Unboxing: ‘Flawless & Fierce’ Fab Bag Aug’17

Hello Wanderers, hope August is treating you all well.  It’s been a while since I posted a blog. I was on break and now I am back with a bang! J I received my Aug Fab bag in the first week itself but I could lay my hands on it only by mid Aug, hence such a late review. The theme for the month is Flawless & Fierce. I loved the theme for the month since it truly defines a modern woman. This month’s bag contained four products.

I simply loved the brown pouch. It is so chic and classic. It is one of my favorite Fab bag pouches and probably my favorite goodie from Aug’17 Fab bag.

• Bella Voste Premium Lipstick- 18 Celebrity – (Full size : Rs.449/-)

This lipstick range has rich pigmented lipsticks that contain moisturizing benfits making the lips ultra soft. There are 8 shades available in this range and the shade was up for choice. I went ahead with shade 18 Celebrity which is a deep rose shade. I loved the color and the way it felt on my lips.

• MOND’SUB Pearl Revitalizing & Brightening 3D Hanging Ears Neck and Facial Masks (Full size : Rs.200/-) This is a special 3D face mask enriched with vitamins, minerals and amino acid. The specialty of the 3D mask is that it fits perfectly like a second skin. I am not much of a face mask person so I haven’t tried this one yet. But hopefully will try it soon.

• Opulence Sugar Scrub (Full size : Rs.500/-)- I am a scrub fanatic and I get super excited when I receive a new brand of Scrub in my Fabbag. The Opulence Scrub is totally organic made with brown sugar and it contains honey, papaya extract, almond oil, mandarin oil, wheat germ oil extract, jojoba oil, avocado oil and sandalwood essential oil. I just loved this one, but I seriously think that the packaging could be better.

• Iba Halal Care Nourishing Foot Massage Cream (50g: Rs 115/-) At end of the day our feet get tired and dead and all we want is to pamper them. This cream smells soothing and is infused with olive oil, cocoa butter and jasmine. The best part about this product is that it is none greasy. Everyday application will restore moisture, mend cracks and enhance smoothness.

Overall, I liked the Aug Fabbag, I am more happy with the bag itself than the products. The total value of this bag is Rs 1264/-. You can buy it here. 

 

 

 

Book Review: Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

Title: Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

Author: Elizabeth Gilbert

Page: 288 pages

Plot: Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work,  embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

Favorite Quote: “The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.”

Thoughts: I had heard a lot about this book by Elizabeth Gilbert and I wanted to read it ever since. I had loved ‘Eat Pray Love’ and I was expecting much more from this one. Well, this book is basically about keeping your creativity alive, growing and away from fears.

In this book the author has given creative ideas a life of their own. They pay a visit to an individual at any possible time and place, you grab it or they will visit someone else. There is never a “right time” for creativity. Procrastination leads do a missed opportunity when it comes to creativity. This is beautifully explained with examples from author’s personal life.

The other thing that I liked in the book was creativity’s relationship with fear. Creativity and fear co-exist the more attention given to fear, the more it expands. A lot of times an individual judges his creative output based on the success it will receive. The author advises to not fret about it and just do it. The most important thing is to give in your 100% and the work you produce should be perfect according to you. This particular thought is quite inspiring and comforting for anyone who needs to overcome the mental barrier of being measured by the success his creativity receives from the society.

The voice is narrative and it feels like the author is talking to the reader. There were few highs points for me in the book but I was expecting much more. Few ideas seemed impractical and not applicable universally. For e.g. the author states that getting a higher education in field of your interest is unworthy. Some people have innate talent to do things but other need to brush up their skills and that’s where education is required.

Overall, this book didn’t impress me completely but there are a few gems that can be taken away from this book.

Rating: 3/5

 

Book Review: Our Souls at Night

Title: Our Souls at Night

Author: Kent Haruf

Page: 179 pages

Plot: In the familiar setting of Holt, Colorado, home to all of Kent Haruf’s fiction, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades; in fact, Addie was quite fond of Louis’s wife. His daughter lives hours away in Colorado Springs, her son even farther away in Grand Junction, and Addie and Louis have long been living alone in houses now empty of family, the nights so terribly lonely, especially with no one to talk with.

Favorite Quote: “Who would have thought at this time in our lives that we’d still have something like this. That it turns out we’re not finished with changes and excitements. And not all dried up in body and spirit.”

Thoughts:  This book was written by the author on his death bed. It is an unconventional tale of two old people trying to find comfort in each other and facing resistance from the society and their children. Addie Moore and Louis Water are neighbors in the small town of Holt, Colorado.  Both of them have lost their spouses and their children are away living their own lives. Both in their seventies live alone and crave companionship.

Days still pass by with chores to do but nights are the toughest. Addie and Louis make an arrangement where at night Louis visits Addie’s home. They talk about their lives, their wishes, etc and find solace in each other’s company. Soon in the small town the rumors spread and Addie and Louis have to deal with the people and even their children.

This book is nothing like what I have read before. The plot is different from what I usually read and also the age bracket of the protagonists especially being portrayed in this light. The characters are well carved and easy to sympathize with. The narration is seamless and poetic at times, though I don’t know why the quotations before the speech are completely edited. It got a while for me to get use to reading like this.

Overall, the book is about two old people trying to make the last leg of their lives finding comfort in companionship. The story is beautiful, tender and heart touching.

Rating: 3.5/5