MAC has always made some excellent limited edition cosmetics, either inspired by fictional icons or real ones, and their collections have never disappointed. Whitney Houston is the newest icon to finally get a limited collection for, and just in time for her biopic that came out on Friday, I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
I was a huuuuuge Whitney Houston fan when I was little, so much so, that the first album I ever bought was Whitney Houston’s Whitney album that had the hit I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) and Where Do Broken Hearts Go. I know that her later life was littered with personal struggles and her death was tragic, however, I like to remember how she was best, beautiful, upbeat, and with a voice of an angel.
That being said, the moment I realized MAC launched this collection I knew I had to get my hands on a couple of items. I decided to go for the lipsticks (there are four shades in all but I purchased two).
Nippy’s Rose Lipstick looked prettier in the tube than it did on me (at least that’s how I feel about it). It’s a frosty pink, but with a slight blue/violet tint (at least that’s how it looks on my ultra pale lips). I like how it feels and it does last well and it isn’t drying, but I don’t know if I’m a huge fan of the actual shade for me.
Nippy’s Moody Nude Lipstick is a brownie pink nude, which is the sorta nude I prefer, plus it’s creamy, so the lipstick is soft and nourishing. It won’t last all day and will need touch ups, especially if you eat and does leave lipstick marks on cups, but overall I’m very happy with the shade and this is one that I would wear on most days.
The other two lipstick shades they had were red shades, and they look absolutely beautiful. The only reason I didn’t purchase them is because I have many red shades and wanted to try out some new pink and nude shades instead.
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What It Is: This SquishKit 2 contains: 3 x Cheeky Cherry Masks, 1 x Flower Power Acne Patch Pack, 1 x Jelly Lip Gloss, 1 x Hair Bobble, 1 x Squish Pouch, & 1 x Postcard.
Makeup-free & chilling with Cheeky Cherry Mask
Review for Cheeky Cherry Masks:
First of all, just look at the cuteness! Also, these feel amazing and although Charli Howard (model and founder of this amazing brand!) claims you can reuse them up to 3 times – I was only able to use my eye masks twice. However, maybe if you keep yours on for the recommended 20 minutes you may get three uses out of this, but I loved how much these masks felt that I didn’t want to remove them, so I kept them on for an hour. I personally don’t have an issue with puffiness but I do think the serum was soothing and smoothed out any fine lines from my perpetual lack of sleep. So I do recommend these if you need to look fresh-faced right away, plus these eye masks come down to your cheeks so if you have puffiness there, it also tackles that.
Look at that shine! Experience the incredible softness that is Jelly Lip Gloss!
Review for Jelly Lip Gloss:
Charli told me in a comment that this lipgloss was underrated and definitely NOT sticky, so I was eager to try it out. But I also took that comment with a grain of salt, as I’ve always been let down by glosses in the past, even ones claiming to be not sticky, ultimately were still tacky. I’m happy to state that I was most definitely proven wrong meaning that YES THIS GLOSS ISN’T STICKY in any shape or form. First of all, this gloss feels more like an emollient cloud of softness on your lips, much like a rich lip balm. But the best part is that this gloss has shine for days! Finally, a gloss that manages to give incredible shine without the stickiness that 99.9% of the glosses I’ve ever tried had. You’re gonna want this if you’ve always been a gloss lover but hated the feel of gloss, now you can have the best of both worlds.
Why Choose Squish: Cruelty-free, vegan, and female-owned company
Ed Note: I wasn’t able to review the Flower Power Acne Patch Pack cause fortunately I haven’t had any pimples in the past month, so I’ll write a review as soon as I have one! But can we admire how incredibly adorable these patches are though? I can’t wait to try them!
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Anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with Anne Rice’s novel, Interview with the Vampire as well as with the 1994 movie adaptation. There was a time in my life when I watched the movie once a day for nearly three years, and that’s why I can quote the two hours film verbatim even after all these years. So when I learned AMC was going to have a TV series based on Anne Rice’s novel, I was both excited and skeptical. Would I love it? Or would I hate it? Throughout the months I heard about the changes they were going to make (change of the century, Louis is a POC, and Claudia is no longer a young child but a teen). I didn’t know how to feel about these changes, however, I decided to dive into the series.
