Autumn Aesthetic

Hello, fall. I don't know how fall usually is in your neck of the woods, but it seems to have found mine a bit earlier than normal, and we're already starting to see bits and pieces of fall creeping in. Usually it doesn't get cold until around Halloween, but the sun's going down earlier everyday (which does wonders for my seasonal affective disorder, as you can imagine lol) and the nights are already getting colder. As a result, the instinct that I get every fall to enter my cocoon and hibernate is already starting to come out. 

Fashion: low-top Converses and sneakers, plaid tops, bomber and military jackets, dark floral patterns, ripped and cropped jeans, high-waisted skinnies, snug caps and beanies, hoodies, booties and flat boots

When I had the idea to do a fall inspiration post last year, the things I'd selected seemed so quintessentially fall that I wasn't sure how I could create a post this year without repeating everything I'd already said. I wasn't sure that other things would inspire me for the season, but lo and behold, this year's list is drastically different. Last year I was really into pin-straight hair, structured pieces, and faux leather leggings and moto jackets. This year is much more basic and simple. 

Hair: darker colors, preferably a dark red or plum mixed with black, medium-length, messy casual styles

The darker trend has bled over to my hair, where I have yet again changed my mind on the color. Every season this year has gotten me interested in a totally different style and color. I wanted something short and light-colored in the spring, summer made me want something on the redder side (which I got and loved...for awhile lol), and now I'd like to get back to darker colors. I've had my eye on something dark purple with black undertones for a little while now and I'm not sure if I'll end up getting it or not, but that's what I've been on. No particular hairstyles in mind but I've been digging longer hair again.

Beauty: heavily arched brows, dark, matte lips, matte skin, smokey brown/copper-toned shadows, long lashes

With makeup, of course I'm digging the dark lip. What's fall without a dark lipcolor, right? Usually, I'd go for a dark red lip but I've been feeling adventurous this year (I've found that intense boredom and a 30th birthday on the horizon can awaken a long-sleeping wild streak) and to my surprise, I've been more into looks with deep purple, navy and even black lips. Fall, of course, marks the inclusion of orange and brown lip looks. As you can see from this collage (in which I had to include three of my YT faves because duh lol), there are a few things that stick out: heavily arched brows, dark, matte lips, smokey brown/copper-toned shadows and long lashes. I love the mix of looks in this collage, even though at first glance many of them look the same. There's something simple but dramatic about them and with the holidays coming up, many of these looks can be substituted if glittery, flashy looks aren't your style.

Headspace: cozy evenings, darker-themed photography, nature, books

Autumn Cozy (this is the first fall-themed site I found when I first wanted to do this post last fall; its still one of my favorites)

Late Autumn Nights 

Autumn for Always

Autumn Photos

Love Me Like the Autumn

Fallen Leaves, Pumpkin Pies and Cozy Weather

Tumblr is probably the best source for visual inspiration during the colder months and holidays. I love these sites for a bunch of different reasons but if you're a visual person like I am, then you might understand why these sites embody my aesthetic for the season. OAN, you have no idea how pleased I am that the word 'aesthetic' is something people actually use in daily conversation now. I'm the asshole that uses big words and other phrases that typically aren't in everyday conversation (I'm not trying to be pompous when I do it, it's just how I speak) so when I'd say 'aesthetic' before, people would give me the "Really?" face. They often looked like this 😒 and I had to use a different word for it. Now that it's 'in' though, I'm here for it. Anyway, here are some sites you should check out if you're struggling to get in a fall state of mind. It was one of these sites, actually, that I got the post header photo from and the collage is actually of all of those sites. The photography is darker, has a more solitary vibe, and puts out the perfect vibe for all that fall is about.

--mini pumpkins, lights and leaf-themed accents, rustic accessories and touches

 1. Glittery Pumpkin Candle Holders, Twig and Thistle
 2. Fall and Halloween Lanterns, Midwest Living (although you could leave the candles out and just fill each one with seasonally appropriate things like mini pumpkins, candy corn and/or acorns)
 3. Fall Wreath, Artsy Chicks Rule

 4. Celestial Pumpkins, Martha Stewart

 5. Sweater Pillows, Tidbits

 6. Hello Fall Door Hanger, Silhouette Blog

 7. Cranberry and Acorn Filled Hurricanes
 8. Pumpkin and Vine Centerpiece, Midwest Living
 9. Large Floor Pillows, Brit+Co.
10. Autumn Leaf Mason Jar Candle Holders, Spark and Chemistry

My goal for the colder months is, at some point, to create a cozy cocoon of comfort that I can read and sleep in. Most people would refer to said cozy cocoon of comfort as their bed, but I'm determined to bring my childhood love of forts into adulthood. Does a woman in spitting distance of her 30s really need a fort, tent or anything similar? Probably not. But I do what I want. 😎 Either way, this cozy cocoon starts with the smaller stuff, like the knitted sweater pillows and oversized floor cushions in this season's inspiration. 

--sweet, musky, food and spice-related scents

Apartment Therapy--DIY Natural Home Fresheners

Usually, by the time fall comes around I've had about all of the fruity/floral/ocean I can stand for a little while so I welcome. lol These candles are now off-season so I didn't include the links to any of them, but you can probably find them for resale on eBay or Amazon. My absolute favorite of these candles is Marshmallow Fireside. It has a woodsy, toasty smell with a hint of sweetness that rounds out the scent notes and I love it. If you burn it with something, burn it with Pumpkin Pecan Waffles. The woodsy notes in Marshmallow Fireside tone down the sweetness of the pumpkin candle, and together they make a lovely mix. Set them on top of a warm surface while they burn; they enhance the smell.

