Hello Shiquers and welcome back to Nerdy Shique Universe! It is that time again! It’s Favorites time and this time it’s November and December! Damn this year is flying and 2015 is right around the corner! What do I have this time? Well, I have been using a lot of stuff while I was off in Daytona since I had to buy things I needed and tried new stuff, even have a few fave stuff from Ipsy! Let’s see what I got!

Ulta

Beauty Treasures Set! First fave of the month is the Beauty Treasures Blockbuster set that was purchased a month ago! I really love this set because it came in a nice caboodle travel case and it had three layers to it! The first layer contains an eye shadow pallet of 54 shadows I believe from cream shades to sparkles, which have a nice transition shade or wear on their own, and then smoky for that dawning for a night out! Then the second layer contains a highlighter, bronzer, powder, two shadow primers, which I use whenever I use this set, two double ended eye pencils, two lipsticks, and two lip glosses! And the final layer contains crystal eye shadows, gel liners, six of them to be exact, eyebrow powders, and an eye shadow quad! Yeah, that sounds a lot but worth it! I love Ulta’s blockbuster sets because they are affordable and contain a lot of stuff and very easy to travel with when on the go or staying someplace, or to be that make up artist you want to be! What sucks is that this set is no longer available, I think they sold out or not making it anymore but I would point you to EBay which a lot of people tend to sell the sets. I would also keep a look out if you want to scower the website! Plus, they do make more blockbusters in every few months! Which I did find this one better than the Glam and Go one that I almost bought and it was the newest, but this one had the better value and stuff and it did give me a nice golden and sparkly look for holiday gatherings! Which is another nice thing, you can use the crystal shadows and highlighter for holiday looks!

Cream blushes in Berry Glow and Pink Glow! One thing I like about Ulta’s make up line is that they tend to have good sales on their products even if people go nuts at the Altamonte location sometimes, like the buy one get one free that happened yesterday and might still go on, still they have good deals! Around the time I came home for Thanksgiving, Ulta had their items for $5 and I went a little crazy and two of the things I got and been liking are their cream blushes in Pink Glow and Berry Glow! These things are pigmented and they are lightweight! As in, you don’t have to use too much to apply and I tend to use a tapered brush from a set I got at WalMart and it goes on smoothly that way! It does add a nice glow and doesn’t feel cakey and this is one item I want to get more of. So hoping it doesn’t get discontinued like the cheek stains!

Star Looks

Crystal Eyeliner in Ultra Olive! An item from Ipsy that I loved and still using is the Crystal Eyeliner pencil by Star Looks in Ultra Olive! I was actually happy that I got this in my bag last month and couldn’t wait to try it while waiting my chance to head back home for Thanksgiving to play with my Ipsy goodies! This pencil glides on very smoothly and it looks great with earthy greens and the Esmeralda eye shadow I swapped for during October. I may have to find the Obsidian pencil that Star Looks made that did come in bags before since I did try swapping for that but was out of luck and one Ipster changed their mind on me at very last minute, but Star Looks makes good stuff and I love this liner! Not sure if I will purchase it when I run out, that is a big maybe, at least I got to try it out!

Be A Bombshell

Volumizing Mascara! Another Ipsy goody and it’s from the October bag and that is the volumizing mascara from October! I don’t get why some Ipsters complain about some of the items that show up in their bags and October had the biggest complaints by what I saw and this month’s, even though it was an okay bag I admit, this was one product I did love! I never tried Be a Bombshell before and glad that Ipsy and BoxyCharm (I am a subscriber of them as well) have products for members to try out. I was glad that I got the mascara and it makes my lashes feel soft and make them longer! Also this was a full size product and glad to get it. I am hoping I get more mascaras from this brand since they are good, I was even glad to try out a liquid lipstick by them through BoxyCharm.

Ofra Cosmetics

Eye Shadow Ipsy Me Offer! Another item I got through Ipsy but through their Ipsy Me offers. If you don’t know what that is, it is where Ipsy sells certain things from companies for cheaper prices like this past month they had a Noya lipstick holiday set and even a curling iron as an offer, and so many others. One offer that got my kittiness curious is the Ofra eye pallet that has 20 shadows and it normally would cost everyone $79.99 but that day it was $28 and decided to pick it up! I heard good things about Ofra and I can see why because these shadows are so pigmented and they glide on very smoothly! I did read using a primer will make them pop more and I’m so glad that I did pick up the City Color Primer pot and can’t wait to use that with this pallet! I did use the earth toned shadows with my Star Looks liner for Thanksgiving and did a smoky look with it as well. What was also neat is that these shadows are magnetic, so if you have one of those Z pallets, you can pop them in there or just move them around in this pallet.

