All posts for the month May, 2016

Cosmetic Controversy: Sleeping With MakeUp

Hello SHiquers and welcome back to Nerdy Shique Universe! It’s time for another Cosmetic Controversy that deals with something that may be harmless to some but really harmful underneath the surface. I will get into it after this!

It’s Omni Expo weekend and I get up the first morning at 6 :00 and go to shower, do my skin care routine of using the Stridex pads to reduce any acne bumps as time goes on and my Clean & Clear Cleansing Toner. I prepare my hair to be put in my wig cap with my snap baretts and bring out my travel train case that contains my everyday makeup and the makeup I brought with me to use with my cosplays and this day I was wearing my water trainer outfit and brought out my Pacifica Solar Pallet to do my shadow, even highlighted my tear ducts with Mermaid by NYX and of course put on my fave Miss Manga mascara to make myself look like I was in Pokemon. Then added the face makeup including the blush and highlight from this pallet. Gondras wakes up and he gets ready by wearing regular clothing. We go for our first day and get video and pictures, even go through the dealer room, panels, etc. Then come back and I clean off my makeup, use my Stridex pads and toner and head off to sleepy land. Day two is my ice trainer outfit which I used the Rob Scheppy pallet with my Hikari silver liner, Miss Manga mascara, switched the blush to the Up and Up Rose blush and Mosaic Highlighter from NYX and wearing RImmel’s Kiss Fatale. Go for our day of interviews, getting my Pokemon cookies from Mr. Japanese Snacks, and more panels including a late night one or two. Come back and clean my makeup! Then final day, just doing the cat ears and tail with my Harley Quin goggles, which I switched my makeup to the Ascent to Glimmer shadow from Mac, blue liner, Cat Eyes mascara from Maybelline, and Living Doll blush from Hard Candy. Go through the final day of last minute shopping, meeting new people, even ended the night at Denny’s and was dropped off at home. I still cleaned off my makeup at the end.

I bet you’re wondering, “What’s this all about?” The common theme is that I cleaned off my makeup despite the three days of going to a convention to see panels, interview guests, and even having dinner throughout those days before I headed off to bed. I guess you’re realizing the topic I’m doing is about sleeping with makeup on.

I know the question is, “Isn’t harmless to sleep with it on?” Yes it is because we don’t know the harm we’re doing to it. I admit I have napped in the past with eye shadow on but nowadays with knowing how sensitive my skin is I do be careful and take it off even for an hour nap to a good night’s sleep or less sleep during a convention weekend.

What is the harm? There are many articles that I have read to get the info and I did see one article that E had done called “You’re Doing It Wrong: Sleeping With Your MakeUp.” Which you can find it here: http://www.eonline.com/news/718941/you-re-doing-it-wrong-sleeping-in-makeup

I felt as though E was cheering on that you should do it and there is also a video of some girl who studied cosmetology talking about how she sleeps with her powder and other things on her face which I will get to what sleeping with all that can do in a moment, even her fans support her. I do find it funny that studying cosmetology wouldn’t teach you something like this but teach you how to become a pro-makeup artist by being your own boss and teach the harms of sleeping with makeup.

I guess you’re wondering when am I going into detail? Which is now! So pretty much is that the stuff that can happen to your skin with sleeping with your face on is that it causes your lashes to become brittle, also can give you eye infections like conjectivitis which is commonly referred to as pink eye, and your skin dries out and can make your skin premature, give you large pores, and bad acne due to not breathing. I know “GASP!” right? It doesn’t seem like it’s true but I do have an experience that Vivi let me tell that she had and it was when she was here in Orlando at Universal with her husband Tobi, she got really sick and had to be taken back to their hotel and she fell asleep with her makeup on and the next morning she had a bad eye infection from it and couldn’t wear anything on her eyes for a few days during the rest of her spring break.

Another good example is that someone had tried the sleeping with makeup on for the Daily Mail and she didn’t just did it for a few days, she took it to the extreme by doing for an entire month! As in, giving up her cleansing, which is important to do especially after a long day of wearing makeup, and reapplied layers over layers of foundation to keep going and even put more mascara on every day. During that experiment, her effects were a lot worse because it not only aged her an entire decade, especially the entire left side of her face since she sleeps on her left side due to how people change sleeping positions or stay in one, since the skin didn’t breathe enough on the left side due to the pillow making the barrier to keep air from going in. Not only that, she developed white cysts that caused her lashes to have dandruff by the looks of it from the mascara she wore every night and how it kept moving, which mascara does move depending on which one you wear and how the formula reacts to lashes etc. Which if you wore mascara and/or lashes while sleeping they can become very brittle and damaged. And of course, her lips were more parched than ever due to the lipstick she wore and it dries lips very often if slept with it on.

So, in the end, pretty much you’re blocking your skin in this process because like our organs, our epidermis which is the skin layer we take care of is alive and it needs to rejuvenate after taking off our foundation, powder, and so many other products. Plus, if you remember my “No Lashes” post, our eyes are very sensitive and do become red and the liner and mascara seeps in while sleeping. Even Seventeen Magazine mentioned this in an issue many years ago about the worst beauty habits you can do as a nice warning.

What Should You Do? Like always if you come home and do the stuff you do such as cooking, laundry and other things after school or work, make sure you clean off your makeup at night. What I sometimes do, even if it’s in the middle of the day after a job interview, I tend to take off my makeup right away once I switched out of my clothes into my seats and shirt. It will give your skin better breathing room from what I have experienced from that. Also follow up with your skin care regimen with cleansers, toners, and like what I use, Stridex pads since makeup does give some acne depending on what you’re using even if it needs to get used to a certain new product. If it’s hard to break from the habit, keep makeup wipes near whatever bed you’re sleeping in, ehtether it’s your own or in a hotel during a convention or business trip, this would help you get back into habit of cleaning your face off before sleeping. I don’t think the cleaning staff at the hotels appreciate their guests staining the pillow cases with your Marc Jacobs mascara and Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer.

