WICKED!

Finished reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire this weekend. IMPRESSIVE!

Bryce asked me to read it awhile ago, since it's one of his favorite books... I finally got around to starting it mid-September. Honestly, I'm more of a biography, memoir, history, non-fiction fan when it comes to books. The beginning was really difficult to grasp for me, because it seemed completely fantasy and I had a hard time getting past the word "dragon". I admit, there was a great handfuls of time where I was bored of it, when Maguire was introducing new environments and new characters. I was HOOKED when reading about the interactions with the main character, the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba.

Wicked is a parallel story to L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. You get to know Elphaba's story from before she was even born. Bratty baby to outcast at school, to political activist, mistress, Auntie... victim...

I seriously never had an interest in this book before, but am very glad I read it before ever seeing the Broadway play. I knew it was a tragedy, but never thought I would be emotionally attached. I was SO, SO wrong! In the end, I was reading without being able the put the book down, and kept thinking in my head, I wasn't going to get emotional. I kept thinking about all of Elphaba's story and could not help but CRY at the end of the book.

I HIGHLY recommend Wicked to anyone who hasn't read it. Again, I admit there were some bits that bore me to pieces, but when it all comes together you'll be taken aback.

After taking so long to read this book, I've started on a light-hearted quick read. Aqua Net Diaries by Jennifer Niven

ORGANIZED!

Today I used my Sunday to start organizing my make-up, nail stuff and a tiny bit of skincare.

I threw away a LOT of old items. Now I feel like I have to replenish! I also feel like I want some more eyeshadow palettes... I keep finding more items here and there. I even found a $20 bill in a purse, woohoo! Haha. I don't like the desk I own right now. I'm thinking of MAYBE painting it white. I'll get a white vanity if it makes more sense. Research.

Either later tonight or tomorrow I'll organize all my bath products, skincare and haircare. I initially dreaded it, but truly I did an organizational day for those products not terribly long ago, so it's really a matter of getting rid of the old and making room for the new! ;P Kidding aside, I do need to inventory my products so I use them before they're too old. And use them before I purchase more!

SAVINGS!

xox

Sephora Haul + Quick Opinions

I meant to write this two weeks ago...! I was home sick today, so I figure I should do something productive!

I'd read about Soap & Glory being a pretty good line that Target once carried, but now has been taken over to Sephora. For whatever reason I thought I'd be able to still get my hands on it at Target. So, I got organizational things, I still have yet to set up... ha. I went to Sephora and may have gotten a tiny bit carried away, BUT it was my birthday. ;)

Here ya' go:

Top right going clockwise: Soap & Glory: Clean Girls body wash, The Scrub of Your Life,
Super-Colour Sexy Mother Pucker plumping gloss, Heel Genius foot creme, Make Yourself Youthful eyecreme. Urban Decay's The Black Palette. Philosophy's birthday bubble bath. Stila's Stay All Day waterproof liquid eyeliner. Make Up For Ever's Aqua Eyes eyeliner. Last but not least, Benefit's They're Real! mascara.

Here's a peek inside The Black Palette.

Starting with the UD palette.... I've only tried Libertine and Jet. These colors are FABULOUS but definitely for the lady who wants dark, smoldering eyes. I suppose that's why it's called The Black Palette. The colors are extremely pigmented and rich. The first two times I used Libertine I had to blend in a lot of a highlight color just to balance the bold color. Less is more! Oops... But the colors are absolutely fabulous! Seriously though, if you love a smoky eye, this palette is heaven! I cannot wait to play with it more! :) Oh and the eyeliner 24/7 glide-on pencil.. NICE! It glides on extremely creamy. It has a good staying power. Since it's a travel size I can carry it around easily and touch up on my water line. (although, admittedly I rarely touch up anything, which I SHOULD)

I think I'm smitten with Soap & Glory.  I suppose I'm guilty for being a sucker for packaging. This is how I ended up getting grabby and impulsive, haha. I first tried the Mother Pucker plumping lipgloss. I normally don't like plumping glosses because they make my sensitive lips uneven, yuck haha. This gloss tingles like CRAZY, which I actually love! The only thing is, it didn't plump my lips. The gloss in itself is good quality. It's thick but not crudy, short-lasting, or messy. Very smooth and glossy. I'd repurchase even if I didn't see the plumping. The Heel Genius is wonderful! My feet feel softer. I think I've found pedicure foot in a tube (plus Ped Egg)! :) It's pretty light and leave a silky feel behind rather than sticky. I've noticed after the day after I use this creme, my hands are really soft, too!

My undereyes had felt sensitive in recent months. I figured it comes with aging, but I've not been taking care of that extremely sensitive area. I LITERALLY had flashes of my face with wrinkles when I'd be removing my raccoon markings at night. I could feel the tugging at my eyes. I've been using the eyecream for about a week now. It says AM and PM, but I just use in the PM before I go to bed. I lightly dab the TINIEST amount and I don't feel like I have the same sensitivity when I wash my face anymore! It's light and silky as well. I'll probably update on this eyecream after a month's use, too.

Clean Girls body wash smells so amazing! As do all the other products by Soap & Glory I've tried. Sephora says, "This body wash softens and soothes with its natural vanilla fruit, orchid extracts, and built-in moisturizing matrix.This body wash contains Mist You Madly's™ beautiful notes of bergamot, black currant, magnolia, freesia, vanilla, and musk." My skin feels incredibly soft after my showers when using this body wash. But it also gives me that squeaky clean I LOVE. I don't know how it does it, but it's super cleansing and moisturizing at once. I normally feel moisturizing body washes leave residue. Not this baby. ;)


I've yet to use the scrub...


I do like They're Real mascara... I don't know yet if it will be repurchased, only because I've been realizing a lot of drug store brands are pretty great and comparable to higher end mascaras. 


xox

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

I have watched 50/50, 500 Days of Summer and Inception in the last 24 hours... Mmmm...

I really felt like trying out my blogger app on my iPhone. Ta-da!