Growing Up and Glowing Up

I’m super thrilled about my new job- getting to do super interesting work for a cause I believe in, meeting fascinating intelligent people, and getting to take advantage of some really great work-culture benefits. I miss my friends from my old job, but this definitely feels like a great next step in my career.

As part of feeling like I’m stepping into a big-girl job though, I’m trying to present myself in a more polished way. I was able to get away with t-shirts and no makeup at my last job and as a researcher, it was totally fine. My new office is still casual, but I now work extensively with more senior officers- I don’t want to look like that stereotypical sloppy millennial who will never be able to afford a house because I’m too busy buying my horse things he doesn’t need eating avocado toast.

Even though that describes me in a nutshell.

A big step for me was getting the damn haircut. I looked like a sister wife. It wasn’t just “oh I grew my hair out” long, it was “I joined a cult and now showing my ankles is a sin” long. So taking care of that was a step in the right direction.

Here’s the haircut but more importantly, I have a desk fountain now.

I also went ahead and got some new clothes from Target. Guys, their new stuff is AWESOME. My rules for work clothes are (1) no dry cleaning and (2) it has to be comfortable. So I swapped out some of my more tired pieces and got some cute stuff to wear to work that makes me feel more put-together.

The last piece of the puzzle was updating my makeup game. This one was harder for me-most days I’m up at 6:45, out the door by 7:30 to get to work, and it’s not unusual for me to stroll back into the house close to 9:30pm. And while I don’t need my makeup to last at the barn, I do need it to last from when I apply it at 7am until at least 5ish when I leave the office. Usually closer to 5:30pm. So I need stuff that will go the distance with me.

Lo and behold- as soon as I started thinking about this, Alli from Rocking E Cowgirl just so happened to be offering some lip products for testing and reviewing! I’m not one to question the universe when things line up like that, so I happily participated in testing the Senegence Lipsense in the Apple Cider color.

My main criteria I needed in order to be happy with it were:

1. It has to last all day with minimal work (I am lazy and won’t do touch ups)
2. I don’t want dry flaky lips
3. Seriously, don’t make me touch it up
4. The color has to be versatile because I really don’t want to carry 20 different lipsticks in my purse

I’ve been using it for a few months now, and I’m really happy with it! I don’t get any of the dry lips that I usually get with other long-lasting lip colors, the color is just enough without being too flashy, and I’d definitely consider it long-lasting.

Perfectly intact by the time I made it to the barn at 6pm

The gloss that goes on top definitely needs touching up throughout the day, but I tend to go for more of a matte look at work anyways. The color doesn’t budge through coffee, water bottles, lunch, etc.

I will note that it takes a bit of time to apply properly- it’s not the type of lipstick you can swipe and go. On days that I’m in a rush and I don’t have the time to apply it properly, it comes off much more easily. Alli was super awesome about giving me a little tutorial on how to apply it correctly, and when I do that it will honestly stay put until I use makeup remover before bed.

Overall, I’d give this product a solid 4/5, with the only ding being the time it takes to apply.

Go ahead and contact Alli at rockingeboarding@gmail.com if you’d like more information, or if you’re interested in ordering some of your own!