August 2021 Empties Part 2!

 

Wow August is gone! I can't believe its only 4 more months before the end of the year. The year has flown by and once again I felt like I didn't do anything really productive with my life....I guess though this month was productive because I did finish quite a few things this month.

I started using this new lip mask from Fresh Rose Lip Cream and found it leave my lips soft without being greasy. I used the new Facetory Oats My Bananas mask and loved it. I am excited that they are expanding their own offerings and that they are very affordable. I am adding both masks to my night time routine. 

I been using waterproof mascara a lot more lately because the heat has been so oppressive lately. I started using the Yensa CBD Superfood Dual Cleansing Oil to remove the mascara more easily from my eyes. The cleansing oil does have some foaming action but, not my favorite cleansing oil.

I suffer from insomnia so, I was intrigued when I saw Milk Makeup Melatonin Overnight Lip Mask. I thought it was okay and I would get it again if it was on sale. I do think that it did last longer than other overnight lip mask. The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask had a sweet scent and had a bit of sticky/tacky base. I liked putting it on but, I noticed that when I drank water the mask would come off. I would definitely use less than more with this product.

I started using this new hair mask called Virtue Restorative Treatment Mask and thought it was interesting. It definitely left my hair smelling nice and feeling soft and shiny. I liked my Akar lip balm so, when I saw their face oil I decided to get it. I thought it was okay. I have tried other face oils that had better results. I felt that the oil just sat on the top and didn't really absorb into my skin.

Have you finished anything that you loved recently?

Here is everything I finished this month -

Fresh Rose Petal Soft Lip Balm

Burt's Bees Baby Bee Buttermilk Bath

Shangpree Spa Care System Gold Black Pearl Eye Mask

Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb

Honey Jarret Super Beau'tea Mask Rose

Feel Brilliant Bamboo Charcoal Facial Sheet Mask

Facetory Everyday Charcoal Mask

Gangbly Jeju Canola Honey Nutri Mask

VT Cosmetics Gold Probiotics Mask

Facetory Oats My Bananas

Simply When Cosmic Calm Soothe

Carees Tahitian Renewal Silkening Body Wash

Yensa CBD Superfood Dual Cleansing Oil

June Jacobs Spa Collection Neroli Hydrating Mist

Sunday CEO Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream

Milk Makeup Melatonin Overnight Lip Mask

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

Burt's Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter

Botanic Farm Black Soybean Milk Pudding Sleeping Pack

Virtue Restorative Treatment Mask

Rituals of Sakura Celebrate Each Day Body Scrub

Steam Cream Coquette

Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt

Akar Skin Soothe Face oil

TonyMoly Vital Vita 12 Poresol Ampoule Vitamin H

Thisworks Deep Sleep Pillow Spray

Knours Skin Mediation

Elemis Superfood Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator

ESPA Clarifying Clay Mineral Mask

Rahua Voluminous Conditioner for Body and Bounce

Julep Rock Star Hand Creme

Exuviance Rejuvenating Treatment Masque

Pur x Barbie Glitterally Brightening Peel Off Mask

Ceramedx Restoring Body Lotion

Book Spotlight - Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin + Giveaway

  

About the Book

Title: LIKE OTHER GIRLS

Author: Britta Lundin

Pub. Date: August 3, 2021

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 384

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

"What if I played football?" I ask. As soon as it's out of my mouth, I feel stupid. Even suggesting it feels like I've overstepped some kind of invisible line we've all agreed not to discuss. We don't talk about how Mara is different from other girls. We don't talk about how Mara is gay but no one says so. But when I do stuff like this, I worry it gets harder for us all to ignore what's right in front of us. I direct my gaze to Quinn. "What do you think?"

"I think it's frickin' genius," he says.

After getting kicked off the basketball team for a fight that was absolutely totally not her fault (okay maybe a little her fault), Mara is dying to find a new sport to play to prove to her coach that she can be a team player. A lifelong football fan, Mara decides to hit the gridiron with her brother, Noah, and best friend, Quinn-and she turns out to be a natural. But joining the team sets off a chain of events in her small Oregon town-and within her family-that she never could have predicted.

Inspired by what they see as Mara's political statement, four other girls join the team. Now Mara's lumped in as one of the girls-one of the girls who can't throw, can't kick, and doesn't know a fullback from a linebacker. Complicating matters is the fact that Valentina, Mara's crush, is one of the new players, as is Carly, Mara's nemesis-the girl Mara fought with when she was kicked off the basketball team. What results is a coming-of-age story that is at once tear-jerking and funny, thought-provoking and real, as Mara's preconceived notions about gender, sports, sexuality, and friendship are turned upside down.

Britta Lundin's sophomore novel will give readers all the feels, and make them stand up and cheer.

