All posts for the month October, 2019

The Book Quadrant: The Best Kind of People by. Zoey Whitall

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

The Best Kind of People by. Zoey Whit all

Disclaimer: This review is based on thoughts and opinions by the lead writer of this blog! Please respect her thoughts and opinions in this review!

The Woodbury Family has been a respected family for many years. George is a science teacher at Avalon Hills Prep and his wife, Joan, is an E. R. Nurse, while their daughter, Sadie, is a popular student at the high school. One night police come and arrest George for a charge of sexual misconduct on a trip that involved some girls from the school and has to await trial despite how he saved his daughter from a gunman while she was in the middle school grades. Joan has to survive the time while he’s in jail while everyone turns cold and Sadie goes from popular to social outcast and loses friends to this case. Andrew, a lawyer in New York, comes home to help the family during this ordeal but has unhappy memories rise from the depths and a writer goes and exploits what is going on by writing a book based on the case itself. Will this family be able to hold onto each other or will they fall into their own depression?

Thoughts: Man, this book was deep! DEEP! I wasn’t expecting what was going to happen until the first chapter. I felt that this was a strong start and it kept on going. I had my ear buds on reading this at work due to how good it was from beginning to end! It did go in stages where it went from after the arrest to a few months later, then a week before the trial in how the family lives. I did like how each stage shows how much the family was being affected.

At first Joan was always the one with the cool head where she always takes everything in stride and this situation shown her how she started to self-destruct in a way. She was starting to yell at her kids for example which she never had done and then Andrew suggests that she should go to support groups and she went from church goer to support group goer and of course she got closer to Sadie and Andrew and her sister, Clara. Sadie started off as the genius track & field student and almost got killed due to some guy with a gun that saw her at a dance class as a middle schooler. She then goes through her own self-destruction where the students in her class and the classes underneath started hating her for what her dad done. She tried to live her life normally but she starts skipping classes more, even student council meetings since she was president, her classmates were taking her seats and don’t want to give them up, heck I loved how she kicked someone out of her seat during one meeting, and the last bit of her destruction when she started doing drugs and hanging out with other people. While Andrew, he was always the cool cucumber with a boyfriend since he did come out of the closet during his high school years all thanks to his aunt and he starts to self0destruct after meeting up with his old boyfriend while visiting Avalon Hills and this causes him to unravel and take it out on his boyfriend, Jared, which started hating him for treating him like a doormat even while his family visited for The Best Kind of People A NovelChristmas. All in all this was a great picture of going from perfect family to family that let go of themselves!
During the prologue of this book, Sadie was grabbing her stuff for a presentation and one of the items happened to be this eraser and she held onto it as the gunman appeared and her dad showing up to tackle the guy. She had this on her and in the pocket of her skirt since it was something that kept her relaxed. It’s kind of like my Panic at the Disco necklace since it helps me with my anxiety in a way and eraser was something that helped her. She even had it with her during the ordeal until she loses it and goes crazy trying to find it while being with her new friends. I think losing it was a way of her letting go of the past and face what is going on in front of her and that it was time for a change in her life and that the path she went down on was something meant to be since at first she was the perfect straight A student that never smoked or drink but changed when she lost her savior of her youth and the only thing that kept her going.

Rating: 5 Star Paw Prints Out of 5! This was a really good book! It did go from that perfect small town family that shown that they’re not always perfect such as seeing a father probably had something in his past that caused him to go through sexual misconduct but found out that he was set up, a mother who was so cool but loses it, a daughter who was the perfect student but loses herself due to people hating her, and a son who loses what he loves the most. I did like the writer who did exploit them but he did make the story he wrote different towards the end but I would say read the book so you can see how that role played. I mainly focused on the family since that was really important. I couldn’t close kindle like with the last book I read since this was a really good page turner and hoping with the next book will happen again. I hope to read more books by this author since this was a start for me with Whitall’s writing. It was a good look into a family who has changed and glad I got to read this!

Well guys that is it for this review! I will leave a link to this book this time since I forgot with the last, sorry! So, next is my bi-monthly favorites post with September and October! To new small town family with imperfections. We got to meet different characters that were

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by moonleopard85 on October 26, 2019  •  Link  •  Permalink
Posted in Books, Reviews

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 26, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/10/26/the-book-quadrant-the-best-kind-of-people-by-zoey-whitall/

The Blindness Quadrant: Making Friends, Sighted or Blind, As A Blind Person

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe. I feel like bringing a new topic into the Blindness Quadrant today!

How to Make Friends, Both Sighted and Blind, as a Blind Person!

Disclaimer: This post is based not only based on response and opinion but also a real life experience. Please respect what I’m about to say on this since I have an opinion of what I think should be important!

I may not be the Princess Twilight Sparkle but tis post is based on something that happened to me recently and I wanted to make this post. Being visually impaired may cause some people to be more isolated or even alone and don’t have any friends until they either go to college or a Vocational Rehab Center or even start their job somewhere. There are some tendencies that can happen that can make others feel awkward or not and these tips can go either way and this is what I came up with!

Don’t Mention What You and Your Significant Other Do behind Closed Doors: Okay, this was part of my meet up with this one guy and it made it feel awkward and that is mentioning what he and his girl do behind closed doors. So, let me tell you the first part of the story and that on Facebook two weeks ago I believe I get a friend request from this one guy and accepted it since he was a mutual friend to some of my blind friends I knew from the past and today and then on Messenger he messages me about how he was doing a flag football thing with disabled people and responded with, “Hey that’s awesome!” And left it at that. I’m in my and Gondras’ room watching YouTube since I was kind of exhausted from work since I do wake up early every day for it. I get a call and it was him and answered to be polite and we talked and one of the things he mentioned how he and his girl had threesomes and that caused me to think:

Dude: “Me: I and my girl do this! How about you!?”
Me in Thought: What!?
Me in Response: Okay…what kind of phone you use?

I felt like in Mass Effect but with two responses where one goes in my head and then I say something else and what this guy was talking about made me feel awkward. I understand that there are times where a blind person can be an open book but we can’t always be an open book as in not everyone wants to know what you do behind closed doors! Not everyone is comfortable when it comes to talking about sex and I admit I had the same thoughts as my parents with it when I dated my ex ayes ago and about to be with Gondras and I became more mature as time goes on and just keep the stuff we do to myself and if I did talk about it my friends would be really uncomfortable if we first met. As in, please keep this stuff to yourself because we don’t want to make anyone feel awkward even with friendships.
Keep Sexual Orientation Under Wraps Unless You’re Comfortable to Mention It: A lot of people tend to come out of the closet but others have a hard time doing it and not everyone is too keen on others mentioning it on the first meet up. I don’t even reveal mine to friends I first meet unless I feel comfortable later but first time meeting this guy I did tell him because he revealed as we talked on Messenger his girlfriend’s sexuality and I was like and going with Mass Effect with my responses here:

Paragon: Really? Are you sure you should be telling me this?
Renegade: Why do I need to know this!?
Sarcasm Me: Great, now I feel like the spotlight is on me!

So, my tip is to keep this under wraps unless you’re more comfortable when the friendship continues. I have really great friends that supported me for the longest time especially with my personality and my disability and things like this when I meet someone new I don’t want to scare them off and that was how I felt! I felt scared and uncomfortable with this guy because this was a private thing like the first tip above because we don’t know each other. Just be nice and be on your merry way!
If you’re going TO Invite People, Just invite them To a Place Familiar Not Your Own: What I mean is that don’t invite people to your place right away even if it has awesome items like a hot tub or pool. I know that doesn’t make sense but hear me out. At first it felt like this guy wanted me to hang out for bowling at first and flag football meet ups even in the Messenger chat. I was cool with that but at the same time you know I’m busy with Nerdy Shique Universe whether it’s a video or a blog post and sometimes straightening up some stuff in our apartment, even now with our closet which is my latest project. I tried saying I might hang out and then he mentioned his place! As in wanting me to come over to cook for me and possibly swim in his pool at his complex and so on. I felt the red flags guys because after the first two tips I felt as though they may do something I may feel weird about. This kind of goes hand in hand with the next item but I feel that this was weird and getting too close and claustrophobic for me. When I met any of my friends we tend to hang out at bookstores, malls, and other places even after we first met because it would feel weird if we show up at first at their place. For instance, when we first met Tobi he just used the bus to get home and also we dropped him off at his dad’s place until he felt comfortable to let us visit once we got to know each other. We do have some of those friends that want to hang at their place on the first meet up but most of the time we have to head home from where we hang out at. Which brings me to the next point!
Understand that When Someone Can’t Hang Out Means They Can’t: I know this sounds disappointing but some of us are grownups and understanding that things do come up or someone has to be at work early in the morning the next day and that they can’t hang out or hang out until a certain time. Or if they get sick which does happen! For instance, when I first went through a bad allergy attack years ago, I couldn’t go see Skyfall with Gondras because I was sick! So, I had him take Nerdy Shirts with him instead. So now to fast forward with the story to Saturday night after having dinner at a newer Japanese place since our fave place in Orlando closed down. So, dude messages me again on Messenger and he asked about Sunday with the flag football thing and said that I will be busy and same with Gondras so we can’t make it. He sounded so immature in my head that he was just joking that he may cry or something. Our friends understand that we can’t hang out if we either got sick or if we’re at a convention and so on because we know each other long enough that things can happen or we’re really busy with work. Heck, I can’t answer messages as much at work every day from my own friends until I have a break in between. Heck, with understanding not wanting to hang out, heck I had another friend that I had to end a friendship recently but when I got back to being friends with them years ago he wanted to hang out but this was when I had family over for the summer and couldn’t hang out with him and his girlfriend at the time. This is a different person by the way! Anyways, also this dude tried to invite us to Disney too when we’re going to be in Orlando for RangerStop. I tried explaining that when we do press were busy and I told Gondras about this part since I asked for advice about this dude and we agreed that we only have the money for bills for November and going to RangerStop as in for food, probably some merch to pick up if we can, and of course our hotel room since we’re staying at the same place where the convention is at and plus our feet will be hurting at the end of the night like with every convention. Trust me, when I was at Omni and got back to our room I was out like a lamp! Even though dude tried pleading somewhat I said, “Can’t! Busy that weekend!” Since he and his girlfriend are going to be at Disney for holiday parties starting that weekend. If this was Tobi and Vivi, they would understand more since they know our schedule during conventions is pretty hectic. But nope, this is where the next point is important!
Know Your Boundaries: So, after talking with Gondras I had to put my foot down because I felt like my boundaries weren’t being respected by this dude. I felt like I was about to freak out and not kidding. I was glad I didn’t save his number when he tried calling mine after asking for it since I did have the Unknown Numbers to Voicemail thing on with my phone at the time due to telemarketers. Plus, he also tried asking for my photos since he was able to see some of my features and apparently he liked what he saw and wanted more, I only stuck it to one and that was when I knew I had to put my boundaries in place! Next morning I sent him a message on Messenger telling him that I have my guy and he has his girl and I have my life and he has his and that I felt uncomfortable with things and that we were also not into sports. So, I was taken out of the Messenger Group Chat and apparently he thought we were not on the same page since all he wanted was to hang out. Which I felt with the conversation Friday things were getting too much! My friends know that people do have boundaries and respect those. I remembered being a teen and I always wanted to talk to people on the phone so much I felt I annoyed them and did grow up out of it and now I respect their boundaries. I do ask my friends for advice but of course I only talk to them on and off since we do have our jobs or things we do on a daily basis. I did mention that I’m also busy and can’t always answer messages until break time.
The Mute Button Is Your Friend: If someone can’t take the hint that you want space, the mute button on Messenger, Twitter, and other places can be your friend. I had to block some annoying people myself on Messenger, even one recently that didn’t take the hint that I can’t talk due to taking a shower and need to get to bed. This dude I have talked to that weekend I had to mute him because he didn’t really take a hint of boundaries need to be made. I did mute him after seeing a message asking about my week when I had my allergies catch up to me and had to miss work. I know it was mean of me but I felt as though I would feel uncomfortable if we talked again. Sorry!
If It Gets Too Much, Let Them Go: There are times if the friendship goes downhill or gets too much it means it’s time to let that person go. I will use that one other guy as an example because he did say something really bad and that he wished he was blind like me! As you all know I don’t wish my eye condition on anyone even my own worst enemy! Being blind is not easy and the adjustment period is sometimes hard for some and easy for others. When this guy said that I felt like he doesn’t know what I go through despite having everything as in a fiancé that takes care of me, press opportunities, even a college degree but I worked hard to graduate, there are times where getting press can be hectic, and my fiancé has been with me since I revealed I was going blind and that was a true test. Now GOndras and I have been together for thirteen years and we’re living together. When I let him go as a friend, this guy by the way, it felt well actually because losing a friend is not easy but if they get too toxic then letting them go would be the best option. I have done better letting this guy go and people just find it awful that I had to hear that statement since they know my story even if it’s inspirational. Still, if something bad happens then letting them go is the best option.

Well guys that is it for this post. It felt good to get things off my chest and having friends is pretty important and I keep the friends I have closer to me for the longest time. There are boundaries when it comes to making those friends and understanding that you can’t always hang out due to other obligations. I hope some of you take some of these tips to heart and be careful with who you meet because they may end up acting like this dude above that I met recently so please just know some of us do have lives. Next post will be another book review! Stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on October 26, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in Blindness, Personal Experience, Response and Opinion

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 26, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/10/26/the-blindness-quadrant-making-friends-sighted-or-blind-as-a-blind-person/

The Book Quadrant: A Game of Deceit by. K. A. Davis

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

A Game of Deceit by. K. A. Davis!

Disclaimer: This review is based on thoughts and opinions of the lead writer of this blog. Please respect her thoughts on this ARC that was given to her.

In this book we meet Catherine Landry who has a successful interior design business and a very attentive husband. When she comes home to see that her husband has gone missing things start to rise especially the past when her father had disappeared the same way as her husband. Catherine has to get to the bottom of what had happened to her husband and what secrets he has and not only that work with the same detective that worked on her father’s case years before and find clues that lead to a possible affair and maybe a murder? Not only that, new distractions try to get in her way when John Celton, her latest interior design project, comes into her life to keep her mind off of things but she can’t. Will she be able to solve the mystery behind her husband’s disappearance and how is it linked to her father’s?

Thoughts: I liked this book very much! I felt like I couldn’t close Kindle on my phone and even took breaks listening to it during work when I have to clear my head a bit. I felt that this book had new twists and turns as Catherine kept on getting new clues within the case and even got even more chilling when new things were revealed like how someone was posing as her when her husband vanished. She ends up finding passports that didn’t match with her photo and that someone took her own name in order to get to Neil. What made it more interesting that it felt like the reason for Neil’s disappearance was due to a novel he was working on that caused him trouble and taken? I would be afraid if that were to happen someone I loved myself. I did like the jealousy between John and the detective, Mike Williams, since Catherine did have a few new romances going on between them and liked who she ended up with in the end which I don’t want to spoil that part. I liked every moment of this book and hoping to read another one by Davis as I request more!

Rating: 5 Star Paw Prints Out of 5! This was a very enjoyable read! I felt that every interaction with Catherine, John, and mike worked very well. I did like Maryanne as well since she did act very motherly towards Catherine. It did take on the idea of fires in California to a new height and that jealousy can happen at every turn. Not only that the near death experiences that Catherine encounters even brought a chill to my spine. I hope to read more K. A. Davis books as long as I keep up with each NetGalley update. Another good one for the books!

That is it for this book review! I will have more to come since I am having more books to read! Next up in my posts I am going a bit personal with how a blind person should make friends both sighted and blind. Stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on October 20, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in Books, Reviews

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 20, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/10/20/the-book-quadrant-a-game-of-deceit-by-k-a-davis/

The Beauty Quadrant: Allure Beauty Box October 2019!

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

Allure Beauty Box October 2019!

Well, it’s time for another Allure Beauty Box and it looks like the box with a lid thing is now their newest packaging. I think they’re doing this a way to save the planet from plastics with the bags thing. Oh well, but let’s see what I got this month!

Sunday Riley Ice Nicinemide Moisturizing Cream: First is a cream from Sunday Riley and I thought it was an eye cream at first but I do make mistakes. I did use the Vitamin C moisturizer by them and thought it was okay but let’s see what this one holds. This is a new product from Sunday Riley that it helps with taking on dry complexions even flaking. This contains ceramides and it looks thick but gets absorbed quickly. Well, when I used it on my under eyes by accident it did absorb pretty quickly. Now that I know it’s meant as a face one I will see how it goes since I do moisturize before makeup and my skin can be dry and I am healing some acne spots with my skin care regimen. Retail price is $65.
M-61 Power Glow Peel: How should I explain this fan favorite item? Well, it comes on pads where you rub on your face and it contains chamomile and glycolic and salicylic acids to help make skin glow. I have sensitive skin and never tried a peel except in mask form but prefer a sheet mask. I have to try this out since this box is supposed to be skin care before the winter comes and well here on the coast it comes with a big hit! I will see how these go! This retails #30 for ten treatments!
Sol Dejanero Brazilian Bum Bum Cream: Oh man! I heard so many good things about this everywhere on YouTube! It’s the famous Brazilian Bum Bum Cream and man it smells amazing! You can use this on your body but I use it on my hands since it contains cupuac butter and the smell reminds you of the coconuts and the sweet popcorn that is sold on the shores of Rio. This retails for $45!
ModelCo Eye Lights Liquid Eye Shadow in Granite: Another one of these and wishing that Allure get liquid eye shadows from other great brands! This is a blackened silver shadow that looks fresh and doesn’t crease. Can be worn alone or with the trio that comes in the box this month. I remembered getting one of these but it ran out too quickly and when I saw this in my box it did not feel full-size either so I am hoping that it lasts me a bit this time. I wished they go to other brands like Tarte since Ipsy has gotten the Chrome Paint Pots or even Steela for their famous cream shadows. Anyways this retails for $9.
ModelCo Metallic Shadow Trio in San Tropes: This is a metallic bronze trio that makes smoky eyes simple. It has a bronze shade, a brown, and a lighter shade for brow bones and inner corners. I think this would go good with my Urban Decay pencil in Smog since it is a coppery brown pencil. I did remember getting a trio similar to this but this fits more like alley. This retails for $13.
Deep Mineral Sea Bath: I gave these bath salts to my fiancé, Gondras, because of course he is always on his feet at work and is in pain when he gets home! This has a lavender and eucalyptus scent and when pouring the entire packet in you get a blue tint to your water that doesn’t stain. It will help him with his achy spots! This retails for $20.
Limify Redness Relieving Eye Drops: Something different in the box and it’s from Bosh & Lomb and it’s their Lumify Redness Relief Eye Drops that work within minutes after application. I did have some allergy issues on Thursday and figured to try these and they did help in relieve some irritation in my eyes. So, I will have to keep using these! I have a feeling these retail for around $7+.

