Bout of Books 29 Roundup Post Part 2

  

Hey Lovelies,

 

I’m back with my updates for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I really had fun participating in this read-a-thon. I only made one read-in-place times, I wish I could have made more but the timing just didn’t work for me and that was okay
 
 

Thursday—I have some morning errands to run then I’m pretty much free for the rest of the day. Oh, still no internet or appointment time.

 

It’s a little after 5 and I managed to make the 4 o’clock read-in-place time and I tackled a little more of The Methods of Lady Walderhust. I’m still not loving it but I’m staying with it (hopefully it improves).

 

At the store this morning, I picked up a pack of the Cinnamon Coffee Cake mug cakes from Duncan Hines (I thought it would make a nice read-in-place snack) and it was delicious. This was the first time I had a store-bought mug cake (normally, I make my own) but I’m eager to try some of their other flavors.

 

Pustules, Pestilence, and Pain: Tudor Treatments and Ailments of Henry VIII by Seamus O’Caellaigh arrived in the post this morning and I’m going to be delving into this tonight.

 

In other news, I made shrimp scampi for lunch (okay, it was frozen, but it was still decent). My mum sent me a funny mug with the two of us as witches on it for Fall (the other side says, ‘get your witch on’). I discovered a The Rebel on Acorn TV and it’s such a great show.

 

I received an e-arc of On Deadly Tides by Elizabeth J. Duncan and purchased Chapter and Cure by Nancy Warren.

 

It’s 10 and my last check in before heading to bed. I finish Pustules, Pestilence, and Pain. It was a decent non-fiction read but it a little repetitive.

 

Friday—I slept in this morning and it was lovely. It’s been awhile since I slept past 9 am, so it was a nice treat. 

 

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Bryon arrived for review, so I’m going to focus on that today but I have a few things I want to tackle before sitting down to read.

 

It’s a little after 4 and I’ve cleaned out my bronzers, highlighters, and setting powders and put some of them in containers so they stand up inside my makeup drawers. I’ve also washed and prepped a few quarts of blueberries and strawberries to freeze.

 

I’ve been listening to more of His and Hers and, while I’m invested in finding answers, I’m still not enjoying any of the characters.

 

The mystery plant in my back garden finally bloomed with the loveliest of yellow blossoms and I still haven’t a clue what it is but at least it’s not a weed (I was fairly sure it was, so I’m glad I didn’t pull it up).

 

So, it’s 6:30 and I just returned home from my grandma’s. I made her a small 4-ingredient scone.

 

If you’re looking for a quick scone recipe, I use 2 cups of baking mix (I like Pioneer Baking Mix), ¼ cup of sugar, and add in milk ½ cup at time until it forms a slightly sticky dough. I then added in a ½ cup of Bailey’s Irish Cream chips (nuts, dried fruits, or any type of chips can be used). Kneed a few times on a floured surface, roll into a circle, score the top into wedges, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

I just brewed a mini pot of Smuggler’s Tea from the Cornish Tea Company in my cute little tea-for-one bird teapot I received in a care kit I purchased from Quaintly & Co. Now I’m ready to pick up Murder in the Bayou Boneyard.

 

I’m just getting ready to turn in, (it’s a little after midnight) and I just finished Murder in the Bayou Boneyard and it was a fun little cozy.

Saturday—it’s a little after 7 am and it’s been storming on and off since 2 am so I’m not planning to do much today.

 

I do have a bit of good news. I finally finished The Methods of Lady Walderhurst (victory is mine!) and… I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. At least it’s finished.

                                                                            

It’s noon and Spectrum finally arrived. Apparently, there’s a crack in the line from the pole to the house and water seeped into the line. The tech put temporary padding around the line to prevent further damage but it has to be changed once the rain stops. So, there’s still no internet.

 

I started and finished Crimson Twilight: A Krewe of Hunters novella by Heather Graham on audio and have fun with it. I’ve been addicted to this series the last few months.

My last book for this read-a-thon is Thick as Thieves by Sandra Brown. I’m going to put on an eye mask, face mask, and hand mask grab a green drink and delve into this thriller.

 

Sunday—my final update. Not much happened today. I did get my internet back on today.

 

I finished Thick as Thieves by Sandra Brown and I really enjoyed this thriller. I finished His and Hers as well and it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t a favorite.

 

This was my first time participating in Bout of Books and I had a good time. I finished 7 books.

 

Mr. Malcolm’s List by Susanne Allain

Henrietta & Eleanor: A Retelling of Jekyll and Hyde: An Audible Original Drama

The Ghosts of Scotland

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Bryon

Pustules, Pestilence, and Pain: Tudor Treatments and Ailments of Henry VIII by Seamus O’Caellaigh

Thick as Thieves by Sandra Brown

Crimson Twilight: A Krewe of Hunters by Heather Graham

Ipsy: Take a Break July's Glam Bag

Each month I receive two Ipsy Glam Bags and I thought it would be fun to start posting what I receive in them each month.