Urban Decay

Smoked Pallet! Another great deal I picked up was of course the Urban Decay Smoked pallet! I talked about this in my “Best Ulta Buys” post because the price dropped on this pallet to $29 from its usual $49 price! Why do I like this pallet? Like my Naked Basics pallet, this pallet has easy to glide on shadows and it does come with a nice liner pencil from their 24/7 Glide On Pencil line and a small tube of their primer, which I use with this pallet and the Naked Basics and then my Naked 2 Basics pallet, the colors are amazing! I have fun coming up with nice smoked looks with this thing! Good news people, it is also restocked, so check Ulta and Urban Decay’s website to see if they still have any because this went and sold out quickly and knowing that they restocked since the day or two after Christmas, they will be gone like hotcakes! I would say hurry and get yours!

ELF

Blush in Pink! An ELF product has entered my favorites for this month and that is the pink blush that they make! It is the one that almost looks like an eye shadow compact and I like it! I always ghea good things about ELF’s blushes and knew I had to try them out and since I’m an ELF fan, these guys are amazing with what they make! Even their lip glosses are amazing which I picked up one of their holiday sets for this year. So, way to go ELF!

Band and Song

Born From Ashes! So, lately I’ve been into a new band that I caught at a show recently with my buddies of Traverser and Soul Switch and they are known as Born From Ashes! I never heard of them and didn’t get to see their set because Gondras had work the next morning but did get one of their CDs and listened to them and loved them! Orlando has great music to offer and these are one of those bands that do it! I did want to see Leaving Haven to try them out again but due to how bad traffic was and parking was bad we missed them. At least we got to catch Soul Switch and Traverser! Always next time guys! Born From Ashes, you do get the Paw Print of Approval because you are amazing!

“Strike Back” by Back On! Newest song in Fairy Tail I got addicted to is by a band called Back On and the song is called “Strike Back.” I was happy that these guys did a song for one of my all time fave series since I was a fan of the group from when Air Gear first came out around 2007 with the song “Chain” and they did songs for other anime like Eyeshield 21 and Murder Princess. This one was a surprise and it you guys won’t hear it until Part 14 or was it 15 comes out to America but if you want to hear, you can probably download it. Still support the official release of the anime like I do guys!

Books

Cut and Run by Lara Adrian and Tina Folsom! I recently finished a double book bundle that Lara Adrian and Lisa Folsom wrote and they are the first two books in a new series known as the Phoenix Code and the first two books are known as Cut and Run! Lara wrote Cut while Tina wrote Run and I think that’s how they decided to do it with these books, as in bundling one with the other and Lara writes the odd numbered ones while Tina does the evens since the next two, Hide and Seek will be the same way! This series follows how the Phoenix Project, a group of guys with ESP powers and work for the CIA, are betrayed and get the message through a vision of “Phoenix Down!” and all members hide and try to not be in the open because assassins would go after them. While hiding they do have women that come into their lives and start romances or like Ethan, already started one. The first book, Cut, was the one I liked more than Run because it wasn’t as predictable in my opinion because it shows how old lovers reunite and since now they are both in danger they have to be on the run now! They do meet the two characters in the second book but I felt the story kind of went a bit low towards the middle despite Scott being a great character and how he and Phoebe came to be, I feel Cut had a better story in my opinion. I hope the next two books are as good and four is a bit better than Run because I read the premise of that one it makes me wait for it even more and hoping that has a suspenseful twist like Lara’s book and books. I did find out Lara is going to be releasing her next Midnight Breed novel and novella next year, which I can’t wait to keep reading! I did read Tempted by Midnight and it was okay, not as good as Marked but it did close an open story on one of the other vampires who lost their breedmate, but can’t wait for the next books!

Not-So-Faves

Pixie Dust by Pixie! I had to mention this because not only I had to get a replacement, but it saddened me that there was no glitter in this thing! Apparently this was supposed to be a glittery top coat to cheeks, eyes, and also brows, but Ipsy sent me one without glitter! I had to have Gondras take a look at my swatch and there was nothing and then my dad took a look and nothing, even the vial was empty! I don’t know what happened but I think there are some Pixie vials that didn’t have any glitter. If you guys got this thing in your bags and had the same problem, I would like to know. I hope my replacement has glitter this time! So glad I didn’t fall for the Ipsy Me offer!

Well, that is it for my faves! What is next? Well, the Bests and Worsts of 2014! See ya guys!