cruelty free dupe: pacifica vs. opi

Now, most dupe posts are for the cost side of things. I'm all for a cheap dupe when it comes to beauty. However, this post is for a different reason - animal testing!

OPI is not cruelty free, as they sell in China. Years ago a friend bought me a bottle of my favorite color: You Don't Know Jacques. I love the brown/grey because it can be worn with anything! However, my bottle is almost to the point of being gunky. Of course I love the color, but I won't buy another bottle since they test on animals.

I went on the hunt for a similar color, but was having trouble finding it. I don't like to buy polish online since I can't see the color in person, so I took off to Ulta. My local store carries quite the selection of Pacifica polishes, so I thought my efforts may be fruitful.

Success! I found Pacifica's Beach Wood to be a wonderful color match AND 100% vegan and cruelty free! Not only that, but Pacifica's brand is a whole dollar cheaper, with no nasty chemicals, animal products, or hurt bunnies. ♥

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a lazy day downtown

Yesterday, after I ran some errands on my day off, I decided to head downtown. I work down there, but very rarely get to actually stroll around. I stopped and had lunch at the Virginia Deli, which is one of my favorite spots. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the streets weren't really busy, so I sat outside and enjoyed the day.





Earlier that morning, my grandpa changed the oil in my car for me, so I stopped by Sugar Shack and picked up a couple sprinkle donuts for him and my grandma. My grandma grew up downtown, so as I was telling her where Sugar Shack was, she told me their building is right across from what used to be the service station my great grandpa ran! I love learning family history.





I've been watching my spending lately, so I didn't pick up a lot of things in my shopping, but I did stop by Ladyburg for a bath bomb, The Grove of Brite Blessings for a few stones, and then I stopped by Ulta (but that was an awesome point redemption deal and I ended up only paying $1.26 for the polish!).



Overall? A very unproductive, relaxing day. ♥


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a rainy saturday & leggings

Today was a pretty rainy Saturday. If you don't know by now, this does not upset me. I love rain. It made for a pretty slow work day, though.

Life has been busy lately. I've been working and helping prepare for the holidays at the store and we redid the Halloween windows.

I did become an affiliate for an interesting company, Legging Army. I started off with two pairs, Cheetalicious and Paisley Days. I have to say, I love these things. They're so soft! I pretty much never have to wear real pants again.




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link love

Stephen King weighed in on the recent clown scares in North & South Carolina.

Bats cock their heads like puppies when targeting prey!

I follow The Secret Life of Dog Catchers on Facebook, and here's a neat article about Malachi the Wolfdog.

A vegan breakfast sandwich? Yes, please.

I love these heels!

I bought these sandals on clearance at Target the other day, then I found an almost identical pair at Anthropologie for $68! Sometimes it pays (saves?) to be a Target lover.

This recipe for vegan mushroom alfredo from Gourmandelle looks delicious.

Another recipe, this one from Vegan Richa. A gluten free and vegan almond poppy seed cake.

Make sure you get your Always Sunny Beauty Gift when you sign up for a Julep Beauty Box with the code "SUMMERBEAUTY"!

Nail biting may be a sign of something other than anxiety.


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book review: the butterfly garden by dot hutchison

From Goodreads: "Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding..."

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First off, whoa. This book was amazingly written. It's told in two perspectives - Maya's first person perspective in the Garden, and from a narrator's point of view. I will say there are triggers in this book, there's speak of suicide, rape, sexual assault, murder, and violence.

The characters are likeable and their stories come together in an intricate but tragic way. It's hard to talk about the plot without spoilers, so I'll keep it neat. The Butterfly Garden builds are you read, the stories told becoming more horrific as time goes on. It's written in such a way that you almost feel like you're in the garden with the victims.

I consumed this book in a little over three days, reading when I could. It's a thriller that sucks you in. At parts, admittedly, I wished the story would move just a tiny bit faster, but the details prove beneficial once you get to the plot twist and ending.

If you're even remotely a fan of thrillers, definitely snag this one. And from what I hear, the rights to the movie version are being discussed!

Get your own copy: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Goodreads

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