Earlier this year, I did a post about natural DIY cleaners and fresheners. I thought I'd add on a small collection of fall-specific home fresheners in case candles aren't your thing. You just combine the ingredients and let them simmer in a pot. Super easy, no chemicals involved, and they smell great to boot. Maybe a little misleading to those who'll come in thinking you're making food LOL, but they'll be fine.

--spice blends, apple cider (which I find funny since I don't really like apple cider lol) chais and hot teas, cranberries and apples, pumpkins, potatoes (Russets and sweet), chilis and soups

Last year during Octoberfest, an annual promotion on my vintage site (which I'm doing again this year so please go check it out!) I did a post on the flavors I associated most with fall, so I wanted to try that out over here. For me, fall evokes a list of specific flavors and tastes in addition to the types of food I include, probably because the flavors change so drastically from summer to fall. Rather than grilled meats and specific dishes for summer, I think of particular spices and flavors. Pumpkin, pecans, sweet potatoes and apples are at the top of the list for me. This is also when my two favorite types of pie (the only two kinds of pie I'll eat, actually lol) become available again. What I love about this collage is that nearly everything in it is compatible with each other and there are quite a few dishes that can be created from the different combinations. Here are some meal options that remind me of the season. They aren't in the collage as this particular season for me is more about specific flavors, but in case the same is not true for you I included a handful of recipes anyway. 

Slow Cooker Chili, Fine Cooking
Basic Chai, Monterey Bay Spice Company
Calley's Sweet Potato Pie, Food Network
Baked Macaroni and Cheese for One, Allrecipes
Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Food Network
Decadent Pecan Pie, Betty Crocker

--relaxing ambient music, songs with softer notes

Autumn brings out that first instinct to hibernate and even though I've been too busy (or having health problems) to indulge, I want to burrow myself in a fort with a bunch of books and some music. I wish I could describe the type of music I find myself gravitating towards, but it makes no sense when I say it aloud. lol The closest I could get was soft, relaxing ambient music. I like the hype, loud beats during the summer and I don't mind it at times during fall, but for the most part I find myself moving towards quieter music. Some of it is so slow, so quiet, that it's borderline depressing lol, but here's a small fall playlist I threw together so you can see what I mean:

The main playlist is from Spotify but the one I created is from my song list on SoundCloud. If you're trying to find new music and liked any of the songs off of my playlist, I'd suggest SoundCloud to help you find more music in the same vein. Spotify, of course, has a larger library to look at, but there's a lot of great underground music that isn't on there yet. 

So that does it for this season's inspiration. The "See" and "Hear" portions of this inspo board were probably my favorites as they are the senses I probably use the most, but I also just liked the end result that I got in the post. If your mind is struggling to transition from summer to fall, I hope this helped get you in the right state of mind. I don't have much else to add here so per usual, I hope you enjoyed this post and I'll see you soon!

Read More »

Deadspeak

Hi! Today I'm reviewing the YA suspense novel Deadspeak by Ruth Bainbridge. I received this book the way I receive most of the books I review here, through LibraryThing's Members Giveaway program, in exchange for an unbiased review. As I've mentioned before, I'm working my way through an extremely long backlog of unread/unreviewed books that I've won from LT, so you'll be seeing this disclaimer at the top of quite a few upcoming book reviews. But with that out of the way, let's get to the book. 

What's the book about?

Thirteen-year-old Griffin Lindon is beautiful, bright and bubbly. Unfortunately, she's also dead but can't figure out how it happened. Kimberly Trent is a rookie detective in the local police force who gets assigned to Griff's case. The girl's death brings a few of Kim's skeletons to light, namely the murder of her sister many years before. Kimberly and Griffin work together to try to get to the bottom of her murder and find themselves in a situation larger than either of them anticipated.


What I liked:

--It sounds morbid, but I liked that Griff's story while she was alive was entirely in the prologue. It didn't take me long at all to become invested in her and I think it would have been worse had it been dragged out.

--I liked that the real killer not only wasn't obvious, but didn't get a ton of attention throughout the book. The book didn't focus exclusively on the killer's identity because there were so many other viable suspects, which I think was a good tactic as it allowed other plotlines to develop.

--I liked that for such a young person, Griff was as mature and self-aware as she was. She wasn't written as a typical teenager at all (which I'm sure was partially the point when highlighting the injustice of her murder) but I enjoyed that she still, even as a spirit, went through her own struggles with questioning and later having to accept various things.

--I really liked that despite being a spirit, Griff wasn't invincible, all-knowing or all-feeling. It really was an entirely different world for her on the other side, one that strangely enough was just as alive as the living. She didn't suddenly inherit all of these insane powers and couldn't do a bunch of mind-boggling paranormal things but wasn't just this wandering, moaning blob of displaced energy, either. The book didn't employ those stereotypes. There was a liveliness with the character of Griff that I really enjoyed, something..unfinished..about her life, even presently as a spirit, and I loved how that was done.

--Since I know this isn't a standalone book, I wasn't expecting every question to be answered, but I did appreciate that most of the plot as it related specifically to Deadspeak was resolved by the end.

--I loved the entire explanation and reveal of the killer's deeds. Because of all of the false leads, it was easy to get caught up in certain characters' stories and trying to figure out the hows, whens and whys as the reader explored whether or not a particular person killed Griff. The true story was all in the details, and I loved that I didn't catch most of said details until the reveal.

--On a basic level, I liked the concept of the book. I loved that there were two lead heroines in this story and I always love stories that bridge the gap between the living and the dead, but mostly I like how Ruth Bainbridge chose to bring those things together. Things that normally wouldn't be connected were strung together by one common thread, a believable thread, and it worked for both Deadspeak and other books to come in the series.


