Distinguishing Features: Intense Pigmentation without drying out lips, Smudge-Proof for hours, and Lightweight Formula
Verdict: For the past year I’ve been in L-O-V-E with liquid lipsticks, in particular with Jeffree Stars Liquid Velour Lipsticks. So, when I noticed that Wet N Wild had come out with their own version of liquid lipsticks for half the price, I couldn’t help but pick up a few to see how they compared to the others that I own (L’Oreal, Jeffree Star, & ColourPop). What I can say is that I’m pleasantly surprised by the extraordinary quality of these liquid lipsticks! Their packaging is very similar to Jeffree Stars’ lipsticks, and although I love his very much, these lipsticks are quite comparable and even more lightweight than his! Your lips do not feel burdened by the lipstick, you actually forget that you even have it on, it’s that light! Not to mention that for me, these lipsticks have lasted from 7a.m.-9p.m. Without drying out, cracking, smudging, or drying my lips out! Once these babies are on, you’re set for hours of intense pigmentation! I was blown away! And for just under $5 a pop, you can grab 4 for the price of what it would cost you to buy one liquid lipstick from Jeffree Star!
Colours Reviewed: Coral Corruption (a flattering peach shade), Video Vixen (an oxblood hue that makes me feel dangerously sexy like Fairuza Balk in The Craft), and Nudist Peach (a pinky nude best for pale complexions)
*If you haven’t entered my Cosmetic Giveaway, do it now HERE! Amazing cosmetics from brands like Marc Jacobs, Benefit, Too Faced, Philosophy, and many more!
If there’s one word that can define the atmosphere of a Depeche Mode concert it’s “lush.” There was a certain tinge of sensuality hovering the night as concert goers made their way up to the Santa Barbara Bowl as Warpaint songs and Theresa Wayman’s enticing vocals beckoned us to the venue.
There seemed to be an unspoken dress code amongst the audience: clad in black attire, even better if it’s leather.
The full moon bathed the audience in its brilliance as the band emerged from the darkness opening with the song Going Backwards and the whole venue went W-I-L-D.
Many of the songs were accompanied by amazing videos in the background, one of my favourites was that of two ballet dancers doing an intricate sensual choreography whilst Dave Gahan crooned In Your Room. Another visually stunning moment was when they displayed a video of a gender-bending musician getting dolled up before hitting the night to perform in gravity-defying stilettos as Gahan appropriately sang Walking In My Shoes throughout the video.
Another highlight of the night was Martin Gore’s acoustic performances of A Question of Lust and Somebody where the dancing slowed to a sway and even the ones with the blackest heart found tears lingering in their eyes threatening to make their mascaras run.
Being a huge David Bowie fan, it certainly made my night when the first notes of Heroes began, and nothing drove me wilder than them closing with Personal Jesus. Cause right about now we’re all in need of reaching out and touching faith.
What It Does: Purges pores from oil, makeup, blackheads, and grime undoing any damage to your skin that could be caused by pollution and stress.
Distinguishing Factors: Unlike any other detox clay masks that leave your skin feeling dry and mega-tight, this one actually moisturizes your skin with the help of some soothing oils such as lavender.
Verdict: I’m a huge fan of face masks and any time I take a bath I’ll do one cause it’s the only time I have the patience to wait out the full time you need to keep a mask on to reap its benefits. This one has a minimum staying time of 5-10 minutes. I left it on for about 30 minutes. Having said that I LOVE that this mask did indeed unclog my pores and lifted dead skin cells and oil from my face without making my skin feel uber dry. The botanical oils used in this mask leave your skin feeling moisturized and refreshed, but also very, very clean. This is definitely going to become one of my staples to use at least once a week. This mask is perfect for all skin types (even oily like me! The hydrating oils DO NOT make you breakout in any way!). You’re left with beautiful, supple refreshed skin as though you had gone to get an expensive facial or ya know, slept for ten hours. And we can all get onboard with that.
If the name Val Emmich sounds familiar to you, it’s because you may have recently seen him on HBO’s Mick Jagger’s and Martin Scorsese’s produced TV show Vinyl, about a record executive in the 1970’s. Or you may remember him from other popular TV shows such as Ugly Betty, 30 Rock, and Cashmere Mafia. Or you may have stumbled upon some of his songs whilst watching an episode of Teen Wolf.
More recently, you may find Val Emmich in the bookstore in the form of his debut novel, The Reminders.
The plot is pretty straight forward, it’s told in alternating voices (something that Jennifer Niven loves to do in her novels as well), between Gavin Winters, an actor of a semi-popular TV show that has recently lost the love of his life and Joan Lennon Sully, a precocious ten-year old girl with a fascinating but rare neurological condition that allows her to recall every single detail of her life since the age of four.