Well guys that is it for this box. I am not sure about this box guys because I felt it was a bit of a miss this month. Well, mainly for the ModelCo stuff. I rarely see them mentioned in the articles I read since I see more on Revlon, Maybelline, Huda Beauty, and so many more brands that are luxury, prestige, and drugstore, heck even indie brands get mentioned. I hope next month has better products since I did see a Peter Thomas Roth possibility for November. I will see how much longer I will keep this box because I do like Allure Magazine but I like my three other beauty boxes slightly more since I get to try a broader range of brands and products from them but here I feel like they get to repetitive. Come on Allure! Well, next is another book review from NetGalley!

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by moonleopard85 on October 20, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 20, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/10/20/the-beauty-quadrant-allure-beauty-box-october-2019/

The Beauty Quadrant: Glam Bag Plus October 2019!

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

Ipsy Glam Bag Plus October 2019!

Yes, it’s time for another Glam Bag Plus! This is the upgraded version of the Glam Bag where you get five full-size items and now a makeup bag every month. This one is $25 a month and will stay that price! This month it also collaborated with Betty Boop and like with the regular Glam Bag you do get one item from the collection which I got to choose. Let’s see what I got as an add-on!

Add-On: I got the Betty Boop That’s So Betty Shadow Pallet from the collection. This time I decided to wait and see what I got from the collection instead of buying it in full like with the Tetris one since that one was huge and this one was pretty big as well. I decided to just go for the items I got and buy the ones I was mostly interested in and one of them was this shadow pallet. Even though you got single shadows from this pallet but I decided to just get the pallet alone due to loving pallets and this seems like a nice collector’s item. I do like Betty Boop somewhat from the old cartoons but I prefer Felix the Cat since I love cats! Anyways, this pallet features eight shadows and they are in pearl, matte, and foil formulas which you can wear alone or layered on each other. You know me I would go for a full on eye affect. I wonder if Ipsy can help me with shade descriptions since they probably don’t know I’m blind. Hey, they had it for the Eleman pallet I picked up.

Dr. Brandt Micro Dermabrasion Age Defying Exfoliating Cleanser: Man that was a lot to type! First is the ever so famous Dr. Brandt Micro Dermabrasion Exfoliating Cleanser. I heard so many things about this cleanser for years on YouTube and was glad to get it since I need to keep my skin clear of dead skin cells. This cleanser has a combination of gentle crystals and acids to help clean the skin and the lactic acids help with cell turnover and get rid of dead skin and won’t strip away moisture. I can’t wait to use this since I am using my Mirad one at the moment and that one is proving to be really good for my skin too. I am so glad that this is in my box and can’t wait to use it!
REALHER I Am Adaptable Liquid Lipstick: Next is a product from REALHER and it’s a liquid lipstick. I love these things and it’s great to try new brands in these subscriptions. This is a classic red shade and it is very lightweight that dries down to a very bold and matte shade. This is made with Medafoam Seed Oil that helps to lock in moisture in the lips and it was made in partnership with athlete and motivational speaker Misty Diaz, who was born with Spina Bifida, but doesn’t compete without a bright red lip. I did wear this on Friday to work but it did kind of ran off my lip so I have to be careful while wearing this by just applying it to my middle lip and let it spread slightly and then dab.
Tarte Chrome Shadow Paint Pot in Steel the Show: Next is a new item for me to try from Tarte and that is their Chrome Shadow Pot and in the color Steel the Show! This is a metallic silver shade and I tried it earlier for my Mercury Black look from RWBY and it did go on pretty smoothly. This is like the Maybelline Color Tattoos and this was a great new item to try. I did hear these are a bit messy and best to hit them against a hard surface to loosen them up to keep the shadow powder inside and I did that but nothing fell out so far. You can use your finger or brush which I used a pointed crease brush to do my crease with this and didn’t have any issues. I can’t wait to see how Park Ave. Princess will be like once it arrives!
Trestique All over Shimmer Stick in Ultraviolet: Next is a highlighter stick from Trestique but have to get it replaced. This is a multitask stick where you can use it as a shadow, a highlighter, or as a lipstick. It is a powder to cream formula and even oily skin types can use it. I have to wait for my replacement because it broke when I was looking at it again. I love this brand since it is all about just being a stick and don’t have to carry so many things at once but if it breaks it ruins the appeal. Hoping it doesn’t break in the replacement.
Betty BoopxIpsy Cheek to Cheek Blush Pallet: Finally is my item choice! I decided to get the Cheek to Cheek Blush Pallet from the Betty Boop collection since I got the lip item and did an add-on with the shadow pallet so I covered all bases this way. The mascara and liner were tempting but I have too many of those already and I prefer pencil and pen liners, gel if I have the right brush as well. This pallet has a peach blush and two highlighters and they have soft textures that blend in smoothly. I’ve been hearing that these are too light so I have to see how these go since I do love getting blushes and highlighter pallets since they are so easy to work with. I am so glad I was able to pick the top items from this collection.

