Sarah J Mass is not an author I have ever read before this past week. I have of course heard of her Throne of Glass series but the covers never spoke to me so I picked one up on a kindle sale but there was no burning desire to read it. Now I know that will have to change because I did pick up her new series and its first edition A Court of Thorns and Roses has me completely hooked to her as an author.

A high fantasy novel ACOTAR (as its known on twitter tumblr and to anyone sucked into its fandom) opens painting a bleak but beautiful picture of the world of a girl named Feyre, the caretaker of her family. A sudden change in her circumstance take her not only far from her own home but into a whole new world, one that was pure speculation to Feyre and her family and their community until she sees it with her own two eyes.

The story is compelling from beginning to end and like most fantasy books the world building can give you this beautiful lyrical language that can make you smile and break your heart. The world building, not only of the human realm but the other realms we get to see are amazing, and each one has its own vibe and feel and beautifully painted landscapes. You get drawn into this world you can only wish was real, and you pine for it when you close the book.

And the cast we get to meet! They are amazing, interesting, they have layers and you want to know more about them. When you meet Tamlin, Lucien and Rhysand you cant help but want to know more. They are dynamic and the way they, and the world are revealed to you, you cant help but want for more.

This book is so enthralling and entrancing. It takes on this story so beyond the one that is billed. You think your just walking into a Beauty and the Beast retelling and what you get is this glimpse into another world. Where Fea rule and you see their society, you see politics and passion and love and anger... and its all so amazing you cant wait for more.

I gave this book a solid 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 and have already started the sequel. You can find more about ACOTAR here and about the secnd in the trilogy, A Court Of Mist and Fury here.

Marc Beauty GlowStick Review

Sometimes we come across a product so good, get a chance to play with something so amazing, we just have to share it with the world. Recently I got a voxbox from influenster and was faced with one such time.

Now for about a year now I have been a member of Influenster. If you dont know what Infulenster is its a site that connects companies looking to get their products out there with people who like to share what they love on their social media. If you want to check out more about it you can find them here. They can select you for a variety of different campaigns and my most recent one was a Marc Jacobs Voxbox for their new cream highlighter. I was excited for the prespect to try something so expensive for free because im very careful when splurging on such luxury items. I have an eyeshadow palette from Marc Beauty as well as a lipstick and eyeliner so I do know how good some of their products are. Still loving my The Starlet palette didnt prepare me for this highlighter.

The Marc Jacobs Beauty Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator is in a word epic! The versatility for multiple skintones cant be understated. In some lighting it looks silver and in some gold. And on both pink and golden undertones it makes you gleam (I tried it on my daughter who has very pink undertones unlike myself with my olive complexion.) And the lasting power, both under setting powder and on top of a full face of makeup, it was one of the last things to break down before bed that night. It both didnt disrupt my fully set face and had zero problem showing through when it was a layer down on my face. Maybe epic isnt enough to cover this.

Dude this @marcbeauty #glowstick is amazing!!! Everyday I wear it I love it even more! This looks so amazing on the face and body and everywhere... Like I can't even #MarcGlowStick

A video posted by Jess ✨ (@noobchic) on Jun 21, 2016 at 12:14pm PDT

Do you see that gleam in the video above? You can rock this like half alien queen, mermaid goddess, unicorn incarnate bad ass! Its really epic. Now I know this has one hell of a price-tag $42 is ALOT for one product. But if your totally ok spending that or looking for a really well worth it splurge item? This is really worth the consideration. You can use it right to face and body from the stick, applied with brush, beauty blender or finger and each and every time its looks so good. Really this highlight is a miracle in a tube.

Now it does make me think of the Makeup Revolution strobe creams, and if anyone would like to see a comparison of the two and how they match up drop me a request below and I will certainly match them up to see if we have a more affordable dupe on our hands!

Next In Reading ~ Summer 2016

Sometime when im in reading I need to change things up, to avoid a slump. For maybe a solid two months I did all of my reading on my phone, and it actually ensured I got through alot of amazon books from Indy authors and it was awesome. But feeling a slump coming on I changed things up and picked up some physical books needing the change. Now again after getting through some honkers ive decided to show my kindle some love. I do still have to read my last Lux book but I broke that up with some kindle love which has me feeling very proud of my reading progress.

