Review Preview: FINALS WEEK!

Next week: a review of Zadie Smith's novel "On Beauty," and discussion on beauty and style icons/stars (and stripes!). Who's yours?

P.S. Picked up "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein and couldn't help but start it already...ah, the art of multitasking. So look forward to a double duty book and beauty review!

Prettynerdy Youtube and Podcasts

Please check out Prettynerdy on Youtube! http://www.youtube.com/user/PrettynerdyBlog

And of course, a prettynerdy intro by yours truly: http://youtu.be/IKyvyg_37BU

Presenting the Prettynerdy Profile Podcast series: five podcasts profiling Prettynerdy icons who have been mentioned in blog posts, or will in the future:
http://youtu.be/7VE1uDKgbGE
http://youtu.be/ecUWzsD4i6M
http://youtu.be/QJlh4epmCGU
http://youtu.be/pbDste-3i80
http://youtu.be/rFiONY5FRvU

Please enjoy, subscribe and stay tuned for more podcasts, plus videos for the upcoming video podcast seriews called "Prettynerdy in the City/Prettynerdy in the Park"...here's a preview:

Travel Writing, Travel Beauty

Anthony Bourdain's "The Best American Travel Writing 2008" sounds like the best thing ever, right? But the title is a bit misleading. First, Bourdain, chef and food writer extraordinaire, did not write any of these stories, just the introduction, and there are only one or two foodie stories. Second, while this book is full of great and interesting travel writing, I'd hesitate to call it THE BEST. Anyway, they come out with a different edition every year, so perhaps it's just the best of 2008? Third, these short stories are not about Travel in America but of international travel. Which is awesome, but if you're jonesing for the most delicious slice of culinary Americana ever, you'll be disappointed. If, however, you are looking for tales from faraway and exotic locales, definitely give this a read.

What I like most about these stories is not only their top quality writing from contributors to such publications as the New Yorker, Travel + Leisure, and National Geographic, but the variety of places, faces, and experiences covered by the stories. The first story, "Extreme Chocolate" by Bill Buford, is a great way to start out because it is about chocolate (one of the few food pieces) and this compilation is pretty much like a box of chocolates, very exotic and flavorful ones. There are stories about places you may never have thought to visit, like Phnom Penh and Kabul. There are even stories about the actual act of traveling, like one of my favorite authors David Sedaris recalling funny airplane experiences in "Journey into Night." If you're an avid traveler, or like to imagine being one, this collection of stories makes a great quick read.

For those of you who do happen to be avid travelers, you know it's a good idea to tweak your beauty routine when you're on the go? I sure do. You need to streamline your beauty routine to make it fast, and both suitcase and airplane friendly! If you're a DIY kind of person, you can transfer all your normal beauty supplies in a TSA approved tiny containers, like this Sephora Set.
Or, for those really in a rush, a prepackaged set of mini essentials.


Some great packing tips here from Self magazine. Another popular item you always read about from the celebrity jetsetters is Evian Mist. The atmosphere in airplanes can be dehydrating, so many beauties rely on Evian mist to keep their makeup and skin feeling fresh and moist. For those who don't want to wear makeup on long flights, pack makeup remover towelettes and just reapply moisturizer with SPF as needed. Bon voyage and remember to pack a book or two to read too!

"Committed", Celebrity Weddings and Cadbury's

Elizabeth Gilbert's first book, "Eat Pray Love" was a book about her travels in search for herself after a bad divorce, and it was devoured by readers around the world. Her second book, "Committed: A Love Story" (interestingly, and fittingly, my hardcover version says" Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage" ) explores the aftermath. She has fallen in love, but struggles with the idea and the legal issues of marriage with a foreign man. Part memoir and part anthropolgical/historical discussion, Gilbert explores her own doubts and fears as well as cultural expectations and realities of marriage. As a skeptic myself, I was glad Gilbert stayed true to her mostly cynical and overly analytical, almost neurotic voice, as many books on marriage only show us the pretty parts. This is basically a love story for realists, and I assure you it won't make you run away shrieking from weddings, but it does make you think very hard about the romanticized notions of marriage in our culture. (that being said, it's not as fun or funny a read as "Eat Pray Love", and I doubt it will ever get made into a smiley Julia Roberts movie.)