Well guys that is it for this post! I did enjoy this box and the bag was actually bigger than the Glam Bag and now using it. I can’t wait for next month’s box since of course it will have items from the Gigi Gorgeous Collection so I can’t wait to see what it brings! Stay tuned I do have my Allure Beauty Box!

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by moonleopard85 on October 20, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 20, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/10/20/the-beauty-quadrant-glam-bag-plus-october-2019/

The Beauty Quadrant: BoxyCharm October 2019!

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

BoxyCharm October 2019!

So, BoxyCharm has arrived and glad it did since this has been a really good month with spoilers. It’s all about Dose of Colors this month since they had given BoxyCharm many five pan pallets to give out! There are a lot of changes coming to BoxyCharm starting in November which the price for the base box will be going up to $25 and knowing I will be taxed for that since I do live in Florida after all. They are also introducing a new box called Premium but to me just getting the base box is more worth it since I am pretty much getting similar items already to Premium and Lux which I don’t need that much in a box. If you’re interested in joining either one, first you have to join BoxyCharm and then you can upgrade to Premium and Lux afterwards. Also another new thing apparently they have been letting people choose one product and I got to do it for November. I was wondering when they sent out the emails since they have been doing that but haven’t ’gotten it until this month. I tried asking on their Facebook and they said they don’t do it just look on the website. Here’s the thing though if you don’t let your customers know about it then how would they? I work eight to five days a week and I wouldn’t know if I don’t get an email but I did get one and chose something but you have to wait until I get my November box! Let’s see what I got this month!

Dose of Colors Five Pan Eye Shadow Pallet in Baked Browns: So, starting off is a Dose of Colors product and that is the fie pan shadow pallet. I heard so many good things about Dose of Colors’ eye shadow formula and so far I have enjoyed their liquid lipsticks and when I heard they were giving these pallets out in the box alongside another one from a YouTube influencer I was really excited. I was happy to get this and got it in the Baked Browns pallet which is a matte brown pallet. This will be perfect for work since I do love wearing basic shadow looks for work. I have some brown tops and one or two brown skirts that this would go well with. I did buy another one as an add-on for my November box and that is the Sassy Siennas which I can’t wait for! Retail price for this is $32.
Touch and Sol Pretty Filter Glass Skin Balm: Next is a product from Touch & Sol. I was surprised to get a product from these guys again since I felt that this brand is more for oily skin types with the primer I tried the last time. I was hoping not to get this but got it anyways and apparently this is supposed to give an all over glow and prep the skin before makeup and hoping it does since the primer was supposed to be like that but made my skin itchy so hoping this doesn’t do that. Let’s see what this brings! This retails for $32.
Iconic London Lip Plumping Gloss: Next is my first item by Iconic London. I remembered how many boxes in the past they had this brand in there and didn’t get those items but did this time and it’s a lip plumbping gloss. I heard these are also well-known because they do have a minty sensation to help plump the lips and well I am not into lip plumpers unless it’s a makeup item to try out and willing to see how this goes. Especially with my skin being sensitive and this gloss is supposed to be with peptides to help with collagen growth in the lips. Let’s see how it goes. This retails for $26.
Becca Anti-Fatigue Under Eye Primer: Next is another item from Becca and excited to try another item and that is their Anti-Fatigue Under Eye Primer. This balm is supposed to help re-energize the under eyes and take away fatigue since the delicate under eye area is the first place for aging. I tend to use something like this before I put on my under eye concealer as a primer for that. I am using the Becca powder at the moment and liking that so will be trying this out and see how it goes. This retails for $32 and this is another item costs this much!
Jante Blue Lip Liner Pencil: Final item is a lip liner by Jante Blue. I have noticed this brand being in subscriptions and it looks like it’s a drugstore brand. I thought it was more luxury due to the name but apparently this is more drugstore. This claims to be a much pigmented pencil that can be worn alone, good to contour the lips, and as a base for any lip color. I am glad to get another lip liner pencil since I have used them to keep a grip on any lip product due to my being a teacher and have to explain technology I don’t want my lip color to come off. I wished I had this with Havana Nights with how it ran all over my lips during Omni! This retails for $5.00!

What Did I Finish? Well, when it comes to BoxyCharm items I have finished the Dr. Brandt Sleeping Mask not too long ago. I was surprised that this item went pretty quickly since it was pretty small for its package. It was a great thing to try and it did help with my skin stay hydrated while I slept all night and it did act as a great base for makeup, as in it did help make my skin be moisturized for makeup application. I am trying out a newer night cream since I do get dry as I sleep. And the other item I finished happened to be the Elemis Veggie Mask! I just finished this mask and man it tingled like crazy while I sued it. I did like the citrusy and veggie smell it gave off as I used it. It didn’t irritate my skin at all. I do have another mask I did receive in BoxyCharm and see how that goes!

Well guys that is it for this month’s BoxyCharm! I’m excited about the pallet since it’s another Dose of Colors product for me to try out. I’m also excited about the Becca primer since it did look like a makeup compact to me and hoping it will do the same thing as any eye cream. What is next? Hoping my Glam Bag Plus and Allure Beauty Box! Until next time!

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by moonleopard85 on October 14, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 14, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/10/14/the-beauty-quadrant-boxycharm-october-2019/

The Beauty Quadrant: Ipsy October 2019!

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

Ipsy October 2019!

I got my Ipsy and kind of as a about it but will talk about this. There have been changes to Ipsy where you can pick an item and also they rose the price to $12 which is not that bad considering since they have been re-branding over time. You still get five deluxe to full-size items and a makeup bag. Let me talk about the bag real quick because it is cute! This month Ipsy has collaborated with Betty Boop and have made items to go with it. I didn’t buy the collection since I almost wanted to like with Tetris but picked one of the items and purchased the other with Glam Bag Plus. Last year’s bag was a masquerade mask blending into it while this year’s bag with Betty Book you have sequins, the B as your zipper tag, and I think Betty winking on the backside of it. I know there is another bag coming with GB Plus and can’t wait to get that as well. Let me get to my add-ons.

Add-Ons: Another change is that instead of three add-ons you get to pick five, or up to five to make the cost better. You still get the full-size for $12 and deluxe for $3. I love getting these because if you didn’t get a specific item you’re hoping for you can get it in the add-ons on the second of every month. What’s great is that you’re not only getting the items in Ipsy and GB Plus but also in the Ultimate Bag if you’re not getting that since that’s $50 a month and that’s a mix of deluxe and full-size. I’m not getting the Ultimate when I’m already doing that with Ipsy and GB Plus. What’s sad about this this month is that my add-ons did not arrive with my bag! I know shocking! Remembered how last month my IBy Beauty highlighter was missing? I did get the replacement in the mail. When I got my Glam Bag I noticed the envelope had just my bag and items nothing else! I remembered how I bought add-ons in the past and they appear no problem and I asked about it and they said that it was confirmed that my items were sent with my Glam Bag but don’t feel them since I know I ordered a pallet! Let me tell you what I bought! The Pharmacy Green Clean Balm because so many people talked about it on YouTube, Tarte’s Chrome Paint in Park Ave. Princess which I wanted to try these and getting another shade in GB Plus, the Balm What’s the Tea Pallet in Hot Tea which I missed the Iced Tea pallet on the Shopper page, and the F. A. R. A. H. Midnight Blue Pro Trio! You can see that I was excited about these items but they didn’t arrive! It sucks you spend money on these and don’t get them and Ipsy did tell me that they will team sure their packaging crew will keep track of the items shipped and hoping so! Now hoping their contact form gets fixed because it won’t let me send it.

Benefit they’re Real Mascara: First is a mascara from Benefit and it’s the they’re Real. I remembered getting this in my Allure Beauty Box this summer and not sure what happened to it so glad to have an extra.
Leni Loose Eye Shadow in Byron Bay: Next is a shadow from a brand I never heard of and it’s called Leni. Apparently this brand is one that lets someone have their own creativity and wanderlust and the shadow I got is in the shade is a warm gold which would go great since so many people have said that the Naked Honey pallet from Urban Decay made my eyes pop over on Facebook. The claims is that this shadow is very pigmented and opaque and lasts from day to night. I have to try this and see if the claims are what they say since sometimes that can happen unless you have a good eye base placed on your lids. Let’s see how it goes!
Betty BoopXIpsy Lip Gloss in All Jazzed Up: Now onto one of the Betty Boop items! I got a lip gloss this time which made me happy! Last time with Tetris I received the lip balm and it was not that bad but the lip gloss is better to me since I can just wear it over lipsticks. It claims with this gloss that is supposed to be lightweight and doesn’t cake up like most lip products do and this shade is a sheer tint with a pink and purple to it. I can’t wait to try this out since I do love wearing lip glosses myself and they have made a major return.
Kissmet Buff Sugar Lip Scrub in Bright and Bubbly: Yay! I got a lip scrub this month and needed it since there are times where my lips do become dry. This scrub is supposed to help lipstick last longer due to the sugar crystals are able to softly expholiate lips, the shea butter is supposed to help moisturize along with the Vitamin C and it has a pink champagne flavor to it. I have tried this so far and my lips do feel softer so far and it feels more like a mousse than a scrub but it does feel nice. I wish all lip scrubs are like this instead of that rough textured sugar.
Crown Brush CB 210 Pro Chisel and Buffer Brush: Now onto the chosen item which every month you get to either choose an item or you can skip it let Ipsy choose for you. This is great since they give you certain items you would like and when I saw this I had to get it. It’s been a long while since I’ve gotten anything from Crown Brushes and glad to see they back in action. This is a dual ended brush which one side can be used for the crease while the other as a definer brush. So many people don’t like dual ended but I do since it can be easily used for my defining and crease shades. I hope to see more of Crown since I feel like I’ve been missing them and with the brushes I’ve received in the past from them they have been really good.

What I’ve finished? Well, I finished up the Inc. Redible lip balm but I felt it was very drying so I tossed it. I prefer my Lip Smackers since they don’t dry my lips out so much even though they keep on saying they only help the surface but these feel like they help even underneath.

Well guys that’s it for this post! This month’s Ipsy was really good since not only I picked an item but the other items were really well selected for me since I did change my profile up. I will see what November has to bring since I saw someone’s spoiler video and they’re collaborating with Gigi Gorgeous from YouTube! Awesome! Stay tuned right after this because I have my BoxyCharm!

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by moonleopard85 on October 13, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 13, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/10/13/the-beauty-quadrant-ipsy-october-2019/

The Book Quadrant: My Pen Is Huge by. Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

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

My Pen is Huge by. Mimi Jean Pamfiloff!

Disclaimer: This book was an advanced reader copy sent to me by the author. Also this review is based on thoughts and opinions so respect my thoughts on this book and thank you!

In this new installment of the Oh Hell No series, we meet Giselle who is a post graduate and shows up at her new job hoping to work for the famous journalist, Leland Marik. Once she starts working and finding out that some fishy things are happening that link to what Leland is doing, she is trying to get to the bottom of it in order to get a story out.

Leland Marik was always the lone wolf journalist and never let anyone else work with him until Giselle walked into his office one morning with a lipstick stain on her skirt. Once hired on, he not only guides her through the journalism business but also working on his own story behind the scenes and try to keep out of it. While working on a dangerous story, he sees that Giselle is not stopping to catch up with him to break it first but has to keep her out in order to keep her safe but slips and finds out that they were a match made in heaven!

