Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast universe! I am back with another post!
March and April Favorites 2019!
I know I am kind of late but to be fair I have been working a lot and things have taken place during the weekend like seeing Avengers End Game, going to an afternoon tea for my first time which was fun, and so much more. Plus, Omni Fandom Expo did happen and I was ill afterwards! Let’s see what I have this time!
Convention Favorites:
Favorite Item to Purchase: The Taiyaki Pack! Back in 2015 there was a vendor that sold these little taiyaki cakes and they were in many different flavors and even went back Sunday when they were discounted and they are so good! They came back this year and I got their sample pack. I think I liked their peanut butter anything ones because they add more flavor to them and there was even one that was white chocolate and peanut butter which was delicious. I highly recommend if they come back to Omni next year because the person who makes them is one of the sweetest people I ever met.
Favorite Moment: Interviewing Sawa and Nobu! This year we got to not only interview Sawa but also Nobu too. The have been friends for a long time which was pretty cool. I wanted to interview Sawa since last year’s convention and didn’t get to and glad that we got that chance this year since the first convention you don’t get that chance but the next year you do and you are more prepared even though after going to their panel Saturday night I redid my questions. I do have one of her stickers on my Chrome Book actually and may stick the other on my MAC Book Air once it arrives. Also having nobu was an extra treat since we did talk to the radio station person who worked as their handler and they asked if it was okay if Nobu would join in and GOndras said, “Yes!” It was great even knowing that he is an Overlord fan like us! We will be putting up the interview on here for you guys to see and now we have interviewed a Japanese recording artist and added to our musical interviews!
New Promo Material: Our shirts and pamphlets! Since Holiday Matsuri 2018 I was pretty much brainstorming in re-branding especially with the stuff we pass out and also what we wear. I felt that no one was taking us seriously due to us cosplaying, well me and Gondras, and it was time to take that advice on dressing the part of being press. So this year for Omni we had shirts with our name, our new tag line, and of course the logo and the website on the back since we are doing the press booth which was an okay feature which you may have read our review. Our buddy Evan did like our matching shirts and not only that it was more comfortable than a costume because we went lightweight with this and it wasn’t really cold which I was worried about since I froze my butt off as Rarity last year. Plus, Gondras didn’t feel that hot as he had as the Fourth Doctor either. And of course to add to our promo material are our pamphlets. Ever since what had happened with Zach Callison last year there were times where some managers didn’t take us seriously with just a business card and our cosplay either. So that is why we decided to change things up and GOndras did a really good job in designing them and got them printed out and gave one to Paul St. Peter while running into him since we did mention him this first time. Not sure what we will do next if we will change them up for Ranger Stop but I definitely want to take on other stuff from Custom Ink since they have given me really good customer service and did really good sighted support, heck the girl that helped me order the t-shirts loved our logo!
Favorite Hotel: Florida Hotel! I have to give Florida Hotel the title for Favorite Hotel because this was a very awesome stay! We never stayed at this hotel but have visited the mall and since Gondras and I have moved it was better to do the stay instead of commuting back and forth. We did two nights and had five people and it worked out, no one was loud, no toothpaste tubes borrowed, plus the hospitality spreads throughout the mall! As in, when we visited NYX we had a worker come up to us and asked if we were okay, do we need anything else, heck even gave me makeup and skin care advice because she did ask about my foundation and to tell you the truth I didn’t get that at the other location in Orlando. I definitely suggest checking the Florida Mall one out. It’s still also tempting to go into Lush since we smelled it all the time even heading for the food court. And another part of hospitality is that they text in order to check up on how you’re doing with your stay. I also found the hotel easy to get around because it’s not too crowded nor too many staircases or other obstacles like I had with the World Center. I highly recommend this hotel, they are renovating some areas which they let people know on banners and checking in and out is easy, plus there are more baggage carts even on check out day since that was crazy during Matsuri!