Also, another good thing is, make sure to have antibiotic eye drops handy because as said above your eyes would be irritated if you go to sleep with makeup on. Also, the same with lashes being on. It’s not fun having eye infections especially with allergies and went through this during Omni Expo where my eyes were red when I had my allergy attack this year. These eye drops can save you a lot from irritation from dust and mascara.

That is it for this post! Like a lot of makeup gurus say on YouTube makeup is always washed off at the end of the day even if you’re exhausted to all. Just make sure that you don’t even nap with it on because it will save your skin ten years!

What is next? Well, Fox Warrior was nice enough to offer a review of MegaCon for us and of course pics that he has taken. So stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on May 30, 2016  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty

Posted by moonleopard85 on May 30, 2016

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2016/05/30/cosmetic-controversy-sleeping-with-makeup/

Doesn’t Sound the Same: Simple Plan

DISCLAIMER: This post is based on opinion and observation of the writer!

Hello Shiquers and welcome back to Nerdy Shique Universe! Guess what’s back? It’s time for another “Doesn’t Sound the Same!” I bet you’re wondering if I’m doing it on Panic At the Disco like in the last post said, nope! Why? Because a band came back into the music scene and man they REALLY don’t sound the same! I will come back to Panic at the Disco which until then, I will be covering the band that came back!

Band: Simple Plan
Place of Music Origin: Canada

Welcome back to “Doesn’t Sound the Same” where we see bands go through their music timeline based on albums! Today we will be looking at the band Simple Plan. Ohhh Simple Plan I miss thee and as said before, they did come back but with a new song and it’s called “Singin’ In the Rain.” I didn’t know they came back until Gondras told me last night and man it made us laugh like crazy, especially him since he heard it on the radio station first on the way home.

The Original Sound: If you haven’t heard of these guys, they came from Canada back in the early 2000s and the first album we saw from these guys was called No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls. Yes, that’s the album title and I did crack up the first time I heard of it and their music back then was more of alternative with an emo twist. Their first single for us in the US was of course “Addicted” and listening to it did bring me back to ye old high school days even when they performed the Class of 2004 Disney Grad Nite in 2004, which was awesome by the way! Of course the song was about being addicted to the one you love. They did have other singles from that album including “Perfect,” “I’m Just a Kid,” and one of my most fave tracks, “I Do Anything.” They did keep the emo rock going with their next album Still Not Getting Any which featured “Welcome to My Life” which is pretty much almost everyone’s song at that age after high school, which this album did release that fall after I graduated.

Where the Sound Changed: When the sound changed from their emo sound, heck even their most emo sounding song didn’t have a title, changed to more of a pop sound by the sel-fitled album that was released around 2006 which I didn’t know they released it then until finding it on the FYE website. I did pick it up and it felt as though they did still have the sound I used to remember but you hear a distinction in how they changed, if you listen to the riffs in “Your Love is a Lie” it kind of takes on a pop sounding chord and how Pierre sings it feels like an R&B song. Even the first single off this album known as “When I’m Gone” took the more poppish sound and felt like, “This is not them!” No wonder they didn’t perform much off of the self-titled album when they were performing at Red Hot and Boom in 2009 here (for anyone who hasn’t been to Orlando in July, it is a free outdoor concert that a local radio station holds the day before Independence Day with a fireworks show and a lot of bands during the day) and just performed off the first two albums. I did see they released a fourth album but never got it and it was around in 2010.

What is the sound now? Oh jeez! When Gondras told me about this song last night, I went immediately to YouTube to listen to it. “Singin’ in the Rain” turned them ainto and it sounds like “Fly” by Sugar Ray. I am not bashing on Sugar Ray, I am a big fan of that band but Simple Plan is not them. This song cracked Gondras up to no end and I did crack up a bit because it is not the same sound I used to know coming from them. I will put this video along with one of their older videos so you can compare what I’m talking about. I did find an earlier song they did with Sean Paul on YouTube known as “Summer Paradise” which I have a feeling that came on the album I didn’t get before this newer one that is out or about to be released known as Taking One for the Team.

Do They Sound the Same? NO! No they don’t! They changed and it wasn’t for the better either because when I hear Simple Plan I always recognized them for “Addicted,” “Welcome to My Life,” and of course, “Perfect!” Not “Your Love is a Lie” and this newer one either. It’s like seeing how Jimmy Eat World would turn into a pop band when we know them for “Middle” and “Sweetness,” which I remembered they kept their sound very well even when they shown up to perform on One Tree Hill. Sorry to say guys, I prefer the old Simple Plan over this new one and wasn’t kidding that they did perform more off their first two albums during Red Hot and Boom either, I was there for that performance and the only song they did that night off of the self-titled was “Your Love Is a Lie.” Anyways, Enjoy the funny of their reggae sound!

What is next for Nerdy Shique Universe? I will try to get around to doing the Panic At the Disco “Doesn’t Sound the Same” post sometime soon. Also, will be going to Daytona for a month for a pre-employment program but will be posting as much as I can like I did the last time. I will see if my parents will bring my Ipsy and BoxyCharm to me as well whenever they get delivered next month.

I did decide to research in the whole why clean off your makeup because I did like how Patrick Starr talked about it in his makeup cleansing video and thought it would be an interesting topic for some of the cosmetic controversies I’ve been doing here. Stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on May 25, 2016  •  Permalink
Posted in Music

Posted by moonleopard85 on May 25, 2016

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2016/05/25/doesnt-sound-the-same-simple-plan/

Conventions: National Federation for the Blind Nationl Convention in Orlando, FL

Hello Shiquers and welcome back to Nerdy Shique Universe! Well, it’s time for something different and it’s in a Convention Spotlight! I know MegaCon is in a week but this is an entirely different convention and that is the NFB National Convention!

I know, “Say what now!” Well, if you remembered how in the Omni Expo 2015 Convention Impossible I mentioned that it took place at the Rosen Center last year and it was the same location as the NFB convention and this is the one I’m talking about today.