Events

Tuesday, August 3
Like Other Girls 🎉 Launch Signing
Skylight Books
7-8:30pm
more details

Saturday, August 7
Like Other Girls 🎉Virtual Event
Britta Lundin in conversation with Carly Usdin (filmmaker, author The Avant Guards)
noon PT/3pm ET
register here to get the link

 

 

About Britta Lundin:

Britta Lundin is a TV writer and author.

She’s written for shows such as Riverdale, Betty, and The Big Leap and is the author of the young adult novels Like Other Girls (out August 2021) and Ship It.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she lives with her wife, kid, and dog in Los Angeles.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of LIKE OTHER GIRLS, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/1/2021	Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews	Review
8/2/2021	BookHounds YA	Excerpt
8/3/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
8/4/2021	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt
8/5/2021	Lifestyle of Me	Review
8/6/2021	onemused	Review
8/7/2021	booksaremagictoo	Review

Week Two:

8/8/2021	EveryonesLibrarian	Review
8/9/2021	@curlygrannylovestoread	Review
8/10/2021	BRITTREADSALATTEBOOKS	IG Post
8/11/2021	A Bookish Dream	Review
8/12/2021	Nonbinary Knight Reads	Review
8/13/2021	Unconventional Quirky Bibliophile	Review
8/14/2021	Fyrekatz Blog	Review

Week Three:

8/15/2021	@coffeebooksandmascara	Review
8/16/2021	Midnightbooklover	IG Post
8/17/2021	A Gingerly Review	Excerpt/IG post
8/18/2021	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review
8/19/2021	@drewsim12	Review
8/20/2021	Adrianna.reads	Review
8/21/2021	Mallory Books	Review

Week Four:

8/22/2021	GivernyReads	Review
8/23/2021	popthebutterfly	Review
8/24/2021	@pagesofyellow	Review
8/25/2021	My Fictional Oasis	Review
8/26/2021	Perusewithcoffee	Review
8/27/2021	The Phantom Paragrapher	Review
8/28/2021	Eli to the nth	Review

Week Five:

8/29/2021	@fictitious.fox	Review
8/30/2021	Bibliosini	Review
8/31/2021	Two Points of Interest	Review

Book Spotlight - Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares by Tehlor Kay Mejia + Giveaway

 
 

About the Book

Title: PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE FOREST OF NIGHTMARES (Paola Santiago #2)

Author: Tehlor Kay Mejia

Pub. Date: August 3, 2021

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 336

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents the sequel to Tehlor Kay Mejia's critically acclaimed own-voices novel about science-obsessed Paola Santiago.

Six months after Paola Santiago confronted the legendary La Llorona, life is nothing like she'd expected it to be. She is barely speaking to her best friends, Dante and Emma, and what's worse, her mom has a totally annoying boyfriend. Even with her chupacabra puppy, Bruto, around, Pao can't escape the feeling that she's all alone in the world.

Pao has no one to tell that she's having nightmares again, this time set in a terrifying forest. Even more troubling? At their center is her estranged father, an enigma of a man she barely remembers. And when Dante's abuela falls mysteriously ill, it seems that the dad Pao never knew just might be the key to healing the eccentric old woman.

Pao's search for her father will send her far from home, where she will encounter new monsters and ghosts, a devastating betrayal, and finally, the forest of her nightmares. Will the truths her father has been hiding save the people Pao loves, or destroy them?

Once again Tehlor Kay Mejia draws on her Mexican heritage to tell a wild and wondrous story that combines creatures from folklore with modern-day challenges.

 

Grab book 1 PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE RIVER OF TEARS NOW!

 

About Tehlor Kay Mejia:

Tehlor Kay Mejia is an Oregon native in love with the alpine meadows and evergreen forests of her home state, where she lives with her daughter. When she's not writing, you can find her plucking at her guitar, stealing rosemary sprigs from overgrown gardens, or trying to make the perfect vegan tamale. She is the author of Paola Santiago and the River of Tears and the YA fantasy novels We Set the Dark on Fire and We Unleash the Merciless Storm. Follow her on Twitter @tehlorkay.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE FOREST OF NIGHTMARES, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/1/2021	Log Cabin Library	Excerpt
8/2/2021	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt
8/3/2021	Mocha Girls Read	Excerpt
8/4/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
8/5/2021	Feed Your Fiction Addiction	Review
8/6/2021	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review
8/7/2021	@drewsim12	Review

Week Two:

8/8/2021	Lifestyle of Me	Review
8/9/2021	booksaremagictoo	Review
8/10/2021	Emelie's Books	Review
8/11/2021	More Books Please blog	Review
8/12/2021	Books a Plenty Book Reviews	Review
8/13/2021	BookHounds YA	Excerpt
8/14/2021	Locks, Hooks and Books	Review

Week Three:

