June 2015 – Adventures in Polishland

Month: June 2015

Manicure Monday | Urban Outfitters Bright Lights

Posted on June 29, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! The alphabet challenge continues with the letter U today, and I decided to go for one of my beloved Urban Outfitters polishes. Urban Outfitters has quite an extensive nail polish line, and they keep up with trends in the polish world quite well. Plus, they often go on clearance, and I’ve snagged plenty for under a dollar! I shared some of my favorite Urban Outfitters polishes on Possibly Polished a couple years back in a guest post (see that post HERE), but I thought I would share Bright Lights with all of you here, too.

Bright Lights is a jelly polish that has an off-white base filled with multicolored hexagonal glitters and a slight blue shimmer. It is on the sheer side, but I love the look I get in three coats. Plus, Bright Lights is very versatile, and can be worn layered over regular polishes as well. It also reminds me of cake frosting with sprinkles!

All in all, Bright Lights is an all-around great polish. Wearing it again definitely makes me want to visit Urban Outfitters and check out what’s in stock right now. The best part is, Urban Outfitters’s polishes are fabulous and affordable at just 2 for $8! I think that’s quite the bargain, especially considering how often they release new collections. You can shop in store or online HERE. Be sure to let me know in the comments what your favorite Urban Outfitters polishes are!

Batiste Dry Shampoo | Is it Worth the Hype?!

Posted on June 27, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I have a review on one of the most hyped hair products on the market – Batiste Dry Shampoo! Ever since I discovered dry shampoo a few years ago I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect formula. I’ve tried about 10 different brands now, and my favorite is still the high-end Klorane Dry Shampoo at about $19 a bottle. I usually save up my Birchbox points to splurge on it once in a while, but I keep testing brands from the drugstore hoping I’ll find an affordable option. I decided it was time to put the famous Batiste to the test!

Batiste Dry Shampoo retails for about $5.99 at Target and other drugstores and department stores. There are several different scents and varieties (i.e. for blonde hair, brunette hair, etc.). I decided to test out the Original Clean & Classic. I definitely liked the fresh scent, and I loved how it absorbed the oils in my hair quickly. Any dry shampoo that can zap oil without adding texture is a winner for me! I have to say, Batiste is the only drugstore dry shampoo that came somewhat close to matching my beloved Klorane.

That being said, I did notice that my can of Batiste ran out of product very quickly. Batiste contains 6.73 fl oz of product, which is more than many dry shampoos. Right now I am using TRESemmé dry shampoo, which has a net weight of 4.3 fl oz, but it’s lasted me for a couple months already and is still going strong. When I compare that to the month or so I got from Batiste, I’m not sure why I ran out of Batiste so quickly. Perhaps it’s because I needed more product to get the result I wanted. Thus, even though I really liked Batiste, it might not be as cost effective as other drugstore brands.

All in all, I’m so glad I finally tried out Batiste. Is it worth the hype? Well, it’s a great product and it works well. However, it still isn’t my favorite dry shampoo. I am definitely going to keep searching for the perfect dry shampoo at an affordable price, and perhaps pick up Batiste when it’s on sale. Let me know your favorite dry shampoo in the comments – maybe I’ll test it out!

This post contains an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

July 4th Nail Art featuring Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

Posted on June 25, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! July 4th is just around the corner, and today I have some red, white, and blue polishes from Sally Hansen Insta-Dri to share with you. These polishes are part of a new, limited edition collection that is hitting drugstores this July. I decided that in addition to my usual review I would try my hand at some tie dye nail art. Let me go ahead and share these patriotic polishes with you!

First up is Tag, Ur It! a white creme polish. Tag, Ur It! has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. This is an amazingly glossy polish, and I’m impressed with the formula! I’ve already worn this twice – once for nail art and once alone. It’s perfect for summer.

Next up is Vandal Eyes, a sky blue polish. Vandal Eyes has a great formula as well, and is opaque in two coats. It is difficult to catch on camera, but there is a slight holographic shimmer in this one. I didn’t even notice the shimmer until the polish had dried on my nails. It is stunning!

