All posts for the month January, 2019

Interviews: Jennifer Hale Interview from Holiday Matsuri 2018!

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast universe! I am back and this time it’s with another interview!

Jennifer Hale Interview from Holiday Matsuri 2018!

Now it’s time for the other interview! We finally got to interview Jennifer Hale at Holiday Matsuri since we wanted to do it before. We wanted to do it during MegaCon Orlando 2017 except they said no to it. As you know our logo you see over on our Twitter and YouTube was inspired by the Mass Effect games and not only that Jennifer has voiced Sam on the series Totally Spies which you can still watch the Reunion video from MegaCon 2017 on our channel as well. I was super excited about this even if my cane did break during the con and getting to sit down with her felt like you were sitting down with a great friend not just interviewing a great voice actress. If you haven’t seen the second Wreck It Ralph movie, I would suggest it and try to catch anything else she has been in.

Well, that is it for our interviews from Holiday Matsuri. Again sorry about Zach Callison since we didn’t get to have that interview but will see if we can catch him at another con we will do press at or probably over Skype.

What is next? Well, we are having something new starting on the channel so stay tuned for that! Definitely have February stuff coming up so stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on January 26, 2019  •  Video  •  Permalink
Posted in Cartoons, conventions, Gaming, Interviews, Travel, Video Games

Posted by moonleopard85 on January 26, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/01/26/interviews-jennifer-hale-interview-from-holiday-matsuri-2018/

Beauty: Ipsy January 2019!

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back! Sorry for keeping you guys waiting on everything, I was sick with a sinus infection and my Ipsy didn’t arrive until today so let’s get to it!

Ipsy January 2019!

A new year has arrived for Ipsy and I am so excited since I did get back into this subscription last July. I am glad to see what 2019 brings to Ipsy since this month is not a bad bag with what they chose for me. I did change my profile again this month for next month to include sheet masks since it looks like all thanks to the Tachia ones from Boxy I am interested in them. I will also be planning to do a skin care shopping run to Ulta since I hear good things about Tony Moley and other brands of masks. Let’s see how this bag goes!

Ella Eden Eye Shadow in Willow: First up is an eye shadow from the brand Ella Eden. This is a pressed shadow and it is supposed to be much pigmented, easy to blend, and fade proof for hours on end. Ipsy subscribers who get this would either get Willow which is a burgundy color or Julia which is a fawn matte color. I got Willow and was hoping to get this one because of how I have gotten some burgundy outfits in my professional clothing lately. I will have to test this shadow out when I go back to work tomorrow and it’s pretty decent sized for what I got in this bag since I don’t go through an eye shadow pretty easily from Ipsy when I first get it. It’s hard to pan a shadow sometimes. I will see how it goes. I also got a brush set from this brand through their Ipsy Offers page so I will see how those work out too which a good thing about being in the subscription you can try out other products by the brands they include on their Offers and Shopper pages by buying through there and glad to see what else they have. I will see how the brushes turn out when I get them.
Hempz Ultra Nourishing Herbal Lip Balm: Another lip balm product and it’s pretty full-size when I got it. I never heard of Hempz before until I got this item. Good thing is that it squeezes out more easily than the lip balm I got last month. This is made with all natural hemp seed oil which is very interesting and I have heard about the benefits of this oil too. It is also paraben free, THC free, and also cruelty-free which is good for anyone on that side. I will see how it works with me as time goes on since when I first put it on when I got back from the mailbox I noticed it was a sunscreen like oil with the scent. I did try my Mana Kadar lip gloss on top of it and it went on a lot better than on top of my Lip Smackers lip balm since the Mana Kadar lip gloss from the Lip Glossary I got recently are a bit of a drier formula than I am used to. I will see how this little lip balm goes since I do love trying out new brands of lip balm from Ipsy.
Color Club Nail Polish in Williamsburg: I have missed receiving nail polish in Ipsy and glad to get one in this month’s bag. I have heard of Color Club here and there and glad to see how this brand is like. This brand is founded by women and was created in New York which this makes it better since it comes from an American company. People either got Feverish which is a deep, vampy red which I wouldn’t have minded one bit since I do go through the phase of red nails time to time but the shade I got which you sometimes see me wear in person the most is blue and I got the polish in Williamsburg which is a shimmery, navy blue color! Blue nail polish was always the shade I wore even if my mom complained about me having too much of it in my collection. I am known as Mari Blue Cat after all. Anyways, I can’t wait to see how this formula comes out on my nails since some of the polishes I have gotten in the past from either Ipsy or Boxy is that they chip by the next day and I hope that doesn’t happen with this one either. I did pick up a nail set from Space Case Cosmetics through Ipsy because it did feature a navy blue in that and can’t wait to try out their nail polishes either which I am painting my nails in Merman Tears.
Illamasqua Coloring Pencil in Honor: Next is from a brand I hardly hear much about anymore and it’s Illamasqua except on Beauty News. This is an eyeliner pencil that is a nude color, I heard it’s a dark brown but I will have to see how it goes. It says I can use it as a soft color for the office or go bold for a night out. I am so glad that I got a nude eye pencil since it is so hard to find a good nude eye pencil anymore. I used the Maybelline one which made my eyes water and the pencil didn’t sharpen as much, whenever I put it through my Revlon sharpener it always broke with a new lead. So, I will see how this works out and I am hoping to get more nude liners from Ipsy or Boxy because they do have the other colors which is nice and all but we need a nude pencil time to time.
The Balm Alternative Rock Blush Vol. 2 in Bare Minimum: I love getting to try out more stuff by The Balm and this time it’s a blush! Except it looks like more of an eye shadow sample which I wish it was full-size with the face products in my opinion. I am happy to try this product out if I can fit a blush brush into this thing. It claims that this is a triple milled product that is never streaky and it is a matte peach blush to help with the glow from within to be brought out. I think I should try this out tomorrow as well and see how it goes. I do love getting blushes in Ipsy and I hope they keep going with offering them.

