"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us."
-Unknown

Friday 16 August 2013

Raisie Speaks: 5 Tips to Scoring Affordable Reads And Saving Money Along The Way

You work hard for your money. Can you recall how many hours you put your effort into just to get the latest payslip? So even if you love books, you can still save money with these tips and still be a happy bibliophile who knows how to have good old fashioned entertainment at home or in any quiet corner-reading.

To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee
The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
The Book Depository
1 Buy Used Books or Swap!

Brand new books cost anywhere from Php 300-500 for Paperback and Php 400-800 for Hardbound copies, and you can always hear me complaining about new releases and their respective prices. If you could control yourself and look around your home for other books you have not read, you can wait for a month after and check out eBay or some friends who have finished reading the title you have been pining after and offer to buy the book for a lesser cost. Some bazaars will have secondhand books on sale that are also in great condition so you should set aside a budget for the next one in town. 

Swapping is also a good choice, all you have to do is ask a friend whom you know has the genre that you like or a specific title or author that you have not read yet, then you can arrange for a swap to take place without having to worry about your monthly budget for books. 

Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho

2 Borrow From A Friend Or The Library

All it takes is a phone call, text, Facebook message, Tweet or even your library card and a list of titles you have not read. Take the first step and you can have a couple of new books that you can start reading. Hey, if you "borrowed" that from ADZU library, return it at the end of the semester! Other students would want to read it too, okay?

The Darwin Myth by Dr Benjamin Wiker
God's Gold by Sean Kingsley

3 Invest In An Ebook Reader

Most e-book readers these days range anywhere from Php 6,000 -12,000. Even if it is tight for you right now, you can save a chunk of your bonus and stow away a little every month until you have saved enough. This way, you can easily download e-books and save them in your reader's storage. Most of the time, e-books are free. Be sure to select one that won't strain your eyes. 


Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

 4 Collect Only Authors That You Really Like

What's the use of having a huge collection of books and only read and just appreciate a few authors? You just might as well be throwing away your money. Yes, you can't avoid those times when you bought a book and thought that the author was promising only to realize that the writing style was childish and the story plot was off-but you can resell it, and learn to look keep away from that book altogether. Keeping only authors that you really like showcases your true bookworm's preferences and the collection can be called truly yours. No matter what genre it is, it's your time and money spent, isn't it?

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
5 Or Join A Giveaway

It still saves you money, doesn't it? Alright, no more questions asked . Head on here

How about you? How do you save money while looking for books? Is there anything that you do uniquely? Let me know in the comments below!

Monday 12 August 2013

On Fragrances: Oriental Summer by Celine


Some people are really attracted to warm fragrances, and I am quite undecided. However, this does not mean that I am closing my doors on them, especially if I could learn a thing or two about warm fragrances. With my experience, I find that they make great complements in opposing weathers-warm fragrances are for winter days and nights and the cool fragrances are for the summer days and nights. Are you with me on this?

I received this years ago as a Christmas present from my close friends' mom, and I have not had the chance to wear it for a long time really. You see, I am really a cool scent person, and I even like to sniff on men's cool-scented cologne, but I don't really have that much experience with warm scents for women. You can tell that it is an authentic signature fragrance because the bottle is really durable and the scent is intact after a couple of years.


"Celine Dion's Oriental Summer fragrance for women is fresh and fruity, a citrus-rich, floral-oriental scent that wraps around a fragrant note of jasmine, mandarin, all-spice pimiento and dried fruit introductory notes rest over a hear-composed of iris and heliotrope; a base of sandalwood, amber and vanilla is purely sensual and ultra-feminine-a fresh and endearing fragrance choice for women." 

My Observations

At first whiff, the strong notes of sandalwood and pepper come to life. It is a really spicy scent that brings to life an oriental appeal of sunsets, sands and the rich and exotic scents of the East. Just looking at the bottle brings me back to the carved interiors of opulent, Byzantine interiors, (yes I have been there in my dreams! Hahaha).This would be a great scent for Christmas and for those who like woody, spicy scents. I could even have a soft spot for this during the -ber months. 

It lasts long and although the first notes could be overpowering, the tail can be sweet and musky in the end. A little spritz goes a long way, and the scent also lasts long. As you can see, the bottle makes use of sprayer and this could be a great help for those who are prone to spilling perfume all over the place. 


For more fragrances by Celine, you can visit 99 Perfume and get authentic signature fragrances so that you can save more compared to the expensive prices in malls and boutiques. 99 Perfume carries many signature fragrances and has the varieties that you are looking for such as gift sets and body lotions from your favorite perfume connoisseurs.

This is where I am being transported every time I sniff this on my wrist. I hope you get to visit these places and watch the sunsets too.


Are you feeling lucky? You can join my paperback giveaway or you can win awesome prizes from my collaboration giveaway, join one or both!

Friday 9 August 2013

Beauty Review: Colour Collection Vitamin E Sheer Lipstick in Pinkish Nude by Tupperware

I finally found the lipstick shade and brand that goes well with my skin tone! I even took a formal application photo wearing the shade and it turned out well for me. I was in search of a barely-there shade and I finally met my match! I also found it in Sample Room of all places! The good thing about it is that even if the lipstick itself cost only Php 330, I didn't pay for a full size sample and just paid for the shipping fee along with a perfume sample of Thierry Mugler's Alien.


"Keep your lips healthy and kissable with Colour Collections's Vitamin E Lipsticks, a range of lipsticks that are formulated with Vitamin E, making your lips still look moisturized and supple even long after the color wears off. It also has sunscreen that protects your lips from the harmful UV rays of the sun."

About The Company 

Most people know the brand Tupperware to be associated with durable kitchen and home containers made of plastic and the like, but not a lot of people are aware of their cosmetics line. Tupperware Brands has a cosmetic line and has allowed Sample Room members to try out their bestselling, glamorous lipsticks with Vitamin E. It is known to speed up cell regeneration and retain natural moisture content of the lips. 

Price 

For a 4g lipstick sample that is already full-sized, it costs Php 330, but since I got it from Sample Room, it's only 85 points for members and the only expense is the provincial shipping fee of Php130. 

About The Product

There are three types to choose from: satin, sheer and matte. Because I am on the lookout for wearable, barely-there shades, I chose the Pinkish Nude in Sheer finish but I am curious to try the Red Wine Satin finish next. It promises sheer texture, and is loaded with Vitamin E to maintain smooth, sensuous and vibrant lips and also a glamorous finish. 

Who Is It For?

This shade is for those who are:
  • On the lookout for affordable lipsticks
  • Fond of sheer finish lipsticks and pinkish shades
  • Looking for wearable, barely-there, everyday shades for conservative environments

Pros

I like that it offers:

  • Moisturizing effects, it is very sheer and has gloss-like appearance on the lips
  • Very lightweight, as if there is no lip color whatsoever
  • Subtle pink shade most of all, it goes well with my skin tone!
  • Affordable for most women
  • No drying after-effects which means chapped lips! 

Cons


I don't like that:

  • The packaging is bulky, it would have been better if it came in a slimmer stick
  • It is available only through Tupperware dealers 
  • Totally wears off after drinking water, must be due to its sheer finish


The Verdict

As I have said, I found my match and it seems like this will be my no-brainer, everyday go-to shade. Now I wonder if the Red Wine Satin lipstick is just as good...

Are you feeling lucky? Do you think you can bring home a Paperback copy of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children here

Wednesday 7 August 2013

On Fragrances: Alien by Thierry Mugler


This is my latest mini haul from Sample Room

I will be reviewing both of them though, but first let me take on the perfume sample. Here I have Alien by Thierry Mugler Eau de Parfum and Colour Collection Vitamin E Sheer Lipstick in Pinkish Nude. 

What could possibly be so out of this world for such a fragrance like Alien? Is there something worth noting about this scent from Thierry Mugler that could bring a collision of universes, supernovas and just about anything mutual from creatures of other planets? 

The Left Hand of Darkness finally got to me! (Ok, corny private joke gone wrong here...) 
"Alien is more than a simple fragrance. It is a strange, different and unique fragrance that diffuses a sensation of fulfillment. It creates a sort of olfactory impact that awakens positive emotions within us. As if appeared from another world, it transforms us by revealing our inner beauty. More than  a fragrance of seduction, it is an elixir of positive power!"

Pros


  • At first whiff, I thought that the first notes were pleasant, it has an oriental, exotic appeal which is something similar to Celine's Oriental Summer
  • The packaging has my attention, both the box and bottle in gold and purple looks elegant and something coming from an advanced-even elegant planet (Could it be Winter? Ursula Le Guin's Left Hand of Darkness anyone?)
  • No shimmer, just pure fragrance 


Cons

  • The body is overpowering, it is too strong and then the tail just stops short, it comes out strong in the middle and then ends with meh...
  • It is more of a hot scent than a cold scent, but I think this makes it a plus for an evening perfume because it is too overpowering in the daytime
  • The bottle has no stopper to regulate the flow of perfume, so that means wasted fragrance. (But does that count for a sample bottle?) 

I am somewhere in the middle with this fragrance. It could be great maybe for evening affairs, but until then, I think I could share it with someone who would be really interested, like my Mom. But for some who might be interested in oriental, evening and warm fragrances, you can get full sized versions and even gift sets from 99 Perfume and save money from the usually jacked-up prices in malls and boutiques. 99 Perfume carries many signature fragrances and have the varieties that you are looking for as well.

 


Now, feast your eyes on the galaxy and yes, you are allowed to imagine just what it would be like to be among aliens, perhaps on a cold planet like Winter. Let me retreat to my fantasies of Le Guin, alright?

Are you feeling lucky? You can join my paperback giveaway which is open to all Philippine residents here. Will you bring home a copy of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children? 

Tuesday 6 August 2013

Book Review + Paperback Giveaway: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

(It is recommended that you scroll down slowly from this point on)






What have you noticed from these pictures? 

Apart from the fact that they could give any child nightmare, what could possibly be their stories? And just what are ymbrynes, wights, hollowgasts and peculiars? 

Jacob Portman knew that there is a big world out there, and that the only adventure he could ever taste is from the stories that Grandpa Portman told him from his stash of old photographs he took with him, all from the home that his grandfather knew. From the island of Cairnholm there stands an orphanage and a headmistress who looks after refugee children during the second world war. In the eyes of young Jacob growing up, Grandpa Abe was a hero. Unlike the rest of his family, it is only Jake and Grandpa Abe who share a bond that nobody else has ever understood.

But Grandpa Abe would not be around forever. On the night of his death, Jacob thinks he sees the horrid creature that murdered his grandfather. His parents believe he is delusional and what he saw could be the effect of years of storytelling-possibly lies- on an innocent boy, as if the characters on the strange photos have come to life, and this convinces the family that seeing a psychiatrist is best for Jake. But Grandpa Abe says something to Jacob on the night he died, "Find the bird in the loop, on the other side of the old man's grave. September third, 1940."

How could he ever make sense with his grandfather's last words and what could Jacob possibly find there? 

Highlights of the Book: Themes, Issues and Characterization
(Warning: May Contain Spoilers) 


The highlights of the book are hands down, the peculiar photographs. It is an eerie experience, and the more the reader digs deeper, flipping pages continuously, the more it becomes a puzzle of who these children were. 
It may have been clear that Miss Peregrine's children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow-impossible though it seems- they may still be alive."



Doesn't it just give you the creeps?

Second highlight is the world-building. Contrary to what other reviews on this book have mentioned, I don't see how it is patterned after the Harry Potter books. This is a more mature take, the way I see it, and the only similarity is that there is a home for peculiar children, and that there is the battle of good and evil peculiars in this world. Surely, these children have strange abilities, but the powers come from the children themselves and they are not taught. 

But as the reader continues, the real stories come to the surface, revealing who they are, and how they have come to find their places in Miss Peregrine's Home where they have come to know love and care under the headmistress's watchful eye when their own family have turned them away. 

Some issues raised in this book are the father and son relationship; where Jacob's father could be envious of the deep bond that Grandpa Abe and Jacob had whereas for him, Grandpa Abe was away most of the time when he was growing up.This is one factor why Jacob's own father has difficulty being one with his own son.

Another issue to note is the discrimination that the children encountered when they marched to the village, villagers' eyes following their every move, as if they had a disease which was highly contagious. The excuse made up was that the refugee children come from all over Europe so that they do not converse very well among the English villagers in the island of Cairnholm, Wales. But people are always afraid of other things that they do not understand. 

As for characterization, it comes to life because there is a rich pool of different characters who have individual concerns and methods of thinking. Somehow, I can't help feeling that there are many unexplained incidents as to how a boy anmed Victor with the strength of ten men can easily die without giving a fight. There are some parts that are dragging and slow to pick up on action, although the author tries his best to show the struggle between bravery and passiveness, it does not really strike me.

Who Could Enjoy the Book


I believe that readers and even collectors of vintage photographs could have a unique experience reading this book while the story builds, of strange and sometimes nightmarish photos, to those that are simply sad, and bleak. This is a book for lovers of paranormal stories and also those who have a thing for haunted homes and the history of those who lived in it.

About the Author


Just in case you were wondering, yes, Ransom Riggs has a thing for eerie vintage photos. 

Ransom Riggs grew up in Florida and but now makes his home in the land of peculiar children-Los Angeles. Along the way he earned degrees from Kenyon College and the University of Southern California's School of Cinema and Television. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children debuted #5 on the New York Times Best Seller List. He recently sat down with Quirk Books' creative director Jason Rekulak to discuss its peculiar origins.

He is looking forward to a trip to Belgium where he gets to see creepy abandoned chateaus, something he is really excited about. 



What Other People Are Saying About the Book 


" A tense, moving, and wondrously strange first novel. The photographs and text work brilliantly together to create an unforgettable story."- John Green, New York Times bestselling author of Paper Towns and The Fault In Our Stars

"An enjoyable, eccentric read, distinguished by well-developed characters and some very creepy monsters...dark but empowering."-Publishers Weekly


Now I am giving you a chance to win this copy. If you are into vintage photographs and creepy stories, you can have a paperback copy of your own. If you are like me who prefers paperback, tangible books over ebooks, then grab this! All you have to do is follow the mechanics and wait til a winner is announced! I am making this super easy for you all. 

Open to all Philippine residents only. 
(If winner is from Zamboanga we could meet up in town, how's that sound? Hihihi) 
Good luck!