Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Queen of the Nile



I kind of promised myself that I would try simpler manicures this year, but I'm having a really hard time abandoning my profound love of glitter. I think it's something about the persistent pervasive cold plaguing our existence that makes me want to look at shiny things all day. Perhaps I'm having Stockholm Syndrome for ice.

::shrug::

This is Deborah Lippmann Cleopatra in New York, and I am in love, IN LOVE I TELL YOU! The medium and small sized pieces of gold glitter sit in a black jelly base, which adds visual interest as the pieces are revealed in varying levels of translucence between the coats. I did two coats with a topcoat, although you could just as easily forgo topcoat since this 'un shines nicely all on its own.

But seriously, shiny nail polish may be the only thing getting me through this winter.


Monday, February 17, 2014

Pirate Selfie


DEAR GOD. A PICTURE OF MYSELF ON MY BLOG?!?! Must be the apocalypse. I look angry because when I smile I look insane. It's a miracle I have any friends.

But I had to do it. I'm too in love with this lipstick to not talk about it. And yes, those are iPhone photos. Whatever, I don't have a camera, suck it.

I digress.

So this is Chanel Rouge Allure in 99 Pirate.  HOW RED AND AWESOME IS THAT.  It's a great classic red, makes me feel like a classic movie star, and wears like a goddamn champ without drying out your lips.  The formula isn't matte at all, though it looks a bit here, so you don't have to worry about those big ugly lip skin flakes that we all have this time of year showing up when you least expect them.  I wore this with NARS Lipliner in Jungle Red all over my lips to just provide a nice base for the lipstick.

Go.  Get thee to Chanel.  You won't regret it.

If you do, you have bad taste, and I don't know why we're friends.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Number 8: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

First of all, doesn't this woman just have an author-y name?  It just gives the impression of "I write novels." Or novel, as the case may be, since this is her first.

Anyway. If you enjoy a little intrigue, excitement, and magic in your stories, this is a lovely and captivating tale to add to your list.  Essentially about what it means to be human, it's an entertaining and thoughtful look through the eyes of two very non-human characters.  I just adore the way Wecker lets you into the inner struggle of her creations in a way that makes you consider human behavior and impulses in your own experience.

This gets an A+ from me. I do hope Ms. Wecker continues her career as beautifully as she's started it.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Number 3: 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

As I hope you were able to guess from the title of this post, this is the third book I finished in my great literary quest for 2014. It was also the first stylistically challenging selection, and happened to be nearly 1,000 pages long. I did not know this when I started.

I'm not even sure where I first heard of this book, but when I saw it pop up on the Chicago Public Library's recent additions to their ebooks, I had the vague sense that it had been recommended to me at some point as something science-fictiony. 

Turns out, it was more along the lines of fantasy, though not quite, but pretty much, and also real. (That sentence pretty much sums up the vibe of the whole book.)

Now, there's nothing I hate more than a book being spoiled. This is why I infrequently write about the books I've read. Suffice to say, the story is told from the perspective of a man and a woman, mostly, in alternating chapters, mostly, and generally concerns the connections between them, and perhaps humanity in general. I really wouldn't like to say any more, part of the appeal of this book for me was being baffled for quite a while and then finally figuring out what was going on.

If you're looking for a tome to work your way through, I say it's worth a go. It was interesting enough that I feel better for having read it, and isn't that enough?

Monday, February 10, 2014

Lady Godiva

Not the Valentine's Day Godiva (although, who doesn't like a selection of gourmet chocolates), but the Zoya PixieDust shade that is my new love.


This is one of the free shades I got in January, and I'm really quite smitten with it. I kind of promised myself I would go for simpler manicures this year, and this fits the bill for me perfectly. This pale golden textured polish manages to be intriguing and understated at the same time.

The lasting power is also excellent, even though you can't wear it with topcoat (well, you can, but you lose the texture if you do that, SO DON'T). If you ask me, I think the celebs should pony up and work this shade into their red carpet looks.

Summary: TOTALLY IN LOVE

100 Books in 365 Days

I didn't want to say anything until I was sure I could maintain a pace to actually accomplish this task, but I have decided to read 100 books this year. I was inspired by my dear friend Elizabeth, who is an admirable reader, in addition to being a fellow beauty addict.

So, with approximately 11% of the year gone, I have managed to complete ten books and am well into my eleventh. I'm finding that this task is giving me a real sense of accomplishment, which is keeping my spirits up through this persistently awful winter.  Throughout the year, I'll highlight some of my favorites, though I've made myself a promise that once I start a book, I have to finish it. Waste not, want not!

Have you made any goals that are giving you that go getter feeling?