Last but not least is Quick Brick, a true red creme polish. Quick Brick is my favorite of the bunch! It has an incredible formula, and is nearly a one coat polish. I think this is my new favorite red! It is a must have in your collection.

I wanted to use these colors for some July 4th nail art, so I went to Pinterest for inspiration. I found THIS tie dye pin and decided to go for it! It was a bit harder than I expected, but I think it turned out pretty cool! I love how the red and blue mixed together. I’ll definitely ned to test out this nail art technique some more!

All in all, Sally Hansen does it again with another great limited edition polish line. These polishes hit drugstores in July, so keep an eye on the displays. Whether you are looking for some July 4th colors, or simply some fast-drying polishes, these are a win! Be sure to let me know in the comments what you’ll be wearing on your nails for July 4th!

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Manicure Monday | Tillie Polish in Fierce and Fabulous

Posted on June 22, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! The Alphabet Challenge continues, and I really had to dig in my collection for a brand that begins with T. I found a Tillie Polish shade that I love, so I decided to put it on. I don’t remember the last time I wore it, but I do remember it being my spirit color! Let me show it to you!

Fierce and Fabulous is a hot pink polish with a matte finish and subtle silver shimmer. It is everything I could want in a nail polish! The formula is excellent and opaque in two coats, and the matte finish means I don’t need to grab a top coat. I absolutely love this polish, and feel fierce and fabulous whenever I wear it!

Unfortunately, Tillie Polish is not currently open for business. However, Zoya Lola is a very close match to Fierce and Fabulous. Check out my swatch of Lola HERE if you’re interested in getting a pink like this one. I certainly hope Tillie Polish will begin selling again soon! I love the shop’s creator Andrea and would love to see more polishes in the future. Let me know in the comments what favorite brand of yours is no longer open for business and you wish would come back!

Welcome to #PlanWithPolishland! | Erin Condren Life Planner Ready to Ship Rose Gold Horizontal Unboxing & Review

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I am beyond excited to share a new adventure in my life with all of you. About a year ago, I first heard of the Erin Condren Life Planner. It seemed great, but when I visited Erin Condren’s website, I couldn’t believe how expensive the planners were. I put them out of my mind until a few months ago when Elle Fowler of AllThatGlitters21 created a new planner-based Instagram. After seeing her posts, I started to do some heavy research on the Erin Condren Life Planner. I watched Plan With Me videos, browsed tons of Etsy shops, and thought of how I would incorporate the planner into my life. I finally decided that it was 100% worth the investment for me to get this amazing planner, especially considering that I will be using it for the next 18 months of my life. Thus, #PlanWithPolishland was born, and today I’m showing you everything I purchased during the Erin Condren launch this month, and how I plan to use it.

Let’s begin with a quick overview of what I purchased. I filmed an unboxing video so you could see the items in depth, but I will include photos in this post, too.

Ready to Ship Life Planner in Rose Gold – Horizontal Layout $75 (+$5 for extra 6 months) [LINK]
Life Planner Launch Bundle $25 [LINK]

As you might have noticed in my video, I was very nervous upon opening the box. I joined a Facebook group of Erin Condren fans, and as people began to receive their planners a plethora of issues came up. Some planners arrived with small issues such as a sheet missing or a scratched cover, while others had a messed up coil that wouldn’t allow the planner to lay flat. Worst of all, some people were receiving completely wrong orders or missing items. I am very thankful that my purchase arrived unscathed! Everything is in perfect working order, and I’m happy to report the quality is amazing.

Another thing I wanted to mention is that “Ready to Ship” does not actually mean ready to ship. Erin Condren’s website allows you to see every step of your order process, which I found really helpful. However, I got to see my planner being printed. It took six days for my planner to actually be ready to ship, and another four days for me to receive it. If you are interested in the Ready to Ship design, know that it will be printed especially for you, and factor that time into the process.

