Beauty Review: Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara

I received this product for free from Influenster and Revlon Canada

I have something a bit different for you all today: a product review! I was so excited to receive Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara from Influenster. Pretty much the only makeup I wear on a regular basis is mascara, so I'm always on the lookout for a type I really love. After using the Mega Multiplier Mascara for the last few weeks, I can honestly tell you it's my new go-to. It gives my lashes a natural look that’s perfect for everyday use.

There are many days when I wear mascara from morning to night, and the Mega Multiplier Mascara doesn’t flake or smudge, no matter how long I wear it. I’ve fallen asleep with it on, and it doesn’t smear under my eyes or leave marks on my pillowcases like most other mascaras, which is a definite bonus! I also like that it doesn’t clump during application, plus the brush is the perfect size to get all my lashes, even the short ones near the corners of my eyes. My lashes aren’t naturally very long or thick, but this formula really enhances them, and I feel confident with this as an everyday look or even for a nighttime look with additional makeup. 

If you're looking for a long-lasting mascara at a great price, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Revlon's Mega Multiplier Mascara. 

Have you tried the Mega Multiplier Mascara? What did you think? Do you have a favourite mascara? If you could only have one piece of make-up (mascara, lipstick, eye shadow, eyeliner, blush, etc), what would it be?

 {Instagram || Facebook || Twitter || GoodReads || Pinterest}

A Day of Tea and Books

In the middle of this month, my friend JK had a tea party at her place. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, depending on how you look at it), I was the only one able to attend. Despite me being the only guest, we decided to stick with JK’s original dress code, which was a dress/skirt or nice pants, and a hat or fascinator. It was so much fun to bust out of my usual at-home work attire of leggings and a tank top and my shopping 'uniform' of jeans and a tee. I wracked my brain, and as far as I can figure, the last time I dressed up was when I was in Europe two years ago.

 

We sat outside in JK's beautiful garden (until it started to storm) and had tea and scones while listening to Ed Sheeran (a mutual fave). JK went all out with pretty china and decorations.

  

 

Since we've both been lucky enough to win signed copies of Jacquelyn Middleton’s book London Belongs to Me, and since the party had a British theme, we did a fun little photo shoot with her book for Instagram.

Love London? Want to read about a nerdy fangirl with anxiety who navigates tough situations while discovering herself, building friendships, and falling for a swoony Irishman on a red Vespa? Check out London Belongs to Me! {Amazon US - Canada // Chapters}

When the storm came and we had to take things inside, we watched Austenland (in keeping with our British theme). I hadn’t seen it, although it’s been in my Netflix queue for ages. It was pretty ridiculous and silly, but it was also hilarious and swoony and OMG JJ FEILD. I loved it.

It was a great afternoon. I’ve always wanted to go to a fancy tea party, and while it was just the two of us, it was a blast.

Want to see more? Check out my personal Instagram here, my bookstagram account here, and JK’s Instagram here.

Have you ever been to a fancy tea party or high tea in a restaurant? I wanted to do high tea when I was in London, but between the price (average of $50 Canadian with the ridiculous exchange rate at the time *cringe*) and the lack of time, we didn’t make it. Next time for sure! My dream is to have tea at either Kensington Palace or the Ritz. Might as well dream big, right?

 {Instagram || Facebook || Twitter || GoodReads || Pinterest}

Review: The Crowns of Croswald by DE Night

My review copy of Crowns of Croswald came from the publicist with all these amazing extras. Hands down one of the coolest packages I've ever received! I'm obsessed with the Glanagerie bottle, and after reading the book and finding out their purpose, I love it even more! Thank you JKS Communications!

The Crowns of Croswald by DE Night
Series: Croswald #1
Published: July 21st, 2017
Publisher: Stories Untold Press
310 pages (ARC)
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Acquired this book: From the publicist in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
Rating: 4 stars
{GoodReads || Buy: Amazon US ~ Canada || Chapters/Indigo}
 

In Croswald, the only thing more powerful than dark magic is one secret…

For sixteen years Ivy Lovely has been hidden behind an enchanted boundary that separates the mundane from the magical. When Ivy crosses the border, her powers awaken. Curiosity leads her crashing through a series of adventures at the Halls of Ivy, a school where students learn to master their magical blood and the power of Croswald’s mysterious gems. When Ivy’s magic––and her life––is threatened by the Dark Queen, she scrambles to unearth her history and save Croswald before the truth is swept away forever.

 

The Crowns of Croswald is a fun, fresh fantasy from debut author DE Night. Despite some similarities to Harry Potter, Night has managed to take the familiar ‘orphaned child sent to magical boarding school, destined for greatness’ premise and create a different, compelling world.

