All posts for the month October, 2018

Conventions: Holiday Matsuri 2018!

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling across the universe! I am back and it’s time for another Convention Spotlight!

Convention: Holiday Matsuri
Location: World Center Marriot in Orlando, FL
Dates: December 14th through the 16th 2018

It’s back and we’re back for another year of press! Oh yeah, we are on a roll for this year since of course any new readers who don’t know about this convention, I will tell! This convention in Orlando’s holiday themed convention that takes place in December. It has seen many hotels in town and now it has been at the World Center Marriot since 2016. Speaking of hotels!

Hotel: Like the past two years, Holiday Matsuri will be held at the World Center Marriot near Disney. Rates for the Marriot start at $159.00 a night and if you guys have the Marriott Rewards app you can add more rewards. Rooms are almost sold out so I would hop on and reserve but what if you can’t get a room? There are two other options near the hotel and they are the Caribe Royalle where Holiday Matsuri was held before and the Holiday Inn Resorts & Suites Water Park. Good thing is that there are free shuttles for the two other hotels during convention hours. You can book through here: http://holidaymatsuri.com/2018-hotel-new/

Registration: Now onto Registration which is pretty big this year! You can buy your tickets via Event Bright on your PC or on your mobile device through the app available in the App Store and Google Play Store. There are passes left for VIP and they are $150.00. For the Three Day Pass, it’s at winter pricing at the moment which is $55.00. And for anyone going for just a day, Friday is $30.00, $40.00, and Sunday is $30.00. There are fees included when ordering online to let you know. If you guys go for a day, I suggest either Friday or Saturday since there are tons of events going on and if you go for Sunday you would catch the costume contest which is pretty entertaining. Oh right! If you have a child that wants to go, its $20.00 for age’s six to twelve. And for under six, it’s free!

Besides the usual convention passes, there are events that require tickets to be purchased and that includes the Benefit Ball and they cost $10.00, $15.00 and $20.00. You can find out more about Registration by going here: http://holidaymatsuri.com/2018registration/

Guests: So, what guests does Hol Mat have in store for the good little nerds this year?

Returning to Hol Mat this year we have Todd Habercorn, you may remember him as Natsu Drakneil from Fairy Tail, Death the Kid from Soul Eater, and one video game duo you may have heard an interesting version of his voice, Rowan from Tales of Xilia Part 1 and 2! It’s fun playing as him in that game. And of course any Star Trek Continues fans in the Nerd Universe like me and Gondras, he plays Spock!

Another return is Cian Schemmel who of course plays Goku in DBZ and also DB Super.

For any Over watch fans out there we have Jen Cohn and Keith Silverstein!

And of course, what has me excited is Brittney Karbowski making an appearance at this year’s convention and you may remember her as Wendy the Sky Dragon Slayer from Fairy Tail, I’m wondering if she still has the Carla I gave her at MetroCon. Hmm! Also she is in My Hero Academia and one anime I remember her from is of course Kiba.

If you want to see full lists of the guests including cosplayers, hosts and so on, you can hop over to here: http://holidaymatsuri.com/guest-2018/

Stuff to Do So Little Time: Like a lot of conventions, there is so many things to do at Holiday Matsuri within the three day span. Plus you also have a lot when it comes to going around Orlando if you want to go out into maybe, hoping, cooler weather at night, to check out Disney Springs, Disney Boardwalk, and even Universal if you can. And if you need to pick up anything bathroom wise like toothpaste and shower gel, there are drugstores around and any grocery stores for any food you may get for your room. There is also the Pantry on the first floor alongside restaurants on hotel grounds and nearby.

Besides Orlando’s attractions, some things you should check out during the convention including their first 12 Ft. Christmas Tree where attendees can bring ornaments made by hand, which I will be doing myself with my keychain making. Plus, of course you have events like the Holiday Runway Contest which you have seen pics of in past years, and of course the Costume and Skit Contest. Not only that, returning for another year is Idol Fest! There is also other events which you can hop over here to see what else Hol Mat has to offer: http://holidaymatsuri.com/2018-events/

Well, that’s about it that I will be covering in this Spotlight! There is so much to mention! I suggest getting your hotel room soon either at the World Center or the other two hotels I’ve mentioned because they will sell out. We will have coverage from this year’s convention and hoping to have some interviews for you this year. And if anyone’s new to the convention scene, my best buddy Vivi has been doing convention tips and will be doing it leading up to Holiday Matsuri which you can see right here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDdkJ2EOOQBqXXI8vnVwIIg And follow her because she will appreciate it!

I hope you enjoy this Convention Spotlight, I know it was a bit early but had to get it out since I am moving in November and who knows when I can post while unpacking everything and working too. So, hope to see you all at Holiday Matsuri 2018. The weekend before the move, we will be at Ranger Stop 2018 doing press! So yep, the end of this year is a busy one for us! So, until next time! Stay beautiful while traveling the universe!

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by moonleopard85 on October 30, 2018  •  Link  •  Permalink
Posted in anime, conventions, cosplay, Travel, Video Games, Voice Acting
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Posted by moonleopard85 on October 30, 2018

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2018/10/30/conventions-holiday-matsuri-2018/

Favorites: September & October 2018

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds traveling the vast universe! I am back with a new post and it’s my favorites!

September & October 2018 Favorites!

So, now it’s time for September and October! This year is going fast as I know it and I will be moving next month. I do have some favorites but first I want to start with my Ipsy for these past two months and what I thought about the items.

September: My bag for September had me try more items from other brands that I have tried recently and in the past which was very fun!

IBY Beauty Eye Shadow in Fire & Ice: This shadow was fun to use and was much pigmented. I found it easy to apply and blend onto my eyes. I hope to get more eye shadows in the future since they did give two new ones from this brand in this month’s bag but didn’t get either of them. I am glad to try a second item from these guys and I may purchase from them in the future since they do have pretty good products.
Trestique Mini Lip Glaze in Mumbai Magenta: I was glad to try something again from these guys since I have gotten samples from them before in Ipsy. This was a very nice and lightweight lip glaze for its size and it did stay on pretty well. I definitely recommend this as a product due to how easy and creamy it is and you can make it lighter with each pat with a tissue. I may purchase this shade a few others in the future. Definitely a nice little thing for my job.
Lord & Berry Line & Shade Pencil in Flash Purple: I am also glad to get these guys again since I haven’t gotten anything else from them in a long time. Even though I am still using my Sugar Cosmetics Purple Rain pencil it doesn’t mean I don’t mind another purple liner to have as backups. I also remembered when I first tried this brand was my very first Ipsy bag and it was the Kohl liner in black and that was creamy and lasted me for many months before it couldn’t sharpen anymore and knowing this will last me longer.
Eva NYC Satin Dream Leave In Cream: Another product from Eva NYC I got to try is a Satin Dream Leave In Cream which this did help my hair slightly but wishing it was a bigger sample size and it didn’t last me too long before it gave me nothing but air! I did love the smell and it did help with my hair like with another leave in product I have tried from them except that was through Boxy Charm. I may buy this when I’m done with a coconut oil conditioner because that one has been weighing my hair down but this doesn’t and also I can get it at Ulta by the way since they do sell this brand and you do get good sales on it.
Luxie Wonder Woman Detailed Blender 140: Finally, every Ipsy subscriber got this brush or the Harley Quin brush and I got this Wonder Woman brush. I did use this to put on concealer for my spots after color correcting but to me this would be better to use it for setting my under eyes since it did feel hard to get at my NYX Light Concealer from its jar. I do like how soft it is and very durable so it will be used for setting powder when I would pick this brush up again.

October: This month’s bag was a nice switch up in items because I felt that my profile was matched pretty well with some of the products.

Beautiniq Beauty Blush Serum in Sunrise: First is a blush serum which I never thought of trying. Cream blushes can be tricky to use which you can either go nuts or not go nuts after putting it on. I was worried after someone getting this item in their bag they said it looked a bit clown pink and decided to put a little on my tea tray and put it on my finger and apply by blending it slightly with my fingers and then with my brush to get it from being over the top. I did ask if it looked okay on what’s up in Make Up and they said I did really well in blending and it was a relief that I did what I did with that. I suggest just putting a little down on a tray or something and then do what I did by using the fingers to blend a little and then use the brush to blend it out more.
Make up Forever HD Liquid Foundation in Y225: This was a nice change for me since I never tried Make up Forever before. I mainly used it as an eye primer due to its size but it felt like it didn’t help my shadows stay put much due to how creamy it was. It did sting my eyes which I will never do again. I do love foundations and this was a great match since it didn’t oxidize on my hand it just looked less noticeable. If I get another foundation sample I may use it for what’s it’s intended for.
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream: Another brand I’ve never tried before and that’s First Aid Beauty. This cream was very moisturizing but it did tingle a lot after using my Clearasil facial pads since of course I was dealing with salicylic acid and this had shea butter as an ingredient. Not sure if I will get a full size but it did help some for my back while my face it did raise some hidden marks and did shrink one slight zit to a white head. I am still taking care of that. Also this sample did run out a week after using this which was kind of sad.
Sugar Cosmetics It’s Apout Time Lipstick in Better Call Salmon: I’m sad about this product because it broke the day after I got it! I did love this item for the shortest time I had it because it’s so pigmented, easy to build up, and the shade is just awesome! If Ipsy had this as a point item in their prizes shop I would so get this again! I hope to try more Sugar Cosmetics items because so far so good they are proving to be awesome with their stuff and I still love that eyeliner pencil from July!
Inc.redible You Glow Girl Jelly Highlighter in Cosmic Blur: The final item is something I have to keep my paws from grabbing it every single time I do my makeup and it’s this highlighter. This is the most pigmented and creamy highlighter I’ve ever tried since I started wearing highlighters myself. This is an easy to build up one and easy to blend into whatever blush you wear. This is very iridescent with purple and blue and it doesn’t feel like it’s changing to grey either. I’m stumped to why this is not in the Ipsy Shopper because I wanted to buy one of these and see what other shades were available in this line because I wouldn’t mind using a bronze gold or a pure gold, etc. I have to see if this brand has a website and hope to get more of it in Ipsy!

Verdict: October’s bag was better in my opinion because it was a nice change from the usual profile picks I’ve been getting. I got to try out First Aid Beauty and Make up Forever and a new item from Sugar Cosmetics on top of that. I also got to finally try out Beautiniq because of hearing how other people got their stuff in the past and the Inc.redible Highlighter is something I can’t get myself to not wear on a daily basis! Way to go October!