What is it? For those of you who are new to this blog, the acronym stands for National Federation of the Blind, which is a national group to talk about accessibility, help inform the public about the blind, and even help with getting new services for the blind in local areas, etc. Why am I talking about this group? Well, I’m visually impaired myself! The story is that when I was fifteen years old, I was diagnosed with a rare strand known as Retinitis Pigmentosa which is a condition where dead cells attack the retinas until the person goes completely blind. Kind of scary in a way since I didn’t know I had it due to doctors saying I was born with it except it was dormant most of my life until my pre-teen years. If you seen my videos where I interviewed people like Lauren Landa, Dameon Clarke, and so on, you have noticed that I use braille to have my interview questions written in. If you seen the Omni Expo ones from last year, it was an entire binder filled with sheets of questions I asked and this past year, I finally got a new Braille Sense which is a braille device that acts like a laptop but with a braille display which I can read by touch and have been studying braille for many years and hoping to be certified in. If you seen the old videos from Omni, I used to have a Braille Sense Qwerty that I used for college but now I have the standard brailler keyboard. And now back to the main topic, I knew about NFB before and started going to meetings here in Orlando and every year they hold this huge national convention late June to early July or just the first week of July. I have gone to the Seminar Day last year and it was interesting but due to having schedule conflicts, I can’t make it this year so why not mention it so you guys know what I have been going through, heck even used to host a panel about watching anime as a blind person at anime conventions. Let’s get a move on.

Dates and Location: This year’s convention is going to be held from June 30th through July 5th and it’s being held at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort instead of the Center this year and it is also on Universal Blvd.

How can you register? You can register through the NFB Website by going here: https://nfb.org/convention And it is open for pre-reg and if you pre-register before May 31st it will cost $25 and it will be $30 on-site while pre-reg for banquet is $60 while it’s $65 on site if you want to go to the banquet later on in the week.

What if I want to stay at the hotel? Room rates are $83 for singles and doubles and $89 for triples and quads. When you go on site to check in, you will be taxed 12.5% and any kid under the age of 17 will be free unless you’re a parent and they’re staying with. Of course, most importantly, no smoking please.

What to expect: This is a six day convention which starts with a Seminar Day on June 30th where different companies talk about the many devices that will be available in the Exhibitors Hall. I went to this and man it was interesting! I think the most interesting out of all was the one on KNFB Reader which is a portable version of Open Book where you use the camera on the mobile device you download the app to and take pictures of documents, menus, and so many other things and it reads it out to you. It’s a bit pricey but during the convention they do offer a discount, they did last year maybe this year too. I would say go to this in case if you’re interested in knowing what devices are offered to the blind. There are division meet ups for the many to talk about things, not sure what since I haven’t been to an actual convention like this so on the convention page you will see what days have these meetups and discussions. And of course the Exhibitors Hall has stuff to purchase and talking about the devices,etc. One company I know that is always there is HIMS who makes the Braille Sense I use, if you’re curious about it and the manufacturer, you can see them or visit their website.

What if I need more information? Here is the link again just in case: https://nfb.org/convention

It will give you the days of what is going on, even gives you the beginner’s guide for the convention which is pretty handy. Also more info on hotel rates, what the hotel has to offer, even details on flight discounts which there are people flying in for this event.

Well that is about it for this convention! If you’re interested in learning more about the National Federation of the Blind, you can also visit NFB.org and if you have a chapter near you that meets, I suggest go to a meeting because you will get to meet awesome people that get around their daily lives in many different ways without the sense of sight. I have done it and still doing it especially with cooking. It’s not easy being blind to tell you the truth and meeting someone who has a visual impairment is a new world to get into and an interesting one at that.

What is next on Nerdy Shique Universe? Not sure as of yet, but stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on May 23, 2016  •  Permalink
Posted in conventions

Posted by moonleopard85 on May 23, 2016

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2016/05/23/conventions-national-federation-for-the-blind-nationl-convention-in-orlando-fl/

Ipsy and BoxyCharm: May 2016

Hello Shiquers and welcome back to Nerdy Shique Universe and it’s time for the second post! This post is my Ipsy and BoxyCharm! Yes! BoxyCharm is back in my paws and also my Ipsy came before it last Saturday and just got Boxy today. Let’s see what I got!

Ipsy: This month’s Ipsy is “Destination Chique!” This month’s bag is more of a clutch which has a snap! I wish the bag was like this some months because there are times where I carry way too many things and the zipper gets stuck, heck my bag had its zipper split and had to fix it. Plus, this bag came in three different colors and they were pink, purple, and blue and I got the blue one and it features monuments of the world like the Statue of Liberty, the Leaning Tower of Piza, and other places. Very very very cute! Again, should do the snap form instead of the zipper sometimes!

