Hello and welcome back ladies! I hope you enjoyed our pick this month, the book blowing up all over the world, “Fifty Shades of Grey” by EL James. It’s being touted as “mommy porn” and has made it okay to read a sexy, yet cheesy, romance novel during your morning commute. Check out my thoughts below, but be warned, there are some spoilers!

Fifty Shades is your typical girl-meets-boy story where the girl is totally and completely smitten with the boy. Anastasia Steele is a meek, soon-to-be college grad who is forced into interviewing super-rich, playboy CEO Christian Grey. Anastasia stumbles into his office and through a series of events, ends up entering into a relationship with him. Pretty normal right? Well this is where it gets…different. Christian Grey is a dominant, meaning that he doesn’t snag himself a girlfriend – he gets a submissive. Anastasia is a virgin when they meet and she is obviously cautious of this potential relationship with Christian, but she feels so drawn to him that she can’t just cut ties.

The book is chock-full of erotic scenes, including some that border on the dominant-submissive lifestyle, which have turned it into a scandalous read. After some trials and tribulations, including the woman who taught Christian Grey everything he knows about BDSM and Christian’s sad childhood Ana decides that she can’t handle Christian’s lifestyle and leaves him near the end of book 1 of the trilogy.

Any of this sound similar to Twilight? Maybe not the sexy stuff, but the underlying storyline of girl-enthralled-by-boy? That’s because the book found its beginnings as Twilight fanfiction. I have to be honest, that tainted my opinion of the book a little bit, as I find Bella Swan to be one of the most annoying characters in all of literature (if you can call it that). This was also a problem I had with “Fifty Shades”; Ana isn’t really a strong character and bends a lot to other people, Grey included. She seems so weak and not at all the strong, independent woman I like to see in fiction. I also found the sex scenes to be a little gratuitous. That’s not to say that I had a problem reading that stuff at all, but it got a bit boring. Honestly, it got to the point where it was like “Oh, just another sex scene” and I skimmed through it until I reached more of the story. I believe James realized that the sexiness of the book would be her hook and packed as much of it into the novel as possible. Some of it seemed natural, but those two get it on an awful lot!

Overall, I found “Fifty Shades of Grey” by EL James totally entertaining and a good book for lounging by the pool. Sure, it’s not a great work of fiction, nor a classic, but it will keep you occupied on a commute or long plane ride. If you’re skittish about sex, then you probably won’t enjoy the book, as about 1/3 of it involves Ana and Christian doing the nasty or talking about his BDSM tendencies.

Did you read “Fifty Shades of Grey” with us? We want to hear your thoughts! And, don’t forget to recommend us a book for June.

What It Is:

BECCA Balearic Love Line & Define Pencil in Cabrera

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:

BECCA is an Australian brand that we haven’t seen on CC in a while! They’re latest collection, Balearic Love, “invites you to dream of distant shores and unguarded temptation with the Balearic Love Collection.” The promotional photos are gorgeous, and I was so excited to try and recreate the look myself. Fun fact: Cabrera refers to an islet of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It’s a National Park and renowned for its beautiful landscapes.

A double-ended eyeliner is always a real treat! BECCA says this is a “combination liner and brightener in one [and] this convenient dual-ended pencil has a soft, smooth texture that glides on easily to line, define and brighten the eyes, while blending easily.” Let’s see how it performs!

How To Use It:
First, I was a bit confused by the use instructions. Apparently, the “dark side of BECCA’s Line & Define Pencil lavishly lines while the light side helps brighten and awaken tired eyes,” which is nice, however my pencil features a deep violet on one end and a metallic bronze on the other, neither of which are particularly light. I decided that the bronze must be the “light” side and used it accordingly. I lined my upper lids with the violet and my lower lashline with the bronze.

CC Rating: A

If the BECCA Balearic Love Line & Define Pencil in Cabrera was was simply marketed as a double-ended eyeliner, it would be receiving an A+ from me! The other shade in this collection, Santorini, is navy blue and buff, which seems a lot more like a defining and brightening duo to me. I really didn’t find either of the sides to brighten my eyes, though the deep violet and metallic bronze both complimented my green/grey eyes spectacularly. The violet is so multi-dimensional and shifts from a deep plum to a warm-toned brown. It’s a nice alternative to black liner and has certainly won a place in my eyeliner heart. The bronze is also brilliantly pigmented, and I like utilizing it to add definition to my lower lashline.

As for application, that was a dreamy experience. BECCA’s pencil glided on effortlessly and didn’t tug at my eyelids at all. As a result of being so soft, it didn’t have unreal staying power, but did turn into a subtle, smokey look that I didn’t entirely mind. I found it stayed solid for about 3 hours and then required a touch-up, which is easy when the product is so portable.

I’m blown away by BECCA’s Balearic Love Line & Define Pencil in Cabrera and am tempted to go back and pick up Santorini. If you’re on the hunt for a stunning, summertime liner or want to add some variety to your eyeliner collection, check out Cabrera for $23. It’s available on BECCA’s website, along with the entire Balearic Love collection.

[Need some new makeup but not sure what to buy? Check out Alex's other beauty reviews here.]

Now that summer is sneaking up on us, it’s time to start preparing yourself for plenty of nights out. Your best guys and gals are now all back within a 20-mile-radius and ready to take you out on the town to celebrate! However, most of us also have summer jobs and other commitments, and we can’t waste a beautiful day because we’re sick with a hangover. No night out (okay, maybe there are a few) is worth missing a fun day on the beach or at the lake. Here’s my quick, 7-minute long routine to help you hide that hangover and get on with your busy day, so you can drink your face off again that night!

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There you have it! A morning routine that will get you up and out the door in record time. Enjoy your summer nights!

What It Is:

LAQA & Co. Fat Lip Pencil in Wolfman and Lambchop

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:

I’m been loving lip pencils lately, especially ones with twist-up bottoms! No sharpening! They are easy to toss in your bag and are often creamier than lipsticks.

LAQA & Co. is a company that originally started producing nail polish pens and have now moved into lip products. This lip pencil is supposed to have a “smooth buttery texture [that] coats lips in stunning, glossy color.”

How To Use It:
This product is fairly idiot-proof, in that you simply swipe on the color, smack your lips together and go!

(Wolfman, Lambchop)

(Lambchop on lips)

CC Rating: A

The LAQA & Co. Lip Pencils deliver on pretty much all promises: they’re smooth and glossy and deposit a huge amount of color! The only place they fell slightly short on the “buttery” texture; I found these to tug a bit when I applied them. However, this isn’t a huge inconvenience. The shade range is also pretty comprehensive considering the small number of colors. They’ve got all your standards, and they are all extremely easy to wear. Wolfman is a lovely, baby pink, and Lambchop is the perfect, everyday blue-based pink!

I love the twist-up style tube these come in. Sharpening any pencil product, especially chubby ones, is a huge pain that I would rather avoid. I’ve actually had such difficulty with sharpening lip pencils in the past, that I’ve simply thrown them out after they become too dull to use. With the twist-up function, I can get every last bit of product out!

If you like the look of these LAQA & Co. Lip Pencils, you can pick them up at Anthroplogie for $20 a piece.

[Need some new makeup but not sure what to buy? Check out Alex's other beauty reviews here.]

What It Is: Ellis Faas Light in E301

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:

Eye shadows are one of my favorite makeup products, especially now that brands are coming up with all sorts of new formulations!

Light comes in the same bullet-shaped tube as all of Ellis Faas’ products, which is interesting for an eyeshadow. Even liquid shadows are usually in a squeeze-tube, so I’m intrigued by the potential difficulties associated with the design. As for the formula, Ellis Faas says, “Although liquid, they dry upon application to create the illusion of metallic eyes”, but suggests that you can also use them as a highlighter.

How To Use It:

I’ve found that it’s too messy to apply directly using the brush included, so I have turned the bottom of the tube until product comes out, then wiping it on the back of my hand and using either my clean fingers or another brush. This product dries down EXTREMELY quickly and becomes very hard to work with, so move fast!

I’ve used this as an eyeshadow and also as a cheekbone highlighter. It is not the most subtle highlighter, but I liked it for a night out.

(blended out, applied heavily)

CC Rating: D

Ellis Faas Light is an interesting product, and while I always appreciate creativity within a brand, I’m not thrilled with this product. On Sephora, shade E01 is described as “antique silver”, but as you can see from the photos, it appears to be more like a bronzed gold. Light is quite opaque and sparkly when applied, and when I tried to sheer it out, it became somewhat patchy. It’s also difficult to layer and clumps easily when you try.

As for wear time, I got about 4 hours with no wear when I didn’t use a primer and about 7 or 8 hours with a primer. I never wear any eye product (except for MAC and Benefit cream shadows) without a primer, so I don’t mind that Light required one. The size/cost ratio of Light is also disappointing. Given, the unique delivery system reduces wasted product significantly, but you’re still only getting 0.085oz for $42. If this product was outstanding, I would say it’s worth the money, but I’m honestly not sure if it is.

