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So, we’re all a little cheap, right? I know I am. I only like to splurge on a few things, and makeup usually isn’t one of them (but coffee is). Here’s a list of my favorite drugstore makeup products and why I love them so much! (and yes, I drew avocados just for taking pictures).

1. Fit Me Matte Foundation

If you have oily skin, this is a god-send for sure! It’s not super cakey and doesn’t dry your skin out, but it does keep it from shining all day long. You can find this almost anywhere and it’s usually around $6 a bottle, which lasts a pretty long while because you don’t need a ton of it for good coverage.

2. Covergirl Mascara

Covergirl has always had a good reputation, right? It’s even better with this mascara. Used alone, it will bring you some considerable length; when used on top of another mascara, it adds more length and volume! (and, pro tip, if you have waterproof mascara and you put a non-waterproof mascara on top of it, it makes it easier to take off!). You can also find this about anywhere, and it usually costs about $6-7.

3. Hard Candy Translucent Powder

Since my skin has dried out a lot, I don’t use this much anymore, but if you can’t, or don’t, use matte foundation but you want a more matte look, this is bomb. You also don’t have to worry about color matching either since it’s a white powder. It runs $6 at Walmart and lasts FOREVER. However, use this sparingly because it can cause some foundations cakey.

4. Broadway Matte Primer

This is a great, cheaper primer that feels oddly satisfying when being rubbed on (to me at least). You can’t feel it at all on your face, and it’s easily covered. It is a smaller tube, but it does last a decent amount of time. The Dollar General is where I usually get this for around $4.

5. True Matte Lipstick

Who doesn’t love matte lipstick? I know I do! This is nice, cheaper matte lipstick that comes in a variety of shades (I have blue, black, bright red, and purple). It’s not super drying either like a lot of matte lipsticks I’ve tried. So, if you’re wanting to live a little on the edge, you can get these for super cheap! They’re around $3 a stick.

6. L.A. Colors Eyeshadow

So many colors! Of course, these aren’t as pigmented as most higher-end eyeshadows, but they do the job! They have nude colors and then they have the palette I have–which has 16 different, glittery shades from black to green to a creme color. I’d recommend it; I used the green when I was going to the Twenty-One Pilot concert I wrote about previously, and it stayed on the entire time! I found mine at Dollar General for $5.

6. NYX BB Cream

Yes, I know this isn’t “drugstore,” but it’s not expensive at all! It’s around $7.50 at Ulta, and I’ve had this bottle for around 3 months so far (with around 2/3 of a tube left!). They don’t have a wide variety of shades yet because, from what I read, it’s newer to the Ulta store in Clarksville. But the coverage is amazing, and I usually don’t use foundation over it (great if you have drier skin).

8. NYX “Gotcha Covered” Concealer

This isn’t “drugstore” either, but it pairs well with the NYX BB Cream! These are also in limited shades (or they were when I bought it), but they blend easily with whatever foundation you have. I’ve had this tube for around 6 months now and still have a decent amount! It ranges from $3 (NYX website) to $10 (Amazon) but does last a long time and can also be found at Walmart and Ulta.

Always,

Ann Welk

We all love traveling, right? I know I do. I traveled down to Chattanooga during the end of March for a HOSA competition trip. Besides the thrill of having to compete against other HOSA members across the state, the most exciting part is the food! We didn’t eat out a ton, but this also wasn’t my first trip to Chatt, and so I have compiled a small list of some of the best places to eat, depending on what suits you at the moment.

1. Urban Stack

Urban Stack is a gourmet burger place, and, man, oh, man is it delicious! While the burgers are around $7.50-9.00 a burger, it’s totally worth it. The burgers are huge! They have a variety of burgers, too. When I went I had the Steakhouse Burger (bacon, onion rings, BBQ sauce…) and my boyfriend had the Fried Pimento Cheese Burger (I couldn’t tell you what was on it besides pimento cheese, lol). They serve Coke products, have a great wait staff, and do not take long to make your food whatsoever. The building is very rustic/old industrial looking, and they play music that you typically wouldn’t hear at a restaurant (like they played Franz Ferdinand, Weezer, etc.). They also serve Coke products here.

