Review: Neolastin Revitalize & Firm Eye Cream

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What It Is: Moisturizing anti-aging eye cream

What It Does: Seals moisture, depuffs, eliminates dark circles, and improves the production of collagen and elastin.

Active Ingredients: Matrixyl 3000, Argiriline, Eyeliss, Glucam E-20, Murumuru butter, Isopropyl Isosterate.

Verdict: When it comes to eye creams I tend to favor those that are opulent and thick, especially when I use them as overnight creams. This cream delivers in the sense that it feels both like a luxurious cashmere hug and works in keeping your eye area hydrated well into the night. The price on this may seem a little steep for what it is (I don’t think it works better than less expensive eye creams from Origins or Glam Glow), but it does deliver on its promise of diminishing fine lines and keeping your skin plump and youthful. If you have some extra cash to spend, I do recommend checking this eye cream out, but it’s not a huge game-changer enough for me to want to purchase it as a staple.

Price: $95

Where To Buy It: https://www.neolastin.com/

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5 Female Owned Businesses to Purchase Gifts From This Holiday Season

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Photo by George Dolgikh @ Giftpundits.com on Pexels.com

With the holidays fast approaching, if you find yourself in a pinch on what to get your bestie or if you’re wanting to buy yourself a gift, these female-owned companies have some amazing products suited for all your needs!

Night Worms

If you have a horror/thriller bookworm in your life (or you may be one yourself!) then purchasing a monthly subscription would make the perfect gift. Every month has a theme and you’ll usually find two books and some themed goodies (be it teas, stickers, or bookmarks).

Beauty Bakerie

This cruelty-free vegan cosmetic brand not only has amazing products, but they seriously have the cutest packaging I’ve ever seen. I’m a big fan of their eyeshadow palettes (one of my personal favourites being The Proof is in The Pudding). They’ll soon be launching a skincare line and I can’t wait to try it out.

DEHV Candle Co.

These candles aren’t your run-of-the-mill scented candles, these candles offer you an experience, they take you on an adventure. They’re made from non-GMO soy wax and come in biodegradable packaging, so not only are these candles good for your senses but also for Mother Earth. Some of my personal fave scents from them are: Soiree, Cocoon, and Wander.

Hummingway

If you or a friend find yourselves suffering from menstrual cramps, this company offers you some of the best natural relief there is. You can check out my review of the product here, but to give you a quick lowdown of how these menstrual patches work and how effective they are: one set of patches give you 24 hours of relief which is basically what 8 painkillers did in the same amount of time for me. It’s the perfect gift for yourself or your bestie.

The Sill

If you have a friend (or you love plants) but have issues keeping them alive, then this site is perfect for you! They have the cutest fuss-free houseplants that help brighten any office space or home.

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MÅNESKIN: Why So Hot? Cause I’m Italiano

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Maneskin is inarguably the hottest rock band on the scene, and it’s not hard to see why. The band composed by Romans, Damiano David, Victoria De Angelis, Thomas Raggi, and Ethan Torchio are not only talented but very attractive.

It’s not usual for an Italian band to reach international fame, and that’s why their triumph is a trailblazing and historic win for Italy. Like most bands nowadays, Maneskin tried their luck at X-Factor where they quickly became a household name as Manuel Agnelli (frontman of The Afterhours) took them under his wing. The band ended up placing second in the competition but they left the show with several covers and a solid fanbase under their belts.

I first heard of the band when their single, Torna A Casa came out in the summer of 2019. The song is a potent ballad that has the lead singer Damiano begging the enigmatic Marlena to return home (the band later explained that Marlena isn’t a love interest but rather the name they’ve given their muse). The album Il Ballo Della Vita references Marlena in several songs (as can be evidenced by my favourite song Le Parole Lontane).

What propelled Maneskin into the international spotlight was their win at the Eurovision Awards this year and I can’t help but also think that the popularity of TikTok and content creators’ continued use of their Four Seasons cover of Beggin’ further sealed the deal. But what truly cemented their fate as bonafide rockstars was when they opened for legendary band The Rolling Stones.

At a time where popstars and rappers reign supreme, Maneskin offers old-school glam rock reminiscent of David Bowie and T.Rex. The four members have talent and youth on their side and I’m certain that we can expect some very exciting things from them in the future. As Damiano sings on the track, Immortale, they’re not common stars, but comets and they’re determined to shine the brightest in the sky.

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Rest in Power, Anne Rice

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The first time I watched the movie Interview with the Vampire there was something about Anne Rice’s vampires that pulled me into the story in a way no other vampire movie ever had before. I soon became obsessed with the film, where I’d watch it every night for several years, and her books were all I read. I lived and breathed in her world and I was content to be there because in a strange, twisted way, her characters were like family.