I forgot to mention my extras this month since I did get two full size ones and one deluxe! The deluxe is a Naked Cosmetics pigment if I remembered correctly. I wanted to try this brand for the longest time and never got an item from them in my Ipsy bag. I was tempted to get one of the pigment sets a while back though. I did get the highlighter pallet which features six colors in that which I wished it was in an envelope not a big box because it was so small and waste of cardboard in my opinion. I have to see what this pigment is all about. I did get the Ofra highlight in Rodeo Drive! When I saw this offered I knew I had to snatch it up because I heard so many good things about this highlight! I do have a pan of Blissful which is their rose gold shade in their holiday set that they made as an Ulta exclusive two years ago and I love it! Now I have Rodeo Drive and this highlight was in the Boxy Lux from what I heard which is interesting. Well, Ofra does get given out in both subscriptions so I wouldn’t be surprised after getting Havana Nights in my Boxy this month. And the other item was something I wanted to get in the Ipsy Shopper a month back but it disappeared until it was in the extras area this month and that is the Colour Pop Holiday 2017 Pallet! I know it sounds weird to hear that Ipsy offered a pallet from the past but when I saw the All I See Is Magic Pallet pop up on the Shopper page last month I wanted to pick it up with the shades in it which makes it an interesting pallet. I do love the pressed shadow formula that they have released and this is a pallet that features fifteen shades in it. I have to find a color description list to add to my big Word Document since I am so glad to finally get this after it vanished on the Ipsy website. I should try it with one of my videos maybe a Makeup Story Time or something, let’s see since I am waiting on a new vanity stool because mine broke out of nowhere.

Well, that’s it for this month’s Ipsy! Glad to get another Balm product since I do like their stuff! Also, glad to get another nail polish since it’s been forever that I got any nail polishes and trust me seeing the gorgeous shades they give out makes I wish they could have included them when I do love nail polish. I will see how this goes. I can’t wait to see what February brings since you know Valentine’s Day with nights out and sometimes pampering oneself does help and hoping with adding on sheet masks would give me new skin care to look forward to. Also, did mention wash off masks too since I do like the ones from Lush and seeing how those would go too.

That is it for this post! I will get up the Jennifer Hale interview up for you guys, I know it’s been hectic with me being sick and out of work, plus Gondras couldn’t post the last few videos from Matsuri yet which I need to get him on that since Omni Fandom Expo will be here soon and I got to do the Convention Spotlight on that. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @ Nerdy Shique for everything coming up! Until next time! Stay beautiful while traveling the vast universe!

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by moonleopard85 on January 24, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty

Posted by moonleopard85 on January 24, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/01/24/beauty-ipsy-january-2019/

Interviews: Brittney Karbowski at Holiday Matsuri 2018!

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast universe! I am back with another Holiday Matsuri post!

Brittney Karbowski Interview!

I know it was a long wait but due to work and the holidays I was very busy plus doing other posts that were also in line for the last few days of 2018. Well, now I am back to post the first interview and that is with Brittney Karbowski.

Years ago, when we first started doing press, we interviewed Brittney but had to transcribe it from a 3DS at the time since the video quality was not that great. It was a nice sit down for our first time doing press especially when she was our first voice actress we got to interview. Now that we have been doing video interviews since MythiCon 2014 and it has become a huge success for us, we got to do it again with Brittney and made sense too since she has gotten more voice acting done between 2013 and now, even with the release The Time I Was Reincarnated Into A Slime which is an anime all about RPGs! We highly recommend! I hope you enjoy what we got to ask her in this interview this time around and yes I am dressed as L this time. Last time I was my original Soul Eater character and don’t worry I have more cosplay ideas to come. Right now interview comes first!

So, that is it for this interview! Next up is our interview with Jennifer Hale which we were really excited about that! Hoping to get my Ipsy soon and we still have two event videos from Hol Mat to post too so stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on January 20, 2019  •  Video  •  Permalink
Posted in anime, conventions, Interviews, Travel

Posted by moonleopard85 on January 20, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/01/20/interviews-brittney-karbowski-at-holiday-matsuri-2018/

Beauty: BoxyCharm January 2019!

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds traveling the vast universe! I am back with something that has been forever that I’ve haven’t gotten!

Boxy Charm January 2019!

Yes! It’s back! My Boxy Charm is back! Like with Ipsy I had to unsubscribe due to how my parents thought it was me doing the draining of someone’s account. I am glad that I have to worry about my own account and now I’m working so I finally got it back. I have heard so many good things coming into Boxy Charm that I had to get it back. Like always it’s $21.00 a month except Florida gets taxed so we pay $22.00 instead. It is worth it since this tends to have four to five full-size high end to luxury products in this box unlike Ipsy having more deluxe sized items and they are a mix of prestige, drugstore, indie, and luxury. Plus, now they change up box contents to make it more unique, even though it did happen sometimes in the past when I was with them. Let’s see what I got!