On the issue of romanticized notions of marriage, I apologize for bringing up something that most people are already tired of hearing about: Royal Wedding Fever. What is our obsession with celebrity weddings, and especially the nerdlike fascination with British royalty? Ok I admit, British fascinators ARE fascinating, and I too wanted to know what Kate Middleton was wearing, and what makeup she wore, she did her own, apparently! (see chart below)

I can understand being mesmerized by the proper pomp and circumstance of Lady Di and her wedding years ago, but although times have changed, Kate and William apparently disappointed some by not ultimately sticking to tradition or being uber fancy. I say that's awesome, and award them the Prettynerdy Couples award of the century. Cheerio!
P.S. British Cadbury chocolates are way better than Hersheys anything....Another award?

"Be Different", Beautiful!

Everyone has heard the phrase "be yourself," but often the reality is "be yourself....as long as you're not different." So when I heard about the new book "Be Different" by John Elder Robison, I was instantly intrigued. Robison is the brother of comedic author Augusten Burroughs, who wrote the book "Running with Scissors" that inspired a movie. Robison also has an Autism Spectrum Disorder called Asperger's, which I am very familiar with and interested in. This book is an easy to read compilation of his experience and advice on how to be happy and successful while still being true to yourself, despite your so-called flaws, quirks and eccentricities. Some may get bored with his plain speech but I found it refreshingly simple and straightforward, an Aspergian trait and also a tactic to make the book accessible to all ages. His matter of factness makes the anecdotes even funnier because he's not trying hard to make you laugh, he just does. As per the cover, this book gives humorous hope to all the "creative, quirky, geeky, and wonderfully different."



Hopefully the book "Be Different" inspires you to embrace your personality quirks and inner beauty, but if you have physical "flaws" that you struggle to hide, the advice is simple...stop hiding and hating! Embrace your flaws and enhance what you've got. If you dislike something about your looks, whether it be gap teeth or a nose too big for your liking..learn to like it and have a sense of humor about it. Don't hide it, but play up what you do like about your looks. If you don't like your teeth, don't stop smiling, just play up your pretty eyes with bold colors! It also helps to have a "beauty role model," someone with similar "flaws" that still appears attractive and confident. Personally, I have a huge forehead (a fivehead!) which I would painstakingly cover it with my hair, hats, headbands. It not only was unflattering but uncomfortable. Now I let it breathe with pride! Oh, and play up my eyebrows. Seriously, well-groomed eyebrows can make up for anything. Benefit's Brow-Zings are ama-zing. As for role models, Tyra Banks showed me that there's no shame in a huge forehead, and I think she'd agree when I say "My forehead is big because there's a big ol brain under there."
For some "be different" inspiration, think about successful quirksters Mark Zuckerberg, Apple's Steve Wolzniack, Bill Gates. And for bold beauty and style inspiration, the prettynerdy crowns go to the King and Dueen of Quirkiness: gorgeous oddball Johnny Depp and wacky fashionista Lady Gaga. So, Who inspires you?

The Alchemist and Beauty Alchemy

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a best selling international novel, even without being an Oprah book club book! However, it's message is universally appealing and applicable, and delivered simply and beautifully in 150 pages. But the short length packs a lot of wisdom. It's almost like a self-help book in the form of a fable: a young shepherd boy named Santiago takes a journey through exotic lands and Egyptian deserts seeking an alchemist and learns a lot about life along the way. It sounds sort of hokey and you might think the ancient, faraway setting would not be relatable. However, I think almost anyone can take away some tidbits of wisdom and inspiration. The message is an oldie but goodie, to follow your dreams and enjoy the journey, but it's delivered in a story form that almost anyone can understand and appreciate.
So, there's no question everyone and their grandma should read and learn from the Alchemist, now the real question is... what the heck is an alchemist, anyway? A person who studies alchemy, duh...ok but what is alchemy?! According to Merriam-Webster:

