Cover Cosmetics: Divergent factions

Hello, everyone! As I'm writing this, I just got back from seeing the Divergent movie! As you can imagine, I went all out for this - I did themed makeup, wore a Divergent tank top, and even put on a temporary tattoo of Tris' birds for the showing. I actually really enjoyed the movie! Sure, there were some changes here and there that I still need to think a little more about before I come to a full conclusion about how I feel about the movie, but overall I think it was fairly true to the story and very true to the feeling of the world. To be honest, my biggest disappointment came from the lack of Dauntless chocolate cake! I mean, seriously - important stuff. Anyway, I really enjoyed it and I think it has a lot of potential to make Insurgent an even better film adaptation.

Now onto the makeup looks! I've been posting a different faction look on Twitter every day but now I will compile them and write a bit about my thought process behind each of the looks.

Abnegation is a faction dedicated to selflessness. Part of this includes rejecting vanity and not wearing makeup. However, choosing to do no makeup for my Abnegation look would be counterproductive and silly. I still wanted to keep the look fairly neutral, so I stuck with tan and then I used grey, the color of Abnegation, in the outer half of the lid. I'm also not a person to go without eyeliner but I decided to smudge black eyeshadow instead to keep the look soft. I used all shadows from the Divergent collection for this look: Humble Sheen, Radiant Initiation, Abnegation Stone, Dauntless Ink, Serene Vanilla, and Altruistic Almond.

For my Amity look, I thought about incorporating their red and yellow colors but, obviously, decided not to. Instead, I drew more inspiration from their symbol of the tree and the way the symbol is represented on the cover of Insurgent. To do this, I used green, brown, and tan to blend the colors into harmony - a thing that Amity loves. I also added the green eyeliner just to add a little more pop to the look. From the Divergent collection I used: Bold Espresso, Intrepid Moss, Golden Honesty, Altruistic Almond, Burnt Mahogany, Radiant Initiation, Dauntless Ink, and Serene Vanilla. In addition, I also used Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (white cream base) to make the highlight more prominent and Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in Mildew for the eyeliner.

With Candor everything is black and white - right or wrong. I think the sharp black and white is important for Candor so I wanted to base my look around the stark contrast between the colors. From the Divergent collection I used Dauntless Ink. Since there's no full on white color in the Divergent collection (Serene Vanilla comes close), I used a white cream base and Glamour Doll Eyes Electric Chair.

When I was thinking about Erudite, I felt like an Erudite woman might not want to take the time to do a lot of makeup - she'd rather spend her time researching or developing something new to help their society. Keeping this in mind, I still wanted to incorporate some Erudite blue into the look. From the Divergent collection I used: Humble Sheen, Erudite Sapphire, Dauntless Ink, Serene Vanilla, and some Gleaming Pearl from the cheek palette. In addition to that, I also used a white cream base for the highlight and Urban Decay Haight.

Last, but certainly not least, is Dauntless. For Dauntless I wanted to stick with something daring. Black was an obvious choice since black is the Dauntless color; however, I felt that all black would be boring and I wanted to make it a little more fun. I added the grey on the lid to add more light rather than an all consuming black and I added the red along the edge as a pop of color to symbolize the fiery coals of Dauntless. From the Divergent Collection I used: Dauntless Ink, Abnegation Stone, and Serene Vanilla. I also used a white cream base and Glamour Doll Eyes Electric Chair for the highlight.

Which faction look is your favorite?

Let us know in the comments!

Review: The Magicians - Lev Grossman

The Magicians
Lev Grossman
Series: The Magicians, #1
Genre: Fantasy, Magic
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Well, Different.
On Goodreads

DNF.

Don't hound me, I do have reasons. I would have kept reading, and I really did want to but I'm sorry, I just couldn't anymore

This book does have some good qualities, which is why I haven't shut it down completely.

It's light and reads fairly easily to read. There's lots of sarcasm! Some of the lines are just absolutely brilliant and some of the scenes are thoroughly exciting and well transitioned and oh so fluid. The commentary on Harry Potter through the modern, realistic eyes of our narrator is pretty cool. The school and Quentin's obsession with Fillory are fantastically portrayed.

And that's where it stops. I can't simply praise and love a book for the few gold nuggets it contains.

The reason it's light and reads easily is because there is no 'showing', there's just a hell of a lot of info dumping, description, delineation, so that the book becomes more or less completely perceptive to the surrounding of the book, rather than placing the reader in the active plot. So it's the anti-contemporary Fantasy novel, yeah? Yeah. There are different ways to critique and display a different style of writing from the genre of the book you are writing . . . this is not one of those ways. It conflicts with one of the main tenants of such a book: the reader has to be engaged.

