What’s in my Bookish {Beauty} Bag? ~ Barbara Taylor Bradford

She is one of the best selling authors around.  Her latest novel to hit her Cavendon Hall series is out now, Secrets of Cavendon.  Barbara Taylor Bradford is British writing royalty and I am thrilled to have her on the blog today.  Her taste in bags is as regal and stunning as she.  Hello Hermes!  I can promise you if love a sweeping, British saga then you will adore the Cavendon Hall series.

via Amazon ~

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford, comes a striking, breathtaking saga featuring the aristocratic Inghams and the Swann family, who have loyally served them for generations.

It’s the summer of 1949, and things have run smoothly at Cavendon Hall for years, with very few quarrels, dramas, or upsets between the two families. But since the end of World War II, changes have arrived at Cavendon. A new generation is at the helm, and also at the forefront of new scandal and intrigue. With romance, betrayal, heartbreak, and possible murder threatening to tear them apart, the Inghams and Swanns will have to find a way to come together and protect each other in the face of threats they never could have predicted.

Told with Bradford’s inimitable deftness of prose and a beloved cast of characters, Secrets of Cavendon is a captivating novel that will draw readers in and grip them until the very last page.

• What is your bag of choice?- purse/tote/backpack and brand that you have?

 

I definitely prefer a handbag although I do carry a tote from time to time when I travel. Currently, I’m carrying an Hermès Kelly bag that’s about 15 years old and is burgundy, green, and navy. I have about 12 Kelly bags. I’ve been carrying a Kelly bag long before anyone paid attention.

 

• What are your top favorite beauty picks?  

 

For perfumes, I love Fracas by Robert Piguet and 24, Faubourg by Hermès.

 

In terms of skincare, Deborah Mitchell Black Bee Venom Mask is great for small wrinkles. I also like Eucerin’s Hyaluron Filler.

 

I like Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleanser. I also prefer their eye makeup and eye makeup remover.

 

For lipstick, Guerlain.

 

I used Estée Lauder pressed power.

 

I keep a scarf around the handle of my bag like the French.

• What do you always carry in your bag/purse/carry-on for beauty products?  

 

Always dark sunglasses (Gucci) and red lipstick (Guerlain)—my armor against the world. The Guerlain lipstick has a mirror, which is great. My Taurus zodiac compact powder by Estée Lauder, which was given to me as a gift by Hollywood journalist Jeanne Wolf (not pictured as it’s with my other makeup currently).

 

A notecard holder with custom stationary and some pens—one is mini Louis Vuitton pen given to me by Kathie Lee Gifford.

 

A leather heart keychain given to me by my husband Bob Bradfrod.

 

Kleenex.

 

A business card holder.

 

Two pouches—one with credit cards and one with money.

 

Reading glasses.

 

I don’t carry any books with me. I do most of my reading at home.

 

My iPhone (not pictured as it’s being charged!)

 

• What are you currently reading (can be books/magazines)?

I’m currently reading Jack the Ripper by Gyles Brandreth and How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide of Victorian Life by Ruth Goodman. This is for research. My new series takes place in Victorian London.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD was born and raised in England where she began her writing career as a journalist. She has written thirty international bestsellers. Secrets of Cavendon is her thirty-second novel. In 2007 Queen Elizabeth awarded her the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for her literary achievements. A Woman of Substance, her first book, has sold more than 32 million copies. She lives in New York with her husband of 54 years, TV and film producer Robert Bradford. Visit barbarataylorbradford.com.  

 

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What’s in my Bookish {Beauty} Bag? ~ 2017 Wrap edition feat. Melissa Pimentel, Karma Brown, Stacey Ballis and Alyssa Palombo

This year I had a fabulous time on the blog with so many amazing authors and the “What’s in your {Bookish} Beauty Bag? feature!  I am excited to bring you today a collection of 4 wonderful authors and their bags, all of their books a definite for your winter reading list!  Comment below with your favorite author’s bag of 2017 🙂

Melissa Pimentel

• What is your bag of choice?- purse/tote/backpack and brand that you have?

Enormous tote bag! I used to be obsessed with  buying cute bags but have now resigned myself to being a crazy bag lady who lugs three books, her gym kit and a snack around with her all the time. Not very glamorous but very practical!

• What are your top favorite beauty picks?  

I absolutely love this brand called The Ordinary. It was founded by a guy who’d worked in the industry for years and noticed that beauty companies were charging huge amounts for products that were actually cheap to make, so he decided to take matters into his own hands and create an affordable beauty line using the most effective ingredients. I’ve been using a few of the products for about a year now and my skin (which has always been a tricky, fickle beast) has never been better.

• What do you always carry in your bag/purse/carry-on for beauty products?  

About sixteen lip balms plus a bold lipstick that I never actually wear (I’ve always wanted to be a bold lipstick person, but I never quite feel like I’m pulling it off).

• What are you currently reading (can be books/magazines)?

I’ve just finished Tony & Susan, the book that Tom Ford’s film Nocturnal Animals is based on. It’s sooooooo good! I also just bought the September of Elle Magazine in the UK – this is the first issue under the new editor so I’m curious to see what it’s like!

• And any other fun item/must-have that you always have with you?

I’ve got into this habit of giving myself weekly facials using Korean face masks and am really loving it. It’s nice to carve out a little time every week to just sit back and take care of my skin.

Karma Brown

• What is your bag of choice?- purse/tote/backpack and brand that you have?

I prefer a purse (it’s nice to feel like a grown up) but it has to be big enough to fit my MacBook, which goes nearly everywhere with me. I love my Matt & Nat bag because it’s cruelty free AND holds everything I need – including Bandaids and hand sanitizer (I am a mom first), along with multiple lip balms, notepads, gum, earphones (for those loud coffee shops I write in) and everything else I find myself lugging around.

• What are your top favorite beauty picks?

I’m quite honestly low maintenance when it comes to beauty products (in fact, some might suggest I could try harder), but I do have a small obsession with my Rosebud salve balms and Caudalie Divine Oil.

• What do you always carry in your bag/purse/carry-on for beauty products?

Lipbalm. I have a genuine lipbalm problem.

• What are you currently reading (can be books/magazines)

Right now I’m reading THE MOTHERS by Brit Bennett (amazing, amazing, amazing).

• And any other fun item/must-have that you always have with you 🙂

I almost always have a granola bag in my purse. It’s for hangry emergencies, which happen often when you have a kid

Stacey Ballis

• What is your bag of choice?- purse/tote/backpack and brand that you have?

 I’m a Fendi baguette girl all the way.  I hate a big purse, I’ll just fill it with heavy crap.  But the baguettes can be fancy or casual, tuck perfectly under the armpit, making them an ideal party bag, since it leaves hands free for eating and drinking!  I’ve been collecting them for years, I think I have six…

• What are your top favorite beauty picks?  

 I swear by a bunch of stuff that I got addicted to in France, thank goodness a lot of them are now available stateside through Amazon!  Botot toothpaste and mouthwash, BioTherm deodorant, Biafine emulsion for redness and small breakouts, and Nuxe Reve de Miel honey lip balm.  I don’t wear much makeup except for very special fancy occasions, but 95% of my makeup products are Trish McEvoy, I just love their stuff especially brushes, but I always use MAC mascara.

• What do you always carry in your bag/purse/carry-on for beauty products?  

I always have lip balm or aquaphor, and I always have hand lotion.  At the moment I’m in love with Tokyo Milk Light hand creme in the Awaken Within scent, which is a lovely blend of citrus and jasmine.

• What are you currently reading (can be books/magazines)?

I’m currently re-reading the collected works of Jane Austen, both in honor of the 200^th anniversary of her death, and for a new project.  I’m also reading Give a Girl a Knife by Amy Thielen.

• And any other fun item/must-have that you always have with you?

I always have doTerra peppermint beadlets with me.  They are tiny little balls of peppermint essential oil.  You can pop them in your mouth for instant freshening or swallow them whole to settle an upset tummy.  People either love them or hate them…they are very powerful!  Sort of like the punch of two Altoids with no sweetness.  I’m addicted to them, I feel like they are the best at making sure my breath is fresh!

Alyssa Palombo

• What is your bag of choice?- purse/tote/backpack and brand that you have?

I never go anywhere without a purse – and I certainly have far too many! I’m not picky about brand, as long as it’s a nice leather (or leather and cloth) bag. I do like Coach and The Sak a lot, and I have a bright pink Kate Spade I carry in the summer.

• What are your top favorite beauty picks?  

I have naturally (very) curly hair, so I swear by John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease. I recently bought a Revlon Colorstay Crème eye shadow, which stays on much longer, and I really love it.

• What do you always carry in your bag/purse/carry-on for beauty products?  

Do Chapstick and a hair tie count as beauty products? 🙂 I always have one of each in my bag. I’m not someone who wears makeup every day – just if I’m going out or have an event – so otherwise there’s nothing that I carry with me on a regular basis.

• What are you currently reading (can be books/magazines)

I just started re-reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – I wanted to re-read it before watching the new show. I haven’t read it since high school, so I’m excited to get into it with the deeper appreciation I’m sure I’ll have as an adult for the issues it presents.

