Haul: e.l.f.

Hello everybody!

Since it's spring break, I thought I'd give you a mid-week post. 

It's almost prom at my school, so I went to Target and bought a ton of makeup. I've been there about three times just to get makeup for school. So I've split the entire haul into e.l.f. products and non e.l.f. products. 

I'm not a huge makeup wearer, so I didn't have all the things I want to wear to prom, hence, the shopping spree. 

What I really like about e.l.f. is that their products are cheap and usable. They work.

So here's what I bought:

$6.00 x

(Lol, you can see my Mickey sweater)

$3.00 x

$3.00 x

$3.00 x

$3.00 x

$3.00 x

$1.00 x

There you go! Keep your eyes out for another haul post soon!

Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon!

~Claudia

Twitter: x

Instagram: x

Review: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Hello everybody!

Sorry I didn't post last week, it was the last week of school before spring break and you know what that means: TESTS.

So here's a book I read a while ago and thought was okay. I recently picked up the second book and it's getting really good!

So here is a review on Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes:

ISBN: 978-1-59514-584-0

Pages: 412

Goodreads: x

Amazon: x

Barnes and Noble: x

Summary:

In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realise that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....

Review:

What I liked the most: How the characters are seen by different characters

Okay, that sounds confusing, but let me explain. The story is told from three different perspectives: Cleo's, Jonas's, and Magnus's. From Jonas's perspective, Cleo is a cold-hearted, spoiled brat who, like all royals, does what she wants. He repeatedly describes the cold, unemotional expression on her face when Aron killed his brother. (That's no a spoiler, btw. It happens in, like, the first 50 pages.) However, from Cleo's POV, you find out how that death haunts her. She's not the heartless bitch Jonas sees her as, but a caring sister who will do anything to save her sister. When you first meet Magnus, he's just a boy trying to please his father and harbors a secret love for his sister. But from Cleo's perspective, he's a vicious monster. 

There are three kingdoms and they all view each other differently: Auranos, spoiled and greedy, keeping all its prosperity to itself; Paelsia, a kingdom full of savages and thieves; and Limeros, a frozen barren ruled by a tyrant. However, upon closer inspection, you see the motives of each kingdom. Paelsia is dying, the people are desperate: desperate times call for desperate measures. Of course, they're going to do all they can to survive. Can you blame them for poaching in order to put food on the table?  

What I liked the least: The characters

I didn't like and couldn't connect to any of the characters. They're not all Mary Sues, but there was no spark between us. 

The characters:

Cleo: she's just a spoiled princess who has lived a life full of privileges. The only redeeming quality I see in her is her willingness to do anything for her sister. She does develop as a character through out the story though. Also, I disliked her relationship with Theon. Honestly, their relationship developed way too fast and there is no substance to it. It's just, Theon guard the princess! and then I love you! I love you too! Ugh, *rolls eyes* Not to mention, Theon is an absolutely flat character, what is his personality? All you get from him is that he cares for Cleo... and then what?? Nothing!

Jonas: Out of all the characters, I probably like Jonas the best; he's the underdog among all these stupid royals. Although I don't like some of the things he does, I don't blame him. He just wants his people to live better and not have to starve. He does what his thinks is best for Paelsia.

Magnus: I hate Magnus, he's my least favorite character. Everything he does is so stupid. All he wants to do is prove himself to his father and I just.. ughhhh. It infuriates me so much. Honestly, shut up, no one cares that you're in love with your sister or that your daddy is disappointed in you. The things he does to make his father proud of him makes me so mad. Ugh, I need to stop before my blood pressure gets to high...

Lucia: aka Mary Sue. She's beautiful and caring and, oh what? a powerful sorceress? (that is not a spoiler, you can guess it from the moment you meet her). Does she have any flaws? This perfect little princess is the key to everything, hooray! *rolls eyes* I have no feelings towards her whatsoever. 

Overall:

Even though I dislike the characters, the story is engaging. It's similar to Game of Thrones in which kingdoms are battling for power and there's treachery everywhere. There are many surprises and the book ends in a sort of cliff hanger. I like the way each characters's fate intertwines and how they become dependent on each other, whether they like it or not. 

Rating: 3 / 5

I will be reading the next book because I want to know what Cleo is going to do. But I'm not gushing over it.

As I said earlier, I'm reading the second book right now and enjoying it very much. The characters are starting to grow on me, but more on that in another review.

Also, on a completely unrelated topic... ZAYN MALIK LEFT ONE DIRECTION!??? Are any of you as devastated as me? I cried for hours after I found out. Yes I'm happy he's taking care of himself and trying to find happiness. But at the same time... HOW COULD YOU???? HOW ARE THE BOYS SUPPOSED TO GET ON WITHOUT YOU???? The next album is not going to sound as good as the previous ones because Zayn complete them.... who else is going to deliver those amazing, angelic high notes????

Another thing, Riv (x) and I made a book podcast. So if you want to listen to it, you can do it here (x). Follow the blog while you're at it because we will (hopefully) be posting more. In this podcast we basically talk about the books we've read so far this year, our recommendations, and the Infernal Devices.

Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon!
~Claudia

Twitter: x

Instagram: x

OOTD: Peek-A-Boo

Hello everybody!

I feel like I haven't done an OOTD post in a while, so here's one!

It's almost spring! Are you excited?? No more snow (hopefully) and cold temperatures! Bring on the rain and allergies, right? 

(Forever 21; similar: x)

(Forever 21 x)

(Forever 21 x)

(Forever 21; similar: x)

So these was unintentionally all from Forever 21... oops? Well, considering 75% of my closet is from F21, it's not that rare that my entire outfit is from that store.