What I didn't like:

--I wasn't crazy about how long it took for the killer to be revealed. Even though I enjoyed all of the red herrings because they brought out such a fuller story, they dragged on a little long for me. I think this complaint is more about my impatience than anything else, but I felt a few scenes could have been condensed a little without taking away from the story.

--I didn't really care for Kim's attitude towards her former friend and his grandmother despite Kim knowing the woman's predictions were accurate. I understood that she was running from something but when the answer for why she really avoided the man was revealed, I realized she wasn't taking any responsibility for her own feelings.

--I also wasn't crazy about her continued lies to others who knew about her ability to see Griff, even when she knew that the person asking really needed the answer she could have provided. I suppose that much like the point above, she was running from her truth and felt denial would be easier, but either way I really would have liked to see her give a little validation to those who were seeking it from her.

--I struggled to see the logic in Derek's full reason for being so evasive with the detectives. I understood his feelings, but I didn't think the reason was important enough to warrant him being so secretive about it, especially after the death of someone he considered a close friend.


Overall;

I thought Deadspeak was an amazing book. The main characters have an energy together that I hope is strengthened as the series continues. I loved Griff to pieces and my only regret with her character is that she had to die in order for the story to truly blossom. To be quite frank, I wasn't that fond of Kim for the majority of the book, but I came to understand that many of my complaints about her character should have been there because she was growing. Deadspeak, on Kim's half of the story, seems to be about how Griff's murder starts a snowball effect of growth, acceptance and change in her life. I noticed a lot of attention towards the walls she erected around herself, how much of her truth she seemed to run from and how certain decisions still haunt her, decades later. So from my (probably blurry) view, it seems as though we're getting a raw Kim, and smaller complaints like the ones I mentioned are (hopefully) intentional because she still needs to grow. I'm a big Agatha Christie fan, and when I thought about the skeleton of Deadspeak, it reminded me a bit of a classic mystery, a cast full of viable suspects with something to hide, but the author was able to make it her own. I think the plot was well-written and fleshed out enough to tell Griff's story, but there was enough story left behind to believably make this a series. I didn't notice too many grammatical errors and everything was clear and descriptive enough for me to follow along easily. If you like YA books with a modern take on a classic mystery, check out Deadspeak.


Where can I buy a copy?

Amazon


Contact the author here!

Facebook |  Twitter | Goodreads | Blog (hasn't been updated in awhile)

Read More »

The Secrets of Tree Taylor

Hi! I hope you haven't gotten tired of all the book reviews I've been posting lately. To be honest though, I've really been enjoying it. I was looking for a book to fulfill one of the items on my Reading Challenge when I came across The Secrets of Tree Taylor by Dandi Daley Mackall. The books I post here are usually ones I was asked to review so it was kind of cool to be able to choose the book myself and read it without the requirement of reviewing it afterward. But here I am, reviewing it anyway. LOL So let me tell you about the book.

What's it about? 

It's the summer of 1963, and life seems to be moving along per usual for the small town of Hamilton, Missouri. Thirteen-year-old Tree Taylor has her eyes on the future, namely, the freshman position on the high school's local journalism staff, and having to beat out a rival in order to do so. This same rival has her eyes on the boy Tree likes as well, so there's that. She wants to experience her first real kiss by a boy and she wants to write an article worth taking notice of, which parlays into her primary goal of getting on the high school's paper staff. Out of nowhere on a quiet weekend morning, however, a gunshot goes off, throwing off Tree's entire plan. But the events of that morning are a mystery, with certain people (and one Tree didn't expect) seemingly keeping important secrets. Tree initially makes it her goal to find out by writing an investigative article on the shooting, but she soon realizes that there is a lot of gray area when it comes to being honest about something and being right. 

What I liked:

--I liked the flow of the book. It wasn't this fast-paced, drama-filled whodunnit with a bunch of red herrings. It was a sleepy (and I mean that in terms of the energy in small towns, not as a knock on the book), slow-paced book that allowed for all of the other stories to develop. It seemed to be written as a peek into what life was like that summer for Tree and others she interacted with, so while the events may have sounded like they were going to progress quickly, it actually had a more sleepy, relaxed feel. I think for me, the flow of the book mirrored the feel of the town and I liked that a lot. 

--I loved that the author didn't feel the need to keep reminding us that Tree was only thirteen or write as though the age difference between the reader and Tree was obvious. Tree wasn't a stupid girl and I appreciate that the author didn't think the reader was either. Some books that focus on coming-of-age with younger characters create an entirely different conversational style that further drives home the point that the main character is younger, and it ends up coming off as sort of condescending to the characters, if that makes any sense. 

--I liked the author's writing style. It was direct, without a bunch of complicated speech and conversations between characters. It was simple human dialogue, the way many of us talk in our everyday lives. The accents weren't comically exaggerated to illustrate the status of certain people vs others; those too were realistic. 

--I liked that Tree's growth was gradual. She didn't all of a sudden have the answers she needed, and it wasn't a straight, easy route to getting to those answers either. It was a realistic sort of growth that was both gradual and confusing for her and I enjoyed both trying to figure it out for myself and watching reading about her doing the same.  

--I enjoyed that the thought patterns and mentalities of that time were employed in an accurate and not campy way. Sometimes when reading dated books, the dialogue and settings seem like cliches and those can come off as rather campy. This one didn't come off that way at all and I liked that. 

What I didn't like:

--I wish we'd had a little more backstory on Wanda and Ray, and why he let her cling on to him the way she did. 

--Without mentioning spoilers, one of the plot elements that drives the book isn't completely resolved at the end. While I think it was good to illustrate that this particular element wasn't the primary point of the book,it also doesn't feel completely explained. 

--This isn't a complaint about the book, but I hated that one of my favorite characters in the book had such a sad resolution. I apologize for the vagueness but I'm trying not to include spoilers. I was hoping that something would develop at a later point with this and another of the main characters because the chemistry seemed to be there for it, but no such luck. 

