Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

"The Fault in Our Stars is the sixth novel by author John Green, published in January 2012. The story is narrated by a sixteen-year-old cancer patient named Hazel, who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she subsequently meets and falls in love with the seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player and amputee." via Wiki

I've had The Fault in Our Stars book since it was released. I ordered one of the signed by the author Amazon books back when John Green was even making the videos of himself signing them. But unfortunately something went wrong with the Ireland (and I think some other countries too) shipments and I got an unsigned book. Later though I was sent a little sticker thing with his signature that I could stick into the book. I wasn't super happy cos that wasn't what I ordered but didn't mind so much now especially since I can give the book away and keep the signature! I put the book aside, misplaced it and have since been meaning to read it. When I heard about the movie I decided it was time to actually give it a go.

After so much hype about this book I have to say I was really disappointed.

Don't get me wrong I didn't hate this book, there was something I liked about it but can't really put my finger on it. It might have been John Green's fast paced rant/talking (Just like in VlogBrothers) or some of the good quotes he comes out with, I also really liked the Peter van Houten character which I don't think we got enough of. But still that didn't save it for me. 

One of the things everyone says straight away about this book is how terribly sad it is and how much they cried and its heartbreaking. Cancer is a horrible thing that too many people, teenagers and kids have to deal with but yet I didn't find it very sad or heartbreaking and I certainly didn't cry. I mean it's a sad story, yes, it's sad what happens, yes but still it didn't really make me get upset and curse the author like I did with Harry Potter. What happens is also very predictable in my opinion but I guess I was expecting it? So that made it less sad? Am I completely heartless? I don't think so. I just don't really like soppy, lovey dovey books or movies. Don't get me wrong I like romance when it's done right but this was a little teenagery for me. 

Again I can't say I hate it or dislike it and I can't say I wouldn't recommend it either. There is something there that I enjoyed but overall I was very disappointed with this book and do not get the hype over it. 

I really hate giving this such a bad review as I wanted to like it but it just failed for me. I won't let it put me off reading other John Green books though. Which hopefully I will have positive reviews about!

What did you think of the book? Does anyone else out there agree with me? I feel like so many people love it and find it so heartbreaking but I really felt none of those things.

Aishling's June Empties

So, trying to get back into the swing of blogging. I kinda got lazy after the Lets Talk Blog Challenge and didn't really post much since. I really want to try and be a bit more productive when it comes to the blog so I have lots of new post ideas to come as well as videos, if I ever get around to making them.

First up is an empties blog post. I was originally going to do a video but never got around to it so decided to just do a blog post for this small amount of empties!

First up is Schwarzkopf's new Toner Mousse which I got in Boots. This was back when I was blonde (I'm green now :P) and I needed a toner to remove the brassiness and yellowness. This smelt really good and was easy to apply and I got over 2 uses with it but it really didn't do much to my hair. It actually darkened my hair in bits with a weird ashy grey colour. So I wasn't impressed. It did however wash out fairly quick, I'm not sure if it was even suppose to wash out but it did. As a conditioner it is also great but as a toner I wasn't super happy with it.

So then I moved onto another Toner. This is the La Riche Directions White Toner. I've had good and bad times when it comes to Directions. I've used the Turquoise hair dye from them for months and it is amazing! It lasts so long and is such a bright colour. I then used Lagoon Blue which didn't take to my hair at all. No idea why, could have been a dud maybe? I decided to use the Toner anyhow but again like the Schwarzkopf one it didn't really do anything at all. I didn't even notice that much of a difference in hair colour. All I can say that is good about it is it didn't go that weird ashy grey like the Schwarzkopf one. Also the tub is very small and the product didn't last very long at all. I got 1 and a half uses out of this and I have super short hair.

No7 Essential Moisture Day Cream is what I've been using for years now. It works so well for me and I've never felt the need to change it. The only thing I'll say is in the winter times and colder weather I do need to find a good night moisturising cream. The night one by No7 isn't great and is very greasy. This one though is so good. It doesn't leave you greasy and it feels like you could keep layering it on cos it soaks in so good! It leaves a nice moisturised feeling :)

The Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is something everyone is going on about. Now, while I like it and I will repurchase it because it's so cheap I don't think it's the best thing ever. I find I have to use a whole lot of it to remove my makeup. It also doesn't get every single bit of makeup off your face. I find it leaves a layer that only washing your face will remove. It's also terrible at removing mascara and eye makeup. While it doesn't sting much it does run all the little specs of mascara into your eyes. I have since purchased the small eye makeup remover from them which I will review sometime soon. Anyhow overall I find I use a lot of it to remove my makeup and even though I don't have makeup on me everyday (Sometimes not even every week) it doesn't last very long. 200 uses I don't think so. I do wonder how long it lasts for someone who wears makeup every day or even every couple of days a week! They must be going through a lot!