• And any other fun item/must-have that you always have with you 🙂

I always have either a book or my e-reader with me. You never know when you’ll be stuck somewhere and need a book! And I have a Moleskine notebook I carry everywhere, just in case inspiration strikes. I also always have either my big headphones with me, or at least a pair of earbuds. Other than books, music is my big addiction.

Bliss Pick: The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein

With the highly anticipated release of her upcoming book, Judgement Detox, Gabrielle Bernstein’s books are pure bliss and a game changer in your inspirational reads.  I wanted to showcase her last release, The Universe Has Your Back , because it’s a book I am constantly referencing and revisiting- much like all her books.  She speaks from truth and experience making it that much easier to relate and apply to our own lives.  She is also a friend and soul speaker to Oprah.  So if O loves her, its an automatic YES for me!  Read below for a Q&A with Gabby and make sure to grab Judgement Detox in January 2018!

 

What inspired you to write The Universe Has Your Back?

 

I’m inspired to write about what I feel my readers need. We’re living in divisive times that call us to rely on faith in the midst of uncertainty. Navigating through life without a faithful path can be scary, especially when there’s so much turmoil in the world. This book is designed to help readers reclaim their power when they’re feeling powerless. Each story and lesson in the book guides readers to release the blocks to what they long for most: happiness, security and clear direction. The lessons help readers relinquish the need to control so they can relax into a sense of certainty and freedom. Readers will learn to stop chasing life and truly live.  

 

What can people expect from this book?

 

When you read this book, you can expect to wake up to your connection to faith and joy. When you understand this connection and recognize it, you’ll  be guided to your true purpose: to be love and spread love. These words can no longer be cute buzz phrases that we post on social media and print on tote bags. These words must be our mission. The happiness, safety and security we long for lies in our commitment to our happiness and joy.

 

How does fear hold us back?

 

Fear creates resistance in our energy. When we are stuck in fear, that resistance blocks us from the natural support of love that is available to us all the time. Throughout the book I refer to this loving support as the energy of the Universe. When we block the energy of the Universe we feel stuck, depressed, sick, weak and alone. When you read the book, the lessons within it will help you release that resistance and surrender your fears so that you can reconnect to the ever-present flow of love and support that is within you.

 

What does faith mean to you?

 

Making the shift from fear to faith gives us a sense of power in a world that all too often makes us feel utterly powerless. When the tragedies of the world seem overwhelming, this book helps guide us back to our power. We need faith now more than ever. When you live with faith you’re trusting in the power of your thoughts and energy to support your experiences. In a faithful state you can suspend disbelief and surrender your fear.

 

What will the reader find in this book that will guide them away from fear and into faith?

 

Each story, meditation and lesson in the book guides readers to release the blocks to the things we all long for most — happiness, security and clear direction. The lessons help readers relinquish the need to control so they can relax into a sense of certainty and freedom.

 

When readers follow this path, they’ll begin to feel a swell of energy move through them. They will find strength when they’re down, synchronicity and support when they’re lost, safety in the face of uncertainty and joy when they are otherwise in pain.

 

What are the lessons you hope readers take away from The Universe Has Your Back?

 

There are many universal lessons throughout the book, but the most important is to choose love. When you learn to lean toward thoughts and feelings of love, then you release all the resistance that blocks the flow of the Universe. The practices in the book will help readers weaken the resistance of fear and strengthen their faith in love. I give clear direction on how to heal fear-based beliefs and transcend limitation and doubt. Most importantly they’ll learn to feel supported and certain no matter what.

 

What was the catalyst for your journey from fear to faith?

 

Throughout my life I’ve experienced trauma, addiction and depression. But I was never willing to stay stuck in suffering. I knew at a very young age that there was a spiritual solution to all my problems. I’ve committed my life to seeking those solutions and strengthening my faith in love. My deepest desire is to be free of fear and dwell in joy. Because I’ve been on my own path of personal growth and spiritual recovery, I can speak to the lessons and healing from a very authentic place. I hope readers will recognize their own stories in mine.

 

How is The Universe Has Your Back different from your previous books?

 

This book is different in that it’s more philosophical. I push the spiritual envelope even more than I have in the past and I’m unapologetic about my faith. I believe we’re living in a time when we must have a spiritual path to survive. That’s why I didn’t hold back. I shared openly about how I transformed my fear and suffering through my spiritual faith so that readers can feel empowered and inspired to dive into their own practice.

 

Biography

Gabrielle Bernstein has been named “a new thought leader” by Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday. She appears regularly as an expert on The Dr. Oz Show, and was named “a new role model” by the New York Times. Gabrielle is the New York Times best-selling author of the books May Cause Miracles and Miracles Now. Her other titles include Add More ~ing to Your Life and Spirit Junkie. In the fall of 2016 she will release her fifth book, The Universe Has Your Back. Gabrielle teamed up with Deepak Chopra to co-host the Guinness Book of World Records largest group meditation.

