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