Desperately Seeking Bookworm

This month I decied to do something a bit different and get the Guest Editor or Curated box. It helped a lot that the box was curated by one of my favorite YouTubers Tati Westbrook! She along with Emily Eddington ( Emilynoel83 ) and Melissa Autry ( Melmphs ) are gurus I consistently watch. And by consistently watch I mean every week! I trust Tati, so I knew I would love everything in her box! Avene Hydrance Optimale Hydrating Serum/ Full-size $36 This gentle, hypoallergenic hyrating serum plumps skin while promoting cellular regeneration. I was so excited to try this! Allure actually recommends this brand to girls like me with oily/blemish prone skin, so I couldn't wait to try! I agree taht its hydrating, so hydrating that I actually disn't feel the need to moisturize. Not a strong scent if any and just really great all around. I kinda litke it better than Shiseido Ultimune, which I just finished up. Final Grade: B+ Living Proof Perfect hair Day (PhD) Dry Shampoo/ Ful...

A Book with More Than 500 Pages: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson A Book Set in Another Country: The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson A Book That was Originally Written in a Different Language: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson A Book Written by an Author with the Same Initials: The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson A Book You Started but Never Finished: The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson I know that this is probably a lot of cheating, like a lot a lot, but these two books covered everythingggg. Its most likely also cheating because I listened to both of these books on "tape". Why would I do such a thing like that? Because I found the first book ( The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo ) incredibly difficult to read. The books are translate from Swedish and I appreciate the time it must take to actually do that, but sometimes the sentence structure isn't always how I would like it to be. Any ...

Birchbox yay! Not too bad of a box this month I have to say. Usually I have a lot of gripes about them, but I think 5 out of the 6 items (yes 6! I got a bonus this month) were really nice finds and I've already incorporated them into my beauty routine. So enough blabbering let's get to it! Borghese Fango Purificante Clay Cleanser/Full-size $30 This gentle foaming formula deep cleans like a mask as it soothes skin. I've never used a clay cleanser before, masks weekly, cleanser nope. I've always wanted to try Borghese, so this is the perfect sample for me. It comes in at 1 fl oz, which is your typical cleanser sample size, and I've been using it everyday since I got it! Which is odd because I typically just throw the cleansers I get from BB in a box of stuff I use for the gym or travel, I mean I didn't even use the Acure cleanser yet, sorry Acure. I was surprised that this was very liquidy, and it has a slight perfumey scent. Nothing overwhelming though and...

A Book That Made You Cry: Still Alice by Lisa Genova So I just finished watching Still Alice and I am very impressed by the book/movie over all. Last night I finished the book by Lisa Genova, and while the movie wasn't an exact replica the characters, plot, significant incidents were all still within the movie. I didn't plan to use this for my Popsugar Challenge , but it made me cry, so that takes care of that. Not to get all emotional, but both the book and the movie are really beautiful. I highly recommend both to everyone really, but fair warning if you have a history of any type of serious disease in your family, including Alzheimer's I would caution. The book is rather jarring and you may have a restless night of sleep after finishing. It'll keep you awake thinking about your own uncertain future. If you don't know about Still Alice ,  have never heard of the book or aren't into award shows like I am than here is a little snippet of what I was blubb...

A Book with a Color in the Title: White House Nannies by Barbara Klein A Book Turned or Based on a TV Show: Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth I've finished 2 move books for my Popsugar Challenge, fair warning this will be a quick post because they really weren't anything to write home about. Just a quick mini-review so that no one feels forgotten about. I am starting a new job at the end of the month, but I do remain dedicated to reading and judging many a book by its cover. Just so everyone gets a sense of my habits, I'm one of those people who constantly forgets to hit the send button. Only to go back to something an hour or two later and realize my mistake. I know my group members for projects in college got many an email with an "attachment" that was never there. I tend to get ahead of myself. Explaining why I actually wrote this post a week ago and am just now posting it. Anyways... White House Nannies by Barba...

I don't think it's any surprise that I love meself some YA! I think I was introduced to a blurb about The Selection series in Newsweek ...kidding it was an issue of Seventeen I was reading at the Dentist? Whatever it doesn't matter, all you need to know is that its awesome! A Dystopian America that's now a smaller fragile absolute monarchy and has a caste system??? Uh yes please! The series (originally a trilogy) is narrated by America Singer, a 5 (there are 8 castes) who lives in post WW3 (could be WW4 I honestly don't remember) Illea province named Carolina. As Artists, 5's are 3rd from the bottom in the caste system. I would equate them to the typical American family today, not well off, but they feel the struggle of staying afloat throughout the year. As per tradition with all the Princes of Illea a selection is held, where 35 girls throughout the kingdom compete for his hand in marriage. Kinda like The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games with less bloodshe...

