Requium by Lauren Oliver

I must remember in future to write a book review very soon after I reach the end of a book. I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, so although I expect this review to be very short I thought it deserved being written.

Once again, I will present to you the synopsis for this novel. Surprisingly Amazon doesn't provide this, I guess they assume, rightly so, that you would only want to read this book after reading the previous two. But still, it may be helpful in order to get an overview of the trilogy.

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.
But we are still here.
And there are more of us every day.

"Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.
Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.
But we have chosen a different road.
And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.
We are even free to choose the wrong thing."

Following the theme of the second book this one is written in a slightly different way. The story is told from both Lena and Hannah's point of view, alternating with each chapter. Their stories and lives seem very separate right up until the end when they ultimately converge. 

I enjoyed reading this book, and would certainly recommend it if you have read the previous two novels in the trilogy. Although I would have to say that this was my least favourite of the three. For a long period in the book the story doesn't seem to be leading anywhere, but the ending does conclude the trilogy and is worth it for that. 

What did you think of this trilogy? Do you have a similar book recommendations?  

Sweet Potato Curry

This creation was something my Mum and her partner made when they came to stay with us last September, and I've recreated it a few times since. The simplicity of this recipe is down to the number of steps it takes to make. It contains no dairy and can be vegetarian if the prawns are left out or replaced with an alternative.

Serves: 4-6 people

You will need:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion (diced)
1 red pepper (diced)
2-3 tbsp curry paste
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can coconut cream
1 large/medium or 2 small sweet potatoes (diced)
250-300g bag of frozen prawns (defrosted)

Method: 

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan pan. Add the onions and fry until softened. Mix in the curry paste and the red pepper and continue to fry for a couple more minutes.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and sweet potato to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender.
3. Add the prawns to the curry and continue to cook until the prawns have heated up, but no longer as they are already cooked. Serve with rice.

note: this recipe works using either coconut milk or cream, although I do prefer the thicker, slightly richer sauce created using coconut cream. So I would recommend, if you can find it, using coconut cream as a preference.

Skincare Haul: Origins, REN

Last week I made an online order with both Origins and REN. I decided to order straight from the brands website for both due to the perks of having free delivery and samples from each. That said, I had quite different experiences ordering from each of them.

Origins
Nearing the bottom of my jar of the GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer, I took to the brands website to repurchase another when I found their Extra-Zing Energizing Set. This set included the moisturiser I was looking for as well as 4 single use sachets of their Clear Improvement Mask, all for the same price as the moisturiser alone, £23...so I thought, why not? I was also able to choose 2 free sample at the checkout, most of which didn't appeal to me but I chose what I thought were the best options for myself.
The brands online store has free delivery on orders. This is standard delivery of 2-5 working days, and they inform you that the package has to be signed for. This worried me at first as I can't guarantee I will be home to sign for it. This said, it turned out to be fine. The company used the Royal Mail Delivery service, so when I wasn't there to sign for it I simply collected it from the delivery office in the town I live in.

REN
For quite a while now I've been wanting to buy a second cleanser to use in the mornings. The ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser was top of my list, but whilst browsing their online store I came across the Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk. Both looked like suitable products to fill the space missing in my skincare routine, but I stuck with my original choice and was luckily able to chose the other as one of my free samples at the checkout. The other free sample I chose was the Glycolatic Renewal Mask. I already own this...but who doesn't need more, right? The final product I added to my basket was the No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm, which I'm almost out of so while I had the chance of 10% off my first order, I added a back-up to my stocks.
Delivery was also free from this brand but didn't go so smoothly. They use a delivery company who insist on a signed delivery. They also say 2-5 days, but send you a text the morning of the delivery with a one hour delivery slot. I wasn't able to be home on their first 2 attempts of delivery so had to phone up and rearrange it for a much later date than I'd hoped when I knew I'd be at home all day. I never knew it could be so hard to get an online order delivered!

What has your experience been like ordering from beauty brands online? Any recommendations from these brands?

January Beauty Favourites

I only have a few products that have really stood out to me this month. About 2 months ago I switched up the shampoo and conditioner I was using to to the Herbal Essences Bee Strong Strengthening Shampoo and the TRESemmé Split Remedy Conditioner, when I ran out of the ones I was previously using. I don't know which one of these is contributing, hence why they are both a favourite, but I've noticed that my hair is more shiny that it was before.
I've also been loving my REN No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm. This deserves a whole review of its own. It feels very luxurious to massage into your face and removes all my make up without making my skin feel stripped. It has a slight rose scent, which I happen to quite like. There's really nothing to complain about with this one.

Any tips for fixing/preventing split ends? What are your favourites this month?

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

After getting hooked on Delirium, I went straight on to reading the following book in the trilogy: pandemonium. I've started writing this review just minutes after reaching the end of the book.

I'm including the synopsis of this book below, but it really doesn't give anything away:

Love, the deadliest of all deadly things. It kills you when you have it. And when you don't.

I'm pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, pushing away thoughts of Alex, pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, push, push, push, like Raven told me to do. The old life is dead. But the old Lena is dead too. I buried her. I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame.

It took me a while to get used to the way this book was written, and I never quite worked out if I liked it. The book covered two stories both running in parallel, with each chapter alternating between 'then' and 'now'.

The 'then' story follows on from where the previous book left off. It tells the story of Lena's escape into the wilds and how she fits in and adapts to a new way of life. The 'then' story never fully catches up to where the now story starts.

The 'now' story starts by introducing Lena with a new identity, living in Manhattan and working as part of the resistance. She has orders to attend a demonstration and keep watch of one of the leaders. The story takes a turn when herself and the boy she was watching get kidnapped when trying to escape after the demonstration gets boycotted.

I won't give anything away, but the ending was very unexpected. It made me think 'wow' and I instantly wanted to start reading the next book.

Have you read this book? Would you recommend it?

First Beauty Haul of the Year

I hadn't been shopping since before Christmas. I had desperately wanted to go shopping in the sales after seeing some good offers online, but with so much work to do it simply wasn't feasible. Last Friday I took the first chance I had and spent the afternoon wandering around some of my favourite shops in Brighton.

Hydraluron by Indeed Labs £24.99
I have heard so much about this, mostly from Caroline Hirons, that I felt like I just had to have it in my skincare routine. About half a year ago I started investing more into my skincare products, but it still takes a lot of deliberation before I take the plunge on a more expensive purchase. After seeing it on offer on Boots website for only £16.66, it was a price I couldn't refuse.

The Body Shop - Pink Grapefruit Body Mist £7.50
Just over a month ago when I was in London, we went into The Body Shop and I sprayed the tester of this on my wrist. I remember repeatedly being pleasantly surprised when I got a whiff of the scent throughout the rest of the day. Since then it's been on my list of things I want.

Superdrug - Aloe Vera Mud Mask £2.49
After hearing lilypepples talking about this face mask, it sounded like a great inexpensive one to try. I very rarely use face masks but thought it would be a nice treat to add to my skincare regime. This isn't yet on the Superdrug website, although the sachet version is.

Gillette Venus Proskin Sensitive £9.69
This is a re-purchase of the best razor blades I have tried. I only recently invested in the razor with changeable heads rather than the disposables that I sed to use. 

Superdrug Deep Cleansing Fruit Mask £0.99
A buy one get one half price offer, so I couldn't resist trying a different mask for just 50p. If the bigger size tube of this one was included in the offer I may have gone for that instead.

The Body Shop - Pink Grapefruit Body Butter
As above, there was another buy one get one half price offer on, so I went for the body butter in the matching scent to the body mist I had chosen. The only size I could find of this in store was the 50ml version, yet on the website I can only find the 200ml version.

Rimmel Glam Eyes HD in Brixton Brown £6.99
I had spotted this in Boots a month or so ago, but was very hesitant to try something else when I love my Naked palette so much. This is another one that I saw recommend by lilypepples (here) and compared to the Charlotte Tillbury Dolce Vita palette. I could see myself getting a lot of use out of this, and as I hadn't had any new eyeshadows in over 2 year I thought, why not?

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think to them?

No Heat Waves

I don't actually own any curling wands, or hair straighteners...I don't even own a hairdryer! This is what I do when I want to add some waves to my hair. It's so easy and creates really lovely waves, I really should do it more often.

Day 1
After I've showered and washed my hair, I put it up in a towel to dry while I get the rest of myself dressed and ready. When I've finished my makeup, I will take the towel of my hair and comb through it with a wide tooth comb. My hair takes quite a while to dry and at this stage it is still very damp. I split my hair into two halves and do a french braid on each side of my head. On my left I leave out my side fringe, and I like to make sure the braid is quite neat and tight all the way down.

Day 2
After I've finished getting ready in the morning I take out the braids, using my fingers to separate them. I don't brush or comb through my hair at all as this ruins how the waves look. I give my hair a light spritz of hairspray to help maintain the waves throughout the day.

Day 3
On the third day, I brush through my hair gently. The waves are still a little visible, but mostly my hair just has a slightly crimped affect and more volume than it normally would.

Hope you give this super easy hairstyle a go, and let me know if you have any other ways of creating no heat hairstyles.