5: Books to Read This Summer

One of the best things in life is reading a really good book, especially the books that make you really angry, really frustrated, or really happy. Although I have already compiled a list of "to-reads" in my Goodreads (it is well over 100 books), I found this "50 Great Books That Will Change Your Life" list in my June issue of Real Simple magazine. So naturally, being a devoted reader of Real Simple, I dropped my list immediately and chose five books from this new list that I will read this summer.

1. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

I don't particularly love (or hate) Alice in Wonderland, but it's a familiar title so I chose it. I think it would also be interesting to compare how closely the movies resemble the actual writings.

2. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Berry Edwards

I don't remember why I initially chose this book to read, but I know it will give me good insight on drawing, which we all know I need.

3. Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin

I'm guessing that this book is about make-up and beauty because it's written by Kevyn Aucoin, and I love all things beauty. The only place I usually look for beauty "information" is YouTube, so this will be a good change.

4. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

I read this book during my junior year of high school, but I didn't appreciate it. I hope that by reading it again, I'll be able to enjoy it!

5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

A book I should have read in a high school English class, but didn't. Not that I didn't want to, but because none of my teachers mentioned it.

I'm not going to lie, I am horrible at committing myself to things. (I'm sure you can see that displayed on how often I blog.) I don't know if I'll get through all five during this summer, but I hope this post encourages you to read something!

Other places to find me:  bloglovin' | instagram | pinterest | twitter

Beauty: Summer Lovin' Haul

There is no better way to start off summer than to purchase a bunch of new beauty products I've been wanting to try. I went a little crazy because I haven't bought anything in a while, so brace yourselves! (Warning to all: this is a very long post!)

It drove me nuts trying to get this picture to be somewhat decent ...

24 Hour Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadows in Barely Branded and Inked in Pink by Maybelline I thought that Barely Branded would look weird on my olive skin tone, but I love it so much already. When I use it as a base and add Half Baked (by Urban Decay) on top, it is so bright and shiny. (I love bright and shiny. You'll be hearing me describe things as "shiny" a lot, by the way.) I haven't tried Inked in Pink yet, but it is super nice and creamy. Don't be surprised if I end up purchasing the whole collection in a month ...

Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain in 190 Endless Red by L'Oreal
I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about this (both in general and in comparison to the YSL glossy stains) so I wanted to try it for myself. Lip stains are also my favorite lip products, so I couldn't really stay away for that long.

Lip Butter in Raspberry Rosé Kiss by Nivea
The scent is very artificial, but I love fruity scents so it doesn't bother me. I wish it came in a stick form because I hate the idea of dipping my fingers in a sticky substance, but the container is cute nonetheless.

Colour Riche Lipstick in 710 Mulberry by L'Oreal
Because my lips are fairly pigmented, it's hard for me to shop for lip colors. After looking at all the shades in this collection, I decided on this one because I knew it was dark enough. I haven't seen it on my lips in natural daylight yet, but it's quite purple.

Colorstay Smoky Shadow Stick in 201 Torch by Revlon
I'll be honest; I only bought this because I've seen Amarixe (from YouTube) use it a bunch of times in her tutorials. Yeah that's it.

Love is Heavenly Body Mist by Victoria's Secret
For some reason, I've never thought of using body mist or body spray. I like to make sure that I can smell myself (I know I'm strange), so I always stick with using perfume because it's strong. However, I've been wanting something lighter so I came across while I was browsing the store and I instantly fell in love. Their website describes it smelling like "water lily, mandarin flower, and luminous musk" and I can't stop smelling it whenever I see it in my room now.

Nearly Naked Foundation in 170 Natural Beige by Revlon
I thought it was time for me to purchase a real foundation instead of mixing my Dream Mousse concealer with my moisturizer. Not that the mixing was a problem (because it worked really nicely), but I wanted to see if there was something that could give me better coverage. I've only worn this once so far and I really liked it.