For those who don’t know, Ipsy Glam Bag is a $12 monthly beauty subscription where you receive 5 deluxe-sized—occasionally full-size—beauty products plus a makeup bag (more info can be found at the bottom of the bottom of the page). Each bag also comes with a card telling you about the product and the full size MSRP.

My ‘Regular’ Bag matches my real profile: brown hair, brown eyes, fair skin, dry, sensitive skin. I’m comfortable with makeup and like all shades of lipstick/eyeshadow/blushers. My ‘Adventurous’ Bag still has my same skin and complexion profile but I say my eyes are violet, my hair is other, and I prefer all the adventurous/bright/bold shades; no neutrals for me.

Do they get it right? Sometimes, but having two different profiles usually means I receive two different sets of beauty products.

 

July’s Theme: Ipsy Take a Break

 

So I’m not loving July's bag. Compared with the other bags that I have received, this one feels cheap (it was full of black marks when it arrived). It feels like it’s made out of the same plastic as pool floaties (and smells the same as well). I do like the cute little airplane zipper pull.

My Adventurous Bag

 

Luxie 205 Tapered Blending Brush ($15)—I love getting brushes—especially Luxie brushes—in my glam bag. Not only do they come in handy (I’m horrible about deep cleaning my brushes) they perform like a charm.

SPACE CASE COSMETICS Eyeshadow in Space Food ($9)—this is a sandy-brown shimmer that applies nicely and stays true-to-color all day.  I wish it would have been a more adventurous shade than a neutral.

KVD VEGAN BEAUTY Tattoo Liner in Trooper—this is something that I’m not too thrilled about. I don’t care for liquid liner so this will be passed onto a friend or thrown in a giveaway.

ARIUL Fresh Herb Hand Cream ($3.49) —I’m always up for getting hand lotions/creams so I’m excited to give this one a try. Plus, it’s made with keratin and my nails are in need of some TLC.

CIATÉ LONDON Watermelon Burst Hydrating Lip Oil (my pick)—when I picked this one, I thought it was going to be a straight lip oil but it’s an oil/gloss and I rather like the formula. It’s not sticky/tacky and it offers a nice bit of moisture.

 

Total of full size products: $27.49

 

My thoughts on my adventurous bag: while this one didn’t match my profile, I still feel like this was a decent selection of products (minus the liquid eyeliner).

 

My Regular Bag

 

SPACE CASE COSMETICS Eyeshadow in Space Food ($9)—I wasn’t super excited to get this as a duplicate as it’s a rather boring color.  

CIATÉ LONDON Watermelon Burst Hydrating Lip Oil (I picked this for both bags)—see my thoughts above.  

Luxie 205 Tapered Blending Brush ($15)—another duplicate but I never complain about getting brushes.

Hempz Citrine Crystal and Quartz Body Lotion ($7.50 travel size)—I love getting Hempz lotions in my bag. It’s super hydrating, has a lovely orange sent, and has a touch of glitter (not an overload).

The Balm Cosmetics Will Powder Blush in Worth the Wait—this claims to be a blush but it’s more of a pale peachy nude highlighter and I really enjoy this one as a highlighter. It gives you a nice ‘lit-from-within’ glow and it lasts all day.

 

Total of full and travel size products: $31.50

My thoughts on my regular bag—there were a lot of products in this bag that were in my ‘adventurous bag’ making me think they didn’t really pay attention to my profiles. I do like this bag and will use all of the items.

 

My Overall Thoughts: Neither bag really followed my profiles. I always state no liquid eyeliner. I do feel like my regular bag was a little better than my adventurous bag but I will use all the products expect the liquid eyeliner.  

 

Do I feel like the bag fit the theme ‘Ipsy Take a Break’? Not really. When they announced the theme, I was expecting to see a lot of masks and skincare items or other spa day/self-care items and this was mostly makeup items (except for the lotions).

 



    

Ipsy Glam Bag is a monthly beauty subscription that includes 5 deluxe-sized samples (sometimes full-sized products) and a makeup bag valued at $50+ for just $12 a month. The products are a mix of makeup products, haircare products, skincare products and the occasional beauty tool that have been selected based on an in-depth beauty quiz each subscriber takes. Each month you’ll be able to choose one product in your bag as your Choice option.
 
Other perks include:

1-Earning points when reviewing your Glam Bag Products that can be used to redeem extra products.

