Books I've read this month: August

One thing to know about me is that I love a good book. It may take me a while to get through a book but nonetheless I enjoy reading so much. So I decided to do a review sort thing on the books I have read in the month of August.. I hope you enjoy..

(Also I know they are all ya books but when it's summer and you want an easy read what else would you go for?)

♥︎

Lets begin with The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp. *Link for the blurb*. I always feel guilty saying this but I have actually watched the movie before reading the book. I know, I know it's bad, I apologise. I fell in love with the movie and I fell even more in love with the book. I really loved this story and more importantly I love the characters - I always love a book 20 times more if I like/love the characters in it. Sutter is my favourite character, I just think he is such a genuinely nice guy, he may not always do the right thing but 90% of the time he has good intentions, he is very complex and has his own problems he is (I think) so.. Realistic?  (I refuse to spoil this book so I won't go on). One thing that bugged me was the ending of the book, I was flicking  through the last pages looking was there another page because it just didn't seem finalised in my opinion. Can Tim Tharp just give us one more chapter? Pretty please? 

Moving swiftly onto Lobsters by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison. *Link for the blurb*. I have already created a review on this extremely amazing, fantastic book HERE. It is a very easy read and if you are looking for an intellectual book that will make you think about life and such things - it's probably not for you.

Paper Towns by John Green. *Link for the blurb*. Now I will probably insult all die hard fans of John Green. I'm sorry. I had such high expectations for this book and that is maybe what let me down on it. Before I go on I just want to say that this is my opinion and obviously not everyone will agree with me and maybe some people will, but personally I didn't like this book and I couldn't finish it. The start was so good, it began with Margo crawling into Quentin's bedroom window and they go on a night time adventure (not as creepy and strange as it sounds). Then Margo goes missing and it slowly starts to annoy me. Can I just ask why is this boy so obsessed with finding her? Yes, he had a crush on her. Yes, she picked him to go on an adventure with. But why was he so obsessed with finding her? I personally didn't like Margo. She seemed like a selfish drama queen. So after reading Quentin search for clues relentlessly and wonder where this girl is - I got bored. So quickly. I just didn't care anymore. He annoyed me how he wasn't living his own life and instead was wasting his time searching for this selfish girl and before I insult any John Green fans anymore, I will leave it at that. I apologise if the book gets good where I left off and Margo is actually a lovely person but it just wasn't for me.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. *Link for the blurb* I have mentioned my love for Rainbow Rowell and her amazing book Eleanor & Park a while ago (Probably one of my favourite books. Ever.) I really loved this book and it is so unique in my opinion. I loved the whole concept of Cath being a fangirl over a book (Similar to Harry Potter) it was so interesting and different from your average book. I'm a sucker for romance and this books romantic storyline was not my favourite.. They were very sweet together and I feel like they were almost a bit too sweet? And thats saying something coming from me. However the romance in the book is a very small story line and I really did enjoy it, the characters were great. I could relate to Cath in some aspects - not in the writing of gay fanfiction but in other ways haha. All in all it is a good book. 

Have any of you read any of these books? Or could you recommend me some more books to read?:)

Book Review: Lobsters

Lobsters by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison.

If you are looking for a funny, frank, ya book to read - this is exactly what you are looking for. 

Lobsters is basically a story about a boy and a girl called Sam and Hannah, they are both virgins and are starting off summer looking to change that. Without giving away too much - their stories intertwine and I'm sure you know where it is going. 

I really enjoyed this book because you get both points of view and see the story from both Sam and Hannahs eyes. Not to mention I loved both Hannah and Sam, which is rare for me because usually characters annoy me in some sort of way - either the girl is too nosy and stupid or the boy can be too unrealistic the list goes on, on why some characters bug me. Not with this book though. 

Hannah is literally the most relatable character, ever - I honestly don't think I have related to a character so much in a book. She is just so average (in the nicest way possible), at the beginning of the book it mentions her watching sloth videos and how to perfect the cat flick, she has a good looking friend that always gets boys attention, she gets body envy over a h&m poster and is ultimately my favourite character. She is also very funny and gets herself into awkward situations without it being unrealistic and silly. 

Sam is also probably very relatable for a boy - but then again what do I know, I'm just a girl however if I was a boy I would probably be able to relate to Sam. Reading from his point of view it was interesting to see his take on each situation and some of the situations he gets in really are hilarious eg. when he is in Sark and that office drinks meeting.

I also loved how it was set in the UK as they used lots of slang words that teenagers actually use and made references to other teenage related things which made me feel like I was actually reading from a 17/18 year olds point of view, not a middle aged mans (not that I have anything against middle age men)

Can I also just mention how they used the concept of lobsters which I discovered through 'friends' on relationships and also if you are a harry potter fan like me, there is a couple of references that had me in fits. 

eg. “Look at Ron and Hermione. Obstacles everywhere. But did Hermione give up on Ron when he was dating Lavender Brown? Did Ron give up on Hermione when he was knocking about with that Bulgarian Quidditch bloke? Did they let the pressure of tracking down the final few Horcruxes tear them apart? No. All the drama they went through made it all the more poignant when they finally got together.” 

Not to mention I have learnt some great life lessons in this book.

1) Getting a bikini wax will leave you red and sore for a very long time.

2) Boys in waistcoats by choice are usually arseholes.

3) Pax means peace in latin.

4) Bring wellies and a coat to festivals to avoid bin bag dresses and sainsbury bags as shoes.

5) Lobsters don't actually mate for life. Bald eagles do. (friends lied)

6) Hot ribena is actually a thing.

Has anyone else read this book? If you haven't please pick it up asap because it really is amazing!

July Favourites

Hello everyone!

So today I decided I would do my July favourites and I know that I'm late, as it is currently the 12th of August but better late than never, eh? 

