Beauty Buys of the Year: Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain...

I can't believe that it took me so long to try these stains; Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain is now my favourite lip colour. They remind me of Tarte's Lip Surgences, but these are better as they wear for longer, don't melt in the tube and the caps don't crack, making a mess in my bags - not to mention that Tarte isn't officially sold in the UK.

I'm probably going to end up buying all of the colours Revlon makes - I think there are 12 shades all together, but UK stores don't sell them all right now, I only saw five shades in Boots and Superdrug.

Best beauty buys of the year: Leichner Camera Clear foundation...

I came across Leichner CAMERA CLEAR foundation whilst browsing Amazon for a suitable foundation for my very dry skin. I remember coming across it before and being tempted by, but not getting it because trying to colour match it via the unhelpful chart is a shot in the dark. However as it is so cheap I decided to just order the lightest shade [porcelain] and hope for the best.

When it arrived I was disappointed, as whilst the shade is nice and neutral, it looks a bit darker then what the shade name would suggest. However the creamy formula is so light and silky to apply, that blending it into the skin for a better colour match is easy. Once blended, the results are a smooth satin finish, with medium coverage (it can provide fuller coverage with layering).

I've found it to be transfer resistant, another plus. I've worn with a primer, without one, with powder and alone; my preferred look is skipping primer and setting the foundation with a touch of powder, as that is long lasting and gives a natural, un-cakey look. Finally; This hasn't oxidized on me.

                                                                   without primer


negatives? For me, this doesn't have any. However if you don't have dry skin the moisturizing ingredients in this foundation will become greasy on your skin, so I wouldn't recommend Leichner CAMERA CLEAR to anyone other then those with dry skin.

Also: remember that it applies lighter on the skin then it looks in the container, so bare that in mind.

Best beauty buys of the year: MAC Viva Glam Nicki lipstick and lipglass...

VIVA GLAM NICKI is a yellow based shade of hot pink - and by hot pink I mean it looks almost fluorescent with my very fair skin. I think that this shade is a cross between MAC's much sought after LE shades Candy Yum Yum [Quite Cute] and Strayin' [Hello Kitty]. Despite the brightness of the shade, I think that this is far more easier to pull off, and flattering, then Nicki's debut MAC lipstick Pink 4 Friday.

The finish to the lipstick is satin, that is easy to apply and hasn't had a drying effect on my lips. The lasting power is average for a lipstick; no less and no worse then other brands [four hours, depending on food/drink].

If you like MAC's yellow based, hot pink VIVA GLAM NICKI lipstick, then you need the lipglass edition too. This is almost exactly the same shade as the lipstick; The pink colour is just a teensy bit less fluorescent on my fair skin, as the base isn't quite as yellow s the lipstick shade is.

The finish to the gloss is a cream and seems to have a thicker formula then my other MAC lipglasses, but it still gives a lovely polished shine to my lips and hasn't had a drying effect on my lips. The lasting power is good for a gloss; three/four hours, depending on food/drink.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas... Sparkling Snow by Yankee Candles

SPARKLING SNOW is one of Yankee Candles 'Festive Collection' fragrances and is officially described as "the crisp, naturally fresh scent of gleaming, snow-covered pines with hints of patchouli and fruit". I'd describe it as fresh mint and pine, with a undertone of patchouli, for a earthy bite. I'm not sure what the fruit is - sometimes I get a light breeze of what I think is cherry, but it is so faint that I can't be sure.

A closer look at: Nicole edp by Nicole Richie...

Introducing the new fragrance Nicole by Nicole Richie... 

Layered with scents inspired by Nicole's childhood memories, Nicole is a feminine, sensual scent composed of creamy golden ambers and highlighted with flecks of fruit and flower petals. A fragrance for every woman and any occasion, Nicole conjures those special moments that result in a lifetime of memories...

City of no angels... Crimson City by Liz Maverick

                                                                     Kindle cover
★★★/★★★★★

Advantages: Fast paced, quick, easy read,
Disadvantages: irritating heroine, flat ending.