Yes, I understand there is a small group who wish to be floored with the 'tell' aspect. Yes, I understand that being anti-fantasy is all this book is about, but one has to be deceptive about an anti-book. Grossman simply scares us off with this, makes the first half of the book, the "Harry Potter" half, much more awkward than it has to be. I can't even gather myself to analyze this anymore it's so frustrating.

The entirety of the first half reads like this: "Here's something I didn't like in Harry Potter. Here's my cool, modern version. Ooh let's talk about something else, like Quentin's alcoholism. What a guy, eh?"
Literally, check it out . . . I'm too mad to copy lines from this book, I can't look at it anymore.

And the worst part of this whole anti-genre crap? There is no social message. You won't walk away thinking "wow that guy really had something to say about the fantastical and fallacious portrayal of human beings". Here's a hint: he doesn't. He takes the saying "people never change" and stretches it to the sun and back. Fantasy novels portray humans of all kinds, the best and the worst, and we usually find ourselves in the eyes of the 'best', growing alongside them, however dark it may become or they may become. Human nature is not so facile to be reduced to Quentin Coldwater's less-than-tepid selfish arrogant buttfacery.

See, I know that people suck. I'm not an idiot. People like to think they are the centers of the universe, or in the opposite, that they don't matter at all. People like to just suck. But that's not the point. Grossman had a chance here. A wonderful opportunity to portray Quentin slowly realizing the fallacy of the fantasy world he's being chucked in. But no, he's just a little prick and dresses it up as depression, which it isn't, ruining it for anyone who suffers. He's a cynic, and dresses it up as skepticism, which ruins it for any freethinkers . . . I just don't understand what Grossman was trying to do. He seems to be tackling so much that it just collapses.

I predicted the end and couldn't bring myself to finish, I'm sorry. I quit.

- Marlon

I'm anti-question so no questions. Ha!*

Let us know in the comments!
I'm still angry about this book.

Review: Divergent Makeup Collection

If you couldn't tell by all my Cover Cosmetic posts, I'm kind of into makeup. Naturally, when I saw that Divergent was putting out a makeup collection as promotion for the movie, I HAD TO HAVE IT. And the nail set too. Obviously.

So here are some pictures of the makeup collection. I have to say, the packaging of this is simply stunning! The box pictures the ferris wheel from when the Dauntless initiates play capture the flag and it has these sort of holographic strips that make it shine.

Inside the box, there are three eyeshadow palettes, a face palette, four lip glosses, and a double ended brush - one side being a face brush and the other an eyeshadow blending brush that's really great for the crease.

The three eyeshadow palettes are named after the three factions that Tris had an aptitude for: Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite. The palettes consist of 4 plain eyeshadow colors and one super shimmer on the side. The part containing the 4 colors has a mirror in the top.

Abnegation: 

Dauntless:

Erudite:

These are all the super shimmery colors (from Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite, respectively).

The super shimmery colors on the side of each palette actually detach and can be swapped between the different palettes.

The face palette comes with two blushes, a highlight, and a bronzer. This palette also has a mirror built into the top.

Here are the four lip glosses. From left to right: Fear Not, Natural Virtue, Supreme Ritual, and Temptation's Choice.

Onto the nail set! This is the outside packaging of the nail polish set as well as a view of the polishes outside of the packaging. Once again, the box features the ferris wheel motif. The colors of the polish are a bit distorted in the image so here are some descriptions along with the names. Midnight Calm - a dark navy, almost black; Violet Abnegation - a purple-ish gray; Opal Compassion - shimmery gray with a purple shift; True Pearl - shimmery white with a blue / pink shift; Neutral Lace - nude; Evolve - clear with multi-color glitter.

The nail set also comes with these sort of "nail tattoos" that work similar to temporary tattoos. They feature several iconic images like the ferris wheel, the birds, and the dauntless symbol as well as several other prints that match the nail polishes. There are instructions on how to use them in the bag.