Even though I'm not really bothered about growing out my hair for the moment, I still use this Lee Stafford Treatment For Hair That Never Grows Past A Certain Length because it is an amazing conditioner all on its own. It leaves your hair so soft, shiny and smelling so good! When it does come around to growing out my hair though this will be the only conditioner I will use for sure. It really helps! The downside is the little tub you're given. There isn't much in each tub so I wouldn't recommend you buy this until it's on offer, especially when Boots have a 3 for 2 offer!


So that's all my empties for now. I will start saving up my next batch of empties for next time! :D
What have you used up this month and how did you enjoy it?!


Until next time, thanks for reading! :)

Catrice Haul!

I was on Facebook recently and saw a post from Maguire Hair and Beauty announcing that all their Catrice stock was reduced to €1!  I took my opportunity and here's my haul of goodies :)

(note I'm not keeping ALL of this for myself, I'm sending some to the USA more on this another time :P)

All the things! Polish in 30 Lilactric, Brow Filler, Lippies, and Plum Up the Jam shadow

Catrice Long lasting Eyepencils - 070 Blue Berrymore, 030 Gold Shatterhand, Kohl Kajal 130 Greentings From...

 Closer look

Calligraph Ultra Slim Eyeliner Pen 010 Blackest Black

 I got these concealer testers thrown in (I've sanatised them!)

 Made to stay Highlighter in 020 Eye Want!

 Defining Blush 030 Love & Peach

 Defining Blush 020 Rose Royce

 Shadows - Top 3; L - 370 Don't Lie Lac, Middle - 640 Don't Touch my Mossarati, R- 570 Plum Up the Jam

Middle Shadow 570 Lilac Del Ray

Bottom 3; L - 570 Plum Up the Jam, Middle- Fancy a Coppa Tea, R- I like to Mauve it.

 Liquid Metals L-R - Gold Leaf Me, M- Petrol Pan, R - Mauves Like Jagger

 Lipsticks - L to R; Ultimate Shine 030 Rose N Gun, Ultimate Colour 290 Sweet Coraline, Ultimate Shine 240 And The Oscar Goes To

Another Shot of ALL THE THINGS! You can see I got a few lipstick testers (sealed never used) pencils etc - they will be going to a new home so no swatches of those!

Reviews and swatches will follow! Thanks for reading and let me know if you've hauled anything recently?!

Bye for now, 

Aishling's Day in the Life #1: Carrick on Shannon

Steve and I took a trip to see Kerrie for the day so I decided to take some photos and do a day in the life. I've only ever done one other "day in the life" for the #LetsTalkBlogChallenge and have always wanted to start doing more of them so I will start a new series! :D


On the way to Carrick on Shannon, first thing we done was stop at Whyte's shop in Legan to get a bottle of water. It was a lovely day and nice and warm so we needed all the water!

It's a fairly long drive but some good music and nice weather helps it go by quickly.

In the town of Carrick on Shannon it's quite old and quaint with shops and restaurants taking up space in old buildings. We were lucky enough to visit when it was quieter than usual so there was a nice relaxed feel about the place.

You can park along the Shannon just beside the marina and also take a walk long it. It is very pretty!


Steve enjoying his day out! Aww :P

We walked down passed the bridge but didn't venture any further and said we would do so next time.

Then a cute little swan decided to say hello!

Time to say goodbye to Mr. Swan and be on our way before those stormy clouds get us!

Our last stop was this beautiful and amazing smelling shop that sells all things Lavender! Bath bombs, soaps, candles, moisturisers! It's just wonderful especially if you're a fan of Lavender like me! I will try and take more photos of the inside next time. Also there are little witches and bats filled with Lavender that I NEED to get next time I visit! Eeeeee! :D


That's all for this post! Hope you enjoyed! I will be sure to have more Day in the Life posts soon!
Oh and all photos are taken with my iPhone and edited in all different apps! :)

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Let's Talk Blog Challenge - Aishling's Recommend To A Friend

**Sorry this is so late but I've been very unwell over the last few days! I still wanted to make sure and post it though :) I really enjoyed the whole challenge and have found some great new blogs! Thanks so much Sarah for creating it! :D**

So it's week 6 of the #LetsTalkBlogChallenge and if you don't know what that is here's a quick explanation in the words of creator @sarah_hamersley Sarah's Blog.

So this is going to be a 6 week challenge, with a different topic each week that we'll write and tweet about. The plan is to write and schedule our posts for Monday at 8pm and then tweet our posts on twitter at that time, using the hashtag #LetsTalkBlogChallenge. That way every Monday at 8pm all our posts are live and we're all online to interact and share our posts with each other. I'll be online from 8-9pm every Monday, reading and commenting on all the posts and chatting to you all, just so there is a sense of community and interaction.

