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Review: Essie Ballet Nudes Gel Couture

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essie

Essie is a staple nail varnish brand for fashionistas and manicurists. I’ve enjoyed several of their colours from their normal varnish line, but decided to give the Gel Couture a spin. Usually I use Julep varnishes as they can last up to two weeks for me with barely any chipping. This new Essie gel-polish line promises a chip-free manicure for 14-days without the use of the LED or UV light (which is a bonus since traditional gel-manicures can be incredibly damaging to your nails).

The Essie Gel Couture is a two-step gel manicure that one can easily apply by themselves. I chose the colour Hold the Position. I usually go for various shades of red, but since it’s Spring, I decided to step outside of my usual colour scheme and go for something unconventional to my signature nail look.

Before I applied the nail varnish (Step One-the coloured bottle) I had washed my hands and buffed my nails. After that, I applied three coats of Step One nail varnish (because I felt the colour was a little too light and wanted it to really POP, but you can go with two coats without a problem). Afterwards, I applied one coat of Step Two (the clear top coat). I waited about 30 minutes for it to dry, but didn’t do anything too taxing using my hands for about an hour (just to be sure) so that the varnish could set.

This is the varnish after having been applied:

nails2

This is the varnish after 15-days of application:

nails3

As you can see, the varnish didn’t chip too terribly and the colour is still somewhat shiny and vibrant.

Verdict: I’m going to have to give this varnish 5+stars. I’m really happy with the length it’s stayed on without chipping and the application was rather simple. Not only, it gives you the shine of a true gel-manicure without the damaging effects of a real one. And taking the varnish off is simple, all you need is any

Retail: $11.50 per bottle (and since this is a two-step deal that’s going to be $23, which can seem pretty pricey, but since it truly stays on for 14-days I think it’s worth it).

You can purchase the varnish at various beauty retailers or just go to Ulta Beauty online and find your fave colour!

By: Azzurra Nox

Five Morning Rituals That Will Kick-Start Your Day!

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For many of us, waking up early in the morning is a must. But if you’re not an early bird (as myself), waking up early can truly seem torturous. How can you alleviate this problem or at least make those early morning wake-up calls seem less dreadful? Here are a few of my morning rituals that help me jump-start my morning and be ready for the day.

Choose a Pleasant Alarm to Wake-Up To

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always found that being utterly startled out of sleep already puts me in a foul mood before I even set foot out of bed. Throughout the years I’ve found that being slowly awakened to a pleasant sound that gently lulls me out of sleep works wonders. I’ve been waking up to The Cure’s Just Like Heaven for years now. There’s something about Robert Smith’s dreamy voice and the uplifting spirit of this song that somehow makes me feel like my day is going to be awesome. Choose a song that makes you feel good or even a relaxing instrumental and start your day with some positive vibes!

Cup of Tea

I’m a tea lover, and if there’s one thing that will put me in a bad mood first thing in the morning is if I have awful tea (which also makes me a tea snob). I usually favour English Breakfast or Darjeeling Tea for the mornings. There’s something about the aroma and the comforting warmness of it that makes me feel like I’m being cuddled up in a snuggly blanket. Some of my favourite tea brands are: Twinings, Ashby, Mighty Leaf Tea, and . If you’re more of a coffee person, then go ahead and have that. But something about drinking a hot drink will soothe any morning jitters and get you prepared for the long day ahead.

7-Minute Reading

I know some people love to read the morning news, and that’s good if that’s what you like to do. I usually try to avoid being bombarded by the news first thing in the morning, mostly because a good portion of the news if always somewhat depressing. Instead, I try to wake up my brain with some leisure reading. Usually it may be a magazine article or simply reading a few pages of whatever book I’m currently reading. Whatever you choose doesn’t matter as long as it helps you motivate yourself to wake up.

