August Favourites

This month I thought I'd combine all my favourites in one post. August hasn't really been a month full of new beauty discoveries.

Beauty

Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Dry Skin line - I have already reviewed the Reveal and Revitalising Face mask but I also have been using the Gentle Hydrating Cleanser and the Hydration Boost Night Mask in conjunction with it. I cannot express just how great these have been for my really dry skin. My face has felt much smoother and looked much brighter since I began using these products. They have not broke me out or irritated my sensitivities but have simply kept my skin feeling much more moisturised which has in turn helped my makeup last longer.

Although some of the products are a little pricey I would really recommend this line to anyone with dry skin. I also imagine their Visible Difference lines for other skin types would work equally as well.

NYX blush in Mauve - This blush is just the perfect pink for everyday. I reviewed it here.

Revlon lip butter in Berry Smoothie - Obviously the Revlon lip butters were much hyped about a few months ago but I still like using the ones I purchased back then. This one in particular is a lovely medium pink which is a great everyday colour for my pale skin. It is also really moisturising which is a must have for my dry lips.

Monu Eye Cool Gel - This was in my July GlossyBox and I have love using it since then. It is refreshing and moisturising without irritating my sensitive skin. All in all it is a really great soothing eye gel.

 

Music

Fun. Some Nights - This is the second album from the quirky New York trio and I have been loving it since I first listened to it. It's just really fresh and 'fun', for want of a better word.

1. Some Nights (Intro)
2. Some Nights
3. We are Young 
4. Carry On
5. It Gets Better
6. Why Am I the One
7. All Alone
8. All Alright
9. One Foot
10. Stars
11. Out on the Town

Each track is both unique and dramatic in its own way. What hold the album together is the passionate vocals and enthusiastic spirit each track emits.

My favourite tracks are both Some Nights simply for their contrasting sound, the obvious hit We Are Young and the rousing Carry On.

Simply put this album is an epic sometimes cheesy but always quickly charming collection which you will either love or hate.

8/10

Books

Divergent - If you have read  The Hunger Games then the comparisons between the two novels will be easy to draw. Though Divergent is not quite as polished and mature as The Hunger Games, it still has qualities of its own which make it a great read. Also set in a dystopian future, mankind is split into 5 different factions:
1. Candor (the honest) 2. Erudite (the intelligent) 3. Amity (the peaceful) 4. Dauntless (the daring) 5. Abnegation (the selfless)

The main character is born into Abnegation but when she turns 16, along with all others her age, she is able to change to another faction or stay in the one she was born into. Such a decision is permanent as you must remain with whichever faction you choose for the rest of your live, leaving behind your family forever is you so choose.

The decision is made following an aptitude test which indicates which faction you best fit in to. The whole point of the book is that the main character discovers she is divergent which means she shows qualities of more than one faction. She is told not to tell anyone this and chooses to move faction to dauntless which is one of the factions she was matched to.

The story takes a little to long to build but it does reach an exciting conclusion with the tension between the factions, particularly abnegation, dauntless and erudite, reach boiling point.

I am now really looking forward to reading the sequel Insurgent this month.

 

T.V

Pretty Little Liars - This is a series which I have been watching since it began with my sister. The series is basically about four girls who begin to receive messages from a mysterious 'A' a year after their bitchy friend, who disappeared, is found dead.

It is now just finished the first half of its third season. Coming into this season I was starting to feel like I was growing out of the show and that is was becoming just a little too predictable and melodramatic but the last couple of episodes just aired changed my mind. The show took a much darker and exciting turn revealing a shocking twist, which I won't spoil, about another possible 'A'.

As long as the show continues along this more mature and dark and twisted path I think I will continue to really enjoy this show.

However, I do think the mystery of the the motivations of the 'A team' can't really remain intriguing for any more than a fourth season. This would also most likely co-inside with the girls finishing high school, after which I also cannot really see the show continuing in the same gripping way with the main characters moving to different places.

 

Film

21 Jump Street - One word: hilarious. Best watched with friends. 9/10
                          
Crash  - This a surprisingly engrossing story about live inter weaved by racial and social tensions in LA. 9/10

Crazy, Stupid, Love - Not your typical rom-com by any stretch of the imagination. Initially I thought I could predict where this film was going but after a third of the way through I had no idea. The ending was both realistic and utterly believable. 10/10

The Hunger Games - Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the book I had high hopes for this film and I was not disappointed. Although there were some changes from the book they did not have any impact on the story and there were actually some small additions which I really enjoyed. I have a feeling I will watch this many more times in anticipation for what I hope will be a worthy sequel. 10/10


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Emma x