Geek Chic It's Dangerous To Go Alone Collection Swatches

I received this in the mail on Saturday (which is when I'm writing this post), and I couldn't wait to open and swatch it! This isn't really a "review" post, as I haven't used any of these shades on my eyes yet, but I definitely got a feel for them when I swatched them!

If you're not familiar with Geek Chic Cosmetics, I gave kind of an overview of who there are in this post.

The description from Geek Chic for the collection is as follows: You ever want to set fire to a random bush on the side of road to see if it leads to a dungeon or some old man selling stuff at incredibly inflated prices? Us too.

I grew up with the Legend of Zelda being played in my home. I loved to play Ocarina of Time (especially the fishing part), and my little brother is a huge fan! So I couldn't resist when I saw this set was on sale last month.

The Dangerous To Go Alone Set includes 5 eyeshadows based on the Legend of Zelda. As with my other post, all descriptions of the product are taken directly from the Geek Chic Cosmetics product page to ensure accuracy. And as with the other post, the Left swatch is dry, and the Right swatch is wet.



I love the packaging!!!

Chosen One



Description: Chosen One is a deep emerald green with tons of gold and green sparkle. It is so intense and beautiful we're sure you won't mind dropping a few of your hard earned rupees to take it home with you! This product is NOT lip safe.





I really wish the sparkle was more visible, because this shade may overshadow The Righteous Man as my favorite, most flattering green. I wonder if they'd actually wear well together? I'll have to give it a try!


Desert Chic



Description: Desert Chic is a deep rusty red with fiery red sparkle. This product is NOT lip safe.





I was a little afraid of this color when I saw it on the website, but in seeing it in person, it's not as scary as I thought it would be. I don't know that I'll be using this all over my lids or under my eyes at all, but I can see using it a little on the outer corners, or maybe mixed with something else.


Excuuse Me, Princess!



Description: Excuse Me, Princess is a soft purple with violet interference, and gold shimmer. It's an awesome color for the gamer chick on the girly side.




This came with a little bit of a mess- it was unopened, but there was some spillage. I'm not too upset about that, though, because it was only spilled inside of the container, not in the package with the other shadows.





This is really pretty. I wish the gold shimmer was coming through more on the swatch! You can see a better swatch over on Oh That Jenna's blog. I am really thinking about creating a nail polish with this color.


Power, Wisdom, Courage



Description: Power Wisdom Courage is a beautiful gilded yellow-gold with bunches of shimmer and golden sparkle. Makes a bold statement and goes great with green and hazel eyes!





The shimmer in this shadow is gorgeous! Again, this was a shade I was a little afraid of, but I think I can work with it!


Twilight Princess




Description: Twilight Princess is a stunning gunmetal/green duo-chrome. Pictures do not do this shadow justice! Great for an earthy smokey eye! Can used wet for a fierce eyeliner! This product is NOT lip safe.





Another shade I cannot wait to put on my eyes. And again, the swatch does not do this justice. Mine leans more gunmetal, but I think the green duochrome brings something so special to the shadow.


Of all the shades, I recommend Twilight Princess and Chosen One if you want to purchase them separately.

You can purchase the complete collection from the Geek Chic website for $23.96, or each individual shade is available for $5.99.

I did end up purchasing the Witchcraft and Wizardry collection, and will be posting a review on that next month!


FTC: I purchased this collection with my own money. I am not affiliated with Geek Chic cosmetics. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bare Escentuals Beauty Surprise Collection Unboxing

A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail from Bare Escentuals telling me they were going to be releasing a Surprise Beauty Box. My understanding is they also did one last year. For $50.00, it said you could get 14 pieces worth $255.00, including an original foundation. I ran out of my Bare Minerals foundation quite awhile ago and have been wanting another, so I figured what the heck, and ordered it!

Overall, I am happy I ordered! I received quite a few things I am excited to use!
I wasn't too happy, though, when I got my shipment confirmation and it told me everything that was in the box! Way to ruin the surprise, BE. But, I was still happy when I read what was contained.

