Books Beauty Bling

Stories like Wolf Hollow are so fantastic because the remind us that while we hold to nostalgia that other times were "simpler," times, life is never simple, and the truth, when held back can sometimes be more complicated than anything you could imagine. Comparisons have already been made to Harper Lee's classic To Kill a Mockingbird, and rightfully so. This novel has a similar feeling in its beautiful, and easy prose and in, Annabelle, and it's earnest and charming narrator. What's so wonderful about Wolf Hollow, and is another echo back to Lee's incredible work, is, you can feel that it is timeless. Yes, it is set in 1943, but the experiences, the life lessons, and the heart are true in any era. Annabelle's clear-eyed naivety, but overall desire for good are tempered by her independence, and wilful insistence to seek the truth at any cost. This is a novel I can see easily becoming a new classic, studied and loved in classrooms around the country. Lau...

I've been staying at my parents' house in Phoenix for the last few weeks while my mom is in hospice care at home. She's battled cancer like a champion for the last two years, and over Mother's Day weekend, after being hospitalised due to chemo treatments, made the decision to cease treatment, and go into hospice. This has been an incredibly difficult time for my dad and me, even though I'm grateful to have the time to be here with her in what is left of her time here with us.  That being said, I had started another book earlier in the week, and my heart just wasn't in it. I needed something that was going to allow me to escape my own reality for a while, and when I saw the description of The Star-Touched Queen, I immediately ordered it for my Kindle.  " Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you're only seventeen? Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction...

I may not have been blessed with thick, beautiful hair, or long, amazing lashes, or the height of an average person (Yay 5'3!) But, I did get really lucky in the skin department, and that is thanks in part to genetics, as well as my skin care routines. I say lucky because even as a teen I didn't have a ton of skin issues in terms of acne. I would get breakouts, but not awful. I mention my skin care routine because I have very fair skin, and while I have absolutely been stupid, and had my fair share of awful sunburns, I do a lot to keep my skin healthy and happy. It's a big part of why I don't look my age, which is almost 34. Sunscreen is your friend, ya'll.  Anyway, as an adult, I do still get breakouts, and I've tried a number of different products to treat them. A challenge I face is that my skin can be on the sensitive side, so a lot of acne products can be overly drying which only makes my skin worse. Most of the time, I'm lucky enough to be a...

I love YA Fiction. I have no problems admitting that, and while there are certainly detractors, I have found so many incredible story tellers within the YA community, that if you are avoiding the titles simply because they are "for young adults," you are really missing out. I was introduced to Maggie  Stiefvater's work in 2009 when I picked up the novel Shiver, the first in the series The Wolves of Mercy Falls. I enjoyed the series, and while it wasn't my most favorite ever, there was something about Stiefvater's writing that hooked me. When the first book in The Raven Cycle came out, The Raven Boys, I was obsessed. Here's the thing. I'm a sucker for fantasy, and for magic, and while The Raven Cycle has that, it also has realism. Maggie Stiefvater is a master of magical realism in this series in a way that I haven't seen before. She creates the world of Henrietta, Virginia, and weaves in the magic so seamlessly, that even the most impossible ...

Growing up a girl , especially in Los Angeles, means I have been subject to hundreds of messages about beauty each day of my life. In my hometown, perfect beauty really meant having smooth, tanned skin. Being tall, but not too tall, and willowy, not "athletic." Prefered hair color is blonde, but brown with well placed high lights would do. You should be thin, and delicate looking, small wrists, and ankles, but be strong enough to surf on occasion, just to prove to the boys you can. You should wear makeup, but not a lot of makeup, just enough to look "natural," and "fresh faced." You should wear whatever is trendy, meaning your body type should be on that can support whatever the current fashion trend is. You should wear bikinis, never one pieces, what, are you a prude, or worse, a child?  Looking back , I didn't meet a lot of that criteria, and it made me feel bad about myself. I was small and delicate looking, but I had a mouth on me, and di...

Hi there, I'm Catherine, and I love to read. I'm also a trained makeup artist, and an Independent Stylist for Stella & Dot . Hence the name of this blog. I've had blogs in the past, and none of them really last, because I think I attempted to focus on just one aspect of my interests. In this blog I plan to write reviews of books, as well as beauty products, and give beauty, skin care, makeup, and other styling tips. Three of the things I enjoy most all rolled into one blog. :) Thanks for coming along for the ride!