Life, Layouts, and Beauty Products Galore

This post is sort of a hodge-podge of information. I've been playing around with the layout, and I'm not quite happy yet, but I like it better than the default-er I had up before. I have an idea of what I want, so maybe I'll keep playing with it.

Finals are right around the corner, and I've been submerged under an ocean of schoolwork--final papers, projects, independent studies...You get the picture. As a result, I haven't had much time to post, but I think I should be able to do a lot more blogging after finals are over. I don't think I've been more excited for summer in a long time. I'm going back to work at Victoria's Secret, and so I'll be living with my boyfriend for the summer (who is having open-heart surgery next month...yikes).

There are also a number of beauty products I've been eyeing for a little while, so I thought I'd throw them out here.

The first is Covergirl & Olay's Simply Ageless Eye Concealer. I actually picked this up a while ago, but I've been waiting to finish up my pot of Maybelline Mousse Concealer before I try it out. Of course, being in my early 20s, I'm not particularly concerned about aging. But here's my logic: if it's made not to cake into wrinkles, does that mean it will go on really smoothly? I hope so. I also love the concept of adding eye cream right into a concealer. I'm a sucker for two-fers. I've also been eyeing Eve Pearl's Salmon Concealer, but I'm not sure about that on yet because of 1) the cost and 2) it's only available online, not at makeup counters. Maybe I'll look into that one next, though.

The second product on my list is actually several; it's MAC's To the Beach collection for summer, which will be released in late May. If I had to walk away with only one product from the collection, though, it would definitely be this gorgeous Highlight Powder. It's a blend of pink, coral, and gold in a marine seahorse pattern. I may end up also picking up a lipgloss or two and some nail polish, but I'm not sure about those eyeshadows. I would definitely get that tote bag as well, but it will only be available in MAC stores, and there aren't any pro stores near me. Sad face.

Now, I have to admit, I think I might be related to Snow White. My pale skin's only saving grace is a dust of freckles (a testament that I am not, in fact, the crypt keeper). I've mostly given up on self tanners because it takes a lot of time and patience to get myself to what someone might call a "normal" level of tanness. Recently, though, I spotted L'Oreal's Sumblime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelettes. I'm intrigued. It seems easier than a lotion, foam, or mist. I think maybe I'll give this whole self tanner thing a try again. I'm not shooting for Pocahontas, just a little color for summer.


Bronzer can be my best friend in the summer because it gives my pale skin a little subtle color. However, I find its difficult to find a bronzer that isn't too dark or too shimmery for my preferences. I've seen Victoria's Secret's Pretty Glow Pink Face and Body Bronzer before, but I figured I'd wait until I was an employee again to get it (for the record, nobody at work told me to post about this product; I just like it). I like the packaging and the subtle amount of shimmer. Its also in a big pan, so you get a lot of product, and you can dust it on your collar bones and shoulders (good if you're worried about your face looking tanner than your body).

I think I may try DiorShow Extase Mascara once my beloved DiorShow has dried up. I'm intrigued with the brush shape. Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be no middle ground with mascara? It's one of those things that you either love it or hate it. DiorShow, for me, is a love. Hopefully, I'll like its cousin, too.


Other than these products, I've been looking at Lush for the first time in a while. My boyfriend's place has a bathtub, which is a luxury us dorm-dwellers can usually only dream about. I may need to pick out a few bath bombs for those nights when work is particularly stressful.

Well, I think that's everything that's been on my mind as far as beauty products go. I think the next thing for this blog may be to break into the video sphere. Maybe I'll do a "Favorite Beauty Products of April" video. I may also do an update about shaving products in the near future, so look for that soon. For now, I should return to studying (ugh).

Giving Up and Learning to Love the Kindle

I was immediately suspicious of the Kindle. Anytime someone told me how much they loved how slim it was, how they could have so many books in one tiny little package, how it has “special ink technology,” I would squint my eyes and internally curse the day some Amazon execs dreamed up their precious e-reader.

