These Just In.......Don't Judge me!!

I just picked these up from the bookstore and can't wait to dive right in! You'd think being unemployed and desperate would encourage me to not spend all of my meager savings on books, but I just keep telling myself that I'm investing in my future somehow. I do aspire to work in the book industry soon after all. I need to be well read right?—Yes, I think I'll just keep telling myself this for now because it helps me sleep at night.       

Drugstore Lip Balm Review: Maybelline vs. EOS vs. Nivea

Baby Lips: Available for $3-4 at Shoppers Drug Mart, Target, Wal-Mart and most drug stores in Canada.

The colour I purchased above is Peach Kiss. The packaging states that it is a SPF 20 Moisturizing Lip Balm. I can’t really speak to whether or not the SPF factor actually works but I would have to disagree with the “moisturizing” aspect of this product. The colour payoff is decent if you press hard enough and it smells good but, when I put this on, it makes my lips look very dry. It feels heavy, as if you've smeared glue on your lips. The product tends to settle in to the fine lines on my lips. I was excited to try all of the different shades but after my experience with Peach Kiss, I would not re-purchase. 

My Rating: 1/5

EOS: Available for $ 3-5 at Shoppers Drug Mart, Target, Wal-Mart and most drug stores in Canada.

The flavor shown above is Summer Fruit. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve had it for over 6 months now but it smells like melted plastic to me. This lip balm is different from Baby Lips in its purpose because it is simply a moisturizing lip balm with no colour payoff, as shown in the picture above. I would liken this product to a glorified chapstick with fancier packaging but not as moisturizing. EOS is certainly more moisturizing than Baby Lips and lacks the sticky glue feeling. However, It only lasted about an hour or so before I had to re-apply. It lasts less if you are eating/drinking. Although I thought the unique packaging was cool at first, I quickly discovered after throwing this in my purse that it’s slightly un-sanitary. Upon opening it I always find pieces of lint that I need to pick off around the edges of the dome. I would not re-purchase unless maybe the packaging was improved and they made the formula more moisturizing. 

My Rating:  2/5

Nivea Lip Smoothie: Available for $3-5 at Shoppers Drug Mart, Target, Wal-Mart and most drug stores in Canada.   

The flavor shown above is Acai and Wild Apple. The packaging lists Vitamins E, C, and B5 as ingredients. This product is by far my favourite of the three. It’s super moisturizing, lasts a few hours before re-application is needed, and leaves a really pretty, slightly shimmery, natural looking pink shade upon application. It also has a pleasant sweet smell, which, strangely smells of neither apples nor berries to me. I think the Nivea Lip Smoothie is worth the price and will definitely repurchase.  

My Rating: 4/5

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[Book Review] Bloodletting & Other Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam

With the Giller Prize ceremony happening this week, I decided to finally dive in to reading past Giller winner, Bloodletting & Other Miraculous Cures. In all honesty, this book has been in my to-read pile for a while but I kept pushing it aside. The main reason being, I imagined it might be “too medical” for my liking. Logical reasoning on my part because after all, author Vincent Lam is an actual emergency physician by day and this novel was his literary debut. However, not long in to reading the first few chapters, I discovered that this novel was actually all about relationships. It even inspired an HBO mini-series.

Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures is a collection of stories woven intricately between the relationships and experiences of a group of young doctors as they navigate through the trials and tribulations of med school to the fast-paced world of emergency room, evac missions, and terrifying new viruses.   

This novel brilliantly proves false the opinion that “Doctors are sadists who like to play God and watch lesser people scream”  The young doctors, Sri, Ming, Fitz and Chen are genuine people who each carry their own collection of emotional baggage. They each struggle with loneliness, regret, and vulnerability while being confronted daily with moral dilemmas, all for the honor of working in medicine.  Developing and maintaining personal relationships in such a chaotic existence naturally proves difficult. The characters must walk the fine line of being in charge of formulating swift life or death medical prognoses and treatment. Any hesitation or mistake can prove deadly.   

I recommend reading Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures to anyone who holds any form of disdain towards doctors of any kind. This novel will provide you with an accurate depiction  of what medical professionals must deal with in today's world.       

