Rachel Shoshanna: books

I’m going to start off this post with perhaps the most important favorite of The Blogger for this summer is YouTube - I’m finally following through with my desire to make videos, and so far I’m six for six on my goal of one video every Sunday! I’m really proud of myself, and even though the equipment I have available to me is limited, I’m having a lot of fun stretching a more technical part of my brain with the editing involved. Please go check out my most recent video and give me some views!

This consistent YouTubing also means I’m making some changes to the content on here - I’m going to make this blog solely a lifestyle blog. That means books, books, tv/movies, music, and such will be what you see here. Favorites will also probably be here as well, though I may do videos for that every once in a while. My YouTube will host exclusively beauty and fashion content, so if that’s what you’re looking for a highly recommend subscribing to stay updated! Now without further ado, here are my favorites from this past summer.

FASHION

If you watched the video, you should have figured out that chambray shirts, specifically this one from Old Navy, have been my jam this summer. I’ve also been living in these sandals from Old Navy. Maybe I should just say that Old Navy is one of my summer favorites.

I can probably count the number of times I’ve worn a real bra this summer on one hand. I’ve definitely been favoring bralettes in this hot weather, and this one from free people is by far my favorite one.

BEAUTY
I’ve been sticking with really minimal makeup this summer for the most part, so I’ve been using my bareMinerals Tinted Gel Complexion Rescue in the shade birch and the L’Oreal Lumi Glotion in the shade light religiously all summer. And when I feel like experimenting with my eye looks, I’ve pretty much exclusively used my Ace Beaute Paradise Collection palettes - I specifically have Classical Paradise and Paradise Fallen. Also, basically the only blushes I’ve used this summer are the bareMinerals Gen Nude Blush in That Peach Tho and the Burt’s Bees blush in Shy Pink.

I’ve also been loving a really bright pop of color - whether it’s in my clothing (similar to the one I have) or my lips. It elevates a look in two seconds and gives any outfit a bit of attitude.

BOOKS/TV/MOVIES

I read The Husband’s Secret, by Liane Moriarty, earlier this summer, and I loved it. The epilogue was one of the best things I’ve ever read in contemporary fiction. I also read the first book in the Darker Shade of Magic series, by V.E. Schwab, and it’s one of the coolest, most original fantasy series I’ve read in a while. It took me a second to get into it, just because it moved kind of slowly, but it picks up and the ending managed to completely surprise me.

All I’ve got to say as far as TV goes is Degrassi. I didn’t watch it back in the day when it originally aired, so I’ve been binging it for the last week and it’s honestly the best decision I’ve ever made.

A lot of great movies have come out this summer, but one of my favorites was Sorry To Bother You, the directorial debut of Boots Riley. I also had a blast at Ocean’s 8 and Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again.

LIFESTYLE

I started working out again this summer, and I’ve been feeling strong so that’s definitely a favorite. For days when I either don’t have the time or the energy to go to my gym, I’ve been loving the at-home, equipment-free workouts that are abundant on YouTube.

Some of my college friends and I do trivia basically every Wednesday, which is a great time and often the highlight of my week - we go to Amity Hall on the UWS, which in addition to having fun trivia nights, has great food and great drinks to enjoy with friends as well.

I’ve also been exploring New York City a lot more, and found some new neighborhoods that are really fun to walk around and find cool historical things - my favorites so far are Tribeca and the Lower East Side.

I’m going to end this favorites list here, before it gets too long. I hope you found some cool recommendations! Until next time 😁

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Hey folks!

I know it's already a month into the new year, so I'm well aware I'm already failing at my New Year's Resolution to be more consistent about posting on this blog, but here I am, ready to try. What better way to do that then give a rundown of all the books I got to read *FOR FUN* after graduating from college in 2015, and giving myself a list of books to get through this year?

This is in no particular order, as I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday, much less what I read last May in Spain.