Thoughts: I liked this one! I did like how it basically filled in some blanks that took place during the last book, Battle of the Bulge, since that was where Leland appeared in at the beginning of the book. I did like the interactions between Giselle and Marik since their personalities were almost the same which Marik may have that British tone to him but he can be a bit of a smartass as much as Giselle even though she did start off as trying to be a good girl with a feminist edge to her since she did try telling Marik and his buddy to use work appropriate language in the beginning of the story. I did find some of the funny moments cute and it did call back to Librarian’s Vampire Assistant for one part but it did make the story flow a lot better as in I did find the characters and the story flow better and the jokes aren’t always coming at you in a rapid fire succession, just part of the background. I am actually happy that there will be another installment to this book since now that we’re seeing more characters coming into the story and hoping it does keep going after the next. I do notice how the first story did start off with it being more of a college life type and nothing dangerous sounding but once the end of the second book took place it started showing the characters going through dangerous situations until this book came out since the blanks being filled had to deal with the Mitch Hofer situation from the last book and maybe the next one may be more laid back since it deals with Jeizele’s old roomie, Camille. Let’s see what happens next! And of course, having a huge pen, as in the writing utensil, was pretty well symbolized since at the beginning where Marik talked about his dad having a pen collection or was he sent one, I forget! Sorry! Still a good story nonetheless!

Rating: 5 Star Paw Prints Out of 5! This was a really good book and enjoyed it overall! I liked the characters’ interactions even with Janelle’s parents in the picture towards the end and of course it did call back to one of the previous books Mimi has written. I think this has been one of the best books she has done and loved it from beginning to end. I would say this would be read more as a stand-alone but at the same time should read Battle of the Bulge too in case you may want to see what has been taking place before this one.

That is about it guys for this post! I know it felt short since I don’t want to give so many spoilers and of course don’t want to be that one person to spoil the entire thing. I definitely say is give this book a read and same with Mimi’s many other books on top of it! I am reading another new book since I have to catch up with what I haven’t read for a few years now. I do have my Ipsy Glam Bag post next so stay tuned!
My Pen Is Huge by. Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

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by moonleopard85 on October 13, 2019  •  Link  •  Permalink
Posted in Books, Reviews

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 13, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/10/13/the-book-quadrant-my-pen-is-huge-by-mimi-jean-pamfiloff/

The Beauty Quadrant: Brands Losing Touch With Reality Response!

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! I am back with much of a serious topic.

Brands Losing Touch With Reality!

Disclaimer: This post is a response to a video and my opinions on what was said. Please respect my thoughts and opinions, thank you!

Yes, another somewhat of a cosmetic controversy where I am seeing it myself. This morning I saw Hot Mess Mama MD talking about how beauty brands have been losing touch with reality in releasing with so much. I agree since I have been a makeup user since 2008 and seen so many brands releasing a lot of products almost every week or month and sometimes they can be either inconsistent in formula due to the demand of pushing them out or even keeping up with other brands. The main example that Hot Mess had used in her video was Anastasia Beverly Hills where they have released their pallet with Jackie Eina in August and then a week or two later Norlina, Anastasia’s daughter, made a video about the Norlina Pro Collection and the first one released after that. I have seen a few reviews and felt like they released one item and jumped to the next even with reviews people have done when they received the pallet as PR. Last month, they did release Norlina Pro 2 and 3 on the same day and now giving pictures of the Carly Bible pallet! Jeez Anastasia pull the brakes! You’re not a factory, let us breathe!

I know, I bet you’re wondering where you can take a breather after all that. Never! The beauty community is over saturated with releases and it’s hard to keep up. I admit I’m getting overwhelmed with the new stuff coming out, heck with Christmas items already out there it it’s not giving a chance for a breath of fresh air. Norlina did mention that the reason why she has been releasing items back to back is due to the demand by retailers and how they are saying the customers want new items. Not really! I think we need a break in between. I remembered when I first got into makeup I was able to get new items once to twice a month and even watch reviews before I buy on my dad’s next paycheck. I am admitting that I used to have my dad buy my makeup and not getting into too much detail either, I was just the daddy’s girl. Anyways, I felt like even drugstore brands weren’t pumping out so much as much Colour Pop has been lately. So in other words a lot of brands are losing touch and losing it bad.

One thing I have noticed is that with the pumping out product the formula suffers a lot as in the formula is not as pigmented as it used to be. One good example is now Makeup Revolution. I love this brand since they were known as the brand that dupe big pallets and I admit I have some of them, one of them is of course the Light & Shade and use that for work when I do and now it feels like they’re putting so much that their eye shadow formula is not as great as it used to be. I see some videos talking about the Shook Pallet and someone did say it was not really pigmented. I have this pallet and hoping it’s pigmented since there are times where it is pigmented for some people while others not so much. Another example is of course Too Faced even though I feel like they have taken breaks in between release this year but their formula has suffered a bit. I remembered how they did one release to the next and so many people saw that the formula was not like how well the Chocolate Bars are formulated and best examples were the Power of Makeup pallet, the Chocolate Chip pallets, the Chocolate Shoppe, and of course the Too Faced side of the Better Together pallet with Kat Von D! Jeffree Starr may have said in his newer documentary is due to how they sold themselves to Estee Lauder but to me it’s that they released so much within months of each other that it felt from what I’ve seen in reviews that they didn’t test it out while making it before they released it to the public. One example was Power of Makeup and I did like that pallet but I do notice the pigmentation issues that I have to dig into it. I am pretty selective with what I buy from them and I admit I bought two of the Christmas 2019 releases and will be testing those on YouTUbe.

Another example I have seen and it’s becoming a bigger trend is where brands uptake their biggest best seller of a shade and release it into other items as time goes on. Nars is really guilty of this because they have done it with their shade Orgasm which is a blush shade that everyone knows and loves. They have made it into a mini version to a big one and even a limited edition collection alone. Now it feels like Kat Von D is doing it with the lipstick shade Lolita which she did it as a blush/shadow and to be a full on shadow pallet and now a sequel to it when she has yelled at Nars for selling to China. I only bought one Nars blush and that was a different shade from Orgasm because I felt like it was too much of a hyped product to buy. It’s great that a brand has a bestselling item but they shouldn’t turn it into so many other things because it bores the consumer and it can cause a loss in interest in that item. Even my best buddy Vivi found the Lolita pallet boring when he loves KVD himself! Heck, someone did suggest Champagne Pop to me and I didn’t buy it because it felt like I didn’t want to be a part of that overhype when Jacklyn Hill was the face of Becca and decided to go for other peachy highlighters that I can enjoy and they came from brands I have loved for a long time which I admit Colour Pop is one of them and of course Maybelline since I feel like they are thrown aside. Which brings me to the next point!

