Off Topic: Rush My Review

I am going off topic from my normal beauty related posts. But I really loved this book and wanted to share my GoodReads.com review with you.

*May contain mild spoilers*


Rush by Maya Banks. The first book in the Breathless Trilogy. 

I loved this book! 

I have seen others compare it to Fifty, but honestly, aside from the rich mogul who enjoys kink in the bedroom there isn't much to compare really.

I really liked how Mia and Gabe already had history together. Being her older brothers friend and business partner added that something that was not in the other series. It wasn't two strangers meeting, then bam, three days later, they are tied up with whips and blindfolds. It was a teen crush turned into reality for her, which made her choices more understandable.

He was a huge ass, who made me want to root for him. But would make decisions that just wouldn't allow me to fully like him. But I could see he tried, but not hard enough most of the time, and honestly, that made him more realistic than some super hero, who does 180 and is suddenly perfect. People are flawed, and he was flawed. No doubt about that.

Mia, the leading lady, I really liked. She was intelligent, and actually strong willed. She felt like a real person IMO. She did have her weak moments, but again, given her long standing crush, it makes it more forgivable. Especially since she was pretty strong with him most of the time. And she really stood up for herself when it really came down to it. "You will have to crawl" she told Gabe, and she stood by that. Even when he came around, she didn't falter. Unlike other leading ladies who become mindless little zombies at the mere sight or smell of their alpha males. And I respect her for that, and felt that was true to her character.

The sex scenes were hot and made me:

It had BDSM, but not to over the top. It was the right amount IMO. And she was into it, which made it comfortable. It was new to her own personal experience, but she wasn't ignorant about that type of sex. So she was interested and willing to explore that sexual side of herself. And that leaves me feeling a sense of empowerment for her.

Though I admit, some things kind of urk(?) me. Like when she was having to work ALL day with the plug...and she saying she couldn't sit still, the burning sensation, and then she looked over at him at his desk on the phone, all kicked back looking relaxed and comfortable...I was like, ugh, she should make him sit all day with one, I bet he wouldn't ask her to do it again.... lol

And of course the infamous Paris hotel scene. First I was like:

Then I was:

Not much more I can say about that whole cluster...

I had hoped he would completely redeem himself, but then when Jace and Ash bust in, in the middle of being "tied up" I really felt like:

And I just can't deal when she pleaded with him:

The ending really brought it all together for me. She showed more back bone than Ana or Eva (from Fifty and Crossfire) by having some self respect and not giving in, and him swallowing his pride and crawling like a real man who loves his woman would do. Redeemed my dear Gabe, you are redeemed.


Another thing I really like about this series...each book will take on the stories of the other guys...Mia's brother Jace and the third being Ash's story. So we get a fresh new story, but with familiar people and places, and I'm sure we still get some insight of what is going on with Mia and Gabe. ( I think at least, haven't started Fever yet.) I really enjoyed that layout with the Lords of the Underworld series and so I'm excited that this series is doing it that way as well.

This book really had it all for me, I felt a range of emotions, from "oh yeah" to upset to happy. And that is what makes a good book great for me. 

You can check out my original review HERE.

Some birthday goodies.

Hello Beauties! Today is my birthday!! woooo! So, I took some money that my Mom sent and picked up a few little items from the store. I really don't need to much, so I just chose some simple little pleasures. 

Over view of what I got. Picked up Dial NutriSkin body wash. (love that stuff!) and some of my mags. Star and OK magazine. 

I am in love with nail adhesives now! So, I grabbed these two styles. Peacock feathers and jeweled ones. 

 

Finally got these two colors to add to my Maybelline Color Tattoos collection. They sell out so quickly, and these were the last two of these colors. whew!

Barely Branded and Inked in Pink.

Had to pick up this new cleanser called Simple. It is perfect for sensitive skin and works just as well on normal skin as well. has Pro-Vitamin B5 and vitamin E too. Also has Bisabololto help soothe and calm and has NO perfume or dyes to irritate.