Los Angeles is now called Crimson City [[after the blood that was shed during the wars that occurred when the werewolves and vampires came out of the closet and clashed with humans]. Today the three species live uneasily together; the vampires live a few miles up in a colony formed around skyscrapers, humans live on the ground level, whilst the werewolves form a subterranean city below the ground and largely keep to themselves.


Fleur Dumont is from the family that rules the vampires in Crimson City. She was passed over when it came to looking for new leaders decades before, after embarrassing her family by unlawfully turning her human lover into a vampire. However after the assassination of the current leaders, by a mech [half man half machine] belonging to the human military, she gets her chance to shine and finds herself leading the vampires, whilst trying to solve the murders of the old leaders, and trying to avoid a new war with the other species.

Dain Reston is human. Working as a Battlefield Operations operative, he has the responsibility of maintaining the peace between the humans and the other two species. After coincidentally turning up at the scene of the assassination Fleur asks him to help her look into the murder of the vampire leaders, a request that is backed by Dain's superiors, who want him to uncover if someone from the human military is hijacking the high-end weapons and using them to start a new war.

Will Dain have to point the finger of blame at his own colleagues, or could the vampires or seldom seen werewolves be framing the humans for their own ends?

An apple a day... Sugared Apple candles by Yankee.

SUGARED APPLE is one of Yankee Candles four [for the UK] new Christmas 2012 fragrances and is officially described as "A deliciously sweet apple treat . . . a perfect recipe of juicy apples sprinkled with sugar and vanilla". There's not much else to say, except that there is more sugar and vanilla then apple. I do enjoy the fragrance as it manages to be a perfect balance between sweet and fresh, but it's not something I think of as being overly Christmassy; it is more of a everyday fragrance for autumn/winter.

As with all Yankee candles, the entirety of the wax is perfumed; I've used some candles where the fragrance burns up before the candle does, but that is not the case here. I don't regret buying my box of tealights, but I don't think I'd buy this particular fragrance again; the scent is quiet and the throw is pretty poor by Yankee's usual standards. It's not a bad candle overall, but it doesn't wow me either.

I personally prefer to use the Yankee tealights; as well as having a stronger fragrance, there's the fact that for the price of a box of 12 scented tealights you get a total of 48 to 72 hours burn-time, so they offer the most value for money. The tealight costs less then 12 tarts or samplers would, so as well as being cheaper - and offering a similar burn time - then either the small jars and tumblers, and over half of the price less then the medium jars or tumblers.

The tealights come in individual clear plastic cups, so you don't have to bother with a tealight holder if you don't have one; just sit the cup on a saucer. Yankee do many special ranges of tealight holders all through the year - many of the decorate models are under £10, and their basic tealight holder can be found online for only £1, so it won't cost as much as buying a tart burner.

And for a final stab at a selling point, I'll add that the tealights float, so you can, umm, float them in your swimming pool - or more likely in a garden pond - during a party.


***

Tart
[A tart is a wickless wax patty, so you'll need to buy a tart burner to be able to use it]
6 - 8 hour burn time - £1.20
Sampler votive
15 - 20 hour burn time - £1.65
Small jar
25 -40 hour burn time - £7.75
Medium jar
65 - 90 hour burn time - £15.99
Tea lights [12 per pack]
4 - 6 hour burn time per candle - £6.99

Mighty, morphing purple ranger; A review of Schwarzkopf Live XXL hair colourant in Cyber Purple

CYBER PURPLE is a tricky colour to describe, and it is tricky to photograph as the colour seems different in various lighting conditions. At it's core it is a dark pinky/purple, but as I said, the shade you will see depends on the light source reflecting on your hair.

The varying shades the colour morphs between remind me of all of the other schwarzkopf purple based shades I've used in the past - Ultra Violet, Dark Violet, Mystic Violet and Glam Rock Black.

I've taken all of the photos on this page - they are of my own hair, solely in CYBER PURPLE, so you can see what I'm trying to say. No colour enhancing software has been used.

My hair still feels and looks glossy and there is no clinging chemical scent to my hair. I've been colouring my hair for over half my life and in the past I've used every other purple/violet shade that Schwarkopf makes, so feel qualified enough to say that this has great staying power for a dye containing purple

Violet shades can fade as quickly as red shades do, but I've personally found the fade to be  minimal  - which surprised me, as the water runs pink after washing my hair for a few weeks after colouring it. That is my only negative for CYBER PURPLE; don't use white towels after showering :)

[CYBER PURPLE is only recommended for use on dark blonde and light/medium brown hair]

Snow angels; Cherries On Snow scented candles by Yankee Candle

Rating: 5/5 stars

CHERRIES ON SNOW is one of the fragrances in the Yankee Candle Festive Collection and is officially described as being "An enchanted, sparkling blend of bright, juicy cherries with sweet almonds and an icy freshness". The description is accurate; CHERRIES ON SNOW combines the iciness of peppermint, with the freshness of juicy cherries. This is then warmed up with a sweet, soft and creamy almond and vanilla undertone - I could eat this candle.

I've found that the tarts and tea lights throw off a stronger scent than the candles, so I think that they are the better buys.


As with all Yankee candles, the entirety of the wax is perfumed; I've used some candles where the fragrance burns up before the candle does, but that is not the case here. The fragrance lasts as long as the candle does and is strong enough to travel over the house. I even catch occasional wafts of the perfume whilst the candle is unlit.

Dazzle me again; a review of Dazzling Darling EDT by Kylie Minogue...

Rating: 2/5 stars

Advantages: Ageless, suitable all year round,
Disadvantages: doesn't last, availability, unoriginal.

Dazzle me; A closer look at Dazzle EDP by Paris Hilton...

The peach is the strongest fruit note on me and gives the fragrance a soft, fuzzy feel. The cherry and apple gives the quieter fruit a bit of bite and energy, whilst the powdery vanilla is present through all of the fragrance.

The floral notes used in DAZZLE remain watery and in the background. Aside from a breeze of orange blossom, violet and honeysuckle, none of them are strong enough to stand out from the fruits and vanilla. This is definitely a fruity perfume.

Heat: The nighttime edition... Review of Midnight Heat EDP by Beyonce

"For Beyoncé, fragrance is an essential accessory to highlight your inner radiance, confidence and sex appeal. Midnight Heat is the ultimate evening scent, sensual and enticing with just a hint of mystery." - Official Beyonce Website [beyonceparfums.com]

Sinfully good for perking up dull complexions...

NARS powder blush in Sin is a shade that I never have looked twice at when visiting makeup counters, as it looks like a very dark mauve in the pan, and doesn't look like it would do anything for my pale skin. However, I bought the LE Danmari All About Cheeks palette by NARS last year and this was one of the featured shades in the palette, so I finally gave it a go....

 

 

SIN is a gorgeous, dusky-berry shade on skin. It also is lightly shimmering with a golden gleam. The soft pinky mauve colour and golden shimmery undertone gives me a natural glow. Most importantly, it wears well - I'll apply it in the morning and it will last until I take it off at the end of the day. NARS is a pricey brand, but the quality is unbeatable. SIN is now becoming my favourite blush ever and I'm sure that it will be the first one in the palette that I'll hit pan on.

One thing to bare in mind; Almost every other blush can be worn year round, but SIN is something that is best suited to colder weather wear, as the berry tone is so cheerful, yet soft and dusky , so it really perks up my tired, winter-chilled skin.

Walking in a winter wonderland: Yankee Candle in Winter Wonderland...

❄❄❄❄❄/❄❄❄❄❄

Advantages: Unique fragrance with good throw, that you're not just limited to December for use,Disadvantages: availability.

   

It's a Glam slam... Review of Glam by Kim Kardashian...

"I can tell where I was in life when I made each perfume. Every fragrance means something different to me. My personality and my mood was light and fun [this time around] and I can see that [in Glam]. It's a little bit more electric [than the others]. It's the most energetic." - Kim Kardashian 

I'm Snow In Love with this fragrance...

SNOW IN LOVE is one of Yankee Candles four new Christmas 2012 fragrances and is officially described as being "creamy, comforting woods and wintry powder freshness." I'd describe it as clean minty air, tart cherries and as having some fresher wood, probably pine, mixed in with a touch of creamier sandalwood. It is a mix of Yankee's Cherries In The Snow and Sparkling Snow fragrances, so if you like those you'll be pleased with this too.

I love the fragrance as it manages to be a perfect balance between sweet and fresh, plus it's a bit festive, but yet it's not something I think of as being overly Christmassy; it is more of a everyday fragrance for autumn/winter, so you can use it now and on into the new year. As with all Yankee candles, the entirety of the wax is perfumed; I've used some candles where the fragrance burns up before the candle does, but that is not the case here. The fragrance lasts as long as the candle does and is strong enough to travel over the house. I even catch occasional wafts of the perfume whilst the candle is unlit.

I've found that the tarts and tea lights throw off a stronger scent than the candles, so I think that they are the better buys.


I personally prefer to use the tealights; as well as having a stronger fragrance, there's the fact that for the price of a box of 12 scented tealights you get a total of 48 to 72 hours burn-time, so they offer the most value for money. The tealight costs less then 12 tarts or samplers would, so as well as being cheaper - and offering a similar burn time - then either the small jars and tumblers, and over half of the price less then the medium jars or tumblers.

The tealights come in individual clear plastic cups, so you don't have to bother with a tealight holder if you don't have one; just sit the cup on a saucer. Yankee do many special ranges of tealight holders all through the year - many of the decorate models are under £10, and their basic tealight holder can be found online for only £1, so it won't cost as much as buying a tart burner.

And for a final stab at a selling point, I'll add that the tealights float, so you can, umm, float them in your swimming pool - or more likely in a garden pond - during a party.


***

Tart
[A tart is a wickless wax patty, so you'll need to buy a tart burner to be able to use it]
6 - 8 hour burn time - £1.20
Sampler votive
15 - 20 hour burn time - £1.65
Small jar
25 -40 hour burn time - £7.75
Medium jar
65 - 90 hour burn time - £15.99
Tea lights [12 per pack]
4 - 6 hour burn time per candle - £6.99

Playing the FAME game: A review of Fame EDP by Lady Gaga...

Advantages:	Affordable, easy to wear, largely ageless, pretty unique for price range,
Disadvantages:	may be too heavy in the heat.

"It was taken out of my own blood sample so it's a sense of having me on your skin, I wanted to extract sort of the feeling and sense of blood and semen from molecular structures, so that's where the rumours [that FAME would smell like blood and semen] came from. That is in the perfume but it doesn't smell like that, Actually the perfume smells like an expensive hooker." - Lady Gaga

Schwarzkopf XXL Cyber Purple in [non-retouched] photos...

I've used a few different shades of violet over the years, and after recently looking over old photos, decided to go back to my ribina days. After spending a few months googling for photos of Live's various purple/violet shades, I settled for XXL Cyber Purple two weeks ago.

I'm not reviewing it yet, as I want to see how it fades over six weeks, but I wanted to provide pictures to other people searching online for them.

I'm not sure what I think of the colour yet; in daylight it looks lovely, but in most other lighting it is darker then I expected. My natural hair colour [ash] isn't dark and I stripped all off my colour [natural and artificial] before using Cyber Purple anyway, so to end up with dark hair, that doesn't look like the box swatch in most lighting, has left me feeling "meh".

 

The purple-pink tone in the dye only photographs well in direct sunlight, so late October in north-west England isn't ideal for lounging in windows, whilst suppressing the flash on my cheap-and-cheerful camera for review purposes. In other words; please excuse my bleached-out skin in the two blurry photos...

 

 

I'm going to Florida in a couple of weeks, so I'll save my final verdict on the colour until I come back; there'll be plenty of sunlight there to inspect the colour...

Every breath you take... A review for Soul Seducer by Alicia Dean for Kindle and ebook...

★★★★/★★★★★

She has spent her entire life fighting death. Now she's falling in love with him. . . .

When nurse Audra Grayson is brutally beaten, the near-death experience opens a door to the world beyond. Two Grim Reapers invade her life. One is charming, with the angelic blonde looks of a saint and the black soul of a psychopath. The other is not charming. He's dark and dangerously attractive. When Audra's patients begin to die unexpectedly and her loved ones are threatened, she will risk her life-even her soul-to save them.

But can she risk her heart to an inhuman being whose very purpose is to take those she is trying to save?

Happy birthday to me - a mini La Vie Est Belle Lancome review...

I've noticed that I would smell the same mystery fragrance whenever I'd go past the makeup counters in my local Boots,and after a month or so I'd pinpointed the aroma to Lancome's latest perfume release; La Vie Est Belle.

La Vie Est Belle is a new Lancome fragrance, available on the market from fall 2012. The concept of this fragrance is centered on the idea of natural and simple beauty, freedom from conventions and the choice of once own vision of happiness. The fragrance is a kind of outlook on life, inspired by joy and pleasure in small things.

This gourmand yet elegant composition is developed by perfumers Olivier Polge, Dominique Ropion and Anne Flipo. The final formula is the result achieved after three years of probation and 5000 versions. Iris is the key ingredient of the perfume, surrounded by orange blossoms and jasmine in the heart. The composition’s opening provides fruity flavors of black currant and pear, while the base is warm, gourmand and powdery due to almond-like accords of tonka bean, praline, patchouli and vanilla.

Review: Wonderstruck EDP by Taylor Swift/Elizabeth Arden

Rating: 3/5 stars

Advantages: Reasonable price, easy to wear, striking bottle...
Disadvantages: unoriginal, poor-to-average staying power.

"It's a line from my song 'Enchanted,' and the line says, 'I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home. I've always loved that line and that phrase, 'wonderstruck.' You don't hear it very often. So I just felt like if I ever got the chance to make a fragrance, which I've dreamed of doing since I was about 14 years old ... Ever since I wrote that song, I thought that would be the title. And I'd want to create a fragrance that smelled the way that word feels."


***

I think that most berry notes tend to smell similar when used in perfumes, so I give bonus points to WONDERSTRUCK right away, as it uses slightly more distinctive notes of raspberry. Though after having said that, I wonder if dewberry the same as blackberry? Because that is what I think is actually alongside the raspberry. After the berries the peach is the next strongest fruit - which surprised me as it's meant to be a base note, yet it develops soon after being applied to skin. The soft vanilla is present through all of the fragrance, with adds a creamy sweetness and warmth to the mix.

The heart of WONDERSTUCK is meant to contain thirteen different floral notes as thirteen is meant to be Swift's lucky number, but the tea note develops in under ten minutes and is stronger then most of the floral notes, so hides nearly all of them. I can separate the listed honeysuckle, and sometimes I also pick up on a light hint of the hibiscus, but can't begin to guess at anything else - it all becomes one long powdered note underneath the tea. The tea is the only note that is really able to stand out from the fruits and vanilla. This is definitely a fruity perfume.

There is no strong indication between the heart notes and the base, thanks to the constant trickle of raspberry, peach and vanilla. The sandalwood and musk are mingled closely together so it is a warm and creamy mix - nice, but it is a blend that is used in many fragrances today. The lingering tea note does give WONDERSTRUCK a bit more umph, but I was still disappointed by how linear the blend seemed on me.


Scent notes: Raspberry, dewberry, green tea, freesia, apple blossom, vanilla, honeysuckle, white hibiscus, amber, musk and sandalwood.


***

WONDERSTRUCK is richer with the fruits then it is with the florals, so the lasting power is good but not great: I can still detect berries, creamy vanilla and sandalwood four to five hours after first applying the perfume, but it is close to the skin.

I think that this is nice for daywear - I mainly used it as casual wear, but would occasionally wear it for work. Some people may think that it's too sweet for work [even I didn't feel very comfortable], but as it's non-invasive it won't bother your colleagues. As it's mild and not very long lasting I did think of it as too gentle for evening wear, but if you don't wear perfume whilst out for a statement and to be noticed then I think WONDERSTRUCK is perfectly adaptable.

WONDERSTRUCK was released in America this time last year, which is when I bought a bottle [it was the bottle design that sold me], so I've had the chance to wear it during every season - this is a winner in the wearability stakes. In the spring/summer I found that the fruits and tea were refreshing and didn't seem so sweet, whilst in autumn/winter the vanilla and wood seemed stronger and added warmth and boasted the sweetness of the fruits.


Although I think WONDERSTRUCK is pleasant, very wearable and wears quite well for the price, I won't be replacing my bottle. I don't really regret buying it, but after a year I have to admit that I've become bored with it, as there is nothing unique about it and the fragrance is a bit too linear for my tastes. I don't like putting perfumes into different age groups, but I have to admit that this does seem rather youthful. There's nothing wrong with that, but I personally didn't feel very confident wearing it. I think that I'm going to pass my bottle on to someone else.

Lots of people compare this to either Britney Spears Fantasy or Midnight Fantasy [also Elizabeth Arden releases], but I don't get the comparisons at all. I'd say this is more along the lines of a Harajuku Lovers release; Music.


The first flanker for WONDERSTRUCK has already been released in America, but no word on it getting released over here yet. Wonderstruck Enchanted is a oriental - gourmand. It opens with notes of wild berries, pink poppy and passion fruit. Heart notes include peony blossoms, sugar-glazed champaca petals and white freesia. White musk, hypnotic vanilla and blonde woods are the main base notes.

***

30ml - £20
50ml - £29
100ml - £38

It's that time of year again - Christmas gift set time! This year WONDERSTRUCK has a gift set containing both a 30ml bottle and a 5ml bottle of EDP, plus a 50ml tube of perfumed body lotion.

 

Summary: Would make a nice gift choice for a Taylor swift fan.

Album review - Talk That Talk by Rihanna

"There's nobody really in my league. There's competition everywhere. The whole music industry is competition. There are people who like other artists, those who like me and others who like both. Beyonce is a great artist, and I feel honored to be mentioned in the same sentence, but we're different performers with different styles." - Rihanna

☮☮☮/☮☮☮☮☮

TALK THAT TALK is the sixth album by Barbadian born Rihanna [Robyn Fenty]. The album was recorded between February - November 2011 and was released in November 2011, through Def Jam Recordings.

Rihanna and Evan Rogers are the executive producers for TALK THAT TALK. Producers for the individual tracks include Alex da Kid, Mr. Bangladesh, Calvin Harris, Chase & Status, Dr. Luke, Ester Dean, Hit-Boy, No I.D., Priscilla Renea, Rob Swire, Stargate and The-Dream. The impressive list of song writers for TALK THAT TALK includes Jay-Z, P Diddy, Calvin Harris, Ester Dean, Lukasz Gottwald, John Hill, Baria Qureshi, Romy Croft, Oliver Sim, Jamie Smith, Priscilla Renea and Chauncey Hollis.

Para bailar la bamba...

I'm still on a blush kick, so have once again dug through my makeup bag to find a little somethin-somethin' to show off. Today I'll focus on my Benefit Bella blush. It is a little bit too bright on my [very] fair skin, so I don't wear it a lot, but when I do I fall in love with it all over again...

BELLA BAMBA is a bright pink shade of blusher, with a golden, gleaming undertone, ala NARS Orgasm. The Benefit website calls the shade watermelon pink, which I think is accurate.

I'm impressed with the pigmentation; a little goes a long way. You don't get a lot of product, but it'll still last a while since you just need a light dusting of powder. BELLA BAMBA lasts all day on me, with no touch-ups, and the powder doesn't enhance my dry skin.

As it a bright shade with great pigmentation, I do need to be careful with application as I have porcelain skin, so it is easy to look overdone. But that is the only downside that I can think of.

Overall this is another winning blush from Benefit.

Hair we go again: L'Oreal Recital Preference in Paris [4.01]

I used another Recital Preference shade [Havana] on my hair a few moths ago and found that the resulting shade was nothing like the model's on the box and when it came time to touch up the roots, the colour was very uneven. However I did like the Recital Preference formula, so I picked a darker shade, took a deep breath and redyed my hair...

Success! This shade does seem to be almost black at first, but slightly lightens to almost exactly the same dark, cool brown shade as that on the box's model after a week or so. From there on out, any colour fade is minimal, I can go over two months between top ups, as the formula is so fade resistant. And my roots [ash blonde/brown] dye the same shade as the rest of my hair. L'Oreal - you have redeemed yourselves.

I started to go grey in my teens and this has perfectly blended them away, which is a first; I've found that dyes typically colour the grey hairs slightly lighter. Overall; I'm very impressed with the new formula.

Ebook review: Dead Case in Deadwood by Ann Charles

The first book in the Deadwood Mysteries series is Nearly Departed in Deadwood, and the second is Optical Delusions in Deadwood.

Characters and events from the previous books are mentioned casually thoughout DEAD CASE, so it is best to read the books in order. 

Cornelius, a rather eccentric man from Las Vegas, comes into Calamity Jane's Reality and asks to see Violet Parker. He is looking to buy property in Deadwood - and by property I mean that he wants to buy a local hotel.

Needless to say this is a huge coup, so huge that Violet's colleague Ray immediately asks their boss Jane if he can take over. Since Violet can't stand Ray, she digs in her heels and reminds everyone that Cornelius specifically requested her for the job. Baring that in mind, Jane has to allow Violet to continue. However she does warn Violet that if she refuses the help and then loses the huge sale, then Jane won't be able to afford to keep her employed.

This being Violet, naturally means that things won't be as simple as viewing the hotel with Cornelius and then collecting the money. Cornelius is a ghost hunter and wants to to buy the hotel only if it's proven to be haunted. And since Violet is widely (but incorrectly) rumoured to be able to communicate with ghosts, she had better be able to rustle some up somehow, if she wants Cornelius to sign on the dotted line. Deceive a customer or lose her job and be unable to provide for her children?


Also on Violet's plate; she has long suspected Ray and the local undertakers of selling body parts on the black market and she is now determined to get to the bottom of the mystery once and for all, in the hope that Ray will end up in jail and out of her way forever.

Elsewhere; Violet's friend Harvey finds a dead body on his property - and it is holding one of Violet's business cards. Who is the dead man and how/why does he apparently know her?

Ebook review: Optical Delusions in Deadwood by Ann Charles

★★★★★/★★★★★

Violet Parker has more or less settled into her realtor job at Calamity Jane's Realty, but is keen to prove that her recent sale wasn't just a one off, or is because of her personal friendship with Doc. So when a woman and her daughter ask for Violet to sell their family home in nearby town Lead, she is eager to jump in and get started. The house is large, beautifully decorated and her prospective clients are willing to sell cheaply to get rid of the house quickly. Violet's luck is about to change for the better...

Or not. The reason that her would-be clients have approached a out-of-town realtor is because the four other companies they've already gone to in won't sign them on. The reason? The house was the scene of a murder-suicide of the home owner and his adult son just months before. Calamity Jane's Star realtor Ray tells Violet not to take the clients on as no-one will buy the house, and having it on their books will look bad for the company as a whole. Violet's mentor Mona agrees with Ray, which is unsettling for Violet.

Violet is going to turn the women away, but feels sorry for them and their predicament. And with no other houses on her books ready to sell anytime soon, her uninsured daughter suddenly needing glasses, a desire to prove Ray wrong and with her stressed boss being dragged through the divorce court by her money grabbing, cheating ex, Violet soon weakens and takes on the new challenge.


The widow claims to communicate with the ghost of the original homeowner, a claim which Doc backs up by also claiming to see the same ghost when Violet asks him to look around the house. Violet doesn't believe in ghosts, but as her nerves are already stretched, she is little bit freaked. Then top everything off, the mayor of Lead takes a sudden interest in her and the house, she meets the shady and bullying former daughter-in-law of the widow whose house house Violet is trying to sell, someone is spreading rumours that Violet speaks to ghosts, Violet finds herself with a demon worshipping stalker and she has to pluck up the courage to tell her lifelong friend that she is sleeping with said friends dream man...