INSPR Eye Fluff Brush: First thing is a brush and it’s by the brand INSPR. I got an eye shadow by these guys and I loved it until the plate that covers the shadow broke off. At least Hanky Panky by Colour Pop is getting some love! This is a very fluffy brush and it is said to be a blending brush but it is a size for the crease, which I used in my crease and man it feels sooooooooooooooo soft! This was my first brush by these guys and good to try out since I love brushes and happy to get them in this subscription and BoxyCharm of course since they do send really good brushes there too. I am a major brush addict as you know. I hope to get more brushes by these guys in future bags!
Jelly Pong Pong Carribean Bronzer Duo: Well, this is a new thing to arrive in my bag. I bet you’re wondering, “You don’t use bronzers, why are you getting one and happy about it?” Well, one thing is it’s from one of my fave brands, Jelly Pong Pong. Next point is that I have been using bronzers as eye shadows and this is a bronzer duo which features bronzers that are better as shadows! It is good to try out something new especially with a brand that is good, plus a lot of people have been getting bronzers this month which makes sense for summer. I did try this out on my eyes with the peach half and man it goes on very soft! Plus it has the space big enough for your eye brush which someone did get this in their bag and prefer it as shadow too and I can see why. I do love the packaging that it has a mirror but I can’t see myself in a mirror.
Sooo Ae Coligen Mask Trio: I am trading these since I owe someone on a trade for the Elizabeth and James roller ball from February. Yes, I got my paws on it and happy about that because I love that scent and it’s the Nirvana Black btw. Anyways, this is a Korean company and a lot of people have been raving about Korean beauty products and skin care is pretty much the best thing you can get, even there’s a subscription for that called Mimi Box and it stopped shipping to Canada recently. Anyways, when I saw this in my bag I knew that I wouldn’t like this and I have tried sheet masks, remembered the one in BoxyCharm from February? Well, that was very slimey and man my skin itched! I did mention on the Ipsy Facebook board that there should be a “Sensitive” option on the “Skin Concerns” question because it is not on there it would help with choosing better skin care after getting the Smashbox Face Primer and the Pur~Lisse makeup cleanser. Plus, thinking of coligen despite it being good for you kind of flashes me back to the moment in the anime Speed Grapher where this one guy ate a lot of food and people, even tried eating the main girl’s fingers since she gives special powers to people all thanks to a tumor she has. I know, weird concept but it does make me think of that scene of the anime. So, trading these masks and glad that I finally had something to trade for what I received.
Etat Libre D’Orange Remarkable People Remarkable People Fragrance: That was a major mouthful and hard to type! I got a fragrance from said company and it’s the Remarkable People Fragrance! OMG! This smells so mazing! When I got it, I was like Peter Griffin from Family Guy singing “Ray of Light” after his first Red Bull! It is a citrusy scent that blends champagne, jasmine, grapefruit, cardamin, and sandalwood into one earthy scent! I love earthy and citrusy smells and bringing these two together is a nice harmony! I have to keep myself from using it all the time since it smells so good!
It Cosmetics No Tug Waterproof Gel Eye Liner: Final item in the bag this month is the No Tug Gel Eyeliner from It Cosmetics. As you know I did try out the CC Cream they had a year ago and my skin broke out like crazy due to the SPF. I did read they are big on anti-aging ingredients but my skin can’t handle that cream due to the SPF. I was happy that I got this in bag and it worked out great! It doesn’t tug like it said, it stayed put as well, and it’s very smooth at its application as well. You get this pencil in black and it’s a decent sample size for a pencil. These pencils will last me a long time like the Lord and Berry liner in my very first bag!

BoxyCharm: Trust me, I was happy to reactivate my account when April was over. Yes, I was sad but I think the only thing would matter of last month’s box was the Ofra lipstick. Now it’s May and glad to have it back! This month’s theme is “Boxy Spring Vibes!” When I got my box, I took a pic and it’s on Instagram, which if you’re interested on following me just go for maribluecat! Anyways, I am excited about this box the most because….

MakeUp Geek Blush: When I found about this is coming in the box I was waiting for the third to reactivate because this month MakeUp Geek is launching their blush line. I did hear they used to have a line but had to reformulate it and now going to be launching in a week. Why not launch it in the subscription that started putting its products in it? This was a “While Supplies Last” thing for any May subscriber and was lucky to be one of the many to get this and not only that it did come in may colors and so far I seen videos where they got Covet and one other shade. Plus, you get a nice compact with it instead just the pan. Hoping there will be more MakeUp Geek products in the future! If you didn’t get one, well you can get this when it launches on the website for $15!
Pure Double Ego Eyeliner: Besides Makeup Geek, Pure is also in this box with their Double Ego eyeliner which is a dual ended eyeliner! One end is a liquid pen while the other one is a retractable pencil and I got mine in Queensland which is a dep teal color. Nice to get another color in eyeliner!
Star LuxLip Pencil: Next is a lip pencil which is a BoxyCharm exclusive with the brand Star Lux. The color is called Charmed, same name as the one that Tart made for one of the boxes last year. It is pretty much a pink retractable pencil, which I accidentally broke a piece off when I opened it. I know, silly kitty! One thing I hate about retractable lip pencils is that the tip does break off easily and it happens the most to my Rimmel East End Snob one. Oh well, at least I get to try more of this brand and see how this one goes!
Ella and Mila Nail Polish: Yay! Nail polish! This is a brand I never heard of this brand and I got the shade called Pistach and it’s a minty green, which is a good color for the spring and they tend to give pretty good colors every season! I can’t wait to try this one out. I still have the LVX polish from last year in minth green. Also, another point about this brand is Phai free which is one of the harmful chemicals in nail polish.
Catherine Malandrino Perfume: Another perfume from Catherine Malandrino and I think it’s called Romance de Province. I sprayed and it smells very florally and sweet. I can’t wait to use this even to make the room smell good, which I tend to use my perfumes as air refreshners. Also, I do travel with this!
Brow Gal Clear Brow Gel: Last item, yes there was six items, is the clear brow gel by Brow Gal! This is a nice addition to go with the eyeliner and plus I do love my clear brow gels over tinted since my brows are hard to match and I don’t like the feeling of wax crayons usually. I prefer the clear ones instead! Good to try out new brow gels since the Chella one was really great and lasted me a while, which is another point why I love clear brow gels is that they last a lot longer than a brow pencil. Plus, this one is the same size as the NYX Control Freak gel I use and can’t wait to use this when that runs out since I got another tube of the NYX one recently!

Well, that is it for both! I have to say is that despite the sheet masks, both were really good! I am so happy to try out MakeUp Geek’s newer blush line due to how I started with the shadows and did always want to try them and glad to get them in Boxy! While Ipsy, I am glad to get the other items such as the bronzer duo for my eye shadow use, the brush of course for the crease, and that perfume I mentioned also smells very nice! There is one more rant I do have to put in this…

More Complaints On the Board: Yes, it seems like that there are more complaints but for individual items that get selected. I even seen this on the BoxyCharm Facebook for the MakeUp Geek blush which some people wished they could choose the color than Boxy and that is in the thoughts of doing it but some people did get a little miffed about that since we are trying something new. Goes the same with Ipsy, which a lot of people complained about getting red lipstick and the latest new complaint is how people wanted the nude shade of the Melo lipstick over the red one and someone did say they will unsubscribe if they get it and did still unsubscribe from all the responses that a lot of the Ipsters, including me, and Ipsy gave her and yet it continued.

