Book Review - The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts by Maja Säfström

Photo Credit - Amazon

Did you know some butterflies don't ever eat? This cute coffee table book is filled with curious and random animal facts.The black and white illustrated book is short and can be read and appreciated under an hour. It's easy to read and quite entertaining for both kids and adults. A cute addition to any animal lover's book collection!

Marc Jacobs VIB Rouge Lipstick

Ahh, the very last day I got my Rouge renewal. :) Although, this year I am thinking of sitting out. There are not many great perks or even benefits and supposedly it's going to be better this year.  The lipstick goes on creamy and is a pretty color but doesn't have much staying power.

Clinique Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam Step 1

The twice daily cleansing foam promises to help clear skin and prevent acne. It removes dirt, excess oil and unclogs pores to leave face squeaky clean. When used as part of the clear skin system protocol, it  reduces active blemishes by 37% in 3 days. I don’t have many blemishes just the here and there stray pimple and then the dark spot that refuses to go away. The foaming cleanser had a slight medicinal scent and provided a rich lather. I didn’t purchase this foam to use as a part of the Clinique cleansing protocol but as a basic cleanser to use. I didn’t notice much of a difference over my regular drugstore cleanser. I still got the occasional pimple or cluster of small pimples on my face. I think I will stick to my regular cleanser and avoid paying the mark up.

Book Review - The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

**May Contain Spoilers**

The thrilling novel that reads likes a first hand account of World's Fair and the serial killer that lurked in the darkness. Larson combed through archives and narrates the lives of the men who build the World's Fair and Holmes through first hand accounts and historical documents. 

The novel was masterfully written and highly engaging. However, it fell short in keeping the readers interested to the very end. In the beginning, there was an even back and forth between the World's Fair and Holmes while slowly towards the latter of the book, it felt that the World's Fair dominated the entire book while Homes was an afterthought. Each of the two events should have been it's own book as the novel only scraped the top of the iceberg so to speak in the complexities of the mens' lives. A good read to learn more about the World's Fair and the struggles along with the achievements of building it.

Il Frutteto di Nesti Fig and Almond Milk Soothing Soap

The beautifully printed wrapper hides an even more alluring treat. The fig and almond milk enriched soap is handmade using traditional processes. The extra fine vegetable soap is developed in the fields of Florentine orchard. The delicately scented soap goes on smoothly and doesn’t leave a film. It leaves skin buttery soft and delicately scented.

Scinic Box Memebox

I didn't even finish the products from my last 15 Memebox boxes but I figured why not. I heard many good things from the brand and thought it would be a good way to sample a couple of products without forking over a ton of cash. I will be sure to post reviews once I get to test all the products!

Book Review - Domestic Secrets by Rosalind Noonan

Photo Credit - Amazon

Best friends Rachel Whalen and Ariel Alexander are friends for over a decade. They overcome many of life's tragedies and happiness together. Polar opposites, Rachel is a down to earth mom who owns a hair salon while Ariel is a promiscuous former TV starlet who still dreams of being in the spotlight again. Together with the ups and down of single motherhood, they take on suburbia moms of Timbergrove, Oregon. However, tragedies strikes and tears the two families apart. Will Rachel and Ariel's friendship be able to survive or will their bonds forever be broken? If you can't trust your friends and family, who can you trust?

The story is a interesting read about fragile bonds between friends and parenthood with parents and children, along with the managing the perception of neighbors and friends. The story starts off interesting but the tragedy happens around the last third of the book. I believe the event should have happened earlier for it to really have an effect. It starts off slowly and builds then Boom! the horrible tragedy and the coping behinds for the last couple of pages that seems a bit of a mish mash. A good read but leaves readers wanting more.

*Disclosure - I received a free uncorrected eBook copy of this book for my honest opinion*

Book Review - Bradstreet Gate by Robin Kirman

Photo Source - Amazon

**May Contain Spoilers**

Three college freshman went to Harvard for a promise of a better future and to run away from their current lives. Georgia, Charlie, and Alice are magnetically drawn to each other and have their friendship tested when a classmate is found murdered on campus. Their  tangled relationship with a charismatic professor and each other is strained as the story illustrates the events  a decade before and after the murder.  Each of the characters are flawed and they look to each other for a source of support and at times, to find the flaws in other so they can feel better about themselves. Georgia was the magnetic center of the group; Alice was envious of her while Charlie was in love with her. For better or worse, Georgia bought out traits in each of them that later could make or break them.

When I first started reading he book, I assumed it was a whodunit type of book. Unfortunately, the author never spells out for the readers and leaves us with our assumptions. However, the book is more focused on the frail bonds humans have with each other; how much our lives can affected by what others think of us. Each of the character is flawed and hopes to find a path for survival and forgiveness.  The book was an engaging read but at times, it was a bit dull. It also left me wanting more -- it had great potential but didn't live up to it. I felt unresolved and had more questions than answers. 

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book for my honest opinion**

Level Naturals Soy Candle - Grapefruit and Bergamot

The soy sauce is packed with blends of grapefruit and bergamot. The soy based candle promises to be toxin-free but I am not sure what that means. The  candle burned clean and had a fresh citrus scent. However, I am not very in love with the scent though.

Stila Eye Shadow - Kitten

Probably known as Stila's most favorite color, Kitten is probably the most well known color. I have tried the Stila Lip Glaze – Apricot and wasn't overly excited over it. However, the beige shimmery eye shadow provides a sheer or a deep coverage when applied liberally. Perfect for work or a base for smoky eyes.