Summer months tend to be the worst for my skin (it’s oily) and is when I have more issues than any other month of the year. It also doesn’t help that there tends to be more humidity during the summer months and even skincare can clog pores. Here are five tips to keep your skin healthy and glowing during the summer!
AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE
Humidity, oiliness, and dirty hands can wreak havoc on your skin and clog pores faster than you might imagine.
DRINK LOTS OF WATER
Keep yourself and your skin hydrated during the summer months, even if you live in an area that doesn’t get too warm. Also, opt to eat more fruits and veggies for extra hydration.
CHOOSE A MILD CLEANSER
Avoid using cleansers that strip your skin of oils, and opt for a gentle cleanser that helps lift unwanted oils but leaves the skin feeling hydrated. One of my favorites is from Saturday Skin.
USE SUNSCREEN
This is important all year round but more so in the summer when one is staying outside more often and burns can really mess up your skin and lead to blisters or scarring.
EXFOLIATE
This is super important because it helps remove dead skin cells and any dirt that the cleanser might not have picked up. Do this at least once a week. Some of my favorite exfoliators are from Glam Glow and Dr. Brandt.
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For childhood friends Gabe, Xavier, Tavo, Paul, and Bimbo, death has always been close. Hurricanes. Car accidents. Gang violence. Suicide. Estamos rodeados de fantasmas was Gabe’s grandmother’s refrain. We are surrounded by ghosts. But this time is different. Bimbo’s mom has been shot dead. We’re gonna kill the guys who killed her Bimbo swears. And they all agree.
Feral with grief, Bimbo has become unrecognizable, taking no prisoners in his search for names. Soon, they learn Maria was gunned down by guys working for the drug kingpin of Puerto Rico. No one has ever gone up against him and survived. As the boys strategize, a storm gathers far from the coast. Hurricanes are known to carry evil spirits in their currents and bring them ashore, spirits which impose their own order.
Blurring the boundaries between myth, mysticism, and the grim realities of our world, House of Bone and Rain is a harrowing coming of age story; a doomed tale of devotion, the afterlife of violence, and what rolls in on the tide.
GRADE: A
REVIEW:
I’ve read Gabino Iglesias’ Bram Stoker-winning debut novel and enjoyed it very much. So I was very excited when I received an ARC for his latest novel. I decided to go in blind, not reading the plot summary because I feel like his books are a real treat if you experience them as the protagonist does, learning on the way. In House of Bone and Rain, Gabe gets lured into avenging the death of his best friend Bimbo’s mother, Maria. Coincidentally, the hurricane that’s approaching Puerto Rico is also named Maria. Residents of Puerto Rico have a lot of trauma when it comes to hurricanes, as mentioned in the book, it devastates whole populations, kill so many, and keeps the island without electricity and water for months.
Prior to the hurricane, Gabe along with his friends Tavo, Paul, and Xavier helped Bimbo gain more info about who killed his mother – but someone is now targeting the friend group, and it looks like Gabe might be next. The horrors of the book are both real and supernatural, as they intermingle and you can’t decide what’s worse, the horror done by humans or the ones brought by the supernatural, because they’re both equally horrifying.
This is a tale of grief, processing colonialism and racism, and coming of age. I love how Gabino writes his characters and how they act how one realistically would, meaning that there isn’t a character that is only good and one that is only bad, they all have good traits but also are heavily flawed because of their loyalty to each other (which I can’t blame them because a strong friendship won’t have you bailing when things get tough). Although this book is fiction, I feel like there are a lot of living situations that the writer experienced himself and it shows, which makes the book even more poignant and powerful.
I recommend this book for those who love fast-paced thrillers with supernatural elements woven into the plot.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
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blazing through the world, turning history into herstory.
And when they dare to tell you about
all the things you cannot be,
you smile and tell them,
“I am both war and woman and you cannot stop me.”
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What It Is: Luxurious Moisturizer with Probiotics and Prebiotics.