Interred with Their Bones, by Jennifer Lee Carroll. Imagine if The DaVinci Code and Shakespeare had a baby. It would be this book, except way better than The DaVinci Code, and not as good as Shakespeare. It was still a really fun read, though. It's about the hunt a Shakespearean scholar goes on for the lost manuscript of a real lost play of Shakespeare's called "The History of Cardenio."

The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale. This was a reread, as are some other books the will pop up in this list, but it's a reread for a reason. I love fractured fairy tales beyond all measure, and this is an especially good one, based on the fairytale of the same name by the Brothers Grimm. It's also the first in a series that is equally good, though I haven't reread the rest like I have this one. I'm still waiting on a movie; it is a mighty need of mine to see Sinqua Walls as Prince Geric.

My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok. Easily one of my favorite books, full stop. I was introduced to the book through a play adaptation that was on Broadway a few years ago when I saw it with my dad, and haven't really stopped thinking about it since. The book also partially inspired my creative writing senior thesis, so it's always going to hold a special place in my heart for those reasons. It's about a young boy named Asher Lev who, while growing up in a repressive Ladover Hasidic community (a thinly veiled fictionalization of the Lubovitcher branch of Hasidism), feels more drawn to art than God. Also, in googling the book to remind myself of the fictional name, I have discovered there is a sequel that I'm going to have to pick up a copy of called The Gift of Asher Lev.

City of Thieves, by David Benioff. Yes, that David Benioff. But regardless of how I feel about Game of Thrones, I loved this book beyond all measure. It's about a teenage boy named Lev Beniov who is arrested during the Nazi siege of Leningrad and given a chance to save his life with his cellmate, a young man named Kolya, by going on a mission to find eggs for the wedding of a Soviet colonel's daughter. (The only thing I didn't like was the ending, but that's for purely selfish reasons. Narratively, I understand it.)

The Sherlockian, by Graham Moore. I'll be upfront in saying this wasn't my favorite book I read this year, but it was still a lot of fun. The story jumps between the present day, following Harold White, a new inductee into what's basically a Sherlockian scholar fanclub, in trying to figure out what happened to Arthur Conan Doyle's missing diary, and London in 1893, following Conan Doyle himself, who is trying to solve a mystery of his own while on his infamous hiatus from writing the Holmes stories. And even though it wasn't my favorite of the books I read, it was still a nice love letter to Sherlockiana, if you will, and an entertaining attempt at figuring out why Conan Doyle started writing the stories again, even after making it clear that he hated his own protagonist.

The 100, by Kass Morgan. I feel like everybody has to know what this is about at this point, but I will say that the book is very different from the TV show. If I'm being honest, I like the TV show a lot better, for a number of reasons, but it was still a fun read. I don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series, though.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs. It took me way longer to read this book than it should have, considering the author is an alum of my college, but ah well. I finally did it, and it was so worth it. It's about a teenage boy named Jacob who, after his grandfather is murdered under suspiciously supernatural circumstances, follows said grandfather's collection of mysterious photos of supernatural looking children to an orphanage off the coast of Wales. The novel also uses the photography in its pages, as the author himself was inspired to write this story after spending years collecting old curio type photos. There are also sequels to this book, which I do plan on reading at some point this year.

A Laodicean, by Thomas Hardy. The writer, not the actor. When I was abroad in England, I took an English called Hardy and Women Who Did, and predictably read a lot of Thomas Hardy. This book, however, was not on our reading list, despite having some very similar themes to his other novels that we read. My guess is that is because this book is actually much more similar to the romantic comedies of the present than it is to almost any other Thomas Hardy book you'll encounter. I loved it. A lot. I don't really want to say anything else other than go read it.

The Harry Potter Series. Need I say more? I tend to reread these every couple of years, and it's really fun noticing new things each time around. I also really hated Draco this time around, which was different. Until I got to the sixth book, and then i loved him again. Also, when I was cleaning out my room to move to the city (oh yeah. That's a thing that happened), I found a list of predictions my friend, my cousin, and I had made for the seventh book after the sixth book came out, and let me tell you. We got a lot of things right. It was really cool.