The topic for this week is; Recommend To A Friend! This is the last topic of the challenge and we have to recommend things to a friend. It can be our favourite beauty products, shop, location...anything we wish and as many things as we like. We also have to recommend our favourite post from another blogger who has taken part in the challenge, just to share the love and show support for another blogger!


Well to begin with I will say that my favourite post by far was Stephanie's Birthday Box about her trip to Brussels! Such an interesting and in depth post about her trip to Brussels! It's so good and I loved reading it and it filled me with wanderlust! :) And another favourite that comes to mind is Coveted Mess's Festival Survival Guide! :D

Now on to the other recommendations!

Make Up Recommendations by fluffyvolkswagen featuring a shimmer eye shadow

Missguided beauty product, €4,91 / Eyeko black eye makeup, €14 / N.Y.C. Liquid Eyeliner, 887A Black, €2,20 / Models Own - Polish For Tans, €6,15 / Shimmer eye shadow / Vichy Dermablend Ultra Corrective Cream Stick reviews - Makeupalley

Essence All About Paradise eyeshadows: These are so cheap and such lovely shimmery colours :)
NYC Liquid Eyeline: This is one of my all time favourites! So cheap, super long lasting and easy to apply!
Vichy Dermablend Corrective Cream Stick: This is amazing at covering redness and any blemishes you have. I wouldn't recommend for under the eyes but anywhere else it has amazing coverage without looking or feeling cakey.
Eyeko Mascara: I've been using this mascara for a long time now and it is so nice and lasts all day without ending up under or around your eyes.
Models Own "Flip Flop" & Barry M "Green Berry": Such nice colours that I highly recommend! :D

Accessories, Worst Put Together Set Ever by fluffyvolkswagen featuring kohl shoes

Vans kohl shoes, €58 / Hook earrings, €2,76 / Home decor / Studio Ghibli MY Neighbor Flax Linen Personality Shoulder BAG | eBay / Breaking Bad Brooch 'RV' by kateslittlestore on Etsy / Studio Ghibli MY Neighbor Totoro Long Wallet Purse D | eBay / REGAL ROSE | Fashion Rock Vintage Love Studs Glamour — Three Symbolic...

Please excuse this terrible put together set!

Totoro Wallet/Purse & Totoro Bag: Without a doubt those are both one of the best purchases I've ever made! Love them both, got them for great prices on eBay and they're both excellent quality! I've also gotten lots of compliments on the bag especially! :D

Alien Earrings from Etsy: These earrings are all over Etsy so do be sure to find the best priced ones! Some sell them way too expensive. They also glow in the dark! Amazing! :D

Ear Cuffs: I bought these ear cuffs from Regal Rose but I don't think they're available anymore. You can find lots of cuffs everywhere now though so get googling! These have amazing staying power! I have hit them and dragged my bag strap over them but they refuse to come off my ear! Don't worry though, they're super comfortable and easy to put on and remove.

Breaking Bad "RV" Brooch: This seller on Etsy is amazing! I have an Enid from Ghost World brooch from her and it is amazing quality! Her whole shop is just fantastic and once you see it you'll want everything from it! :D

Green Vans: I have my green Vans for awhile now but didn't wear them a lot till now. They're so comfortable for such flat and light shoes! Highly recommend :)

Manic Panic Electric Lizard: I just recently dyed my hair this amazing green! I think I will do a review post on this in the future so stay tuned but I'd really remember this if you want to go green :D

The Way Way Back - The Way Way Back is about a teenager who goes on vacation with his mother, her not so nice boyfriend and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a hard time with trying to fit in with his family he meets and makes friends with Sam Rockwell's character. Written and directed by Jim Rash (The Dean from Community and also in the photo above on the right) and Nat Faxon (He stars in it too) it is funny, sad and even though it sounds familiar, like all other indie teen movies, it's very original. Sam Rockwell steals the show btw.

Silver Linings Playbook - This was a film I avoided for a long time because I honestly didn't think it would be any good. I don't like lovey dovey films which I was sure this one was. While yes, it is a romantic comedy I do think it's one of the better ones. Bradley Cooper plays a former teacher who had a breakdown and is now living with his parents after leaving a mental institution. He then meets Jennifer Lawrence's character who has just as many problems as him. I don't want to say too much about it because it will spoil it but it's funny, sad and shows that everyone has their problems. Also Chris Tucker is in this! Much better performance than in his Rush Hour films :P

Awesome fan poster!

X-Men: Days of Future Past - I'm pretty sure everyone knows about X-Men. I'm not even going to try and explain what happens in this one haha! But it's so good, explains itself well and has great performances from all! Highly recommend! I can't wait for the next one already :)

***

And that is all recommendation from me! I hope you enjoyed and if you'd like to see previous Lets Talk Blog Challenge please click here! Again thanks so much to Sarah! I had so much fun doing the challenges every week and I hope she does another one soon! :D


Thanks for reading :)