Okay guys, I know it seems like we love joining subscriptions to get makeup, tools, and of course, hair products but the thing is that when joining these, especially ones that have a customizable quiz, go in with an open mind. I do admit I trade items I don’t want for stuff I wish I’ve gotten like for instance I’m getting the X Rated mascara from someone for a brow pencil I got for free from Ulta. There is one thing that I did point out on someone’s video as well as the complaint on the board and that is these subscriptions also include discount codes to the brand that offers the products and they should use those codes to get the color they want. Which means not all brands have one color for that product, I was tempting to get the Melo lipstick with the code, I would get it someday since it is not that much in cost. The one with the video replied to my comment saying that they would have to spend money which is an ironic thing when you already buy the bag in the first place and the lipstick alone is the value of the bag. And as said, time and time again, goin in with an open mind is important because it is a sampling service after all, even BoxyCharm is one, Birchbox is another, heck even Glossy Box is one, and you get to try out new products from different brands you’ve seen and not sure to buy from that line until you try it out, brands that are online only like MakeUp Geek and Jelly Pong Pong as examples, and newer brands that haven’t been heard of like Melo and Jersey Shore and time to time it does become a love for that brand and gives more excitement to get more items by them in future boxes.

And to repeat the idea of customization, Ipsy does the quiz thing because they want an idea of who’s subscribing and what products to choose based on the profile and they do state on there and the reviews, which the customization expands on those, “These are guidelines! We won’t guarantee what you get is based on what you marked!” That is when the idea of an open mind comes in because even though I got sheet masks and I have to be careful with my skin but I do trade my items and give them to other people and enjoy the other products I do get and everyone is happy in the end! And yes, the reviews and quizzes do work, I did retake the quiz recently to try and get mascaras back in but the past few months they were amazing. Well, the nail polish, that was a major miss. Still, the quizzes and reviews do work and you will get new items to go with everything else.

Well, that is it for this post, I know the rant was long but it will give an idea to subscribe to either one and I am glad to try new products even newer items by brands I already love! Even if I have to multipurpose one of them which I do as a cosplayer myself!

What is next? Not entirely sure, if we did press for Mega then I would’ve had a convention spotlight and so much coverage from it but nope! Sorry guys! Unless I can talk to Fox Warrior about writing a review! Let’s see what happens!

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by moonleopard85 on May 18, 2016  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty

Posted by moonleopard85 on May 18, 2016

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2016/05/18/ipsy-and-boxycharm-may-2016/

TV: Agents of SHIELD Season 3

Hello Shiquers and welcome back to Nerdy Shique Universe! Today will be a double posting, so stay tuned for post number two a little later! First, I will be doing a review on Agents of SHIELD Season 3! This was the season where the show got weak and then weaker and stronger towards the end. Let’s see what I think! Also…

DSICLAIMER: This review is based on observation and opinion of the writer of this blog. Plus, spoilers ahead!

Story: This story starts off kind of where the second season left off which pretty much the Inhumans are now known especially to the world and now SHIELD has to find them and help them from a new threat to them which is killing them. Plus, they have to find Agent Simmons who vanished all thanks to the monolith that was taken into their possession from Jaying that sent her to a planet beyond our universe where a newer threat is causing harm to it and follows suit.

Thoughts: I think this season introduced so many things all at once as in finding more inhumans that were in contact with the terigan cyrstals to finding Jemma Simmons and of course…bringing back Grant Ward. I feel that they should’ve split some of the story into the many seasons since season two felt that it was missing something even though I didn’t review that one due to how I was missing episodes while in Daytona and had to catch up at once, they should’ve put some of the season three stuff in season two or at least hold some of it til season four, which was kind of teased at the end of the season finale, which I won’t spoil that so you guys can catch it on your own through Hulu or NetFlix. Or put some of Season Three for Season Four, which I feel like that should’ve been the end of season three right after Bobbi and Hunter left, that could’ve been a great season end right there! Nope, Marvel had to extend it.

I can see how this season was pretty weak, the last two seasons had pretty good ideas and good villains but…they were killed too early which annoyed Gondras and pretty much this season kept him talking. My observation was that they introduced too many characters at once and would’ve been better if they didn’t bring Grant Ward back since it looked like he was killed by the hand of Colson but nope! He had to be the Hive’s host body! Which by the way, the Hive is in this which in the comics it is a being that takes over a corpse and its thoughts and memories to control other humans and Inhumans, even kill people Inhuman or not! It gets nasty when you see the people get killed when the Hive shown up for its first time this season, so glad I couldn’t see it but Gondras described it. If I were to rewrite who the Hive took over, I would’ve kept Ward dead all thanks to Colson and on the planet where Simmons was on, there was another guy there that was an experiment all thanks to Hydra and ended up being the host and when they got back to said planet after saving her, Fitz finds the guy and what if he didn’t know that he was the host and they bring him back and then the Hive starts showing in the guy as a surprise invasion on SHIELD. Should I do this for Fan Fiction.net?

Anyways, what also made us sad is how Bobbi and Hunter left and not getting their spin-off that was supposed to happen. They were great, especially during season two when they first appeared on the show and got stronger through the finale of Season Two and then their relationship also grew during that time, heck even Hunter wanted her not to be in the field after what had happened to her leg. That would be great to see the spin-off to see what happened during the time of the Accords for Civil War which yes there was a tie in for that, and to what happened in between the Hive fight and the six months afterwards, which the ending did show what happened after that time. Marvel, I know there are issues on the staff, make it a NetFlix series at least because these two characters need these characters to keep existing!

What was the weakest part of the story, was of course “Fallen Agent.” This is where Daisy gets controlled by Hive and the others have to try to get her back. This got Gondras go off in major tangents because he doesn’t like mind control stories. I can see why this story wasn’t as great since it felt like her resistance against it was that great due to her past with Ward, if you seen the past two seasons, you can see that they were kind of starting something but there was one episode when he got with May in season one. Ward is a boring character if you can tell, he’s better off being written off but still, they had to keep him. At first Daisy, to me, was a strong character when the series first started until she found out about her powers and how she went through the struggles of controlling them and wore the guantlets to keep them controlled during the start of the season. She was awesome until this arc at the end, during the story she gets visions of people on the team dying and she thinks its her destiny to be the one dying. Since the story took on this idea, it felt like became weak and weaker until she said she wanted to come back to Hive’s side. She has become a bit pathetic from what I seen in the finale episode, hoping season four makes her stronger than what she has turned into with Hive’s organisms inside her. I did like how she got surprised by Lash showing up!