Now one book will be a physical book (Which will be marked as not pictures because well its not) And two of the list will actually be books I started months ago and let fall to the side when I gave my kindle a break. (Those will be marked with an *)

The Books-
Shadows / Opposition (Lux #0.5, #5) Jennifer L. Armentrout (Not pictured;Physical book)
Devoted in Death J.D. Robb *
The Infinite Sea Rick Yancey *
A Court of Thorns and Roses Sarah J. Maas ~ Now this one is a cheat because ive already finished it! I was so excited after taking the above photo I started it... and finished it within the next like 14 hours. It was amazing and ill be doing a review for it and the next in the series very very soon!
A Court of Mist and Fury Sarah J. Maas
The Star-Touched Queen Roshani Chokshi
Vengeance Road Erin Bowman
Ink and Bone Rachel Caine (Not pictured; E-book)

So if im heading to the beach or the lake, or snuggled up hiding from the heat in the AC these are going to be keeping me company. What are some of your most anticipated summer reads?

Used Book Haul!

Ive been a book lover since the 3rd grade, and one of the first books I ever by myself without my mothers help was this book of short stories and songs from like the 50's. Sadly I dont remember the name, or id order it again for nostalgia purposes. But since then I have had a serious soft spot for used books. I love the thought of others having read and enjoyed the books I have. I have a new desire to build up my classics collection in all used editions. Different editions that all speak to the specific story. You will see some of that in this little haul.

The Books-
The Lies of Locke Lamora- Scott Lynch
The Woman Who Stole My Life- Marian Keyes
Wuthering Heights- Emily Brontë
Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
Once Were Warriors- Alan Duff (This was a rec from my very best friend who said I needed it in my life ASAP)
ParaNorman- Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (This one is for story time with my babies, the artwork is just incredible!)

I might have a new addiction with second hand books which lets be real, im all about that life. Anyone have some other diamonds in the rough I need to hunt up on my next used book hunt?

Ulta Beauty Haul

Ive found that shopping for one thing just isnt possible. True, I always intend to just get one thing, but if im in store or online its a guarantee my cart is going to be filled. So this is one of those so times. Recently I wanted an SPF for my face, and it all kind of snowballed from there.

The Products-
SPF 30 Sport Sunscreen by Juice Beauty
Aqua Prime Base Spray by Makeup Revolution
Pro Fix Oil Control Makeup Fixing Spray by Makeup Revolution (This was actually for my mother. Im a dry baby and she isnt even a little bit. I had given her my elf setting spray but it broke her out. So this is our second go at finding her one that works for her.)
Vegas Nay Classic Charm Lashes by Eylure
Rose Gold Lipstick by Makeup Revolution - Chauffeur
Soft Matte Lip Cream by Nyx Cosmetics - London
Butter Bronzer Murumuru Butter Bronzer by Physicians Formula - Bronzer

I havent had a chance to play with everything yet but reviews on my favorite will likely come soon. If theres anything I need to try right away do let me know. Or any other gems from these brands I should be on the lookout for? Do let me know beauties!

Beauty and the Blitz ~ Review

Beauty and the Blitz

Sometimes you find a book at the perfect time and it speaks to you in amazing ways and is just perfect for you. That's exactly how I felt about Beauty and the Blitz. This is the first Arc I've ever requested to read and it was simply an amazing experience from beginning to end.

Firstly the title gives us a serious play on words and gives a nod to a fairytale retelling that I'm totally a sucker for. So we were off to a good start. The cover art is .... Distracting in all of the ways I love. My friend teases all the time about my love for books with abs on the cover and I simply cannot help myself.

The characters of Cole and Piper I instantly loved and their dynamic was one I was a huge fan of. Both stubborn and head strong in very different ways you couldn't help but root for them in their lives in every aspect. Not to mention this book gives us one of the best written easy going interracial relationships I've seen in a book. It's not a topic they need to focus on at all and you see daily dynamics that also don't focus on it like some cliches can lead people to believe.

The writing itself was easy to read, quick and fun not ever yanking you from the story. This could be a perfect beach or poolside read. Or just a relax day when you really want to chill and take a break in someone else's world for a bit. There was steamyness and sweetness as well as sassyness so really id say Sosie Frost gave it all to us in this book.

On goodreads I gave this a happy 5 stars because I rate on the feels of a book and this one really hit all the spots. Today I got an email that Once Upon a Halftime had been released and instantly ordered my copy so I can continue on with this football team (Ironfield Rivets) and their lives.

Once Upon A Half-Time

Of your looking for fun and easy summer reads I'd say give these bad boys a try! Any romances I need to get my hands on for the steamy summer months? Leave me some recommendations!