His Dark Materials Trilogy, by Philip Pullman. I first read these in middle school, and they were very formative for my preteen years, but rereading them now was like reading them again for the first time. I remembered a decent amount about The Golden Compass, but I had forgotten most of what happened in The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, so it was a real pleasure to read them again in preparation for the BBC series that was announced back in November (Idris Elba for Lord Asriel, pls). Also, I cried on the train when I finished the last one. If you're a weeper, be prepared.

There were also two books that I started reading, and have not yet finished. So far, both are good. The first is The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Bronte. I'm about halfway through and it's amazing. It's definitely the feminist testament of the Victorian era, and well worth reading. The second is called Mermaids in Paradise, by Lydia Millet. It's best described as literary fiction with a fantasy bent. I'm only a few chapters in, but so far, I'm really enjoying it.

Obviously, those two are at the top of my list for books to read in 2016. I've got a few others as well, mainly consisting of books I've owned for a couple of years and still haven't touched. This list will also expand as the year progresses, so don't laugh at how short it is right now.

Again, these are in no particular order. We'll see how this goes.

Death on the Nile, by Agatha Christie
Between Shades of Grey, by Ruta Sepetys
The Secret Sky, by Atia Abawi
Children of the Jacaranda Tree, by Sahar Delijani
The Raven Cycle, by Maggie Steifvater
Mary, Queen of Scots, by Alison Weir
Letter to My Daughter, by Maya Angelou
a Haruki Murakami book. Which one?? I have no idea
finishing Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo
rereading the Anne of Green Gables books
more nonfiction

I hope that this list gave you some suggestions if you've been looking for new books to read! I know I'm always looking for stuff, especially stuff written by women about women, and also stuff by people of color, so if you've got anything for me to check out, I wanna hear it!

Much love,

Rachel Shoshanna

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Hey there, my most patient of readers! I am back with a general life update and a favorites post, because it seemed like a good way to ease my way back into regular blogging.

Life Update #1: I got a job! Yay! I actually sort of have some money to support my makeup habit! This is also, incidentally, why I have not been posting as much. I'm working in retail and I'm so exhausted by the time I get home, I fall asleep while watching six-minute Youtube videos.

Life Update #2: I've also decided that I'm going back to school; or at least, I'm applying for more acting training, with a focus in musical theatre. I've got my first audition for that in October (at the American Musical & Dramatic Academy), so wish me luck!

I'm also thinking about applying for programs in the UK. I'm most seriously looking at LAMDA, and possibly Guildhall, but if anyone has any suggestions of places to look at, with programs no longer than two years, let me know.

And now, before this post gets too long and chatty, here are my July/August favorites!

Beauty

Face: e.l.f. Translucent Matifying Powder, e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set, L'Oréal Paris True Match Concealer in shade 2 (Vanilla), Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso, and Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Luminizer in Star Dust

e.l.f. is honestly one of the best cheap, drugstore brands out there (I also have two of their lip crayons and one of their eyeshadow pots), but I think I like their face stuff best. I have combination skin that gets pretty oily in the t-zone throughout the day, and the matifying powder and setting spray have been doing a really good job of keeping my makeup on.

Everybody loves the True Match concealer, and for good reason. Super blendable, a decent range of colors, just an all-around great concealer, especially for someone who has pretty darn chronic dark circles/bags under their eyes (... me, obviously).

I feel like Luminoso is also a favorite amongst the beauty blogosphere. It's a very natural, peachy color, and because it's baked, is very glowy. It really gives the skin a sun-kissed look, and I feel like it would look good on most skin tones.

The Sephora brand makeup is also really nice, and I absolutely love this highlight. It's a more pearlescent tone, which I really love, and it's fairly pigmented for a highlight, so you only need a little bit to really light up your cheekbones.

Eyes: L'Oréal Paris 24 Hr. Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush and Golden Sage, and L'Oréal Paris Telescopic Mascara in Original Black

Clearly I just love L'Oréal, am I right? Their product is overall really great though, and I especially love the eyeshadow. They're basically pressed pigments and the color you get from them is unreal. I find they go on best with just a fingertip, but you can blend out really easily with crease colors as well.

