Hiding in Sunshine Review

Today I have something a little different.  It isn't beauty related at all.  One of my other obsessions is reading so when I received notification that I was getting a book to review from Influenster as part of my Holiday VoxBox I was really excited.  I can often be found reading a book or curled up with my Kindle.  Since I paint my nails a lot, the Kindle is a little easier to manage with wet nails. 

Now onto the book...Hiding in Sunshine by John and Caitlin Stuart was not typically a book I would have picked up.  I normally read science fiction and paranormal romances.  This book is soundly based in reality with not one otherworldly creature mentioned, which was actually quite refreshing.  Within the first 2 chapters I was immediately reminded of reading Dan Brown's Deception Point and Digital Fortress.  Both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.  They were thrilling, suspenseful, and kept me wondering what was going to happen next.  Hiding in Sunshine delivered the same.  The pace was a little slower than I'm used to but it fit the story.  A faster pace wouldn't have made sense for the plot or fit well with the development of the characters.

Here is a description of the book:

Living lives of quiet affluence in a historic, suburban Boston town, Gavin and Lisa Brinkley had no idea how quickly and decisively their lives, and those of their two young daughters, could be upended. A series of events - a mysterious break-in at their home, some menacing tailgating on the highway from Boston, a startling visit from an F.B.I. agent warning of an imminent kidnapping attempt - leads to the family's abrupt uprooting from its comfortable existence into a terrifying new existence on the run, under new identities. This taut thriller by a father-daughter team follows the eleven-year odyssey of an American family on the run, in hiding through the mountain states of the American west, where survival skills and living off the grid are paramount, but so are friendship, cooperation, and resilience. The enemy, always lurking just out of sight, is a foreign cyber-criminal enterprise that launches breathtaking assaults on the American banking system and physical infrastructure, but the Brinkleys also know that the threat is deeply personal, reaching ever closer to them from the shadows of the past. At the same time, Gavin and Lisa discover the perils of wandering too close to the edges of the dark side, in the murky world of cyber-security. A compelling story of suspense and treachery, HIDING IN SUNSHINE is also a celebration of a family's abiding love and courage -- and a young girl's faith in the triumph of the truth.

Here is my review:

This book kept me engaged the whole time.  I very much enjoyed it and couldn't wait to find out what happened next.  Every time I put it down I couldn't wait to pick it back up again.  I was invested in the Brinkley family and their journey through various identities as they struggle to keep their family safe and stay alive.  They make a huge transition from a wealthy family with not a care in the world to roughing it in Montana in the wilderness with made up identities to protect themselves.  At every turn something was challenging their safety, yet they kept up hope that someday they would get their lives back.  Then ending provided a twist that I didn't see coming.  I was surprised and thrilled to see how things ended.  I also appreciate reading a story with issues that are real.  Cyber security and identity theft are very real threats that we face today.  The authors didn't choose to write about pop fiction like vampires and werewolves, they chose to write about something that made me think "some of this could actually happen" and "how much of this is happening now and I don't know about it".  I think John and Caitlin Stuart did a wonderful job and they should be very proud of their book.  You can tell they really put a lot of themselves into it. 

You can check out Hiding in Sunshine on Amazon or Goodreads.  I would recommend this book and look forward to seeing what the Stuarts come up with next.

Nails Inc. Shaftesbury Avenue

This is my first foreign brand of polish.  It was a Christmas gift from my husband.  It was a brand of polish that I didn't already have, so I commend him on his shopping.  This is Shaftesbury Avenue by Nails Inc.  It is made in London and you can find it at Sephora in the US.  This is one of their magnetic polishes, and the first magnetic I've shown on the blog.

The star came out best on both thumbs

Its a lovely green color on its own without the magnetic effect but it does have some brushstrokes.  That's common I've found with the magnetic polishes.  I have some drugstore ones that I've used before I started blogging and some are better than others.  This one however applied very nicely.  Usually I have a hard time getting the magnetic effect to show up without several tries.  This polish worked very well and I only had to redo a few nails and that was because I smudged them not because the magnet/polish didn't work.  The magnetic cap has a guard on it but if you aren't paying attention to keeping it level over your nail you can     smudge the end of your nail which is what happened to me.

No effect on a nail wheel

What do you think of magnetics?  I've got a few others, and they are hit or miss.  I need to experiment with the magnet from this one to see if it is the polishes or the magnets that make the biggest difference in successful outcome.  I find that the image is really sharp when you first apply the magnet and then it gets fuzzy as the polish dries.  I'm happy with the outcome with this polish and it dried relatively quickly.

OPI The Color to Watch

I've got an older OPI color for you today.  This is The Color to Watch.  It is from the Swiss Collection from 2010.  I actually have a few colors from this collection.  I picked this up right before Christmas.  Purple is my favorite polish color, and this one is a little bit unique.

 

 This polish is a bit of an enigma, it looks like it might be a duochrome, but it doesn't really shift.  It is shimmery, frosty, and pearly all at the same time.  The base is purple but is has microglitter particles of blue, silver, and pink/red.  Even with all the shimmer, I didn't have any issues with brush strokes.

This polish is pretty sheer, you'd think it would be opaque from the look of the bottle again its deceiving.  You are looking at atleast 3 coats for full coverage, but I recommend atleast 4, maybe even 5.  Other than being sheer, the formula applied nicely.  Dry time was pretty quick so it wasn't too bad to do so many coats.  Definitely have your quick try top coat handy.  I find that adding oil after the quick dry top coat is dry really helps speed things up too.  Wait about 5 minutes then add cuticle oil, its good for your cuticles and it helps dry the polish (keeps it from smudging too).

 

I purchased this with my own money and the opinions are my own.

OPI Skyfall

Today I have Skyfall, the namesake polish from the OPI Holiday 2012 collection inspired by James Bond.  I've picked up a few polished from the Skyfall Collection here and there.  Skyfall is a beautiful rich maroon color that I normally wouldn't go for, but for some reason it was calling my name.

Ox-blood colors have been really popular for the last few months and this one fits right in.  I think its a great neutral color that is work appropriate as it isn't an in your face red.  It has the great cream formula that OPI is known for.  In some lights it almost makes me think its a jelly polish, but it is definitely a cream.  It just has that jelly like shine to it in certain lights, but it is completely opaque.  At first I did 2 coats for full coverage but once it dried, I decided I needed a third since I had some streaks that I didn't notice until it was fully dry.

The formula applied smoothly and leveled nicely.   The brush is wider which I like.  I don't usually wear red polish, but I think Skyfall will be making repeat appearances.

 

I purchased this product with my own money and the opinions are my own.

EBOOST Pink Lemondade

I received a packet of EBOOST in my Influenster Holiday Voxbox to test.  This time I got the Pink Lemondade  flavor.

I like this one better than the orange, which I had in my Naturals box a few months ago.  Both are good but I like the lemonade better if I had to pick one over the other.  I've used similar supplements that tasted horrible, like you crushed up a multivitamin and added it to whatever you were drinking.  This didn't have the medicinal aftertaste.  It wasn't too fizzy either.  I have a cold this week and this came in handy.  I like that it uses Stevia instead of Aspartame or Saccharin as the sweetener.

The Natural Energy Booster with a tangy citrus burst and a lasting natural energy boost! This EBOOST formula is loaded with green tea, vitamins and super nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin D and B-12 in an easy to mix effervescent packet. It's low calorie and sweetened with Stevia too.

Additional information about E Boost from Influenster:

Americans are busier than ever but we’ve relied on bad energy to keep up…until now.

EBOOST is a boost that does more. It’s a mood boost, focus boost, immunity boost, natural boost, a no-crash boost.

EBOOST uses real ingredients, stuff you’ve heard of like Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Green Tea, Vitamin B-12 and Folic Acid. And the stuff you might not have heard of: Quercetin, 5-HTP, Resveratrol, Huperzine-A — it’s all good too. What could be sweeter than that? Well, we even sweeten our product with Stevia, a plant, not a chemical.

What started as a celebrity secret for A-Listers like Madonna, Shakira, Oprah Winfrey and Amar’e Stoudemire is now a necessity for the multi-tasking generation. We took the time to formulate a multi-purpose product that really works so you don’t have to waste time with mediocre products that sort of work.

Get your boost with the convenience of a shot, or an easy-to-mix powder packet in four delicious flavors: Super Berry, Orange, Pink Lemonade and Acai Pomegranate. No matter how you boost, you’re sure to feel great. All day, every day.

You can find EBOOST at Whole Foods Market, Vitamin Shoppe, Duane Reade, Equinox, 24h Fitness, local gourmet stores and natural markets, and at www.eboost.com.

NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine

I received a tube of NYC Liquid Lipshine in my Influenster Holiday Voxbox.  The color I got was Nude York City.  It has just a hint of color and shimmer and I think would compliment any skin tone.

The thing I love about this lipgloss is that it doesn't get sticky or dry out like some lip glosses do.  This one isn't sticky at all.  It applies smoothly and shiny.  There is no hair sticking to your face because of your lipgloss with this product.  Other issues I have with lipgloss is its dries out and makes my lips feel waxy after it wears off, this doesn't do that.  It keeps my lips moisturized even after the color wears off.

I will be buying more of these in multiple colors.  I've seen it retailing at Target for $2-3.

Info from Influenster's site
Straight from the city that never sleeps, NYC New York Color offers products with uptown style at down-to-earth prices, from $.99 - $4.99. The energy, style, and color of New York City shines through the wide range of shades, textures and innovative products. NYC always delivers the most on-trend products & shades hot off the runway!

Have you heard the gossip? There’s a new gloss in town! NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine is getting headlines with seriously high-drama color at a seriously low price. Pure pigments give a 3-D effect that’s off-the-charts glossy. Tons of hot new shades, from preppy nudes to bold statement hues – all for less than your weekly fashion magazine.

Sole Society Review

So one of the things I received in my Influenster Holiday Voxbox was a coupon code, INFLUENSTER25 (good until 1/31/13), for Sole Society.  The code was good for $25 off of your first purchase. 

I have been a member of Sole Society for months, but I've never bought anything.  I have been window shopping all the beautiful shoes for months.  I love shoes and have a ton.  I don't like ordering shoes online if I don't know the brand.  Sole Society makes it really easy to buy and return shoes if they don't fit.  I have tiny feet so shoe shopping is tough for me since retail stores don't carry a lot of stock of 5.5 shoes.

These are the shoes I bought, for 24.95.  They are called Alexis.  They fit perfectly as described on the website, and I can't wait for the warmer months to wear them.  I have the perfect black dress with nude trim to go with them.

 

Check out Sole Society here and get started building your virtual shoe closet.