What I'm reading + NOTD pt. 51

If you've been reading my blog for a while you know I like good crime novels. And I think that Jo Nesbo fits in this category. I find that I have a soft spot for Scandinavian crime novel writers.

The Snowman (original title Snomannenn) is the fifth book of Harry Hole series translated in Slovene.

The night the first snow falls a young boy wakes to find his mother gone. He walks through the silent house, but finds only wet footprints on the stairs. In the garden looms a solitary figure: a snowman bathed in cold moonlight, its black eyes glaring up at the bedroom windows. Round its neck is his mother's pink scarf. Inspector Harry Hole is convinced there is a link between the disappearance and a menacing letter he received some months earlier. As Harry and his team delve into unsolved case files, they discover that an alarming number of wives and mothers have gone missing over the years. When a second woman disappears Harry's suspicions are confirmed: he is a pawn in a deadly game. For the first time in his career Harry finds himself confronted with a serial killer operating on his turf, a killer who will drive him to the brink of insanity. 

The nail polish is Deborah Pret a Porter with the name Emerald Bijoux and it needed three coats for full opacity. With two coats it just didn't look nice. Other than that, no problems with the application. On the picture you can see that the top coat didn’t protect the nail polish from bedding prints and it usually does. It must be because of the three layers.

Happy New Year!

What I'm reading + NOTD pt. 50

I put the book The Awakening of Miss Prim (original title El despertar de la Senorita Prim) on my reading list after reading the back cover. But while reading it I had a constant thought in my mind. The thought was What is this and do I need to read it? But I stick to it, because I rarely don't read the books till the end and also because it was on my reading list. If it wasn't maybe I wouldn’t read it.

In The Awakening of Miss Prim a young woman leaves everything behind to work as a librarian in a remote French village, where she finds her outlook on life and love challenged in every way. Prudencia Prim is a young woman of intelligence and achievement, with a deep knowledge of literature and several letters after her name. But when she accepts the post of private librarian in the village of San Ireneo de Arnois, she is unprepared for what she encounters there. Her employer, a book-loving intellectual, is dashing yet contrarian, always ready with a critique of her cherished Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott. The neighbours, too, are capable of charm and eccentricity in equal measure, determined as they are to preserve their singular little community from the modern world outside. Prudencia hoped for friendship in San Ireneo but she didn't suspect that she might find love nor that the course of her new life would run quite so rocky or would offer challenge and heartache as well as joy, discovery, and fireside debate.

You see, the description is so nice, that I thought I will love the book, but no, I didn't. I have a few problems with it. First, when is the story happening? There are computers, and cars (no sign of mobile phones tho) but the protagonist talks like she just came out from Jane Austen novel. I mean, who talks like this nowadays? Miss Prim constantly uses words like sensitiveness, virtue (might be just the Slovene translation, but we don't use words like this anymore in everyday conversations). Then she is offended by everything, she is always lifting her nose. In one of the conversation with her boss she makes a remark about the prettiness of a woman. The boss says that the woman is indeed pretty, and then she is offended, because, which man compliments another woman when he is in company of another woman. I mean, really?

Second, there we have the idyllic village of San Ireneo de Arnois where everyone can make a living just by their hobbies. All the people there left their old lives to pursue happiness without the stress of everyday lives. Well I think to myself, they must've had pretty good paying jobs to afford such luxuries. So if I sum up, I'm pretty disappointed with this book. 

The nail polish is from H&M with the name Blue My Mind. I don't think you can still get it. The formula is ok, the brush is average, but good enough for decent application. The colour is the best thing about it, I must say that it was hard to photograph because the colour in real life is darker. 

Here is another photo, it's blurry, but here you can see the true colour of the nail polish.

Have a nice day :)

What I'm reading + NOTD pt. 49

I think I did it. I managed to read every book of Agatha Christie that was translated in Slovene language. What now? Read the rest of them in English.

In They Do it with Mirrors is Miss Marple solving the crime. A man is shot at in a juvenile reform home - but someone else dies...Miss Marple senses danger when she visits a friend living in a Victorian mansion which doubles as a rehabilitation centre for delinquents. Her fears are confirmed when a youth fires a revolver at the administrator, Lewis Serrocold. Neither is injured. But a mysterious visitor, Mr Gilbrandsen, is less fortunate - shot dead simultaneously in another part of the building. Pure coincidence?

The nail polish is a recent limited edition Neo-Natured from Catrice. The name of the nail polish is WALDEN's Leaf Letter and it was my boyfriend bought it for me, just because. Now, if he would read my blog I would day how nice of him, but as he doesn't bother, why bother with the praising him :D 

I really like the colour, but the brush strokes are visible, like it has some kind of frost finish, but it's not as bad, which is a plus. Two coats were needed for full opacity, no problem with the application.

Have a great day!

Essence Matt Matt Matt Lipstick in 02 Perfect Match

With the recent update of the Essence assortment (but I think the spring /summer update will be here soon) we got a new line of lipsticks. As you can see from the name, they're supposed to be matt. There are eight shades in the line, mine is the second lightest.

Essence says that the light, creamy texture of the new lipstick range unites a high colour-dispersion with a matt finish.

The packaging is the same as the Sheer & Shine lipstick range with the difference that here the lid is matt. I like it, it is a step up from the packaging of their first lipsticks (remember the packaging for kiddies? :) )

The smell is also quite pleasant, I can't describe it properly, but at least is not that artificial smell that their first Longlasting lipsticks had.

Even if this lipstick is matte, there are no claims about the longevity, even though being matte we presume that it will last rather well. And in this case I can say it does. After four hours of not eating (chocolate doesn't count, ok) and after lunch (not very greasy, I have to admit this), the lipstick is still on my lips and it looks ok. It's not exactly like when I applied it, but it's close. Definitely still on the lips, and without that hideous liplining effect. So I'm satisfied with that.

It does apply smoothly, but to achieve the full colour I had to go over my lips several times, but it doesn't bother me. The lipstick is definitely matte and you can also feel it on the lips. So if you have really dry lips it could bother you. When you apply it looks satin matte, but after a couple of minutes the finish transforms into regular matte. After four hours it even looks like a liquid lipstick on my lips. But I have to say that I didn't experience any flaking and clinging on dry patches (like the feeling I have when I apply my Essence longlasting lipstick Velvet Matt 23). 

1. Bourjois velvet - Nude-ist

2. Essence - Perfect match

3. Sleek Matte Me - Birthday Suit

The colour is dusty rose with a hint of brown. I think it suits me and when I wear it it's not so in your face. A nice everyday colour. 

Have a great day :)

What I'm reading + NOTD pt.48

Finally! I made a reservation in library in April and got it in November. I read it really quickly because it has a nice flow and it's interesting and enough that will keep you going. Here it is, The Girl on the Train.

Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She's even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. 'Jess and Jason', she calls them. Their life - as she sees it - is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy. And then she sees something shocking. It's only a minute until the train moves on, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she's only watched from afar. Now they'll see; she's much more than just the girl on the train.

If you read my blog for some time now, you'd know that I like this kind of mystery and crime books. This was no exception. But I can't say that is the best crime book that I ever read. Some time ago I posted about Rosamund Lupton books and I find them better. But publicity does it's thing and here you go, you have a bestseller.

About nail polish, nothing new here. Another discontinued Essence, with the name I'm so very. Easy application, two coats for full opacity. The colour is a tomato red, which I like. 

Have a great day!