TV + FOOD + TRAVEL + MAKEUP +EVERYTHING ELSE
I very much love subscription boxes and bags. As a long-time lipstick lover, Lip Monthly has intrigued me for a while. I was finally drawn in by the allure of a $5 bag advertised in an Instagram ad. I am a sucker, yes. I then […]
Mini M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies I couldn’t resist picking up some mini m&m’s at the bulk food store, and thought that cookies would be the best vehicle for them. I used the chocolate chip cookie recipe from the Joy of Cooking. I replaced half of […]
August was a very sad month for me reading. I just couldn’t really get into anything. I tried to read ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ a few times, but just couldn’t really get into it before my borrow expired. Even the one book I’m counting here as my SINGLE August read, I didn’t finish until a few days into September. I’m hoping this month will be a bit better of a book month for me.
Bryn Turbull’s first novel explores the life of Thelma Morgan in the ’20s and ’30s during her marriage to a Lord, her affair with a Prince, and her sister’s high-profile court case against the Vanderbilts. It’s a work of historical fiction, but a lot of what happened in the book was true.
I was looking forward to reading a new book by a Canadian author, and I love me some royal fiction. I just wish I liked it more than I actually did. For me, it was a slow read. I was never particularly gripped at any point. I didn’t feel a whole lot of depth to any of the characters. It all felt very surface level.
The book jumps around a bit in regard to time. I didn’t really mind that. The chapter titles told the reader what time we were in. I thought it was interesting to see what action lead up to what event. The book just felt like it was taking a long time to get somewhere, and I don’t really feel like I got anywhere.
After finishing the book, I read the various wikipedia pages for the real-life people in this book, and the book was pretty accurate towards history. It was an okay book, I just didn’t really love it.
The mojito has been my drink of summer 2020. They’re easy, refreshing, and I almost always have the ingredients on hand. It may be the unofficial end to summer this weekend, but I’m unwilling to let it go by without a drink in hand. The […]
My fandom of Big Brother has come in ebbs and flows in the last two decades. I vividly remember watching season 3 on the little TV in my bedroom at the tender age of 10. I continued to watch for years, but gave up in […]
What if the first son of the United States and the Prince of England were in their early 20’s and fell in love during a tumultuous election year? Red, White & Royal Blue explores just that.
Alex Claremont-Diaz is a smart, ambitious kid whose mother just happens to be president. Embroiled in a feud with Prince Henry, their two PR teams hatch a plan for them to act like friends and to keep international relations positive. As the two become closer, Alex must reconsider everything he thought he knew about himself and his goals and maybe just fall headfirst into love with a Prince.
This wasn’t a book I was able to rush through and finish in a matter of hours. That being said, I still loved it. I found it gripping. I love anything royal-related and I thought this was a fun spin on things. Alex felt like a fully-realized character with strengths and flaws. It was great to pick up a romcom focused on a gay couple, and I’d love to read more books like this one.
If you’re into a good love story, this is a must-read.
Daisy Jones is the daughter of two famous people, neither of which has much interest in her. She grew up fast and got into rock and roll, and everything that comes along with it in the ’60s and ’70s. She was beautiful and talented, with big dreams to become a musician. The Six was a band from small-town America led by Billy Dunne, who were making their rise on the rock charts.
The producer of The Six decided they should bring Daisy in on a track, and that song immediately hit it big. They then decided to bring Daisy in full-time as a band member. This lead to stardom, and a lot of friction.
I had heard a lot of hype about this book, and placed a hold on it without really knowing what it was. The book was told completely in an interview style. When I first started it, I was a little confused, thinking it may have been non-fiction. I’ve read a couple of non-fiction books in this style and I love them. It lends to getting everyone’s side of the story.
It is indeed a work of fiction, but I think it was done really well. I thought it was a really interesting, fun read and really brought the ’70s to life.