1: a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life
2 : a power or process of transforming something common into something special

Yup, that's some pretty nerdy stuff, but what does that have to do with beauty? There is a nice beauty brand named Alchemy. But really, beauty is alchemy...the power of transforming something common into something special. And a good way to do that is also alchemy-related....as in making things gold! Bronzing, shimmering, highlighting. Lots of beauty revolves around getting golden, and summer is the perfect time for that.

How can you play alchemist and get the gold? Invest in a liquid gold shimmer you can use on both face and body like Stila's gold all over shimmer , Or Add sparkle/loose shimmer to your moisturizer and other loose powders, and you're golden! The prettynerdy award for modern day alchemist goes to: Jennifer Lopez, queen of the golden glow. Not only because she has perfected the art of metallic makeup, but she has transformed herself from "Jenny from the Block" to Most Beautiful Woman in the World...Pretty amazing alchemy!

Review Preview for April Fool's week!

Next week, "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho, and makeup alchemy, mixing and magic (Alas, not Magic: the gathering... while it IS pretty nerdy, I don't play...someone was giving away free cards and the box looked cool, swear!)

When you are engulfed in flames. And sunshine.

David Sedaris's book "When You are Engulfed in Flames" is not for the squeamish, but this comes as no surprise for those already familiar with the author's previous (and equally hilarious) works "Me talk pretty one day" and "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," as well as his work on NPR. Sedaris showcases his intelligent humor yet again, making female fans like myself sad that he is not interested in women and otherwise taken, as he writes often about his longtime love.
This compilation of humorous and intelligent essays was my companion on a particularly unpleasant red-eye flight and it saved my sanity, although I apologize to those around me who were kept up by my laughing outbursts. Seriously, it's that funny. Disregard smoking skeleton on the cover, as well as the title, When you are engulfed in flames, which only refers to the last essay, which will make you never want to smoke (or if you do, quit). Other essay topics involve Paris, parasitic creatures, dingoes, and as always, his endearingly disfunctional family, starring comedian Amy Sedaris as his real life sister. A definite must-read for when you want to be engulfed in laughter.
(David Sedaris + me talk pretty one day + Amy Sedaris = nerd love <3)


Now, for when you are engulfed in sunshine (a very good thing)... the weather is warming up, and your beauty routine should too! When temperatures rise, it's not only a perfect time to switch up your look to warmer hues, but switch to products that stand up to the heat, sweat and sun to keep looking hot when it's hot.
1) WEAR. SUNSCREEN. Yes, everyone's heard that Baz Luhrmann song but it's true, everybody needs to wear sunscreen, regardless of skintone. SPF 15 is a good start but SPF 30 or more is best. Look for the UVB/UVA protection seal and use physical sunblocks like Zinc Oxide if you have sensitive skin. (Eucerin SPF30 is a fave for the face)
2) Choose Oil-free formulas for moisturizers and skin makeup, and waterproof for eye makeup. Matte powder formulas are best for oily skin but will disappear quickly and must be reapplied, oil-free creams or cream-to-powders work on all skin types and have more staying power. And blotting tissues are essential to keep makeup meltdown and shine at bay. (Boscia has a great line, and donates to Japan!)
3) Don't forget the lips! Unfortunately studies have proven that shiny lipgloss increases lip burn factor, so try to pick a lip balm with SPF
to layer under your lip color. (Neutrogena has some good ones)
4) And to top it all off, protect your tresses. Scalp sunburns are not fun, hair can get dried out and if you color treat your hair, the color can fade. There are moisturizing and SPF products for hair, but the most fun way to take cover is with cute scarves and hats.


