What I'm reading + NOTD pt. 88

Facing annihilation at the hands of the warlike Vogons is a curious time to have a craving for tea. It could only happen to the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his curious comrades in arms as they hurtle across space powered by pure improbability--and desperately in search of a place to eat. Among Arthur's motley shipmates are Ford Prefect, a long-time friend and expert contributor to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the three-armed, two-headed ex-president of the galaxy; Tricia McMillan, a fellow Earth refugee who's gone native (her name is Trillian now); and Marvin, the moody android who suffers nothing and no one very gladly. Their destination? The ultimate hot spot for an evening of apocalyptic entertainment and fine dining, where the food (literally) speaks for itself.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is the second book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comedy science fiction "trilogy" by Douglas Adams and is a sequel.

The nails are very summery, not your typical colour for winter, but it goes well with the book. The nail polish is from Essence, an old one with the name Wake up! For an old polish the application is no bad.

Have a great day!

What I'm reading + NOTD pt. 87

Twenty years, two people, one day. 15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? Over twenty years, snapshots of that relationship are revealed on the same day--July 15th--of each year. Dex and Em face squabbles and fights, hopes and missed opportunities, laughter and tears. And as the true meaning of this one crucial day is revealed, they must come to grips with the nature of love and life itself. 

One day by David Nicholls was a nice novel, a book that is easy to read and a page turner. One day was made into a movie and for being a romance I quite like the film also. But what I really don't like that the cover if the book is based on the films. In this case, I could easily forget that this book was made into a movie, but the cover reminded me of that, so the reading experience was a little damaged, because I knew what happens at the end.

The nail polish is from Essence, an old one. Once upon a time Essence had a line, where there were two polished in the set, where one was a colour base, and the other was a top coat, but you could buy them separately. The line was Nail Art Twins. I have a colour base twin, with the name Chuck. As you can imagine, the top coat was called Blair. The application is not the easiest, because the brush is thin and not easily manageable, so you must put a bit of an effort for a decent application, as you can see in the photos.

Have a great day!

What I'm reading + NOTD pt. 86

Leon and Loise is a novel by a Swiss author Alex Capus. Summer 1918. The First World War is ending when Leon Le Gall, a French teenager from Cherbourg who has dropped out of school and left home, falls in love with Louise Janvier. Both are severely wounded by German artillery fire, are separated, and believe each other to be dead. Briefly reunited two decades later, the two lovers are torn apart again by Louise's refusal to destroy Leon's marriage and by the German invasion of France. In occupied Paris during the Second World War, where Leon struggles against the abhorrent tasks imposed upon him by the SS, and the wilds of Africa, where Louise confronts the hardships of her primitive environment, they battle the vicissitudes of history and the passage of time for the survival of their love. 

Nail polish is from Essence and is not discontinued, I repeat, it's not discontinued! In fact, it’s from their latest line update (the new update is just around the corner though). The name is Loyal Royal and it is a shimmery olive green. In some lights it can also look dirty gold. Here on the pictures I have just one coat on my nails and it is enough, it's completely opaque. The application is easy, so no problems with this polish.

Have a great day!

Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink in 50 Voyager

Here it is the new addition in my liquid lipstick collection. It is also the newest addition in the Maybelline range of liquid lipsticks, at least in Slovenia. This is what is says on their website:

Ink with Attitude. Maybelline introduces SuperStay Matte Ink, an intense ink colour concentration, ultra-chic matte finish and flawless, 12 hour wear. With a precise arrow applicator for a smooth matte, second-skin effect in just one stroke. Statement, inked lips that last.

I have the deep red shade with the name Voyager. On my lips is quite dark, I would prefer it to be just a little lighter. Because it' so dark you must be careful with the application, but it's true that the arrow applicator helps with the application. I struggle a little, but it's manageable and if you have a steady hand it can be also precise. 

When on the lips it became completely matte in a couple of minutes and the feel on the lips is not the most comfortable, you can feel the lipstick on the lips, it's like you have a filter over your lips, but at least it's not like you have glue on your lips. 

Now, the wear is really long-lasting, I had this liquid lipstick for New Year’s Eve and it lasted well. At the end of the night (with all the eating, drinking, partying) it looked decent. You could see that it was not perfect, but without any touch ups it looked well enough.

The removal on the other hand is a complete nightmare, if you don't have an oil based remover. The micellar water is not enough. It removes the lipstick from the lips, but then you look like a clown, red all over the mouth, so oil based remover is recommended and all the way a better choice.

