Book Review: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands

Do you ever instantly love a movie or book just a little more because it takes place somewhere you're familiar with? I've always loved thing set in Boston because I'm able to relate to it just a little more, but it's a lot rarer to find a book set in Burlington, VT. Chris Bojalian's latest novel Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands takes place largely in the very "city" (I think of it more as a town) I've been living in and that makes it hit a lot closer to home.

This book really blew me away. It's a work of fiction, telling the story of a 16 year old named Emily who lives a charmed life in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. All that changes when a nuclear plant blows up, causing the whole kingdom to evacuate, but her parents are responsible and she is left alone. She becomes a runaway and lives on her own in Burlington, until she befriends a small child. The story is told slightly out of order but not in a way to confuse you. Bojalian really details Burlington so well you can imagine it even if you don't live there. The specific mention of many locations really allowed me to further empathize with the story.

Emily's voice is very compelling and although her story is tragic, she never gives up hope. Although a nuclear power plant exploding in Vermont is entirely fictional, it makes you think what might happen if you were left completely alone in the world with no one to turn to. I kept wanting to read until her story was resolved and I was never bored throughout the novel. I'm always a fan of first-person narration because it really helps me connect to the character and get inside their mind, and it works perfectly for Emily. Ultimately, this is a story of survival and while the end wasn't quite what I expected, it doesn't end in tragedy and offers hope for the young heroine.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone in Burlington because you'll love it simply for the identification of our city, but even if you're from somewhere else, it's a great read that enthralls and captures you. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Calling All Photographers!

I think it's about time I get a real camera. I find that having great quality pictures is something that makes a blog stand out amongst others. I've just been taking pictures from my iPhone, which is fine but doesn't deliver the best results. Now I'm not looking for anything ridiculously expensive, but I would like a digital camera around $200 that can do the job. However, I'm hopeless in the matter of knowing which is the best. This is where you come in. If you're a blogger who has a camera they like,  or just an avid photographer, let me know which ones are the best! I've done a little browsing on Amazon and thought this one might work. Yes I do love that it's purple but that's not a requirement.

Please leave a comment/link below with suggestions!

July Favorites

How is there less than a month left of summer? I feel like June goes by really slowly but July goes by in a second. I'm excited for fall though, it's my favorite season and has the best fashion/beauty launches. I fell in love with so many products this month that it was hard to choose so here's the best of July.

1. A great drugstore foundation (Covergirl Whipped Creme Foundation in Natural Beige). I love the consistency of this... it really feels like whipped cream and applies so easily. This is definitely a lighter base, but that's what you usually get from a quality drugstore foundation. It's incredibly moisturizing and relatively long lasting.
2. An incredible high-end foundation (YSL Touche Eclat Foundation in B30). The sleek glass bottle (which includes a pump thank god) screams luxury. Both Essiebutton and Viviannadoesmakeup raved about this so I figured it was worth a shot to check out. It's incredibly lightweight yet still offers incredible coverage. My skin literally glows (without looking greasy) and it even has SPF.
3. The best concealer/highlighter duo (Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer in Natural and YSL Touche Eclat in No. 2). The struggle to find a non-creasing, full-coverage concealer for my dark circles has been real. However, this Hourglass one is probably one of the best on the market. The stick form is easy to apply and delivers great coverage. I pop the touché éclat on top for highlighting to counteract the darkness.
4. The Body Shop Tea Tree line (Skin Clearing Lotion shown). I don't have terrible skin by any means, but I do have some pesky bumps that show up from time to time. I love the affordability and quality of this line, but I don't use it every night because tea tree can be harsh on sensitive skin.
5. Brown Eyeliner (Marc Jacobs RoCocoa, Urban Decay Roach, Rimmel Kohl Kajal Sable). For the longest time, I thought brown eyeliner was boring. I would consistently wear black or purple but I've recently decided to change it up. Brown eyeliner with a hint of shimmer is just a softer way of defining and I've been loving these three.
6. Perricone MD No Mascara Mascara. I love the No Blush Blush from this line but was skeptical about the mascara. For claiming to be a "no mascara", this delivers a more dramatic look than expected and is formulated without parabens.