What It Does: Helps protect and hydrate skin.
Active Ingredients: Niacinamide, Okra, and White Lupin.
Verdict: I’ve been a big fan of previous Saturday Skin products, especially their cleanser and glacial water cream. So I was really excited to try out this moisturizer. This cream is best for people who have dry skin and aiming to banish their fine lines. I have oily skin, but found that this moisturizer worked well for me too. I love how my skin was left feeling supple and incredibly soft. You can wear this moisturizer under makeup if you need to as it’s not greasy and can be easily mixed with a tinted moisturizer or foundation. The glow after you use this cream is incredible – get this if you want to achieve that effortless amazing skin glow that has been very popular on social media for years. The price point on this product is very reasonable and for the benefits, it’s definitely worth it. Check it out if you’re shopping for a new moisturizer or simply want to try one that will give you that must needed glow.
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During my teens, I read this novel several times and even made a little skit to perform for my high school’s Drama Fest. I saw the movie more times than I can count, and those intense teenage years, were filled with the Vampire Chronicles. I read the new installment of Price Lestat a few years ago, and it felt like revisiting an old friend. I was devastated when Anne Rice passed away as she was my favorite living author.
With the series Interview with the Vampire, my love for the characters resurfaced, and I decided to revisit the original novel. I instantly fell in love with the world that Rice created and its three central characters, Louis, Lestat, and Claudia. Only this time, I didn’t find myself sympathetic towards Louis as I always was in the past. This time, I felt like he was always placing the blame on Lestat when it was obvious that some of the terrible choices he made were his and his alone.
New Orleans is as much as a character in the book as the characters themselves, with its lush vegetation, Spanish houses, churches, mausoleums, and jasmines. I loved reading about Louis’s encounter with Lestat who proposes to him a better life and offers him the gift of immortality (although Louis sees this more as a curse). Claudia, a young child who cannot grow up is by far the most interesting and complex character. She has reasons to detest the ones who made her, and yet, like Louis she places the blame only on Lestat when they both share this blame.
Lestat, the charismatic maker who later becomes the protagonist of the Vampire Chronicles is depicted as violent, ill-tempered, a spend thrift, and arrogant vampire. But as we later learn in the books that follow, Louis’ interpretation of events were not always correct.
I absolutely loved revisiting this vampire world and it also reminded me that the new TV series follows the events of the novel much more faithfully than the movie ever did (although some things were altered for the series).
Anne Rice created a lush, alluring world with characters that are worth loving (and disliking sometimes, like Armand!) but ultimately remain in your heart forever.
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Becoming the star is easier when the rest of your band is dead…
All drummer Vienna Taylor ever wanted was to make music. If that came with fame, she’d take it—as long as her best friend, guitarist Madison Pierce, was sharing the spotlight and singing lead. And with their new all-female pop rock band gaining traction, soon everyone would hear their songs…
Except, on the way to an event, the Bittersweet’s van careened off an icy mountain road during a blizzard—leaving one member dead and another severely injured.
In order to survive the frigid night, the rest took shelter in a nearby abandoned cabin. But Vienna’s dreams devolved into a terrifying nightmare as, one by one, her fellow band members met a gruesome end…and Madison simply vanished in the night.
What really happened to the Bittersweet? Did Vienna’s closest friend finally decide to take center stage on her own terms?
She doesn’t want to believe it.
But guilty people run.
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Be happy you weren’t there. Be happy you’re only reading about it.
PLOT SUMMARY:
1989, Lamesa, Texas. A small west Texas town driven by oil and cotton—and a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business. So it goes for Tolly Driver, a good kid with more potential than application, seventeen, and about to be cursed to kill for revenge. Here Stephen Graham Jones explores the Texas he grew up in, the unfairness of being on the outside, through the slasher horror he lives but from the perspective of the killer, Tolly, writing his own autobiography. Find yourself rooting for a killer in this summer teen movie of a novel gone full blood-curdling tragic.