Returning Favorite: NYX Hydro Touch Face Primer! Okay, now into my favorites and starting with a returning one! I have gotten the NYX Hydro Touch Primer again because the Wet N Wild Dewey one runs out too quickly and the bad thing is that it has way too much air in the tube and not enough product that I can justify purchasing over and over again. I may have to get two of the Wet N Wild one if need be but getting the NYX one again is due to how much longer it lasts me than the Wet N Wild one and I love how it goes on smoothly and I would suggest buying it from the NYX official website or Ulta because they sell it cheaper at those places than Target. My dad noticed that it costs $17 to $18 at Target when it’s six to seven dollars cheaper at Ulta and I saw it go for $13 if I remembered on NYX which is kind of outrageous. I know NYX is kind of getting up there in price but it should not cost close to $20 at one store like Target when they are known for low prices on a lot of stuff. So, I will be getting it at either Ulta or NYX’s website or their store in town since we have two locations now!

New Favorite Eye Shadow Pallet: The Emily Edit Wants from Makeup Revolution: Yes, I got this one and that’s the Wants Pallet from Makeup Revolution! I’ve been a fan of Emily Noel for many years since I have seen her ads about her channel on YouTube. I love how honest she is with her trying on new things and reviewing items she picked up at Ulta, Target, WalMart and other places even online. When I heard that she was making pallets with Makeup Revolution I was really happy and that got me to getting The Wants. I did like the idea of the Needs but to me the Wants was more what got me to picking it up because it was all eye shadow and I could work better with that. And I was also happy to see they put a color guide on Ulta’s website that I did put into my pallet guide. This pallet is very versatile with shades ranging from your light mattes to deep mattes and some shimmers. This pallet is supposed to be buildable where when you place it on top of a primer it will be lighter than it is in the pan and you have to pack it on and blend it in order to get to the opacity you want it to be. Yes, I’ve seen two particular videos on this pallet that were controversial and from my observation I think it’s due to the eye primer someone was using and that the formulation was not working with it. Before I started using Soft Ocher, which is next on my list, I was still using my NYX White Base and had no issues applying the shadows after setting it. I did hear you don’t need to set your eye primer but I did it anyways due to how creamy the NYX Eye Base is and was able to create two looks which one had more of a maroon tone as my test and the other was a video look with the greens and the mocha brown called Capricorn and a bronze shade and those worked out great too and got so many comments on how well it matched with my eyes in the photos. I am using the shade today that was mentioned the most in the drama and that’s Apartment which is a very dark brown and it’s the second to last shade in the pallet. It didn’t feel patchy at all while putting it on because I did go in three times to get it to its pigment and all the reviews did say that you have to probably do that with some shades and that’s what I did with Apartment. Plus, I am using the last bit of a deluxe size of the Urban Decay Primer Potion I got when I picked up the Naked Basics pallet recently. I am agreeing with the other that Apartment is pretty pigmented in my book and you need to take the time to pack it on and blend and would say use a brush with this pallet because it does work out better with a brush than fingers. I know there is no right or wrong way with putting on shadows but usually it gives a different pay off between the two and depending on the pallet you use. To me brushes work better with application. I still love this pallet and I give props to Emily in creating it with a great brand, yes they have their hits and misses which a lot of brands do have those but this is a hit and I definitely recommend it.

New Favorite Eye Base: Soft Ocher from MAC! I finally got it and its Soft Ocher from the Paint Pot line at MAC. I was meaning to get this little thing for a while and finally got it and using it. This one lies a buildable paint pot because I tried it with a brush and it wasn’t working so I am using my fingers for it because this does need more than one coating while applying it to the eyes. One thing I do like about this product is that it does stay put once applied and doesn’t bother my eyes after application. I will be trying this out with the Emily Edit to see how well the shadows work on that since I did mention primer formulation earlier. Do I like it more than Painterly? I think I like this as much as Painterly because not only it does stay put but it is very good at keeping shadows on all day. I will switch between the two as time goes on.

Favorite Item That I Had to Say Goodbye: Ulta Just In Case Set! Recently I had to get rid of the makeup in the Ulta Just In Case set because it was too old and the shadows were bothering my eyes. I’m glad to get rid sof the stuff because I can’t keep using something if it’s going to be like that and I’m glad for it being in a train case because I’m using it to keep the brushes I’m using in it, the tea tray and fan, and even my headbands in the bottom compartment. I even keep my eye primer and setting spray in this thing. I do love the sets that Ulta puts out with the train case because you can multi-purpose it after finishing the items inside.

Not So Fave: Wet N Wild Photo Focus Powder in Neutral Beige! I know I love the Photo Focus powder from Wet N Wild but this shade is too light for me and glad my fiancé caught it too today. Okay, someone told me that this would match me perfectly and it was a customer by the way and I was looking for Warm Beige which is my shade despite it being slightly darker. I had Neutral Beige in my hand and random stranger shows up and says it was perfect match. Unfortunately it’s not because my skin is light to medium. So, I had to get a new one in Warm Beige which basically, according to Gondras, I’m in between both this one and Warm Beige, what should I do? Mix them? Maybe I should ask. At least now not to listen to other customers for foundation and powder advice.

New Favorite Accessory: Galaxy Kitty Backpack from Hot Topic! Next is a favorite accessory and that’s my new Galaxy Kitty backpack I picked up on my birthday from Hot Topic! This thing is so adorable and it’s very spacious too! Also I can not only use it for carrying all my tech stuff but also any food items and water bottles, even has a water bottle net on the side so I can carry the one I’m drinking in it. Plus, there is a sleeve where I can slide my IPad, my Galaxy tablet into and even a laptop but who knows! I do have two other backpacks but had to pack them for the move and they are a Panic! At the Disco one and a Kiki’s Delivery Service one of the cat. Of course, I went cat crazy again! I will be using this backpack during Ranger Stop and other conventions.