Close up / swatch with flash / swatch without flash

To conclude I would say that is one of the best lasting liquid lipsticks in my collection, so it was a good choice to have it on New Year’s Eve. 

Have a great day!

What I'm reading + NOTD pt. 85

Everyone remembers the smell of their grandmother's house. Everyone remembers the stories their grandmother told them. But does everyone remember their grandmother flirting with policemen? Driving illegally? Breaking into a zoo in the middle of the night? Firing a paintball gun from a balcony in her dressing gown? Seven-year-old Elsa does. Some might call Elsa's granny 'eccentric', or even 'crazy'. Elsa calls her a superhero. And granny's stories, of knights and princesses and dragons and castles, are her superpower. Because, as Elsa is starting to learn, heroes and villains don't always exist in imaginary kingdoms; they could live just down the hallway. As Christmas draws near, even the best superhero grandmothers may have one or two things they'd like to apologise for. And, in the process, Elsa can have some breath-taking adventures of her own.

A Man Called Ove was a pleasure to read, easy, funny and sad at the same time and I expected the same with My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises, witch to some extend is true, but I experienced a little less of everything. Still a nice read though. 

“Because not all monsters were monsters in the beginning. Some are monsters born of sorrow.”

“Having a grandmother is like having an army. This is a grandchild’s ultimate privilege: knowing that someone is on your side, always, whatever the details.”

“Elsa decides that even if people she likes have been shits on earlier occasions, she has to learn to carry on liking them. You’d quickly run out of people if you had to disqualify all those who at some point have been shits.”

“I want someone to remember I existed. I want someone to know I was here.” 

On my nails is an old Colour & Go from Essence, with a name Red-y-to go. It a shimmery red, the application is all right, even if it's an old polish. In this case I applied two coats over Catrice's base coat Peel Off, and in this case the staying power is even lower than usual, that means not even a day, but the peel off system is so nice, I wasn't bothered too much with such a misère staying power.

Have a nice day!

What I'm reading + NOTD pt. 84

The Wise Man's Fear is the sequel to The Name of the Wind, a fantasy trilogy from Patrick Rothfuss. Picking up the tale of Kvothe Kingkiller once again, we follow him into exile, into political intrigue, courtship, adventure, love and magic ... and further along the path that has turned Kvothe, the mightiest magician of his age, a legend in his own time, into Kote, the unassuming pub landlord.

Oh, I love a good fantasy and the story of Kvothe is just right up my alley, I have just one problem with this trilogy. Where is the third part? You know, the Wise Man's Fear was just recently published in Slovenia (2016) and since the original publication happened in 2011 I thought there must be already a last part of trilogy published, but no, it's just like with George R.R. Martin all over again, waiting for a book to be published, but there is no sign of a book in sight.

Nail polish is from Catrice, again discontinued. The name is Genius In The Bottle and it was popular back in the day. It's like Chanel nail polish Perodot. It's a duochrome that shifts from gold to green. I think that it’s pretty, it bothers me just a little that brush strokes are visible, but otherwise is a nice, special colour.

Happy New Year!

What I'm reading + NOTD pt. 83

Lymstock is a town with more than its share of shameful secrets - a town where even a sudden outbreak of anonymous hate-mail causes only a minor stir. But all that changes when one of the recipients, Mrs Symmington, commits suicide. Her final note said `I can't go on'. Only Miss Marple questions the coroner's verdict of suicide. Was this the work of a poison-pen? Or of a poisoner?

It this novel the crime investigates Miss. Marple, but while we're on a subject... did you watch the latest Murder on the orient express? I knew I wanted to go see it, although I knew I wouldn't like the actor who plays Hercule Poirot as much as I like David Suchet, because he is for me the perfect Poirot. But if I leave this aside, in my opinion something was off with the character of Poirot. There was the first scene and I thought, omg, Poirot is acting as if he is Sherlock Holmes, and there was a scene where he is running after a suspect and I don't remember Poirot ever running after a suspect. And there is a scene at the end where he is being so dramatic (we all know he likes to feel important and likes to talk but this felt different). I don't want to say too much, so that I don't spoil it for you, but if you saw it, what is your opinion?

The nail polish is from Catrice (discontinued) with a name After Eight. I like the chocolate After Eight and I also like this colour. It's a shimmery dark green nail polish. 

Have a great day!