The Carrie Diaries

Today's post is a book review. The last time I did a book review was when I talked about Lauren Conrad Style, link here, and so I knew that it was about time to do another one. On my last trip to the bookstore, I finally caved and bought a copy of Candace Bushnell's first YA novel, The Carrie Diaries.

I started reading the book on Monday and finished it Wednesday morning/Thursday morning. At first, I wasn't really impressed with the book's pace. It felt slow and for the first fifty pages I kept waiting for SOMETHING exciting to happen. I hate starting books mostly because I hate the setup of most books--getting to know the character, setting up the plot, learning everyone's names. I just want to get to the action! Does that make me a bad reader? Probably.

But shortly after the page fifty the book started to take off. For those who don't know, this is the prequel to Candace Bushnell's wildly popular book, Sex and the City. Yes. The one that was transformed into the wildly successful TV series featuring Carrie Bradshaw and her three besties as they survived the dating/career world in New York City.

I don't know how she did it but Bushnell had me identifying so closely to teenage Carrie. I was literally yelling at my book [and at Carrie] when I, as the reader, saw something coming down the tunnel that she couldn't see. Although the plot was a tad bit predictable, I still couldn't put the book down for the last two hundred pages. That's why I didn't finish the thing until Thursday at 1:30 AM. The love triangle was too frustrating and juicy for me to go to sleep with my questions un-answered!

The boys portrayed in this book reminded me of boys that I know at my high school. Bushnell wasn't interested in sugar-coating high school love and I admired that. She focused on real issues that kids deal with and just amplified the drama a bit because this is a work of fiction. Hopefully all this drama never happens to anyone in only one year of high school. If it has...my deepest sympathies.

I was also hoping that there would've been a larger emphasis on Carrie's blossoming fashion sense--that is what she's most known for after all--but other than mentioned in passing or centralized upon talk of her mother's handbag, it isn't talked about. Kind of depressing.

All in all? Good read. Just get through the first chunk and you'll find yourself reading about the humble beginnings of one of America's most well known style icons. This book is also a bit of "How To Become a Writer", so if you want a light read and learn something practical along the way, check this book out.

Thank you guys for reading! Leave any book suggestions in the comments. I'm looking for another book to review on this channel. If you want to check out my second blog, I'd be so grateful!

Softlips Review + Giveaway!!

My Target giveaway has recently ended. I got so many entries and I'm glad that it was so well received. :) I'm so sorry that I haven't been blogging lately. I know...it's been pretty horrible. But I am trying to spend as much time in with my family as possible.

I know its not a good enough excuse but...its true. :) I love spending time with my family...they're crazy. In a lovable and kind of normal way. :) But its been pretty cramped here. It is my grandma, my two uncles, my aunt, my two cousins, my mom, my sister, and I all crammed into a three bedroom house.

If you lost count that's nine people. And this house was built in the fifties [meaning the rooms aren't that big!].

Talk about a full house. [sorry for the lame joke!] But onto the review! Softlips. The products were sent to me about a month ago...yeah, I think a month ago maybe two. And I was beyond thrilled when I received the package. Softlips are by far my favorite chap stick. I received their original line.

There are eight flavors in their original line. [from left to right] Vanilla, Wildberry, Coconut Cream, Peach Mango, Cherry, Raspberry, Mint with a hint of Vanilla, and Strawberry.

My favorites are Vanilla [i have seven of those now], Wildberry [the scent is really fresh], and Mint with a hint of Vanilla [which is really weird because i'm not a mint person--at all]. But in all honesty all of these flavors are amazing and it was really hard to narrow it down to three.

The product is really, really smooth and makes your lips feel super moist and soft. [i wonder why they named the company Softlips? Hmmm...] The packaging is also really cute and will fit in the front pocket of your jeans without the weird bump that a lot of other chap sticks give you.

Plus, I don't know if you know this but Softlips Original line gives you a SPF 15 protection. Keeping your lips safe from the sun's harmful rays. Which is always a plus. Even though it sounds weird, your lips do get burned [a chapped feeling] if you stay in the sun too long.

Another thing I really love about this company is the tingling sensation you get when you put it on. To me the tingling sensation gives me a peace of mind. The sensation means the product is working. And I noticed that if I reapply another coat after a few hours, the tingling sensation is gone. So I'm assuming that means my lips have pretty much reached their capacity for moisture.

Plus, the smell is amazing. Sigh. Unlike a lot of chap sticks Softlips works just as well but smells 10 times better. No lie! :)

Correct me if I'm wrong but that's what I think it means. :) I honestly love this product. 100%! And completely recommend this product to anyone who wants to keep their lips soft especially when winter comes [the cold air absorbs moisture from your lips making them more chapped]. I actually bought my sister products from the PURE [organic] line for her birthday. She's a Softlips junkie too. [i hope she doesn't read this post]

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Okay! Onto the giveaway. So exciting. :)

One lucky reader will win a $75 gift card to Target. [i know some of you are like, 'again? you just had a Target gift card giveaway. can you be a little more original?'] But gift cards are easy because I know the person who win will really like their prize because they're going to pick it out themselves.

Plus, Target is where I purchased my sister's birthday present from and I know that they carry the complete Softlips line. So maybe you could pick up a few products to keep your lips healthy during the winter? :)

To enter just comment below. :) Simple, right?

Rules:
1. You don't have to be 18 or older
2. Have to be a Viva La Fashion follow on GFC. If you're not just click the button on the top left. Its simple and free!
3. Leave your e-mail address in the comments so I know how to contact you.
4. Contest ends October 6, 2010. *EDIT: Since I will be traveling on the day the contest ends and I don't come home until the seventeenth, the contest end date has been extended! Contest now ends on the 18th*
5. I'm sorry but the contest is only open to residents of  Canada and the U.S.

Extra ways to enter:*
1. Go to Softlips' Facebook page and press the 'like' button
2. Go to Viva La Fashion's Facebook page and press the 'like' button
3. Follow Softlips on Twitter
4. Blog/Tweet/Facebook about this giveaway

*All extra entry opportunities are worth one entry

Comment once for each of your entries. :) Good luck to everyone. I'm hosting this because I know this past month I've been a horrible blogger [and it took me so long to announce the winner of my last contest] and I want to make it up to you guys. :)

Thank you for all your support! Bye!

Product Rave!

I'm coming to you guys with a prodcut rave. I don't think I've ever done one of these. Maybe this is because I've never found a product that I like this much! I adore it. Adore!!

Okay, I've left all of you in suspense long enough. Drum roll please. I have fallen in love with the Brush Guard. I put them on right after I wash my brushes and I honestly feel like they make my brushes feel like new. So soft. So clean. So amazing!

The bristles don't fray. And I honestly think they are well worth the investment. My sister picked them up from the post office about three weeks ago...I think. [sorry, my memory is starting to go.]

And to be honest I was a little hesitant to use them. I mean, I just didn't think they would work as well as they did. But she was so excited about this product and her excitment was extremely infectious.

But I am humble enough to say "I was wrong. Very wrong."

I have two of the variety pack [meaning you get one XSmall, two Small, two Medium, and one Large]. There are enough brush guards to give one to each of my Sigma brushes and the other random brushes that I use. :)

They do ship internationally and to Canada but there is an extra charge. I don't do product raves very often but when I do them, I talk about products I honestly believe in. And when I travel to my grandma's there is no way I'm leaving without these bad boys.

Brushes [good quality brushes, not those little spounge applicator you get in your drug store eye shadow] are a huge investment. They cost hundreds of dollars. This is a quick, relatively cheap way to make sure that investment lasts as long as possible. I just washed my brushes and here's a picture of what Brush Guards look like in action!

[my brushes in their pretty, little Brush Guard cacoon! So cute.]

Bye! I know this was a quick post but I have to start packing. I think I might take you guys along with me on my trip! So excited. :D

FTC: The Brush Guard was sent to me for review pruposes. I am not being compensated. I have no affliation with this company. The Sigma brushes were also sent to me for review purposes. The rest of the brushes were purchsed with my own money. All opinions are my own. :)

Sigma Review + Giveaway! **CLOSED**

Hi guys! It's finally time for the big giveaway I have spent the past couple days blogging about. Thanks for all your well-wishes. Smokey is doing fine. He's still a little sluggish today but he's purring and eating. Okay, onto the good stuff.

About two-three weeks ago Sigma sent me their Complete Set of Professional Brushes. I was very honored and beyond thrilled with the opportunity. For those who don't know Sigma brushes are a very well-known dupes for MAC brushes. I'm thinking about doing a video, that way I can go more in-depth, so keep an eye out for that. :) 

 First, I'd like to point out that if you buy all twelve Sigma brushes that I'm going to show you that it'll cost you $69.99 without the brushfold and $89.99 with the brush fold. If you were to buy all twelve of these brushes from MAC it would cost you $333. I just did the math.

I feel that there really is no comparison. That a $263 difference! And I feel the only significant difference between the two bush sets is the fact that one set says MAC while the other says Sigma.

 Anyway, the brush fold is also amazing quality. Its this soft, leather-y feel to them. And the snap to close the fold is magnatized and isn't a cheap velcrow strip like other folds I've seen. Sigma really put a notcable effort to make their prodcuts the best quality they could make them.

