Hope in a Jar- an 80's beauty product blast from the past!

 

I think of myself as somewhat of a book snob. I like to read the classics, biographies and history books but I do throw in a fun, easy, beach read every now and again just to give myself a break. Mindless reading is a necessity sometimes.

Nowadays I read on a Kindle so I haven't purchased an actual book to read in forever. The only thing I do miss about reading "real" books is browsing the titles by cover. There's something about a good book cover that catches my attention and makes me want to read it.

I just finished the book Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison. I picked up the hardcover book at the grocery store the other day. It was in a huge bin of random books and marked only $5. The only thing that made me notice it was it's vibrant, cute cover. Yeah, I'm a marketer's dream. It's that simple. Make it cute and I'll buy it.

Hope in a Jar is a super simple read. It flows very easily and has a decent storyline typical of all easy, summer reads. The plot is super basic- unrequited love. What really caught my attention and made me buy it were the author's references to the bevy of 80's and 90's beauty products that my generation of gals grew up with.

Love's Baby Soft, Seabreeze toner, Buf Pufs, Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers, Sun-In, Finesse Shampoo and Prince Matchabelli perfumes- such memorable and coveted products from my youth! All promised teens kissable lips, sun kissed hair and clear, sweet smelling skin- the most important things in life at that point.


Remember the dual sided Lip Lickers that came in a thin tin with a sliding top? They either had one flavor or if you were lucky you had one with two complimenting flavors in two separate long strips inside. I remember applying one flavor to my top lip and the other to my bottom by sticking the entire tin to my lips and rubbing back and forth. Voila, instant application of both flavors at the same time. Good times! Wish they still sold the stuff. I would SO buy some!

I think my funniest or rather most absurd memory is with Sun-In. I remember buying some thinking that it would somehow lighten my hair and give me highlights. It worked on my best friend Heidi's blond, super fine, fluffy hair. Not so much on my coarse, thick, black Asian hair. Ha, ha.... so naive. I guess that was the ultimate in "Hope in a Jar"!