Ellis Faas Light is available from Sephora.com for $42, along with the rest of her unique range.

[Need some new makeup but not sure what to buy? Check out Alex's other beauty reviews here.]

Hello again! After seeing this book blow up on the blogosphere, there’s no denying it’s necessity as the May pick for our little book club. I’m pleased to announce that we’ll be reading Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James. It’s currently the #1 top seller in books on Amazon.com and available there for less than ten bucks! I’ve cheated and already started this one and cannot put it down!

I hope you’ll join in and read Fifty Shades of Grey this month and return back for our discussion at the end of May.

What It Is:

Bite Beauty Lip Rouge in Geranium and Nectarine

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:

Multi-purpose products always intrigue me. Even though I have hoards of makeup, including more lip color and blush than I could possibly ever use, I couldn’t wait to test out this combo lip/cheek product from Bite. Bite Beauty also packs their lip products with “resveratrol, which fights free radicals with potent long-term anti-aging benefits,” and these are no exception.

Bite Beauty says we should expect “a multitasking lip color and blush, rich with build-able layers of color and a satin texture.” I’m a bit hesitant about the texture working on both my lips and cheeks, but I have used cream blushes as lipsticks before, so this may just work!

How To Use It:
To apply this as a lip color, swirl your finger or a lip brush in the product and apply as usual. I found both of these colors to be quite light, yet pigmented on my dark lips. For a blush, I’d recommend a stippling brush; this distributes color evenly and allows you to build it up, instead of buffing it out if you apply too much the first time around.

(Nectarine, Geranium)

(Geranium)

CC Rating: B+

The Bite Beauty Lip Rouges are an interesting product that I’m happy to have tried out. The texture is very similar to that of a firmer cream blush; I’d say a notch or two firmer than Illamasqua’s counterpart. Both of the shades I tested out were extremely light, but quite pigmented. Unfortunately, the light colors highlighted any dry patches on my lips and required me to exfoliate very carefully before wearing either shade. As I mentioned, both Geranium and Nectarine were very light, pale colors, and I probably wouldn’t wear either as a lip color, unless I was quite tan. Neither agree with my pale, cool skin, but girls who are fans of baby pink and nude lips would love them!

However, all is not lost with this product. As blushes, they are wonderful! I love the soft flush that both of these shades give me. Nectarine is a gorgeous peach on me and doesn’t overwhelm my pale skin, which is often a problem with orange-toned shades. Geranium brightens my complexion and adds a light pink glow.

I would highly recommend these as a cream blush, especially these 2 shades to fair ladies. As a lip color, if you like very pale shades, you’ll be pleased with the opacity of these. At $22 for 0.11 oz, they are fairly priced.  You can scoop them up at Sephora!

[Need some new makeup but not sure what to buy? Check out Alex's other beauty reviews here.]

Thanks everyone for joining in on this month’s pick, The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. Now, right from the first pages, I knew this was going to be a “thinking” book. That means that you need to be totally aware when reading it and can’t be falling into an exam-induced slumber. Kundera’s language made me thankful that I was reading this on my Kindle and I could instantly look up words on the included dictionary. This book was written for intelligent, thoughtful people and was a nice departure from usual fluff, but perhaps not the wisest choice during exam season.

The title was also a little perplexing to me, but thankfully Kundera eloquently explains the meaning within the first pages:

“If eternal return is the heaviest of burdens, then our lives can stand out against it in all their splendid lightness. But is heaviness truly deplorable and lightness splendid? The heaviest of burdens crushes us, we sink beneath it, it pins us to the ground. But in the love poetry of every age, the woman longs to be weighed down by the man’s body. The heaviest of burdens is therefore simultaneously an image of life’s most intense fulfillment. The heavier the burden, the closer our lives come to the earth, the more real and truthful they become. Conversely, the absolute absence of a burden causes man to be lighter than air, to soar into the heights, take leave of the earth and his earthly being, and become only half real, his movements as free as they are insignificant.”

This book is chock-full of gorgeous quotations such as this, and again I was thankful for my Kindle and it’s highlight feature.