I love books. I love going to the bookstore and perusing the new release shelves they put right in the front of the store, then scouring through the fiction racks looking for some hidden gem of a novel I’d missed before. I love the texture of the paper when I turn a page, the somewhat dusty smell of ink, and the weight of a book in my hands. I love lining all my favorite books up on a shelf, turning them this way and that, moving them around, and configuring them in the most aesthetically pleasing way I possibly can.

The Kindle threatened all of that.

And yet everyone seemed to have one! My ninety-year-old grandfather even has one. And I couldn’t help but think, what’s all the hubbub about? Where’s the appeal? I began researching the Kindle on the internet. I became a YouTube extraordinaire, a blogger aficionado, an online shopping sleuth. I knew all the ins and outs of Amazon’s reader. And I have to admit…I kind of wanted one.

I travel a lot, so the idea of packing one little device in my carry-on bag or backpack seemed a lot more appealing than trying to stuff in twelve pounds of individual books. A lot of the books I have to read for classes are available on the Kindle for cheaper than a hard copy (or even for free!). I also live about an hour away from my boyfriend, so when I go visit for a night, it’s annoying to lug a bunch of schoolwork with me. Plus, my aesthetic side loves some of the adorable Kindle cases out there.

The most appealing aspect, though (besides the reduced cost of books), was the ability to decide I wanted a book, download it, and start reading it about 30 seconds later. I go to school in the middle of nowhere (almost), so getting to a large bookstore that carries all of the new releases immediately is inconvenient, and I hate paying shipping and waiting several days for a book to arrive. Just think, the exact minute that a book becomes available, I can start reading it!

Sold.

It was a little pricey, but totally worth it. I’ve joined the ranks of Kindle lovers everywhere (and I mean everywhere; it’s like a horde). I happily packed my Kindle in my carry-on bag on my flight to France, all of the books I needed for homework and pleasure downloaded beforehand. My travel buddy, meanwhile, lugged around about 15 pounds of books…not fun for her.

Will I stop buying actual books to put on my shelf? Probably not, but for the meantime, I can see myself becoming very attached to this little piece of machinery.

Lilac blush

Quick beauty update today. Lately, I've been using lilac-colored eyeshadow as a blush. I figured, I've been loving strong blush looks for day, and I've been a little obsessed with purple, so why not combine the two? I haven't been able to find a satisfactory shade of lilac blush, though, so I decided to try using eyeshadow on my cheeks.

I find that I really like the effect; it's sweet and easy for springtime. The key is to find an eyeshadow in a light shade with pinker undertones, so you don't look bruised. You also want to make sure that you don't use an eyeshadow that's too shimmery, since eye makeup tends to be more glittery than blushes usually are. I used Maybelline New York's Expert Wear Eyeshadow Trio in Crown Jewels, since I already had it on hand.

I applied just the lid color (the top one) and applied it to the apples of my cheeks, then swept it upward toward my temples. I just used the eyeshadow alone, but if you have a warmer complexion or think the effect is too strong, you can warm it up by sweeping a shell-pink blush over your cheekbones, on top of the lilac. A good blush for this is L'oreal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Blush in Baby Blossom, but you can use whatever you have available and works with your skin tone. Just make sure you're not using too warm a pink, or it will clash.

I kept the rest of my face pretty minimal. I left my eyes pretty much alone and used Sephora's ultra-shine lip gloss in 10, another pretty lilac shade.

Upcoming reads

Periodically, I compile a list of upcoming books I really want to remember to read when they are released, either because they're sequels, I like the authors, or they just look cool. Here is my current list, as it stands. I'm also currently working my way through Lisa See's Shanghai Girls. I've read a couple of other Lisa See books, and I love her writing. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to read for fun while I'm finishing up the semester, so I've been working on it for a while. Oh, well...for now I'll just have to daydream about laying in the grass in the summertime and lazing the day away on a good read. Sigh.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Okay, so this one is technically already released. It was released recently, though, and I’m excited to read it (whenever I find the time between the 50 million things I have to do at the end of my junior year of college). This is the sequel to In the Forest of Hands and Teeth, which is a young adult, post-apocalyptic, Zombie novel. Not usually my style. However, this one puts a really different spin on the whole already-done zombie thing.

