Book Review: Desires of The Dead by Kimberly Derting

THE DETAILS:
Pages: 358
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Headline, Harper Collins
Release Date: 15/02/2011
Series: This is the second book in 'The Body Finder' series
Got it for my birthday from a friend.

THE BLURB:
VIOLET AMBROSE'S SECRET IS OUT
Violet has a curious gift: the ability to sense the echoes emitted by murder victims. Only her boyfriend Jay and her closest family know. But when she locates the body of a missing boy sought by the FBI she puts herself firmly on their radar.

NOW SHE'S BEING WATCHED
As if dealing with regular calls from the FBI isn't enough, threatening notes are being left on her doorstep, and she feels disturbing echoes around the home of Jay's new best friend. Violet needs answers fast...

WHO CAN SHE TURN TO?
Violet should feel closer to Jay now he's moved from best friend to boyfriend, but she hasn't told him what's worrying her. She tells herself she's protecting him, but is their fledgling relationship strong enough to cope?

As Violet faces her fears alone she uncovers dark truths that lead her to danger...

MY REVIEW:
'Desires of The Dead' was a book I had big expectations for. And, by big expectations I mean that 'The Body Finder' made it onto my Favourites list and that this book was highly anticipated. While I did still enjoy the book there were parts of the story that annoyed me greatly and it did take me a long time to get through those bits of the story.

I was really happy to see that Jay and Violet's relationship was progressing at the start of the book as I thought they made a great couple. I was not happy for very long after that though, because I found myself getting very frustrated with the way that Violet would treat him. Violet starts to realise just how much of an effect Jay has on other girls and she begins to worry an awful lot about how much she can tell him- not because she doesn't trust him, but because she doesn't want him to worry and to tell her family. It felt like Jay was the only one putting anything in to the relationship  and that the only good thing I can really say about their relationship is that they at least know their sexual education (sorry for any spoilers this may/may not allude to).

So for the majority of the middle section of the book I was closing the book, scowling and putting it down. I did not really feel like reading about how much Violet's love life was crumbling because she didn't know how to communicate with her boyfriend. I felt like the actual plot of the book could have gone unaffected if Violet had of told Jay things earlier. Really there is nothing Jay could have done to change the way things played out. I also think I could have imagined Violet and Jay having a fight or disagreeing about her keeping her secret, which wouldn't have bothered me as much as the fight she was having because she wasn't even communicating in the first place.

Violet's secret is a big issue in 'Desires of the Dead'. Violet is finding it difficult to decide if she would let her secret out or not. Personally I think Violet should be very careful about who she reveals her secret to (that's probably because of all of the 'Charmed' that I have been watching) and I think Violet feels that way too. I'm happy with how Violet handled that and I can say that it is one aspect of the book that I can at least say that I am happy with.

I think the last five or so chapters of the book really saved the story and made me want to read the sequel. Prior to those last chapters I was not feeling interested in reading any of the sequels. I don't think that this book was anywhere near as good as the first one though and that the ending didn't completely redeem the bad qualities of the book.

I'm still a little wary of a couple of characters and wish that some things could have been a little less unresolved. I would have liked to have felt a little more sure about things, but I guess that's what sequels are for...

I also realised that this probably wasn't the best book to jump right into after reading a heap of girly contemporary novels. 'The Body Finer' series is definitely not for the faint-hearted and regardless of how affected you are by novels with these kinds of subjects I think you'd probably enjoy these a bit more if you read something  fantasy first.

Overall, this book can have 3.5 stars out of 5. I hope that the sequels are an improvement on this and that Violet learns how to communicate...

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Lipstick Review: Glamourflage Lou Allure

I purchased these lipsticks recently and have been contemplating  writing a review of them since. There are things that i like about them and things that I don't like about them. They are not the perfect lipsticks, however I am sad to say that there won't be much point to this review as Glamourflage seems to have removed most of their cosmetic range from their website including these lipsticks. I cannot seem to find any indication anywhere as to whether or not the lipsticks will be released again in the future...

I decided to continue with the review for the likes of those people who have access to any clearance glamourflage lipsticks available in shops. I also, decided to continue with the review as a plea for Glamourflage to please continue with their cosmetics line, as their products do have some good qualities.

^Here is a picture of the Glamourflage lipsticks with the LimeCrime lipsticks I also bought.