This book follows Queenie Jenkins, a Jamaican-British woman living in London. It covers her struggles over the course of a year, starting with the end of her long-term relationship, and continues into struggling at her job and facing life as a Black woman. Queenie is lacking confidence and self-worth after some very upsetting moments in her life. Throughout the book, she works to become a better version of herself.
Queenie was a very interesting look at the world through the eyes of a Black woman. She often felt like she wasn’t enough to fit in with either of her worlds. There are some pretty hard-to-read moments in the book. Candice was really able to make you feel for Queenie. Queenie was an incredibly rootable character. I would definitely recommend reading this one.
Taylor Swift saw us in lock down for the past however many months and gave us what we all needed – a surprise new album. This new album gives us a stripped down version of the pop star Taylor Swift that we’ve come to know […]
Aloo Matar In an effort to make some more meat-free, filling dinners, I thought I would try out this Aloo Matar recipe from Vegan Richa. I loved the idea of a thick, potato based curry. It definitely took me longer than 30 minutes. Most recipes […]
I thought I was deserving of a treat (I always find a way to justify it), and ordered the June Boxycharm on a hope and a prayer. I ordered the box on June 3, it shipped June 16, and I received it July 6. Since it was coming from the States, I expected shipping to take a while. It’s no big deal, just wanted to note the shipping time.
The price for this subscription box is $25 USD plus $5 shipping to Canada. With exchange it usually works out to be around $40 CAD.
I’m not really sure what compelled me to get this box in particular. I wasn’t blown away by any of the products, but I definitely felt like I’d like to get pretty much anything that was being shown.
Here’s what I got:
This was the palette I was hoping to receive from all of the variations that I saw, and honestly I was a little underwhelmed by it. The colours weren’t as bold and bright as I thought they’d be. They were all a little muted and are all pretty similar tones. The shadows also didn’t have great staying power.
I was excited to get this. I love something that cools! My under eyes can be a little sensitive so I was a little nervous that the cooling sensation would cause a reaction, but I’ve been in the clear so far. This is the type of product that I would never buy for myself, but I’m excited to get in subscription boxes.
I love sleeping masks. I’m trying to get away from using single-use masks, so I was really excited to get this. Sleeping masks are just so simple. You don’t have to worry about how long it’s on. I’ve used this a few times now, and I really like it. Like hell I’d ever pay full price for it though.
When I first opened the box, this was the item I was least excited about – but that changed. I’ve never heard of this brand, so i kind of figured these lip liners were just a box stuffer to bring the value up. I’m also not a big user of lip liners.
But I love these! They are the smoothest, creamiest lip liners I’ve used and I love the shades.
I’ve been more into lighter foundations lately. I like that this just gives a nice tint of colour to even out my a skin tone a bit without being too heavy or full coverage. The one they sent me is definitely a bit darker than my skin tone, but because it’s so sheer, I can make it work.
Usually I prefer a makeup heavy box, but because I haven’t been going out a whole lot lately, I was really happy to get a bunch of skincare items.
I was also given a code for $12 off in the pop up shop Boxycharm has each month. So I got two products that came to $12. So I ended up only having to pay for shipping.
I love a blush palette. I find them very versatile, because often they come with a bronzer or highlighter, and I like to use them for eyeshadow as well. The blush needs a pretty light hand, and I’m not totally sure how to use the middle colour yet, but I like this palette!
There is little I enjoy more than a multi-use product. They’re great for travelling, throwing in your bag to go, or for a low key look. This product is pretty sheer on both the lips and cheeks, but I don’t mind that at all. It’s a nice boost of colour.
The value of the box was $165 USD, and with the add-ons, it was $199. This is a pretty incredible value. I do think I will be using all of the products I received, so this was a pretty successful box for me!
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson 3/5 Stars The Vanishing Stair is the second book in the Truly, Devious series. Stevie Bell is pulled out of Ellingham Academy by her parents after the murder of her housemate. They were convinced to let her go back […]