Brioggio Leave-In Conditioner Spray: First is a hair product and it’s by Brioggio! I never tried this brand, even though I have gotten the hair mask that was very famous by these guys except I gave that to my mom. I have heard good things about this brand and when I found out about this leave-in being in the box, I was kind of curious. My hair tends to become a frizzy mess and this can help with that even after I wash my hair every Sunday and have been using one with coconut oil so this will be even more fun since it has both Argon and coconut oils along with B-Vitamins. Hope it works out!
Tacha Nourishing Sheet Masks: I have tried a sheet mask when I used to be subscribed to this box years ago but it was so slimy that I mentioned that it was like Nickelodeon made a face mask when I reviewed it and it’s still on their website by the way, Boxy’s I mean. Now I got two of these at a $24 value because they included two instead of one and they cost $12 each. I am wearing one right now since I am writing the rest of this post on a Saturday due to being exhausted from a long week. So far so good it is not as slimy as the other one. I heard good things about this brand and how they use more of food ingredients in their stuff and these masks are supposed to include rice germ oil, botanical oils, and vitamins and major absorption for the skin. I find it smelling good too. If these masks go well, I think I will get another brand of masks as a dupe since my skin is sensitive and maybe other brands are available for sensitive skin. It would help me out with my dry skin due to how the weather can go from hot to cold here on the coast.

Added Note! I just finished using the mask and rubbed in the oils and man it feels nice and cooling! I did say it was not as bad as the last one I tried.
Ofra Everlasting Lipstick: Another Ofra product and is another Everlasting Liquid Lipstick! I got into these through an Ipsy offer many moons ago and glad to get them in Boxy since I love the formula and I find them WAY better than a Brand-That-Has-Super-Dry-Ones! In Boxy this month, you were going to either get a Bite lipstick which I wished I gotten instead because I wanted to try more of their stuff, Smith & Colt or Ofra. I think most people got Ofra’s liquid lipstick more than the other two which is interesting for a box that offers other choices. I am not mad, I think the shade everyone has gotten so far is Havana Nights which is the color Kathleen Lights created with Ofra since the brand is originally from Miami and they asked to collaborate with them years ago. I was meaning to try this color out for a long time and even happier to get it finally!
Star Looks Mechanical Eyeliner: Next is another product that has different variations is that this month you either got an eyeliner from Star Looks or a brow pencil from Billion Dollar Brows and I was glad to get the eye pencil. I remembered in the past I have tried Star Looks’ eye pencils and enjoyed them and was happy to see a new one in the box this month. I have one eye pencil in black already open so I will put this with the other many eye pencils I have.
Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume 3 Pallet: Final item in the box is a Tarte eye shadow pallet from their Rainforest of the Sea collection and this is the Volume 3 pallet from that range. I rarely buy from Tarte, the only things I have were the Grav3yard Girl pallet and the set of four blushes they did for holiday and afterwards never bought from them again due to how I wasn’t that interested in them due to not having that many interesting products. I did hear the Clay Play 2 pallet is great but doesn’t catch my eye. Plus the holiday collection they did with the tropical theme didn’t even catch my eye because it felt out of season. Not sure if this pallet will get me interested in them again but it is pretty cute pallet from what I am noticing. It has eight shadows with seven micro shimmers and one matte which kind of screams Urban Decay since the Naked pallets have a lot of shades with micro shimmer and at least the rest matte, even the Elements pallet have two or three mattes and rest were metallic and shimmery. I am still going to try this pallet out and see how it goes. It is something nice to try after knowing that Boxy always has at least one type of pallet in their box every month now.

That is it for this post and not bad of a return either! I am glad to start getting this box again after not being with it for three years since with Ipsy it has been two. One thing I do have to say is with makeup even if you have a big or small collection, don’t let people get you down about it. To me with my own stuff I see it as a new creative outlet due to being blind and not being able to draw again. Plus, it’s fun even with these subscriptions you get to try brands you never heard of or try their newer products and even see what’s new with them. So, just enjoy it! I can’t wait to see what February holds despite it probably having the Too Faced Better than Sex mascara from what I heard but I can’t wait to see what else may be contained in the box. I hope it is something for a Valentine’s Day night out which would make sense for the box since a lot of men and women love to make themselves look extra pretty for the big night. Let’s see what it holds!

That is it for this post! Stay tuned for more things to come! I will be having my Ipsy soon hopefully since I want to see what nail polish and shadow I will be receiving! Until next time!

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by moonleopard85 on January 12, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty

Posted by moonleopard85 on January 12, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/01/12/beauty-boxycharm-january-2019/

Technology: ESight

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds traveling the vast universe! I am back with another Assistive Tech Post!

ESight

I bet you’re wondering, “What is ESight?” Well, it is a pair of glasses that has a camera that is attached to them and what it does it tries to give someone who has lost some sight regain some of it back to be able to see in front of them again. This was developed in Canada a few years back and well Momma Gondras saw it on Rachael Ray and saw someone was able to see with these glasses and they were talking about how it worked for them. I have met people that has tried these glasses out and one person it didn’t work out for them while the other it did. Reason why I am writing about it here is because I tried them today.

How I Got Onto the List? Well, like most places there is a waiting list for this thing due to how long of a list to demo these glasses can be a high demand. I want to tell you a little bit about my past before I got onto this list.