Subscriptions Thoughts:
March: March was all about rose themed items which would have made sense for FValetine’s Day but since spring has arrived it did also make sense for that. My BoxyCharm was really delayed like everyone’s and was happy to finally receive the box. I did enjoy the Cover FX pallet since that was an easy to use pallet due to having the brightening and setting powders in the middle and you have the blush on the right and the contour on the left and two highlighters above the each of them. I did like Monika from Ofra more than Havana Nights. If you see our Omni videos, I did wear Havana Nights but that smeared all over my face and was wondering, “Why is this happening when I have better luck with other colors/” I realized it’s a wet formula, I am not sure if it melted in delivery or something but the one in March’s box was more drying and stayed better on my lips. The Wonder Beauty Pell off Mask is not my favorite at all! I don’t like how it feels like glue on my face even as a thick layer and there are times where I miss peeling off product. My skin did feel good after taking it off but this is not a good product since peeling can cause your face to lose elasticity. I do like another product by these guys in another box but this is not the favorite one. The Moda brushes, I only used the highlighter one actually because I already was using a powder brush at the moment. People said that this brush was flimsy but it wasn’t in my opinion. I did enjoy putting highlighter on my cheeks with this since it does give a nice air brushed look. I definitely recommend these brushes! And finally, I did try the mascara and it’s pretty good because it did add a nice slight curl to my lashes. Definitely will be using this mascara as time goes on.
March was also brining in a new box for me and that is Allure Beauty Box! I have been reading Allure articles all thanks to getting them in my email and I find it very interesting as a magazine and when I heard about their box I decided to take a try finally and subscribed in March. They did say I would be getting different items than long time members which is good to know and did like the idea that these were luxury products that Allure has mentioned in their pages and of course more indie brands even drugstore sometimes comes in these boxes and glad to try out what I got. One item I almost got the full size but didn’t and that is the Momond Rose Toner which you can get at Ulta. This was a really good smelling toner and it did bring moisture to my face every night and every morning before I did my makeup for work. I did get back into toners and did pick up a cucumber and witch hazel one from Fair’s since my rose one from the same brand was taking a bit in shipping it pretty much did the same thing in the moisture and Fair’s is more suited to sensitive skin people like myself. I am glad to get back into toners and hoping to see what other skin care Allure would bring since they also sent me Aquea Blue Tansy Oil is something I am still using! Even though it says to pump some into your hands or was it cotton pad but this was a roller ball. I do use this after my toner every night to add some moisture and it does smell really good. Good thing is that people with Sen Sensitive skin also can use this product too which is good. I only have used the Amica Hair Mask once already and can’t really say too much about it, the Tarte Quick Dry Lip Paint I didn’t really like so I tossed it, I also tried out the Model Co. shadow trio and found it okay not too much to say about it. And the Wonder Beauty mascara which I got a full size of is something I really enjoyed! It makes my lashes really curly and can see why I prefer this over the face mask. And oh yeah, the Tanya Kreux brow gel, I would say even this got me to re-purchase my favorite NYX Control Freak one but I found this pretty good but just okay. It did keep my brows in place but glad to get my NYX one back.
Ipsy was a bit of a disappointment because I had two items missing and they did send them to me which were the Space Case shadow in Alien Love Child as a deluxe size and the Tarte Man Eater mascara. I did like the mascara since I had heard good things about that one and it did go with my Tarte Toasted pretty well. It did curl my lashes pretty well and did give some volume. Not sure if I would purchase the full size, time will tell. I gave away my Yensa foundation sample to the Personal Management instructor and she loved it! She thanked me every time she saw me and told me that she got the full size of it and saved her money which is a good thing. I am glad that she did enjoy that product and figured it would come in use even when she teaches makeup which she does. I am also finding it awesome on Ipsy when they mention Jennifer Yen that they include, “Former Power Rangers villainess!” Since she was in Light Speed Rescue! Yes, she is one of the many people I would love to interview in the future, hoping she does become a guest even if she is no longer an actor. I mostly used the Royal and Langnickle brush I got as a under eye setting brush because it fits so well with my under eyes and it blends my NYX Translucent Powder very well! The Ciate London gloss was very lightweight actually, I didn’t feel it on my lips and I think is on it on top of other lip products for an added sparkle. And I finally found that PUR afterglow powder, I haven’t used it yet though! While the Huda Beauty Smoky Obsessions and the FAHRA brushes I got as add ones are really good! I love the blendability that the brushes have and the Smoke Obsessions work pretty well as eye shadows!