TV Shows: If you read my other posts, you know I'm obsessed with American Horror Story. I also watched all of Weeds and loved that this month. 

Books: Abroad by Katie Crouch, I Like You Just the Way I Am by Jenny Mollen, and The Appetites of Girls by Pamela Mollen.

Music: Ahh Lake Street Dive why do you give me shivers every time I listen to you (check out their cover of This Magic Moment).

Also, I've noticed a few rudely opinionated comments from the same anonymous person lately. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I am not a fan of public bashing. At least put your name on the comment because hiding behind an anonymous handle shows you're afraid of something. If you have a personal issue with me, I would appreciate an email where we could discuss something privately.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Killer Cheekbones

I've always coveted the luxurious Charlotte Tilbury makeup collection... but sadly it is unavailable in the USA. You can only imagine my excitement when the Sculpt & Highlight set appeared on the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. This item was a super splurge, but I had a gift card so I'm glad I took the plunge (it's now sold out). For Americans, this item is now virtually impossible to get unless you want to spend about $40 to get it shipped from Selfridges. The kit consisted of the actual palette as well as the Powder and Sculpt Brush. I could have done without the brush, especially since I have a similar cheaper one from Sigma, but they only came together. Anyways, onto the product!

It came housed in this beautiful red box, and the palette is housed in a swanky gold compact. There's a decent amount of product, which should be expected for what you pay. I don't highlight and contour every day, but they are two steps I like to add when I have the time/energy to really do a full face and add that extra glow. The bronzer works great for skin tone and has those grey undertones you need for contouring... this shade may not work for medium/deeper skin tones as it is on the lighter side. And oh that highlight. Both of these are so finely milled and I love the glow the highlight adds without emphasizing my pores.

If you want to make the splurge, or buy one item from Charlotte Tilbury (for those in the UK fortunate enough to be able to do so), I really recommend this item.

Also, I recently attempted to reorganize my makeup and give each item a specific drawer so there weren't concealers thrown everywhere. I'm thinking of doing a weekly Drawer Tour... one week you would see my mascara drawer, another week the eyeshadows, etc. Let me know if that's what you'd like to see!

A Few New Clothing Items

I haven't bought a ton of clothes this summer, so I decided to take advantage of the amazing shopping in San Francisco. Everything I bought was really affordable and great for most seasons.

H&M Dress, $49.95, not online. I have wanted this dress for oh so long but never took the plunge. I finally got it after a few months of lusting and I love it so much. It fits perfectly and somehow the high neckline looks good, which never happens.

TJ Maxx Skater Dress, $14.99, not online. TJ Maxx is usually a crapshoot for me but this little number stood out. It was so affordable, has a cute little back cutout, and is in one of my favorite colors.

Brandy Melville Crop Top, $18. Even though this is a crop top, it's very boxy and loose fitting, so it can easily be worn on a relaxed day. I love the fit of this and it's more colorful than a plain white shirt.

Nordstrom Tank Top, $26. The flowy fit of this is super flattering, and I love the embroidered detail that dresses up this tank top. It's very soft and can be dressed up or down.

Buckle Long Sleeve Tee, $29.95, not online. Besides the fact that this is my favorite color, the crochet on the sleeves reminded me of a Free People shirt (for half the price!). 

Also, here's your latest America Horror Story: Freak Show update because I'm obsessed. They've finally released a cast list for most main characters.

I Left My Heart (and a Chunk of Change) In San Francisco

In case you don't know me, I'm obsessed with San Francisco. It's my absolute favorite city in the world and I just feel so happy there. I was fortunate enough to make my third trip there this year and had a great time. I stay with my mom's best friend when I'm there, and it's like being around my second family. Here are a few pictures from the trip...

View from Lombard St.