Her books inspired me to pick up the pen at thirteen and actually take a stab at writing that wasn’t short stories. During my time in high school, I actually wrote my own take of modern vampires (there were six books in all, written longhand in multiple notebooks that my friends took turns reading).

When in 2009 I had the chance to go to one of her book signings, I knew I had to go. Back then, I was still a huge fan but had taken a break from being in her world, but she was still such an important figure to me both as an author and as a woman, trailblazing and fearless. Meeting her was one of the highlights of my life as for someone who was utterly obsessed with her characters and her books, it meant so much to me to finally meet the creator of those worlds and the added bonus was that she actually was a cool, gracious, elegant lady.

To hear of her passing saddens me immensely, because not only did we lose a strong female literary voice that did so much for the Gothic Horror genre, but I was really hoping that someday we’d be getting a third installment of The Wolf Gift series books.

She leaves behind such a strong legacy that she won’t be forgotten, but the world is a little dimmer today without her in it. Anne always offered curious, intelligent discourse on her Facebook page and through social media we all got to know her a little better. Now we’re left with the characters she created, and somewhere in the savage garden, Lestat de Lioncourt weeps.

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Poetry: Jack Faery

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The neon pink hand beckons the night

as the clock sways to midnight blue.

His time has come to assume a disguise, puckering cherry

lips and setting the wig on his head. Glitter

dances across the golden ringlets, velvet

hugs his silicone bosom like a faery.

Jack piles more makeup on his face, with faery

eyes that shimmers night,

he grabs his red velvet

bag as he closes the door to the blue

feelings that he’s left inside. For the glitter

emotions dipped in cherry

wine and spread across pallid thighs, convert to cherry

cream resting on ethereal faery

wings that covet glitter

dreams of passionate nights

spent in burning bliss. The blue

tears no longer dripping on the velvet.

Drinking champagne from cupped hands, velvet

scarves pin his lover to the cherry

bed, until he begs for more. The blue

emotions disappear like unchained faeries.

Flying into the lusty night

dusting his lover’s eyes with Star Dust glitter.

Sensuous fingers trace over glittered

flesh, pouring scalding wax from velvet

candles. His lover whimpers into the night

as Jack toys with a candied cherry.

He now has the power of faeries

to kiss away the broken blues.

The clock has struck. It’s time for the blue

veils to fall upon the glittered

fantasies of his soul, his faery

wings have been singed, his red velvet

bag carries the remains of his cherry

pits, to remind him of sadistic nights.

The hour has come to assume the blue disguise until tomorrow night

When he can douse himself with glitter, fill his palms with cherries,

And transform into a lovely faery that whispers poetry in ears like velvet.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Did you enjoy this poem? You can find this poem and many others in Bleed Like Me: Poems for the Broken

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Top 3 Christmas Horror Movies

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I don’t know why I always find that Christmas time can inspire the creepiest films. Maybe it’s because of the cold or the sinking feeling of isolation that becomes far more acute during the winter months, but horror movies that are set during the Christmas holiday are that much creepier, and here are my top three.

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)

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.

THE LODGE (2019)

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.

SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT (1984)

An orphan raised by nuns (Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick) grows up to be a killer toy-store Santa Claus.

What are some of your fave Christmas horror movies?

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Book Review: Fan Club by Erin Mayer

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Devotion is thicker than blood.

Order on Amazon!

Release Date: October 26, 2021

Publisher: MIRA

Price: $14.49 (paperback)

Plot Summary:

Day after day our narrator searches for meaning beyond her vacuous job at a women’s lifestyle website—entering text into a computer system while she watches their beauty editor unwrap box after box of perfectly packaged bits of happiness. Then, one night at a dive bar, she hears a message in the newest single by international pop star Adriana Argento, and she is struck. Soon she loses herself to the online fandom, a community whose members feverishly track Adriana’s every move.

When a colleague notices her obsession, she’s invited to join an enigmatic group of adult Adriana superfans who call themselves the Ivies and worship her music in witchy candlelit listening parties. As the narrator becomes more entrenched in the group, she gets closer to uncovering the sinister secrets that bind them together—while simultaneously losing her grip on reality.

With caustic wit and hypnotic writing, this unsparingly critical thrill ride through millennial life examines all that is wrong in our celebrity-obsessed internet age, and how easy it is to lose yourself in it.