The first episode felt jarring, these characters I loved for so many years had fresh faces as new actors brought them to life. But the moment we see Lestat (Sam Reid) reach out and kiss Louis (Jacob Anderson) passionately by the end of episode one, I was both seduced and compelled to keep on watching.
The new actors have managed to embody Anne Rice’s characters unlike any other actors before (and I thought Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt did a good job at the time). But there’s something about the way Sam Reid manages to create an accent that would truly be one that Lestat would have, how he manages to be both repulsive with his violent behavior, yet enthralling when he’s charming. Jacob Anderson does an excellent job of showing Louis’s vulnerability and guilt but also demonstrates his inability to truly get away from a toxic relationship.
I think Anne Rice would be proud of this adaptation, especially since we finally get the true toxic romance that she was only able to hint at but couldn’t be completely explicit about (same with the movie).
Meanwhile, I’ve fallen back into my former obsessive tendencies in regard to this book. I’ve already rewatched the series three times, and have lost count of how many times I’ve specifically watched the scene where Louis and Lestat have their final dance.
If you haven’t checked it out, I completely recommend it. After all, as Lestat says, “I’m going to give you the choice I never had.”
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Let’s be honest, sometimes the happiest season of the year can be rather downright scary. Stores overrun with people, last minute gift-shopping, having to deal with problematic relatives, trying to avoid cringe-worthy office parties, I could go on and on. These movies explore the horrors of the Christmas season, packing a scary punch!
BLACK CHRISTMAS
Forget about the remakes, they all suck. The original with Olivia Hussey (best known for her role as Juliet) is the one to watch. As winter break begins, a group of sorority sisters, including Jess (Olivia Hussey) and the often inebriated Barb (Margot Kidder), begin to receive anonymous, lascivious phone calls. Initially, Barb eggs the caller on, but stops when he responds threateningly. Soon, Barb’s friend Claire (Lynne Griffin) goes missing from the sorority house, and a local adolescent girl is murdered, leading the girls to suspect a serial killer is on the loose. But no one realizes just how near the culprit is.
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT
An orphan raised by nuns (Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick) grows up to be a killer toy-store Santa Claus. At the time, this movie was a box office hit, earning 2.5 million out of a $250,000 budget.
THE LODGE
Not gonna lie, this is probably one of my favorite Christmas themed movies out there. During a family retreat to a remote winter cabin over the holidays, the father is forced to abruptly depart for work, leaving his two children in the care of his new girlfriend, Grace. Isolated and alone, a blizzard traps them inside the lodge as terrifying events summon specters from Grace’s dark past.
THE ADVENT CALENDAR
This was so creepy and twisty, I watched it for the first time last year and was left wanting more. When Eva receives an antique wooden advent calendar, it seems at first that it only guarantees a countdown to Christmas filled with sweets. However, with the calendar comes a set of rules and the promise of wish fulfillment for those who follow them.
WIND CHILL
If you want suspense with a dash of creepy then you might want to check this one out.
Just before their university campus goes quiet for the winter break, a young woman (Emily Blunt) asks a classmate (Ashton Holmes) for a lift home. The two students set off on their trip and begin to get to know each other. But, when a reckless motorist drives them off the road, they find themselves stranded in the snow on a remote highway. As the night grows colder, the two are confronted by a horde of menacing apparitions — and struggle to escape with their lives.
INSIDE
I don’t know what it is about the French when it comes to horror, but they really go above and beyond. This may fall in the category of “torture porn” but it’s still worth the watch. A scissor-wielding psychopath (Béatrice Dalle) terrorizes a pregnant widow (Alysson Paradis) on Christmas Eve.
SILENT NIGHT
Watch this for the ensemble cast alone, as it’s got some of the best Brit actors. A couple invites their closest friends to join their family for Christmas dinner at their idyllic home in the English countryside. As the group comes together, it feels like old times — but behind all of the laughter and merriment, something isn’t quite right. The world outside is facing impending doom, and no amount of gifts, games or wine can make mankind’s imminent destruction go away. Surviving the holidays just got a lot more complicated.