Overall, I think the collection is really great. The packaging is absolutely stunning and totally spot on. I haven't had an opportunity to use all of the colors yet, but from what I've used and swatched, the colors are really great and pretty well pigmented. The colors I've used have applied very smoothly as well and I think the set offers a great variety. My biggest complaint, I'd have to say, is actually in some of the theme-y ness of the set. The palettes are named after the factions and the colors sort of fit those descriptions but the naming of the shadows within the palettes is kind of random. I think it might have been more interesting for the collection, or at least as another separate palette, to have some more vibrant colors that reflect all of the factions. The names could have been a bit more creative too, rather than just slapping an adjective that fits a faction in front of a color name. As for the shimmery colors, these definitely can't be applied as they are - they are VERY glittery. Applying wet or using a glitter base would probably help to make them really stick. As for color, I wish Transform and Chose weren't so similar. There is a distinct difference between the silver sheen and gold sheen of the two, but they are so similar to each other in comparison to the black and gold that is Diverge. The brush is also a pretty good quality. I like the crease brush but I kind of wish it was two separate brushes since the face brush sort of weighs it down. For all the stuff you get and the great quality, I think the set is definitely worth the $59.50 it'll put you back. The collection can be purchased here.

As for the nail set, I haven't had an opportunity to use the polishes yet, but I think there is a nice variety of colors that can be mixed a bunch of different ways. I also really like the decals, although I wish there was more of the themed ones. With how much is provided, it's really only enough to use one of the designs for two accent nails before the whole thing is gone (unless, for example, you cut out small pieces of the bird pattern). The one thing I really love about this, so far, is how DIVERGENT is cut out across the front. I like how the top half of the lettering is all cut out so you can see the nail polish through it. The nail set is $27.50 - I can't quite speak on whether or not I feel this is worth it yet, but I'll definitely touch on it more on Friday after I try the polishes out. The nail set can be purchased here.

Along with the collection and the nail set, there is also a multi-piece palette available for $32.50 here.

A week of Divergent makeup!

As a celebration / in anticipation of the movie coming out THIS FRIDAY, I'll be posting a different faction inspired eye shadow look every day on Twitter (@wlabb) and then I'll put them all in a post on Friday with a description (just like a Cover Cosmetics post). I'm going to mostly use products from the Divergent collection but I'll be using some other products as well. Make sure to check them all out!

- Kiersten

What are you most looking forward to seeing in the Divergent movie?

Let us know in the comments!

Review: Out of the Dust - Karen Hesse

Out of the Dust
Karen Hesse
Series: N/A
Genre: Children's, Historical Fiction, Poetry
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: As Depressing as Cancer, but Totally Worth the Read
On Goodreads

If you are looking for something cheerful and happy, step away from this book. Just step away. Leave. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

Okay, got that disclaimer out of the way. So I read this book a few years ago and I liked it very much and then it sat in my bookshelf until now, other than that time my mom read it, which it has also been a while since. Which is not to say it is a forgettable book, because as I was rereading it today. it all came flooding back to me, even specific phrases and lines, and all the little plot details, like Livie moving and the boy who came and asked them for food. So it's not a forgettable book in the slightest. It's more of something with a quiet punch that you won't ever forget, but won't always be thinking about. I was reminded of the existence of this book when my train of thought wandered into the territory of fire and burns. And since it had been years since I'd read it, I realized the intended audience for this book had to have been of the younger variety. And so, I really wanted to know if I would still find it as heartbreaking or impactful now as I did back then. The answer, in short, is yes. I do. I'm glad I reread it because it has quite a different impression at this stage of my life than it did the first time I read it.

The book is written in free-verse poetry and when I read it the first time, I didn't really understand why. I thought it read like normal diary-type entries. I guess it's because it's very narrative poetry, and it focuses more on the story than on fancy words and metaphors. However, reading it this time around, I appreciate the way it's written so much more. For one, it seriously adds to the tone and the feel of the book. The verses are just long enough to get the point across, but don't waste time on unnecessary detail. This way, when the extra detail here or there is added in, you pay extra attention and I like the effect achieved. The book has a very empty and depressing feel to it, as if Billie Jo, the main character, is just experiencing daily life without actually living. This girl is so young and she already feels like life is hopeless, like it's all about surviving from one day to the next. The word choice and style of this book is just one of the things that really makes it stand out. For example, in the very beginning, this is how Billie Jo describes herself:

Daddy names me Billie Jo.
He wanted a boy,
Instead,
he got a long-legged girl
with a wide mouth
and cheekbones like bicycle handles.
He got a redheaded, freckle-faced, narrow-hipped girl
with a fondness for apples
and a hunger for playing fierce piano.

It's short and sweet but still manages to get across not only her physical appearance, but two of her most prominent traits: her love for apples and her skills at piano. There are other lines scattered throughout that I love, too but listing them all would just involve me retyping this whole book onto this document, which would defeat the purpose of the review. Even though it's such straightforward writing, the way she described the apple trees and her mother and the dust storms are just really well done.