TV Show I’ve Been Watching: Riverdale! So, all thanks to getting the Amazon Fire Stick for my to watching, I have NetFlix to watch on there and I’ve been watching a lot of Riverdale lately. This is pretty much what if the Archie comics went darker in a live-action show. As in, instead of the happy-go-lucky 1950’s themes it pretty much is set in our modern days and we do have the usual cast of characters like Archie, Jughead, Veronica, and Betty and we do have Josie & the Pussycats, and I heard Sabrina the Teenage Witch makes an appearance but haven’t gotten there yet. The series starts when a murder of Jason Blossom takes place during the summer and everyone in Riverdale is shocked since the Blossoms are the most important family due to being in the maple syrup business for many generations. The mystery behind his death takes many twists and turns with having Betty’s sister, Polly, to Jughead’s dad who is part of the Southside Serpents. Right now I’m at the point when who has been committing murders under a hood and they’re trying to catch the guy behind these murders. Very interesting! I do have to say is that I do give props to one of the Sprouse twins as Jughead which he does a really good job as after their Zack & Cody days. I will keep on watching!

Favorite Book: Wormwood Forest and the Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series! Two books I have finished loved during these two months and they are Wormwood Forest: A Natural History of Chernobyl and the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries! First with Wormwood Forest. One thing I love to study is the Chernobyl disaster that took place in 1986 in Ukraine and it shows despite nuclear energy being so clean it is also harmful to someone and can be dangerous if it escapes due to a leak. One of the books I read recently was Wormwood Forest which looked into the more nature parts around the disaster and how radiation affected the environment for the past eighteen years at the point the book was written which it stated at the end of it. I found it interesting that the chemicals went all over like one giant mushroom in a diagram and how some of it still around in the ground but some of it is decaying as years go on. Interesting part was when they mentioned the new Arch that was built to cover the Sarcophagus and how it was planned and having countries on a chart to pay for the project and it did get built and was completed a year ago. There are videos now where people still tour the towns surrounding the area, especially one guy went to one of the newer towns that was built for the refugees from Pripyat. Would I go to Chernobyl? Not sure if it’s on my bucket list due to my thyroid having issues since there are still contaminated areas but it’s good to learn about how nature thrived in this book, heck even horse ranches are out there, wild boars are out there, apparently in the last chapter or two bees were mentioned. It’s fascinating to learn about this disaster itself. And now onto Cupcake Bakery Mysteries, remembered how I went through days without internet? Well, decided to read some of the back logs of books on my Victor Reader Stream and this series was one of them. I wanted to read the latest book dying for Devil’s Food but was turned down due to it being Berkeley Publishing why do you hate me so much? This series was cute and it’s a mystery series about two bakers named Angie and Mel who run a cupcake bakery called Fairy Tale Cupcakes. The start of the series in Sprinkled with Murder deals with their best guy friend, Tate Harper, is engaged and he asks Mel and Angie to bake the cupcakes for his wedding to a famous fashion designer by the name of Christy. Mel agrees to make some samples that the fiancé asks for and drops them off for her to try out. After being called in to talk about the samples, Mel stumbles upon Christy’s dead body with a cupcake in hand. This series was very entertaining and had a lot of laughs! Even the start of book two, Buttercream Bump Off, we get to see their rival, Olivia Pucket, in a giant cupcake costume and causes her to cause a car accident. I couldn’t help but laugh at imagining a middle-aged woman dressed as a cupcake passing out fliers. A lot of things take place and now waiting for the latest to be on Bookshare because I can’t review it. Dar Berkeley, I hope you’re reading this but please let me review more books!

So, that is about it, unfortunately I don’t have any top songs for this bi-monthly favorites so I will be waiting for a months to see about favorite music to do a top five. It has been getting harder and busier for me since I’m going to be moving in November to start a new job to help me save up and get awesome new stuff to help the blog during the down time between conventions which by the way besides Ranger Stop we’re also doing Holiday Matsuri this year! Yay! Will be doing the Convention Spotlight sometime in November if I can since my move is on the 16th so will try and squeeze it in before Ranger Stop. So make sure you follow us on Twitter @ Nerdy Shique! Stay beautiful while traveling the universe!

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by moonleopard85 on October 25, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty, Books, Favorites, Television

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 25, 2018

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2018/10/25/favorites-september-october-2018/

Books: The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant Book 2 by. Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds traveling the vast universe! I am back with another book review for you all!

The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant #2 by. Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Disclaimer: This review is based on thoughts and opinions by the writer of this blog! Please respect the thoughts and opinions on this book unless Mr. Nice has my head. Mew!

What Is It About? In this stand alone, yes a standalone mystery, Michael Vanderhorst was always a lone wolf or maybe just a lone vampire? Who knows! Even though he is such a gentleman he is obsessed with the cutest, quirkiest, and a bad dressing librarian, Miriam. Even though no one has captured his heart in the four hundred years he has been alive and drinking blood it is the reason why he signed on to be her assistant.

There is one problem and that is she doesn’t know that vampires exist nor that she has broken one of their laws so Michael is ordered by the Vampire Council to tell her about their world or turn her into one of them except over his dead body.

