff

Olay Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer - I actually liked this. It smelt nice, it was moisturizing but not heavy, and it had a nice consistency. I wouldn't buy this myself considering its price.

Olay Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer Spf 25 - Same thing as the one without spf.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost City Shield Water Gel Spf 25 - It had that familiar heavy feeling from sunscreens but it was toleratable and kinda lightweight.

No.7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Day Cream Spf 30 - Same thing as the Neutrogena shield water gel but more moisturizing.

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Face Cream - This is my first time ever trying retinol, or at least something with retinol as the star ingredient. It made my face kinda warm and tingly. It didn't irritate my face that much though. I had no wrinkles so a portion of the cream was wasted on me.

Sunscreens

Purito Centella Green Level Unscented Sunscreen SPF “50” - Quite the controversial sunscreen we have here. At the time I got this, this sunscreen was wildly beloved for providing adequate protection while simultaneously feeling like a lightweight moisturizer. Such a shame that lab tests revealed it only had the spf protection of 19. It also stung my face a bit.

La Roche Posay Anthelios Melt in Milk Sunscreen SPF 60 - Probably the most expensive sunscreen I’ll ever own. It was about $35.99 at CVS. It was thick and greasy upon application but it dries down with a velvet finish. It had a slight white cast after application but it disappears after five minutes. You do need to let it dry out a bit before doing some heavy exercise. One time I went out for a run and came back home to see my face covered in white streaks of sunscreen. Also, it made me a bit shiny after application.

DRMTLGY Broad Spectrum SPF 45 - I got this because Dr. Dray was raving about how good this sunscreen is, so my gremlin brain told me I had to have this. This was my replacement after I ran out of the LRP sunscreen. It was pretty great. It had the consistence of a lightweight lotion and gave me no white cast.

EVERYDAY HUMANS Oh my Bod! SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion - Technically it’s for the body but it worked so well on my face. It was kind of greasy upon application and it did sting my skin occasionally. But there was no white cast and it wasn’t heavy.