The mascara is the most lengthening mascara I've ever used. I think it's because it's got this neat, tiny brush that really grabs the lash. I think the only slight downside is that it takes a little longer to dry than I'd like.

Lips: Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose Kiss, Revlon Colorbust Lip Butters in Candy Apple and Berry Smoothie, Maybelline Color Elixir in Captivating Carnation, L'Oréal Paris Le Matte Lip Pen in She's So Matte, Milani Amore Matte Lip Crème in Embrace, MAC Lipstick in Midi Mauve (lustre finish), and Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Pink Souffle (06)

(This is unsurprisingly the largest category.)

The first one is a regular lip butter, so there's not much to say except that it's super moisturizing and smells amazing.

The Revlon Lip Butters are amazing and I think it's gonna be one of those gotta-catch-'em-all things for me. They're ridiculously moisturizing and I really like the sheer finish they have, which is new for me (usually I like a more satin or velvet matte finish). The Candy Apple is a nice bright red tint, and the Berry Smoothie is a good drugstore 'your lips but better' shade.

The Color Elixirs are also really beautiful and will also probably be a gotta-catch-'em-all situation. This particular one a is a pretty neutral pink gloss (the your-lips-but-better is definitely a trend I've been keeping up with) that has a nice sheen to it. My favorite thing about this is probably the scent, though. It smells like honeysuckle!

I want to get more of the Le Matte Lip Pens as well, because the finish of it is my perfect matte. Ultra matte lips are not my favorite, but these have a velvet matte finish. It has the matte look without being too drying or making your lips look chapped. This one has a pretty peach tone, and I've been wearing it very frequently these last couple of weeks.

These Milani Amore Matte Lip Cremes are a new launch, and I really love the formulation. This one does dry to a true matte, but it doesn't dry out your lips at all (it does stain them a teeny tiny bit though). You have to let it dry after you apply it, as it is sticky for a minute, but once dried it's beautiful. The one I have is a gorgeous purple-y berry color, which I was looking for for the fall, and I'm glad I got this one.

The Sephora Lip Creams are also really great and I love the one that I have. It's a mauve-y pink color that airs on the neutral side, but is just a hint too purple to be considered a 'nude.' (More on why I hate that word at 12! - for future reference, I'll probably refer to 'nude' colors as 'natural' on my blog and vlog from here on out.)

Last but not least is the MAC lipstick. This is actually my first MAC lipstick, even though my first makeup item I ever bought (an eyeshadow) was from MAC. This was definitely a good choice - it's the perfect brown-toned natural lip color for me, and the lustre finish is a nice happy medium between sheer and satin. The ultimate your-lips-but-better!

Books/TV

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs: In an effort to not make this post much longer, I'll just say that I need to get the sequel stat. It was a really enjoyable read, and if you like fantasy and mystery I highly recommend it.

The Harry Potter series, by JK Rowling: I've been rereading them and I'm currently on the sixth book. If I had to pick a favorite it might be the third, but this time around I really loved the fifth. An oldie, but a goodie, and I'm still noticing new things, even twelve rereads later.

Grace and Frankie: A new show on Netflix starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Sam Waterston, and Martin Sheen, about two forty-year marriages ending when the husbands reveal they want divorces so they can marry each other. It's really funny and really touching, with a lot of heart.

Food

Himalania Dark Chocolate Goji Berries: A really good snack if you love chocolate but want to stay 'healthy.' Really sweet on the outside with a tart inside (the berries). You can get them at Whole Foods.

Not a specific brand, but I've been doing vanilla yogurt with granola and fruit (usually strawberries) for breakfast recently, and it's been delicious.

***

So I'm aware this was quite long. I hope you got through it without being bored to tears. Up next on this blog is actually excerpts from a memoir I wrote as part of the completion of my English major. It'll probably be a one-part-a-week kind of posting schedule, with other stuff to break up the monotony. I can't wait to share them with you!

Much love,
Rachel Shoshanna

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