Born Pretty Store Haul

first try with the brushes 

Today I have a nail art haul for you. It's actually weird that I haven't talked about it before as nail design is my favourite section of the whole beauty world but that's probably because I've only just started getting into it again.

I have decided to step up my game and try some more delicate and artsy designs but then I realized that my collection was missing some pieces. So I started looking for proper nail art tools online.

All the things I bought are from the Born Pretty Store which sells various beauty articles and has an especially big nail art section.

Brushes

I bought three thin liner brushes and those are the reason why I went to the store page in the first place. 

I was a bit scared of using them, as the brush part seemed to be a bit too long for proper handling but they are easy to work with. 

Dotting Tools

Then I came across a set of different sized dotting tools and since I've always loved to create flowers I had to get this one too. There are also tons of other designs you can use them for and I can't wait to experiment around. :P

The set came with five two-way dotting tools. The ball on one side is the same size on all five tools but the one on the other side is different, as you can see in the pictures bellow.

Rhinestones and Studs

I also explored the decorations they had and decided to buy some silver rhinestones. They are actually a bit smaller than I expected them to be but I will find a way to use them. 

Next I found cute star shaped studs which come in eight vibrant colors. I bought the silver ones but I'll definitely purchase some of the colored ones too because they look so lovely.

I left out the rhinestones as they were a pain to arrange for the picture and we all know what they look like :)

3D Decoration

The 3D nail art section seemed a bit too bold for me at first but then I came across some golden sea shells and I had to get those, especially since I've been trying to create some beach nails. 

The shells come in two sizes 3 and 5mm and thinking 3mm would be big enough (my nails are quite small) I ordered those. Next time I'll probably get the bigger ones though as they look smaller irl than on screen :P

Glitter

The last item I bought comes from the glitter section. I went for stars again. This time I chose some iridescent cutout stars and it was their colorfulness that caught my attention.

Fangirl - Book Review

I feel like I'm constantly neglecting the book part of my blog so here is another review for you :D 

As you can see by the title I'm going to talk about Rainbow Rowells Fangirl. It was published in September 2013 and belongs into the contemporary YA section.

Note: Once again crossed out writing marks SPOILERS.

Synopsis:
Cath and Wren are identical twins and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to college and Wren's decided that she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She would rather bury herself in the fanfiction she writes where there's romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life.
Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible... 

Story:
The story is very typical for this genre... if you just brush its surface but deeper it's really not that typical anymore. What makes it unique is that Cath is a big fangirl, writing her own fanfiction and burying herself in that world. Naturally there are parts of fan culture etc in the book which is something I've never read anywhere else before and I think it's great that it is a subject in this novel. 
I also liked that she created the Simon Snow series as the Harry Potter series of Caths world but it confused me a bit when the actual Harry Potter was mentioned as well because why reinvent it, when you're going to mention it anyway?
The beginning of the story can be a bit frustrating, especially if you can not relate at all to Cath and her anxiety because she just turns down all the invites for any kind of social activity and mostly stays in her room. But it gets better towards the middle and you really start rooting for Cath. 
I was sad that it ended so soon because there were a couple more things that I would have liked to see. For example her finishing Carry on and the eight Simon Snow book or how her relationship developed. Second book please??

Characters:
This novel has the most relatable protagonist EVER! I could understand Caths issues and fears very well. Though I probably wouldn't have survived that long on protein bars and peanut butter ;) What I also loved about her was that while she is introverted and anxious she's not afraid to stand up for herself. 
Then we have Levi, probably one of the nicest and cheerful guys in all the books I've read so far. I just want to pick him right out of the novel so I could be friends with him. 
I also liked Reagan and her kind of forceful/brusque manner. She led to a lot of laughs. I'd also pick her out of the novel to be my roommate because while she might appear mean she's always there to give you a little push when you need it :P Here's an example of her interaction with Cath:

"I feel sorry for you, and I'm going to be your friend."

"I don't want to be your friend," Cath said as sternly as she could. "I like that we're not friends."

"Me, too," Reagan said. "I'm sorry your ruined it by being so pathetic."

Generally I really enjoyed how Rainbow Rowell developed the characters and the relationships between them. They are all different from each other and realistic which in my opinion is important in contemporary coming-of-age stories like this one.

Writing Style:
I don't really have much to say about the writing style. Rainbow Rowell managed to create lovely cute scenes and I particularly liked how she wrote all the fandom related scenes. They are very realistic and I guess many Harry Potter fans will remember what events etc are/have been like for them. The story is written from Caths POV but in third person which is perfectly fine since we stay pretty close to the protagonist and are able to sympathize with her as if it were written from a first person POV.  

Overall Opinion:
I really really enjoyed Fangirl and I think the biggest reason for this is that I could relate so well to the story and the characters. I rated it 5 out of 5 stars on goodreads and I would recommend it especially for girls who can see themselves in Cath or people who enjoy coming-of-age stories.

Kiko Mini Haul

A couple of months ago I discovered Kiko as one of my new favourite make up brands. The quality of their products is quite nice and the price is reasonable too. The brand is based in Milan and so when I went there recently I had to buy some make up.

They also had a sales action going and I really had to contain myself to not go overboard with my shopping.

I was actually quite good at that because I only bought four nail polishes and a liquid eyeliner when there were also tons of lipsticks that I could have bought. ;)
Three of my polishes are actual colors and the third is a mat top coat. I really like the colors 317 and 360 for spring, because they are bright and girly. The third one (226) will be great for next fall and winter as it is a dark burgundy red and I like wearing those colors during the colder season.

I got myself a new mat top coat

Number 317, 226 and 360

This is a dark grey metallic liner (Number 111), it is somewhat waterproof

Holy Grail Hair Product (Mini Review)

full size (100ml) bottle

Today I want to talk about my favourite hair product. It is the Nashi Argan oil which I first got as a free sample (not sponsored though).

I didn't use the product for quite a while after getting it because it was a hair oil and as my hair is naturally quite greasy, you can probably see why I was suspicious. Then my hair got really dry and since I've heard tons of good things about argan oil I finally tried it and was blown away. They promised shiny, healthy, nourished and tamed hair and it totally worked! My hair felt soft from root to tip. Even the dry parts! And over time this oil took really good care of my hair and made it a lot healthier and shinier. I couldn't notice any sign of my roots getting greasier than usual and even my waves/curls were enhanced by the product. Naturally I was very happy with it.
There is only one down side but luckily it's nothing that can't be fixed. The oil didn't tame the frizz in my hair. So despite the fact that Nashi Argan oil took care of most my little "hair problems" I can't get by using just this single product.
Another thing I should probably mention is that the oil is quite expensive but given what it does for my hair that is okay. Also since you only need a small amount of it, it will last you ages so it doesn't matter if you invest a little bit more.

A couple tips and tricks:
Don't use the oil after every wash because your hair will get used to it and the product won't work as well any more. I use it once or twice a week when washing every other day.
Don't use too much of the oil because even with long hair you can get by with a small amount (hazelnut or coin size) and too much of it will weigh down the hair a bit and it can look greasy. 

my sample of the oil (5ml) it lasted me for over two months

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer - Review

Yes these have been reviewed over and over again but I still like to throw in my opinion as well, so here we go: Rimmel Apocalips Review. 

I discovered the Rimmel Apocalips lip lacquers when I was searching for reviews of the Rimmel Kate lipsticks and they immediately caught my eye since I didn't yet have anything like them in my lip product collection. 

A lip lacquer is basically a crossover between gloss and lipstick. They usually have the texture and shine of a gloss but the duration and pigmentation of a lipstick.

So do the Rimmel Apocalips lacquers. Their pigmentation is amazing! Even with very little of the product you get an amazing color payoff! The duration impressed me as well.  It needs little touch-ups here and there throughout the day or after having food but else it lasts very well. The shine fades a bit depending on how much product you’re putting on your lips and for how long you've been wearing it but personally that doesn't bother me. 

You can see how it starts to bleed out

The product glides on nicely but you definitely need a mirror to put it on. Just like it is with lipstick, the high pigmentation stains very easily and mistakes while applying happen faster and can't be removed as easy. 

The doe foot applicator is manageable and helps to fill in the lips properly. I'm not massively impressed though by the hole at the back which is supposed to supply you with more product without going back into the tube. It does give you more product but to me that is too much because the more product you have on your lips the nastier it will bleed out. Also if you moisturize your lips before applying one of these, be careful to let that product sink in well before going over it with an Apocalips lacquer otherwise this will increase the bleeding out.

I own the shades Big Bang and Apocaliptic. Big Bang is a beautiful bright red, while Apocaliptic is a bright pink shade. Both are very pigmented as promised. Personally I like the red one better because it is more wearable. Even though I wear pink lipstick and am not afraid to show off bright colors the Apocaliptic can be a bit too much because it is a very "in your face" color. 

Big Bang

Apocaliptic - I couldn't get the color right on this one :/ It is a bit darker than it looks like here 

   

2014 Book to Movie Adaptations

Note: The release dates of the movies may change. 

This spring there are a lot of book based movies coming to the European and American cinemas. Generally throughout this year a lot of books are coming to the big screen so I decided to share with you the ones I'm most excited for. 

  

Mockingjay Part 1

Ahhhh! Even thinking about this movie makes me scream in a very high-pitched fangirly voice because I just can't contain my excitement. Especially since I really really loved Catching Fire and I hope that Mockingjay will be similar in terms of how close they followed the book and how well they captured the atmosphere of the story. 

Here is a little information for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about: Mockingjay is the third book in Suzanne Collins bestseller trilogy The Hunger Games. The series follows sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen and takes place in a future dystopian version of the US where kids are sent into an arena to fight to the death. When Katniss' sister is chosen she volunteers and the Games begin.

