Inner Beauty Friday - Book Club!

Hello!

This week I read Eventide by Kent Haruf. It is the continuation of Plainsong, but I would say you don't necessarily have to read Plainsong to understand it, but it would help :)

source- ew.com

Here's the synopsis (from Goodreads):
Kent Haruf, award-winning, bestselling author of Plainsong returns to the high-plains town of Holt, Colorado, with a novel of masterful authority. The aging McPheron brothers are learning to live without Victoria Roubideaux, the single mother they took in and who has now left their ranch to start college. A lonely young boy stoically cares for his grandfather while a disabled couple tries to protect their a violent relative. As these lives unfold and intersect, Eventide unveils the immemorial truths about human beings: their fragility and resilience, their selfishness and goodness, and their ability to find family in one another.

My thoughts:
I liked it, just not quite as much as Plainsong.  Each of the stories lacked depth and so you were left with just the shell of stories that you wanted know more about.  It was also a little depressing.  But I do like how Kent Haruf writes about real people and doesn't emblish what life is for "regular" people. 

Any good book suggestion for me?


Jasmine

Desperetly seeking burgandy...

Hello:
For fall I have been looking for a dark burgundy lipstick.  I grabbed some images of what I'm looking for.

All these fair ladies are rockin a darker red like I am looking for.  I especially like the blonde on the top right.  I think OCC lip Tar in Black Dahlia may be close to what I am looking for.  But I was at Sally's Beauty Supply today and saw a shade that looked about right in the tube - Pallido Herbal Lipstick in Juniper (you can check it out Here). 

It retails for $5.99

Looks promising....

Bare Lips

Oh no!  It's just a pretty Red! 

So not quite the vampy burgundy I was looking for but I see a trip to Sephora in my future... and possible success! 

Do any of you have suggestions or know a color that I should be looking for?

Jasmine

Femme Couture Mineral Eyeshadow

Hello:

Today I tried Femme Couture Mineral Eyeshadow in Rose Quartz.  I got it at Sally Beauty supply, you can check it out Here.  It's 6.99 at the store but if you have the beauty club card it's $5.79.  I wanted to give a few of these loose mineral eyeshadows a go before I bought any "real" ones from Fyrinnae or OCC.  I would say it's best to use a primer underneath.

I like the small square packaging - easy to store and stack!
 

They only have like 6 colors at the Sally  near my house but on the website there are more colors available, most are neutrals but there is a bright blue and a pink.
Rose Quartz (the color I got) is more of a pinkish plum.

The little sifter is nice so you don't spill out all sorts of product.

As you can see one swipe (on the left) yeilds a soft wash of color.  But you can build it up to opaque capacity fairly easily. It wears really well over a primer and did not crease. This will look great with my new UD 24/7 eyeliner in Rockstar. 

I think these shadows are nice way to try out loose mineral powders and get used to apllying them before jumping into the fun brands. 

Do you have good/bad experiences with mineral shadows?  I personally am not a fan of the "baked" kind (too much shimmer!)

Jasmine

Birthday wishes... Ocho Loco!!

Hello!

So today is my 34th Birthday! 
And I may have hinted a time or two that I wanted the new Ocho Loco eyeliner set from Urban Decay.  And guess what I woke up to:

Yea!  I just want to hug it!

All of the colors are fabulous!





So here are my swatches of the Ocho Loco set.  Three of the colors are what I'd call a Pearl finish - Mushroom, Hustle and Stash:

L to right - Mushroom, Stash and Hustle
Mushroom is a gorgeous taupe, perfect for a day, light smokey eye.
Stash- awesome olive tint
Hustle - a lighter brown, again a great day color, or to cut the crease for a brown smokey eye.
 

 Then we have the infamous rich matte black Perversion and 2 sparkle shades:

Left to Right - Perversion, LSD, Junkie
Perversion is BLACK, nuf said
LSD will be great for a bite of color
Junkie is my favorite shade of teal and would look great over a matte peach shadow I think...
 

And finally the other two "matte" shades Psychedelic Sister and Rockstar:

As a girl with green eyes purple is my friend!
Psychedelic Sister is a lovely lavender blue purple
Rockstar is a gorgeous deep plum a great alternative to black
 

Overall this whole set is a hit with me and I can't wait to creat some new looks with these!

Jasmine

Inner Beauty Friday - Book Club!

Hello!

I just finished "The Legacy"  Thursday morning.

The synopsis: When they were children, Erica Calcott and her sister, Beth, spent their summer holidays at Storton Manor. Now, following the death of their grandmother, they have returned to the grand, imposing house in Wiltshire, England. Unable to stem the tide of childhood memories that arise as she sorts through her grandmother's belongings, Erica thinks back to the summer her cousin Henry vanished mysteriously from the estate, an event that tore their family to pieces. It is time, she believes, to lay the past to rest, bring her sister some peace, and finally solve the mystery of her cousin's disappearance.