The last gripe I have with my first Erin Condren experience is that I paid an extra $5 for the 18 month planner in contrast with the standard 12 months. Many people who ordered the regular 12 month planner got the 18 month free of charge. That was really frustrating for me, but unfortunately that’s not something I can complain to customer service about. I just feel like I got ripped off by paying the extra $5 when it seems those who didn’t still got an 18 month planner. This is definitely nitpicking my otherwise amazing experience, but I wanted to share all of my thoughts on this process with you!

PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHS

Life Planner – Horizontal Layout

The Rose Gold Ready to Ship comes with this beautiful rose gold coil, and a lilac purple cover with rose gold lettering. I love that Erin Condren’s theme is adventure. It goes perfectly with my blog, and also with my goal to make every day an adventure even when things aren’t going so well.
I wanted to show you an example of a monthly layout. The first page of each month includes a lined notebook paper and then a quoted page with a stunning geode print in the month’s colors.
Then there is a monthly calendar with decent size boxes with plenty of room to add in events, birthdays, and anything else. There is also a section for your monthly goals, which you can certainly customize with stickers based on your needs.
Finally, the weekly layouts are very spacious, with a lot of room to right down your to do lists. There is a notes section at the bottom, which I’m going to use as a weekly to do list. I love the simplistic design, and the font is just stunning. Plus, the monthly colors are beautiful. I could not be happier with the quality of the planner or its stunning look!

Life Planner Launch Bundle

Because this is my first planner purchase, I wanted to start out with some stickers. Erin Condren offered this Launch Bundle for $25, which includes the Designer Clutch, Sticker Book, and Party Pops Markers. This is a $37 value, so I figured it was worth it. I know I will be using this sticker book! Let me show you a few of the different sticker designs inside. These are just a few of the sticker pages inside. They can be used in your planner, in cards, as gift labels, etc. I love the colors and messages, and these stickers are really high quality. I highly recommend this book if you are new to planning and want some stickers to begin your journey.

HOW I PLAN TO USE MY LIFE PLANNER – #PlanWithPolishland

Now that my Life Planner is here I couldn’t be more excited to start my planning journey. I’ve never been successful at keeping a planner in the past. In fact, I stopped buying planners in college because I never used them. However, as I type this blog post, I look around my desk and see five different to do lists. They are disorganized, and they aren’t very helpful. I’m hoping that if I set the time aside to plan my weeks, I will be more organized and put together. Plus, I think this will help me become more creative and also act as a journaling exercise. I hope you are excited to join my journey with my new #PlanWithPolishland series!

Speaking of which, my plans for #PlanWishPolishland are still a bit up in the air, and I want your suggestions. Right now I am thinking about doing blog posts here 3-4 times per month, and Plan With Me videos whenever I get the chance. I also wanted to ask if you wanted a separate Instagram page for my planning journey. Please let me know your thoughts and suggestions in the comments!

SAVE $10 AT ERINCONDREN.COM!

Investing in an Erin Condren Life Planner was definitely a hard choice for me, and I know it can be for anyone who is on a tight budget. I justified my purchase by knowing that this is something I can use for a full 18 months, and it will hopefully help me improve my life a great deal. I also used a $10 off coupon, and you guys can, too! If you sign up with my referral link HERE you will get a $10 coupon code emailed to you, and I will earn $10 as well. Every bit of savings is a huge help!

Are you a planner? Let me know in the comments!

Celebrate Father’s Day with Macy’s and Nautica Voyage | #NauticaforDad

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. #NauticaforDad #CollectiveBias

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to bring all of you a little something different! Adventures in Polishland has always focused on beauty products that are traditionally for women, but today I get the opportunity to share with you the perfect fragrance gift set for Dad this Father’s Day. I’ve teamed up with Macy’s and Nautica to tell you about the Nautica Voyage Gift Set, and also share with you why this is a great gift for my dad in particular. Make sure to read the entire post to find out how you can enter to win an AMAZING giveaway!

ABOUT NAUTICA VOYAGE

The Nautica Voyage Gift Set is a four-piece set that retails for just $65.00 (it’s a $128.00 value!). It includes a 3.4 oz Eau de Toilette, a 2.5 oz Aftershave Balm, a 2.5 oz Shower Gel, and a 1 oz Eau de Toilette. The Voyage scent is fresh, cool, and acquatic, with top notes of green leaf and crisp apple. I have to say I love the scent (of course, I had to take a few test whiffs before handing this over to my dad!). It’s masculine, yet still really fresh and clean.