Speaking of apples and mothers and dust storms, there's a lot that goes on in this book. It doesn't really have a specific "plot" where there is a specific conflict to resolve and certain antagonists to face. Set in the 1930's, not only is the Great Depression in full swing, but out in Oklahoma there are these terrible, awful dust storms. They destroy all the crops -- which is their primary method of livelihood -- and they make people sick and they are horrible and unrelenting. And they happen often, unlike the rain, which comes almost never. And so they've got no food, no money, and no positive outlook. On top of this, Billie Jo goes through so much trauma. This isn't a spoiler, because it says it right there on the back cover, and it happens very early in the book, but she loses her mother and her unborn brother in a horrific fire that she feels guilty for but also blames her father for, too. In the aftermath of this fire, her hands are burnt to bloody, pus-filled pulps that aren't so good for piano playing. At least, not until they heal. It sounds bad enough as it is, but the way it's written about in the book is just heartbreaking. On top of that, a slew of other things happen to her, which I won't spoil, but are just as depressing. Hell, at one point, her father is digging a 6 foot deep "pond" which I am almost definitely sure was supposed to be his own grave.

Basically, read this book and have a good cry and just appreciate how well done it is. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

- Noor

What stories have haunted you because of how depressing they were?
Let us know in the comments!

Book Tour Review: Third Daughter - Susan Kaye Quinn

Third Daughter
Susan Kaye Quinn
Series: The Dharian Affairs Trilogy, #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Steampunk
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: ALL OF THE STARS
On Goodreads

About the book:

Skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue... and, of course, kissing.

The Third Daughter of the Queen wants her birthday to arrive so she'll be free to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon may force her to accept a barbarian prince's proposal for a peace-brokering marriage. Desperate to marry the charming courtesan she loves, Aniri agrees to the prince's proposal as a subterfuge in order to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she does not love.

Third Daughter is the first book in the The Dharian Affairs Trilogy (Third Daughter, Second Daughter, First Daughter). This steampunk-goes-to-Bollywood (Bollypunk!) romance that takes place in an east-Indian-flavored alternate world filled with skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue. And, of course, kissing.

From the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, The Dharian Affairs is a new series filled with equal doses of action-adventure and romance, meant to appeal to fans of Mindjack.

Review:

It's kind of an understatement to say that I liked Third Daughter - I absolutely loved it. It's no secret that I am a fan of Susan Kaye Quinn's work and this book is no exception. Susan Kaye Quinn always does a beautiful job of balancing description with smooth character development, world building, and plot development. Once again, Susan Kaye Quinn delivers on a beautifully written and original story that brings you to a new world and makes you feel all the feels.

The world of Third Daughter is unlike any I have read before. The world is, just as advertised, a mix of Indian culture and steampunk culture. The greatest thing about this world is that even though it combines two things you might not traditionally mix together, it doesn't feel forced. The mix between Indian culture and steampunk seems very natural and is described vividly throughout the entire book.

Just like the world, the characters are masterfully developed. I found that the characters were very easy to love and empathize with. The Third Daughter, Aniri, is a perfect balance between tough girl, reckless teen, scared child, and noble royal. Aniri is a character that feels so believable and real. Like most book heroines, Aniri wants to fight for herself, but she has no problem accepting help when she needs it (although she often thinks she doesn't need it).

While Third Daughter is clearly a romance, I definitely would not say that the romance is in your face. Susan Kaye Quinn mixes the romance into the plot in a way that the romance has plenty of time to grow in a life-like way. It's not insta-love, it's not the stereotypical love triangle - it is a beautiful telling of a girl torn between her heart and her country and how her relationships grow and change as she learns more and more about what's really going on.

In Third Daughter, Susan Kaye Quinn brings a totally original and well developed world to life. Third Daughter has a perfect balance between the romantic element as well as the action and intrigue. As a fan of the Mindjack series, I can say that this is definitely a must read for fans of Mindjack, but also for everyone else. READ THIS BOOK! IT'S AMAZING! Especially if you haven't read any of Susan Kaye Quinn's work before. Susan Kaye Quinn has such a different approach to the young adult genre that I think all readers of YA can appreciate.

- Kiersten

Purchase links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Book Depository

About the author:

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, which is young adult science fiction. The Dharian Affairs trilogy is her excuse to dress up in corsets and fight with swords. She also has a dark-and-gritty SF serial called The Debt Collector and a middle grade fantasy called Faery Swap. It's possible she's easily distracted. She always has more speculative fiction fun in the works. You can find out what she's up to by subscribing to her newsletter (hint: new subscribers get a free short story!).

Author links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway:

PRIZES:
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS: Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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