Overall:

Overall, I thought this book was great. If I had to sum up what I thought about it in one word, I'd pick 'honest.' I say honest because nothing felt like a caricature or parody of events. Like I said above, the entire book felt like a peek into what life was like that summer for a number of people Tree interacted with rather than being solely about her. You would think that the gunshot going off would drive the book in a particular direction and consume the book but it actually goes in another direction entirely, taking the reader on quite the ride by the end. I liked that the story involved a number of people in the town and what they were experiencing; the manner in which the townspeople were introduced didn't clash with who I felt the main characters were. It painted a very full picture of Hamilton that I liked. Tree had to learn some important lessons about a few things--herself, her idea of honesty and justice, and the often gray area between those two things. The events of that summer likely changed Tree's mentality by exposing her to the truth outside of the idyllic childhood that she probably hadn't yet realized she'd had. Some people didn't quite have it as good as she did, and anyone, even those we trust, can keep secrets. Sometimes doing the right thing isn't always easy, and life can change at the drop of a hat, and not always favorably. Tree needed to make those observations for herself and I think that was the true coming-of-age part of the story, as it planted the seeds for her to become a true journalist later. Historically, the book was accurate and while I first wondered, "Why 1963?" by the end of the book I was glad that was the year chosen. Secrets feels like the quiet before the storm for America in so many ways, and a teenage girl having her eyes opened to the ugly truths of life shortly beforehand I'm sure helped to usher in the painful years following it. I'd never thought of what life must have been like in the early days of the Vietnam war and this gave me a really good look into how war shapes a country, down to the smallest, quietest towns. The Secrets of Tree Taylor goes much more in-depth than it initially sounds, through the eyes of a girl taking her first steps into womanhood during what becomes a very conflicted, scary period of time. I loved it and recommend it to you if you like the mysteries in a small town, or you're into coming-of-age stories that go against what the synopsis suggests they'll be about. If you're looking for a fast-paced whodunnit, however, this isn't the book for you. 

Where can I buy a copy?

I picked this up at my local Dollar Tree for $1.00, but if you'd rather have an e-version of the book, it's available on Kindle for $6.99. 

Contact the author here!

Website | Facebook

Read More »

Kleancolor Classic Nude Eyeshadow Palette

Hi! I'm reviewing another makeup palette today; this one the Kleancolor Classic Nude Eyeshadow Palette. I received this from Makeup Tutorials, the site I received the City Color Nudes Palette I reviewed a couple of months ago.

So how'd I get it?

I entered a contest Makeup Tutorials was having in early August and after entering, you first get the option to share the contest with others to get more entries, then you get offered a site-exclusive makeup product if you pay the shipping. I entered a contest to win the much-buzzed Artis Brush set, and was offered a nude shadow palette if I paid shipping costs. I wish I'd gotten a screenshot of the palette they showed because it looked so beautiful and that's why I ordered. I received the Kleancolor palette a few days later and to be honest, I was a little disappointed. The images in the preview were a bit different than the palette I later received (maybe color brightening filters?) and I haven't had many good experiences with Kleancolor palettes so I was underwhelmed. But before I get to the palette itself, let's run through the quick deets first.

How much was it?

Because I ordered it as part of a contest, I only had to cover the shipping costs, which were $5.00. If you'd like to order the palette from Kleancolor's website, you'll be paying around $10.99. 

Have I used this brand of products before?

I used to buy Kleancolor products because they were cheap but stopped using them because I didn't like them. I own a couple of them now but I only use them during Halloween. I still use Kleancolor nail polishes, which retail for $1 at a local store. 

Where can I buy Kleancolor products?

I can usually find Kleancolor products at a local beauty/jewelry store called The Jewelry Box. That's the only store that carries most of the Kleancolor nail polish line. I might occasionally find a couple of products at a local dollar store, but I'd suggest buying directly from Kleancolor's website if you're interested in the products because there's a lot more available. 

Now that we've got the quick deets out of the way, let's crack into the palette! 

I try to keep my makeup reviews filter-less so that you can see how they truly photograph, but this picture was pulling a little dull on all of the shades so I have Aviary's food enhancement filter on it. All of the other photos are unfiltered. Anyway, the Classic Nude palette is a 24-color variety of matte and shimmery nude shadows. I swatched all 24 shades and I included how the pigment shows up on three different skintones, which you'll see below in the swatches. There's a mix between lighter and darker colors, but because the color payoff isn't consistent on every skintone, I wanted to show all of them so you could decide for yourself. 

Swatches

I'm still trying to figure out how I want to do my swatches, so please bear with me while I try things out and decide what I like. I knew I wanted to start including more skintones in my beauty reviews, but thankfully I didn't have to look far to find my subjects. None of them read the blog but big thanks to my mom (middle) and sister-in-law (top), and even bigger thanks to my little brother (heehee) for letting me borrow your arms so I could rub eyeshadow all over 'em. lol Both sets of swatches were done outdoors, but the left side is in direct sunlight, while the right was under some shade. 

Direct sunlight makes this row look a lot more vivid on all skintones, but I noticed that many of the shades looked the same on light and medium skintones. I was really surprised at how different the last color looked on the different skintones; if you zoom into the picture it looks charcoal on the top, a metallic gray/blue in the middle, and a shimmery gray on bottom. This row seems to have a lot of similar colors in it. 

My absolute favorite color in the entire palette is the gold, which is the third swatch from the left. I love the way it pops on medium and darker skintones. It washes out on lighter complexions though, which is a bummer. One thing I wasn't particularly fond of in this row was how ashy it looks on medium skintones; while there was some pigmentation at the top of the lines (because I had to dig into the palette to get a good swatch), the colors look pretty similar but in contrast, these colors really pop on lighter skintones. 