As you might be able to tell by the packaging, Nautica is inspired by the water, and designed for the “Gentle Man,” the everyday hero in our lives who we can always count on. My dad has always been my hero. He works long hours to ensure my brother and I could have great educational opportunities, and always goes out of his way to provide me with everything I need. Plus, my dad is sweet, loving, and funny! Even though I’m in my twenties now, he still draws me fun pictures and sends them to me via email. It means so much to me that we can still connect as I’ve been away from home these past few years!

In addition to being an all-around amazing father (and now a grandpa to my nephew, too!), my dad loves lighthouses. Growing up in New England, we’ve had the opportunity to visit Cape Cod and Maine, and my dad always loves to look at the lighthouses there. He’s told me that when he retires, we wants to visit a lot of the lighthouses along the coast with my mom, all while driving in his blue Mustang! I was surprised and delighted to see how much my dad is a Nautica man. This gift set could not be a better fit for him, and I know it’s not something he would purchase for himself!

WHERE TO BUY

The Nautica Voyage Gift Set is avilable at Macy’s, so I headed to the famous Herald Square location to pick up the set. This Macy’s location is huge! In fact, it was the world’s largest store up until a few years ago. I knew that it might be difficult to find just what I was looking for when I headed in, so I asked an employee for help right away! She gave me simple and clear directions, and was very friendly. I carefully made my way through the crowds until I got to the Mens Fragrance Department.

Here is the entrance to the department. As you can see, it was very busy, and there were employees everywhere! Luckily for me the Mens Fragrance department is on the first floor of the store, so I didn’t have to travel too far. I asked an employee for help finding the Nautica Votage Gift Set, and she knew just where it was on the shelf!

Ta da! There it is – right on top of the display case! I guess Macy’s is making sure to be prepared for Father’s Day! Whether you’re shopping at the Herald Square location or at your local store, I highly recommend asking an employee for help. I never shop in the Mens Department, so I definitely needed a bit of guidance! Of course, if you want to shop from home, you can purchase the Nautica Voyage Gift Set online HERE. You even get free shipping with your order for spending over $50!

GIVEAWAY

I am beyond excited that I can share this giveaway that Nautica is hosting with all of you! One lucky grand prize winner will win a $4,000 Cruise Vacation package, and five winners will win a Nautica fragrance package. How incredible is that?! Be sure to enter using the widget below for your chance to win! All winners must be at least 18 years old.

Nautica for Dad

Last but not least, I wanted to share all of the places you can find Nautica online. One really cool feature is this Social Hub HERE that lets you learn more about how other bloggers are sharing Nautica with their dads this Father’s Day! I think the stories are so sweet! Of course, I want to know all about the anchor in your life as well – tell me about your dad or father figure in the comments!

CONNECT WITH NAUTICA

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Manicure Monday | Sally Hansen XtremeWear in Blue Me Away!

Posted on June 15, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! I can’t believe we’re nearing the end of the Alphabet Challenge! This week the letter S is up, and of course I had to reach for one of my favorite brands, Sally Hansen. I’ve been a huge Sally Hansen fan for years and years, way before I ever started blogging. I decided to feature one of the oldest polishes in my collection this week. Let me go ahead and show you Blue Me Away!

Blue Me Away! is a beautiful blue creme polish that is bright yet subdued at the same time. It has a great formula that is opaque in two coats, and is super shiny without top coat. I am so impressed with how this nail polish has stood up to time! My bottle is about half empty at this point, but Blue Me Away! is still going strong. The best part is the XtremeWear line is really affordable, usually around $3.00 at the drugstore. It’s one of my favorite nail polish lines of all time.