 

YouTube named Gabrielle one of its 16 YouTube Next Video Bloggers, Mashable named her one of the 11 Must-Follow Twitter Accounts for Inspiration and she’s featured on the Forbes list of 20 Best Branded Women. The Oprah Winfrey Network chose Gabrielle to be part of the “Super Soul 100” list, a dynamic group of 100 trailblazers whose vision and life’s work are bringing a higher level of consciousness to the world. She’s been featured in media outlets such as ELLE, OWN, Kathie Lee & Hoda, The Today Show, Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, The Queen Latifah Show, Anderson Live, Access Hollywood, Marie Claire, Health, SELF, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, New York Times, Glamour, Help Desk, the cover of Experience Life Magazine and more. For more on Gabrielle’s work visit GabbyBernstein.com.

 

 

*Thanks to Gabrielle’s publicist and publisher who provided the Q&A and assets.

Always by Sarah Jio

Always by Sarah Jio was the first book I read of hers and it certainly will not be the last.  I loved this book.  The story, the characters, the setting and time were all perfection.  Always is part drama, part romance all set against the 90’s music scene, a time that I loved and loved reading about.  If you want a book that will suck you in within the first few paragraphs this is it.  Plus, I love the Sarah’s connection the the premise of the book, make sure you read at the end as it’s a good little author tidbit, not to be missed.

 

Cade and Kailey are former loves who had separated years ago.  Kailey is currently engaged to Ryan and planning wedding.  After a nice dinner Kailey sees a homeless man outside the restaurant.  She notices the stare and the eyes.  Cade.  She can not comprehend that this was once the man that she loved.  What happened to him?  Why is he in this place?  Told from alternating points in Kailey’s life, we find out how Cade and Kailey met as well as their fall out.  Will she recover the first true love of her life or will she walk down the isle with the man of her dreams?

Highly recommend this book!  If you love a good romance with an ending you didn’t expect then this is it.  It would be the perfect companion for Spring Break, trust me.

*Thanks to Random House for sending a copy for review.

The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle

Wow.  I just finished my first Kimberly Belle novel and let me say it was fabulous!  The Marriage Lie is twisty and deceitful with a superb ending.  I love a thriller and this was just what I was looking for.  Belle writes a novel that grabs you from chapter one and keeps you guessing literally until the last page.  It was fast paced and the perfect appetizer to launch us into our spring reads!

The Marriage Lie centers around Iris who is notified that her husband, Will, was involved in a plane crash and is dead.  The plane was heading to Seattle and there were no survivors.  But how could that be?  Iris was under the impression Will was heading to Florida for work?  Why would he lie?  Where was he going?  This tragic event catapults Iris to start piecing together the truth.  What she soon finds out is Will was not the person she thought he was and the people who she thinks she can trust aren’t all they are cracked up to be either.

I am so looking forward to Belle’s next novel after this gem.  The writing was crisp and the story flowed with thrills and chills.  As I said before, we are upon the spring/summer reads releases and as well all know they are the perfect companion to a sunny day or a rosy glass of rose’.  This book is nothing short of that.  Although we may still be in the doldrums of winter, grab a drink and get cozy as this is a wintery “beach-read” that will get you excited for all that is to come!

 

*Thanks to Mira books for sending a copy for review to Bliss, Beauty and Books.

 

I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi

It’s a new year and I have started my reading list for 2017!  With that, I have also revived my blog which has been “sleeping” for the last few months as being a mom of two is quite the challenge.  I wish I had been sleeping too, buuuuuut  I know sleep and I will meet again some day, lol!  To start off the reading year I just finished up Abby Fabiaschi’s I Liked My Life.  Set in a town just right next door to where I live, Wellesley, MA, it’s a beautiful story about a mother, Maddy, who commits suicide and leaves her daughter and husband to pick up the pieces and start their life over with out her.  Each chapter is narrated by each character experiencing life without her including Maddy herself.  What I can say is not only do you get a heartbreaking story about a family who is suffering without a mother and wife but a shocking twist as well which is one of the best ingredients you can add to a story.  I loved it.  I thought the writing was thoughtful and the story was unique.  If this is the type of stories stored in Fabiashi’s mind we are all in for a treat as she will have lots to share in the literary world!  This is a phenomenal debut and Abby should be on your favorite authors list after this gem. It is definitely one to add to your 2017 list!

 

 

*Thanks to St.Martin’s Press for sending a copy for review to Bliss, Beauty and Books.