7-Minute Workout

I’m not the best person when it comes to exercise (at least in the formal going to the gym-sort), but I’ve found that doing this simple exercise routine 7-Minute Morning Workout In Pyjamas by Joanna Soh is the best way to get your blood flowing and shake off the morning blues. This exercise is simple and doesn’t take too much time out of your morning routine. If anything, it helps you work off that extra glass wine or scoop of ice cream you had before going to sleep the night before. It’s also fool-proof enough that even hungover or sleep deprived you can manage to do these easy steps. In just seven minutes you’re able to loosen your muscles and get your heart rate going. And don’t worry if you work up a bit of a sweat, just jump into the shower afterwards!

Lemon Water

This is simple! Just take a glass of hot water and spritz some lemon juice (or add a slice of lemon) to the water and drink this either before your morning coffee or tea, or even after. This Lemon Water is an excellent source of Vitamin C (much needed during flu-season!) and an amazing way to rid your body of unwanted toxins. Not only that, lemon aids in reducing pain in the body and any inflammation in joints. Not to mention that it tastes delicious!

These are just some of my morning rituals. Leave some of yours in the comments below!


Lemon Water image taken from eblogfa.com

By: Azzurra Nox

Make Pesto Like A True Italian! Easy Recipe!

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Many of you may not know, but I’m half Italian and grew up living in various Italian cities. For this reason, I’m always hesitant to dine out at Italian restaurants in America, because it’s rarely anything remotely close to what the original recipe really is. I always feel bad having to break the news to Americans that their most coveted Italian dish (Chicken Alfredo) is merely an American concoction that doesn’t exist in Italy.

When it comes to pesto, the secret is in the preparation. If you’ve ever actually been to Italy and had a chance to taste the pesto there, you will notice right away that it’s vastly different from the Americanized counterpart you find here in the U.S. at restaurants or sold in jars at stores. First of all, the real meaning of “pesto” in Italian is to “grind/smash.” That means in the original Italian recipe you DO NOT use a food processor or hand blender to get the ingredients to become a paste. Rather, you place all the ingredients in a mortar bowl and grind them using a pestle (see photo for example). This method requires you to manually grind all the ingredients together till it becomes a texturized paste.

pestogrinder

This may take you between 20-25 mins. I know many of us lead very busy lives and may find this takes too long and wish to skip this step and use a food processor, but if you truly want to experience an authentic Italian pesto, you must take the long way! The beauty of this though is, that you can make extra and freeze what you won’t be using, to be consumed at a later date. So pretty much it’s a far more invigorating and delicious meal prep trick!

Ingredients:

1 Large bunch of basil leaves (about 30 leaves washed & dried)

1-2 Tablespoons of Raw Pine Nuts (I love pine nuts so usually go with 2)

3 Medium cloves of garlic

2 Tablespoon of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

2 Tablespoon of freshly grated Peccorino Romano cheese

3 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

A pinch of salt

Directions:

Begin by chopping up the garlic cloves in four squares and cutting the basil leaves in half (if they’re too large). Once you’re done with this, place both of them in a mortar dish and using the pestle begin to grind and smash them. Do this until they’re completely minced. At this point, add the pine nuts (you may wish to chop the pine nuts if you want to speed up the process first) and using the pestle, mince them along with the first two ingredients. Now you add half of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to the mortar and grind and then add the other half. Repeat these steps for the Peccorino Romano cheese as well. Using the pestle, grind till all the ingredients are minced in a paste-like manner. Once you’re satisfied with the consistency, then you add the olive oil and salt to the mortar and using a teaspoon stir all the ingredients together. And you’re done!

Depending on how much pesto you use, this amount can be used for up to 3 dishes of pasta.

This is a very nutritious and delicious recipe that it’s hard not to love!

You can use any kind of pasta for pesto, below I chose to make it with orecchiette pasta because they’re one of my faves, but you can also use spaghetti or zitti if you prefer!

pesto

Buon Appetito!

By: Azzurra Nox

The Best Green Smoothie for Amazing Skin & Energy Boost!