Gavin and Joan’s lives meet when Gavin goes to visit his old college friends in New Jersey, as a way to escape a scandal in Los Angeles and in the meantime try to forget his time with his partner Sydney since the memories are too painful for him to move on. Meanwhile, Joan struggles with the notion of being forgotten after her grandmother has difficulty remembering her because of Alzheimer’s disease and yet can still recall all the lyrics of her favourite songs, which prompt her to believe that in order to be remembered she must write an amazing song just like John Lennon (her hero and namesake). Once Joan learns that Gavin used to be a musician, she attempts to persuade her into helping her write a memorable song if she in return shares with him her memories of his late love. Together, they forge a very dynamic and amusing bond.
The novel’s strength is that is has us pondering the importance of memories. Is it a curse to forget or is it an even bigger curse to remember? Ultimately, the reader will come up with their own conclusions on that as the characters each demonstrate the pros and cons of both of those throughout the novel. If you’re a music lover (in particular a Beatles fan) you’re going to love all the tidbits about them strewn throughout the novel. I particularly enjoyed being able to see the world with child-like wonder as Joan and then seeing the world from the eyes of an emotionally broken character such as Gavin. One of the best moments in the novel is when the two of them end up on the Mindy Love Show (that for some reason reminds me very much of The Wendy Williams Show) and how that goes drastically different from how both characters thought it would go, but as a reader it was hilarious although you’re left sort of cringing for the two characters at the same time.
If you’re hoping to get immersed in a music-filled ode to memories and the power they hold, then The Reminders is right up your ally. It’s a fun, light, but also thought-provoking book about love, loss, and what is worth fighting for, that will leave you missing the characters once you’re done.
Short Q & A with the Author:
Your book focuses on the importance of memory –what is one of your favourite childhood memories?
Joan in the book has an exceptional memory, but unfortunately my memory is terrible. I don’t have a specific favorite memory that sticks out in my mind but I remember moments when I was hanging out with friends and we’d laugh so hard that our stomachs would be in real pain. I haven’t had one of those painful laughs in ages and I miss it.
As an artist –the art of creation means that whatever you create will outlive you. Since you’ve dabbled in various mediums, which one do you think is the most representative of you?
At this point, if I stopped making art tomorrow, my music would be the thing that probably best encapsulates me as a person. Mainly because there’s so much of it and it spans more than half of my life, so you’d have a pretty comprehensive look at what I care about and how I’ve changed over time. But to get the truest sense of me as a person, I think you’d want to look at all my art together, in its various forms. It all tells a different part of my overall story.
The novel seems to be an ode to The Beatles, so it’s obvious to ask what is your favourite Beatles song?
I don’t have one and I’m suspicious of anyone who can choose just one. I can’t even pick my favorite album. What I love about them is their variety, the scope of their achievement. This relates to the previous question. The Beatles are a big, messy, evolving thing that becomes more complex and rewarding when taken as a whole. I’m sorry to dodge the question, but it’s the truth, I can’t choose. Nor can I choose a favorite member of the band. Contrary to what one may think from reading my book, it’s not necessarily John Lennon. I love all four of them and I love how they balanced each other out and formed a whole that was greater than the sum of its parts.
The whole time I was reading, The Reminders, I kept thinking about how Matt Bomer would be perfect for the role of Gavin Winters in a movie adaptation. Who would you think would best portray the character?
I think Matt Bomer would be great. I hadn’t thought of him. Well done. The novel has in fact been optioned for a film and when I flew to Los Angeles to meet the creative team they asked me this same question and I didn’t have an answer. They mentioned Ryan Gosling, probably just to get the conversation started. I thought that would be interesting. My wife would want it to be Gael Garcia Bernal just so she could meet him.
I think that anyone who’s read The Reminders, will agree that the real scene stealer is Joan, the little girl with the incredible memory. I really enjoyed reading her chapters and wonder if there may be a possible future for her in later books or not?
Anything is possible. I don’t have any plans for a followup right now but I’ve been getting this question a lot and I’m flattered that people would be interested in reading more. Maybe down the line. I’ve already started writing a new novel with different characters and so that’s my focus for the time being.
What It Does: Refreshes and soothes skin for a quick boost of moisture on the go!
Active Ingredients: Caffeine and seawater
Verdict: Advertised as “sleep in a stick” I decided to give it a go since I’m always sleep deprived and could benefit from looking more refreshed and ready to conquer the world in the early a.m. Since it’s been on the humid/hot side lately, I decided to pop this beauty in the fridge overnight before using it the following morning. Usually I tend to avoid anything that claims to be uber hydrating because my skin is hydrated and oily enough that extra moisture usually means we’re getting close to acne territory, but the seawater convinced me that it would keep the pimples away since salt tends to absorb oil. I don’t have puffy eyes in the mornings, so I can’t say how well this stick works for that, but I can say that this stick does give you that extra boost that you may need to kickstart your morning. Using this is like drinking a double-shot espresso whilst getting a blast of cold water splashed on your face. If that doesn’t wake you up, I don’t know what will.