De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray by Urban Decay
Although powder helps me control the oil on my forehead, I'm not someone who will carry it around in my backpack/crossbody bag and apply it throughout the day. I've heard that this lasts so it's time to try it out! I have high hopes because Urban Decay is a great brand :)

Fresh Effects Refreshing Make-Up Removal Cloths by Olay
It smells very much like hair dye, which isn't good because I do not want to smell like I wiped hair dye all over my face, and it stings my eyes. I'll finish the pack, but I don't think I'll repurchase these again.

The end is finally here! I didn't realize that it would be so long, so thank you for reading if you did. I hope your week is going well and that you're having a happy day.

ALSO, I have a Bloglovin' account now! So follow me there (by clicking here) if you'd like :)

May Favorites (plus free magazine subscriptions!)

I always love the beginning of a month because it can be the mark of a "fresh start." Because I want to be a little healthier (okay, maybe a LOT healthier!) with my eating and drinking habits, I have decided that I will try and stay away from soda for this whole month. I actually stopped for about a year during my senior year of high school, but it was destroyed because there was a soda machine in my dining commons at college. Who can say no to unlimited soda?! I always crave soda now, so I thought it would be good to start drinking water instead of soda.

Anyway, on to the main point of this post. Here are the things that I've been really into this month!

The Vampire Diaries

After starting The Vampire Diaries earlier this year, I have finally caught up. And I'm obsessed. If you haven't seen this series yet, I highly suggest it. I remember that the first season premiered around the time that Twilight came out, which is why I avoided it, but it has made it to the top of my "favorite TV shows" list. Yes, it is about teenage love, but there is so much more to the story that I can't give away, so just watch it :) For those of you who are already watching it, I have been rooting for Damon and Elena (and Klaus and Caroline hehe.)

24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion by Urban Decay

Although this smudges a little on me, I love how it glides on so nice and smoothly. It's also a great intense black. I love to use this when I'm running late because I can just apply it on the bus :p

High-Waisted Leather Shorts by Forever 21

It's kinda awkward for me to wear these now because I ALWAYS wear them. With the same tights, too. I am a total fashion-repeater. And I don't care, because my high-waisted leather shorts are comfy and cute. So there.

Chloé Eau de Parfum Rollerball

I would have never bought this if some random lady from Macy*s never handed me a sample. So thank you, random lady! I love to pack this whenever I'm traveling somewhere (not that I travel a lot) because it's slim and it's pretty much spill-proof. Nothing is more perfect than that!

Seaweed Clarifying Toner by The Body Shop

I have never used toner before this one because I didn't think I need it. I honestly still don't know what toner is used for, but it's refreshing and it removes dirt from my face even after I use a make-up wipe. It hasn't broke me out or anything, so I assume that it works well on my skin.

Triplus Fineliner 0.3 mm Pens by Staedtler

I used these pens to color the geometric bows featured in this post. It is perfect for note-taking and they don't smear like Sharpies do (something that left-handers understand!)

Mint Julips Lip Scrub by Lush

I love using this before I put on a lipstick because it really does smooth out my lips. I have a really bad habit of peeling my lips whenever I can, so this lip scrub has been making me feel a little bit better about myself.

Real Simple magazine

First of all, the layout of this magazine is "a1." In other words, it is spot on, awesome, superb, PERFECT. I love the fonts, the content, the placing of images, even the width and height of the magazine. It always has applicable tips for my life, even if it targeted toward older women. If you sign up for Recyclebank, you can earn points that can be used to buy magazine subscriptions, including Real Simple! IT'S FREE! (Don't worry, I'm not sponsored by them. I just wanted to let you guys know because I like free stuff myself!)

Sorry if some things on here are strange. I am currently typing this up in the wee hours of the morning so I can get this up on the first day of June! Which it already will be when you're reading this :)

Other places to find me:  bloglovin' | instagram | pinterest | twitter