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With Spring in full swing, at times appetite decreases and keeping hydrated is a must! Rising temperatures and humidity do a number on your skin during the Spring and Summer months, so how can you combat both of those things in one easy step?

THE SOLUTION: Green Smoothie!

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a huge fan of smoothies or green smoothies in general (something about the consistency and taste), but here is a quick recipe that isn’t necessarily grainy and quite tasty! Oh, and it combats both hunger and thirst while providing enough vital nutrients and vitamins to help keep your skin looking its best even when it’s sweltering!

green smoothie

INGREDIENTS:

¾ cup Almond Milk
¾ cup Coconut Water
½ cup chopped Kale
½ cup baby Spinach
1 medium sized Apple (chopped)
¼ Avocado
Half a Banana
1-2 Tablespoons of Soy Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon of Chia Seeds

Blend the following ingredients on high speed for about 30-40 seconds, and you’ll be on the road to better skin and an instant energy boost! Basically, a win-win on all accounts. 

Let me know if you try this and how you like it! Enjoy!

By: Azzurra Nox

 

Simple Spring Makeup Look!

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Glamorous looks are gorgeous, but not always doable when you haven’t got lots of time to spend hours applying makeup. I usually prefer to use less products as possible and try to keep my look simple but never drab!

These are the products* I used to achieve this look. You don’t have to use the same products as me, and can opt similar looking ones, but these are the ones I reached for to create the look below:

Products:

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles in Light

LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs High Definition Microfinish Pressed Powder

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Original

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen Classic in Blackest Black

L’Oreal Voluminous Superstar in Blackest Black

From Lancome’s Auda[city] in Paris Palette:

Exhibition Eyeshadow (on lid)

Kitten Heel Eyeshadow (on lid)

Smashbox Matte Eyeshadow:

Grounded (in crease)

Canyon (along lower lash line & brows)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Skimp (on brow bone)

Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Blanc

Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in I’m Shook

Urban Decay Afterglow Powder Blush in Score

eyeeye2

Step One:

Use Smashbox’s Photo Finish Foundation Primer below your eyes, as a way to create a smooth surface for your concealer to go on (this helps eliminate creases!). I’m somewhat picky when it comes to concealers and always opt for liquid formulas over sticks. I placed Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles in Light beneath my eyes to conceal my dark circles and use a beauty blender to blend it out. I then set the concealer using LunatiCK’s. Cosmetic Labs High Definition Microfinish Pressed Powder.

Step Two:

Swipe Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion Original upon your lid (or any other eyeshadow primer that you prefer). This will help lock in the eyeshadow that you’re going to be placing on top, as well as having the shadow not face throughout the day.

Step Three:

Swipe Lancome’s Eyeshadow in Exhibition on the lid. This is a matte pink and will help keep the look from getting too sparkly. Then place Lancome’s Eyeshadow in Kitten Heel on top, and blend the two colors till the matte pink and frosty peach become a pretty muted pink hue.

Step Four:

Using a blending brush, place Smashbox’s Matte Eyeshadow in Grounded in your crease and blend, blend, blend!

Step Five:

Line your lower lashes using Smashbox’s Matte Eyeshadow in Canyon. I often find that using a pencil liner for the lower lashes to be too harsh and accentuates fine lines. A shadow liner is far more forgiving in that respect.

Step Six:

Line your upper lid using Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen Classic in Blackest Black. You can either do a simple liner look or cat-eye at this point, whatever strikes your fancy! I find that Revlon’s liner is one of the best for being fool-proof and cost-effective.

Step Seven:

Using a slanted brush, take Smashbox’s Matte Eyeshadow in Canyon to fill your brows (if you’re light haired as myself), if not choose an eyeshadow that best suits your hair color.

Step Eight:

Take Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow in Skimp and place it upon your brow bone. This shade is slightly satin so it gives a bit of a sheen like a highlighter. Then use Lancome’s Le Crayon Khol in Blanc to line the inside of your lower lash so that your eye appears bigger rather than smaller (as it would using a black liner).

