Essie "Licorice" + Sephora by OPI "Traffic Copper Stopper"

With Halloween fast approaching, I thought I would squeeze in at least one Halloween-inspired manicure. I was tempted to buy this Orly polish from their Halloween collection but decided to combine Essie's "Licorice," a basic black, with Sephora by OPI's "Traffic Copper Stopper," a chunky copper glitter and save myself a polish I would wear once at year at the most.

(photographed [L-R]: Essie "Licorice," Sephora by OPI "Traffic Copper Stopper")

Essie "Mint Candy Apple"

The last two days in Northern California have been oddly warm for the end of October and has resulted in some changes in my dark nail polish trend. Today's nail of the day, Essie's "Mint Candy Apple," is an old reliable minty-green with a slight hint of blue.

(photographed: Essie "Mint Candy Apple")

Fun Halloween Reads

Realizing that it was the weekend prior to Halloween, I thought it would be fun to suggest a list of books to put you in that Halloween mood. And while I acknowledge most would rather be out partying as opposed reading, I thought the idea was still fun for those like me who like to curl up in bed with a good book on a cold Autumn night. However, with that said, I wish I had put more thought into this idea ahead of time. My list is rather short (partially because I'm not particularly drawn to books that will scare me), so feel free to add any theme-appropriate books you have!

(pumpkin carved by yours truly)

Battle of the Baby Pink Polishes

I have been meaning to compare my baby pink polishes for some time now, but seeing as I knew they were wearable through all seasons, I put it off. But here it is for you today! I intend to compare Butter London's "Teddy Girl," Revlon's "Pale Cashmere" from the Colorstay line, and Essie's "Fiji."

([L to R]: Butter London "Teddy Girl," Revlon "Pale Cashmere," Essie "Fiji")

Revlon "Vixen"

Today's nail of the day post is for one of the darkest nail polish colors you will ever catch me wearing, Revlon's "Vixen." This polish is one of those chocolate-cherry/blood red colors that is essentially an incredibly deep reddish-brown color.

(photographed: Revlon "Vixen")

Roxana: A Book Review

There are NO SPOILERS in this review. Enjoy! (:

For quite some time I have been meaning to read Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe but I often find myself more tempted by an author's less famous work over the well-known one (mostly because I enjoy saving the best for last). It's also why I tend to recommend others to read Looking For Alaska before The Fault In Our Stars if they want to read multiple of John's books. So, to get to the point I was trying to make, I chose to read Roxana as a way to introduce myself to Defoe.

(photographed: Daniel Defoe's Roxana)

The back cover description reads:

"Beautiful, proud Roxana is terrified of being poor. When her foolish husband leaves her penniless with five children, she must choose between being a virtuous beggar or a rich whore. Embarking on a career as a courtesan and kept woman, the glamour of her new existence soon becomes too enticing and Roxana passes from man to man in order to maintain her lavish society parties, luxurious clothes and amassed wealth. But this life comes at a cost, and she is fatally torn between the sinful prosperity she has become used to and the respectability she craves."

OPI "Goldeneye"

As we get to that time of year where holiday nail collections are released, my wallet suffers directly as a result. I am positive I buy more polishes in holiday collections than I do for seasonal ones, despite the fact that some are only wearable during that time of year. China Glaze's "Twinkle Lights" from last years holiday collection is a perfect example of this. I wore that polish continuously in the month of December but haven't touched it since then.

Anyway, I digressed. Today's nail of the day post is for, OPI's "Goldeneye," my first holiday polish purchase from this year's OPI Skyfall Collection. "Goldeneye" is a gold foil that leans slightly bronze.

(photographed: OPI "Goldeneye")

Essie "Penny Talk" + Sephora by OPI "Traffic Copper Stopper"

Today's nail of the day features one of my favorite glitters to use in the colder seasons, Sephora by OPI's "Traffic Copper Stopper." I decided to layer it over Essie's "Penny Talk" since both polishes are in the copper color range.

(photographed [L to R]: Essie "Penny Talk," Sephora by OPI "Traffic Copper Stopper")

China Glaze "Man Hunt"

Today's nail of day is China Glaze's "Man Hunt" is from the new China Glaze Safari Collection. It is a dark blue that falls between a true blue and a navy blue. It is neither as bright as a true blue nor as dark as a navy.

(photographed: China Glaze "Man Hunt")

OPI "Every Month Is Oktoberfest"

Today's nail of the day is one from OPI's Germany Collection, "Every Month Is Oktoberfest" that probably would have been more appropriate to wear the previous month. But due to California's tendency towards two seasons rather than four, I held out on painting this polish on my fingers. I know maybe it seems silly to let the weather dictate what polish I wear. I just personally dislike wearing such dark colors when I feel like the day is bright, beautiful, and cheerful. But anyway, moving on, this polish is a shimmery red in a dark purple base. Though I don't wear polishes with micro-shimmers often, the one in this polish is what makes me love it.

(photographed: OPI "Every Month Is Oktoberfest")

The Perks of Being A Wallflower: A Movie Review and Discussion

SPOILER ALERT: This movie review WILL contain spoilers. Proceed with caution. Enjoy! (:

I debated for a while whether or not I wanted to review this film. Oftentimes, I don't feel like seeing a movie once ever gives me an accurate depiction of my final thoughts on said film. And when it comes to a film that is an adaption of a book, my mind is constantly wandering back and forth between how I imagined the scenes in the book, what is being portrayed on the screen, scenes that are being rushed or forgotten altogether, new scenes being added, etc. Nonetheless, I will try my best to give a decent review on my opinions of the film. If you want to know thoughts on the book, you can find that review here. Otherwise, lets get on with this review!

(photograph taken from The Perks of Being A Wallflower trailer)

Zoya "Kendal"

Today's nail of the day is one that I find rather appropriate for fall. Zoya's "Kendal" is a creamy grey with a slight purple tint. It's the greyer version of Essie's "Lilacism." I think this color is perfect for fall, especially for those who tire easily of darker hues.

(photographed: Zoya "Kendal")

The Casual Vacancy: A Book Review

There will be NO SPOILERS in this review. Enjoy! (:

When I heard that JK Rowling would be releasing a new adult book I was ecstatic. It wasn't until two weeks before the release of The Casual Vacancy that the thought of disappointment even occurred to me. Until then I assumed the book would be a hit and that it would be a new love. So when I finally got the book in my hands, I was all kinds of anxious.

I finished the book a few days ago, but was finding difficulty in putting concrete words down. I still don't feel like I've reached the point that I can accurately assess what I think about every aspect of The Casual Vacancy, but I'm hoping that in forcing myself to write this book review, I can come to some sort of conclusion.

So as you can probably guess, this book review will probably be more of ramblings on my thoughts as I read The Casual Vacancy and less "review-like." If you really don't want to read through all my thoughts, sorted completely at random, than feel free to skip to the last section that's titled "Final Verdict." It'll be the quickest possible summary I can provide of my thoughts on The Casual Vacancy.

(photographed: JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy)

Despite that disclaimer, I always have to start off with the inside-cover description:

"When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations?"

Orly "Glowstick"

The weather here in California is as stubborn as always. It looked like we were going to start Autumn a few weeks ago, but we seem to have a few more hot summer days left. Yesterday was even mentioned as the hottest day of the year. While I'm looking forward to the change in weather, I will miss the longer summer days, and the fun, bright colors that come with it.

So today's nail of the day will probably be the last neon I will be sporting til next summer. Orly's "Glowstick" is a fluorescent yellow with a hint of green that closely resembles the color of your classic yellow highlighter.

(photographed: Orly "Glowstick")