Another character that has shown the stronger side, or characters, are Colson and May! First May, she seemed to have a major and stronger backbone throughout this season! She pretty much turned into Mulan but with more balls since she had to keep Daisy in line, Lincoln in line, and even Colson after he had his arm replaced so many times! Hell, when she found out what had happened to Andrew turning into Lash, she pretty much kept going despite seeing what he had become. I would say she is the most badass character on that show, well along with Mac but she kept everyone going! While Colson, oh man! Where do I start? Let me say that since he lost his arm, he has become more badass as well. He even crushed Ward’s chest with it and even in the newest one, he had a touch screen on it! Yes, he gets more points in my book due to how he didn’t let things keep failing, he had plan after plan after plan to find ways of fixing things! Heck, even used everyone on missions to work with each other despite how much they messed up. He even pulled a Stars Wars trick to keep him alive. I am hoping, Gondras as well, that they finally recognize that he’s alive!

Closest Call: Definitely almost killing Fitz and Simmons! As we know at the end of last season, they were supposed to have a date until the monolith got Simmons. This season also made them stronger but almost had life and death moments, especially Fitz at the end, we were worried that he would be the one dead. When he was alive, we were like, “That was close!” And yes, they finally had their romantic moment! Trust me, we were having an Abridged Tristan Taylor moment until it happened! Hoping nothing else happens to them both despite being able to be in the field on missions.

Hopes for Season 4: Since there is going to be a fourth season, I am hoping the story gains strength again since this was the weakest season! As in, lessen the characters to just our main team, even the addition of few more Inhumans but spread out the meetups because it felt a little congested towards the end. And of course, more Talbot, seeing more of Fitz’s and Simmons’ relationship develop more and of course…try to make Daisy stronger like she was before. Hoping the fourth season becomes better than this! Plus, Colson showing up in the movies again to say “Hey, I am alive and back!”

Rating: 2.5 Pawprints out of 5! I would put a three but the season as a whole was still weak and hoping next season doesn’t follow the pattern.

That is it! Stay tuned for the next post!

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by moonleopard85 on May 18, 2016  •  Permalink
Posted in comics, Reviews, Television

Posted by moonleopard85 on May 18, 2016

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2016/05/18/tv-agents-of-shield-season-3/

Restaurants: Sakaya Kitchen in Miami, FL

Hello Shiquers and welcome back to Nerdy Shique Universe! I know it’s been a while since I posted but I’m back and thought it was time for something different and that’s a restaurant review!

Place: Sakaya Kitchen
Location: Miami, FL

Yesterday I went for my annual eye appointment in Miami and found out about this place called Sakaya Kitchen. How’d I know about it? Well, one night I was watching Diners Drive Ins and Dives with my dad since he has been watching stuff on Travel Channel, Food Network, and many other channels besides CNN and one episode came up and it featured this place which is a fast food restaurant but with a Korean twist and was glad to know it was located in Miami, which Guy Fierary has gone to a few places in Florida and one of them happened to be a little bit outside of Tampa which we wanted to try out three years ago after MetroCon but due to what had happened the night before with the fire alarm mess at our hotel we just left. Anyways, when I found out that it was in Miami I went straight to the internet to do my research in finding this place to try out!

Where to Find It: This place is pretty much in the heart of Downtown Miami off of N. Miami Avenue in the Midtown Market area and it is a huge tourist area. It is set up like Church Street here in the heart of Orlando where you have shops and restaurants in different areas. Best thing to do is just park somewhere, which there are places to pay to park, and walk because it’s hard to find by driving. It was on a street corner and the thing you have to look for is a picture of a pig being cooked with the name on it and there you go.

Atmosphere: What is great about the place is the friendly atmosphere! They did show it in the Triple D episode but looks can be deceiving through tv, it did take on in real life with how friendly the staff was and the good thing is that the woman at the counter did answer all my questions about the menu. They did have it posted on the wall for anyone who wants to see it before ordering, which is a major plus, but hearing it from the staff was easier and what was equally great about this place was the music! The music jumped from alternative to classic rock which is a good thing in my book because most places I’ve eaten at is either pop or R&B but this place was switching from Nine Inch Nails to Queen to Eve 6 and so on. Great to eat to “Bohenian Rhapsody.” I bet Guy was rocking out a bit off camera! Good thing is that when the food is ready they bring it out to you which is a nice plus. One thing I have to complain is that I wish they had more wall outlets to plug my phone in since I was listening to I Heart Radio while in Miami, also on the way there from breakfast and on the way home after stopping for a bathroom break in Cocoa Beach. I should get one of those phone cases to charge my phone even when I upgrade. Still, would be nice to recharge your phone next to you like I had during Ranger Stop at TGIFriday.

Food: Oh man the food was amazing! That is why watching Triple D made me want to go to this place but what was featured in the episode wasn’t what I had and what was featured was their duck sandwich which is a popular thing. I can see why this place is so popular. Even an appetizer that deals with tater tots was featured since that was also popular but due to an upset stomach since earlier that morning, I had to take it easy! Good thing that the thing I had helped my stomach immensely and that is a grilled chicken bowl which featured rice and a salad with a lemon peanut dressing and man it was DELICIOUS! I had my bowl with white rice because I am not much of a fan of brown rice, my dad who was with me on this trip did have it with brown rice and he enjoyed it as much as I did! There was another rice that was an option but was being careful with my stomach and that is their coconut rice which is a rice made with coconut milk, scallions, and a fish sauce. I may have to try that if I end up going back next year for my appointment if my stomach doesn’t harm me. Great thing for the sandwiches, you can also get pork sliders and even tacos. Warning is that the food is a bit pricey but worth the price if you are into Korean curisine which was an interesting try since I seen Eat Your Sushi living in Korea and went to so many places in Korea to try out so many foods. Interesting thing is that one dish is big for holidays, break ups with significant others, and moving in and out of places.