Step Nine:

Take a lash curler and carefully curl your lashes. Then take L’Oreal’s Voluminous Superstar in Blackest Black, and first use the mascara primer portion of the wand and let it sit for about 15 seconds. Then using the mascara portion of the wand apply two coats of mascara, and a light coat on your lower lahes. The reason why I love this mascara so much is because you get two products for the price of one (primer & mascara)!

Step Ten:

Lightly line your lips using Lancome’s Le Crayon Khol in Blanc and rub it still the line is barely visible. Use the line to help guide you as your apply Jeffree Star’s Velour Liquid Lipstick in I’m Shook. Tip: Use a THIN coat when applying a liquid lipstick as a thicker coat will weigh down your look and appear too made up. Finish the look by applying a light dusting of Urban Decay’s Afterglow Powder Blush in Score on the apple of your cheeks!

lips

All done! Now you’re ready to take on the day with a chic and fresh look!

makeup

Amount of time to create this look: Approx. 25 mins.

*All products used in this tutorial were bought by the writer.

By: Azzurra Nox

Say Farewell to your Acne FOREVER!

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Acne can be a very serious problem for many men and women. Not only is it painful but it can be very damaging to your self-esteem. And yet, acne is no longer a problem that’s only debilitating teenagers around the world, but rather more and more adults everyday are being affected by this skin condition. 50 million, to be exact.

Now, I’m not a dermatologist, and I haven’t suffered from severe adult acne as some have, but I’ve had to deal with some painful cystic acne in which nothing seemed to cure. And apparently dermatologists were just as clueless, offering to prescribe one different acne cream or wash after another with no real significant change.

Being someone who’s always avid to learn, I decided that maybe I should try to find the perfect cure to eradicate this problem. After all, a whole population of an island on Papua New Guinea have never suffered from acne in their lives. This made me think about what did they have going for them?

First of all, throughout my extensive research I’ve learned one major fact, that acne is a problem that cripples mostly the Western World (poor eating habits and stress being the major issues).

I know dermatologists have been saying for years that they don’t know WHAT causes acne, but I decided to take matters into my own hands and figure out exactly what is happening to our skins.

The major culprit is P. acnes (a bacteria that colonizes the skin whether or not you have acne) and grows rampant with the help of sebum (hence why people with oily skin or combination skin are the ones who majorly suffer from this skin condition). Hormones also play a huge role, creating an overabundance of sebum (thus making your skin fertile for acne to flourish).

The issue is, how can we eradicate the problem? I turned to science as a way to solve it. What I learned was that a lot of the inflammation that causes acne begins in the stomach and that the common denominator in crushing acne is Vitamin A. So I used that knowledge to test drive the five steps that have kept me acne-free for two years.

skin

5 Proven Steps to Better Skin

Vitamin A. This vitamin makes your skin virtually hostile towards P. acnes by keeping your levels of sebum very low. There’s a reason why dermatologists prescribe Acutane to acne sufferers, and it’s because it’s pretty much overdosing on Vitamin A. Now, there’s two ways you can obtain more of this vitamin (through food such as a chicken livers, which you’d only need to eat it once a week, as Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning it’ll stayed stored in your liver till your body consumes it) or you can take Vitamin A supplements (which anything higher than 25,000IU daily dosage could be potentially harmful or even fatal, which is why if you’re planning on taking supplements that you see your doctor first to see what dosage is best for you). I DO NOT recommend to self-medicate because this isn’t a water soluble vitamin, so take with caution.

Rose Water Toner. Rose water helps soothes inflamed skin, and nothing causes acne-prone skin to breakout or get worse than using toners that are alcohol based (they’re too drying and hence will have your body replace even more sebum, creating a vicious cycle). There’s many to choose from on the market, but my personal go-to is Alteya Organic Bulgarian Rose Water (from New Rose Harvest). You can order it from Amazon and it retails for $15.94 (250-ml/8.5-fl. oz.).