Finally, I feel like some of the brands that have been long time favorites are being thrown to the wayside and being forgotten. I admit I have done that with some of my old favorite brands like Maybelline but have been getting back into them because they were there when I started getting into makeup. Heck, I have been getting back into Revlon after seeing them in one of the top lists in Allure for best lip tints and I could see why and that it’s so good! The brand I’ve noticed that has been brought to the top of all has been Morphe for many years! Even though they’re just a privately owned version of Crown Brushes but a lot of influencers have been promoting Morphe for the longest time, pass out codes, and so much more. Heck, Jacklyn Hill always pushes them like crazy and it feels like with that push from Morphe that we lose touch of our favorite brands of all. I felt like I rarely see anyone talk about Makeup Geek, NYX, and even some more indie brands that are out there due to how much people were getting into Morphe. To me I kind of feel like once that brand gets bigger and once someone tries it it’s not that great. I even mentioned I found the brushes just okay not the best because I get brushes from other brands and even in my subscriptions that I enjoy due to quality and how good it feels, I admit one of the Morphe brushes in the vegan set did tickle me when no other brush does.

Whew! That was a lot to cover because I want to see a break in between releases because I felt that I can see what will be coming and also be able to play with the pallets in between and that is why Urban Decay has been a favorite of mine due to how many months in between they allow to let people play with their makeup. I mean Naked Reloaded was released in February then Game of Thrones around May leading into June and finally Naked Honey released last month and of course in between Naked Honey and Game of Thrones we did get Stay Naked foundation which they released a lot of shades for more consideration of people’s undertones. If I see the trend continuing for Urban Decay we will probably see their next item probably around January or February which excites fans a lot more than most other brands. Heck, Coastal Scents really waits for a year and a half before doing anything new from what I’ve seen. Still brands should at least give their fans a break and just slow down because if they keep speeding up more people are not going to care about their stuff as much as they used to and plus sometimes the formula will suffer if they’re not too careful with testing it to see how it shows on someone’s lid. And of course, no more of the same shade because that has been all done before!

Well guys that is it for this post! I know it was a bit of a wordy one but had to get my thoughts out there. So, next time I will have the next book review and now waiting on my box subscriptions to come in. Until next time!

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by moonleopard85 on October 10, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty, Response and Opinion

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 10, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/10/10/the-beauty-quadrant-brands-losing-touch-with-reality-response/

The Book Quadrant: By Light of Hidden Candles by. Daniella Levviee

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! I am back with a new book review!

By Light of Hidden Candles by. Daniella Levee

Disclaimer: This review is based on thoughts and opinions of the lead writer. Please respect her thoughts on this book that was an advanced reader’s copy through NetGalley.

In the Jewish Quarter of Fez during Sixteenth Century, an ailing mother hands her daughter a heavy ring that has a major significance and a message to return it to the person who gave it to her until five hundred years later, Alma, a college student, goes into a program that has her going to Spain with a project from her grandmother to not only return a ring but find out the roots about her family. Before the trip, she ends up with meeting Manuel, a Catholic who joins the program, to be her study partner but he gets a warning not to get too close to Alma due to her Jewish heritage.

Once in Madrid, the two not only go into archives to find the clues behind their family but their friendship grows and hints of Manuel’s own feelings towards Jewish people start to grow as well and he starts questioning about his own faith and what he wants to do once he’s graduated from college. While Alma, on the other hand, she tries to piece the clues that they find about her family and any connections they may have such as a person with the name of Leon in the files that they were given and that Manuel’s ancestor may have clues and tie INS with hers.

Thoughts: So, this book kind of felt like The Confectioner’s Tale which that book gave present and past like with this one in how it was written except you have two characters for the present and one for the past. We get to see the story with the character Miriam and how she went through the Spanish Inquisition and how she escaped it and then it links Alma and Manuel together with what they are doing in present time to link the story in why the ring was given to Alma’s ancestor in the first place. I did also enjoy some of the more comedic parts since it does deal with the religious aspects both Alma and Manuel go through. For instance in the start of the book before Alma had to leave for Spain she is celebrating Passover with family. I also felt like I heard the record stop when she mentions Manuel being Catholic with all the music and how her family feels about it. I also did like how everyone Manuel meets kind of act scared of Alma and what she may do to him but during the story she did try to not get so deep By Light of Hidden Candles by. Daniella Levvieinto their friendship with each other even though she was jealous of one of her roommates having coffee with Manuel. I kind of felt like those points were kind of a normal thing for college students to go through. Heck, I did have a bit of a jealous reaction when one of my brother’s gal pals tried to have a bit of a flirt with Gondras a long time ago. Got to love jealousy. Anyways, I did love the parts with Miriam and how she and her father were being tracked down especially to the safe place where they were being kept, it was like how the Holocaust took place during World War II and how even before that Jewish people had to be hidden. It did get pointed out during one of the Manuel chapters that things have changed for the better when it came to Jewish communities around the world after he finally meets a relative that was related to his dead grandmother and he wondered why they excommunicated her.

Rating: 5 Star Paw Prints Out of 5! This was a very good book and it took the switch from present to past very well. I did find it heartwarming at certain points in the book and pretty sad as well. I do like the pairing between Alma and Manuel due to how they have really good chemistry even when Manuel shown up at Alma’s grandmother’s shop the first time. Also it was even more heartwarming while reading Miriam’s side of the story since that does link everything together. The theme of this book being “You don’t know who you are until you find the pieces” fits with the entire story and how it was written. I hope I get to read more books by Levee since it was a really well put together piece and enjoyed it. I will link you guys to the book so you can also check it out!

That is it for this review! I do have another one since I am reading Mimi Jean’s newest book and will be starting on another after that. Until next time!

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by moonleopard85 on October 6, 2019  •  Link  •  Permalink
Posted in Books, Reviews

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 6, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/10/06/the-book-quadrant-by-light-of-hidden-candles-by-daniella-levviee/

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