Kamaljit

Now Playing: Willow Beats

The best way I can describe how I feel listening to Willow Beats is bliss mixed with sonic joy. Their 5-track album Alchemy is the perfect album to put on during a long drive to clear your head or on your daily commute to help you unwind from a long day. My favourite track off the Alchemy EP is Elemental. You can watch the music video here.
 
Willow Beats is composed of an Australian duo, Narayana Johnson the producer and Kalyani Ellis on vocals. Believe it or not, the pair is actually uncle and niece. My mind is officially blown. 

Fashion Favourites: ‘Combat’ boots

I had been on the hunt for a pair of military inspired boots for about a month when I finally found and bought these. I was looking for something affordable that would lace up, sit about mid-shin length, and not look too masculine.  

I bought these boots online from the Sears catalogue. I was a bit nervous about the purchase at first because this was my first time buying boots online and I’ve never shopped from the Sears catalogue before. I much prefer trying on boots in front of a mirror, in-store, to get a better feel for them. However, I had been searching for the perfect pair for weeks without any luck finding affordable options in the style that I wanted. 

I have only two complaints: 1) there are zippers on both sides of the ankle but only one side works. This was not mentioned in the description. 2) The shipping was 2 days late with no explanation. Otherwise, I’m happy with my purchase overall because the boots look really nice, are pretty comfortable and were on sale for quite a large discount.

 

[Book Review] The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski

The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow is about a young boy, born without a voice box, yet in it’s place he has a remarkable gift of hearing; one that encompasses every single sound in the universe. On top of that, he can communicate telepathically with his late father. The reason he was born with such a gift is seemingly to help fix all that is broken in the lives of his grieving mother; Dancy, his guilt-ridden grandmother; Letice and the restless spirit of his father; William. With the help of his father’s gentle guidance and a Creole housekeeper endowed with her own special gifts; Trinidad Prefontaine, Bonaventure works to heal the souls of his family members by unraveling long-buried secrets.

This is one of the most richly descriptive novels I’ve read in a long time. At one point, I found myself wanting to bust out a pack of crayons and start colouring, so I too could experience the sound of each colour like Bonaventure! This book would be perfect for fans of magical realism in literature because it reads like a fairy tale. It’s an enjoyable read that’s not too long (400 pages) and has a sentimental happy ending. Take it along as your vacation read or on your every-day commute to become teleported within its magical pages. I highly recommend reading The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow, if you want to take a break from your daily grind.

Kamaljit

Now Playing: Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi aka Chaz Bundwick is an artist who I recently discovered earlier this year. I find him both extremely innovative and refreshing. Toro y Moi, his stage name, derives from Spanish and French words and roughly translates to “bull and me”.  The first song I heard by Toro y Moi and instantly fell in love with is So Many Details. This song was the first single off his latest album: Anything In Return. The latest single off the album, and my personal choice for best music video of 2013 is Rose Quartz. The artistry, detail, and effort that was clearly put in to making this video is what makes it so stunning. I highly recommend you check out Anything in Return because it's an amazing album and a great introduction to the chillwave genre of music.  

[Book Review] Sutton by J.R. Moehringer

Admittedly, before picking up this book I’d never heard of Willie “The Actor” Sutton or his illustrious career as a bank robber/prison escape artist. In fact, when I first saw this book in store and judged its cover, (lesson learned) I presumed it was a fictitious mystery novel based in London, England during the 1920’s. I was quite mistaken.

J.R. Moehringer does a fantastic job of recanting Sutton’s real, fact-based life story with his own distinct twist on events. He manages to provide the answer to the mystery of why an intelligent and charismatic hard worker such as Willie Sutton chose to transform himself in to a master thief who was just as skilled at robbing banks, as he was deft at breaking out of prisons. The only plausible answer could be love. First love.

This book had me loyally rooting for Willie “The Actor” who never fired a shot, yet cringing internally for the destruction left behind in the lives of those he loved. Despite the conflicted feelings, the ending of the book left me only with the feeling of remorse that it was over.

Kamaljit