Makeup after a long sunny day, slightly shiny but still there!
P.S. here's a pretty good warm-weather deal for ya from Sephora

Review Preview for 3/21-3/28

Next week...the weather (hopefully) heats up, and I review the hilarious David Sedaris's "When You are Engulfed in Flames" plus recommendations for warm-weather beauty and saving yourself from makeup meltdown.

"A New Earth" and earthy makeup

The big O: yes, the Oprah seal of approval. It turns any book whose cover it graces into an instant bestseller, at least with a certain female demographic. I have had some hit or miss experiences with Oprah bookclub books but in general I love the woman and her empire, and when I saw her passionately promoting a very different (i.e. not chick-lit) book, Eckhert Tolle's "A New Earth", I was intrigued, albeit skeptical. Eckhert Tolle is a softspoken, quirky New Age guru whose book is, according to Oprah and some enthusiastic show guests, life changing and earth shattering. Looking to do a little spring cleaning of the soul after a mini health crisis, I caved. While some of the chapters are repetitive and the imagery a little hokey (we are born in stars, we are beautiful blooming plants etc etc) the concept is great. And for Christians, the biblical references give it spiritual significance, although they might turn off some other denominations. Tolle doesn't preach religion though, he merely references the bible in a textbook manner. Most of his writing is very calming and reassuring for anyone at a crossroads in their spirituality and life. I recommend this book to anyone with an open mind or a mind that needs some relaxation and reassurance. It may not be life-changing for everyone but definitely leaves you with a peaceful, easy feeling and a new outlook, much like spring itself.

Now if you're into the trend of (new) earthy makeup this spring, mineral makeup seems to be the way to go. Some of you lovely readers have expressed interest in natural and mineral makeup lines, and kudos to you, because in my experience, many brands are good for your skin as well as the earth. The brand Philosophy has a mostly mineral-based line called the Supernatural that works well for drier skin. Their formulations like the Supernatural airbrush canvas (a full coverage foundation) are more light reflective (almost sparkly) due to the mineral mica, and give a dewy look. For oilier skin, Bare Escentuals has a matte formula foundation which is my absolute favorite, and their All-over-color products feature sheer shades with mineral shimmer that look natural on any skintone, in particular the shade Bare Radiance is an earthy neutral that works on anyone. And finally, for the sensitive soul, er, skin, Pur minerals are not only gentle and pure skin-friendly formulas but eco-friendly too.

Nerdy News break

It's 3/14: Happy Pi Day!



and on a more serious note, even tech geeks can help victims of the Japanese earthquakes
http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/11/6246445-japans-earthquake-how-to-help

Review Preview 3/14 (pi day!)-3/21

So Spring is almost here, and everyone is doing some spring cleaning. If you're interested in spring cleaning your soul, next week's book "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle is up for discussion, as well as thoughts on the New Age movment and Oprah's Book club. On the beauty front (and front page of SFis magazine): "Earth"-toned, neutral makeup.
P.S. perhaps some bonus book reviews: my friend Aimee says she has three to lend me when I go home for spring break :)

"Shanghai Girls" cover look

Admittedly, another thing I loved most about this book was the cover
art. You know those old calendars or matchbooks you see in Asian
grocery stores with pictures of lovely ladies? In Shanghai Girls,
before the war made their occupation obsolete, Pearl and May Chin made
a living as "beautiful girls", which were models for those calendars,
etc. But instead of a photographer, they would get dolled up and pose
for a painter, hence the airbrushed and ethereal look. With modern
makeup, almost anyone can create the old-fashioned yet beautiful
Shanghai girls cover look. The most important part is giving your skin
a flawless airbrushed look. A pale, matte finish powder foundation
like Lancome Dual Matte is key. Next, both eyelids and cheeks are both
dusted with the same healthy, rosy color like Bare escentuals Rose
Radiance. Eyebrows are thickened and darkened with pencil, and lips
are coated with creamy warm-toned red lipstick like Maybelline Royal
Red. Hair is pinup girl curled and voila! Carry a branch of peonies or
cherry blossoms for extra effect. (or go all out, whatever floats your boat)