Snatched some replacement brush heads for my Olay Pro X.

Saw this little dress and thought it was cute. It is black with white polka dots (obviously hehe). Perfect for this seasons black/white trend. Add a yellow or red belt for a pop of color! Can't wait to wear this out!

So, that is what I picked up so far. Thanks so much for stopping by!

xoxo

Maybelline Color Whispers

Hello Beauties! I am obsessed with Maybelline Color Whispers. They have been out for a while, but after  being disappointed by Revlon lip butters, I was a bit shy about jumping on these guys. Boy, have I been missing out!
They are hydrating and glide on nicely. They are neither sheer or opaque, but add a perfect amount of color. They are build-able if you want more pop to the colors.

I currently have four of these little guys, but I already plan on getting a few more. hehe

Here are the colors in my Whispers collections!

This is Pink Possibilities. 

Made-It Mauve.

Cherry On Top.

Coral Ambition.

These wear so wonderfully, they do not move around on my lips, and last quiet a long time. They have a nice range of colors to suit any skin tone and personal taste. I highly recommend Color Whispers.

If you have used these, what colors do you have and what do you think of them?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Flower Beauty: A Review Part 2.

Hello Beauties! This post is part two of my Flower Beauty review. (You can check out part 1 here). 

Unlike the first review, these are the products I liked. 

Flower Shine On lipgloss in Lovely Lotus.

This has quickly become a favorite gloss. It isn't exactly sheer, nor is it opaque. It is non sticky and it wears really nice on the lips. Perfect alone or over a lipstick, I love it.

Flower Cream Blush in Pure Petunia.

First off, I love the color. It looks a bit bright and bold in the package, but it goes on very nice. It is buildable, creamy, and it wears all day. They have a nice selection of colors to choose from. The only gripe I have at the  moment is the product could be in a somewhat larger container. Feels a little on the small side when using your fingers to get product.

Swatch of Pure Petunia

Flower Velvet lipstick in Tender Tuberose. 

 I love this lipstick! The color is beautiful, and it wears for such a long time. Because of the "velvet"  formulation, it lends itself to be more on the matte side, but I don't feel it dries my lips out. I do sometimes add a little of the Lovely Lotus to the center of my lips to add a touch of shine.

Swatch of Tender Tuberose.

I will be buying more of the blushes and lip products in the future. I find they work really well, well pigmented and last through my day. I do recommend these to anyone who is interested in trying them out!! 

I also plan on trying out the cream eye shadows as well.

If you have tried any of the Flower makeup, what has been you favorite and/or least favorite?

Thank you so much for stopping by!

xoxo

Flower Beauty: A Review Part 1 The not so pretty.

Hello Beauties! If you follow my blog, you are aware of my little Flower haul post. 

I spent time playing with all the little goodies I chose and I quickly discovered what I liked and what I didn't like. I decided to start my review with the not so pretty, and it pains me to do so because I spent months looking forward to this line. 

So, I will start off with the liquid foundation. 

I was really disappointed with this product, it just didn't work well at all for me. It didn't cover well, and it seemed to almost exaggerate blemishes. I did one side of my face with Flower and one with my current liquid foundation and I knew instantly I did not like Flower at all. Also, I could feel it sitting on my skin, unlike my other foundations, which is a huge strike to me.

Pro:  One positive about this line is they do offer a nice range of colors. 

Would I recommend this foundation? No. 

Second on my not so pretty list,  my eye shadow quad. This is Face the Grey. 

I just hate that I don't like this quad. The colors are beautiful and first impression with the swatches was good. They felt soft and "buttery" like. But they do not function the way I had hoped they would. I used these with and without primer. I found this particular quad to be very difficult to work with. The darkest color didn't apply as pigmented as the swatch did, and just looked dull and chalky when applied. I did build it up quiet a bit and achieved a good solid looking color, but I know I can find a better version of the color with less effort.