Sixteen-year-old Ivy has lived her entire life shut away as a servant for a royal family, with only a pack of scaldrons (dragons, whose job it is to cook food in their mouths) and a dwarf who turns up occasionally as companions. When she turns sixteen, an accident in the kitchen gets her thrown out of the castle, but she soon finds herself on her way to Croswald and the Halls of Ivy, where she’s set to learn to be a scrivenist, a magical record keeper. I loved the world of Croswald and the Halls of Ivy, the concept of magic and the roles of magical people, the magical creatures, and of course Ivy herself. She's strong, smart, brave, impetuous, and curious, and it was so much fun following along on her adventures.  

With lots of action and magical antics, plenty of mystery to keep you guessing, and a great cast of characters, The Crowns of Croswald is sure to be a hit with fans of fantasy. If you’re a teacher/parent/guardian who’s looking for something new and fun for your tween or teen, make sure to pick up The Crowns of Croswald. Ivy is sixteen, which automatically made my mind go ‘this is YA’ but it reads like a Middle Grade book, so I think it’ll have wide appeal, regardless of the readers’ age. I can’t wait to continue on with this series and see what’s next for Ivy and her friends.

 

 

Have you read The Crowns of Croswald? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Do you like fantasy?

 

 {Instagram || Facebook || Twitter || GoodReads || Pinterest}

Changes at Ramblings of a Daydreamer

Week before last I put up a notice that the blog was under construction because of how Photobucket’s new Terms & Conditions were forcing people to pay $400 for 3rd party hosting and it had screwed up my entire blog. I’ve been blogging for almost seven years now, and nearly all my pictures (we're talking hundreds and hundreds) are hosted on Photobucket, which left my blog looking like a hot mess. Since each of my posts has several graphics, my entire blog is filled with these ugly things:

AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

To say I was distraught is a massive understatement.

This situation forced me to think not only about the blog, but also about my writing and my reading habits. At the end of last year, I debated whether to continue with Ramblings of a Daydreamer. Readership was low, and I got next to no comments, even if a blog post had a ton of views. I wondered if I was wasting my time, but I decided to give it one last shot, and I ended up enjoying blogging for the first six months of 2017.

Now, though...it’s not that I no longer enjoy it, it’s just that I realize it’s time to make some changes. For the last several years, at least 3/4 of the books I've read have been review books. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had access to so many ARCs directly through publishers and through sites like Edelweiss and Netgalley. I’ve loved working with authors as well, and have discovered some of my favourite books because I’ve been given the opportunity to read the books for free in exchange for honest consideration.

But it’s time consuming. And it can be stressful. It’s left me wishing for more time to read the books I want to read that don’t have deadlines for reviews. Some of the dozens and dozens of books I’ve bought/won/been gifted over the years that sit forlornly on my shelf, getting very little attention unless it’s to photograph them.

Then there’s my author blog. Ohhh, my poor, pathetic, neglected author blog. I never posted there regularly, but my last post was over two years ago! *cringes* I’ve kept the book info up to date, but haven’t made any effort to post there, and now I have the same problem of it looking like a mess thanks to PB.

So I’ve come to a decision. I’m going to slowly transition Ramblings of a Daydreamer into a more general blog.

What can you expect?

•  Occasional book reviews and bookish posts like lists, discussions, maybe even a meme here and there. I’m planning to focus more on promoting the books and authors I love rather than reviewing every single book I read whether I loved or hated it. That will take a massive amount of stress and pressure off my shoulders and free up more time for writing and reading.
   

• More posts about writing - my own (updates, teasers, etc) and in general (tips, advice, self-publishing info, etc).
  
  

• More personal posts. Stuff that's going on in my life, things I like, maybe even a few photo essays thrown in.

I've gone through several pages of posts, fixing them with new pictures. The only good thing about this happening is that I've always wished my graphics were the same size, and now I can redo them so everything is uniform and looks more professional. It would take me forever to do the entire blog, so I'm not even going to make that a goal. I hate that some of it will always look horrible and have blank spaces, but there's no way I can go through 1000+ posts and redo them all. I've also designed a brand new header, and I'm in the process of redoing and streamlining all my pages.

This way, I won’t be giving up a blog I’ve worked hard on for 7 years. I also won’t feel as much pressure to write reviews and read a gazillion ARCs (which is largely my own fault; I’ve been saying for years I was going to cut back and I never do). Plus I won’t feel as bad about my neglected author blog because Ramblings of a Daydreamer will be an all-in-one deal.

I’m aware I might lose followers through this transition, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. I want to love this blog and be passionate about it and proud of it. I’m hoping readers, both old and new, will follow along and be more willing to engage (I know I need to do my part and start commenting more on other people's blogs). Numbers don’t mean anything when no one is reading or commenting on your posts.

I want to help and inspire as well as entertain, and I’ll do my best to do all of that and more. Thank you to those who stick with me through this new adventure.

 {Instagram || Facebook || Twitter || GoodReads || Pinterest}