2-Purchasing add-ons at a discount price

3-Shopping Ipsy Offers at Member Prices

Price:

Monthly: $12  (plus tax where applicable)

Yearly: $132 (plus tax where applicable)

Shipping is free in the U.S. and  $2.95 for Canada.

 

You can join HERE 

July Boxy Charm: Boxy Sunshine

BoxyCharm Base Box is a monthly beauty box containing 5 full-size beauty items. Ranging from makeup and skincare, to beauty tools and color cosmetics, each box has an average value over $120. 

There is an in-depth beauty quiz to fill out, including your shade of foundation and concealer, to help ensure your box suits your taste. Each month you’ll be able to select one product. There are two upgrades available (often you’re put on a waitlist after subscribing to their base box).

 

Price: $24 a month plus tax (Free US Shipping)

Find out more HERE  

Back in 2018, I tried BoxyCharm and cancelled it after receiving my first box. In 2019, they overhauled their box, included an in-depth beauty quiz (that they now seem to follow), and improved their products. I decided to try their new box and I’ve been loving it ever since. It’s very rare that I dislike one of their products.

They offer three choices (base, premium, and luxe) and this is for the base box. 

Hello Lovelies!

 

My BoxyCharm was a little late for July because the safety procedures they’ve implemented while packing the boxes but it was still packed full of amazing products.

 

When my box arrived, I decided to do a try-on, so I could give my thoughts on the products (let you know how they performed and how they held up), rather than just telling you what I received. Out of the five products I received this month, I tried out four of them (I didn’t want to open the serum until I finished up the one I’m currently using).

 

 

On to the box…

 

 

111SKIN - NAC Y2 Pollution Defence Booster ($135.00)—this serum protects your skin from blue light pollution. While I protect my eyes from blue light pollution, I’ve never thought about protecting my skin. Since I do spend a bit of time in front of a digital screen, I’m eager to give this gel serum a go after I finish up the one I’m currently using. This was my July pick. Tip: if you’re storing serums before use, keep them in the package in a cool dark place to keep the ingredients fresh.

 

Ace Beauté - Bronzed in Paradise Palette ($30.00)—this is a four pan, warm tone palette. It glides on smoothly and blends effortlessly giving me a nice sun-kissed look. I can use the first two shades (and the third one if I mix it with the first one for bronzers. I also used this for eyeshadow and loved how it went on my lids. I was very pleased by this palette. It lasted—and looked brilliant—all day. Tip: use this palette as eyeshadow for a ‘no makeup’ makeup day.
 

 

Grace & Stella - Anti-Wrinkle + Energizing Eye Masks ($21.00)—I’ve received these before, and while they’re not as hydrating as some of the other brands I use, they do offer a decent amount of hydration when I use them while putting on my eyeshadow. They are also perfect to catch any eyeshadow fallout while you’re doing your makeup. Tip: keep these in the fridge to help reduce puffiness and dark circles.
 

 

Hola Neon - Liquid Lipstick in The Easy Sell ($17.00)—this is a pink with mauve undertones and the shade works well for summer but it will also make a nice addition to my Fall makeup. The formula for this one is one of my favorite liquid lip formulas. It goes on smoothly, dries down quickly, and doesn’t feel dry or cakey on my lips (honestly, I couldn’t even tell it was on my lips). I did have a bit of lip balm on my lips before applying. While it’s not the longest lasting lippie, it lasts a decent amount of time. Tip: if you don’t have a lipstick remover or makeup removing balm on hand, use a little bit of butter or cooking oil to remove any liquid lipsticks.

 

STUDIOMAKEUP - Endurance Cream Eyeshadow in Gold ($25.00)—this is what I was least excited about for the simple fact that I don’t care for cream eyeshadows (or any cream makeup). Because I wanted to do a full try-on with this box, I decided to give it a go. This is a sheer eyeshadow—more of a topper than an actual eyeshadow (it’s gold micro glitter in a clear base). The formula is lightweight so it didn’t feel chunky on my lids like some of the others and it did dry down rather quickly.

 

I applied two coats to my left eyelid and three to my right (one coat went on more like a light topper). Two coats gave my lid a light foil eyeshadow look without cracking or peeling off and lasted all day. Three coats looked like a full-on foil eyeshadow but started cracking about ten minutes after applying and by the end of the day, there was very little left on my lid. Tip: rather than applying this straight from the applicator, pat this on your lid with a small concealer brush for an even and blended look.  

 

Total value of July’s box: $228

 

My overall thoughts on my July Boxy Charm: I do feel like I got an amazing box. The products were great and they wore amazing. My only thing with this box is I wish they would give you a choice whether or not you want cream/liquid products or powder products when it comes to eyeshadow.