Benzoyl Peroxide. This works because it helps kill the P. acnes that’s harvesting on your skin. Usually it takes about 6-12 weeks for you to start seeing a difference, so consistence is key. I’ve tried out many but what has really worked for me is Neutrogena’s Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel. It’s got 10% Benzoyl Peroxide (most of the creams out there have only 5%) and it really helps with keeping my skin clear. You can find it on Amazon or your local Ulta, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, or CVS and it usually retails for $6.50 (1-fl. oz.).

Brewer’s Yeast. Now, one of the major culprits that causes acne is your digestive tract being out of whack. Somehow, inflammation in your gut corresponds with inflammation on your skin. One of the reasons why that population in Papua New Guinea doesn’t suffer from acne is because they eat a plant-based diet, low sugar, and no processed foods. But some people even if they were to do all that, will still have gut issues because of stress. Enter Brewer’s Yeast that’s packed with all the B-vitamins essential for healthy skin (Thiamin Vitamin B1, Riboflavin Vitamin B2, Niacin Vitamin B3, Pantothenic acid Vitamin B5, and Pyridoxine Vitamin B6). It’s also got the good bacteria that makes your gut happy – Probiotics. Now you can take it in powder form (which is absolutely disgusting but does the trick) or you can find it in capsule form. I recommend Now’s Brewer’s Yeast, retailing for $10.25 (200-tablets) on Amazon.

Vitamin C Serum. Vitamin C is essential for collagen and cell turn over, and with skin that’s constantly inflamed, it helps dry out the P. acnes without causing it harm. I always put this on after having applied a thin layer of Neutrogena’s Spot Cream (see #3). I especially love Isabis Formulae’s Vitamin C serum because it’s also packed with Vitamin A & E which somehow helps keep spots at bay while leaving your skin feeling supple and glowing (this serum is so lightweight that you can also apply it during the day). It currently retails for $25.97 (30-ml/1-fl. oz.) on Amazon. A little goes a long way. One bottle usually lasts me between 3-4 months (I use it once a day at night).

*In conjunction with these steps you must also follow a diet that’s extremely low on dairy intake, high in leafy greens and water, and no processed foods or exceeding more than three teaspoons of sugar a day.

By: Azzurra Nox

Milk: How it went from being the Good Guy to becoming the Enemy

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milk

If you grew up in the 90’s you’ll easily recall the magazine adverts for Got Milk? The advertising campaign was started in 1993 by the Goodby Silverstein & Partners for the California Milk Processor Board to encourage everyone (teens in particular as many of these ads were running in teen magazines such as Teen, YM, Seventeen, and Teen People to cite a few) to consume more cow’s milk. The ads were snazzy and catchy with informative bits (or was it only false advertising?) usually using celebrities that were relevant and hip at the time. Some of the celebrities that got involved in the campaign were Tyra Banks, Hanson, Kate & Ashley Olsen, Kate Moss, Angelina Jolie, David Beckham, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and recently before the campaign got retired for good by Taylor Swift.

About 300 celebrities between models, athletes, musicians, and actors took part in the ads spanning a 20-year campaign. The celebrities were often depicted donning a milk moustache and calling out facts that should make us want to drink more milk, such as: Nine essential nutrients, Studies suggest that teens who drink milk are leaner, and Three glasses a day keeps osteoroporosis at bay for girls!

That all sounds awesome, right?

kate

Well, the truth is studies show that cow’s milk isn’t all that great for humans after all. The main protein in milk is called Casein which is potentially TOXIC for humans.

But what does that exactly mean?

It means that the more milk you consume, the more likely you’re to suffer from the following conditions:

  • Eczema
  • Acne
  • Kidney Disease
  • Arthritis
  • Tooth Decay
  • Asthma
  • Irritable Bowels
  • Sinus problems
  • Colitis
  • Chrons
  • MS
  • And ups the possibility of an individual getting breast or prostrate cancer.

