My June 2014 Favourites!

On this bright and sunny weekend, I thought I would bring you a ‘favourites’ post. I had a few random bits and pieces that I really wanted to share, so I pulled them all together to write about at once.

The first item I want to talk about is this gorgeous scented candle from Lily Flame, in ‘Party Time’ (£12). This is going to sound a bit strange, but the first thing I loved about this candle was the fact it was white. When I buy candles, they have to be the same colour as the colour scheme of the room – resulting in me, more often than not, putting down a lovely scent for the sole reason that it is not the right colour. The fragrance is musky, without being over powering, with zesty undertones. It has a masculine feel that is perfect for me! I have put this candle in my bedroom and the smell fills the room! I will definitely be buying more from Lily Flame!

It will come as no surprise to see that my beauty favourites today come from MAC. I featured both of these in my last post (Lazy weekend makeup) and I have found myself reaching for these frequently this month. The first is MAC’s Bronzing Powder in the shade ‘Golden’ (£20). I am quite a fair skinned lady, and I have found this powder gives the perfect hint of warmth, without looking dirty or orange. In the pan, there are visible flakes of shimmer, but once applied they blend out into the skin giving a sought-after dewy effect.

The lipstick comes in the form of MAC’s ‘Sunny Seoul’ (£15). The fabulous (on-off) weather that we have been experiencing of late, has drawn my eye to the coral shades in my make up collection. I have particularly been reaching for this Cremesheen lipstick. It is the perfect coral with pink undertones. It is bright and summery and matches perfectly to both pink and coral blushes. This lipstick is a great all-rounder. Even if the weather is looking a little dull, ‘Sunny Seoul’ does the job at brightening everything up.

My final favourite is another book. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I absolutely adore books and I have been lucky enough to have lots of time to read lately. This one is ‘The Luminaries’ by Eleanor Catton. Not only was this novel the longest to ever win the Man Booker Prize (2013), but Catton was also the youngest author to ever receive the prize. The book is set in New Zealand in the 1800’s in a town during the height of the gold rush. It is based around 12 men whose lives are intertwined by woman, fraud, thievery and murder. The style of the language is written in keeping with the time it was set, which did take a bit of getting used to. However, once I got over and used to it, I found myself sailing through the book – I just could not put it down!

So there you have it, my June favourites. Have you tried any of these? What have you been loving in the month of June?

A Beauty Blogging Bookworm.

I thought I would shake things up a bit on the blog this week, and instead of talking about beauty products, tell you about another love of mine - books.

I am an avid reader, always have been and probably always will. I love everything about books, the feel of the pages as they are run through your fingers, and the sound of the spine bending for the very first time. My favourite books are so precious to me, that I reluctantly lend them out, even to family!

This month I have read two books which I have loved, and have blown me away. I am drawn to books which tell the tales of the character’s lives, following them as their paths cross and merge with others. Both of these books tell such a story.

 

 

The Book Thief – Marcus Zusak.

Wow, what a novel. I have to start with issuing a warning – at the end of the book I was a big pile of howling mess. Literally shaking with tears. It is that emotive and incredibly breath-taking.

‘The Book Thief’ tells the story of Liesel Meminger, taking place in the middle of Nazi Germany. We meet Liesel at the beginning of her journey. She is being taken to live with foster parents, and follows her every-day life under Hitler’s rule, finding her power through books. Narrating this story is death personified, a man with a job.

This book is beautifully written, the personification of ‘death’ is pure brilliance. He begins as a cynical and a-political figure, but by the end of the book is changed through his experiences with Liesel. I was hooked from the first chapter and found myself engrossed by the characters and their experiences through the war time years. This is certainly a must-read and will firmly have a place on my bookshelf for years to come.

The Secret Keeper – Kate Morton.

This is another page-turner which is partly set during the war. The story starts with 16 year old Laurel, who witnesses her mother, Dorothy, murder a man in the garden, on her baby brother’s birthday. Fast forward to 2011. Laurel’s mother is dying in hospital and with the memory of that day still haunting her, Laurel determines to find the truth.

The narration in this book changes between the past and present, and the different characters in the book. Personally, I love this style of writing, as you can see the same events but through the eyes of the different characters. You can also be more observant as to where, when and why their thoughts and opinions change. You can also discover their motives.

I became completely immersed in ‘The Secret Keeper’. I was reading at super speed, because I wanted to find out what happened and changed my mind on a few of the characters several times. I just could not work out the mystery of the characters and how they were all linked, yet at the end it all became obvious!

I would highly recommend either of these books to anyone! Have you read any of these? What did you think? Let me know your thoughts and opinions.