Release dates: November 21 (USA), November 20 (Switzerland I'll always be referring to the German speaking part)

Divergent
And here we have the second adaptation of a dystopian trilogy... Divergent like Mockingjay takes place in a future version of the US precisely in Chicago. The society is split into five factions of whom each values a different skill. The story follows sixteen-year-old Beatrice (Tris) Prior who is about to take the aptitude test which will tell her to which faction she belongs but the results aren't clear. That makes her Divergent and she has to hide inside a faction or otherwise she might get killed.

I'm excited about this movie because I loved the book and the world Veronica Roth built in it. I really want to see how they brought the story to life. Also I'm really looking forward to seeing Shailene Woodley and her acting skills.

Release dates: March 21 (USA), April 4 (Switzerland)

Trailer

The Fault in Our Stars

Fangirly screams again. I read this book a while ago and loved it so much. John Green tells the story of a teenage girl (sixteen-year-old Hazel) suffering from cancer. Her parents force her to join a support group for children living with cancer. That is where she meets Augustus (Gus) Waters. What follows is a unique heartbreaking story about friendship, love, life and loss.

This is the second 2014 book adaptation with Shailene Woodley in a leading role so besides seeing one of my favourite books turned into a movie I'm also excited to see how she brings life to two characters from very different stories. Also I'd say that this is one of the must watch movies of this year.

Release dates: June 6 (USA), June 12 (Switzerland)

Trailer

Vampire Academy

What got me excited for that movie and the books was the trailer. The story came across as very sassy, amusing and fresh which got me interested immediately. Then I read the book and now I'm really looking forward to seeing how it turned out. 

The author Richelle Mead introduces us to seventeen-year-old Rosemarie (Rose) Hathaway who is trained to become her best friends (Lissa) guardian. They suffer through ordinary High School and teenage dramas but with a twist. Lissa is a Moroi vampire princess and needs to be protected from Strigoi vampires and dark forces at the Academy.

Release dates: February 7 (USA), March 13 (Switzerland)

Trailer

Saphirblau (Sapphire Blue)

This is the second novel in Kerstin Giers Gem Trilogy. It follows sixteen-year-old (what is it with these 16 year olds? :P) Gwyneth (German: Gwendolyn) Shepherd and is set in London. Gwen’s cousin is supposed to have the ability to travel through time and has been trained for a secret mission. Things get crazy when instead of her cousin Gwen starts to jump through time.

I'm excited for this movie because I absolutely loved the trilogy. I hadn't read anything like it before. Also I really really hope they fix what was wrong with the first movie and capture the atmosphere better.

Release dates: August 14 (Germany), December 18 (Switzerland)
Trailer

The Maze Runner

Here comes our third dystopian (maybe sci-fi) book to movie adaption. The story follows another sixteenish Teenager but this time it's a boy. His name is Thomas and he is put into a Maze with other boys. They have to find their way out but that seems to be impossible. Also deathly creatures lurk in the nightly shadows of the maze. 

Dylan O'Brian has the lead role which is one convincing argument for watching the movie... Furthermore I'm excited to see how they adapted the novel and if I will like it better than the book.

I actually did a review of the novel so feel free to check it out: Maze Runner Review

Release dates: September 19 (USA), October 16 (Switzerland)
Trailer

The Book Thief

At some point last December the trailer caught my eye and sparked my interest for the book and movie. I'm currently reading the novel and so far I'm really enjoying it. I'm excited to see the German-American collaboration in this movie.

Markus Zusak tells us about a young girl (Liesel Meminger) in Nazi Germany. She lives with foster parents and they hide a Jewish man during the escalation of World War 2. She meets Death three times but manages to escape every time.

Release dates: November 8 2013 (USA), March 13 (Switzerland)

Trailer

My Life Next Door - Book Review

Woot, another book review coming your way. This time it's about My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. It is her debut novel and came out in 2012. There will be a sequel in 2015 (so EXCITED!).

Original Cover

Version I read (German)

Synopsis
"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them...until one summer evening Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

Story

The story is very realistic but still delicate and cute which I think is what makes this novel so interesting. That is also what makes it stand out from all the other contemporary YA romance books. Also there is a good amount of tension and excitement and you'll want to keep reading until you're through.

Characters
What I enjoyed most about the book are the characters. They are all unique, very well developed and appear so real. Even the smaller ones are perfectly thought out and likable. Then I also loved how mature Jase and Sam are. By that I mean that they aren't just guided by feelings and hormones but they also think and reconsider.

Writing Style
The story is written in first person from Samanthas POV. This suited very well because we get Samanthas thoughts and comments on certain situations. A lot of them are sarcastic remarks which she would never say out loud but for us as readers they are hilarious. 

Overall Opinion
I rated the book 5 out of 5 stars because I just really enjoyed this book. It made me feel happy and the characters felt so real. Also the story is very touching and I liked that besides the romance between the main characters there was also focus on other themes like family and friendship. 

I would recommend the novel to people who enjoy teenage love stories. It is also a nice read for the summer or the beach when you're on vacation. Generally I think girls will enjoy this more than boys would.