But sifting through remnants of a bygone time is bringing a secret family history to light--one that stretches back over a century, to a beautiful society heiress in Oklahoma, a haunting, savage land across the ocean. And as past and present converge, Erica and Beth must come to terms with two shocking acts of betrayal . . . and the heartbreaking legacy they left behind.

My thoughts:  I wanted to like this book but didn't.  I usually love books that have a "split personality" (info from the past and current)  but no one in this book was likeable and you knew the answers to the "secrets" all along. 

Jasmine

All Laquered UP! Nail Polish Swap

Hello:

I recently participated in a nail polish swap hosted by Ange of (Hairspray and High Heels blog) and Meghan (of Shine On).  I was very lucky to be partnered with Zoe from My Wondrous Marvellous Obsession blog, and she lives in England.  I was so excited to get to try some polishes from across the pond.  And with no further ado here are the LOVELY items I received:

Boots No7 in Totally Teal, Rimmel London in Double Decker & Boots No7 in Vivid Violet

I am enamored of the Vivid Violet it is just so much lovelier than the picture captures.  Here is my fresh new manicure using this beauty (3 coats):

I'm also thinking the Teal with gold french tips will make a fun twist on a French Manicure!

Thank you again Zoe for the fab new Polishes!

Jasmine

 

How sweet it is...NYX Sweet Pink Matte Lipstick

Hello:

Today I want to show off my new favorite lipstick NYX's Sweet Pink.  It's a fun, bright color and I'm loving the matte look.  It somehow brightens my whole face.

I got this as part of my big NYX order that I wrote about Here.
NYX Matte lipsticks come in 22 colors and are only $6.  I really haven't ever been disappointed by an NYX product. You can get them at Ulta or Nyxcosmetics.com.  I usually end up purchasing thru the website as the Ulta's near me are always sold out of half the products! 

On to the swatches:

My bare lips freshly exfoliated, so the matte lipstick goes on smoothly.

Smooth lovely pink!

And I can add a little gloss if I want to switch it up.

I think even with winter coming up I can still using this bright pink to liven up my look, I know Oxblood is the new hot color, but I always think it's not hot unless you love it!


Jasmine

Save your way to Smoooooth Lips

Hello:

Today I did lip swatches of a matte NYX lipstick I got a while back.  Because Matte lipsticks have a tendency to show any imperfection in lip texture I exfoliated my lips before hand with Fresh Sugar Lip Polish:

 

You can get it at Sephora for $22.50 and it works really well but you can get the same results from an at home exfolliant for way less from things you already have in the kitchen!

Take olive oil and add a pinch of brown sugar.
Dab on your lips and let sit for a minute. 
Then take a wet wash cloth, or use your finger, and gently rub it back and forth. Rinse with water.
Apply a lip balm or a moisturizing lipstick afterward.
WAH-LAH!!  Works just as well as the Fresh exfolliant above and you can save that money to buy more Matte lipsticks!

Jasmine

100 posts! That means...It's time for a GiveAway!

Hello!

This is my 100th Post!  Wow!  I can hardly believe it it feels like I've written about 40.  So I have been wanting to do a giveaway and this is a great reason!

 I picked up some of my fav products for you to win.  With out further ado here is the entry form:a Rafflecopter giveaway

I have a review of the mask Here.

And...if I get more than 50 GFC followers by my birthday in 2 weeks there will be an even bigger giveaway open to ship anywhere!

Thanks so much for helping me get to 100 posts and your comments will be truly, truly appreciated!

Update - We have a winner!  Congratulations Kristin- I have sent you an email!

Jasmine

NYX Purple Rain lip pencil

Hello:

Today I did some photos of the NYX lip pencil in Purple Rain that I got with a bunch of other fun stuff you can read about in THIS post. 

 

The NYX Slim Lip Liners are super affordable at $3.49 and you can get them Here.  They have so many colors I've lost count.  I also have Fuchsia and Plush Red.  The pencils are not super creamy but rather more like a pencil eyeliner which I like because I can do a thin line or tilt it and get more coverage.

Bare Lips

With a light lining of Purple Rain



With a light coat of clear gloss

 

I really like this cool purple and think I could do some cool ombre effects with this as well.  It also works great with my pale skin tone ~ Well done NYX!

 

Jasmine

 

 

 

 

 



You and your library...

Hello:

So this post is not beauty related...well not external beauty anyway.  One of my favorite things in the world is to read, and I hit a personal milestone today.

