Butter- Nail Polish

Potentials!

I don't normally do products, I typically like to stick to activities when I'm reviewing, but this nail polish deserved to be included in my blog.

I don't know if you've ever heard of Butter London Nail Polish, I certainly hadn't. Not until I was casually reading some beauty magazine and there was an article labeled, 20 Best Beauty Buys Under 20, or something like that. They had the Butter London Sheer Wisdom Nail Tinted Moisturizer listed and after reading a little bit about their "rave review" I figured it was worth a shot.

Guys, this is the best nail polish I have probably ever used.

Granted it isn't really a polish per-say but it is perfect for my short, stubby fingers. I purchased this in the light tint color and it matches my skin tone perfectly. My nails feel extremely soft to the touch but I can tell they are already toughing up with moisture. The color is sleek and shiny and the best news? It hasn't chipped once in my insane race across the keyboards. Chipping has always been my complaint when painting my nails, that is why I typically avoid nail polish on my fingers. This product comes in six awesome shades, that can match any skin tone nicely. For instance, I would typically pick out fair because I am extremely pale, but my local store was out. I picked up light and I liked it just as much! It looks very natural and adds just a hint of color that can hid any discrepancies with my nails.

On my scale of awesomeness I would give this product a 10. 

Very rare, but so far this product deserves it. [I'll keep you updated if that changes over time] I can't speak to the quality of their colored polishes, but their moisturizers are amazing.

I would recommend this product if you have fragile nails, short, stubby fingers (like me) and are not fond of colored polishes on your hands but still want to look polished.

I would not recommend this product if you are on a strict budget and do not like to splurge on beauty items. Although this is under $20, coming in at $18 before tax, it is still extremely spendy for a nail polish. Most I've come across only run you a couple bucks, but you also get what you pay for.

If you would like to purchase this product I would recommend purchasing at Ulta. They have an awesome return policy that basically says if you don't like it return it (there are of course stipulations so be sure to double check it on their website). They are my go to for expensive beauty buys because of this. Here's the link: BUTTER LONDON Sheer Wisdom Nail Tinted Moisturizer

Truthwitch By: Susan Dennard- A Novel

Hello Potentials!

I have a good one for you today!

I just finish Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. Woo-wee. This one was an action-packed, ass-kicking fantasy. With a strong lead female duo (you read that right, they are BFF's and are rocking the girl code) and some extremely memorable men this book leaves you waiting for the next one (even though this one just came out! Sad-face. ) 

Safiya and Iseult are threadsisters- an unbreakable bond where one would die for the other/ visa-versa. They are smart, capable, relate-able and strong. Not to mention, they get into trouble. 

Here's the books summary on Amazon.com: 

"On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a "witchery," a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble--as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It's a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her--but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi's hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship's captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch."

Yes, it is as good as it sounds.

Although there were a few spots that left me feeling this was a tiny bit cliche and I couldn't quite understand why a Truthwitch was more powerful than a witch that could manipulate freaking metal, the powerful female leads and my love of their chosen interests kept me reading and willing to buy the next book in the series. The story is fairly unique and the characters were easy to picture as real.

On my scale of awesomeness, I would give this one an 8. 

I would recommend this book for anyone whose been wishing for a best friend dream team to kick some butt in an action packed fantasy novel. This is slammed packed with adventure, fighting, magic and anticipation. It also has some very distinct characters that you are sure to remember past the last page.

I would not recommend this book if you do not like far-fetched ideas (since this book is highly magic based), cliff-hangers or insta-romance. 

*Side note* I will defend the romance in the fact that I, personally, thought it was believable. But I know some action-y, fantasy people do not like the fallen in love in one book feeling. So I'm putting the disclaimer in for them. 

Here is where you can purchase this novel: Truthwitch

10 Cloverfield Lane- The Movie

Hello Potentials!

Over the weekend I had a night where nothing was expected of me so I decided to scroll through my local theaters movies. There were a couple I considered but after chatting with my husband and nephew (who was staying with us) we settled on seeing 10 Cloverfield Lane. Now, this movie is not linked to or a sequel of any other that I know of. When seeing the trailer, both before we chose a movie this weekend and while watching Deadpool, I thought it looked spectacular. 

The trailer opens with an average looking family playing board games, doing a puzzle, eating dinner, but then drifts into scenes of a girl trying to escape a bunker. Watch the trailer here: 10 Cloverfield Lane

When I first saw this I thought it was going to be a crime or horror film, neither of which do I watch all that often. To my surprise it was listed by www.Fandango.com as a Sci-Fi Thriller. That is exactly up my alley, so I was ready to love this film by the brief (and non-informative) summary, movie category and the awesome trailer. 

Today, I am still unsure if I left feeling the same way.

The movie was missing some major plotting for me and at times was dull in its effort to keep you guessing. You're right one second, think you're wrong the next and then right again. It was frustratingly pulling at my intelligence, not to mention it was really, really loud. The noise level was distracting because it didn't really add to the movie like you would anticipate a thriller to do. 

And don't get me started on the Sci-Fi portion.

Just a hint of warning, if you are a sci-fi buff and you love your movies to be up to par in this subject, I would skip this one. The movie is only sci-fi-y the last 15 minutes-- if that. That part truly frustrated me, because I was expecting some serious world building, that didn't happen. 

On my grand scale of awesomeness this movie rates at a 5. 

My rating stands on the fact that it does keep you guessing (even if you're constantly being pushed back and forth), the cast (John freaking Goodman, people) is pretty awesome and the movie had potential. It just didn't live up to it. 

I recommend waiting for this to come out on DVD/Blu Ray since at home you can control the volume and if you don't like it, it only costs you a few bucks. 

I do not recommend going to see this if you are expecting killer plotting/lots of sci-fi/fast-paced action. This is not the movie for you. 

About Review 229

Hello Potentials (that's YOU)!

I'm a writer. A reader. A movie watcher. A foodie. An adventurous. 

Basically, my husband and I like to do. We are do-ers. And with the turf of doing, comes major fails. We try a new restaurant that takes over an hour to get food. I read a book that has so many grammatical errors, I feel like an editor. I went to an awesome hiking spot to find that there's a line getting up it. It happens to the best of us.My goal is to stop it from happening to you. My potentials. 

That's what makes you a potential. You're thinking about doing something, but aren't quite sold. You potentially would like to do business somewhere or read something or watch it. So, for you my friends, I will endure to tell you what I think about it (with help from my ever-loving, thick-witted husband). 

I will rate things on my "scale of awesomeness" which will consist of a rating between 1 & 10. This gives me enough of a range to really help you decide if something is worth it to you. 

I will give my pros/cons and what I recommend and do not recommend about this product. For instance, if I eat at a place that has a great appetizer but a crappy dinner, I may recommend drinks and appetizers but no full dinners. 

I'll also be sure to point out the experience, if there was some other factors that were hindering/enhancing my experience (such as a rowdy customer or a comped meal) and try to give pointers for the types of people I think would/would not enjoy it (like if you're a video game nerd you'll love this arcade). 

If there is anything you want included in my reviews, please let me know! If you have questions? Comment on the post and I will answer them as best as I can. I want to make this process as easy and informative as I possibly can. 

Also, if you have any questions or items you would like me to test please email me: 229review@gmail.com

I look forward to sharing with you all!

Samantha