I felt like my order got here pretty quickly, and was actually a couple of days early!



When I opened the box, it looked like this! I felt like everything was packaged in there very well.

The first thing I pulled out is the Get Started Kit ($60.00 value). The original foundation was also included, and I chose the shade Fairly Light. I've used this shade for a long time so I knew it was the one that I should get!





When I first got into Bare Minerals, I bought a Get Started Kit, but I love that it comes with a Brush Shampoo now! I've never owned a shampoo for brushes specifically (I usually just used baby shampoo), so this will be nice to try out.
The kit came with the brush shampoo, Warmth, Original Foundation in Fairly Light, Original Mineral Veil, a Flawless Face brush, the Full Flawless Face brush, the Max Coverage Concealer brush, and a booklet and CD showing how to use the foundation. I have two concealer brushes and two flawless face brushes from prior purchases, so these I wasn't too excited about. And I'm not a huge fan of warmth, and usually give it to a friend of mine, but I might hang onto this one. We'll see!




(I couldn't get a good swatch of Mineral Veil, but it's just a translucent powder.)





This is all you would need to do your whole face. This is actually probably too much for me.



It's a little orange-ish on my skin. I'm just not a huge fan of the product, but I still might play with it a bit. It's been quite a few years since I've used it, and I'm a lot better at applying makeup than I was before.



Fairly Light is a great match for my skintone, and I've been using it for years! If you've been in my 'What's in my makeup bag?' posts, you would know I've been using the L'oreal Mineral Foundation. And I do really like that and it's comparable, but this is still my absolute favorite powder foundation.



This is what I tend to use for my whole face. You really don't need that much. And it does build up if you feel like you need more coverage (which on some days I do, but for the most part I'm just putting on enough to make myself feel a little more covered up).



I put this on quite heavy to show the swatch, but this is absolutely a match for my skin tone. I just love it!



This is a pretty good concealer brush.



I really like this brush for putting the mineral veil on over my foundation. I feel like it gives the perfect coverage, and it's very soft.



I have three of these now. I sometimes will use it if I want a lighter blush application, but I almost never use it for foundation.


The next thing included in the box is Pure Radiance, which is meant to be put on the high points of the face. I personally really like it for a blush color.
The sample included was considered Extra Small, and the standard size is Medium, which is $19.00. I'm going to guess this sample is probably worth about $10.00, but that is a generous estimate.





I really, really love this color on myself. I think it's so flattering, and beautiful. I'm so glad this was included in my box- I've actually been wanting to try this for years and just never have purchased it.

The next item is the Flawless Definition Mascara. I've used the Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara, but never the regular version!



The box included a 0.16 fl oz sample, and the standard size is 0.33 fl oz, so it was a little less than half of the full size. The standard size is worth $18.00, so I'll say the sample is worth half that- $9.00.

I have used this mascara, and I really enjoy it. It reminds me a lot of the Too Faced Lash Injection mascara, in the way it performs. It really separated my lashes, and it is very black. Not at all like the volumizing, which is more of a subtle black.

The next item included is the Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow in the shade "The Phenomenon".





This isn't available on the bareMinerals website, but is available from Sephora and is valued at $20.00. It's a full size, as well!





I'm not super impressed with Azure Iris- I wore it on my eyes one day and just wasn't impressed with the pigmentation or color. But I really, really like Golden Iris! I used a touch in my crease for a neutral look and it really warmed the whole area up.


The next thing I opened was in it's own package.



It's the bareMinerals Eye Club in The Basics. It includes an eyeshadow brush, and three shadows.



The colors included are Pearl Sateen, Smoky Sage, and Graphite.



I can't even find this on sale, but the other kits available on the website are valued at $24.99. I'm not sure if this is an old product, or something that is going to be released soon, but I couldn't find any information at the time of this post.



The brush is excellent for blending, especially for the crease.



I enjoy the colors enough, but they're not exactly unique. I think I'll enjoy the Pearl Sateen for a lid color.