This row looked the best on lighter complexions, both in and out of direct sunlight. Deeper skintones make these look similar and a bit ashy, especially under shade. As you can see with the darker colors (and a few of the lighter ones), there's quite a bit of crumbling at the top. These colors are more vivid when applied with a finger, so watch out for fallout.

My notes:

--Felt very satiny to the touch, but the dark shadows had a harder surface

--Many of the colors intensify under the sun or pull a little metallic depending on the skintone

--Certain colors swatch totally different depending on the skintone

--Many of the colors required me to load the product up on my finger in order to get a good swatch because of the lack of pigmentation

--Many of the shadows crumble and can cause quite a bit of fallout

--Other shadows, mostly the lighter ones, show up a little chalky

-- The best ways to apply the shadow for the best color payoff are to use either a damp brush or load up product on the fingers

--Applying with a dry brush on certain skintones causes the shadow to look rather dull; more shimmer shows up than an actual color

--The shadows last longer in swatches than on the eyelid; I didn't notice a difference between a primed and non-primed eyelid

--Many of the lighter shadows blur into the same cream/gold shimmery shade when smudged out a bit

--Removal is easy, probably due to the low pigmentation of some of the shades--a basic makeup wipe would be enough to remove it without much trouble

I'd initially had this all written out in the way I typically do my reviews (pros/cons), but I was reading back through it before I published the post and realized that nobody in their right damn mind would have read all of that. I'll be lucky if you read what I've got now. If you've been here before then you know I'm long-winded so this was my best attempt at TL;DR'ing you. lol

Overall, the Classic Nude palette is alright. I will say that there are nude palettes being offered by other affordable companies with more pigmentation and variety in the shades included, so if that's what you're in the market for I'd recommend a different palette. For an $11, 24-shade palette, I'd like something with less fallout, colors that don't look quite as similar, and don't look as chalky/ashy on deeper skintones.

I have to admit to being a little surprised; I think between the years I first bought a palette and now, the formula's been changed a bit. So even though I have a few complaints with the Classic Nude palette, it's a bit better than the earlier shadow palettes. Just don't expect to apply these shadows like you would shadows from other brands--taking it straight from brush to eye--because you won't get the color payoff you're after. Now for fairer skintones like my sister-in-law's, many of these colors apply beautifully. I can still recommend it if you don't mind putting in a little elbow grease to make the colors work for you. For those with deeper skintones though, I wouldn't recommend it. Many of the shades end up looking similar and I would say you could use them for transition or base shades but because many of them look metallic or shimmery, I wouldn't advise it. If you'd like metallic top shades for your makeup looks though, then go for it. But personally, I wouldn't pay $11 for a palette full of similar shades, most of which don't show up as vividly on the eyes. 

If you have this palette, what are your thoughts on it? As for the swatches, would you prefer I continue doing natural light vs sun swatches in cases like this where the colors change? Let me know what types of swatches you prefer. Per usual, I hope you enjoyed this post and I'll see you soon!

Read More »

Bloodwalker

Hi! I'm back with another book review, this one the suspense/horror novel Bloodwalker by L.X. Cain. A couple of years ago, I reviewed a YA novel here called Soul Cutter. To my surprise, the author remembered me and contacted me when she released her next novel, which is the one I'm going to review today. I hope this doesn't come off as being egotistical but I always get really excited when authors whose books I've previously reviewed--usually from LibraryThing contests--contact me to review new releases independent from LT. It's doubly exciting if I enjoyed the first book, and in most cases I did. As a smaller book reviewer and blogger in general, it's a cool feeling. I also get a book I'm more than likely going to enjoy out of the deal, so how can you do much better than that? But anyway, let's get to the book.

What's the book about? 

Bloodwalker tells the story of Rurik, a lightning-scarred former Zorka Circus strongman turned head security for the troupe. After realizing that it's a bit more than coincidence that local children continue to come up missing during the circus's tour performances through different cities, he decides to quietly investigate. Driven by the fact that the children were kidnapped by someone wearing a clown's costume, he concludes that the killer must be one of his own and this leads him to several suspects in the circus, one of whom is the ringmaster himself, a man Rurik has deep respect and appreciation for. This book also focuses on the story of Sylvie, a bloodwalker whose bad luck seems to follow everyone she interacts with. Sylvie starts the book as one of three bloodwalker brides taking part in a three-fold arranged marriage, which is being officiated by someone on the circus grounds. As a result, Sylvie and Rurik interact very briefly, but the shared link between them is actually much deeper and part of a much larger picture than either of them knows and this eventually brings them back into each other's orbits.

What I liked:

-I liked that this book wasn't told from a Western viewpoint or in a Western society. I think exploring the nuances of another culture, especially a non-Western one, can really enhance a book and blow open the door of possibilities. For me, Bloodwalker is a good example of that because it changes the reader's expectations of the outcome of a conversation, changes the characters' demeanors throughout it, and allows for an entirely new set of rules, traditions and mannerisms to be included.

-I actually really enjoyed that Sylvie and Rurik spent most of the book dealing with their individual halves of the story but the real meat of the novel involved them both. 

-I loved that there was a tie-in between the history of the Bloodwalkers and an actual historic event (which I won't spoil) that made sense to both the story and the grim prospects for survivors left behind. It was an unexpected addition and I liked it.

-I liked how the plot flowed together. I didn't really notice any plot holes, most of my questions had been answered at the conclusion of the book but there was still a little wiggle room in case another story about the Bloodwalkers is on the horizon. 

-I liked the 'whodunnit' element in the book. There were so many viable suspects and believable red herrings that it could have been virtually anyone off of the list, and it didn't start becoming apparent until towards the end who the killer may have actually been.

