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