I have kept a journal of all the books I have read for the past 10 years - and then I entered it all into Goodreads.com and have kept it going from there.  Last week I read my 500th book!  I average about 50 books a year (I'm on track for 60 this year, I only know this because Goodreads has a neat tracking device).  So I thought I'd throw out my top 10 books over the last 10 years in case anyone else is a book lover :) 

These are not really in order of like #1 is my absolute favorite because I really can't choose a favorite, favorite anymore:

1) Jane Eyre - by Charlotte Bronte
2) The Red Tent - by Anita Diamant
3) Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx - Adrain Nicole LeBlanc
4) The Gargoyle - Andrew Davidson
5) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
6) Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris
7) The Glass Castle - Jeanette Walls
8) Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
9) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
10) A tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

So have you read any of these or know any books I should read?  Also if you are on Goodreads let me know so we can be friends!

I have to go read book #502 now...

Jasmine

NOTD ~ Chic by Revlon

Hello:

Recently 3 of of my nails Broke, Broke, Broke :(  So I've been waiting for them to get to an even length.  I got a grey blue blue polish by Revlon called Chic, and with dark somber colors I think you need short nails anyways so here it is:

It came out a bit darker than I had imagined, and it defenitly dries to a semi-matte finish so I need to keep up with glossy top coats!  Can't wait for more fun fall colors now that my nails are back!

Jasmine

Hard Candy's Glow Away - can go away

Hello:

Today I tried Hard Candy's Glow Away dual ended bronzer and highlighter stick.  Described by Hard Candy's website as: "Duo bronzer and marble swirl highlighter stick delivers an instant bronze glow on one side and shimmering highlights on the other. In a stick format for easy mess-free application, the soft formula glides on smooth for all day glow and shimmer. Lightweight, creamy formula blends effortlessly to provide a gorgeous vacation glow! 3 bronze shades – Maui, Tahiti, Bora Bora and 1 marbelized Highlighter."  I got it for $6 at Wal-mart it's also available Here.

I got the "lightest" shade - Maui

 

Immediately upon opening the package both ends fell out as seen below:

So for a whole lot of packaging you get about 3/4 an inch of product on each end.

So I mashed the product back into the tube as carefully as I could so it would still roll up or down.  And then I "swatched"it on my face putting the bronze on my lower cheekbone and the highlighter on top.

As you can see even though it is the lightest bronze shade it is quite dark and a bit orange on me

Then I blended it in and it looked a bit more natural.

Overall, I know this product only cost $6 but unless you are a medium skin tone and really like dewy looking highlights, I don't know if you would enjoy this product.

Jasmine

Maybelline Color Tattoo Limited Edition swatches

Hello: 

Today I got out my stash of the new Maybelline Color Tattoo fall colors ( I've managed to find 5) and thought I would do some swatches as I have read that some of the colors are not as good as the originals (Noooo!).

Starting top Left: 300 Gold Shimmer, 400 Rich Mahogany
Bottom Left: 300 Fuchsia Fever, 100 Blue on By, 200 Ready, Set Green

And on to the swatches, where unfortunately the rumors are true...

Gold Shimmer is strong in one swipe as is Ready, Set Green.  But the other three I had to build up with 2 coats to get the lighter swatches you see above.  They are not a total failure, but surprisingly sheer, you can get more coverage and deeper colors with a little work and a matching powder eyeshadow.

Jasmine

Wednesday Blog Hop

Hello:

Today I joined up with This Girl's Lifes Weekly Blog Hop:

You can check it out Here - I have found some fun other blogs to read and she always has Featured Blogger of the week - Guess who it is this week?  ME! 

Thanks Melissa!

Jasmine

Gettin Ferga-licious with Fergi Ferg Fresh from Wet n' Wild

Hello:

Today I was at Walgreens, and I came across 3 color collections by Fergie for Wet n' Wild.  There was the Glamour Eyes Kit (Golds and Black), the Ferga-Vicious Kit (Copper and Green) and the Fergi Ferg Fresh which I got:

Only $8 score!



I have a lot of the colors (ok, all) in the other kits but this one reminded me of the SugarPill palette on the cheap!

So it comes with directions on the one side of the book and the a black pencil liner, liquid liner in a bright blue, Four eye shadows, 2 absolute crap brushes and Mascara.

The Mascara is the Mega Length version, I've never used a Wet n' Wild Mascara but the brush head has the kind of bristles I like.

The Eyeshadow palette says "Color Icon" on it so I was hoping for the infamous amazing color payoff at a great price. 

And here are the products swatches:

The blue seems to have the best color payoff, the darker purple was a bit chalky, and sadly the black doesn't appear as "sparkly" or multi faceted when swatched. But the liners are good in color payoff and texture.  I wish the would have replaced the brushes with a gloss.  Is this palette a must get?  No.  But the container is sturdy and there is room under the "case" where the products are held to throw in some other small items, so this is great for travel, or for a girl's weekend for sure.

What are you thoughts?

Jasmine