GRADE: A
REVIEW:
All hail the slasher king. Stephen Graham Jones is to horror books as Wes Craven was to horror movies. Meaning that he absolutely knows the genre and all the tropes of said genre. I love that the book was written in a confessional sort of way, with Tolly, the protagonist, trying to have us understand what happened that summer of 1989. With book is steeped in nostalgia and feelings – but at the same time is hella hilarious. I love that Jones is a huge fan of slashers and that he knows how to deliver unhinged violence, but at the same time truly tug at our hearts.
This book is filled with all the fun of a horror film, but also all the feelings of a coming-of-age novel. I loved Tolly’s friendship with Amber because the friendships of your youth are never quite the same as an adult. Childhood friendships are so intense, and truly ride and die – and I loved how that was presented and explored.
I don’t want to discuss too much about the plot because I think it’s best to jump into this blindly but rest assured, if you loved SGJ’s The Indian Lake trilogy series, you will absolutely love this novel too. This is top-tier horror at its finest and if you’re new to SGJ it’s a good book to start!
*Thank you so much to Saga Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
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What It Is: A thick, rich, all-in-one eye cream that visibly hydrates, brightens, and reduces the look of puffiness with a blend of eye-targeted peptides, caffeine, and vitamins.
What It Does: Reduces fine lines and moisturizes the eye area.
Active Ingredients: -Hyaluronic Acid, Kalahari Melon, Baobab Oil: Hydrate, support, and nourish the skin. -Polyglutamic Acid: Is a moisture-binding peptide that plumps skin with hydration. -Illipe Butter: Is fatty acid-rich to replenish skin’s moisture.
Verdict: This cream is what I look for in an eye cream. It’s very rich and thick (so I recommend using at night) but leaves your skin feeling immensely moisturized. The packaging is also very genius, as it has a twist mechanism, so you’re not digging into the cream with your fingers or nails (so no bacteria can get into the cream). You simply twist and a small dime sized amount comes out, which is more than enough for both eyes. This cream is excellent for all skin types – I have oily and find it doesn’t feel heavy. Fenty created an amazing product and will definitely be one of my go-to eye creams from now on.
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Roos Beckman has a spirit companion only she can see. Ruth—strange, corpse-like, and dead for centuries—is the light of Roos’ life. That is, until the wealthy young widow Agnes Knoop visits one of Roos’ backroom seances, and the two strike up a connection.
Soon, Roos is whisked away to the crumbling estate Agnes inherited upon the death of her husband, where an ill woman haunts the halls, strange smells drift through the air at night, and mysterious stone statues reside in the family chapel. Something dreadful festers in the manor, but still, the attraction between Roos and Agnes is undeniable.
Then, someone is murdered.
Poor, alone, and with a history of ‘hysterics’, Roos is the obvious culprit. With her sanity and innocence in question, she’ll have to prove who—or what—is at fault or lose everything she holds dear.
GRADE: B+
REVIEW:
The first few chapters completely reeled me in this intriguing and particular story about Roos a girl who holds seances with her mother for money. But when a widow Agnes Knoop comes in for a séance but decides to buy Roos company instead, is when we enter the gothic novel era. All the while, in the present time, we the readers know that something has happened because Roos is being held responsible for the murder and a psychiatrist is trying to figure out exactly what happened.
As much as the writing is lush and descriptive, the pacing kind of lags – but I find myself much more interested in the story when we’re in the present time. Perhaps because the writing is mostly dialogue in those cases and the pacing is swift during those scenes. The mystery is intriguing, and I love the sapphic romance in this – and the two main characters, Roos and Agnes, are very interesting and unique.
I recommend this book if you’re into Gothic literature, love ghost stories, and want a mystery worth reading.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
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“Can you hear me?” A male face peers into mine. Midthirties, glasses, expressive eyebrows. Andy. Kind.
“Yes,” I say. There’s an overwhelming barrage of hot sensation, then click, it all evens out—light, sound, the air on my skin—settling like embers, then cooling.