Even though he wants the Council on his side, he has to go and find and kill five hundred vampires that are hard to locate and he has given up his sword. So with Miriam’s life on the line and his sword put away will he pick it up in order to save her or make her into one of them?

My Thoughts: Hmmm….I had to read this book twice in order to get what was going on. At least it did start off where Michael came to work after what had happened the week before and knowing what he has to do in order to either give Miriam the truth and hold back his feelings for her. Oh yeah, besides being a detective story you can tell he has it for her hard and you see it the most in the end.

The mystery did have its good quality by having the idea of him looking for the vampires that were missing and what he may suspect if Aspen and Jeremy were alive since the dust Michael saw at the end of the first book may not have been them or maybe the dust particles were them and someone is just covering their tracks and try to use Miriam as a scapegoat. What’s making it more interesting is how the library is getting looped more and more into it which does make us wonder is there something behind Miriam’s family and what her dad collecting all the books may have in common? I think it may be revealed either in the next book or later but I have a feeling that Miriam might be something other than human. I am not hoping werewolf despite the Twilight jokes in this one. By the way, Mimi, you meant Edward and Bella, right? Unless Mikey was just making a joke to make it wrong. Sorry for breaking the joke apart.

And of course, can’t forget is Mr. Nice! I loved how he has a bigger role in this one because he became more fun this time around. Last one was how he found the book Fanged Love and read it which made him more entertaining. Never thought a book would make a vampire become so chill. I couldn’t laugh out so loud during my second read since I was enjoying a pulled pork plate with a side of mac & cheese, a baked sweet potato and corn bread at Sonny’s despite how funny it was. You can tell by my smile that I was enjoying the interactions between Nice and Michael. I don’t know why but I was hearing Steve Blum with his Leeron voice from Gurren Lagan with a slight accent whenever Nice appeared. Besides books being a vampire’s weakness, I do like with these vampires that they do act a little human when it comes to certain foods which I should’ve pointed out with the first one. As in, their love for spicy food especially Michael when it comes to Indian cuisine. I love mild curry but really spicy tofu, yowza! I think my nose would beg to differ during my last allergy attack two years back. Also after drinking blood even over drink Michael was a bit bloated and acted like he ate too many burgers at Five Guys and needed to sleep it all off. I would too with the grease hating me. And of course! With coffee! He sure loves it and find it even more interesting with chocolate being kind of a vampire’s drug depending on its strength it can either kill or can be eaten, example with last book, Lula eating chocolate chip cookies. Hmmm, I wonder what a bag of Midnight Reverie squares from Ghirardelli would do to them unless the sundae version from the ice cream shoppe is more potent with the brownie at the bottom. I know it’s mean but it’s something that is in my head now!

Finally, my last thought, I think Mimi probably read either a Dead Pool comic or a Harley Quin comic because this book had major Fourth Wall showing! I think I have to add Michael Vanderhorst to the list of Awesome Fourth Wall Breakers after this book since we may be seeing more of it. I guess reading this book a second time did help me catch the jokes a lot more easily despite how the dark tones of the mystery being in this book. I think the comedy balances it out because yes we’re dealing with vampires breaking their own laws and have to figure out how and why and who is behind it and yet having the comedy of a vampire working with a librarian who is quirky and cute and having the funny reactions to what she’s doing or what she’s saying makes a very balanced story. I am hoping with the next one it keeps going with it since Mimi did a good job with this series so far and gives it a new twist on vampire stories. Yes, most vamps are supposed to be brooding, blood sucking a-holes that would swing a sword or gun except in this one you see vampire able to walk in the sun and not sparkling holding a coffee cup like a college student going to work to scare kids at story time. If I would, I would so cosplay as him! Not joking! I already have the fanged canines to go with it.

Rating: 5 Star Paw Prints Out of 5! I have to give this one a five because it continues the story very well and it gives a better spin on how Mimi does vampires in this one. Yes, I still love her vampires in Accidentally Yours except this one is more of a modern spin of vampire goes to work at a library. I still like his interactions with all the female characters, especially Lula since they have that brother sister relationship and it’s funnier how Lula can give off that annoying sister attitude towards Michael and it works since she understands that he wants to protect everyone after being put as a leader for two territories. The mystery still continues and seeing what we would see with the next one. It did leave off hanging so I can’t wait how the first scene will start out and knowing it’s with Miriam. Also, can’t wait for the new series Mimi has in store too after revealing it.

Well, that’s it for this book review! I will leave a link to this book so you can read it yourself if you’re still into vampire books as much as I am. Stay tuned for my September & October Favorites since I was in the middle of writing that post!
Librarian’s Vampire Assistant Book 2

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by moonleopard85 on October 24, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in Books, Reviews

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 24, 2018

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2018/10/24/books-the-librarians-vampire-assistant-book-2-by-mimi-jean-pamfiloff/

Accessibility & Beauty: Finding Ways of Making Beauty Accessible!

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds traveling the vast universe! I am back with a new post and something we haven’t thought of.

Ways to Make Beauty Accessible to the Blind!

I know it’s weird to see something like this but hear me out! I watch what’s up in Makeup and they had a story where Herbal Essences is now having something new starting next year and that’s placing special markings on their shampoo and conditioner bottles to help people with visual impairments. It’s hard for me being blind not being able to see a certain item on display or know what shampoo or conditioner I’m using since I tend to use rubber bands but they do break over time and having some things easy to tell what’s what can help and this is how! Brands, I hope you’re reading because you need to take notes!