-This is a smaller note, but I liked that at the beginning of most of the chapters, an excerpt from The Bloodwalker's Bible was included. They were morbid, practical (and some unintentionally funny) little anecdotes that helped make the story a bit more real. 

-I noticed this with Soul Cutter as well, but I enjoyed the growth of the main character(s) throughout the book. Rurik came to some healthy realizations about himself and this changed his perception of the world he was part of. How one feels about themselves really can shape their mind as to how they think everyone else sees them, and it can be eye-opening to discover that sometimes, you are your own saboteur.

-Finally, something that I didn't realize I liked until I was about to edit the cover of this post was that I liked the juxtaposition of the circus, an event primarily created to bring joy and entertainment to others, with someone who killed as ruthlessly (and grossly) as this killer. There's a bit in the story with Rurik and one of the circus clowns following the clown's performance, and the author describes the clown speaking with disgust, which contradicted with the sickly smile painted onto his face. It's a great little bit of contradiction that you could explore from various angles--those in comedy often have the darkest tales, and oftentimes its those with the most unassuming exteriors who have something to hide. When it's literally one's job to wear a mask to work, whether it be painted on or slipped over the face, and embody a character, it's much easier for one to hide what they do in the dark. I have a darker view of circuses myself so for me they're a prime locale for a murder-mystery or horror, but I enjoy the surface perception of a circus being layered with murders in the manner they were committed in Bloodwalker. 

What I didn't like:

-Without spoiling the climax of the story, I wish Sylvie's realization about herself and resulting action during the end fight would have had a little more 'oomph' to it.

-I guess it's more of a personal complaint rather than one about the book, but I wish Sylvie'd had a little more backbone. There were more than a few times I'd wished that she'd punched someone in the face. lol

-Lastly, while I'm perfectly fine with the romance not being a focal point of the book, I wish we'd gotten to see a little bit more of it while it was developing. 

Overall:

Overall, I loved Bloodwalker and found it a very intriguing read. One of my favorite things about L.X. Cain's writing is her ability to create this very immersive culture and atmosphere, one that feels so authentic you Google it to find out if it actually exists (I'm not saying I did that. I'm just saying one might do that because its so believable). They permeate the entire novel and color every interaction, which I think brings the reader further into the story. I think it would change the complexion of the story if you changed the setting or the society in which certain events took place, and I like that. It brings some individuality to the story. As a previous reviewer of this author's work, I did find it a little difficult not to compare the writing style from the first book to this one. But because I was already acquainted with it I could tell that while it had improved, it was still true to the way she prefers to tell a story. A personal note that I made while reading Bloodwalker was that in my review of Soul Cutter a couple of years ago, my primary complaint was that while I thought it was a good read, the energy seemed a bit frenetic and the pace a little too fast and I couldn't keep up. With Bloodwalker, this was nowhere to be found. The style and jumps between scenes no longer have a rushed feel to them and this allowed me to enjoy the book that much more. There is urgency in the plot, but the reader can still follow along without getting lost. Bloodwalker was well-written, everything was so clearly and vividly described it felt like the reader was there, and unfolded at an appropriate pace considering everything that was included in the plot. It was riveting, drew me in from jump, and kept my full interest until the last page. Great read. 


Where can I buy a copy?

Bloodwalker doesn't hit the shelves until October 4th, but you can keep up with it on Goodreads and read the other advance reviews.


Contact the author here!

Blog | Facebook | Goodreads

Read More »

Rimmel London VoxBox

Hi! I'm back with another beauty box from Influenster, this one the Rimmel London VoxBox in partial promotion of the #NeverGoNaked campaign. Per usual with everything I review from Influenster, I received this box free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own and are based on my personal experience with the product. Let's get started!

What is it? Rimmel Volume Colourist Mascara

How much does it cost? $7--$9


Where can I buy it? Anywhere Rimmel London products are sold (Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Target)


What makes this product different? It is said to gradually tint the lashes, making them darker with a minimum 2-week usage duration


I've never used a lash tint before. I've heard of tinting the lashes and brows before, but I never gave it too much thought. Since I already have dark lashes, I've never considered using a tint. So with no prior experience to go from, I was all for checking out the product. Here's what the product itself looks like, and a close-up of the wand.

What I liked:

--Easy to remove

--Great for days with light makeup

--Works well with other mascaras without diminishing the tint abilities

--Does slightly tint the lashes with consistent usage



One of my least favorite things about mascara, especially with the amount that I use, is that it can be a real pain in the neck to remove. The majority of my makeup removal routine is taking off mascara. This is fairly easy to remove, regardless of the amount that you pack on the eyes (although I've noticed I can't really put on a lot--I can brush the lash 100 times and still not have on a ton of product) and that is by far one of the things I love most about it.

If you're not as heavy on mascara as I am, this is a good one to check out. It is the only mascara I'll wear if I want to keep it light on makeup for the day and I will say that you can see the mascara much better and it looks much darker when you're only wearing the Colourist on the eyes.

Because I like my lashes to double as spider legs for the eyeballs LOL (OAN, has anyone seen the promo pic for the new season of American Horror Story? If you have then you'll know why I said that and if you haven't, go look it up!), I usually wear more than one mascara. When I combine the Volume Colourist with other mascaras, it doesn't diminish the ability to tint the lashes. I applied the Colourist first then whatever other product I was using, and I still noticed that my bare lashes were a bit darker afterward.

Finally, the reason why I was selected to receive this mascara was to test out its primary function, which is to slightly tint the lashes. The model for the product had blonde lashes, so while it gave me a good general idea of how much it can darken the lashes, I already have darker lashes so I wasn't sure how much it would show up on me. If you have lighter lashes, I think this product would show up very nicely.





What I didn't like: 

--A lot of transfer

--Smudges like crazy after a few hours

--Doesn't pack a punch

--The wand didn't really catch the smaller lashes


There is quite a bit of transfer with this mascara. Maybe the formula is a bit watery, but it's very difficult, even when I scrape the excess mascara off the wand, to keep the product from getting on my eye. The good thing is that it's not a bunch of big blobs all over the place, so clean-up is really easy. Not really a con, just an irritating inconvenience.

A definite con of this mascara though is that it smudges like nobody's business after a few hours. I'm a mascara junkie all day long, so if I would consider myself an expert on any makeup product, it would be mascara. I haven't used many mascaras that smudge this badly. When I layer it with other products I think it helps lock the Volume Colourist in, but when I wear it alone it smears itself underneath my eyes by the end of the day. It looks especially bad on days that I'm only wearing mascara. You'll definitely need to do a couple of mirror checks throughout the day with this.

If you're expecting volume or lengthening properties in addition to the lash tint, you won't be getting them here. This is great for light makeup days but if you like volume and length, you'll need to wear something else in addition to the Volume Colourist. I think this is supposed to be a volumizer and I read in a couple of other reviews that users noticed a bit more volume to their lashes, but I have naturally curled lashes so maybe this benefit was lost on me.

Finally, the wand is a regular mascara wand but I think it would have worked a little better (and prevented the issue of so much product transfer) if the wand bristles were a bit smaller. I have a hard time catching the smaller lashes, especially without getting product on my skin, so I think if the wand had finer or smaller bristles, I wouldn't have so many issues. I have a couple of old mascara wands, so I might test this out.


So did it work?



The most important part of this review is whether or not the product actually worked, right? Here's a picture of my lashes right before I started using the Volume Colourist, and another after a 2-week duration. I used the mascara for most of the 2-week period, but I didn't use it every day. I wanted to see if the tinting benefits would work if I used it on a regular, but not daily, basis. As you can see from the picture, my lashes in the bottom photo are a bit darker, but it's not a significant difference.

Overall:

Overall, the Rimmel London Volume Colourist is a decent mascara for those who want a gradual, low-maintenance lash tint. I like that after consistent usage, removing the makeup at the end of the day doesn't remove the tint on the lashes. It's easy to apply, easy to remove, is suitable for sensitive skintones, doesn't damage the lashes and isn't a permanent tint. I would recommend this for light makeup users, those who just want to tint their lashes and don't need the product for anything else, and those with lighter lashes because the tint works better. If you have lighter lashes or fairer skin, this product might have a bit more impact. For those with dark lashes already, the difference in your lashes isn't quite as significant. At least it wasn't for me. It's a decent product and it works well, but I can't say I'm super impressed with it. I like it, but I don't love it yet. Have you tried the Volume Colorist mascara? What did you think? I hope you enjoyed this review and I'll see you soon!

P.S.--If you were to play a drinking game with the amount of times I said 'mascara' in this post (and this finished result is after I took a few of them out!) you'd have alcohol poisoning by now. haha!

Read More »

Joyetech eGo AIO Experience + Review

Hi! I don't believe I've mentioned this before, but I don't have many vices. My biggest and most detrimental vice, however, is smoking. It's a nasty habit and I hate it. There aren't many things or days that I regret, but the day I picked up this habit is near the top of the list. But I digress. I've been trying to wean myself off, and I've been hearing that a good transitional method is to try vaping. I'm new to vaping, so there's an entire world I don't know about. I've talked to a few vapers, however, and all of them are former smokers who credit vaping with helping them stop smoking cigarettes altogether. Of course, there's still nicotine in vape pens but not quite as much as in cigarettes, and it still satisfies the visual and physical urge to smoke by having a similar shape. Smoking is partially an anxiety crutch for me, as I smoked a lot more during my relapse and the habit of smoking more when I'm going through an anxious period has stuck with me. I was hopeful that vaping would help, so I checked out a local vape shop. The owner recommended the Joyetech eGo AIO model to me, as he said it would be a good pen for beginners. I'll walk you through my experience in case you too are considering vaping.  

Quick Deets:

What is it? Joyetech eGo AIO vape pen

How much does it cost? I paid $40 for that and a bottle of juice as part of a bundle but every site online that I came across has it listed between $15 and $25

Where are these sold? Your local vape shop, but if you'd rather buy it online, there are quite a few shops who sell it

Setup + Usage:

Once you remove the top, this--minus the little filter I left out--is what's inside the container. I keep the pen in here for safekeeping and I'd recommend you do the same unless you have a little bag to keep it in. I have my pen's filter on already in this photo, but both filters are actually kept in the little container off to the left.

So once you open the little container inside the box, you'll get two little filters and a USB charger cord. If you have a Nexus or virtually any Droid phone, this port is the same size so it's not difficult to find a way to charge it. The seller poured my juice into the tank when I bought it but otherwise the window is clear. The light-up function is inside that little window. Each time you click the button, the color of the light will change, indicating whether you are turning the e-cig on or off. I believe that it also has a light for when the cig is dying and needs to be charged, or when it has charged completely. So when you're ready to use the pen you just put on whichever filter you want, press it down into the slot and you're ready to go. 

What I liked:

--Small, lightweight and easy to carry around

--Doesn't require a specific brand or kind of liquid

--Doesn't use a lot of liquid quickly

--Easy to turn on and off

--Childproof juice tank that is easy to refill

--Easy setup and usage; ideal for beginners

Okay, so a little more detail on the pros. The pen, as you can see in the photos above, is small and lightweight. It's not heavy and the size makes it ideal for clutches, small purses and pockets in larger bags. I personally would keep it in a bag specifically for the pen, but it would still be good for smaller bags. I wouldn't let it roll around loosely in a large purse, though. 