Review of "Shanghai Girls" by Lisa See

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See: See is known for her ability to transport
the reader into a different time and place, and out of her three
bestselling books (which include Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and
Peony in Love, both set in old-world China) the concept of "Shanghai
Girls" sounded most appealing. Shanghai is a beautiful city, often
described as the "Paris of Asia," and the 1930's was a time of great
change as the world was on the brink of war. According to the summary,
this book starts off in 1930's Shanghai but the characters end up in
San Francisco, which obviously is another amazing city. Setting aside,
the characters are what really make this book, and I can see why See
(haha) is such a popular writer. Her actual writing style is not
particularly standout, you wouldn't be able to recognize it, but she
is able to choose and capture characters and setting in an engaging
way that makes it hard to stop reading. The main characters in this
book are sisters Pearl and May Chin, and anyone who has a sister can
immediately relate to them. I have an older sister (who is amazing and
I love to pieces) and I definitely saw her mature, hardworking type-A
personality in Pearl, while I saw a lot of myself in the impulsive,
immature younger sister May (hey, gotta keep it real here). Although I
can't relate, I'm sure many sisters could relate to the rivalry and
jealousy between them, but that drama filled relationship is part of
what makes the story interesting. here were points in the book where
the dialogue was a little ridiculous and contrived, but maybe that's
how they roll in the 1930's. There were also a few wartime scenes that
were painful to read or seemed to drag on too long, but otherwise this
was a terrific, and SISTER-rific, read.

Borders book sale...and closing. Bittersweet

http://www.divshare.com/av_skin/14249995/
http://www.divshare.com/download/14249995-a26

Review Preview for 2/21-2/28

Happy Chinese new year, the year of the rabbit! Er, hare? In (very belated) celebration, I'm reading and reviewing Shanghai Girls by Lisa See, and reporting on Shanghai-inspired looks, as well as makeup for Asian eyes and skintones.

Delectable books and looks

"Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel

In America (hello Valentine's day) as well in many cultures, (in this case the Latino culture) there is a strong correlation between food and love. The book "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel beautifully serves up the sensual side of that relationship. How can you not love a book prefaced by "to the table or to bed, you must come when you are bid." Esquivel uses colorful and lyrical language in this tale about a Mexican woman named Tita, her unrequited love and love for food. Although unrequited love and longing are hardly original concepts, the poetry and sensuality of the writing with a touch of fantasy, as well as the unusual book structure makes it a unique read that moves very quickly (I devoured it in a day) towards a fantastic and surprising ending. 

The book is divided into monthly installments January - December rather than chapters, although you certainly wouldn't want to put it down and read a chapter a month! At the beginning of each "month", there is a recipe related to the following events. For example, a recipe for Chabela Wedding cake before a wedding event. My only complaint is that you can't really use the recipes, they sound tempting but the measurements and instructions are vague. So I wouldn't recommend reading this book for the recipes (there are cookbooks for that), but read it for a delicious love story and foods made with love. There's apparently a good movie based on this book, but we all know that books are best! 

 

On the subject of love and food, there's a cliche saying that the way to a man's heart is his stomach. While that might be true, looking and smelling pretty doesn't hurt...there's scientific proof! According to a British study, men are first and foremost attracted to luscious lips, and prefer the color to red to pink.

As for eyes, according to Women's Health magazine, "men are drawn to the most feminine looking faces...women's eyelids are naturally darker than the rest of the face, so the greater the contrast, the more feminine a woman appears." Figures that smoky eyes are equated with sexiness. 

Face aside, it is widely believed that scent is the most defining measure of attraction. Pheromones have a big part in this, but perfume can help. 

Some of the research findings are surprising: Pumpkin pie? Vanilla? Donuts? (Hmm again with the food and love connection here?)

I can personally attest to the power of sweet scents. The secret is: Victoria's Secret Vanilla Lace. That's right, $10 eau de toilette from an underwear store. 