2. Tupelo Honey

Tupelo Honey is more of a southern cooking cafe located in Warehouse Row, and honey is the exact way to describe the color of this place! It’s a very cozy cafe that includes a bar and outside seating. They serve southern food with a twist and have some of the best biscuits. I tried the hot chicken sandwich (I know, very outside of the box) when I was there, and it was great. The only downside is they are a little more on the expensive side; I believe my food alone was around $16-18. However, if price isn’t a concern and you just want a little niche with some bomb food, this is where to go.

3. Community Pie

If you enjoy New York Style pizza or you’re just in the mood for something different from Pepperoni, Community Pie is your place! This place sells whole pizzas and by the slice and isn’t afraid to step outside the box when it comes to toppings. When I ate here, both times, I got the Drunken Pig pizza, which has spicy sausage, vodka pizza sauce, and melted cheese everywhere. There are a few other types I tried, but I can’t remember their names. They even have a vegetable pizza here that’s absolutely delicious! The wait staff here is great, even though our waiter did spill water on me when we went the last time; it was all in good nature, and we all laughed it off. And better than all that, they have Detroit style pizza and different types of pasta as well for not real expensive prices.

4. Two Ten Jack

Just a warning: this place is expensive. Located behind Warehouse Row, it’s a little hard to find on first glance. Keep looking; you’ll get there. This a good Japanese place for people who enjoy Ramen, or have never tried actual ramen. And don’t fret if you can’t read the menu well or don’t know what something is–the wait staff is well trained and will answer any questions you have. They primarily serve water but will ask you if you want something else. Foods they serve also include salads and small dishes, such as fried pork dumplings (which were delicious), and bento boxes. Bigger plates, like the bento boxes and ramen, however, run for about $15 a plate. A good idea, one that my boyfriend and I did, is if you go with multiple people (like 2 really), have one person order one of the small plates and another order a big plate or ramen. The ramen fed both of us well with only one bowl.

5. Mellow Mushroom

Like all the other Mellow Mushrooms, this is a good one for pizza lovers and for people who want a pizza taste without the actual pizza. There’s nothing extremely special about this one, besides the front roof made out of Coke bottle tops, but I’ve always loved Mellow Mushroom’s vivid atmosphere and delicious food.

6. The Gilman Grill

I didn’t personally eat here, but my hotel roommates did, and they LOVED it! They said the prices were good and they offered a variety of Italian foods. Not only that, but they said it was very filling, and the inside was gorgeous; plus, if you stay at the Westin like we did, then it’s literally across the street! Very cute and quaint; I’d say it’s worth a try!

7. Ben and Jerry’s

Of course, I have to end this list on a *sweet* note! The downtown Chattanooga Ben and Jerry’s is so cute, has a little brick couch outside of it, and is a great place to stop before/ after going to the Chattanooga Aquarium! I’ve always been an ice cream lover, and this is one of the few places that serve coffee ice cream (my favorite!). For around $6.50-7 for a big waffle cone and $4.50 for a paper bowl, this is definitely a great place for a sweet treat! Did I mention they also make milkshakes?

This definitely isn’t an all-inclusive list since there’s way too many restaurants just in downtown Chattanooga to try them all in a mere two visits. But these were my favorites of the ones I’ve tried and I’d recommend them to anybody! If anyone else has anymore they’d like to add to the list, be my guest! As I travel more, there may be an updated list.

Always,

Ann Welk

If you are contemplating going to a concert this year, I highly recommend you go! I went to a Twenty One Pilots concert back in October of last year, and it was one of the best experiences of my life! The energy was out of this world, and even before this concert was a fun time. I saw them with my boyfriend at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN, and even though it was the first leg of their tour, it was still a blast.

They sang some of their really old songs (like Taxi Cab) and a lot of other songs that weren’t on the online set list. Tyler was cracking jokes with us the entire time, and they used both the A and B stage during their performance. Tyler crowd-surfed and Josh played his drums on the crowd platform. Confetti was everywhere! Everyone was super friendly with each other and they even passed out yellow slips of paper to put in front of our flashlights to shine during Jumpsuit.

Before the concert, we went around Nashville and ate at The Merchants (which is a little more expensive but totally worth it). Overall, the energy was high, and it’s a whole new feeling to hear a whole arena sing together a song that means something to them. Josh even did his honorary backflip off the piano during Holding Onto You. That concert also showed me that I wanted to pursue music, that this is what I really wanted out of life. While not every concert will be like this, I hope this inspired you to go to a concert you’ve been debating. They are so worth the money and possibly the time to get there. Enjoy some of my pictures from the concert.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton