January Favorites! ~ A Beauty in the Chaos

Hello! Welcome to the first favorites post of 2016! It's going to be a bit on the short side as I have not been too adventurous with new products, or I just haven't liked them. Take your pick. Most cosmetic products I have recently been fond of were discussed in my 2015 Favorites post (here), but there are a few things I wanted to share with you guys - so let's get started!

Books: God of the Dead (Seasons of Blood #1) by Elias Anderson

God of the Dead by Elias Anderson available at Amazon.com

This month I am playing around with a free trial of Kindle Unlimited, a subscription service that grants you access to tons of book titles through my Kindle app. This was a book recommended to me based on my previous purchases. I didn't know anything about the author or the series (it's apparently a prequel to a trilogy) and since it was free I thought "why not."

I don't quite know how to place the genre. It's definitely horror, but there is a very interesting mix of crime drama as well. The book was well written, the scenes were very descriptive (if you don't like a bit of gore don't bother). It was an extremely fast read. The book is 244 pages and I think it only took me an hour or two to finish off. I did find myself wishing there was more to the story when I was finished. It wasn't an unsatisfactory ending per se, but the book moved quicker than I would have liked. That being said it is classified as a prequel and after reading this book I will certainly be looking into the next three titles to see if they are similar in quality.

TV/Movies: Jessica Jones Season 1

Jessica Jones Season 1 available through Netflix

Based on the Marvel super heroine of the same name, this Netflix series has quickly become one of my favorite comic book adaptations of all time. Yes, I said it. It may even be better than Batman (ok maybe not, but at least tied with the Dark Knight).

"Why?" you may ask, "What makes this series so good?" Well, first off all this seasons main villain is probably one of the scariest villains of all time, Kilgrave. A man whose ability allows him to control the minds of others, leading them to do his evil bidding by making them believe it's what they want as well. The series is amazing at not only explaining Kilgrave's mentality that he has done nothing wrong (it wasn't him that killed after all), but also the mental deterioration that a person endures after Kilgrave has forced them to do something against their nature.

In addition to the villain, the series depiction of Jessica Jones is also exceptional. She is not what one would call a typical super hero, most of the season she is actively avoiding being labeled "the good guy." There are even points in the series where you find yourself almost rooting against her. Of course her history and experience with the antagonist explains her actions, but it is this internal character struggle that makes the series stand out from the countless other super hero series currently being aired.

Music: January Mixed Tape

January's mixed tape on audio cassette no longer available

So this month was kind of a hodge podge of music. There wasn't really any rhyme or reason to what I listened to.. on any given day I didn't even stay within a genre, so this month really is a mix!

Disturbed - The Sound of Silence - this cover completely blew me away when I first heard it on the radio a week or two ago.
Rise Against - The Good Left Undone
Sia - Elastic Heart - I don't care what people say about the video, if you look up the story behind it, it's brilliant.
Led Zepplin - Stairway to Heaven
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Eminem feat. Rihanna - Love The Way You Lie
Stone Sour feat. Lzzy Hale - Gimme Shelter - another fantastic cover
Bring Me the Horizon - Throne
Elton John - Believe
Five Finger Death Punch - Wrong Side of Heaven

Makeup: L'Oreal Infalliable 24 Hour Eye Shadow

L'Oreal Infalliable 24 Hour Eye Shadows available at most discount and drug stores

This isn't a new product to me, I've actually had these for quite a while. I don't know why I have overlooked or neglected them for so long. They have a fantastic formula. I don't know if they last 24 hours or not. I don't believe I have ever had an occasion where it was necessary for me to wear eyeshadow for 24 hours. But the shadows do last a while with out creasing or fading.

In particular if you are looking for a bright cool toned purple, check out Perpetual Purple or Purple Priority. You may have to look in some various locations, while they are available at most discount and drug stores, each chain has its own exclusive colors. Unfortunately I don't remember which chain of stores carried the purple colors. But the purples are some of the best purple shadows available. I'm not kidding.

A downside to these is that they can be a little bit tricky to work with, only because they are actually loose pigments that are pressed down into the jar. So its this odd mixture of a pressed shadow and a loose pigment. I have found that a finger or a cheap sponge applicator works best for getting the pigment on your lid then you can blend with a brush.

That is all I have folks! If there is something you think I should try out, or if you disagree with any of my choices feel free to comment below! I'd love to hear from you. As always thank you for stopping by and I will see you next week!