Would I Recommend as a Convention Destination? Yes! If you have the extra cash from hotel expenses, parking fees, and even having your eyes in anime and comic book merch, I would say check this place out if you’re heading into the downtown area since Miami is also a big convention area like Orlando and Tampa. As said above, I would say park and walk because it is deep in the Midtown Market area, heck even there’s a parking garage nearby if you don’t want to walk too far. If you’re adventurous enough, try the duck sandwich, but if you want a nice convenient dish, there are plates you can share with your buddies.

Rating: A Stellar PawPrint of Approval!

Well that is it for this restaurant review! If you guys like this idea, especially knowing where to go if you’re in Orlando, Miami, or any other place and want to see what places I would recommend if I have tried, just comment below!

What is next? I’m waiting for Ipsy and BoxyCharm to arrive in the mail this coming week! Stay tuned til next time!

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by moonleopard85 on May 14, 2016  •  Permalink
Posted in Food, Restaurants, Reviews, Travel

Posted by moonleopard85 on May 14, 2016

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2016/05/14/restaurants-sakaya-kitchen-in-miami-fl/

Movies: Captain America: Civil War

Disclaimer: This review may contain spoilers! Also, this based on observation and opinion of the writer!

Hello Shiquers and welcome back to Nerdy Shique Universe! Time for a movie review! Yay!

Gondras and I went to see Captain America: Civil War yesterday and oh man…IT WAS AWESOME!

What’s It About? Based on the comics with the same name, Civil War takes place after the events of Age of Ultron and Ant Man from last year where Steve and his crew find out that he and the rest of the Avengers have to register or they will be accused as criminals because of them being seen as “dangerous” with what had happened in Zekovia and Steve Rogers is against it while Tony Stark is for it. As the choice to register, Steve also finds out that his best buddy, Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, has been accused for an attack on the United Nations during a conference that took the life father of one of the many represnntatives. This causes many conflicts even between Tony and Steve which the Avengers split to take sides in order to prove who really did the attack in the end.

My Thoughts: This movie brings in a lot of favorites and new people to make the teams unique. One of them happened to be Black Panther who lost his father at the UN meeting and man he is awesome! By what Gondras could see, since I had audio description for this movie which theaters are offering nowadays,, is that the suit is made with the same material as Cap’s shield and does have the retractable claws like Wolverine, and of course really good fighting skills with all that on. With all the sound effects from the fighting, it is awesome to hear the fight scenes and how it was being described. I do like how Techala, the Black Panther, did know he had to take up the mantal of the Black Panther and know he had to get his answers for who really caused the UN attack.

Another bring in was of course Spider Man! Don’t worry, it’s not the one from Amazing Spider Man since Marvel is now able to use him again and there will be new movies to come after Dr. Strange with what we heard. Anyways, yes this movie brought in our webslinging hero and great thing is that they had him nerdy like they’re supposed to. Well, more like comic book nerd and did make a few Star Wars jokes but still when they had him in this film they pretty much had him bit at the rookie stage where he got his powers. I kind of like that better than seeing the more advanced and in his later years of age, more of the awkward freshman or sophomore in high school. Gondras did say the costume was more of the Sam Remey SpiderMan over what we’ve seen lately. Hoping with Marvel now backing Sony in doing the movies for Spidey will be better.

I do have to say that this movie didn’t have a tie in with Agents since the show is pretty much going a little way off from what it used to be. I did like how Winter Soldier and Agents were linked together with Hydra taking over but unfortunately due to issues between the shows and movies, there won’t be any tie ins, which is kind of sad due to how much material there is to link. Another thought is the ending of the movie, which I don’t want to spoil it for anyone unless you guys didn’t see any of the reviews already out there especially from Movie Bob and Bennet the Sage, plus if you read the comics, all I have to say it took a nice turn from the comics which is a nice thing and of course, can’t wait what will happen next with the Avengers in the next few years since we are having some of the other Marvel characters taking their movie spots which I can’t wait for Dr. Strange this November and there was a trailer for it.

Speaking of trailers, there was one for Suicide Squad. I am not sure if we will be seeing that due to what had happened with Superman v. Batman and how much of a disaster it was, even someone wrote an article on DC for Cracked about how this movie was re-shot due to how the DC movies were trying to become more dark than lighthearted but look what happened, it didn’t work. Gondras is kind of scared since it is the same team who did Batman v. Superman and of course they want to do many other movies of characters, including ones that aren’t really established and ones that already have good shows like the Flash. Then of course we have the next Independence Day movie and well…not sure yet since the trailer is good and it does take place 20 years after what had happened in the first and Earth has improved by using the tech that was left behind after the attack on the aliens. JAWS is having a remake don’t know why since knowing people who have seen the original may not see that and of course another Ninja Turtles enough said. And of course a Star Wars Rogue Squadron movie from what we saw, well more like a prequel to how the Death Star became to be.

Overall Thoughts: Definitely a really awesome movie! They did do the stuff right in this one, of course we did get the usual jokes especially SpiderMan having a lot due to his nerdy side and good to see Ant Man back and taking the fight on, especially when you get to see more of his power set in this movie! We do get Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and Iron Man and War Machine doing their awesome tag team like with Cap and Winter Soldier with their respective sides. I will definitely get this when it hits stores because you know me, I have to complete the Captain America trilogy with this and may be on my Christmas list if I can’t get it before then. Yes, we will be seeing Dr. Strange and see how Benedict Cumberbatch takes on a Marvel role!

Rating: 5 Pawprints out of 5!

That is it for this review! Can’t wait to see what Marvel will bring to the table this November and of course, next will be Ipsy and BoxyCharm! Yes! I reactivated BoxyCharm after waiting for an entire month of not having it! Trust me, I woke at close to 7 AM this past Tuesday to get it back and running after hearing MakeUp Geek is back in their box! Stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on May 7, 2016  •  Permalink
Posted in Movies, Reviews

Posted by moonleopard85 on May 7, 2016

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2016/05/07/movies-captain-america-civil-war/

Drugstore Vs. Higherend: Ideas on Wuality and Experience

Hello Shiquers and welcome back to Nerdy Shique Universe and glad to be back to do another post! So, last time we looked at how wearing fake lashes is a harmful thing to oneself and that it’s not really necessary in a day-to-day wear and now it’s time for a newer post.

