The Martian by Andy Weir is one of the best books I've read in 2015. It is humorous, intelligent, touching and educational- I learned a lot about Mars and space! I'm not your typical sci-fi reader, so this book may seem out of place for me to review. The truth is, I'm not confined to genre when it comes to a good book, and this one climbed the charts like a rocket (hehe). Creating a beauty look to go with this book was also a fun challenge. It required a bit of imagination, and I think author Andy Weir would appreciate that.

BOOK REVIEW

Sometimes the first line in a book truly and utterly sets the stage for the rest of the book, and The Martian did that quite successfully with this opening line from main character Mark Watney: 'I'm pretty much fucked. That's my considered opinion. Fucked.' Watney enters this line into his log after discovering he has been abandoned on Mars by his crew. The thought of being stranded alone anywhere is pretty intense, but as we learn, Mars isn't exactly as hospitable as you think. It is an extremely cold planet with subzero temps, and little to no atmosphere- creating a vacuum of silence. There's no running water (update: NASA confirms that there is flowing water on Mars!) and the air isn't set at the right combo of oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen to be breathable to a human.

Luckily, the people at NASA are very smart and sent many devices for Mark and his crew's mission that are suited to the Martian environment, and ultimately are used in ways not initially intended to help him survive. His scientific mind as well as some much appreciated props from NASA help to unfold a story of survival that thrills, entertains and ultimately touches the reader. I ended the novel in laughter and tears. A must read, sci-fi geek or not.

beauty review

You may have expected a rouge look consistent with the Red Planet for this beauty review, but I was more inspired by the actual environment I learned about through reading the book. Mars is very cold, sterile and almost icy with loneliness and isolation. No plants, or animals. Just cold dry air, and soil. So, I decided to create a frosty look. Something Mark Watney would agree suits the Martian climate.

Watch my video tutorial below to see how I created this cool Martian look, and shop the products at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!

(PS- I am still working on my video setup and production, so bear with me as I sort it out and expect it to get better over time. Thanks!)

So, I've had this idea brewing in the back of my mind for a couple of months now, and today is the first post! I love books, and I love beauty. I was trying to think of a way that I could offer beauty content in a completely different way. I don't want to compete with the DIY videos on Youtube, or beauty hauls... I want to share my beauty advice alongside some really great (and clean!) products in a new and interesting way. Enter the Book & Beauty Review!

I love to read. I find myself devouring a book every couple of weeks, and get lost in the setting- learning about the characters and letting their personas and appearances take shape in my imagination. Most people who know me, know about my reading 'habit' (hehe) and often ask for my recommendations on what to read next. I'm also doling out beauty advice- helping people find the right products to address their needs and makeup to create their vision. In a very natural way, it seemed right to bring the two things I'm passionate about together in a (hopefully weekly) Book & Beauty Review.

The Book & Beauty Review will include a book review, and I will also tease out a beauty look from said book which I will share, tutorial-style, so you can try the look too! The topics, the characters, the backgrounds, the settings will all vary. I hope you will join me on this new adventure, and please leave comments with any suggestions for books that I should review next. Okay, here we go!

BOOK REVIEW: Delicious! by Ruth Reichl

I had been on a kick about food/cook/recipe infused novels, and tried to get my fix with a couple of other books (one being Blood, Bones and Butter- excellent writing, but the storyline ebbed and flowed which made it hard to really get in to) before landing on Delicious! The title and the book cover gave me pause, but my local bookstore sales associate said it was getting good reviews, and so I gave it a whirl.

At first the writing (especially the 'food writing') felt a little try hard, but I let my judgements go, and found that I really enjoyed getting to know the quirky, immature, yet very talented main character- Billie Breslin. With a tragic past, and some well-appointed baggage to go with it, the depths of Billie's personality (and her history) are revealed to the reader in phases, brought out by different people and situations as you make your way through the book. The complexity of her character is alluring, but the real fun begins when her whole world falls apart and she discovers a secret room in a historic mansion in Manhattan.

Without giving too much away, her secret room discovery ropes in a whole new set of characters through filed correspondences of a time past. This shift turns the book into more of a historical fiction piece- revealing attitudes, situations and behaviors of a difficult and important time. These characters are enchanting and effortlessly pull you through the book, wanting to find out more.

The final chapters of the book connect everything- past, present and future- into a satisfying coming-of-age story about a woman who finally accepts her secret talents and through the support of those around her, comes to celebrate and share the gifts that she's been given.

BEAUTY REVIEW: Billie Breslin from the novel Delicious!

As the main character and narrator of Delicious! Billie paints a picture of herself as an average California girl. Not pretty, but not un-pretty. Normal. She is so enamored with her older sister Genie's beauty and perfection, she doesn't know how to accept and love her own beauty. It takes two years in Manhattan and a lot of persuasion from her more stylish work friends to push her towards finding her best self in her self expression. Luckily, she does. It starts with a wardrobe makeover, which doesn't fit the standard chic glamazon transformation we are used to (ie: Andy in the Devil Wears Prada), but she finds her own quirky style that makes her feel confident in her own skin. Next, she is referred to one of the best hairstylists in the city and putting full trust in this acclaimed expert emerges a totally different version of herself. And she loves it, as does everybody else. Her makeover is complete when she has her makeup done, and we better understand her features and how her makeup enhances them.

I'd called her makeup look 'Burgundy Romance.' Purple and brown hues are swirled into her eyelids to compliment her brown eyes, while subtle pinks accent her cheeks and lips.

GET THE LOOK

1. Start with a tinted moisturizer to even skin tone. Pat on concealer where needed to cover and blend any imperfections. Keep the face coverage light. Billie is a Cali girl who doesn't want the makeup to wear her. I recommend using Suntegrity's 5-in-1 Tinted Moisturizer ($45). It leaves the skin dewy and adds just the right amount of coverage/ tint while protecting with SPF.

2. Next, with a quad eye shadow palette, use the brown shade at the outer corners of they eye and blend inward towards the inner corner- pulling the color across the lid, but focusing the majority of the color at the outer corner. Then, swirl upward toward your natural eye crease to blend. Use the lightest color next and apply from the inner corner, sweeping across the lid to blend with the darker color. Now, take the darker purple hue and smudge it into your lash line with small side-to-side motions. Add a coat (or two) of black mascara.

3. Select a slightly pink/ dusty rose colored cream blush and warming it with your fingertips, apply to the apples of your cheeks and sweep out and up towards the tops of your ears. Apply one or two layers, but blend out and down to keep the look more natural and subtle.

4. Lips are last. Billie is just getting into makeup, so the thought of lipstick is a bit much, but she feels comfortable sporting a lipgloss that is a shade or two pinker than her natural lip color. Choose a lipgloss that enhances your natural lip color slightly and apply a quick coat- blotting your lips together to rub it in evenly. One final tip is to take a touch of the lipgloss and dab it on the top of your cheekbones (blending down and out). It adds a touch of shine and helps lock in the color on your cheeks.

Ready to try Billie's look?! Shop these pure products: