August Favorites

Hey Ya'll!

August is almost over so I thought I would share some beauty and life things I have been loving all month.

Beauty Favorites:

Burt's Bees Miracle Salve

This stuff is awesome. It is for pretty much anything. It is a waxy texture that moisture's so well. So it is perfect for dry hands, feet, scalp or hair. I have been using this product by rubbing a little bit on the ends of my hair to keep them from drying out in the August heat.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion 

I know this isn't a new product and I've actually been using it for a while, but I have just been really grateful for it this month since it has been so hot and humid. It saves my makeup from running down my face daily!

Revlon Photoready Concealer in Fair 001

I have never really been a big user of concealer because I always felt like I didn't really need it and it was just another step. But this month I decided to try one out for under my eyes and redness around my nose and I love it! It has a thick but creamy texture that covers really well. Even though it is a little thick, I only have to use a little and it doesn't feel heavy once it is blended in.

EOS lip balm in Summer Fruit

I'm normally not picky about lip balm. I will pretty much use any kind. When I was waiting in line at Target I saw a group of these little lip balms and decided to try one out. First of all, the Summer Fruit smells amazing. Plus, it is super moisturizing with out being to heavy or waxy. 

Life Favorites:

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

I finished this book at the beginning of August and it is so good! I have to warm you though, it is really dark and creepy. It is a great mystery that kept me guessing throughout the whole book. In the end though I felt incredibly sad but the writing is great and it is a really interesting story!

Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief

I saw this movie in theaters a while back and told myself I needed to read the book, but I never did. So after I watched the second movie, Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters, I decided it was time to start reading the series. I actually went and picked up this book the same day I saw Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters. It took me a week to finish. I love Greek mythology, so mix that with a modern day adventure and I was hooked. Think Harry Potter with Greek Gods. It was really cool and as usual it had so much more detail than the movie. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Vera Bradley Phone Case

Ken went on vacation earlier this month to visit his family in Colorado. While he was there he picked up this phone case for me and I love it! I have a small obsession with animal prints and these elephants are just too cute!

What are some of your favorites?

xo
bre

Top 5: (Young Adult) Books

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling:

(These covers are awesome, right?)

Ya'll knew this was coming right? Of course Harry Potter is on my top 5 list of favorite young adult books (honestly its my number one on any list). If you haven't read Harry Potter (I actually have a friend that hasn't!!) then you are seriously missing out. Harry Potter is was my childhood. I anticipated every book (and movie), sobbed uncontrollably when my friends characters died, and felt broken hearted after the last movie because I knew it was all over. I love Harry Potter for so many reasons - the characters and their friendships, the rivalry between good and evil, and of course the magic. Although I don't have time to keep up with it much,  I have even joined J.K. Rowling's interactive Harry Potter website and I have been sorted into Slytherin.  I am still waiting for an owl to deliver my letter...

 

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger:

I read this novel my freshman year of college in my first English Literature course. I instantly loved it. Although I loved the hate the main character, Holden Caulfield. He is whiny, mean, and annoying in so many ways. But during the novel you get to see spots of softness that make him a little lovable. Since the book was written in the 1950's, it is a different world than what I grew up in and I felt that I could barely relate to Holden. But Holden is supposed to represent what many teenagers and young adults were feeling and going through during that time. It is a great coming of age story.

 

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins:

The Hunger Games Series is awesome. It is set in a post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America. Although many people think it is mainly a love-triangle story, I honestly believe it is so much more than that. When I first read the story, the love-triangle fell to the back burner for me since I focused more on the horrible situations that these character were faced with and what they did to change it. I cry every single time I read any of the three books because I love the characters so much. Katniss is a wonderful female character that teen girls should look up to and it many ways I wanted to be like her; to have her strength, courage and power. Mockingjay did not end the way I had hoped, but I also think that the ending is what makes this series truly post-apocalyptic. (by the way - I'm team Gale, if you were wondering)

 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green:

John Green is a great writer who has a wonderful ability to make you cry and laugh. I adore all of his books, but my favorite is this one. It is a classic story of a boy and girl falling in love with one exception - they both have cancer. Hazel Grace is another great female character and I am so glad I have had the chance to meet her read about her. Her guilty pleasure is watching America's Next Top Model and she is incredibly passionate about her favorite book. What's not to love about her? Warning: when you read it, you will fall in love with Augustus Waters and there is nothing you can do about it

 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky:

This is a perfect coming of age story. When you read it, you will instantly connect with Charlie and understand him. If you were a bit of an outcast in high school like me, you will relate to him and love him. The friends he makes in school are all great in their own ways. They are perfectly imperfect and you will love each and everyone of them.

 

 

This was very hard to narrow down since I have so many favorite young adult novels, but I believe that theses are my absolute favorites. Have you read them? What are your favorite books?

 

 

xo

bre