When I got diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, I wanted to find ways of seeing again since I was an artist and well you know makeup has been a new creative outlook for me and still wanted to find ways of seeing again and able to draw again. Not only that drive too since my dream car is still a VW Beetle in blue, either the old Herby model or the newer ones since I am not picky. Anyways, I always saw an eye specialist in Miami and he was helping me with research in getting something to help me see again but as time went on my hopes kind of stalled out since I was getting comfortable with my visual impairment even before getting my job as an Adaptive Tech Instructor. That was when Momma Gondras came in last year and it was during Irma hitting. I told her my plans in being a tech instructor since it is a field that they need more people in and volunteering at the middle school I used to go to was helping me get over some hurdles that I have noticed during my work experience and she was asking me about job related stuff and it was hard for me to answer to tell you truth. Heck, I wanted to go back to school even for my Grad Certificate for Adaptive Tech. After that, I learned that I shouldn’t share my dreams with the future-in-law if they don’t share the same ideas or aspirations as you. Apparently, there were things and said and done which was that Gondras put me on the waiting list for ESight. I was surprised by that because I wasn’t expecting it due to how skeptical we felt about it and will get to that.
Why Were We Skeptical? Now! I and Gondras were skeptical about this device because we didn’t get that much information through the website and that is why I don’t feel like posting the link, best to Google search for yourself. Most websites that talk about tech items do talk about the specs of the item, what it is exactly and so on. For example, I will use Apple for this. For a lot of their products they talk about how big their Mac Books or even their IPads, heck the newer IPhones with the height and width, what the camera is like, Siri of course, and the latest I OS that will be coming with the device and what else can be done with that particular product. With the ESight website, on the other hand, the information is repetitive, not too much to talk about even with pricing, and doesn’t give success stories if it has worked for a lot of people.

What even has me more worrisome is that it lists off different eye conditions that it can help but the issue is that people have different types of an eye condition and the degree of sight can change over time, which I will tell my experience with this device next due to my degree of vision. Plus, an eye condition can take place at any time in life, like me with getting my condition in high school for example and going blind at twenty-three. Not only have that, depending on the amount of sighted loss it can be tough to regain which I will tell you my experience now!

My Experience with These Glasses! Trust me, I was really not looking forward to this demo since I did take the day to do it due to how bad traffic can get between Daytona and Orlando, especially the part of town it was taking place. I felt a bit off with the address first, but let me start with the call though. I was working on my Chrome Book when I got the call and the person was very friendly and told me that he was from ESight and explained things that looking back at the website now was not mentioned there. A little red flag right there! Oh yes, the Red Flag Kitties were there waving their little flags! I had a feeling if I turned them down I wouldn’t be left alone without guilt after waiting on the list since 2017 after Irma. Got to talking more and got some pricing, which looking at the website, another Red Flag Kitty pops up because he mentioned the prices and how low it has gotten and I remembered the fundraising option if it did work. This device was originally $10,000 which is more than the Braille Note Touch and the Braille Sense Polaris on their own own. Even though they dropped the price it would have taken most of my pay and have me eating ramen for the next few months and probably skip more conventions and probably makeup re-stocking. And not only that, there was a home trial but it is a risk to take because if these didn’t work you lose $500. For anyone who wants to try these you are getting some warning while reading this and I care. I even almost had a major spit take with the home trial option.

So, fast forward to today. Getting to Orlando was a breeze even though there was some traffic on Sand Lake which the address that was given was at an office building that felt like in the middle of nowhere. I have gone to similar buildings but they did have names when it came to job interviews but this was kind of weird in a way since I didn’t know where I was going and I remembered that one guy I used to know had his demo at a hotel. I think it would have been better if it was in a place that is well-known like an office inside of a mall or at a doctor’s office, heck even at one of the Lighthouse locations would have been nice since that was mentioned during my demo. Getting into the building was even more of a pain because the elevator in the parking garage was a freight even though we were able to get to the basement level, yes it has one of those, and the stairs were leading to doors either private or there was no exit on the floor I was supposed to be on. I am not kidding, I felt like I was in a bad Escher painting. With my experiences being at my dad’s doctors or other parts of Orlando with parking garages with office buildings at least I could get in and out without a problem. Anyways, so we got in and was seen pretty quickly.

So, it started off telling the salesman about myself, my degree of vision, and he did explain what the glasses were, what the camera does, and that it doesn’t work for everyone, oh right also get to adjust the glasses if need be with a remote that is attached. He also had me try and see one of those eye charts we always get tested on. I admitted I only saw his arm holding it not the card since I can only see in my peripheral which brings up another red flag which I will get to the next point of the story. So, the glasses felt like standard blind man glasses as in sunglasses with a camera attached and there was a strap to hold them on. The strap felt like a tourniquet. I know it’s supposed to be adjustable but I felt my head getting tighter despite the adjustment and. So, he had me try to see my dad with these on and unfortunately I couldn’t. My dad did not appear clearly which they were supposed to. So, this brings up that one Red Flag Kitty which the person on the phone explained that with my RP versus the standard that it can be worked with the camera versus the tunnel vision standard. With the demo it shows that it didn’t! The guy in the room did say reason why it didn’t work on me is due to the lack of natural vision that is left in my peripherals and I can see why.

How I went blind was an interesting tidbit which I will share here. When I was trying to draw something a few days after designing my first costume on paper, I noticed my right eye turning. It was like a hurricane on a weather map and knew that I lost my right eye and then a year or so after my left eye followed and yes I may still have some vision in my peripheral like a flounder but not enough for these glasses. I am taking Anatomy of the Human Eye I and I learned so far that not all eye conditions are the same even with mine. I have met people in the past that are going through RP but different versions even different ways with the same thing as mine. These people working on ESight feel to me, well mostly to my dad, is that they are just there to sell the product. Plus, Gondras did bring up that it feels like a VR set that is not made to fit a certain degree of vision that a person may have and should make the tech help for those different degrees of sight loss and I agree with him. I did tell him that we were right about not working but at least I did try it for free rather than shelling out major cash. Even my dad asked if we had to pay up front. It can happen with some places.

Final Thoughts: Even though the glasses didn’t work one me doesn’t mean it won’t work for anyone but I would say is that think before signing up for a demo because the website is not a good place to check because the pages repeat the same information over and over and once you’re on the phone with someone or there at the demo that is where the true information is given.

I’m sorry but being a bit harsh here, also honest, but when looking for something like this you need more information, actual testimonials to see if it worked, and give the price tag on the website and any information about how to get the funds to pay for it. If it had worked for me, then I would have a Go Fund Me raise the money for one after hearing someone have this device work for them.

Another thing is, please don’t go in with hopes of it working. Technology works in different ways and can either work great or not for someone who tests that new toy. Just know that yes it is a possibility of seeing again but if it doesn’t work out then find a different avenue which I did appreciate the guy giving an alternative for something similar. And now looking at it, I am also thinking that the people who worked on this device should look more into eye diseases because not all of them work the same way, they get diagnosed differently and people have different ways of losing their sight due to that condition like I had. Not only that, get a better website because I feel it needs to show better information about the product and how it works and explain the tech better. Plus, the pricing which is the first question on a lot of people’s minds when going into something like this. Even when I tried confirming on their website, it did have a question, “If this does restore some residual vision, how much will you pay?” And gives you options from highest to lowest so that is why a price guide on the main website can help.

So yeah, if you’re thinking about having a demo, just look out for some things even with the website and if not, I understand!

Well, that is it for this experience. I know it was an interesting experience with the building I went to but I rather try this at a doctor’s office or at a Lighthouse knowing that I am in a safe and familiar environment. Plus, I feel as though that this device should be improved upon even with the website because of how many eye conditions can happen at any moment. Which I need to get back to that Human Eye class because I am learning a lot of stuff as time goes on.

That is it for this post. Sorry for a bit of a mishap but my Boxy Charm was not shipped yet so hoping to see if it will soon because I have seen some people on YouTube get theirs so far. Next up is one of our interviews from Holiday Matsuri! Stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on January 9, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in Blindness, Personal Experience, Reviews, Technology

Posted by moonleopard85 on January 9, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/01/09/technology-esight/

Books: Twelve Days at Bleakly Manor by. Michelle Griep

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

Twelve Days at Bleakly Manor by. Michelle Griep

Disclaimer: This book review is based on thoughts and opinions by the lead writer of this blog. Please respect what she has to say about it.

What Is It About? London 1851 where this story takes place and it’s Christmas. Clara Chapman had lost a lot and about to lose someone most precious to her of all and when an invite is sent to her by a mysterious man to spend twelve days at a mysterious mansion her life not only is in danger during this time but also meeting up with her former fiancé, Ben Lane.

Ben Lane was imprisoned and wants justice for what had taken place and knows he didn’t commit embezzlement. Once he gets an invite to the mysterious Bleakly Manor, he finds Clara which he has a feeling he would have another chance to win her heart back after leaving her at the altar the year before.

Thoughts: I loved this book! I felt like I was reading Christmas Carol minus the spirits of Past, Present, and Future. This was set in the time of Charles Dickens and it was a perfect setting. I know it’s late for me to read Christmas stories but this was on the Net Galley shelf next and I was glad to request this book.

I did like the characters and how they interacted with each other like Mr. Pocket, the French woman who was always into her riches, and of course Clara and Ben the most since they were so cute together throughout this story. I can see why they fit despite the heartbreak that Clara had to go through but a coin did say, “Second Chance” after all and that is what had happened.

If I were to pick a favorite scene I would probably say how everyone worked together to put out a fire in the mansion. Around this time anything can go up in flame especially a fragile Christmas tree. I did like how it went from a Christmas Tale to a mystery since not only we don’t know who was doing this gathering but everyone wants to know who it is and able to stand out to get their fortunes, especially with how Clara wanted to stay for the five hundred pounds promised to her but she did worry about her dying aunt and of course Ben wanting to know who had embezzled the money when he’s innocent himself. Very well done! I am not sure if there is supposed to be a sequel soon because this is the first in a series and hoping to get a chance to read it next since I did like this book and wanting to see what else Griep has more in store for us.

Rating: 5 Star Paw Prints Out of Five! This was a very entertaining read from start to finish. I didn’t feel bored with the interactions between characters and I did like how they found their own fun within the time at Bleakly Manor. Even though this was holiday themed but it was a mystery mixed within and definitely recommend it!

That is it for this book review! More to come because I have over two hundred books to get through! Next up is my Boxy Charm for January and of course starting to get our Holiday Matsuri videos up so I will be bringing you one of them! Stay tuned!
Twelve Days At Bleakly Manor by. Michelle Griep

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by moonleopard85 on January 8, 2019  •  Link  •  Permalink
Posted in Books, Reviews

Posted by moonleopard85 on January 8, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/01/08/books-twelve-days-at-bleakly-manor-by-michelle-griep/

Books: The Waking Land: Waking Land #1 by. Callie Bates

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

The Waking Land: Waking Land #1 by. Callie Bates

Disclaimer: This book review is based on thoughts and opinions from the lead writer of this blog. Please respect her thoughts and opinions on this book.