8/15/2021	Fyrekatz Blog	Review
8/16/2021	Adrianna.reads	Review
8/17/2021	Don't Judge, Read	Review
8/18/2021	A Gingerly Review	Excerpt/IG post
8/19/2021	Midnightbooklover	IG Post
8/20/2021	Discover Elysian	Review
8/21/2021	Abellafairytale	Review

Week Four:

8/22/2021	Little Red Readz	Review
8/23/2021	@pagesofyellow	Review
8/24/2021	popthebutterfly	Review
8/25/2021	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt
8/26/2021	The Momma Spot	Review
8/27/2021	Addicted to Media	Excerpt
8/28/2021	@fictitious.fox	Review

Week Five:

8/29/2021	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
8/30/2021	Two Points of Interest	Review
8/31/2021	@lexijava_bookish	Excerpt

Book Review - Under the Bayou Moon by Valerie Fraser Luesse

 

Ellie Fields wants more out of life than what her Alabama home is willing to offer. She decides to accept a teaching job in a tiny town of Bernadette, Louisiana deep in bayou country.  The inhabitants are suspicious of outsiders because their language and culture are being threatened. However, Ellie ends up teaching the people and help them feel appreciated. She struggles to deal with opposition from the school board and the politician with ulterior motives while keeping the trust of the bayou people.

As Ellie learns to live in the bayou country, she crosses path with a lonely Cajun fisherman, Raphe, who she finds intriguing. He introduces her into the rich tapestry of Cajun culture including, showing her the legendary white alligator. As Raphe and Ellie begin to trust each other, their is a huge bounty being offered for the elusive gator that will test their love for each other.

I enjoyed reading this book and found Ellie to be a delightful character. I thought the scenes with the trio (Ellie, Raphe, and Heywood) to be my favorite. I appreciated and loved the rich details that the author gave but, felt like some of the story line lacked depth. For example, a character goes missing and we are lead to believe that he might be doing something but, then we find out what happened to him in passing.  I wonder if its because the author had too many plot lines and she wasn't sure how to tie them all in together as some plot lines were solved "off screen" with a few sentence to wrap it up. Overall,  it was a great book and I look forward to reading more by the author.

Book Review - The Lion's Den by Katherine St. John

 

 

 Belle likes to believe that she is immune to the charms of wealth. However, when her best friend, Summer, invites her to a birthday bash on a yacht owned by her billionaire boyfriend, Belle has hard time saying no. She is in a desperate need for a vacation after her acting career has stalled and her waitress job leaves her drained. Once she sets foot on the beautiful Lion's Den, she realizes the vacation isn't what she expected.

The dream vacation has quickly descend to a nightmare when they realize they don't have much freedom or privilege on the yacht. They find their host to be terrifyingly controlling and everything has to go his way. On the trip, Belle finally realizes what kind of person Summer really is and that Summer will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Belle realizes that she might be a prisoner onboard the yacht but, she must keep her wits about her if she wants to escape.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I first picked up this but, I thought it was probably going to be a trashy beach read. The first few pages started off fine but, then it descended into a full on over the top soap opera drama style story. I felt like it was very hard to be believable. There was a few times I was over the story because I am thinking what kind of person would put themselves in this situation and just kind of sit back  and take being treated terribly. The ending of the novel was quite predictable and could be seen miles away. It was an okay read but, I wouldn't be reaching for any of the author's book any time soon.

August 2021 Haul Part 2!

 

I am happy to say that August is out of the door along with it's hot weather. I am really looking forward to the Fall and the amazing cool weather. I didn't go too crazy this haul because I haven't been finishing too much stuff. And I am really trying super hard to de-clutter my apartment but, yet I still order more things every.single.day!

I got quite a few samples from orders I did and with GWP. I am really excited to try the Playa shampoo and conditioner set along with Davines samples. I already owned the full size of the Davines but, I enjoy the Oi line. I love Cake Beauty and so when I saw their Milk Made hand cream on sale, I had to get another. Their products have a decadent sweet taste that reminds me of...well..cake :) They smell so delicious it's hard not try and lick your hand.

I got two new products from Green Rhapsody that I am super excited to try. I got a marine hydrator and the bottle looks so cute. I am curious what is floating in the bottle. The Good Earth is a clay mask and I love me a good clay mask. I got this new serum from Somme Institute and I am excited because I love trying new serums. I thought the minimalist packaging was interesting because they don't  write the brand's name on the bottle but only the small copyright available.

I got this new jelly mask by Acure that I am really excited to use it. It has a pretty pink color. I got this lip flip from Estee Lauder from Turn Down. I got this new lip mousse from this brand called Absolute in Pin Up. I heard many great things about this affordable brand and I am super excited they opened a store in NYC.

Did you get anything new this month that you are excited to try this month?