Putting Special Markings: Like with Herbal essences where they are doing lines for shampoo and dots for conditioner, having that special symbol on your product can help give an idea of what someone is reaching for or what new item would be. Yes, we do use apps to help us out to use UPC scanners but once it’s in the shower or the packaging with the writing on it gets removed then it’s hard to tell. Having some kind of marking system can help give an idea of what it can be like having a star for serums, a circle for leave-in conditioners to expand on the dots aspect, and even have a triangle for dry shampoo on the cap to tell apart from hair spray if those had squares on them. Having this kind of marking system can be beneficial to someone with a visual impairment. Another thing that can be helpful…
Having Braille Imprinted: Besides getting special markings, Braille can also help. When I posted about doing this post on what’s up in Makeup, someone on the group talked about how she ordered a skin product from Brazil and there was Braille imprinted on the packaging. It also calls back to how a salon helped blind women in Sao Paolo by putting Braille dots on the compacts and brushes which this can be something that can help in making beauty accessible. Having the imprinting not only helps but it’s better than having Braille tape to tell you the truth. It feels like nowadays Braille labeling tape is not holding its tackiness like it had been when I first learned, I even asked on my Facebook if anyone else faces this and they do. Having an imprint can help us with knowing what the product is in our hands, what color it is with foundations, lip colors especially where that packaging can be very slippery for a Braille label to stay on and having it on brushes can also help in knowing what kind of brush it is and what it’s used for if it has abbreviations like fnd for foundation or pow for powder for example. The possibilities with imprinting Braille is endless and or anyone who may think its dead it’s actually not. Braille has come a long way since the 1800s where we have Android tech in the note takers.
Having Raised Print On Brushes: What about the people who can’t read Braille? Here’s a nice tip. Some brands tend to have engravings on their products for holiday time and instead of engraving why not raise it? Having raised print on a brush either on the feral or close to the bottom or right on the flat bottoms of some brands’ brushes can give an easier way of identifying the brush. Another thing for brushes…
Creating Different Grooves in the Handles for the Series: Since I talked about Braille and raised print, there is one more thing I have noticed that some brush brands place on their hands and that is a grip like groove on the handle. As you know I am subscribed to Ipsy and there were two brushes in the past I have received that had grooves to act like pencil grips. I know there aren’t really any pencil grips for brushes because they tend to make brushes with a plastic part that is the grip and I got paint brushes with that bit and why not extend it to makeup brushes? I thought the grooves would be easier because they can be carved out as the brush is being made. Plus, it can be changed from big too small or even make it into different groove shapes by making them smaller or wider, etc. I figured this would help since brands love to have different series for their brushes from Pro Series down to the Metal Series and so on and some of these brands include Royal & Langnickle, Morphe, Real Techniques, Luxie, and so many more. Creating that groove can help to tell apart that brush or maybe do what I mentioned…
Creating Plastic Grips For Brushes: I did mention how paint brushes have them for one brand why not keep it going for makeup brushes? Adding on a swirly type grip for one series and a different form of a plastic grip for another can distinguish what that brush is and what series it is. Like with the grooves idea, make sure there is a key or a part of the description on the product page talking about which grip is for what series of that brush it’s from because it can help with difference and knowing the brush to get again too. Unless you make your brushes last by keeping them clean like I do. Still, it does help.
Increase Print Size: Okay, I talked about imprinting, markings, and even how to make brushes accessible, now onto people who need large print. Sorry brands, your print is too tiny even for someone who has pretty good sight. Enlarging the print for people who need it and some people who have a hard time reading it anyway can help out. I know the different cosmetics aren’t as big but just having a small enlarged print can be easily seen whether on the bottom or do it horizontal on the packaging like a lip gloss so it can be turned on its side to view the shade better even a lipstick too. With foundations and powders, it can be easily enlarged with the real estate that a lot of packaging has on the top. Yes people need to see the brand but that it’s usually enlarged anyways and the print for product is smaller and that can be a bit tedious to see so why not add a bit more size to the printing to make it easier on the eyes.

That’s it for this post! There may be more ideas to improve on beauty but these are some ideas I came up with even after watching the latest what’s up in Makeup! I hope more things come up in make beauty products more accessible for people with visual impairments. Not only books have been accessible, newspapers too, now beauty products are starting and hoping to continue here in the states!

What’s next on here? Will be doing a review on the latest book by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and of course my September and October Favorites for this year and of course Ranger Stop is almost here! So, stay tuned to our Twitter @ Nerdy Shique for any new updates! So, until next time! Stay beautiful while traveling the universe!

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by moonleopard85 on October 23, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in Accessibility, beauty, Blindness

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 23, 2018

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2018/10/23/accessibility-beauty-finding-ways-of-making-beauty-accessible/

Beauty: Ipsy October 2018

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds traveling all over the universe! Welcome back to another post! Guess what I got in the mail?

Ipsy October 2018!

I finally got it in the mail! Originally my tracking said October 13th that it was supposed to get here and normally I get it on the estimated date of arrival but it came today. I think it’s not only due to Hurricane Michael but Orlando’s main USPS office is not open weekends. I was excited for this month because they changed up some items from my usual lot and it made it interesting.

The bag for this month fits very well for it being Halloween which is an embossed domino mask with flowers! I feel like it reminds me of Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon.