Back in my Blog Spot days, I wrote a post about how pricing is effected in drustore dupes and higherend makeup and that not everyone can use it due to skin problems or even don’t have the money to splurge on it when you find something as equal to it. Now with drugstore items starting to step up their game and meeting with the hype of the higerend train by improving their products to meet the demands of their customers.

Yes pricing is important and how we tend to buy our products but to me as a user and consumer, quality of a product whether it’s moisturizer, a nail file, or even a liquid lipstick, is reflected by a customer’s experience with that product to have them buy it again or buy more of it.

Experience Meets Quality: So, we pretty much watch a lot of videos on YouTube and a good majority is on makeup and there are times they review the products that they pick up. Those reviews are pretty much based on their experiences with the product and it helps give an idea to the one who is curious if they want to buy it or not. There are times when the audience have picked up the product already before the reviews or based on the recommendation of the video or the person doing the video have been recommended to get that product and sometimes these reviews on the products can be positive or negative due to the experience with the quality.

Some of the negative reviews were based on more of the luxury products which I’ve been noticing lately. What do I mean by that? Well, one good example is the Too Faced Sweet Peach pallet. I know some of you are booing but this was a very hard pallet to find for a lot of people since it sold out and I have seen some reviews where that it wasn’t worth the hype due to some of the shades not being pigmented and not showing up like they’re supposed to while others say it is worth it! Some people even say they prefer the other food smelling pallets they released which are the Chocolate Bar, the Semisweet Chocolate Bar, Chocolate Bon Bons and the newer Peanut Butter and Jelly over this one because some of the lighter shades have to be really packed on for a color to show. This pallet is not guilty with some of these reviews since I seen the same idea with the Coastal Sense Revealed 3 and Smoky, which are more affordable than the Too Faced pallets. I did do a video on the Revealed Smoky and Naked Smoky which my experience with both have been great due to my primers helping and the Revealed Smoky pallet does show up on me while others’ experience not so much.

Another part of the idea with experiencing the quality is how people’s skin types react with some of these products on both sides, also skin tones can’t forget that, since not everyone would have the same kind of amazing experience. Let me use one example, the L’Oreal Pro Matte foundation that I tried out! So many people I heard from that have tried this product said they loved it and were able to find colors well. Unfortunately, my skin is very light medium and hard to match with certain brands and had to get help from the girls at Walgreens and was matched with Sun Beige, what happened? My face turned yellow! I went back to my fave Almay foundation since that matched me the best and it goes with my sensitive skin type a lot more too. I think people have better experiences with this foundation because their skin matched a lot more to this and they have easier times while others have to pretty much play with the colors until they find the right one that meets their skin shade. Plus, some people who have oily skin or dry skin sometimes have good experiences with certain products, including skin care, while others not so much due to how their skin can’t handle it as much. For instance, I seen Tati do a series known as “WTF Wednesdays” and now “OMG Tuesdays” with both drustore and higher and higher end products and sometimes they do work on her oily and sensitive skin combo skin while other items not so much because it can be patchy. One good example is how her lips handle liquid lipstick formulas except for Ofra. Which a lot of us who have tried this kind of product, we do have some of them crack on us and slop ond slide or even dry out our lips, which grings me tour next point besides not being able to work on everyone!

Quality Meets Experience: I know I should’ve done this first but the results from above can lead to how the product is made or how we tend to buy our stuff based on how we like it from trying it before. Most of us do buy our products base on the reviews and there are times when that didn’t work out as well as we hoped once trying it out. Experiencing the products with a first try does help in buying the product and how well it works with the person that bought it. Such as liquid lipsticks, a lot of people experienced different things and that is especially with the NYX Liquid Suede lipsticks and they tend to dry a lot on people, causing cracking on lips, even a bit drying for most depending on the color, such as Amethyst for example which I have noticed how dry it became every application. While Kitten Heels, which I got in Ipsy, didn’t feel dry because of how the formula felt better and comfortable. One thing that everyone seems to agree on their experiences is that the formula is not waterproof and does transfer which it claims to be that and even does the same with just setting it. These experiences do show how the quality can be on or off for most people since they experience different things from most people. My tip would be in order to see product quality is try buying one item of that line to see how it goes on you. Not everything will work out for everyone like foundations and lipsticks since different skin types and formulas react differently with other people, that even includes higherend products too, especially really luxury items in the hundred dollar range.

What if you don’t want to buy it and test it? There is always going to some places that allow testing and getting that sample. Sampling or swatching does help see the quality of the product in front of you while getting a sample, like I do with Lush and Sephora time to time, it gives you an idea of how it will work over time and if it does work and the quality is excellent for your skin then purchase it. One good thing about some brands, which I sometimes like, is the deluxe sample sizes that they sell or give out because it gives you the idea of testing it first before make that purchase or just want to stay with the deluxe size since it can be hard to finish a certain product or just on the budget. Plus, shouldn’t torture yourself in buying a product if it didn’t work the first time despite that makeup collector inside of us.

In the end, quality in higherend and drugstore can be how people experience the products and review them. It kind of gives an idea to see what to splurge on or what not to splurge on because not everything works on everyone whether it’s a Mac lipstick or an Urban Decay eye shadow pallet or even a sample in an Ipsy bag, trust me went through samples that broke me out or not as pigmented as I hope, makes us choose in our purchases a bit carefully in seeing how the item feels and leads to buying more.

Well, that is it for this post! I do have an announcement, unfortunately we won’t be covering MegaCon for press. It’s because we never covered the convention before and it makes me sad since we have done conventions in the past it seems like we had to cover them first which Metro was our first one to cover. There are other conventions we will be looking into and Holiday Matsuri is definitely another one we want to do again at the end of the year.

That is about it! Til next time!

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by moonleopard85 on May 2, 2016  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty

Posted by moonleopard85 on May 2, 2016

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2016/05/02/drugstore-vs-higherend-ideas-on-wuality-and-experience/