But what about the story? The book explores relationships between several characters: Tomas and his wife, Tereza, his mistress Sabina and Franz, who is also seeing Sabina. However, one of the many interesting things about this novel is the lack of any real story. Sure, Kundera takes us through their encounters with one another that shape their future, but the content is in his use of these characters to pose important, philosophical questions. Kundera also manages to do this in a totally non-judgmental way; he doesn’t judge Tomas for his inability to remain faithful, Tereza’s desperate neediness or Franz for leaving his wife in such an impulsive way. He simply provides a place to ponder what love means to you, which is what I really loved about this one!

Someone who wasn’t interested in exploring their own personal philosophy on love may see The Unbearable Lightness of Being as a pretentious work, but I really enjoyed it and the thoughtfulness it inspired in me.

And now, your thoughts. I’d love to know what you thought of this novel, what stuck with you or even your favorite quotes!

Don’t forget to leave your recommendation for May’s book club selection below!!

What It Is: theBalm Girls Lipstick in Mia Moore and Ima Goodkisser

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:

I love a good lipstick and will never turn the chance to try a new one, especially from a brand I adore!

theBalm is a great brand and I always appreciate their quirky approach. These lipsticks are modeled after a James Bond theme and are named accordingly. The tube design is even supposed to mimic a sleek bullet! theBalm says “These double agents provide your pucker with amazing pigment and rich conditioners”, which is slightly vague, but let’s see how they go!

How To Use It:

Ima Goodkisser (the coral shade) is easy to apply straight from the tube, but I definitely needed a lip brush for Mia Moore (the red shade). These are very pigmented and thick and may drag a bit when applying, but other than that, they apply like normal lipsticks!

(Ima Goodkisser, Mia Moore)

CC Rating: B+

theBalm Girls Lipstick are hyper-pigmented; seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such opaque lipsticks. They don’t include this as part of the product’s claims, but they really should highlight this awesome feature! They also feature a light, minty scent that I find refreshing. As for wear-time, Mia Moore stayed put for a good 5-6 hours, while Ima Goodkisser faded after 3-4. I’m also notorious for eating and drinking throughout the day and noticed that Mia Moore was able to make it through a tea or light snack with relatively little fading.

I liked the formula, I really did, but I don’t think I can say that I love it. At a $17 price point, that’s more than MAC and almost as much as MUFE’s Rouge Artist ranges, however theBalm’s lippie has considerably more product (0.14 oz to MAC’s 0.1 and MUFE’s 0.12). I just didn’t see anything particularly “stand out” about these; they are nice products but didn’t blow me away. In fact, I found Mia Moore to be slightly drying and requiring a balm mid-way through the day. I would almost rather rate these two shades separately and extrapolate that the lighter shades are your best bet with this range.

If you’re intrigued and love the clever James Bond theme, these lipsticks are available for $17 on theBalm’s website.

[Need some new makeup but not sure what to buy? Check out Alex's other beauty reviews here.]

What It Is: Clarins Gloss Prodige in Grenadine and Papaya

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:

Another Clarins Spring addition, Gloss Prodige promises a “lip-plumping formula [that] delivers intense colour, mirror-like shine and long-lasting hold. Leaves lips soft, smooth and fuller looking.“

Lip gloss is the perfect Spring/Summer handbag essential. Lighter and brighter than lipstick, it gives you an effortless, airy look. I definitely switch over to mainly gloss in the summertime and hopefully this new gloss fits my needs. I tried out two very different shades, Grenadine and Papaya!

(Papaya, Grenadine)

How To Use It:

These glosses come with a foam-tip applicator that allows for easy application. The applicator wasn’t tapered or doe-foot, just cylindrical like the wand, but I liked it. It was on the larger side, which made precise application impossible, but the colors are sheer enough that you don’t need to be super careful. I wore both of these on their own and found them to be quite pigmented and lovely, but I imagine they would look great over a lipstick of a similar shade.

(Papaya)

(Grenadine)

CC Rating: A

I really don’t understand how Clarins keeps hitting it out of the park! These glosses are amazing– moisturizing, not too sticky and come in a gorgeous array of colors.

I would have given the Clarins Gloss Prodige an A+, except they claim to be plumping, and I really didn’t find ANY plumping or tingling at all. I am quite happy about this, as I don’t like plumping glosses or the sensations that usually come along with them, but if you read the description, you would think you’re getting a plumping gloss.

Please don’t be put off by the less-than-perfect score. If you’re looking for an amazing new lipgloss, don’t hesitate over this! The Gloss Prodige line is A+ in my heart. You can pick them up on the Clarins site for $20 a pop.

[Need some new makeup but not sure what to buy? Check out Alex's other beauty reviews here.]