What Is It About? Lady Elena is devoted to the king that has raised her for many years. When the king dies from mysterious circumstance she gets accused for killing him and must run to save her life.

Once she returns to her old home and to the father that has abandoned her, she must take up the magic that was given to her and learn about the truth behind the magic she must cast in order to save her land and her people and find out what really had happened to the king she had lived with before she dies with her people.

Thoughts: This was a really good book! Callie Bates is a new writer from what I’ve seen from the description of this book. I can see that her writing is very well done and she did a really good when this is her first book. I loved the character of Elena and how she is more of a tomboy than a girl in this one and how she prefers pants and studying plants which does make sense when you do have magical powers that deal with Earth. I wouldn’t want to dirty my skirts with dirt myself. I also loved how she felt like she didn’t understand what was going on since she was abandoned to the king at first and she did have the many questions like any abandoned child would have if something like this were to happen. I couldn’t stop Kindle from reading, I was finding every bit of free time to keep reading this book and loving every minute of it and how it twisted and turned as each parts of the story went on. I hope to read the sequel since this is supposed to be a series but I feel like it ended pretty well in my opinion and just stick with one. If the sequel does come out, I hope to get it through Net Galley so I can read it for myself. Very well done Ms. Bates!

Didn’t get to mention, I do like the magical aspects in this book because I felt it was interesting since we do hear about wedding the land and everything all thanks to the earth magic within. I do like how throughout the book how it talked about the background when it came to the magic of the land and how it passed down through the bloodline and why using blood to sacrifice to ancestors is important in order to be triumphant. I felt like during the call on the ghosts towards the end of this book being like in the final Goblin Wars book where all the Pukas and Teagan were altogether reciting a poem heading into battle and it felt like that with the chanting they all did. Hoping the sequel also shows that too.

Rating: 5 Star Paw Prints Out of 5! This was a very enjoyable read from start to finish. I am hoping to see that the sequel matches up to this one since sometimes sequels don’t come out as good as the first but hoping it does. I love the characters, I love their interactions with each other, and the story in its twists and turns with each page turn on Kindle. I will leave the link for you guys to check out.

Well, that is it for this book review and hoping you get to check it out! I highly recommend! And updates on the Hol Mat videos, sorry for being busy during Christmas and New Year’s but we will try to get them up as soon as possible since there Waking Land by. Callie Batesare things to look forward to for Omni Fandom Expo 2019. Also, next up is going to be the return of Boxy Charm! Yay! Stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on January 5, 2019  •  Link  •  Permalink
Posted in Books, Reviews

Posted by moonleopard85 on January 5, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/01/05/books-the-waking-land-waking-land-1-by-callie-bates/

Bests & Worsts of 2018!

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds traveling the vast universe! It is time for the final post of 2018!

Bests & Worsts of 2018!

We are at that time again my friends and that is the bests and worsts moments, beauty items, movies, and so on of 2018! This year was a life changing year for me so let’s start with that!

New Job & New Home in a New Location! Well, last year I said 2018 was going to be my year of getting a job and hoping to move out and guess what? I just did that in November! I did get interviewed for the Adaptive Tech Instructor in Daytona and I got it! I have been a student at the Rehab Center I’m teaching at and glad that I got to move up and doing it in something I wanted to teach and that is Adaptive Tech which I use on a daily basis especially with writing Nerdy Shique Universe by using JAWS. I knew I had to also move out for this job because I can’t drive and got my own place and loving it! Me and Gondras are sharing it so he will be moving in with me so we can be a full on couple, well engaged couple here together. We will be commuting back to Orlando for conventions since we do have Omni Fandom Expo in March and also Ranger Stop if we get another press badge since we did enjoy that one too. There are conventions here in Daytona too but haven’t heard from them much. I have to get back in contact with them since one is a writing convention and there are some authors on my Net Galley shelf that will be appearing there. How do I like living on my own? Well, the good news is that it made my mental health a lot more easier because it was stressful living in a big city where the job market is still unsure about hiring blind people even in call centers and I did try going for volunteering at the Lighthouse but that didn’t go through as planned for their Adaptive Tech Department. Glad I am working in it and plus I have changed dramatically since I did take a Self-Esteem & Adjusting to Blindness class which helped me understand more and understand myself when it comes to adjusting to being blind. Plus, getting to cook my own food feels a lot better too since I did go through back seat cooking with my parents and it caused some stress too, even when I made potato salad and wanted to follow the recipe but mom wanted me to do it our way. I did get to make her black beans and it felt like home even with the Adobo seasoning for my pork chops. Plus, I get a bigger closet too which made me happy along with smaller furniture than what I had in my old room at my parents’ place. Not only that, transportation is also better here because you have more bus stops to get to and the paratransit is way better, not only that the Lift drivers are very friendly! So yeah, I am at a better place in life, I have a great job teaching, now I can write my book in peace as well since I did re-start it again. I know, this is becoming annoying when I should have finished this year. Well, living on the coast will help me out since my first two books were done while I was a student. Let’s cross our fingers!

Being Certified In JAWS! Next is another great aspect this year and that is being JAWS Certified! I have been using this software since 2010 and figured being certified in this software could help me get into the field of tech more and I was right about that. The test was hard and I had to study a lot of things from the Help Topics to knowing what the commands were, especially when they tested more on the Laptop Keyboard Commands versus Desktop, and so much more. I was glad to pass and now waiting on my certificate so it can be in my office!