Working with elementary school kids, their comments range from "you smell like donuts", "you smell like sugar cookies," "Your perfume is making me hungry." But men usually have a different opinion of the sweet, almost bourbon-y Vanilla fragrance. Mostly exaggerated flattery, but reactions have included "Is that Givenchy?" to "Will you marry me?" (HA...ugh) 

But let's face it, you can pile on the red lipstick, smokey eyes, and vanilla perfume...still, we all know the most attractive accessory of all is a beautiful mind, and a smile :) (At least, i hope so!) 

Happy Valentine's Day?

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/14/133693152/the-dark-origins-of-valentines-day&sc=nl&cc=es-20110214

Review Preview for the week of 2/13 to 2/20

The novel "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel... Because it's Valentine's day and because everyone loves chocolate and hates unrequited love.

Plus, makeup and fragrances proven to attract men, and  the scientific/biological reasons why. Although we all know that they really just look for a beautiful...mind? Right?

Don't judge a book by its cover....

...But you can usually judge a book by its scathing Amazon reviews.

First up, the good: "This is Not the Life I Ordered" by Jan Yanehiro and friends. I'm not just saying this because Jan Yanehiro is awesome but this book is a delight.  Self-help books are generally boring as a genre, as the reader isn't looking for an entertaining fictional foray. But this book is different, in a good way. It's a pretty general self-help book although it is definitely aimed toward the less-testosterone crowd. I bought this book when I first moved to San Francisco because the title spoke to me, although I was hesitant because the cover looked more silly than pretty (in my critical opinion) and, after making some life-changig decisions that I was beginning to question, I was looking for serious help. This book provides that, but with lighthearted humor. It uses personal stories, cute cartoons and tools like "WIT kit", and quotes from famous fearless women like Eleanor Roosevelt to give advice and inspiration. Besides the cover my only criticism for the book is a few of the suggestions are unrealistic for most readers. It advises to start a weekly kitchen table meeting with about a dozen of your fabulous female friends. Well, I didn't have a kitchen table in my tiny apartment, and after moving to a big city where I only knew a handful of people (which thankfully included my sister extraordinaire), I certainly didn't have a fabulous circle of close friends for advice. Which is why I was buying this book. But aside from that, the journal and Wit Kit suggestions were great as well as the quotes and cartoons, so I highly recommend this book!

Next, the bad: Citizen GIrl by Emma McLaughlin and NIcola Kraus. The cover was eye-catching. Simple, bright, red turquoise and white, a big coffee cup with a cutesy logo, and a catchy title: Citizen Girl. It's about a smart twentysomething girl who works in non-profit (LOVE!). Oh, and it's by the authors of the Nanny Diaries...I loved that book, and the movie too! This book is definitely several steps down from "The Nanny Diaries" in writing, plot, and characters. Shouldve known, never judge a book by its cover. 

After forcing myself to read this book to the end, I checked the reviews out of curiosity, and wondered if I was being too critical, or if anyone else read it and wept from the sheer torture. I found some comfort in knowing that I was not alone in absolutely abhorring this book. 

First of all, the girl is named Girl. REally? Not creative, but fitting in that she does not act like a woman but instead a whiny, overly analytical little girl. The writing attempts to be young and hip with witty dialogue, but just comes off as contrived. The boss she whines about incessantly, wait for it...is named Guy. Wow. And her boyfriend is named Buster and he's a dud but she loves him. I won't waste your time whining about how bad this is, if you want to read more whining please read this book. Or don't and save your money for....

