Nars Audacious Mascara - 3871 Black Moon

The all in one mascara promises to separate, lengthen and amplify lashes. The lash catching brush has over 200 bristles that equally spreads out the buildable formula.  The tapered tip can be used for the inner and outer lashes along with the smaller lower lashes. The voluminous formula is lightweight and long wearing. The mascara went on easy and gave me a false eye look.  The formula didn't smudge or cause flakes but if you blink to quickly the formula ended up all over my eyelids. A definite new favorite mascara.

Book Review - The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Photo Credit - Amazon

**May Contain Spoilers*

Nix Song is like every other girl in the world -- she wishes for something more and love/attention from her father. She is a girl with an mysterious past and an uncertain future.  She is the navigator on her father's pirate ship and she is also a time traveller.  

The band of misfit pirates whose past collide but each of their future is full of uncertainty travels together to find the next piece of the puzzle; unsure of what is waiting for them. Nix follows her father, Slate around the world and through time in hopes of winning his love and affection but also because she feels trapped. Slate is interested in a very specific time and place; when Nix's mother was alive but Nix wasn't.  Nix helps her father find his lost love because she is sure it won't work but every time she comes across a new map, her heart skips a beat. Nix is unsure why her father is willing to risk everything for the sake of love. Until of course, she falls in love and see how losing the one you love can be the most painful experience in your life.

The book is an interesting read and goes by quickly -- but some parts it was rather slow and boring. It has themes of mythology and time traveling. However, I feel like the book was trying to hard; almost like it was trying to be the next Harry Potter series. Being quite the simpleton, the whole time traveling business left me with more questions and confusion than anything else. It was an interesting read but it just wasn't for me. I did like the little section in the back that went into detail about new stories, mythology and tidbits that inspired the story.

**Disclosure - I received a copy of an uncorrected ebook for my honest opinion --- this had no impact on my review and feedback**

Book Review - The Best and Lightest: 150 Healthy Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner by Editors of Food Network Magazine

Photo Source - Amazon

Food Lovers Rejoice! No longer do you have to sacrifice taste when cooking healthy. As a longtime fan of Food Network, I couldn't wait to get my grubby (hopefully, I can lose some of my baby fat -- you know the fat I had for 30 years now :}) hands on this cookbook.

If you read the Food Network magazine, the cookbook has a similar layout. The book is divide by categories such as sandwiches, poultry, meat, seafood, eggs, pasta, side sides, sweets, and etc. Each of 150 recipes is accompanied by full color photos along with nutritional facts. In between each chapter is little mini recipes for quick snacks like eggplant chips, pesto-tomato crostini,  corn-bacon guacamole, and etc.

**Disclosure - I received an copy of this book in exchange for honest opinion.**

BBW Aromatherapy Sensual Black Currant Vanilla Body Lotion

The creamy black currant and vanilla absolute scented body lotion soothes and  moisturizes skin. The nourishing lotion goes on easily and is absorbed quickly without a greasy feeling. The black currant and vanilla soothes the senses and leaves a slight fragrance trail on the skin. I mostly use this lotion for the scent and not for the moisturizing as it’s mediocre at keeping skin moisturized but leaves skin scented.

Book Review - The Palest Ink by Kay Bratt

**May Contain Spoilers** 

In 1966 in Shanghai, a young boy has a promising future ahead of him. He is a promising violinist from a prominent intellectual family. In addition, he has an arranged marriage with a woman from an equally wealthy upbringing. However, his best friend Pony Boy is less fortunate. Pony Boy is from a lower class family destined for a life of poverty.

As many people know, faith and the future can be unpredictable. In the midst of the China's Cultural Revolution -- life is about to be turned upside down. Families turn against each other, neighbors spy on one and another and teachers are beaten to death by their own students. In hopes, to expose Chairman Mao's Red Guard they concoct a way to document some of the worst behaviors in human history. Through Benfu and Pony Boy's struggle, they come across dark moments of human weakness while trying to find a way to be compassionate and bring light into their dark world. As the prequel to the Tales of Scavenger's Daughter series, the book is filled with hope, love, understanding, friendship, sadness, family, courage, and compassion.

I never read any of books from the Tales of Scavenger's Daughter series but the book would serve as a good introduction to the author's writing and to the series.  The story leaves you rooting for the main characters (and their friendship) and in hopes they are able to make out of the struggle better people.  The book was easy and a good read; it left me wanting to read more from the author.

**Disclosure - I received a copy of an uncorrected ebook for my honest opinion --- this had no impact on my review and feedback**

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - Copenhagen

The matte lip cream is a mix of lipstick and a lip gloss. It goes on silky smooth but dries to a matte finish. It also provides a moisturizing like a lip balm. The Copenhagen color is a dark burgundy color and goes on smoothly. It does shows flakes on my skin so I used a lip balm and an exfoliant prior to using. The color lasted but it didn't hold up after a meal. It is very well priced, so I will definitely get again.

Book Review - The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart

Photo Source - Amazon.com

**May contain spoilers**

What happens, if you wake up one morning and you decide you are not where you want to be in your life? What happens, if you actually have the power to change that?

Everything in Brock Matthew's life is starting to unravel -- his marriage, his enterprising coffee company, his faith, and his relationships with his family.  Brook has also lately starts having ominous nightmares about his dead father. His relationship with his father was strained at best -- complete opposites who yearned for each other's love but unknown to them how to ask for it. Not knowing what to do, he turns to his best friend, Morgan for help. Morgan offers him a book on lucid dreams and how to help control his dreams, while understanding their purpose.

At first, Brock thought it would be a novel experiment.  He would try and understand what his father is trying to tell him and hopefully, he can find a way to fix his coffee business and repair his marriage. Unfortunately, not everything is what it is seems. Instead of just dreaming about the day he proposes to his girlfriend, he unintentionally travels back into time and changes his past and inconsequentially his future. As the saying goes, "With great power comes great responsibility", Brock travels back into time to talk to his younger self in hopes to change the present. The only question is, would he succeed?

The book is a quick and fun read. It offers many twists and turns with the reader rooting for Brock. It also teaches us to focus on the more important things in life because once they are gone --- they are gone.  It also teaches forgiveness, love, understanding, acceptance and putting others before yourself. We all have done things in the past in which we feel guilty of, but it's up to us to make it right. A great piece of fiction that will make you analyze yourself and make you want to be a better person. There is no point in sitting around and saying "if I can go back and change this and that" --- when you can always try to be a better person in the present.


**Disclosure - I received a copy of an uncorrected ebook for my honest opinion --- this had no impact on my review and feedback**

Clarisea Sea Salt Solution Face Rapid Detox Charcoal Exfoliant

The all natural exfoliant is packed with naturally detoxifying ingredients like activated bamboo charcoal powder, almond flour, Pacific ocean & Himalayan pink sea salt. The dry exfoliant can used by itself with water made into a paste or can be used with any other cleanser. I have tried both methods and before using the exfoliant with another cleanser.  Although, without fail I always end up with a bit of charcoal in my mouth. When using with water, I always add too much and the end product becomes too watery. I love using it with the DHC cleansing oil because when I add a little to it; it foams!! (As you can tell, it doesn’t take much to make me ecstatic). After washing out the exfoliant my skin feels smooth, softer and brighter. I would definitely purchase this again if  I can just figure out a way not to get it into my mouth.