Stinson Beach

View of the city from Tiburon

It wouldn't be a complete vacation without some makeup shopping, so here's an overall view of what I got. Some in-depth reviews of products will be up at some point. Which ones would you like to see the most?

Marc Jacobs Omega Bronze

Marc Jacobs Eyeliner in Obey-Ge and Ro(Cocoa)

Laura Mercier Setting Powder

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Nude

Laura Mercier Golden Bronze

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in Rose Infinite

YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch in No. 2

YSL Touche Eclat Foundation in B30 (So excited about this)

Diorskin Nude BB Creme in 002

Diorskin Nude Concealer in 002

Bobbi Brown Brightening Blush in Bronze

Clarins Lip Balm Crayon in Tender Coral

Clarins Instant Light Complexion Base in Champagne

Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturizer in Nude

Milani Bella Eyes Eyeshadow in Ivory

Essence Bronzing Highlighter in Sun Light

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Kit in B Girl

MAC Paints in Stillife

MAC Lipstick in Sweetie

Now I realize that there were a lot of ridiculous splurge items but I did return about $300 worth of items to Sephora, so that's the only reason I went crazy with a few things. I also ordered a few things online that arrived home when I was away...

Soap & Glory Blur and Brighten Crayon in Light

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Light

L'Oreal Color Riche L'Ombre Eyeshadow

Nars Blush in Unlawful

I also bought a few clothing items but didn't want to make this post any longer than it already is, so those will be up tomorrow!

Get To Know Me Tag: Liebster Award

I've actually had my first blogger "Tag" from Cindi's Musings  and I figured, why not answer them? So without further ado, here are the questions/answers...

1. What are your aspirations?
For the past few years, I've been wanting to move to San Francisco after graduation. There are so many opportunities out here to work in the fashion/beauty industry, and I aspire to work for the corporate offices somewhere in the marketing department.

2. Are there any food that you won't touch with a 10ft pole?
Well I'm a vegetarian, so meat is a no-no. But I also despise ketchup, olives (won't touch anything they've touched), and mayonnaise.

3. What is your aim in life?
I don't need to be super famous or revered, but I want to make sure I've done something important and people can remember me.

4. Ever experienced the 'blogger's block' and how did you overcome it?
Since I aim to post every weekday during the summer, coming up with content can be hard. I'm often inspired by other bloggers, plus I have so much makeup that if I did a product feature on one product every day, I'd have content forever.

5. What is your favourite non-living object?
This might be cliche, but it's a tie between my computer/ipad mini/car.

6. Name the actor you are a fan of and why.
Oooh this is a toughie... I am a huge fan of Mindy Kaling. She was great as Kelly on The Office but really came into her own on The Mindy Project... I love that show.

7. What is your favourite make up brand?
For high end, Dior delivers gorgeous results that are splurge-worthy. For mid-range prices that lean on the more affordable side, Tarte takes the case (check out my brand focus here). I'm extremely jealous of all the high-quality drugstore makeup available in the UK that isn't available in the USA, so Rimmel is probably my favorite US-avaliable drugstore makeup.

8. Finish this sentence: To me, blogging is __________.
To me, blogging is a chance to share my passions. Most of the time when I do a post, it's about something or someone (makeup, music, books, maybe people?) that I love. I figure if I love it so much, other people would too and I want to share it!

9. Would you be disheartened and unhappy if you didn't become 'big' like other popular bloggers out there?
To an extent I would. I started this because I read so many other "big bloggers". They get loads of promotional stuff and some have even made a career out of blogging. I don't expect anything like that to happen (although it would be nice), but just to have people find my blog from places that aren't my Facebook is a great accomplishment.

10. Would you ever consider 'vlogging'?
I have in the past, since so many you tubers also "vlog", but the main reason I don't is that I am super technologically challenged and would never be able to figure out how to edit them. Writing just comes naturally for me, plus I would feel super awkward talking to a camera in public.

Even though I'm supposed to tag 11 specific small bloggers, I tag everyone who looks at this page! I'd love anyone with a blog to do this tag on their page and leave a link in the comments :)