Like the review I did of the LimeCrime lipsticks I thought I'd break this one up into categories. The lipsticks will be assessed on packaging, colour, moisture and staying power. I thought I'd also suggest a few beauty looks that could be achieved with the lipsticks.

PACKAGING: While the Glamourflage packaging is really cute, I am worried that it will not outlast the lipsticks. The packaging is made of paper/cardboard and I'm already having difficulty putting the lids on, just after using the lipsticks for a week. I would love to know if there is a lipstick refill style case that these would fit into and how i could transfer the lipsticks...

Also, the names of the colours aren't written on the bottom of the lipstick tube, so I've had to learn to remember which code stands for which colour.

COLOUR: I ordered the 'Teacup Rose' and 'Chestnut'. These colours were not as dark (or as purply) as they looked in the pictures, but they are still really sweet neutral colours. The lipsticks are similar in colour one is darker and more "pink" while the other is more sheer and is a warmer shade. These shades are perfect for those trying to get a toned-down vintage look.

MOISTURE: These lipsticks go on really smooth. They are really luxurious to apply and really moisturising. I tend to wear them over lip balm anyway because my lips are really dry. I think these lipsticks will be great for the up-coming winter months where dryer long-lasting lipsticks will not be getting much use.

STAYING POWER: This is something that the Glamourflage lipsticks lack. Having said that I don't think that  this is what makes or breaks a lipstick. There are plenty of more well-known expensive brands that don't have staying power and it is quite common for moisturising lippies to lack the ability to last.

SUGGESTED LOOKS:
-For a vintage glow: Highlight cheekbones with a shimmer and apply a hint of mauve or brown to the eyelids.
-For a hint of colour: Sweep on some rosy blusher and apply a soft green or blue shadow.

^This lipstick is the 'Chestnut' one.

^Here is a picture of me wearing 'Tea-cup Rose'.

As you can see the lipsticks are quite similar, but they are definitely not exactly the same. The pictures I took weren't exactly the best, I'm discovering that it is quite difficult to take pictures of things and get accurate colours.

Overall, I really like the lipstick and think They will definitely get a lot of use over this winter. I think if glamourflage made a few changes to the packaging this lipstick would definitely sell. 

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie

People Don't Make Mixed Tapes Anymore

Image Source

Like many things throughout time tapes have changed. People only sell them second hand, only old people or  vintage enthusiasts actually collect them anymore and I don't think anyone makes mixed tapes for anyone anymore (If you do, I am sorry to generalize and really appreciate the work that you do). Tapes are something that many people haven't and probably won't experience.  Like so many other vintage medias tapes have their own unique "glitch" that really adds to the experience of that media, however,  what's more of a loss is the art of making mixed tapes...

People have discovered that while inaccurate old cameras can create beautiful effects. Sometimes black/white photos capture a mood perfectly, while light leeks and blurs can make a photo look magical even though unplanned. Records have their creaking noises and their crackle noises, And tapes, tapes have whirring noises and other noises that come from playing the tape many times. I love the untidy-ness of vintage. I love that a tape can sound messy and be very spot on musically at the same time. I sometimes worry about how "clean" modern music sounds, because there is always a new way to make music tidier and more accurate. Art was not meant to be accurate. I see that many musicians are still opting to sell music on Vinyl...

I think; what about tapes? why not tapes? They are still quite small, they are portable (if you have an old car your stereo might have a place for tapes). If you treat tapes well they can last considerably well. I remember that tapes were part of the early DIY recording years. Now, people could tape things. Aspiring songwriters would tape things, mixed tapes were made. Mixed tapes became a real big thing. You might watch an old show and hear that the character bought an old tape or made a mixed tape for his girlfriend . One of my favourite films 'High Fidelity' was all about tapes (well there was a bit about rejection and love and owning a music store in there too...)

The truth is, you can't really make a mixed tape for a lot of people because they probably won't have a tape player. Notice that the whole idea of making you own compilation for someone went out the window the minute iPod were introduced. Now people make playlists for themselves. The other day I got the brainwave to make some compilation CDs for younger cousins. It doesn't compare to a mixed tape, but it's a start. 

You should have seen the faces on these children. They were so happy because I had given them something made especially for them. Kids that wouldn't touch a CD of mine because that music is weird (and they are very hands on kids) are now listening to the likes of Garbage and Fat Boy Slim and Marilyn Monroe because of me. I am hoping to continue to widen their music tastes and to spread the message, that yes people will still enjoy the gesture of a mixed CD, especially if they are kids. And, it's a cost effective gift!