The two lightest colors also applied chalky and almost patchy like. I found building it didn't help with any of them. The more you tried to work it, the muddier they ended up. I played with this quad for two days, trying to make it work, but let's be honest...it should never take that much effort with a good quality shadow. 

 Pro: The grey on the upper right hand of the quad was the only color I liked. It looked nice on and was easy to work with. But, that isn't enough to save this quad for me. 

Would I recommend this quad? No.

*I have to mention, I have seen a review by Emily Noel on the browns quad. She seemed to like that quad, with the exception of the bronzy color in which she said it was somewhat chalky. So, I assume, that these quads are not created equal. 

Lastly is the Lash Knockout Volumizing  mascara. 

I did like the brush on this product, but found the product itself to be lacking. I didn't feel it added anything much to my lashes. I have been using this product for the past week, and I never noticed it adding volume.  I went up to 4 coats before I saw a difference. And to me, a volumizing mascara shouldn't take that many coats before you see a difference. Also, I found it to be....dry? Or maybe like I wasn't getting very much product on the wand. I twisted and scraped the sides of the container to make sure.  As you can see in the picture the wand looks almost unused, and that was after a weeks worth of use.

  It just isn't living up to what it says it is suppose to do, and that is to add volume. I suppose for days that you are going for a natural, no makeup look it would be decent.

On a positive note, the green mirrored packaging is cute.

Would I recommend this mascara? Sadly, No. 

There we have it. I am not happy to write a review like this. However, I have to share my experience and my opinion, (keep that last word in mind). 

If any of you have used any of the above mentioned and had a better experience, please share your experience! 

Thank you so much for stopping by! 

xoxo

Flower by Drew Barrymore Haul

Hello Beauties! As the title says, this is about what I purchased from the new makeup line by Drew Barrymore called Flower! 

I have been so excited about his line for several months now, and so glad to have my hands on it finally!

All products are cruelty free and made in the USA. 

The goods:

I chose Tender Tuberose in the lipstick. 

Swatch of Tender Tuberose. 

This is the liquid foundation, I went with LF9. 

 This is a knockout volumizing mascara in black. 

Cream blush in Pure Petunia. Loooks really bright and bold in the package.

Swatch of Pure Petunia, but goes on the skin really soft, yet not "wimpy". I think it is just beautiful. Really creamy with good color payoff.

 They had four choices in eyeshdow quads. I went with Face the Grey. 

Swatches of Face the Grey. I think they are beautiful and remind me of my Lorac shadow in texture. They feel really soft and almost creamy, but they are NOT cream shadows. 

I will be writing out a full review on each of these products. I want to really test the longevity and how well they hold up with my work. (Been off for a few days yay!)  So, be looking for the first of the reviews this weekend!!! 

Have you purchased any items from this new line? Or do you have your eye on anything in particular from it? 

Thank you so much for stopping by!

xoxo

A Few of My Favorite Things Part 3. Lipsticks

Hello Beauties! This is part three of my "A Few of My Favorite Things" series. This week is all about my favorite lipsticks/glosses.

This was a little tough because I have so many lip products I love, but I managed to norrow it down to six.

This is new to my collection, but already I'm in love. This lip gloss is from the new line by Drew Barrymore called Flower. It is such a great gloss, adds just the perfect amount of color and shine. And best of all, it is not sticky! Color is Pretty in Petunia.

Next I chose Color Whisper by Maybelline in Made-it Mauve. I have always loved mauve and this is such a great product. It moisturizes and adds beautiful hint of color.

Clinique lipstick in Pink-a-boo. This is such a moisturizing lipstick with great color payoff. 

Revlon Super Lustrioius lipstick in Really Red. This is a matte lipstick that I just adore! I have several colors from this line and am a big fan of it.

MAC's Costa Chic. LOVE the color of this lipstick. So bright and totally femme. Great color payoff and last's for hours.

Last but not least is my NARS lipgloss in Pillow Talk. This is a gorgeous lip color, that is not sticky. 

What are your favorite lipsticks or glosses?

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

xoxo

Check out Part One and Part Two of the series.