Sephora

Gorgeous!! @CynthieLu 😍

   

Historical fiction. Post-World War II. Japan. From (well, mostly from) the perspective of "the illegitimate child of a Japanese aristocrat and her African American GI lover"* (from Goodreads) As with Carrie Sun's Private Equity A Memoir, this is the author's first book. It took me longer to get through this one, partly because of not having a lot of time to read, partly because there were certain sections where I needed to go back to determine which character was narrating a particular section, and in some instances, where I just needed to go back and re-read a section over again. The beginning caught my attention and made me wonder where the story would end up going. Sections of the book are from the point of view of other characters and that has its pros and cons. There are also a couple of parts in this book that didn't settle well with me - some very pointed, direct, and clear in their unsavoriness, and others that were even more discomforting because of what the narrative suggested rather than what the protagonist actually said about those matters. Setting those aside, there are passages within the novel that made me think on them well after I finished the book, including the ending, as well as quotes weaved throughout the novel that demonstrate a really lovely writing style on the part of the author. Notable Quotes:Spoiler"All this time, she'd asked God for a gift. She hadn't realized that she'd been living in one all along. A sweet little bubble, filled with a combination of dreams, hope, and blatant stupidity. It wasn't a cage, as she had thought it was. It was a shield." "We do things that we never thought we were capable of in order to protect what we love." "The ocean seemed never-ending. But somehow, somewhere it did end.Perhaps it was the same with her grief.Though she could not see it.""All this time, she'd asked God for a gift. She hadn't realized that she'd been living in one all along. A sweet little bubble, filled with a combination of dreams, hope, and blatant stupidity. It wasn't a cage, as she had thought it was. It was a shield." "We do things that we never thought we were capable of in order to protect what we love." "The ocean seemed never-ending. But somehow, somewhere it did end.Perhaps it was the same with her grief.Though she could not see it."

@blackkitty2014, the Diptyque in Union Square is still here; it got a makeover - the interior and exterior have a more contemporary retail look and feel with an open window and neon signage at street view and modern lighting indoors. The new indoor layout is fine; I do miss the look and feel of the original storefront. They also opened up a store on Fillmore Street in San Francisco and a store in Larkspur / Marin, both are lovely and have aesthetics on the inside and outside that fit in well with the area / neighborhood where they're located.

@unicorn1889 Caudalie Vinosource-Hydra SOS Intense Hydration Moisturizer 1.6 oz/ 50 mL Caudalie Beauty Elixir Prep, Set, Glow Face Mist 3.3 oz/ 100 mL Tatcha The Essence Skincare Boosting Treatment The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL Glow Recipe Plum Plump™ Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Oil with Squalane and Antioxidants 1 oz / 30 ml

@Bronana13 I'd absolutely suggest grabbing the Sol de Janeiro Perfume Mist Discovery Set so that you can try a few different scents to see what you like best 🙂

@itsfi no, I didn't already post it but I'd seen it on IG a couple of weeks ago and I was instantly interested! *I've seen pink pineapple but not tasted it.

@Sunnysmom, you're lucky to have a Chanel boutique with beautiful natural light. I love your choices and your restraint! I hope you enjoy the medium rose palette and quartz fume! I'm going to a Chanel counter tomorrow to put in my pre-order and I hope to see the Les Beiges Glow palettes in person (though they don't officially launch in Canada until May 1). I'm thinking about 1-2 single eyeshadows and like the look of Brun Fauve and maybe the lime green eyeshadow. I also love the Talpa shade from the original release, so happy there's an updated replacement! I'd probably buy more of the Les Beiges Glow if the compacts were smaller and would have preferred a range of blush/highlighter duos because Chanel bronzer shades don't suit me well (the closest is the cream blush in shade 20). Will connect back after I've been to the counter! ☀️

@danielledanielle, I like having options, especially in the lip category. Because it sometimes really does depend on my mood what lip item or color I want to wear. There wil definitely be more BIC inspired / BIC Made Me Do It themes - probably about every 6-8 weeks, there will be either BIC-Inspired prompt or a "Do Over" / "Take 2" theme where folks can opt to do a BIC inspired capsule. lolololol "I managed to edit it down somewhat." I love that you made the effort. I tried to just put together 2 capsules from all the items I put in the makeup bag. Then 2 became 3 ... 4 and, finally we arrived at 6, which then made me think, why not just make a 7th capsule and be done for the week?!!! 😄 What's in the Theory case?