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie

Haul/Update: Happy Mothers Day!

This week wasn't a good week. If I was having a good day, then somebody else wasn't. Things refused to work and hands failed to cooperate with brain. On the upside, there were some grand things about this week. For example, it is mothers day and I have made a pretty cake and given mum the sequel she was hoping to read. Over the weekend there have been some great sources of inspiration and I have come up with some grand new ideas for posts. 

^I got mainly non-fiction stuff in the mail this week. I purchased these books from fishpond. There is a guitar chords book, a crochet book, a letter writing book and a knitting/crochet book that is titled 'Two Balls or Less' which I think some people might find funny....

^I got these two fiction books. 'Mystic' by Alyson Noel is a review book from Pan Macmillan and 'The Wombles' is a book I bought a while ago that I haven't bothered to show off yet. On the subject of reading/book reviewing I have been extremely slack and I apologise to both my TBR pile and to those readers who only read because of book reviews and book related posts. 

^I bought this DVD with my Topfield recorder. I have a thing for tacky teen movies...

^I bought these lipsticks. I am yet to review the glamourflage ones, but here is a review for the Lime Crime ones.

^Some new nail polish colours. Though I am tempted to paint them bright pink  or red instead. Thanks to This Post I saw about vintage nail lacquer advertisements.

^I got a bit more skilled with my eyeliner and have started using liquid. The trick is to get rid of the excess on a piece of hand or tissue.

^I attempted finger-waves again with my new hair gel. It's so fun on short hair because you can cheat with the back and just scrunch waves into the hair.

^And, don't you just love the colour of those tights...

How was your week? I hope all of you mothers out there are having a lovely mother's day. 

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie

Lipstick Review: Cosmopop and Glamour101 (Lime Crime)

^This is my first ever purchase, use and review of a Lime Crime product. I couldn't decide between the two colours 'Glamour101' and 'Cosmopop' so I decided to get both of them. I have heard great things about Lime Crime and I think I'm in love! The packaging is pretty sweet too!

I tried Glamour 101 first. I wore it to work on Thursday over a thin layer of Nivea lip balm. I've decided in this review to break my thoughts up into the categories that most lipsticks are judged on: colour, appearance, moisture, staying power, an overall summary and a wearing suggestion or two. Glamour101 made me feel like snow white and was the sort of colour that would be appropriate for any setting.

COLOUR:

The colour is not as red as it looks, just like everyone says (though it can show up a bit red in pictures (taken with a flash) so I can see why people would think it is red. It's actually got a bit of brown in it and the colour starts out as a bit of a middle tone and gets darker with another one or two layers (becomes more of a dark red).

APPEARANCE:

The lipstick is a bit glossy upon application but after an hour or so dries to more of a matte finish. It is not a very thick lipstick (even if it is applied in three coats!), however, it's not see-through either. 

MOISTURE:

This lipstick is very dewy and moisturising when first applied, but does eventually become drier, so I do recommend wearing a lip balm underneath. 

STAYING POWER:

Glamour 101 stayed on all day. Through morning tea, lunch and even a hot chocolate (though some of that did wear off slightly). I did reapply at lunch though because like another reviewer said; it feels weird not having to reapply at lunch time. It didn't last through a cold chocolate drink though and it certainly didn't make it through dinner. I'm impressed with it, because most lipsticks won't last through a fully fledged meal (especially if it is a bit on the greasy side or has sauce) and this one did last most of the day. It's almost like a stain in some ways. For intense colour, high-shine and lots of moisture I would reapply more often though. 

OVERALL:

I love it. It isn't an invincible lipstick and it may need re-applying, but it does last well and the colour is perfect for me. I would love to get more cosmetics from this brand in the future. 

LOOKS:

I think this lipstick looks fine on it's own with lots of face powder like Courtney Love in the 90s or like Snow-White. I also think it looks sweet with a faint hint of blusher and a shimmery sweep of bronze eye shadow.

I've taken some pics below of what Glamour 101 looks like on.

And, below are some pics of me wearing 'Cosmopop'. The colour didn't show up as bright in the pictures as it looked in real life. I really like this colour, I think it's a bit 60s looking and I adore it. The colour is a light orange that really made my lips 'pop' I'm not sure how the colour would go with darker skin tones. I blotted this because it looks thick and shiny where as 'Glamour101' is not a thick lipstick.

Here are a few pictures of me wearing the lipstick:

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie