Reviews
The Mandalorian Season 2 Review
By Christopher Sanelli
With the return of many familiar faces, the second season of The Mandalorian is a thrilling and action packed eight episode arc which takes a deep dive into many characters, helping us get a better understanding of who they are. In addition to this, directors Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Robert Rodreguez did a wonderful job with what they were given and really made the show come to life. The show also sets up two more sagas such as The Book of Boba Fett and the Ahsoka Series. Not much has been said about either of these productions, but in the Ahsoka Series former Jedi Ahsoka Tano is said to be hunting down Grand Admiral Thrawn. This ruthless Admiral is a member of the Chiss species and has blue skin which compliments his red eyes. He appears in the TV show Star Wars Rebels which makes many people wonder if characters like Ezra and Sabine will also be a part of this show because of their previous interactions with the Grand Admiral. Lately, Star Wars has been accused of trying too hard to please their fans, however, this season does anything but that. While many people will object to the return of characters like Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Boba Fett it actually develops the plot significantly. For example, the appearance of Luke signifies a turning point because for the first time Din willingly releases Grogu into somebody else's arms. Overall, season two of The Mandalorian brings the same excitement as the first. Most importantly, Din’s character development is evidently shown throughout the season. His mission is to reunite Grogu with his kind, and when the time finally comes to do so, he realizes it is a lot harder than he presumed. The attachment he has with the child has grown very strong over the season, and he would give his life for Grogu without second thought. Thus, showing the change in Din’s character which really elevates this season to a whole new level.
Season 3 Rumors and Predictions
Regarding season three the released date is said to be around Christmas time of 2021. With that a little less than a year away, no official trailers or teasers have been released. However, there have been many speculations about the upcoming season. For example, with Din defeating Moff Gideon in combat, that makes him the rightful ruler of Mandalore. What many fans are hoping to see is Din and Bo-Katan try to reestablish their world which has been tormented by war for many generations. In doing so, it would be very intriguing to see a deeper explanation into the history of Mandalore, and what made it such a competitive society divided into many clans and houses. On the contrary, seeing Luke rebuild the Jedi Order would be very significant because it would help bridge the gap between episodes six and seven of the Skywalker Saga.
Valentine's Day Makeup Review
By Esaia Bell
Valentine's Day has just passed, a day typically filled with red and pink colors, chocolates, and flowers. Keeping with this general theme, many beauty companies aim to create collections or smaller releases that can be given to a makeup-loving significant other. However, makeup can be overly expensive, not great quality, or unfortunately even both. To avoid these products, I’m going to give a quick overview of major Valentine’s Day makeup releases to help you figure out what's actually worth purchasing, and what might not be the best gift for yourself or a significant other.
Starting with a fan favorite, Colourpop Cosmetics have launched their “Love Me Not” collection containing many products, so we’re going to focus on the bigger products. There is a comparatively new palette size for the brand with 5 shades per palette. There are three palettes, one fuchsia themed, one dusty rose, and the last nude with red undertones. The palettes are similar, so if you were going to make this purchase, I would suggest that just pick your favorite. Colourpop also launched three new blush shades in cute heart shaped packaging, reminiscent of Too Faced flush blushes and Kimchi Cosmetics base powder products. The blushes match the palettes from the collection in tone with a burnt red, a peachy dusty rose, and a true pink. Seeing as Coulourpop’s collections all usually contain the same quality and pricing whether its a permanent product or limited edition, I would say if your looking for something less expensive but still good quality, Colourpop is always a great option. If the colors of this collection are something you enjoy, this collection could make a great gift. Just keep in mind that one of the palettes has a pressed glitter in it!
Switching to a more high end brand, Natasha Denona (ND) have put out their annual pink themed Valentine’s Day mini collection. The brand has put out a 5 shade eyeshadow palette, similar to Colourpop, and sticking with the recent trend of smaller eyeshadow palettes. ND’s palette however, contains more variety in the depths of its shades, going from an almost white, champagne shimmer, to a purple toned ash grey matte shade, with lavenders and dusty pinks to compliment them. The brand also released a new shade of their cheek duos with a cream, true pink blush, and powder-to-cream pink toned highlighter with a champagne base color. While the pink packaging is cute and ND notoriously has good quality products, this cheek palette is unfortunately unusable to a lot of different skin tones due to the one shade of the palette. While the brand can be trusted for quality and the products are cute, I would make sure the shades work for the individual beforehand considering the pricetag and exclusionary shades. Yet if you enjoy the ND formula, this would make a nice gift.
The last notable release comes from Too Faced Cosmetics. The “Be My Lover” is an eight pan palette that fits the aesthetic of the brand’s last few palettes. This will make it more desirable for collectors, as it completes the set. However, Too Faced is renowned for making their limited edition products significantly worse than their usual products. Since they only make a limited amount, they can make more money with a cheaper product as they sell out before real reviews can be published. The brand does not disclose if this Valentine’s Day release is permanent or not, so be wary. However the color scheme is nice with a good balance of pink and purple tones for the holiday, but the palette is still very natural which can be a better gift for others as they will use it more often, assuming they tend to wear nudes more often than bright colors on their eyes. Either way, this falls in between the last two releases pricewise and is a potentially nice gift.
Of course, take all of this with a grain of salt and get what makes you happy. Additionally, different people prefer different presents, and I suggest trying to think of something meaningful, or a product your significant other will use often enough. I hope you had a Happy Valentines Day!