Getting a Chrome Book! Speaking of tech, I did get a Chrome Book for myself this past month because I wanted to see about the operating system and since my mom returned hers after having it for a few weeks, I really wanted to see about its built-in screen reader after seeing the ones on display at the NFB National Convention. So far so good it has been working out because of how the commands are like JAWS but with a different modifier key. I have to play around more with it since I am creating a Chrome Book workbook on Excel to help me and any other instructors.

Getting to Go to the NFB National Convention! I finally got to attend the NFB National Convention for its last year in Orlando, which it will be in Vegas next year. It was an amazing opportunity since I went with the Jernigan First Time Scholarship, I tried for National Scholarship but didn’t get it and now holding off on my Grad Certificate at the moment, and got to enjoy the convention. I even volunteered at the Braille Book Fair to get my interaction with younger kids better since I wasn’t doing it in the school system at the time. It was fun and getting to talk with a mom about how she is trying to get her child’s dexterity back after a stroke was even life changing too because it was sad hearing about it but I did suggest some things since Braille does help us out. I did get a new watch from this convention along with a few other items and got to meet the many other chapters in the United States and knowing that we’re not alone in the universe. I am going to try and join the chapter here in Daytona but due to how busy it has gotten unpacking and getting things for the apartment, even working, it will be a little bit before I join since being in the NFB shows that we can self-advocate and do have family and friends to help us. Oh right…let me save that for later!

Bests

Now to start with the bests since there are tons of awesome things going on this year and I have to give it to a lot of people and moments!

Game of the Decade: War Frame! First is Video Game of the Decade and I give it to War Frame! All this year Gondras has been playing this game and it is also up my alley with story since it’s a science fiction story where a metallic virus turns humans into robots known as War Frames and you as the Tenno pilot these robots to travel across the Solar System to take on the threats that want to take over. You also get more War Frames along the way, especially one where it was from a secret event story that dealt with one who had darkness take over. Now the game is where you go to Venus and get to explore the now icy planet to meet robot dwarves and even have hover boards. This game is very pretty and now that we have a new tv in our living room, yes good to say that, it will look even better. For anyone who has a Nintendo Switch, it’s going to be available for the Switch! Now you can play it on PC, PS4 and Xbox! Amazing work!

Movie of the Year: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1! Movie of the year goes to Avengers: Infinity War Part 1! We all know that it has come down to this where we see the Infinity Gauntlet is completed and now the Avengers must come together along with the Guardians of the Galaxy to take on Thanos and his gauntlet. Can’t wait what Part 2 has to offer since we are getting Captain Marvel next since she will be important in that part!
Runner Ups: Black Panther and AquaMan! Can’t forget these two since they have appeared this year. Black Panther was another great movie from this year since we got to see an African-American superhero take center stage for his origin story in this movie. It also became a hit at box offices back in February and schools even took kids to see this movie as a field trip which was even more amazing. While AquaMan, on the other hand, was something DC should have done like with Marvel and start with the origin story movies before diving into the big team up films. I did enjoy Jason Mamoa as AquaMan and we get to see a mix of villains which made it more interesting. Nicole Kidman did a great job as his mom on top of it. Too bad we’re not doing MegaCon next year, interviewing Mr. Mamoa would be pretty sweet! Speaking of interviews!

Interview Opportunity: Apl DeAp from the Black Eyed Peas! Yes, another moment this year was getting to interview a Grammy winning artist and that is Apl DeAp from the Black Eyed Peas and it was during the NFB National Convention. When I first heard he was going to be performing at it, I had to get the interview and what surprised me was that he is visually impaired himself. He has Nystagmus which causes severe near sight and he did tell his story behind it which you can still see here and over on our YouTube Channel’s Interviews Playlist. It felt great to meet him and brought us another musical artist to our channel since we did interview Traverser not long after. If you get to meet Mr. DeAp, just say hi not wave because he did explain it’s hard for him to see it.
Runner Up: Trying Out Skype Interviews with J. Michael Tatum, Brandon McInnis, and Traverser! As you know being at a convention you can get busy as a guest or even as a musical artist your schedule gets packed before a show so that is why we went one step beyond with our interviews this year. We used Skype to interview J. Michael Tatum and Brandon McInnis, since there schedules were full during Holiday Matsuri 2017, and Traverser, since they were returning to the stage after three or so years. It shows how we got over the obstacle of not being able to interview people face to face and hoping to get more in 2019 since I have a list in mind for the year.

Anime: My Hero Academia! Speaking of Tatum! It is the Best Anime Category and this year it goes to My Hero Academia! GOndras did start watching it himself and then shown it to me and man it is one of the best dubs I have seen so far! It is like the movie Sky High but what if it’s an anime and your main character, Izuku, is not born with a Quirk and has one transferred to him by his idol, All Might! I can’t wait for the next season because the last season ended on a pretty good note.
Runner Up: Overlord! I have to hand the Runner Up position to Overlord because it is an anime series that deals with a video game you have never thought to be better than Sword Art Online. Why would I say that? Well, in Overlord, you get to see new worlds being built, characters going through certain adventures that help them get better in fighting, and not only that take over towns like a usual fantasy RPG. Plus, with the main character, Momonga, we not only see him in the game but see his player in the real world thinking about what to do next and how to interact with the party. I would say check this out if you can!