KRAMPUS
More of a horror comedy than full-on horror. While the holiday season represents the most magical time of year, ancient European folklore warns of Krampus, a horned beast who punishes naughty children at Christmastime. When dysfunctional family squabbling causes young Max (Emjay Anthony) to lose his festive spirit, it unleashes the wrath of the fearsome demon. As Krampus lays siege to the Engel home, mom (Toni Collette), pop (Adam Scott), sister (Stefania LaVie Owen) and brother must band together to save one another from a monstrous fate.
P2
Who doesn’t like to see Wes Bentley being creepy? Just me? Angela (Rachel Nichols) is working late on Christmas Eve. When she finally decides to leave, she goes down to the parking garage to get her car, but it won’t start. Thomas (Wes Bentley), the garage’s security guard, offers to help. He also invites Angela to dinner, but she refuses. Thomas, crazed, knocks her out. She wakes up in Thomas’ office, chained to a chair and in different clothes. Now Angela must fight for her life in order the escape from the garage.
BETTER WATCH OUT
Another dark comedy with a psychological horror twist. Ashley travels to the suburban home of the Lerners to babysit their 12-year-old son Luke during the holidays. She must soon defend herself and the young boy when unwelcome intruders announce their arrival.
Which ones are you going to be checking out?
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What It Is: A detoxifying eye cream that helps visibly plump and tighten, fill fine lines, and restore clarity to tired eyes.
Active Ingredients: Rose and Vegan Collagen
Verdict: I love how this eye cream feels both applying the cream and how it feels on my skin. This is why I’m conflicted – I love how it makes my skin feel – it dries fast – and yet I don’t feel like it hydrates as much as it should. Maybe it’s best suited for humid summers when you need a lighter cream, but as far as dry winters go, I don’t feel that it’s as hydrating as maybe one needs for this time of year. However, I do love how luxurious it feels and will probably use it during the warmer season for sure.
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It’s the summer of 1994, and all smart-mouthed Maeve Murray wants are good final exam results so she can earn her ticket out of the wee Northern Irish town she has grown up in during the Troubles. She hopes she will soon be in London studying journalism—away from her crowded home, the silence and sadness surrounding her sister’s death, and most of all, away from the violence of her divided community.
As a first step, Maeve’s taken a job in a shirt factory working alongside Protestants with her best friends. But getting the right exam results is only part of Maeve’s problem—she’s got to survive a tit-for-tat paramilitary campaign, iron 100 shirts an hour all day every day, and deal with the attentions of Handy Andy Strawbridge, her slick and untrustworthy English boss. Then, as the British loyalist marching season raises tensions among the Catholic and Protestant workforce, Maeve realizes something is going on behind the scenes at the factory. What seems to be a great opportunity to earn money turns out to be a crucible in which Maeve faces the test of a lifetime. Seeking justice for herself and her fellow workers may just be Maeve’s one-way ticket out of town.
Bitingly hilarious, clear-eyed, and steeped in the vernacular of its time and place, Factory Girls tackles questions of wealth and power, religion and nationalism, and how young women maintain hope for themselves and the future during divided, violent times.
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This was my third time going to Comic-Con LA and I had a blast! It’s definitely the place to be if you love comics, artists, fandoms, and just want to have a fun weekend. There were so many incredible booths and amazing costumes! I even spied a Lady Oscar cosplay, but unfortunately didn’t manage to capture it in a photo. Hands down the best, costume for me was the girl who dressed as Dani in Ari Aster’s Midsommar. It was gorgeous and the girl herself gave me total Elle Fanning vibes (she should totally do a cosplay of Neon Demon or The Great!).
Hot Topic had the best Photo Op section, transforming a good portion of the Con into Nightmare Before Christmas graveyard. It was cute and very Tim Burton-like. However, I really missed Crypt TV being there! I really loved their promo materials and photo Op in the past. In fact, it seemed like this time there weren’t as many or as creative Photo Op areas in the Con, although I did think they had a lot more awesome shops and brands there. There was even a massage section where the masseuse was dressed as Geralt from The Witcher.
I also enjoyed the variety of food trucks they had at the Con. I ate lunch at Love Bird Fried Chicken, and I’m not joking when I say it was hands down the best fried chicken sandwich I ate in my life, ever. So props for that.