Beautiniq Beauty Blush Serum in Sun Rise: First is something interesting me never thought I would get or even try and that is a blush serum from Beautiniq Beauty. I think I remembered this brand showing up in a lot of people’s Glam Bags in the past and never got it. I was curious about them and glad to try them and this is something new to me. I never heard of a blush serum until now and apparently it’s a water based serum that can built up. It contains Vitamin E and Apricot Seed Oil. Perfect for my dry skin but I did see someone test theirs and it was a clown type blush according to her. I understand with cream blushes you have to be careful, even in stick form for instance, you can put a bit much. I have to try this out and see how it goes. I may have to put a little bit on my tea tray or a small dip bowl to try and apply it that way rather than squeeze too much on my hand. So glad they do help in telling the shade on the website because the tube doesn’t have it printed. If you didn’t get Sunrise which is a pink, like I did, you can get Sunset which is a coral shade.
Makeup Forever Ultra HD Liquid Foundation in Y225: Now, if I hadn’t put on makeup then I would’ve worn this or used it as something else. Plus, this is the item I was super excited about and that is the Makeup Forever Ultra HD Liquid Foundation and the shade I was sent was Y225. I never tried Makeup Forever and it’s great to get higher end brands you never tried before in a subscription like this, how else did I try Ofra and other brands? Anyways, people either got R230, which is Ivory, Y225, Marble, or Y335, Dark. I know some people on YouTube got this foundation and I have a feeling this shade is a medium shade even though I’m light to medium in the foundation spectrum. Trust me, it was hard finding a bottle of Buff Bisque this time from Wet N Wild. Let’s see the claims for anyone new to this brand like I am. This foundation is supposed to be natural and evens out the skin without being cakey or heavy. This is medium to full coverage and easy to build up and keep it light. It also supposed to be dewy too. Just swatched on my hand so I would test oxidation since most foundations because some do do that and it happened to me with L’Oréal.
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream: Yay for more skin care and it’s from a brand I heard of but never tried! I’ve heard of First Aid Beauty in so many videos on YouTube and haven’t heard much of them again. Apparently, this is a brand meant for people with sensitive skin which I’m all aboard for. I’m glad to finally try this brand with their Ultra Repair Cream which is you can use this product from head to toe and it’s easy to absorb without that greasy feeling. You can use it both day and night which I would try tonight and before makeup. This moisturizer contains soothing ingredients like shea butter, licorice root, and white tea which are great for sensitive skin which caught my ear when I found out this is in my bag. This cream also can be used on kids since their skin can be sensitive and can also be used on exima proned skin. I will see how this goes because I love skin care meant for my skin type and ever since I got into it I have to be careful with most items with certain ingredients.
Sugar Cosmetics its Apout Time in Better Call Salmon: Yay! Another Sugar Cosmetics product and it’s a lipstick and it’s tiny! As you know, I did like the first thing I got from these guys which was the gel liner pencil in Purple Rain. This is a lipstick which is creamy and moisturizing and matte, it’s also highly pigmented and very buildable which I do love to build up my lip colors, and supposed to be long lasting which will be put to the test. This shade, Better Call Salmon, is a rosy mauve shade that is a shade that is like your lips but better. I can’t wait to try this because I do love lip colors by brands I have tried before or never tried before and hoping to get more of. Maybe I should use this during my week long tech training since its matte.
Inc. Readible You Glow Girl Jelly Highlight in Cosmic Blur: Final item is is a jelly highlight from Inc. Readible which is an interesting looking way of a makeup brand. When I saw that I was getting this product I was like, “Finally! A highlighter!” Even though it’s not powder, I thought it would be interesting since it’s a jelly consistency. This is supposed to be a soft and buildable formula that you can pack on as much you want. This is a ultraviolet color with blue flecks and it can be used on your brows, eyes, cheeks, and lips to add more glow. This is very creamy and slippery for what it is. It does meet its claims with that. I can’t wait to try this on my look.

This month’s bag was a nice change from what I’ve been getting. I get to try Makeup Forever which is a first since I have good things about their products and hoping to not have any oxidation on my hand, if it happens then eye primer it goes! I also get to try Beautiniq, Ic. Readible, and First Aid Beauty, which I heard good things about these guys and will have to see how well their moisturizer works on me. And glad to try another item from Sugar Cosmetics which this will be fun to try out their lip stuff. A pretty good bag and a nice change! I can’t wait to see what November brings and well have to change my address next month due to moving out.

That is it for this Ipsy bag and will see how the products work. I know it came slightly later than usual but hey still enjoyed it! What’s next? Well, looks like September and October Favorites! Until next time!

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by moonleopard85 on October 15, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty
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Posted by moonleopard85 on October 15, 2018

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2018/10/15/beauty-ipsy-october-2018/

Accessibility: How Nerd Conventions Can Be Accessible!

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back! I am back with another post and this time it does deal with blindness and accessibility and my convention world.

How Nerd Conventions Can Can Be Accessible to the Blind

As you guys know and might have read The Blind Perspective: Convention Stories from the Dark, I’ve been an anime or more like a nerd convention goer since 2004 if you count a day at JACON but didn’t really start going until the year after while being with THEE X at the time. I have had many stories from my being an attendee with some sight and when I lost my sight it became a new outlook and perspective in going to these events. As years have gone, I have noticed things about the nerd conventions and that is some accessibility issues. I have posted an idea over on the Holiday Matsuri Facebook Group and decided why not expand it to here since I do write blindness related topics and Accessibility has been a huge topic being thrown around and I felt like why not show what I think should make a convention more accessible to the blind.