April: April seemed to be a bit weird with what I got in my Allure box. Even though Carly Bible was collaborating with the magazine this time but I did get a few different items and that included the Juvia’s Place shadow pallet and the L. A. Splash eye liner. I found it weird that Carly said that everyone was supposed to get a Laura Gellar eye liner but apparently mine was a variation since I am new to the box. It is a brown marker and it works well with my work outfits since I do have variations of brown shadows in my work makeup kit. While the Juvia’s Place pallet is something new for me to try since I was wondering about the brand since people on YouTube talked about it and how great the shadows are. I will have to see for myself. I did get the Vida Liborata towels with the self-tanner on it but threw them away since I don’t self-tan. I know it gives a nice glow but to me it’s not really necessary when you can just get sun at any time and even during the summer you can tan anytime. I did put the Biaggio Heat Protecting Cream in my cabinet for whenever I do use my hair dryer or maybe use it with my straightener. I didn’t get the Anastasia Beverly hills lipstick which made me sad but I did get the Natasha Denona shadow in a bronze shade which is not too bad. I did get a Morphe brush which I was surprised when I rarely see Morphe mentioned on Carly’s channel or in Allure. I was hoping the Luxie one she was going to have in the box since I do love Luxie but this brush is not bad since I do use it in my crease when I interchange my brushes while doing my makeup.
April’s BOxyCharm was really good this month because it was a really good variety of products. First is the Appeal Holographic lip gloss which was an interesting product. I thought it was super sticky at first but it got better as time went on and even put it on top of other lip products to make it more fun. The PUR Festival Pallet was also a great pallet. I got to wear it once and did a brown shadow look with it and my fiancé thought I was trying to make my brows longer with it since it looked like I extended a bit too far. I did find the shadows easy to work with and they do smell amazing in the pallet too, like I had another Too Faced Bronzer. If you guys see this pallet I do recommend picking it up. The Luxie Brush Trio we got in this box was also amazing since Luxie is one of my favorite brush brands at the moment. I would so collaborate with these guys since brushes are an easy tool for me to use and I can use them for other things. I find the smaller brush easy to use and I sometimes use it to put my under eye concealer if I can’t find one of my other brushes to do so. I do use the contouring brush for my contour time to time when I am not working. I am not sure the other brush, maybe it’s buried deep in my brush pouch but hey these are still good brushes for what you get! Next is the Artist Cotour powder and man this powder makes me glow very nicely. Yes, it’s a loose highlight and I did take the little sifter off because I can’t stand those things so I take them off whenever I get a loose product. I do tap off my highlighter brush before applying and do blend it into my face with a tiny brush afterwards and foamy; u the Bodyography eye pencil which I put with my other eye liner pencils. I have so many of them and glad to have backups!
And Ipsy for April was better actually! As in nothing missing like my extra items which were the Ferma Beauty Contour brush which is in my brush pouch for blush, my Laura Sanchez Moods Shadow and Face pallet, and the Violet Voss Fu Size Holy Grail pallet. I have enjoyed the items I got this month and they include the Marc Anthony Virgin Coconut Oil and She Butter Curl Cream which has been helping my curls from frizzing up. I do enjoy this brand a lot and I do have a pair to mention from this brand down below. I also enjoyed the Balmjour Balm Stain which it felt so light and does stay in place all day. The nail polish from Pretty Woman which I put on last night is holding up pretty well and it’s a very nice shade of purple! Let’s see how it holds with my speed of light typing during the week when I type emails and other things! The Tarte Double Duty Primer was pretty good and it did moisturize my face until I ran out. While the Billion Dollar Brows brush, I am still using the Moda highlighter brush and will get to this one in the future.
Well, those are my box subscription updates. So far so good some of the products did work while others didn’t and glad to be in these things. I did join Glam Bag Plus and so far the items I am getting are awesome and can’t wait to receive it! BoxyCharm May is becoming more interesting as it gets closer to shipping time since the sneak peeks are variation items for the most part. While Allure is mostly summer time with beach fit products since people do start coming to Florida for the beaches in May and go through September. I hope not to get the self-tanning product in this box. And Ipsy, if you’re wondering, I am also getting pretty awesome products!