Grade: B-

Review:

When I first dove into the novel I found the protagonist’s ennui relatable, as we both have boring office jobs that feel limiting to our capacities. And although as an adult I couldn’t relate to her obsession for a pop star, I can understand as a teen when I was so swept up by a certain celebrity that I had to buy any magazine they appeared in or view every single movie they were ever cast in no matter how terrible. The protagonist finds herself getting immersed in the devotion for Adriana Argento (who is a stand-in for Ariana Grande) and soon she finds like-minded stans who will do anything for their idol. I don’t know why this book was marketed as a thriller because we never fear for the protagonist’s life, and the death of a fan happened prior to the protagonist getting involved with the fan club. This isn’t a thriller but more of a women’s lit for disillusioned millennials. It’s not the genre that slowly turned me off of this novel rather the fact that not much happened. During the middle-end portion of the book, the pacing was turtle slow and I truly struggled to complete it. I also wish that the author would’ve written about an original pop star rather than take Ariana Grande’s life details and create a fictional character out of it. Many readers seem to have enjoyed this so if you like celebrity-obsessed groups you may be into this, if you’re looking for a thriller, then you may want to skip it cause this isn’t one.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and MIRA for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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Review: Boscia Pro-Retinol Repair + Renew Waterless Advanced Treatment

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What It Is: Retinol Treatment Cream

What It Does: Helps diminish the appearance of wrinkles and dark spots

Active Ingredients: 0.6% Retinol, Vitamin C, and Sunflower Fatty Acids

Verdict: For best results, retinol should be used at night. You usually apply this first, prior to any other serum or moisturizer. I’ve used other retinol in the past, and for me, I haven’t seen much difference (then again I mostly use it for dark spots and not really fine lines). But I do like how this retinol has been effective in getting rid of any dark spots (being uber pale as myself can be a curse when you live in a sunny place like So-Cal). So if you’re looking for retinol that does get rid of dark spots and gives your skin a smoother, glowy appearance, then this might work out for you.

Price: $48

Where To Buy It: https://www.boscia.com/

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DIY Thankful Jar

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Happy Thanksgiving, my fellow readers!

I think it’s easy for any of us to lose track of the blessings in our own lives when life gets hectic and a little stressful (and who doesn’t especially this time of year?). This is why I think it’s a fun idea to write what we’re thankful for several weeks prior to Thanksgiving and place these little notes in a jar that can then be shared with the rest of the family on Thanksgiving day (which will surely beat having relatives fighting over politics, ugh).

WHAT YOU NEED
A mason jar or any type of glass jar.

Markers/colored pencils

Stickers

Paper

The idea is pretty simple, you just get a glass jar and decorate it in any shape or form you desire (be creative! And kudos if you can personalize it!). Once the jar is decorated, then over the course of several weeks whenever you feel thankful or wish to express gratitude towards something in your life that’s positive, then write it down on a piece of paper and fold it and place it in the jar. To make it even more aesthetically pleasing, use various colored pieces of paper to write on.

What do you think of Thankful Jars? Is it a tradition you would like to incorporate in your household? Let me know!

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Product Review: Hummingway The Cycle Soother

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Hummingway is founded by actress Ashley Greene (best known for her role as Alice in the Twilight series) and her sister-in-law, Olivia Khoury. The company’s mission is to deliver solutions for menstrual discomfort using science-based backed research and natural ingredients.

What It Is: Adhesive Patches

What It Does: Helps with period cramps/general discomfort

Active Ingredients: Hemp derived CBD, Vitamin E, Lemongrass Essential Oil, Chinese Ginger Essential Oil, Black Pepper Essential Oil, and Menthol

Verdict: I’ll be honest, I was somewhat skeptical that these patches would actually work for me because I’ve always suffered from very debilitating cramps to the point that there are days where I can’t do anything but stay in bed the whole day. Sometimes, even painkillers haven’t been enough (which I started taking when I got my first job cause obviously, I couldn’t take sick leave every month).

For optimal results, you should put the Cycle Soother on prior to your period starting or at least prior to symptoms starting. Now, obviously, I never follow directions so I actually put the patches on after some slight cramps had already started but hadn’t gotten that bad yet so I figured I was still in a good window of time for it to work. Usually, with painkillers you have to wait 30-45 minutes or so before you get some relief, however, I was surprised that these patches actually worked within a few minutes. The awesome thing is that they last for 24 hours and you don’t have to worry about them coming off at any point during the day (even in the shower) as they’re very adhesive.

Apart from giving relief from cramps, these patches also help with bloating (at least for me). So if you’re looking for an alternative to painkillers and wanting to use something with natural ingredients (that in the long term are better for your body), then I absolutely recommend this as it is efficient and delivers on its promise.

Price: $29 (4-patches per pouch)

Where To Buy It: https://ourhummingway.com/product/cycle-soother-patch

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