So spring's just around the corner, a few more days away! It's warm enough to show a bit of skin (really tiny lol) but still cold enough to wear a sweater. 

What are you most excited about for spring?

Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon!

~Claudia

Twitter: x

Instagram: x

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Hello everybody! 

I'm going to try a new format for my reviews. So, without further ado, here is my review of Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

ISBN: 978-0-312-64189-4

Pages: 387

Goodreads: x

Amazon: x

Barnes and Noble: x

Summary:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review:

What I liked the most: The concept and setting

I really like the new twist on the old fairy tale. This is set in the future, more than a century after the Fourth World War, in New Beijing. It has a lot of futuristic ideas like saving people who have sustained serious injuries by turning them into cyborgs. This plot doesn't follow the traditional Cinderella story line, where a fairygod mother poofs Cinderella into a dress and Cinderella and the Prince live happily ever after. Most of the time, it doesn't feel like it's a retelling of Cinderella, but rather like it's own idea. The story focuses a lot on Cinder and her struggles as a cyborg, from enduring her second class citizen status to being physically barred from certain things. 

The Lunars were also interesting. In a world full of technological developments, I wasn't expecting magic to be thrown in there. 

What I liked the least: How in depth the author explored some ideas

As I said before, I love the concept of cyborgs in a futuristic world. However, I would've liked to see some of these things more in depth. Marissa Meyer touches upon cyborgs, the plague, and New Beijing, but she doesn't go very far with them. The book mentions how cyborgs are looked down on and seen as sub human, disposable, but why? In a world of advance technology, shouldn't they be accepted? Eastern influences can be seen in New Beijing, like dumplings and Buddha statues, but there is not much about Asian culture there. As an Asian, I'm happy the book is set there, since not many are, but we're not just about dumplings and sticky buns. 

The characters:

I found it a bit hard to connect with the characters in the book. 

Cinder is dealing with an identity crisis... well, maybe not that extreme? She struggles with the idea that she's human, but not really. She doesn't know if her emotions or thoughts are her own or if they're programmed. That would definitely cause turmoil in anyone.

Kai is a young, naive prince, who has a lot to learn about ruling a country. I found him kind of flat with no real personality. He wants to do what's best for his people and what his father would have wanted, but his desire for freedom influences him a bit. He does learn the people with great power have to make great sacrifices.

Iko and Peony are just absolutely adorable. I love them the most.

Overall:

Marissa Meyer has a great imagination. I was engaged throughout the entire book and couldn't put it down. I finished this in two days, which is fast for me considering it was in the middle of a school week. 

Rating: 3 / 5
I will be reading the next book and possibly the entire series (mostly because of Riv x). 

There you go! I hoped you like this review, let me know what you think of the book and if you like this new review format. 

Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon!

~Claudia Chen

Twitter: x

Instagram: x

January/February Favorites

Hello everyone!

I almost forgot it was March already! February really flew by. 

Here are some things I loved these two months:

1. Marvel's Agent Carter

I'm going to start off with what I have been loving the most these two months: Agent Carter. If you watched Captain America, you should remember Peggy Carter (I cried so hard when his plane went down and they were planning their date). I seriously love her so much. She is such a strong female character. 

The story takes place after World War II, so Peggy, being a girl, doesn't have much power or influence. Despite having an amazing track record (like come on, she worked with Captain America, you can't get any better than that), she is treated as a secretary at the SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve). Howard Stark (Iron Man's great grand father or something like that) is accused of selling weapons to the enemy and flees the country. He asks Peggy to help clear his name and lends her his butler, Jarvis. Basically, she has to conduct her own investigations behind the SSR's back. There are so many close calls, my heart is always racing at the end of each episode. 

I need to stop my rant here before it gets too long.

2. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

This is all Riv's fault. She has been going on and on about this series and the characters in it that I just had to read it. At first, I was just reading it at school during English, but then the plot got really good (and I got attached to the characters) that I started reading at home. The series is like a prologue to Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series, but they have almost nothing in common except that they're in the same world. The trilogy includes Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess. The plot is really good, full of unexpected twists and turns, but I really love the characters, mainly Jem and Will.

I just finished the last book yesterday and I am still an emotional wreck. I can't talk about Jem or Will without breaking down. 

I don't know how to summarize the story without giving any details away, so I'll just give you the wiki summary:

The series follows Tessa Gray, an orphaned teenage girl who discovers she has the power to shapeshift, but doesn't bear a mark that shows she is a warlock, and abilities that plunge her into a world she never knew existed. She will have to learn to master them if she wants to find her brother Nate and she will have to forge an alliance with Shadowhunters if she wants to survive in this dangerous world.

Definitely check out this series, it will blow you away. Should I write a review on this trilogy?

3. SACCONEJOLYs 

I've been watching the Saccone-Jolys for a while now and it's become part of my routine. I come home from school and watch their vlog while I eat. They're an Irish family that moved to England and they consist of Jonathan, Anna, Emilia, and Eduardo. Emilia is two and Eduardo is almost one. They also have seven dogs. I love watching Emilia and Eduardo, they're so freaking cute. I think Jonathan and Anna are great parents. They interact with their kids so much and somehow manage to have seven dogs.

Here's their vlog channel: x

I found them after Zoella mentioned them in her vlogs half a million times.

4. Lippie Stix

I wrote a review on them here x. Even though I gave the lippie a 7/10, I got two more of them. Well actually, Riv gave them to me. I got Brink and Bichette from her. You can read her review here x. I love dark reds, that's why I took Bichette, and Brink is a nice neutral tone to balance out my red lipstick collection.

Unfortunately, I only have four favorites this time, so I can't have that round number of five favorites. Next time I will... I hope?

Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon!

~Claudia

Twitter: x

Instagram: x