Another fun fact, most milk sold in America is overrun with hormones and antibiotics causing more harm than good in the long run. Not to mention that each glass of milk has at least 135 million pus cells (a huge reason why acne is so rampant in the Western world).

So where should we look for calcium if dairy products are off limits?

Leafy greens, seafood, legumes, and fruits contain enough calcium to keep your bones and teeth strong without the gross factor.

Got milk? More like Get out.

By: Azzurra Nox

In Remembrance of a Realization

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david bowie

Although I was shocked and upset to hear of his passing just over a year ago, I can’t say that I really mourned the loss of David Bowie. To be honest, I was never a true fan. There were a few songs titles I could rattle off. Some were catchy enough that I knew a few lyrics, but I didn’t own any of his music. I never followed his career or took the time to investigate him as a person. He was always just a famous face to a famous name.

Now, something’s changed. There’s a need to hear some of those catchy tunes and look up those mysterious lyrics – all the significant lines of verse and poetry I naively mumbled through until I hit the refrain. Even more, there was a desire to hear the music I hadn’t discovered yet; to understand Ziggy Stardust and why he had come from Mars to share his other-worldly musical powers. Who was that rebel anyway? I had to know.

Like haunting earworms, his songs played over and over again in my head, so much so that while humming China Girl one morning, it suddenly started playing over the grocery store radio speakers. I froze for a few seconds. It was like Mr. Bowie had heard my pitiful eulogy in the form of his own song…and decided to reply. There had been a strange sadness in my chest, unnoticeable until that moment. Then, it finally dawned on me: I missed him.

I missed the daring messages he delivered in his music, the influence he had; his poetic ability to shine bright stage lights on hot-button social issues. Things were different now. It was like a hero had fallen. His trusty call signal had flickered out and now the citizens were forced to fend for themselves again. The world felt remote and untouchable. Maybe it’s the hyper-awareness of gender and racial inequality in America right now. Maybe it’s the intolerance and lack of respect for all of our LGBT brothers, sisters and non-binary siblings that has come to the forefront in the past year of political mayhem.

All the unique personas, personal triumphs and public trials of David Bowie, kept conservative-thinkers on their toes. He pushed society’s ‘taboos’ until they were trends. Sure, he gave us great music, but he was also an example and a boundary breaker, giving a voice to a diverse group of misunderstood and under-appreciated individuals. He was the musical medium that helped shape perspectives of those who had yet to learn the value of this acceptance and equality.

I always knew this about him, but I never stopped to appreciate that fact. Anyway, it was easy to deny he was gone when his music was still here to comfort me. But now the emptiness has started to seep in. Sometimes grief doesn’t settle into one’s consciousness right away. It takes time to digest. And with a loss as great as Bowie, sometimes a bit of denial is necessary to keep one’s life in balance.

I’m starting to realize how much of an impact this man made on my life while I wasn’t looking. How many countless others will ever become fully-conscious of his influence? Does it even matter? No, not really. His influence is there whether we acknowledge it or not. That’s the mark of a passionate, talented artist. That’s the definition of greatness. What a legacy to leave behind.

By: Erica Ruhe

Thirteen Reasons Why and Glamorizing Teenage Suicide

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By now many of you may have watched “Thirteen Reasons Why” on Netflix, the TV series inspired by Jay Asher’s novel of the same name. The principal concept of the show and book is that the protagonist Hannah Baker (Katharine Langford) commits suicide and leaves behind seven cassette tapes, where each side chronicles one of the reasons why (and person) that lead her to the dark path of suicide.

