You Beauty Box October...

It's not very often I buy beauty boxes these days as I always find the contents not to my tastes (I'm picky!) But I always check You Beauty every month to see what's on offer- the good thing about them is you choose which two items you want from a selection and then get them sent to you with a few extra bits for just £6.95.

This month they had Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy polishes on offer and as a big fan of them decided to get a box. You got the Diamond Top Coat and a mystery colour- I got Checkmate, not necessarily one I'd have picked myself but I think it will go quite nice alternated with black nails.

The other item I picked was Stress Less Therapy Balm. It's a natural stick balm you apply to pulse points that contains chamomile, neroli, mandarin, moringa and shea butter. It's supposed to "soothe the mind and lift the spirit". As someone with anxiety disorder I don't hold much hope that it will do a great deal, but meh worth a try!

I also got some samples of Vichy Derma Blend, and some White Company perfume samples. All in all great value, as the box was the same price as the top coat alone.

New books...

 What She Left by T.R. Richmond

I've been waiting for this to come out in paperback for a while... A psychological thriller about a young girl who had her whole life ahead of her until she mysteriously drowns. Nobody knows why, but Alice left some clues. This is a collection of her diary entries, texts, emails and social media history. I love books that shake up the format a bit. 

The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne

I've been undecided whether to pick this up but got it to make up the 2 for £7 offer. This is about identical twin daughters- one, Lydia dies in an accident and the surviving twin Kirstie and her parents move to a Scottish island to repair their lives. But then Kirstie claims to be Lydia and things get creepy.

Charity shop buys...

Rage Against the Dying by Becky Masterman

Firstly I love the name and cover! This is a crime thriller about retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn. She believes a man has wrongly confessed to a murder and gets on the case. I've heard some brilliant things about this book- particularly about the gutsy older female protagonist.  

All Tomorrow's Parties by William Gibson

This was a impulse buy because I loved the cover and the plot sounds very Blade Runner-esque. About an ex cop, and a girl who's a virtual post human being this sounds futuristic and noir.

Different for Girls by Louise Wener

This is a memoir from Brit pop band Sleeper's front woman. Although I'm not particularly a fan of the band I have a huge interest in the riot grrl/ britpop era and woman in rock in general and have heard this gives a great insight into that time.

Halloween decorations...

Did I mention I love Halloween?! Here are the new decorations I've got this October- although to be honest a lot of this stuff will be staying out after October 31st! 

Frankenstein Monster black glitter snow globe £12.99 TK Maxx

 The Bride of Frankenstein cushion cover £6.99 ebay

Ghost lantern lights £1 Poundland 

Snake pillar candle holder £7.99 TK Maxx, Wild Rose candle £2 Primark.

Skull hanger £1 Poundland

Wooden sign £1 Poundland

Unicorns Unite...

L-R Horn of Magic, Magical, Throne, Depraved, Legend 

Since my camera broke I've been putting off doing beauty posts as my phone camera quality is not great, and swatches don't come out too well. But I couldn't resist writing a post about the new lip collection from Make Up Revolution called Unicorns Unite (the name had me instantly) a collection of mostly purple shades. As a purple fiend I couldn't say no.

I've only just got round to trying MU Rev after a friend sent me some bits, and I was really impressed. They are a very affordable brand (these lipsticks cost just £1 each of £4 for the full set) and the pigmentation is fairly good (they do go on sheerer than the bullet but they are build-able). I also love that they have a huge range of lipsticks that totally veer off the reds/pinks/nudes track. It's also worth noting they are a cruelty free brand.

My favourite shade is Magical a shimmery bluish purple, but they work well when you mix a few together too (Magical and Legend make a lovely purple grey.) Depraved isn't from the Unicorn collection, but it went so well I had to include it! The lipsticks wear really well, and I would definitely recommend them (they are also a great alternative to a certain unicorn themed make up brand we shall not name!)

September reading round up...

Better late than never...

The Humans by Matt Haig

I really enjoyed this book! It is about an alien from a far off planet that has taken the form of a man who has just solved a mathematical theory that could change the world, and he has to stop it getting out. This is his account of his experience and what it means to be human. It was very very funny, and also a really poignant read. 4/5

Room by Emma Donoghue

I'd heard so much about this book, and what with it being made into a film thought it was a good time to give it a try. It is about a five year old boy who lives with his Mum locked in a small room. I wasn't hugely keen on this. It was written in his words which at times were really annoyingly babyish for a 5 yr old and at other times way too mature. I also felt the story dragged, as it could only go to the depth of what a child understood the situation to be. 2/5  

The Crooked House by Christobel Kent

It's rare I don't finish a book, but I had to give up on this one. It was painfully slow, and I realised I really couldn't care less what happened!

Rocket Girl Vol 1 by Brandon Montclare & Amy Reeder

A teen girl cop from an alternate reality 2013 is sent back to 1980's New York investigate a megacorporations crimes against time. This was fun, full of amazing art (especially the 80s set parts) and cool characters. I look forward to the next volume! 4/5

Saga Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughn & Fiona Staples

I have been waiting for this for so long! Brilliant as ever, Saga is one of the best comic book series I have read. Full of amazing diverse characters, stunning artwork by Staples, and an edge of the seat story. I highly recommend picking this up! 5/5

Payday haul...

Admittedly most of this stuff is from last payday, but because I mainly shop online it's only just all arrived, but I do love a good haul...

 There isn't a month that goes by without me buying a pop. Most of the pops I bought this month are Christmas presents for all the people I've passed my obsession onto! Yes, I'm buying Xmas presents already... ( Γ˚Д˚)Γ I could't resist getting a few to add to my collection, they are all from the Amazon seller Game Dealz and were just £7.99 each! 

In Primark I bought some cool jewellery from their Halloween section (who else is ridiculously excited for Halloween?!), a red and black shirt from the mens section, and a faux leather biker jacket (just £14!) which I've already started to add pins to :)

And of course comics ;) here are the trades I got... I've had Lumberjanes on pre-order for ages so can't wait to read it, and thought Wytches would be a good October read. 

Finally the single issues I bought. This is me trying to cut down... must try harder! I have a few cool additions to my Catwoman collection, and an old copy of IT Girl and the Atomics by Michael Allred as I love his art. 

October wishlist...

It Follows DVD £6.99 here

Lily Munster Funko Pop £11.99 here

Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Stories & Poems £6.99 here

Lego minifigures Monsters £3.79 here

Dracula cushion cover £6.75 here

Beetlejuice Funko Pop £11.79 here

I love October, and love all things Halloween. I am fairly certain I will be wasting a LOT of money on all the various Halloween related stuff. Especially the Cadbury Scream Eggs because they are delicious!