Male Performance in An Anime: Justin Briner in My Hero Academia I decided to include this after watching the anime and I give it to Justin Briner because he gave a stand out performance as Deku in My Hero Academia. He is a new voice to my ears and I have heard him in Team FourStar’s Final Fantasy VII Abridged as Cloud and trust me I was thinking to Cloud watching MHA A. I hope we get to interview him either over Skype or in person at a convention.

Female Performance in an Anime: Monica Rial in Shimonetta! I know, it’s a weird title but when Gondras shown me this one on Funimation Now I never thought it would be hilarious especially with Monica Rial as Ana. I bet how many takes it took for one certain line, if you are of age, watch it!

Best Supporting Role in an Anime: J. Michael Tatum in My Hero Academia! Final anime related thing and that is best supporting role and it goes to J. Michael Tatum when he played Tenya Ida in My Hero Academia.

Makeup Brand of the Year: Cover Girl! I decided to give this year’s Brand of the Year to Cover Girl because this year they made a huge change from being a brand that wasn’t Cruelty Free to one that is now is and Leaping Bunny approved! Brands are trying to get away from animal testing and glad to hear that Cover Girl is the first even close to the end of the year, especially many months after Nars has joined in being sold in China during the beginning of this year. Hoping Cover Girl leaving China and being on this list can be an example to others and saying, “Join us and be Cruelty Free!” Now China is fighting to have better ways of testing at the moment, so more news on the horizon!
Runner Up: Urban Decay! 2018 has been a huge year for Urban Decay since they have released a lot of collections and discontinued a beloved product and that was the Original Naked pallet. Trust me, it was sad for me to hear since I was doing my Urban Decay Look Series on the YouTube Channel. But they have released many pallets this year that have been a success so far and they are the Beached Pallet in the summer, Born to Run, Naked Cherry, and Elements for the holidays. Now they have announced Naked Reloaded which is the Naked pallet but with new packaging and shades. Plus, the Naked Honey, and Naked AF soon to join the series! Will 2019 have all three? We will have to see!

Collection of the Year: Wet N Wild Flights of Fancy! I have to give this award to the Wet N Wild Flights of Fancy Collection because it has been a really good collection that was released during this year. Not only it had new items like a lip scrub and baked blushes but it also had donations from each box set go to the Audubon Society to help with a species of hummingbird that is native to California. A great cause for a great box! Let’s see what WNW brings to 2019!

Set at Electric Daisy Carnival Vegas 2018: Alan Walker! Even though I can’t take a flight to Vegas every year for EDC but this year’s videos shown a lot of great sets but I have to give it to Alan Walker’s set! I like his music the most because it has a science fiction feel to it and of course I did create a makeup look to his song “Ignite.” His newer stuff is pretty good too and I highly recommend. If you can’t make any of the EDC events this year, you can always catch it on YouTube!

Worsts

I do have a few worsts this year since I felt like not that many had happened but I will get to it!

Moment at a Convention: My Cane Breaking! I never had this happen before and that is my cane breaking at a convention. Someone pretty much stepped over and got caught in my cane and caused it to crack. Still makes me mad that people are blind to blind people and well, thinking we’re are like Terezi from Homestuck which we’re not, the cane is real. Hoping this year with cons I don’t experience this again because it’s not fun meeting an annoyed mobility instructor at work, even though it was not my fault because I was using proper cane etiquette and the person just shown up out of nowhere.

Makeup Moment: Being Makeup Shamed! Apparently, this year there has been a bit of makeup shaming taking place, more recent actually and I became a victim of. Seriously people? When did we came down to this? I understanding roasting someone for laughs but doing it with makeup is not cool. I did hear there were Cosplay Shaming Groups but there are groups for makeup and a newer one came up and someone from the What’s Up In Makeup Group did use my pic for it. I don’t get why we feel the need that this should be okay when makeup is a creative outlet for a lot of people, especially me. At least the person got kicked out for it because in the group you are being watched.

The Most Okay Movie: Solo! I had to mention an Okay Movie but not necessarily a Worst Movie either and that goes to Solo. It’s the movie that tells the story about how Han Solo got the Millennium Falcon and we get to use Lando get his butt kicked for it. It was not that bad and it did get bad reviews for it, when you look at it, it was competing against a Marvel movie at the same time. We did enjoy it.

Game: My Hero Academia! I have to mention this one because Gondras was looking forward to this game but it didn’t come out to being the one he was hoping for and it was the My Hero Academia game. It was supposed to play like Ninja Storm where you got to play the different story arcs but the only ones you get the arcs from the Stained arc through rescuing Bakugo! Even though those are nice arcs but Ninja Storm started from the beginning so you could play through them while here it’s the best arcs being played. Not only that, they didn’t use the English cast for this either. The Funimation dub of the show is one of the best dubs they have done and wishing they recorded this with them because they picked a lot of great actors to be in the dub. Sorry My Hero Academia, we prefer the anime.

What’s Up For Us in 2019? Well, another year at Omni Fandom Expo and just in time for new promo material. Even though we have business cards but we need to step it up and we will get it in time for this year’s convention. We aren’t sure about other cons but shooting for another year at Ranger Stop and of course new content for the YouTube Channel including new playlists to come! Also, I just re-subscribed to Boxy Charm and glad to get it back! It will be separate from Ipsy so stay tuned for our new stuff in 2019! Until next time everyone, have a safe and Happy New Year and see you in 2019!

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by moonleopard85 on January 1, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in anime, Blindness, conventions, Favorites, Gaming, Interviews, Movies, Personal Experience

Posted by moonleopard85 on January 1, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/01/01/bests-worsts-of-2018/