The last two products are what I would consider samples- it's not something I would pay for, so it doesn't have a value to me. It is basically something I would get for placing any order, or as a free sample with purchase.



I was initially very excited about this sample- I've never tried their Ready foundation and was looking forward to giving it a try. Until I saw the shade they selected for me.



What? Didn't I put my skintone preference in for my kit? I sure did! And this definitely isn't it!



I think they really dropped the ball on including this sample in this kit. I can't wear this shade, at all. It would have been more beneficial to send me the shade I ordered, so I could actually work with it and see if I'd like to purchase this foundation, instead of the original foundation. Or even in addition to.

The other sample they included was two foil packets of the Naturally Luminous Duo for Combination Skin.





I haven't used this yet, but I might, however, it's not really enough to give me an idea of how it will work.


Overall, this surprise box had an actual value of $123.99- nowhere near the value of $255.00. I'm sure they considered each piece it's own separate value when quoting this figure, but I value all the pieces as a whole- if it's part of a kit, it gets a kit price. I think they really should have included a full size of the skin care products to up the value.
I do think I will use everything, but I'm not sure that I will be ordering this box again. Even though it is valued for more than I paid, it's not the price I was quoted, so it is a little disappointing.


FTC: I purchased this box with my own money. 

Book Review: Escaping Reality (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen #1) by Lisa Renee Jones

(I received this book to review from NetGalley.)

Description from Good Reads 
Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.

At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run.

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes? 

My Review 
Let me start off this review by saying this is an erotic novel. There is a lot of sex. There is more sex than plot in this book.  
I didn't do much research on this book- I was just auto-approved to read it when I signed up for NetGalley. So I was a little surprised when all the sex started happening, to say the least.

And then, the comparisons in my head begin. "Oh, wow, this is a lot like Fifty Shades of Grey", I thought to myself. And I continued to think the same thing all throughout the book. Dominant male character, submissive female, worried friend, quick sex, secrets... just so many comparisons.

Not that that is a bad thing- I actually enjoyed the first book of that series (I gave it a four star rating on Good Reads). But this book didn't remind me of the first book in Fifty Shades, it reminded me more of the second. Not as good. But still a three star rating. And then it started to remind me of the third, which I gave a whopping two star review. One of my lowest reviews.

I enjoyed some of Escaping Reality. And not just the sex parts (honestly, I skimmed a lot of that because it was all the same phrasing, and I like a little more variety), but what part of the plot there actually was. I felt at times the plot was only used to drive the sex, which isn't a bad thing, but when you're writing towards a secret (the main character has a new identity, but we don't know why), there should be at least a peak of interest. 
And I lost interest about 60% of the way through when I thought to myself that I would get no answers by the end of this book. And I was right.

I know nothing. I know tiny pieces- I know about Liam's Dad, I get that Lara (aka Amy)'s father was an archaeologist, and something happened with a fire, but I have no clue who it was or what happened that had her parent's killed and her go into hiding. I don't know if Jared (her neighbor), or Meg (secretary at an office she was "hired" to work at) are in on anything, though I have my suspicions they definitely do. We also don't know if Liam really knows anything.

I just wanted a tiny sliver of an answer. And I got nothing! Which is why I don't consider this review to have spoilers- because there really wasn't a lot I could spoil.
With all of this said, I will most likely check out the second book, Infinite Possibilities (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen #2). I do want to know what's going on. It hooked me enough for that. And also, the fact that it's a series of books and you really can't only read one, right??


You can purchase a paperback copy of this book from amazon.com here, or a copy for Kindle by clicking the following link - Escaping Reality (New Adult contemporary Romance) (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen).



FTC: I received this book to review from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post does contain amazon.com affiliate links. All proceeds from purchases will be put back into this blog to purchase products to review.

Pinspiration: Simple but pretty nail art

I'm sure you all have noticed by now that I love nail polish. I also love nail art. But I am not any kind of artist, and cannot do any kind of nail art at all! So when I look at some of the nail art on pinterest, I typically pin the ones I think I might actually be able to do!
(Of course, if you go on my Beauty pin board, you'll see complex ones, too, but I don't actually think I can do those. I just think they are pretty!)

I have been doing plain nails for too long- I think it's time to try some new stuff! Here are some designs I found on pinterest that I think even I can manage!
(As always, if you click on the picture, it will take you to the pin so you can pin it to your boards. And please visit the blogs the pins come from- support other bloggers!)



This is cute and seems simple enough! I know to make hearts you basically make three dots and then connect them.




With football season coming up, I can definitely see myself attempting this! I even have a white line polish I can use!




Nail art. With a straw. It doesn't get much more simple than that!




This also seems simple enough- just alternate the base and the dot colors!




A step-by-step guide! I don't even think I can mess this one up!


Hope you all found some inspiration from the above photos! I'm off to paint my nails!!

This Month in Nails - August

Here is what I wore on my nails in August.

Orly in Rose Pixel
I bought this at the same time I bought Orly in Mysterious Curse (seen on this post), on sale. This is really similar to Sally Hansen in Time to Shine and Orly's own polish, Rage, but it is more rose gold, and also has some great big circle glitters. I will probably frequently wear this polish, so don't be surprised if it pops up again later!



I just love how glittery and beautiful it is! I just want it to live on my nails!



I think this picture shows the bigger glitters better- you can see it at the top of the bottle.

Orly in Sparkling Garbage
This is one of those polishes that I just knew I had to have the minute I saw swatches coming out. For the color, and the name.  Do any of you get as obsessed about polish names as I do? I love a good creative name.



I cannot get over this polish! This is three coats, but it could have been opaque in two. I just kind of kept going- I was mesmerized by the sparkle!

And my ring finger nail is finally starting to grow out some. Yes!

Avon in Fusion

I used this nail polish last month, but I was looking for something a little more neutral to wear to my first day at my new job- even though I was pretty sure my new boss wouldn't mind a colored polish, you can never be too sure!
Sorry for the crappy picture- I forgot to take one and then as I was going to take it off, I remembered to snap a pic. It was already dark outside, so I couldn't take one in the sun.



As I stated in last month's post, this color was one of the first I bought when I really started to get into nail polish, and it is still one of my favorites. I just love Avon polishes!

Sally Hansen in Please Sea Me with an accent nail of Sally Hansen Mermaid's Tale

I received Please Sea Me in my Allure Fall Beauty Box, and I couldn't wait to use it! It is unlike any other blue I own, and I own quite a few blues!





I really like the color combo of these two, and will probably wear this again at some point. I still want to try Mermaid's Tale over black, as well.

Avon Coral Bikini with an accent nail of China Glaze It's a Trap-eze!

Coral Bikini is a polish that I really should have worn a lot more this summer- it is such a fun, bright color!




I made a mistake using It's a Trap-eze! as the accent nail. It didn't work as well as I had hoped it would. It was still cute and fun, but not what I was hoping for.



As you can see, I had some major wear problems with this as well- this was taken two days after application. Overall, I was just not pleased with this combo.

Zoya in Aurora

This is probably my favorite polish that I own right now. It's purple, and it's sparkly. And it looks amazing on my nails!



It has a great formula, wears extremely well (like all of the Zoya polishes I own), and is so freaking beautiful I almost can't stand it.
If I was going to lose all but one of my nail polishes, this would be the one I would decide to keep.


Aurora took me right into the end of August! I'm already planning on trying out some simplish nail art for next month, so look out for that! Thanks for reading!

Amazon.com Kindle Monthly Book Deals, $3.99 or less for September 2013

Some of you may or may not have a Kindle. I apologize if you don't, but these posts are for anyone with either access to a Kindle or a way to get the app downloaded.

Every month, Amazon sells books for $3.99 or less that typically cost more. I have been able to purchases some really great books from these sales, and always check on the first of the month. I also check their daily deals as often as I can remember.

This month there are six books that I am recommending. I have not read them all (I actually think I've only read one of them), but some I really want to, based on the descriptions and reviews.