It was literally so hard to narrow things down and to not write about 20 different things (some of which were new clothes and I don't think I am brave enough yet to show myself online haha.)

So without further ado let us begin.. 

(Lancome Bi-Facil make-up remover, Lush grease lightening, Origins 'Out of Trouble' face mask, La Roche Posay effaclar duo) 

First I will begin with my Lancome Bi-Facil eye makeup remover, I stumbled across this product when my mum actually brought me back a Lancome set which included a mascara, eyeliner and the eye makeup remover back from holidays (hence why it is in miniature form). Needless to say even though this product is small it really does pack a punch. It honestly has done the best job at removing my eye makeup and does not sting my eyes even slightly, which has always been a problem for me with eye makeup removers. This product easily took off my heavy eye makeup (including false lashes and glue) from a night out. Enough said, I will be buying this again. 

Underneath it in the photograph is a slightly worn out 'Grease Lightening' by lush and I honestly love it so much. As I am plagued with acne but also have very sensitive skin I find it difficult to find a spot treatment that does the job but also doesn't give that sharp stinging feeling that makes me question is it doing more harm than good. However, I find that grease lightening is very effective and also gives a soothing feel as it is a cool like gel which is very nice for when you have that monstrous spot on your face. Also as you can tell by the packaging that I have actually had this product for quite a while and it is still lasting well, so in my opinion it is great value at £6.25 as a little goes a very long way. 

Moving on to my origins face mask, this is also another old-ish product of mine and one of my favourite face masks. I tend to use this mask only when I am having really bad acne days, or when my skin feels extra oily, because it can be slightly drying in my opinion. After using this my skin feels so soft and fresh and honestly I can say I feel like my spots are reduced after using this mask. It is a very thick face mask and I find it slightly hard to take off since it is so thick but it is nice because it doesn't harden and flake like most face masks. 

The La Roche Posay, a real classic. I feel like everyone who has even slight acne/spot problems has used this and loved it. After a few failed attempts at using this, I thought it was hopeless and wasn't for me. It actually caused my skin to flare up in little teeny dots and stung like a b****. But soldiering through I figured what way works for me and that is too apply a very small amount on problem areas and to massage it in, I also only use it roughly 2-3 times a week and along with 'Grease lightening' and I feel like this due has worked wonders on my skin. 

Okay so I may have read this book at the end of June but that is not the point. This book. THIS. BOOK. I have no words. Okay, I actually have a lot of words, they are just jumbled up inside this head of mine. 

I wasn't really expecting too much of this book, all I was expecting was a nice, easy summer read. Boy, was I wrong. Not in the easy read, nice book aspect but in the holy crap this book is actually spectacularly brilliant and I will not be able to put it down until I can finish this story kind of book. I just can't get all my thoughts together on this. 

The link of the plot will be *here*

(this is the point were I realised I needed more than a paragraph to express my love for this book and I decided to make a full length review so if you want to read that, I am in the midst of typing it up and it shall be up VERY shortly.)

(Bourjois volumizer mascara, Laura Mercier secret camouflage in sc-02, Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat)

Maybe it's just me but I seem to lose mascaras like I lose hair pins and I lose a LOT of them. So that led me to this bourjois mascara. It has two steps and the first, in my opinion, is not all that great on its own, especially if you like big lashes like myself. However, I still apply it first as a base and then follow up on the second step for extra drama. This mascara can be a little clumpy but nothing a little eyelash combing can't fix.

I actually purchased the Laura Mercier concealer ages ago but after not giving it a proper fair go, I decided I didn't like it and would remain in the safety blanket that was my mac studio finish concealer. But after being pried away from my mac concealer and my sister convincing me to give the Laura Mercier concealer another go, I was hooked. Honestly this concealer is great and the number one reason I didn't post a picture of the inside of the actual concealer is that it has actually hit the pan and looks kind of gross. I tend to only use the larger side of the concealer as the other smaller side is too dark for my skintone. But, yes this concealer has done a great job at covering my acne and I love it a whooooole lot. 

Making a reappearance on my blog is the Touche Eclat and damn I love it. It is very easily blended and leaves such a pretty natural glow, unlike the heavy (and very obvious) under-eye concealers you see at the moment. I don't have much more to say on this as it is just a pretty amazing highlighter and it looks spectacular on my pale dull skin. A+ from me!

Next we have a fashion favourite and these are my new babies. My new River Island boots. Being a shortie these boots are perfect, they have a low block heel giving you an extra boost of height but also making them very easy to walk in and trust me I cannot walk in high heels for the life of me, but I wore these shoes on a full day shopping and I didn't complain once. They are £38 and in my opinion that is pretty decent considering I will probably be wearing them 95% of the time. I have been wearing them recently with my black skinny jeans but also with skirts and tights and I feel a little more badass in them if I'm honest. So much love for these boots, if you get them you definitely won't regret it.

Bit of a random favourite but hey, I thought why not add it in! I have no words for this popcorn but to tell you it is delicious and it is seriously one of a kind. Never have I ever had a popcorn that is sweet (sort of toffee flavoured not your regular sweet) but also salty. Damn it's good. I have never actually seen it any shops but I get it in my sisters coffee shop but I'm pretty sure it's a british brand. The brand name is propercorn and I like to tell myself I'm being healthy when I'm having it as a snack (129 Calories isn't so bad, is it??) which is always a bonus, if you ask me. 

AND THAT IS IT. 

If you have gotten this far, thank you so much for reading, it means so much to me and I hope to see you soon! 

Thanks again and if you want maybe you could leave me a quick comment? Still trying to figure out how to work this website but at the moment I'm having fun just writing:-) 

Okay, see you soon! Byeeeeee!