And all the brushes are made from either natural, synthetic, or a mix bristiles. Natural bristles make the brushes softer. And I know tht I mentioned that the brushes are soft but I don't think you understand how amazing they feel on your skin.

Well, that's my review of Sigma brushes. They're durable and amazing quality. The handle is long and fits perfectly in my hand. :) I also love the fact that they come with a pamphlet exaplaining the purpose of each brush. It also comes with instructions on how to care for your brushes.

Sigma wants the brushes to be an investment that lasts for a long, long time. :) If you want a list of all the brushes, their purpose, and my thoughts on them click here!

Okay, that are all the brushes you get in the set. Now onto the giveaway!!

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Finally, we get to the giveaway! :) Super excited. This is the biggest giveaway in Viva La Fashion history. I know, its big. Yesterday I went and I purchased a $200 gift card from Target in celebration of getting 600 followers! Yes, you could win a $200 giftcard just by entering this contest.

I picked Target because it has a really great selection of beauty/fashion products. Plus, its a store that is accesable to a lot people and even if you don't live by a Target there is an online store. So here's how you can win.

Rules:

1. You don't have to be 18 or older to enter

2. Have to be a Viva La Fashion follower. If you're not just click the follow button to your left. It's free and simple. :)

3. Leave email adress in comment so I can contact you if you win!

4. Contest ends on August 5, 2010. Good luck!

Ways to enter:

1. Go to Sigma's website and comment below telling me what your favorite item/brush is (one entry)

2. Blog about this giveaway/review on your blog (one entry)

3. Tweet about this giveaway/reivew on you twitter (one entry)

4. Mention Viva La Fashion and Sigma makeup brushes in your Facebook status update (one entry)

**Be sure to leave one comment for every way that you enter. So if you blog, tweet, and go to Sigma's website, you need to write three comments telling me what you did.**

FTC: Sigma provided their brushes for review purposes. The giveaway prize was provided by me, not by Sigma. All opinons are my own and 100% honest. :)

The Sigma Brushes

Here are all the brushes that come in the kit. And these are my thoughts on each one. Enjoy! :)

[note the brush fold does NOT come with the white numbers on them. I just put them there for a visual.]
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SS150

Applies powder foundation and transcluscent powders. It is large and applies makeup very easily. Does shed a little but the shedding stops after its been washed a few times.
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SS190 and SS187

Applies liquid foundation. I haven't been wearing liquid foundation this summer but I did want to try out this brush so I did wear some earlier this week. The brush applies evenly. But I perfer the SS187. Its just a personal preference. The SS187 gives an airbrushed finish and I love using this brush to apply my tinted moisturizer.

SS168 and SS194,

The SS168 applies blush (its an angled blush brush) and is great for contouring. <3 this brush. I use it everyday. And the SS194 is a concealer brush. Its the perfect size to fit under the eye to hide those unattractive dark circles some of [me included] have.
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SS275 and SS252 and SS239

I decided to talk about these three brushes together because they're all very similar. The SS275 is the angled shading brush. I use this to put shadow on my brow and the inner corner. Sometimes I use it as a crease brush. Now the SS252 and SS239 are extremely similar, only the SS252 is a lot larger than the SS239. They're both shading brushes and it just depends on eye shape/size on which brush will do the better job.

SS266 and SS209

Both of these are liner brushes. The SS266 is the angled one. I personally perfer the SS209. I feel like I have a litte more control withe SS209 because it is smaller but my sister loves the SS266. So I've given it to her. Neither one is better than the other, it jsut depends on how you apply makeup.
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SS224 and SS219

The SS224 is the tapered blending brush. Oh my gosh! I use this brush everyday. Everyday. It blends out harsh edges. Love it! :) And the SS219 is the pencil brush. I use it to apply shadow in the crease and outer corner. It can also be uses to smudge out liner for a smokey look.

Music, MAC, and a Movie

Someone asked me in the comments of my last post and I realized something. I haven't talked about The Last Song! I told you guys that I was going to go see it but I never told you guys what happened. :)

But first I have to say I'm currently lusting after MAC's Sushi Flower and Expresso. They're both such pretty colors. I've heard good things about them so I'm hoping that when I do buy them they're everything I hoped they would be. :)

Warning!! There might be SPOLIERS so if you want to go see it then just skip this post. Overall I thought it was a pretty good movie.

The little boy who played Jonah, Miley's character's littler brother was ADORABLE! I loved him. He was such a good actor. I almost cried when he started crying. He was so cute. :) I kind of think that he was a better at fake crying than Miley was. Sorry Miley.

But she wasn't very good at fake crying. There was one point where I was going to cry but then Miley started crying and it kind of ruined it for me. But the movie was sooo much better than Dear John. I was kind of going into the movie thinking that it would kind of be like Dear John and suck but it didn't.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Miley and Liam had great chemistry. The movie was filled with just about every cliche in the book but there's a reason why cliches are cliches, right? People enjoy cliches. I did.