Makeup Favorites:
Shampoo and Conditioner: Marc Anthony Bye Bye Frizz Combo! First up is favorite shampoo and conditioner and these two are what I’ve been using from Marc Anthony’s Bye Bye Frizz line. I have been loving these and now winding down and the claims is that it gets rid of frizz and that is true! This helped with the frizzy spots I have had for many years especially on the right side of my head where it was so dead and damaged! When I got these two I used it right away and man my curls are bouncing back! Even the Hared Drying cream also helps. If you have not tried out Marc Anthony and your hair is frizzy, definitely get this shampoo and conditioner because it is worth the $6+ for them. I am trying out the hair growth one next.
Favorite New Release: Jeffree Starr Blue Blood Pallet! I have to admit this and that is I loved the Blue Blood pallet from Jeffree Starr. As you know I was in conflict in wanting to buy from his band due to some of the drama but decided it was time to set it all aside and buy something anyways and when I saw the review on this pallet that is when I decided I would buy it. The shadows are much pigmented and they are so colorful in the pallet. I have done two looks which the first was a video by using more of the blues and one of the browns while I did a teal look using Unicorn Blood which I went back for and Deep Freeze from the Skin Frosts which I also went back for and they turned out awesome! I will go back for Blood Sugar but for now I do have other shadow pallets to play with!
Favorite Go To Pallet: Custom Work Pallets! So, I made some custom eye shadow pallets for work and placed them into magnetic pallets, I had to replace one of them since it broke and so far I always loved going to these! Even though I still have my makeup bags with some of my work essentials but these are the two that I tend to go to the most since they are made by me. I tend to have clothing in different colors going from green, to blue, to some purple, even brown, and I love these pallets since they aren’t over bearing, not too expensive to put together and just wearable shades. In one pallet I have Coastal Scents, one blush from Coastal Scents as well and got the shadows and blush during their Hot Pots sale, and a blush from Lottie London as a sample an a set I got from Ipsy’s offers and put a magnet on the back. While the other pallet is filled with nine Color Pop shadows because it is the smaller pallet I have. I would also suggest doing something like this if you are going to work and need a fast pallet to use in the morning like I have. Plus, my pallets include shades almost similar to the Naked Basics 1 pallet since that is now discontinued and these are perfect backups with the few brown and grey-like shades.
Favorite Clothing:
Easy Spirit Shoes: I have to put these on the list because recently I got a stipend to get more work clothing to wear and one thing I needed the most according to my dad and Gondras were shoes especially ones I could interchange. So, on a trip to JCPeney at the mall we ended up finding three pairs of Easy Spirit shoes in my size and in navy, tan, and black. These are so comfortable that I don’t have to take them off like my old flats from Walmart. They are like clogs almost but flats and they are closed toe too. I know most places require heels but I can’t do heels at all because of my flat feet. Heck, I even left a pair of wedges at home because I hated them. As in back in Orlando!
Favorite Music:
Sawa’s Phul: After interviewing her, I downloaded Sawa’s album from ITunes since it’s been forever since I listened to it. I do have a physical copy buried in my storage compartment of our couch and glad I got it on ITunes since it also got deleted from my phone with the last IOS update. My favorite song will be always “Half Moon” because I love how she sounded in this song and it’s a great song to chill to as well. I would suggest checking her out.
Solfa 2016 from Asian Kung Fu Generation: I and Gondras have been fans of these guys even when we started going out and that is Asian Kung FU Generation. I was meaning to download this album since it was the first album we had all thanks to someone we knew burned us a copy of the CD and Gondras blasted it every time we went out. Now that the band has a new version it brings back so many memories of our relationship starting even “Loop & Loop” is one of our songs even when we realized they are almost like Weezer since their songs are pretty emo if you were to translate them. The song we always love and is my wake up alarm for work every morning is “Re: Re:” which is the theme song from the anime Erased. I remembered the original version being heavier but this version I prefer more since it shows how much they have grown as a band. I still love “Loop & Loop” since this was switched to track three on the newer version which fits since after “Rewrite,” which all classic FMA fans know that was one of the theme songs, you go into happy song. I hope they do perform in America again because we were sad that they were at Anime Expo two years back and hoping they come back!
Well that is it for this post! I know a very long one but hey felt good to mention these things! What is next? My post on the brands I have not cancelled completely.
Nerdy Shique Universe 