I’ve always been an advocate of bringing light to mental health and talk of teen suicide, and although many may see this series as a step towards that, sadly, in many ways it’s not. Suicide is glamorized in both the series and book, demonstrating how one’s death could be used as a sort of guilt-trip revenge towards the bullies. I understand that both the show and novel tried to show how devastating the effects of bullying can be. What differs between the book and show, is that the book’s reasons for Hannah’s suicide weren’t as extreme as in the show, where she actually falls victim of a sexual assault by Bryce (Justin Prentice).

Thirteen Reasons Why Blog Cassette Tape

The show goes to show how Hannah’s death affects those that are left behind, especially Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) who had a crush on her but never truly admitted his feelings for her. And while Hannah blames him as one of the reasons why (not openly, as she says he never did anything wrong to her, but on the same token, she was hoping he would’ve stepped by and made her feel loved and maybe then she wouldn’t have slit her wrists).

The problem with the show is that although Hannah had legit reasons to be hurt, ultimately it was her decision to take her own life. And it was depicted in a way that she did it because she blamed those in her life. Without realizing it, the show is sending a truly scary message, telling people who are dealing with those problems that this is how they should handle them as no one will be there to help you. When that isn’t always true. Throughout the entirety of the show, we never see Hannah approaching her parents with her problems (and her parents were depicted as being very loving and supportive) which baffles me as to why she didn’t go to them and rather heavily relied on her counselor Mr. Porter (Derek Luke) as the only adult who could save her (which of course he failed because from both the book and show the character was absolutely inadequate to even be a counselor and who was blind to all the signs of help the poor girl needed).

13reasons

Although the show has brought up discussion about mental health and teenage suicide, it lost its mark on how to actually get help if that’s what you’re seeking. If you or anyone else you know is dealing with bullying, or thinking about suicide, please refer to the hotlines below and no matter how the show glamorizes suicide, ending your life is never the right solution.

If someone can take anything from the show and novel is this: be nicer to one another. It could literally save a life.

For suicide prevention contact this hotline: 1-800-273-8255.

For bullying please refer to: http://www.stompoutbullying.org

By: Azzurra Nox

How I Fell in Love with the Tortoise Balancing, Elephant Carrying Magical Realm Known as Discworld

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“At last, Sir Terry, we must walk together. Terry took Death’s arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night. The end.”

It was a series of 3 tweets that brought tears to my eyes. Something about those lines really struck me as both beautiful and sad. There was finality in one world but continuity in journey. No where else had I read such a more fitting tribute to the end of a man’s life.

I knew of Sir Terry Pratchett from the novel Good Omens which he wrote with Neil Gaiman. After reading the Sandman series, I became a fan of all things Gaiman which explained the purchased novel sitting on my bookshelf. However, I never had the chance to read this particular book.

discworld

Only when I learned of the passing of Sir Terry did my mind every return to the lone work with his name on my shelf. As the tributes came pouring in through social media, I knew this writer was something extraordinary. It takes an incredible type of storyteller to write in a way that affected so many people on so many different levels.

Through the tributes one word was repeated so many times that I had to investigate.

Discworld

“A comic fantasy book series” (as described by Wikipedia) featuring many eccentric characters including the infamous Death. With so many fans championing the series, I knew it was time I gave it a shot. That very day, I picked up The Color of Magic and dove right in meeting Rincewind the bumbling wizard and the naïve Twoflower and Luggage as they travel about the city of Ankh-Moor. My love affair was instantaneous and I was finished with the book by the end of the day. I immediately purchased The Light Fantastic and Equal Rites. Spellbound, I cruised through the books and moved on to Mort where I finally had to take a short break from the series.

I finally understood why these books meant so much to so many readers, and with each page the sadness within me grew. This great writer was no longer with us and I would never get the chance to go to a book signing or otherwise meet this remarkable person.

However, Sir Terry left behind 41 DiscWorld books and several other standalone books and related short stories. Although I may ever get the chance to meet him, I have met his thoughts, his friends his work in the flat planet on the backs of four elephants balanced on a tortoise.

By: Phoebe Jane