Town Criers Yelling Out Different Areas: This year I went to the National Federation of the Blind National Convention and while attending I heard people calling out where different areas are like where Registration was, where the General Sessions were and so on and it did help out because it told us as blind people where to go. I posted this exact idea on the Holiday Matsuri Group which got a lot of good responses because some conventions are held at very big locations like MegaCon at the Orange County Convention Center and Holiday Matsuri at the World Center Marriot. Another example, DragonCon in Atlanta spans over five hotels and knowing those are also huge in their convention center area. Reason for posting this besides getting the idea from the NFB Convention was that last year I had a hard time finding the Main Events room and I asked people and they pointed and said, “Over there!” As a blind person you don’t know what “Over there” is and I will touch on that even more next. Having people call out the areas like “Panels Over here to your right” or “Main events down this way!” It will help out because it not only shows its location but helps with going in the right direction. If it happened last year and heard, “Main Events down this way!” I would know just to head straight and then ask the person calling it to make sure and they said, “Just head straight.” Because there were times where I heard people ask the people for a double check and they answered the question.
Volunteers Being Sighted Guides: Touching more on the “It’s Over There!” Someone did post that they had a similar situation with a staff member where the person was pointing and tried to tell the staff member that they can’t see pointed fingers and didn’t do more about it. This is where the idea of having a sighted guide volunteer comes in. Conventions have asked for a lot of volunteers over the years and they do get tons over time, heck I have volunteered myself at JACON when it was alive and MegaCon twice before doing press. Having extra volunteers on hand can help anyone who may need the sighted guide help in getting to a particular area of the hotel or the convention itself? For instance, Omni Fandom Expo Year 1 I had a volunteer help me to get around since Omni was also at the World Center and it was hard to navigate when my mobility skills were rusty at the time. She helped me out getting to some of the signing tables and even to the bathroom which was great. Yeah it took around twenty minutes as a guesstimate but it did help out in a way. Having the volunteers able to do this can help someone who may be lost or can’t find the room if they couldn’t hear the person yelling or someone on a speaker system, trust me it was hard to hear the speakers in the MegaCon Vendor Room back in the past. What about getting to know about sighted guide if you’re a staff member reading this? Proper sighted guide is where the person offers the elbow or arm and the blind person grabs on not the other way around. A newer technique is also grabbing above the elbow like a cup to make it more comfortable. And another thing is, during volunteer meetings try asking the volunteer meetings if they can be able to guide anyone to certain areas such as bathrooms, panel rooms, even the doors for any ride pickups that a person need help with. In the end, volunteers are there to help and should help even further.
Having Convention Guides As Accessible Material: One thing that makes a convention exciting is the convention guide that tells you about guests, events, and the hours of the vendor room and gaming room but issue is not being able to read it and seeing the pretty pictures. Having an accessible digital version of the convention guide can help! I remembered having the full on Convention Guide for the NFB Convention on my Braille Sense Polaris as one huge Word Document. Did it help? Yes! It did tell me what events are at what time and where to go and the times for the Independence Market too each day. Whether it’s in PDF format or a Word Document, having the convention guide in one of these formats minus the photos can be something very easily accessed even placed onto a device that is portable like a phone with Google Docs for example or like I said above, my Braille Sense Polaris so I can read it in Braille. Which brings me to another point.
Placing Braille Index Cards with Room Names on Cardboard Signs: Yes, another point I found is that on easels placed around most conventions there are signs showing what room it is and/or just the panels being in that room. Since I mentioned the accessible document for Convention Guides, having an index card with the panel room number and the actual room’s name can be easier than just guessing or getting the rooms mixed up. There may be a volunteer at the door or not but after double checking the schedule for a specific event or seeing if you’re at the vendor room by finding the card on the easel can tell that you’re in the right place. Plus index cards aren’t that expensive but getting them made best to look into a Braille printing service or know someone who’s blind that can do it.
Having Music Zones: Someone posted this as a comment on my idea why not music in certain areas play. It would be a nice idea but it can get a little louder and a little bit mixed up because I admit I have that happen sometimes but if the music is more subtle and I walk towards the door and hear “Jingle Bells’ on a small speaker for Registration or a video game song like “Casino Night Zone” for the gaming room for example then I know where I am. Having that subtle speaker next to the door can help with what room you’re about to walk in. Even MegaCon had some subtle background music during the more main panels like the Mass Effect panel and the Flash panel if I remember. Yeah, I noticed with my hearing, it shows that music shouldn’t be so loud to scream over nor too low to hear it has to be just right.

Well, that’s about it for this post. Hoping for anyone that is on staff for a convention reads this and can pass it along because as a nerd I and how big accessibility is becoming it gives more inclusivity. For instance, movie theaters having the audio description option for movies and how Audible is having more audiobooks in their library for people. Heck, back to the accessible document, I helped with making Nemecene being more accessible if you haven’t read the review for the first book. All in all, more places are getting more accessible and now nerd conventions should join in since there are more blind people getting into a lot of these things.

So, what is next for Nerdy Shique Universe? I’m still reading the Alex Verus novels, still on Veiled and hoping to keep on reading. I know the Ipsy October bag will be here and once it arrives I will post about it. So, make sure you follow us on Twitter and stay beautiful while traveling the universe!

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by moonleopard85 on October 1, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in Accessibility, anime, Blindness, Braille, comics, conventions, Personal Experience

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 1, 2018

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2018/10/01/accessibility-how-nerd-conventions-can-be-accessible/