I've been having a hard time deciding on what to read in order to check off Pulitzer prize winner on my reading list. Originally I wanted to read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.  After some further research, I read a lot of reviews that weren't very kind about Ms. Tartt's work. And they weren't professional reviews either, they were just ordinary reviewers on Goodreads, because the professional reviews that seemed to only fawn over this book. I'm conflicted. I fell like I should at least give The Goldfinch a try, but it's a really big book. I have some backups A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan and All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr . I've just finished the 4th book in The Selection Series, so now I can focus on this daunting task ahead of me. Any suggestions if this doesn't work out? I'm open to non-fiction winners as well! UPDATE: Okay so The Goldfinch definitely did not work out. I think I'm going to go with A ll the Lig...

I fell like historically September is never a standout month for BB. You would think it would be pretty bangin' because September is an important month for the fashion and beauty world with all the new releases. As always I peaked early on the site (BTW your box is usually available to see around the 9th of each month), and I wasn't overly thrilled with the contents. Acure Organics Facial Cleaning Gel Superfruit+CGF/Full-size $26 This cleanser infuses skin with anti-aging ingredients for a fresh, younger-looking complexion. This will be the second cleanser I've tried from Acure. I don't mind their products, its good to know you can buy their line at Target now. I think they're a great affordable line for people who want a natural skincare system. Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil/ Full-size $25 An easy-to-use tool that helps fill in and naturally shape unruly brows.  I actually thought this was Anastasia Brow Wizz which everyone seems to love, ...

Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge - A Book You Can Finish in a Day - A Play The story famously recounts how the faded and promiscuous Blanche DuBois is pushed over the edge by her sexy and brutal brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski. Picking a play to read isn't easy. Well I guess it could be for some people, but for those of us who haven't read beyond Macbeth in 12th grade, it's an issue. I tried to pick books that I would never want or need to read at this stage in my life, so settling on Tennessee Williams was a good choice. Of all the books I've read I've never had the pleasure of reading his work, not even while I was in school. Which concludes the story of how I decided to read A Streetcar Named Desire. I knew little about his play other than the famous "Stella!" line, oh and Josh Hartnett played Kowalski in the movie Hollywood Homicide (bonus points if you know that movie!). I was actually really surprised that the plot didn't really re...

I know I've talked a lot about the Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge and I've linked to it in the past, but I just wanted to get a quick post up with the list and what I have planned to read for the rest of the challenge. I came to the challenge in July and was worried about getting everything squeezed in, so I am using 1 book for multiple boxes to check off. I've been doing pretty well with the challenge. I know that I'm cheating and yes that does hurt me a little, but if they do another one next year I will definitely be doing this challenge again the correct way! Books I still have left to read: Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth Maus, 1 by Art Spiegelman White House Nannies by Barbara Klein The Girl who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest Stieg Larsson Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Landline by Rainbow Rowell Me Before You by Jojo Meyers The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt Life as I Blow It by Sarah Colonna The Hunger ...

Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge: A Popular Author's First Book A Book Set in High School A Banned Book I'll admit that I got sucked into the trend that was The Fault In Our Stars . I really did like the book and I thought the movie adaptation was pretty good. Since I loved that book, I was sure to love the rest of Green's work...yeah no. Earlier this year I read  Paper Towns, which was just eh. I wasn't impressed. Clearly I didn't learn from that because I decided to read Green's first YA novel Looking for Alaska , which checks off 3 of my Popsugar qualifications! Before.  Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Beca...

As I said before I am participating in Popsugar's Ultimate Reading Challenge for 2015. There are 52 books (if you count the trilogy individually), but I did come late to the challenge, so I'm using 1 book to cover multiple qualifications. One that I really had to do research for was 'a book from the year you were born'. Now I was born in 1988, and when I googled top books of '88, nothing jumped out. On my second Google search, I dug a bit deeper and found Matilda by Roald Dahl , which also checked off the 'book from your childhood' and 'a book with magic' boxes. To be completely honest I did not read Matilda when I was a kid. I know exactly where the book was located in the elementary school library, but fiction was never my thing as a kid. I had and still have a pretty healthy obsession with biographies and memoirs. So I felt that it was a perfect opportunity to finally read some Roald Dahl! And I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I a...

I can't believe I finally got my hands on this book! I put it on hold at the libby (library) in early March, and as of the late July I was still #386 in line. Thank the Lord for someone named Paula (also the name of the author) for donating a copy to my local library! I've heard almost nothing but good things about this book and it sat on my to read shelf for too long! As I was finishing up another book and I would often glance at it longingly, that's how bad I needed to read this book! For those of you who don't know The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is about... Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost. And then...