All in all, I’m loving Blue Me Away! just as much as I did years ago when it first became part of my nail polish collection. Sally Hansen was one of the inspirations for my blog’s tagline – “Your Guide to Fabulous and Affordable Nails.” I’ve always loved finding a great bargain, and no matter how many nail polishes I get to test, Sally Hansen will be a staple in my collection. You can find Blue Me Away! at your local drugstore or department store. Be sure to let me know in the comments what your favorite XtremeWear polish is!

NYC New York Color Strip Me Off Base Coat Review

Posted on June 13, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I have a review of the new Strip Me Off Base Coat from NYC New York Color. I got the opportunity to test this base coat out for all of you, and I have to say I was very intrigued with the product. It is designed to peel off of your nails so you can remove your manicure without using nail polish remover. I did some testing, and let me show you how it works!

STEP BY STEP PROCESS

Here is what the base coat looks like upon application. It goes on as a thick white color, and then begins to separate and dry. At first I thought I got a wonky bottle, but that’s how the product works! Don’t be alarmed if it looks strange when you put it on. You can see how my pinky and ring fingers have more transparent patches than my pointer finger, and that’s because the base coat changes as it dries. I have to say it reminds me of school glue!

Here is what the base coat looks like when fully dry. Unfortunately, the dry time is about 5-7 minutes, which is a very long time for base coat. As you can see, there were a few patches that didn’t fully dry. This happened to me every time I tested the base coat. Luckily, it doesn’t affect your overall manicure. I simply patted these bits down to make sure they were flat and dry, then added my nail color.

I tested Strip Me Off with both glitter polishes and regular nail colors. I found that glitters work the best, as they peel off in one big sheet. Regular nail polishes will peel off as well, but it does break up in smaller pieces. Nonetheless, it’s so cool that you can use this base coat with any polish you have. I decided to feature Shimmer Polish in Karen in this post!

Finally, here are my nails after I peeled off the base coat! I’m so impressed with how clean my nails look. They aren’t damaged at all – no scratches or residue are left on my nails. It was definitely refreshing to just peel off my polish and not have to get out the acetone. No smell and no fuss!

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

All in all, the NYC New York Color Strip Me Off Base Coat is a great product. It works properly, and with a price tag of just $1.99 I’m amazed with the results. I will say that I do not like how long it takes for this base coat to dry, but on the flipside, it saved me 10-15 minutes when I went to remove my glitter manicure. I don’t think I would use this base coat regularly, but I am going to use it whenever I have on a glitter manicure. It’s just so convenient! You can find Strip Me Off at your local drugstore or department store. Let me know in the comments if you’ll be picking this up!

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Firmoo Hipster Glasses Review + Work Outfit

Posted on June 11, 2015June 11, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! Today I have a fashion post for all of you – something I don’t do all that often, but is definitely fun once in a while. I got the opportunity to review another pair of glasses from the fabulous and affordable brand Firmoo. I’ve tested prescription sunglasses from this brand in the past (see those reviews HERE and HERE), but this is the first time I got regular glasses. I’ve always wanted hipster glasses, so I figured now was the perfect opportunity to try them!

Here I am in my hipster glasses! I absolutely love them! The design number of these frames is F043. They are a big frame in a dark brown color, with silver accents on either side. I’m really impressed with the quality of these glasses. They are very sturdy, and the lenses clean very easily. Each pair of glasses comes with both a hard and soft case, a cleansing cloth, and a mini screwdriver. I love that everything you need comes with the glasses!

This past semester I was working at a fashion company, so I liked to dress business casual. My Firmoo glasses were absolutely perfect – there is no brand name listed on the outside, so I didn’t have to worry about wearing a competitor label! The brown color also goes with any outfit. I always felt professional, yet young and vibrant at the same time. Plus, I felt more like a New Yorker in these glasses – everyone here is so hip!

Here are my outfit details:

Sweater – William Rast [BRAND]
Jeans – BDG [BUY]
Flats – DSW [SIMILAR]

All in all, I’m so glad I got the opportunity to test out these glasses! It is so much fun to be able to switch up my glasses depending on my mood. Firmoo is the perfect online shop, too. The customer service is excellent, the products are well made, and the prices are low! The exact frames I’m wearing in this post are now sold out, but there are other similar designs, such as THIS ONE for just $39.00. I highly recommend Firmoo, and hope you all will check it out!

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Posted on June 8, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

Published by Poppy on September 7, 2010

Genres: Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: eARC

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

REVIEW

I went into The DUFF not knowing what to expect. Reviews from my Goodreads friends are all over the map, but when I got the opportunity to review the book in celebration of the movie being released, I was excited to dive right in. Unfortunately, while The DUFF was a quick and easy read for me, it is not one that I enjoyed much at all. I have a lot to discuss, so let’s begin with my thoughts on Bianca, the book’s first-person narrator.

Bianca is one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve ever encountered. While I can understand that she is going through a lot in her teenage life, with her parents’ relationship failing and with her being labeled the DUFF by one of the most popular guys in school, her negative attitude really got to me. It was horrible for Wesley to call Bianca the DUFF, but Bianca bullies him just as much, if not more. She’s constantly telling him how despicable he is and saying how much she hates him. This negativity was annoying to me as a reader, and didn’t make me want to root for Bianca. Instead, I wished she would just grow up and stop being so horrible to everyone around her. The fact that Bianca constantly lied to everyone around her, including her best friends and family, only made me despise her even more.

Moreover, even getting past the protagonist’s many faults, the writing of The DUFF was lackluster as well. I found the dialogue to be quite awkward, with characters speaking long passages to each other. It was unrealistic, and really hyped up the teenage melodrama I felt while reading.

Similarly, this is one of those novels where all of the serious issues discussed throughout the story somehow wrapped up nicely with a big bow to tie everything together. In order to avoid spoilers I will not explain this critique much more. However, as an example, Bianca’s father relapses in an addiction he has struggled with for years, and seemingly gets over it instantaneously. Not only did this scene in particular rub me the wrong way (it gives young readers the idea that addiction is just a quick sickness that can be overcome in a day), but when I put it together with all the other aspects of this book that worked out perfectly in the end, it was quite damaging to the book’s credibility.

I was also very shocked with the content of this book. The DUFF is labeled as young adult, but it is definitely new adult. There is obscene language in the entirety of the book (I think the F word is Keplinger’s favorite), and there are several explicit sex scenes. While there was nothing wrong with the subject matter of the novel per se, I felt very uncomfortable thinking that so many young people have read this book and loved it. This book takes place in a high school with a protagonist who is only 17-years-old. I would feel much differently if the story played out between adults, and not between young people who are on the borderline of being able to legally consent.

In the same way, while I appreciate that The DUFF is taking on a “girl power” attitude, the feminism portrayed in the novel was quite unsettling. I whole heartedly agree that women should not be called sluts and whores, but while this book celebrates womanhood, it does so at the expense of bashing men. Male gender roles are completely upheld (in fact, there is a line commenting on how all teenage boys are obsessed with sex), and the author suggests that it’s okay to call Wesley a manwhore. This double standard was very aggravating, and not what I would want today’s youth to read. This is true with The DUFF’s moral, if you will, at the end of the story, though I will hold off on critiquing that in the interest of not spoiling the ending.

Finally, I want to quickly mention some of the serious issues brushed over in this novel that are clearly present yet not flushed-out. First, Bianca is clearly going through some mental anguish and needs to talk about her issues with a professional. Her obsessive clothes-folding routine and several comments regarding how “messed up” she is leads the reader to the conclusion that there is something wrong that needs to be addressed in ways other than casual sex. Unfortunately, we never see Bianca reach out for that help. In addition, I was very disappointed with the flippant comments marginalizing suicide in this book. Suicide is a serious issue that should never be used as a joke.

Overall, I’m not sure that I would recommend The DUFF to anyone, as I find it inappropriate for its target, young adult audience, and anyone older would probably not enjoy it. If you’re a contemporary lover who doesn’t mind some teenage angst and friends-with-benefits relationships, perhaps you’ll give The DUFF a try. Otherwise, it’s fine to go without reading this popular book. I don’t think you need to worry about missing out on anything!

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.