Hello kitty cosmetics!

when I first heard about this. DId not think it was real. A high-end Hello Kitty cosmetic line for Sephora? I love hello kitty, but WHY? YOu can get your cheap lipgloss and nail polish in Hello Kitty packaging fix at sanrio stores or target. Naturally I was skeptical about a higher priced Hello Kitty brand but Sephora and Sanrio lover that I am, had to investigate. THe packaging is not your typical flimsy pink plastic fluff. It's glass and silver in the familiar hello kitty head shape. Pretty, but what about the stuff inside? Everything I tested seemed pretty average. For $55, the perfume's biggest plus is the attractive atomizer, but the scent itself was a run of the mill sweet apple and musk with minimal staying power. The cosmetics run about 10-20 for most items and have a limited range of color, unsurprisingly, a lot of pink tones. The apple lip balm comes in an awkward apple shaped container and is nothing special. The stick glosses and balms are cutely packaged but seem on par with quality drugstore products in texture and pigmentation. In summary, everything is cute, costs a little more than it should because of said cute packaging, but if you're a diehard Hello Kitty fan, go ahead and buy, but know that you're paying for the cute, not necessarily the quality or color range. (I personally would skip the cosmetics and splurge on the accessories, like the rhinestone compact, charm necklace or silver brushes) Sometimes it's okay to judge a book and like it mostly because of the cover!

prettyawesome

http://www.bellasugar.com/Chinese-Artist-Liu-Bolin-Creates-Real-Life-Wheres-Waldo-Scenes-13668502

Review Preview for the week of Feb 7-Feb 14

"The Good, The Bad, and The Pretty" or "Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover"

The good: "This is Not the Life I Ordered" by Jan Yanehiro (yay!) and friends 

The bad: "Citizen Girl" by Emma Mc Laughlin and Nicola Kraus (the Nanny Diaries authors)

The pretty: New Hello Kitty cosmetic line at Sephora

I'm sure you're probably so excited that you won't be able to sleep, but please try to get at least 6 hours a night for both brains' and beautys' sake. I promise the reviews will be posted as soon as possible :)

Review of "The Social Network"

Hokay so, it's not a book. It's not even about a book. But it IS about facebook, and that's prettynerdy, right? (also, the facebook was an actual book back in the day, but more on that later.)

I know I'm late but I finally watched it last night and was inspired to rave about it and recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it yet. 

This David Fincher-directed breakout film starts off with a relatable breakup scene and is followed by lots of witty dialogue and superb acting, and a great musical score by Trent Reznor (from NIN...really?!) With his smart sarcasm and sloppy wardrobe, Jessie Eisenberg captures Mark Zuckerberg's anger and awkwardness; making you torn between thanking him for his technological contributions and punching him in his smirking face. All the characters did a wonderul job of portraying college students caught in both the cutthroat Ivy League and computer nerd worlds. 

Speaking of nerds, this movie made me all nerd-stalgic because it was filmed where I went to high school in Andover, along with one of the co-creators of facebook who sadly didn't have a big part in the movie. The hazing scene is on the steps of our school cafeteria (where I've also seen projectile vomiting, except for real)! And those dreary dorms made me recall the nights when my friends and I would procrastinate by poring over the Phillips Academy Facebook, which was a spiral bound paperback book. And yes, much like FaceSmash, we sometimes used the facebook to rate and prank classmates..shame on us! But without the primitive facebook, there would not be the incredible albeit invasive internet Facebook we are all so attached to today. 

Overall, I think this movie does a wonderful job of telling the story behind the social networking empire, but with a shiny Hollywood glossing. Alas, the girlfriend who dumped Mark was completely fictional, and on a whole the events probably weren't as glamorous or dramatic as they were in the movie, with all the romance and rendezvous, but sometimes, you need to pretty up the nerdy to woo the audience. Apparently it worked...the social network did amazingly well in theaters and with critics. and now it is up for Oscar nominations, and I sure would "like" (haha) to see it win something. What did you think about the social network? I give it an A for AWESOME (and myself a C for CORNY)

A prettynerdy intro...

Prettynerdy is a blog about all things bookish and beautiful. My name is Faith and I'm a self-professed information and beauty product junkie. I will be reviewing and recommending books and products here (and sometimes on a lovely little psychology/happiness project group blog called Swell-Being). I'll also try to keep you informed on the latest nerdy news and trends in the beauty world. Enjoy, and please email me at prettynerdyblog@gmail.com if you have questions or suggestions on stuff to review!