Ahh August is almost over! This is my least favorite month, because it always feels 10x longer and its wayyyyy too hot! I'm a little late with my post because I worked the Pokemon World Championships and unable to try products immediately, so here we go! BTW I loved the design of the box this month, so cute with the little 3D pool! I've now stored hair-ties, clips, and headbands in it and put it on display in my bathroom cabinet. Air Repair Complexion Boosting Moisturizer- Full Size $20 Packed with antioxidants and humectants, this rich cream hydrates and revitalizes dry or dull skin. I tried this for the first time on Sunday and I was pleasantly surprised. I really didn't want another moisturizer to add to my overgrown collection, but this turned out well. When I read the description I thought it might be a cheaper (but still expensive) option to the Ren Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream, which I love, but I didn't find it to be. The scent is strong, but you can...

Jane Green and her Chick Lit is my Kryptonite. As my BFF said "Just stop reading her!" I thought of course that's the obvious solution! Sadly though I am addicted to these books and I don't know how to quit them. Every time I finish one of her books I kinda feel like I just had a fling that I know wasn't good for me emotionally, but I did it anyways. This is actually my second JG book this year, I read Saving Grace in March and I'll be honest I didn't like it. As always with JG we have a flawed main character, Cat's major flaw is that she is an alcoholic, and a rather bad one at that. I'll admit that I wanted to give up on this book around page 70. I really just had enough with all of the women JG writes about. They're either depressed from pretending to be too perfect or have too many secrets that are poisoning them. It's a running theme in her books and maybe its my fault for always getting sucked in, but it did irk me a bit in the be...

Birchbox would like you to Go Bold this month! First I just want to point out how amazing this months box is, the actual physical box. I am absolutely totally in love with the print and I was overly careful in opening up the outer pink box in order to not scratch or damage the beautiful inner contents. I've never been overly impressed with every Birchbox that I get. There's always 1-3 items I hate and 2-3 that I love. This month though I loved EVERYTHING ! July Sample Choice: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Venezia Full-Size: $24 "This creamy formula glides on like a gloss yet lasts (and lasts and lasts) like a stain." For almost a year now we've been able to pick one of our samples. This month we were able to choose 1 of 3 colors of Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick. Sample choice was early this year and the mobile site wasn't working for me, so I wasn't able to chose my color. I was a little upset because I knew I would get the coral...

My Summer Reading List isn't doing so hot guys. I have bailed on the following 4 books... Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters Wicked Charms by Janet Evanovich Diamond Head by Cecily Wong Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz I've tried to read all 4 of these books, and so far none of them have captivated me. Beautiful Ruins also got a second chance, but I just couldn't do it. There was something about it that just threw me off. I think the storyline was not as simple as I would like for a summer read. I prefer something simple and beachy not flashing back and forward through time and changing characters left and right. Diamond Head just didn't quite grab me in the first 50 pages and I didn't have enough confidence that it would wow me in the coming chapters. When it came to Witches of East End I just couldn't do it. I tend to like to read the book first before the movie or TV show starts, and since I have already watched and loved the now cancelled ( ...

My summer reads haven't been too promising, but Anita Diamant certainly gave me hope.  From the New York Times bestselling author of The Red Tent and Day After Night, comes an unforgettable coming-of-age novel about family ties and values, friendship and feminism told through the eyes of young Jewish woman growing up in Boston in the early twentieth century. Addie Baum is The Boston Girl, born in 1900 to immigrant parents who were unprepared for and suspicious of America and its effect on their three daughters. Growing up in the North End, then a teeming multicultural neighborhood, Addie's intelligence and curiosity take her to a world her parents can't imagine - a world of short skirts, movies, celebrity culture and new opportunities for women. Addie wants to finish high school and dreams of going to college. She wants a career and to find true love.  Eighty-five-year-old Addie tells the story of her life to her twenty-two-year-old granddaughter, who has asked her ...

Birchbox is a monthly subscription service that sends 5 deluxe sample sized beauty products from mid-range to high-end cosmetic, nail polish, and skin care brands for $10 a month. Every once in awhile they will include a full size product, or if you subscribe to their new upgraded subscription plan, (an extra $20 a month) you'll receive 2 full size beauty products in addition to your samples. This is something new that BB is still trying out, but so far I've heard good things about it. Something that's almost a year old now is Sample Choice, where BB features 3-4 different samples and allows you to pick one that will be in your monthly box. The theme changes every month and you don't always have to choose your sample, there is an option to not choose a sample or choose the monthly featured box. The featured box sometimes has a guest editor, this past month it was The Tig by Meghan Markle (Rachel on Suits!) and its usually the editor(s) favorite products of the moment. F...

I'm 2 books down so far from my summer reading list and I'm feeling a bit down, both were such disappointing reads. I think maybe I expected too much because one did have a fair amount of negative reviews on Goodreads, but I thought to myself so did Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore and I loved that book! Let's just say that I should've trusted the reviewers instead of my heart. First up... We Were Liars A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth.   We Were Liars  is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.  Read it. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE. I believe this was featured in a Peeople or Us Weekly "Must Read" section last summer and since it centered...