 I especially loved the singing in the car scene. Liam was sooo funny. :) It had the whole theater cracking up!

I went with Maggie, Maddy, and Jenny. Why do all my friends have names that end in the "ie/y" sound? Hmmm...My name's Lane. So I guess I don't fit the mold. Oh, well.

Maggie was crying so much. I looked over and she was just bawling. But I also especially love the songs When I Look At You and Tyrant off the soundtrack. Soo good. :) But does anyone know the song that plays at the very begining of the movie? Maggie would like to know.

Oh, and guess what? I finally found my book. Jenny DID have it!

But last night before I went to bed I was reading the book. Its getting really, really good. :) I would go see it again. Despite Miley's inability to cry convincingly. :) Liam is really cute too. I would recommend this movie for anyone who wants to cry. Bring your tissues! :D

What's Your Philosophy?

Here's a review/haul of three of Philosophy's perfumes. I got these a while ago and so I postponed posting about them until I had some time to think about what I wanted to write. I wanted to give each perfume time. I  mean I wasn't sure if my opinion would change over time.

Isn't the title so cute? Falling in Love. Well, I've fallen in love. Pun intended. But its true. I have two backup bottles of this stuff. I know I have a problem. Its called a shopping addiction. :) Anyway, this scent is clean and the website says its for hopeless romantics.

This scent is hard to describe. Hmmm...It's not bad but I'm not in love with it. Its okay. I'll probably use the bottle up but I'm not going to have that smile on my face when I put it on. Its subtle and really hard to smell. But according to the website that's what they were going for. Subtle. In my opinion it's a little too subtle. If I spend this much money on a perfume then I want everyone to be able to smell. Duh! :)

I got this scent but I don't really like it. It smells like my mom. I know that's why you should ask your mother what lotion she uses before you buy something online. Yeah... It smells just like her. It doesn't really smell bad but I don't want to smell like her. Love her to death but I don't. Does that make me a bad person? Needless to say I gave this to her as an early Easter present. :) I know she'll enjoy it.

I bought these perfumes on the Philosophy website. Note to self: don't buy perfumes online. Even if you sister guarentees that they smell amazing and you won't regret buying them. Sigh.

Although I already knew what Falling in Love smelt like. My current bottle was almost gone and so I was just buying a back up for my back up. Like I said I have a problem. But doesn't everyone have that scent (or scents) that you know you will never fall out of love with? I must admit that I'm part of the latter party. :) Perfumes are my addiction.

What's your favorite scent? Plus! Giveaway ends in a couple days! Please Comment and then Follow! :D

Size Twelve Is Not Fat

This weekend, between shopping and going to see New Moon. ( I loved it). But I finished reading, Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot. Meg Cabot is the woman who wrote the Princess Diaries Series. What made me pick this up was because I adored the Princess Diaries books and movie [Anne Hathaway was brilliant] when I was in elementary school and I was feeling a bit nostalgic on that particular day.  

Within the first thirty pages I remembered why I loved those Princess Diaries books so much. Meg Cabot is incredibly funny! Humor is harder to convey through ink and paper but somehow this woman manages to make me smile or CQTM [chuckle quietly to myself]. But this book is aimed towards a more mature audience. Yes, I'm at that point in my life where I can read mature material.

Here's a brief synopsis, without being a spoiler. Its about Heather Mills, a burned out teen pop sensation, who is trying to pull her life together after her musical career has become almost non-existent and she has gained a bit of weight--she's now a size twelve. Heather decides to take a job as an assistant dorm director at a local college in NYC and this is where the drama starts.

A string of murders start to occur at the dorms and Heather finds herself becoming an amateur sleuth. [drama, right?] But while she's trying to find out why all these people are dying--and probably most importantly, who's killing them--she has to deal with her romantic feelings towards her house-mate and her obnoxious, but kid of cute, old boyfriend.

I think of Heather Mills as a modern day Nancy Drew--but funnier and more relatable. This book has humor, mystery, suspense, romance, and even more humor. The ending--and the killer--caught me off guard. I didn't even think about him. But then again, I've never really been good at mysteries no matter how many episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation I watch or how how many games of CLUE I try to win.

The pages fly by really quickly and its leaves the reader wanting more. Thankfully two sequels have already been published. Size 14 is Not Fat Either and Big Boned. I'm heading out to Borders as soon as I finish writing this to pick a copy of both.

____ If you've read this book, please leave your thoughts in the comments! Also leave any suggestions below! Please follow this blog through Google Friend Finder! Link to the right. Thank you for reading and I'll see you guys soon.