I appreciate that the pen doesn't require a specific type of liquid, which I was concerned about because I wanted to try other companies' vape liquids but didn't know if it would be compatible with the pen. I think it was just a case of beginners' misinformation but I'd read that certain pens and vapes require a certain brand/strain of liquid and since I know next to nothing (and I mean next as in right next to nothing) about vapes and e-cigs, I wasn't sure if that was the case with mine. That isn't the case with the eGo, so you can try a variety of juices with it. 

For someone trying to switch over from traditional cigarettes to electronic ones like myself, you have to figure out how much you prefer to smoke. Some people smoke the equivalent of their regular nicotine intake, and others smoke less. A lot of that depends on the strength of the nicotine in your juice and I'm going to get into why that's important in a minute, but if you smoke less, your juice lasts a lot longer. The pen doesn't suck up tons of juice with every puff, which I liked a lot. 

Everything about it is simple to understand, which brings me into my largest thumbs-up for this product, which is its easy usage. The button on the pen triggers a light in the pen, so you'll know whether you're turning it on or off. The juice tank is childproof and the caps don't come off of the pen easily, both of which I appreciate because I tend to be a little hard on my stuff.  It doesn't require a bunch of complicated fiddling (except for when you're changing the coils, something else I'm about to get to), overall is easy to charge, use and refill, so for beginners this would be a good pen to try. If only the cons weren't the deterrent that they are.....

What I didn't like:

--Faulty coils 

--No way to alter the nicotine levels

--No cap to keep liquid from seeping out if pen is laying flat

--No real support or warranties about how to fix these issues

These coils. These coils are faulty as shit and are the primary reason why, as of this posting, I am already no longer using this product after buying it just last month. I got maybe three or four total days of usage out of it and it's been sitting in its box ever since. When I first bought it, the coils burned out after two days. I thought I'd broken it, so I took it back to the shop I got it from and that's when I found out that my coils had shorted. I hadn't been told anything about them beforehand so I wasn't aware that I needed to look out for that. So the owner of the shop fixes the coils and I take the pen home, only for it to go back out two days later. If you Google this pen, one of the auto-fill entries is "joyetech ego coils" and trust me, it's already registered with Google search for a reason. I found out that a ton of users had an issue with this product because of the coils and the lack of support from Joyetech with fixing them. I wish I'd done a bit more research instead of trusting the word of the person who sold it to me.

Another thing I learned the hard way was that there is no way to alter the strength of the nicotine. When I was in the vape store buying this pen, one of the deciding factors for me was that the person who sold it said that if my initial batch of juice was too strong for me, I could come in and have the pen adjusted. Because I took his word for it, I went on and bought the pen. The juice ended up being too strong, so when I went to get the pen fixed he let me know that actually, this model doesn't allow for adjustments. Here's an article from Mt. Baker Vapor about lowering your nicotine, and another on adjusting it gradually and safely.

Even though the pen has a childproof tank to keep the liquid from falling out (and it works, for the most part), sometimes leaving the pen on its side can cause some liquid to seep out. I noticed this the most after the coils burnt out. Once the coils burn, the minute you press the button to turn it on liquid comes up through the filter, and if you try to take a drag off of it, the hot liquid bubbles and pops out through the filter. I burned my mouth a couple of times when the coil first burnt out.

Finally, the primary reason why there have been so many searches for this particular product on Google is because there's not much support for it. The company has not addressed it having bad coils on its website and the forums I checked out either mentioned a lack of communication from the company or no communication with/from them at all. As for me, I knew nothing about this pen or how it worked when I bought it except for the basics on how to use it. The first time the coils burnt out, the guy I bought the pen from said he'd fix it for me. He said the issue should be corrected since the coils don't often go out (lies) so I wouldn't have to bring it back in, but if it happened again he'd have to charge me.

Now that I know this is a product defect and the seller was, at very least, uneducated about his products, I wish there'd been more in place to help people replace the coils since the issue isn't due to the customer. But because the sellers either aren't aware or don't care that this is a product defect, customers like myself are basically stuck with two options: keep paying to repair something we didn't break, or call it a loss and pick a better e-cig next time around.

Overall:

Overall, even though the number of pros outweigh the cons for this pen, its the cons that would prevent me from being able to recommend this pen to anyone else or use it again. I was not happy with the Joyetech eGo pen and I wish I'd known more about what to research beforehand so that I didn't fall victim to the classic upsell bullshit by a seller who either doesn't know his products or cares more about making money. I would also suggest checking out pens that are specific for beginners because then you can figure out what you'd like and go into the vape store already knowing what you want. Check out this article from Vaporizer Views; it has a lot of educational advice for beginners.

I've learned the hard way that being a beginner may cause some to come out of the woodwork with helpful tips and product recommendations, but it can also put a target on your back for those who want to sell you some bullshit. Because you don't know you're being sold some bullshit, you'll end up believing whatever they say, which will (if your case is like mine) be that the defects are somehow your fault and therefore your financial responsibility. If there was more support on Joyetech's end to resolve this issue or help users to salvage their money somehow, then I probably wouldn't feel as negatively. But from the forums I saw, there's been next to radio silence from them on the issues users are having. For a beginner, in theory, this is a great pen. But there seems to be a large amount of defective units being sent out and this can deter newbies from vaping entirely.

If you'd like to read a bunch of user reviews, both good and bad, check out the reviews at My Vapor Store. I've reorganized this from low to high ratings so you can get an idea of both the pros and cons of dealing with this pen. If this model is improved the next time around, I wouldn't mind trying the pen again. But this defective unit I have now is the pits and a complete waste of money. 

Read More »