This time I stayed a lot longer at the Con than the previous years, so much so, that I ended up racking up 12,189 steps! Yes, I was completely dead the following day, just so ya know.
I didn’t find many comics I was interested in, and a lot of the horror comics were on the pricier side (maybe because they were vintage originals from the 70’s). But I was excited to have found the comic version of A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, because I am a HUGE fan of the movie and its vibes. I also was excited that I found a Candyman mug (not even a bad price $10!) and Emily the Strange Lipstick in Rebel Red.
All in all, it was a fun time, but I really hope that next year Crypt TV will be back, because there were very few horror peeps otherwise. But I’m looking forward to next year’s Comic-Con (by then I’ll be ready to walk another 12k steps!).
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Active Ingredients: Lactic Acid, Jojoba Oil Beads, and Mint.
Verdict: I’m a big fan of clay masks because having oily skin it’s the only type of mask that truly leaves my skin feeling refreshed and clean. I’ve been a recent fan of Kinship after falling in love with their Brightwave Eye Cream and I expected to love this product as well. This mask does an excellent job of unclogging and clearing pores – but also leaving one’s skin feeling refreshed but not dry. The mint really creates a pleasant sensation one that leaves skin feeling refreshed and invigorated. If you’ve been looking for a clay mask that will clear up your skin but not completely strip it away from its natural oils, then give this one a chance, you won’t regret it.
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Fun fact: the first time I watched this film it was at an outdoor theatre sponsored by my local church (that year we had a hot young monk helping with the church’s fundraising and somehow got away with showing this film, The Ninth Gate, and Final Destination). Having said that, this movie was considered the hottest teen film at the time, as well as having one of the best soundtracks after Romeo + Juliet (and that one was hard to beat!).
The movie is a modern adaptation of the French novel, Dangerous Liaisons (a film was made in 1988 and now Starz recently did a series). So instead of being at a French court, Cruel Intentions bases itself on the lives of rich Manhattan kids, focusing on step-siblings Kathryn and Sebastian.
Kathryn is pissed off because her ex dumped her over the 4th of July weekend for a naive virgin, deeming her too “slutty” for him, and wants Sebastian to help her destroy her ex by corrupting his current girlfriend Cecile. But Sebastian, notorious for ruining the lives of young girls with his charm and sociopathic ways has his eyes set on virginal Annette. Kathryn wagers that he cannot seduce Annette and if she wins, she will get his retro Jaguar, however, if she were to lose, she alludes that she would be down to have anal sex – and thus the bet is made.
The movie opens with Placebo’s Every You, Every Me – and with lyrics such as, “Sucker love, I always find someone to bruise and leave behind,” it quickly captures the mood of this movie. Now, upon this second viewing (I never rewatched it after that time from the outdoor theatre) it’s pretty evident that Sarah Michelle Gellar (who played the manipulative Kathryn) essentially carried the movie with her boss girl ways, cold cruelty, and sensuality. Although every gal viewing this movie couldn’t help but to fall for Ryan Phillippe’s charming take on Sebastian. Rewatching the movie, I was quickly reminded of why at the time I didn’t find his character charming, and I soon realized upon my second viewing that the actor looked very similar to this guy from school (who yes was cute) but had this knack for always trying to pick me up or find ways to touch me that at the time I found annoying and borderline harassing.
The movie was massively successful, it earned $75 million out of a $10 million budget and at the time was one of the raciest teen films. Nowadays, we’re more used to series like Euphoria, so Cruel Intentions seems very tame in comparison, but overall, it’s still a fun movie and that’s mostly because of its talented cast and cool soundtrack (the best use of Bittersweet Symphony you’ll ever see onscreen). Some things are dated (such as gay shaming), but some things still speak true today (such as Kathryn’s frustration with having to keep up a fake facade in order to be liked because women get a bad rep when they admit to liking sex). Despite all the flashy fun that the movie delivers, it goes without saying that there are problematic moments such as homophobia, racial insensitivity, and downplaying sexual assault. It was a product of its time, but we shouldn’t overlook some of its problematic issues.
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The Inkblotters 