I breathe in, feel my chest balloon, breathe out. Lift my hands to face level and flex my fingers, mapping how the smooth pale skin with its smattering of freckles shifts and ripples over my knuckle ridges.
I’m sitting. Dressed in what seems to be an evening gown. I register how tight the skirt is around my thighs. How beautifully the blue sequins catch in the ice-white light from above. Palms down, I skim the fabric, tickling the pads of my fingers as the sequins catch, lift, fall. It’s like wearing a party. I like it.
“Do you know who you are?” says Andy.
I look up and feel myself smile. He’s in baggy jeans, a gray T-shirt with a buffalo plaid shirt open over top and a pen hooked on the breast pocket. A dark five-o’clock shadow travels down his neck. His look screams sleepless nights.
“Of course,” I say. Everything is simply there, no effort, natural as breathing. “I’m Julia Walden.”
“Do you know where you are? What year it is?”
“We’re in LA. It’s January 2022 and Biden is President.” I tilt my head. “We’re in the middle of a pandemic.”
“Do you know what’s about to happen?”
I register, out of the corner of my eye, a boom mic operator to our deep left, but keep my attention on Andy.
“I’m about to compete on The Proposal.”
“God,” breathes Andy, putting a fist to his chest like my answers are slaying him. “You—you’re—” He crooks a finger at his lips.
“Here?” I suggest with a light laugh. Now I’m rubbing my arms, the rough skin at my elbows, allowing my hands to touch my own face, then wander up to my hair, long and loose. I fish it around my shoulder. It’s a fiery, sun-gleam red. I love it. I love everything about being Julia Walden.
“Real,” says Andy when he’s recovered his speech. “Working. Amazing. I kind of want to hug you?”
“You don’t have to ask.” I stand in my high heels, taller than Andy by nearly a head. His glasses collide with my shoulder as applause bursts around us. After a second, he hooks my hands in his and pulls back, eyes moist.
“Wow, Julia. Just wow.”
I scan our surroundings as flashes pop. We’re in a warehouse. To the right, large machines quietly rest. I note hydraulics, robotic arms, big sheets of pale, rubbery material. Skin, I realize, and my own skin seems to respond, tiny goose bumps racing up my arms.
It’s not a bad feeling, exactly. Just…unpleasant, like touching something wet that you thought would be dry.
To my left, a film crew makes a crescent shape. One hefty man shoulders an equally hefty camera, trained on me. I know without being told they’re here from The Proposal.
It’s a little strange to be having this intimate moment with Andy while everyone watches. Then again…that’s about to be my life. Fully on camera.
Andy claps his hands. “So. Ready to meet Josh?”
“I was born ready,” I say with a laugh. My eyes flicker up to the answering sound of laughter from the film crew. But while I did mean to be funny, I also mean it.
Andy pulls out a cell phone. “This is yours. Let’s break it in.” He leans into me and we smile for our first selfie.
“Should we post it to Insta?” he says. “Your handle just went live—we had to wait until the other contestants’ phones were taken away. Oh, and we can’t mention you’re on The Proposal yet—” But I reach for the phone.
“I got it.” My fingers navigate the screen easily. Also, wow— how does @TheRealJuliaWalden already have close to a million followers…and counting? I caption the picture the journey be-gins!!!, noting the tug of resistance within me as I put the phone down. I guess part of me wanted to watch the reactions roll in. Immediately I wall up this thought. I’m not here for everyone. Just one man.
Andy has pulled out a blue pen while I’ve been messing with the phone, and is nervously gnawing on the clicker end. Weirdly, I want to reassure him, It’ll be okay. You’ll see.
“Julia!” the producer calls out. “Could you introduce your-self? For our viewers?”
I look at the camera’s cold eye across the distance and imagine that I’m looking into the face of a friend who can’t wait to see me. I smile.
“Sure! I’m a Synth. My name is Julia. And I’m here to find love.”
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The Inkblotters 