The first book centers around Mary, a teenage girl living in a village completely surrounded by forest, and the forest is filled with the “unconsecrated” (zombies). Mary wonders if there’s any such thing as a world beyond the unconsecrated, and she feels constrained not only by their constant, prevailing presence, but by the strict codes of behavior of the village.

I’m admittedly a little unsure of this second book because it picks up with a new protagonist, Gabry. I don’t want to give too much away, in case anyone hasn’t read the first book, but I’m sure the book will deal with similar themes of identity, secrets, freedom, and obligation. In general, I really hate it when authors switch up the protagonist in a series because I really get to know the main character and want to stick with her/him (Scott Westerfeld is notorious for this, and it always bugs me when he does it). We’ll see, though; maybe The Dead-Tossed Waves will surprise me.

The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst (releases June 15)

I’m not entirely sure I would pick this book up if I didn’t know who Carolyn Parkhurst was. She’s one of my favorite authors. On the surface, her plots seem pretty simple, not entirely fantastic at all. But she writes in a way that really leaves her character naked—not literally, of course. She takes ordinary people and puts them in situations that exposes their innermost quirks, desires, and fears. If you haven’t read Dogs of Babel yet, go pick it up. Seriously. It’s heartbreaking, it’s sweet, it’s tender, it’s quirky, it’s surprising…but I digress.

So, I’m scooping up this book when it comes out, expecting that the lackluster-sounding plot will surprise me. Octavia, a novelist (doppelganger?) with a mysterious past, discovers that her son has been arrested for murder. The book seems like it will take place during the time of her son’s arrest, but it will likely feature a lot of forays into the past as Octavia confronts it. The whole mother-son thing seems pretty characteristic of Parkhurst, who is all about examining relationships. I also find the title pretty intriguing; its meaning is an enigma in itself.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (releases August 24)

This book (another young adult novel) is the third and final installment in the Hunger Games series. I got completely sucked into the first two. This is another post-apocalyptic sort of book, but this one is war instead of zombies. After the war wipes out most of the United States, society reforms with a central capital, surrounded by 12 districts. ‘The Capitol’ keeps the districts in line by starving them and holding an annual lottery for participation in the Hunger Games. Essentially, the “winners” fight to the death reality-TV style for the capital’s entertainment, and whoever’s left alive at the end wins food for their district.

The main character, Katniss, steps in when her twelve-year-old sister’s name is drawn in the lottery, taking her place in the Games. That’s the first book. I won’t tell you what’s in the second or third book, to avoid giving anything away, but I promise it’s good. There’s also a love triangle tucked in there. If there’s any book I’m most excited about for this year, this is it.

Hello, blogging world!

It never occurred to me to write a blog before. It's strange, because I really do like reading blogs. There are some very talented ladies out there blazing the trail. It's the new frontier! The wild west of the twenty-first century!

As I approach my senior year in college, I'm starting to think about life post-university. The jury's out on what to do after graduation, but I'm hoping it will have something to do with writing. I think if I could break into magazine journalism, that would probably float my boat pretty high. But who knows? Maybe I'll end up as a travel writer or a publishing agent. I'd like to think the possibilities are endless. I'm hoping this tiny, little corner of webspace will help me to expand my horizons. Hooray for trying new things!

I think I'll use this space to talk about a variety of issues. "A variety" includes beauty, fashion, books, social issues, travel, interior design, life in general, and whatever else happens to occur to me. I think I may also explore the territory of video posts in the future. And if nobody but me reads this blog, then I'll still be happy to know I tried something new and found a new way to practice writing and express myself.