Enclave by Ann Aguirre ($2.99 - 70% off print list price)
I only gave this story a 3 star review on Good Reads, but I still liked it enough and want to read the rest of the series. The second book is out, and the third book is coming out in October, which is probably why this is on sale now. The story is a dystopian young-adult novel (which, as I have pointed out before, I love!) about a colony of people that live underground because of "freaks"- which are basically zombies. It mainly revolves around a girl and a guy (don't they always), and them getting kicked out of the colony and having to exist "topside".

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern ($1.99 - 88% off print list price)
I have not read this book, but I used to read his twitter all the time and thought it was hilarious. And on both Amazon and Good Reads the book has four stars, and the good reviews I've read are extremely helpful (all the bad reviews are about the dad being a jerk- clearly they don't understand the concept of the book).

The Laws of Gravity by Liz Rosenberg ($1.99 - 87% off print list price)
I have not read this book, either, but from all of the reviews I've read on this book, it seems quite similar in style to Jodi Picoult, who I am a huge fan of. The book itself is about a family in which one of the cousins in sick, and the other promised her his babies cord blood, but then takes back the promise, so the other cousin takes him to court. It just seems like such an interesting premise!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith ($3.99 - 69% off print list price)
I haven't read this book by Grahame-Smith, but I really enjoyed Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, so I might enjoy this. Although, I have never read Pride and Prejudice. But if you have, maybe you'll enjoy this take!

Dairy Queen by Katherine Gilbert Murdock ($1.99 - 78% off print list price)
I've heard such great things about this series of books! I've heard they're great for both young boys and girls, and are a lot of fun. All of the books in the series (there are 3) have four stars on both Amazon and Good Reads. I've heard the main character in the book is very well written and extremely relatable, which is always nice.

Gods, Demigods, and Demons: An Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology by Bernard Evslin ($1.99 - 91% off print list price)
Who doesn't love Greek Mythology? This seems like it would be a good reference guide!




There are 202 other books available, and all of them will be available at reduced prices until the end of September.


FTC: All opinions are my own. This post does not contain any affiliate links, the links are for your reference only. This post is not sponsored by Amazon.com or any subsidiary of Amazon, I just love my Kindle and wanted to share my love of a great deal!

Extra Post: Book Review: The Anthony Brothers #2 - Lost Love by Harmony Bryce

(I received this book with no obligation to review from the author)

Description from Amazon.com
It ALL started with spilled champagne...

When Markus Anthony accidentally bumps into the stunning Savannah at his brother's wedding, he gets more than just a soaking wet tuxedo. 

In that instance, a love he believed to be forever lost is sparked anew. 
She's more beautiful than ever, and her kiss sends him into a passionate delirium.

But there's trouble ahead...

Will his foolish ways cause him to lose Savannah once and for all?
And who is the strange man Savannah's been talking to in the middle of the night?

My Review
This was a cute, quick read. And by quick, I mean in length- it's only 57 pages! I am not one to typically read the shorter stories on Amazon, but I think this book changed that.

The book is about Markus and Savannah. They were in a relationship in high school, but broke up, and then reconnected at Markus' brother's wedding. Things quickly escalate, they move in together, Markus gets a promotion at work, and then becomes too busy to spend time with Savannah. Basically, the book deals with them coming together and compromising, and developing their relationship.

For a quick read, it was still very good. I only wish the story was longer so things could be more developed! I want to know more about Savannah and Monique's dance and company they want to run! I want to know even more about the brother's past and how they were adopted! Maybe this is covered in the first story? I'm not sure, but I may have to look into purchasing it to find out!

I thought this book was very real- it felt like I was reading the journal of someone that was relaying someone's real life relationship experiences. And I really enjoy a romance book like that.

If you like a real quick, but fun, read, I highly recommend you check this out. It's $0.99 on amazon.com, so you don't really have much to lose, even if it's not for you. But I think if you enjoy romance novels, this would be right up your alley.


FTC: I received this book from the author with no obligation to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.