What It Is: A dry shampoo for all hair colours and types
What It Does: It absorbs scalp oils allowing you to skip washing your hair for a day or two or could be used to add texture to fine hair for updos.
What Sets It Apart From Others: It’s clear, meaning no gunky white powder-like residue when yo spray, it’s got Vitamin E for shine, and a slight scent of verbena making you feel like you’ve got clean, washed hair when you’re just faking it.
Verdict: I’ve had this product for awhile but hadn’t had a chance to use it because I’ve been using Nexxus Dry Shampoo (another favourite of mine). But when going on vacation I had to opt for a smaller bottle so I decided to give this a try seeing that I had a small travel size of it on hand. Sometimes when you’re on vacation (especially if you were like me, visiting five cities in five days with crazy wakeup calls at 4:30a.m. trying to wash your hair isn’t your priority when that means you can snooze for another half hour), so dry shampoos come in handy. I used this on the fourth day of no washing and instantly it dried up any oil-build up and truly gave my thick strands a must-needed lift. My hair didn’t look nor feel dirty after using it and the slight scent could’ve fooled anyone that I had just shampooed it. If you’ve got fine hair, you’ll probably have to use it by your third day and may have to wash it the following day. Thicker hair as myself can manage for a couple more days after using it.
How To Use It: I sprayed this on the roots and lifted my hair and continued to spray till I had covered the majority of my head. I then used my fingertips to massage the dry shampoo in, combed it, and put it up in a bun for the night. The following morning I let my hair down, finger combed it and was good to go!
What It Does: It instantly creates a smooth skintone
Verdict: Being someone who loves primers, I was absolutely ecstatic at the thought of getting to try this one. This product goes on extremely smooth. Your skin will look ten times better than it initially did. It’s the sort of skin you’d give yourself with an instagram filter. The shimmer is subtle, and catches the light in a very flattering way. So it’s more like inner glow than say, raver-girl circa 1999. This product is perfect to use as a base before foundation or concealer (I personally used it as a base for my undereyes concealer). It’s an extremely light formula and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles without feeling cakey or heavy. I don’t have words to explain how amazing this product is, but it’s hands down one of my absolute fave of the year. I absolutely recommend giving this product a try!
What It Is: A lightweight, 24/7 hydrating cream that provides a matte finish, and prepares the skin for makeup.
What It Does: Instantly blurs imperfections.
Verdict: I’m still unsure whether this is meant to be a full-fledged moisturizer or more of a face primer. And I have a feeling that when they were making this cream, they were trying to combine both of those elements together. However, the problem is that it doesn’t deliver on either accounts. It’s not so soft as a face primer should be (or maybe I’m just used to using Smashbox’s Photofinish Perfecting Primer so much that I prefer that consistency over any others). I’m not crazy about moisturizers because I have oily skin and it often means that any cream is going to add to the oiliness. Maybe this product is best suited for those that have dry skin or are in need of blurring fine lines. I wasn’t able to thoroughly judge that as I have neither. I found this product in one of the Allure Monthly boxes, but probably wouldn’t have tried it otherwise. It’s not that I hated product. It was alright, but I wasn’t crazy about it either. When I put it on the cream felt wet, which maybe is the point of it. The only problem is that it continued to remain wet and since I don’t use foundation, trying to place powder on top of it didn’t make for the best application. Overall, I don’t think this product was right for me. Maybe this product is best for anyone who’s in need of extra hydration.
I don’t even know how I came upon this website, but somehow in my many multi-tasking ventures I did and was instantly intrigued by the concept of having an indulgent bath and getting a glamorous ring by the end of it. So I ordered Bed of Roses bath bomb (retail for $14.95) and a Valentine’s Day special bath bomb (it was a black heart, also retailing for $14.95). I know the price seems pretty steep for just a bath bomb but I reasoned that I was going to be also receiving a free ring with the purchase.
The best word to describe these fragrance bombs is opulent. There’s no better way to explain the rich experience of being submerged in the fragrant waters.
Bed of Roses feels exactly how it sounds. Upon entering the pink waters, I instantly felt as though I had been enveloped by a silky embrace. I’m pretty sure that this is the closest I’ll ever get to experience feeling what a bath for Marie Antoinette was like. It’s simply indulgent.
The Valentine’s Day special bath bomb was a black heart and was scented by night flowers (predominately Jasmines). I felt utterly goth when I entered the black waters and emerged with an onyx ring. Both bath bombs came with a beautiful ring. So not only do you step out of the bath with the softest skin ever, but one also feels incredibly glamorous as well.
The whole experience was simply luxurious. And if the gorgeous scent won’t convince you, then you will be enthralled by how soft your skin will feel after using these bath bombs. It’s like touching pure silk.
Sure, these bath bombs are pricey and probably not something I could indulge in every time I decide to take a bath, but it’s something one would like to treat themselves with every now and then. Plus, once the bath is over, at least you’ll have some pretty rings to adorn your fingers with!
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).
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).
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.
The Inkblotters 