Best & Worst of Beauty: July 2012 Version!!

New video is up on the computer tube :)

Whoop whoop!! I hope you enjoy and find some products that may interest you/give you cause to run to Target and drop some cash, haha.

xoxo - Cassie

7/24 OOTD

I just about choked on my iced chai today when my dear friend Maren, with whom I was enjoying the afternoon, mentioned the date.

It's already the 24th!?!?!? 

WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN????

Anyways, I just thought I would share a quick OOTD with you all even though this is just a comfy casual outfit I threw together. They're my favorite to wear though so I figured... what the heck!!

Take the jump below to read/see more!

butter LONDON: Bossy Boots

Hi gaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiz.

Quick little post on my nail polish to go with my OOTD!

butter LONDON - Bossy Boots

This polish is a little hard to photograph, but I think I got it fairly accurately. Bossy Boots is the color of a pistachio. Literally. It's a yellow-based pale green (a nice change from the typical blue-based mints we've been seeing since Spring time) nearly identical to the green part of a pistachio nut. Yummy right?

What's even more yummy is the polish itself. This is the first butter LONDON polish that I've ever owned and I couldn't be more pleased. While the price is overwhelming, so is the quality of this polish. This goes on true to name: like butter. It's so smooth and creamy, plus this was nearly opaque with just one coat (which is hard to achieve in pastel polishes).

I can't rave this polish enough!!

Do you own any butter LONDON polishes?

Which color(s) should I get next??

xoxo - Cassie

New Video is Up!!

I get a lot of questions on how I do my hair/is my hair naturally curly/etc (okay, so no one actually asks me, "hey Cassie, so I was wondering etc.?" but...) so I figured I would make a video on how I do my hair on a (basically) everyday basis!

And because my nighttime skin routine is interlaced with how I do my hair, I figured I would just throw that in there as well for whoever is interested :)

I hope this is helpful!!

Let me know if it worked/works for you! 

xoxo - Cassie

Wet 'n Wild Haul!!! (+Swatches & Review of Hauled Products)

I have a very exciting post today.

Want to see (more specifically) why? Click the jump link below!!

7/21 OOTD & Batman Babble

In typical Cassie-fashion, here's an OOTD the day after I wore it.

Yeahhhhhh pissed off fashion model pose/face!! Bam!

I went to see the new Batman movie yesterday and all I have to say is LKAJFLJIODOJFWONDKJLSDJFEI.

Yup.

Just blew your mind with accuracy, didn't I?

7/20 OOTD

Phew, it's been a long weekend... and it's not even over!!

Thankfully it's only felt long because I've been so busy with some wonderful friends; lots of laughs before the big move.

I vlogged yesterday, so look forward to a video that's a little different from the usual :)

Here's what I was wearing while enjoying time with my lovely friends... take the jump below to see!

L'Oreal Infalliable 24 Hour Lacquer Liner: Swatches and Review

Up for review today is a new-ish gel eyeliner from L'Oreal.

I love a cat eye (it's probably from my love of pinup girls and... well, cats) but have a VERY hard time pulling one off myself. The cat eye tends to dwarf my eye (as it does on others) if I do the line too thick and finding the perfect formula is also a pain. Some liners are too watery, too thick, too etc.

Click the link below for all the deets!

New Video Is Up!!!

And it's fashion related, whoo hoo!!

I look like I'm campaigning in the video still/freeze frame/whatever it's called... oh well, it is what it is!

Check it out if you haven't had the chance and I hope you enjoy~

xoxo - Cassie

Random Update(s)

This is probably the most craptastic photo in the history of... well, craptastic photos.

My apologies but all I had to work with was artificial lighting and the eerie green cast from the stormy skies outside.

I just felt like posting a little "in process" photo of some furniture that I'm revamping through mosaic! It's something new that I'm trying out for the first time this summer and, while I love the finished look of mosaiced pieces, I must admit that it is probably one of THE MOST BORING processes everrrrrrr.

Alas, my dresser needed a bit of pazazz and this double tiered end table (from Goodwill for $5!!!!) is obviously chipped around the rim so I'm just covering that up with some broken plates. Clearly the logical answer, no?

I hope all is well with you guys!

I just posted a new nail tutorial (that you got a sneak peek of here) on Youtube so check that out if you're interested/haven't had the chance:

 Now I'm uploading my "neutrals" video (that I talked about hurr) while I try and finish mosaicing the rims of this table! Soooo boring, but it has to get done before I load up my pods in a couple weeks for the move to Boston!

Thanks for reading~~

xoxo - Cassie

7/15 "OOTD"

I filmed another fashion video today!! So I decided to take some photos from one of the outfits and make it sort of a "teaser" post (and hence OOTD is in quotes in the title... since I really didn't wear this out or anything haha).

Click the jump below for more!

L'Oreal Voluminous Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara: Review and Swatches

Today's featured product is my new mascara; my old one just wasn't cutting it anymore (I'm not sure if the formula changed or if my lashes somehow became "immune" to the mascara) so, because I have the most luck with L'Oreal mascaras, I decided to pick this baby up!

 L'Oreal Voluminous Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara in Blackest Black, Waterproof


More after the jump!!

D.I.Y. Bracelets

Three posts in one day?

Ahhhhh~ feels good to be alive (please don't judge me too much).

I saw these bracelets on Etsy (link to seller here) and wanted them so badly but, like most Etsy shops, the prices were JACKED. UP. 

There was no way I was able to justify spending $15-25+ on bracelets that I knew a.) I could make myself, and b.) I could get the materials for under those prices and make at least 4x the product.

So that's exactly what I did!!

I already had the bangles from high school prom (which I never wore after that), improvising a wood one for what was originally a bronze one from the Etsy shop; I'm actually really happy with the mixture of textures that the wood creates with the suede and copper wire!

I love the detail that the little engraved hearts give to the bottom bangle.

The only things I had to purchase were the copper jewelry wire ($3 for a huge roll from Michael's) and then the pastel suede lace (which I think came out to $8 for five different colors off of Ebay). 

All I had to do was super glue the suede to the bangles, wrap it around to the bangle's halfway point, then cover the ends of the suede with the overlapping copper wire; SO EASY PEASY FOR CHEAP BEAUTIFUL ARM CANDY LOVELINESS.

I also filmed another nail tutorial for this marbled watercolor look earlier today (stay tuned!)... I was pretty tickled when I realized I had used the same colors in both of my endeavors today, haha.

Have you done any fun D.I.Y.'s lately?

I'd love to see and be inspired!!

xoxo - Cassie

Another Youtube Update...

Alright, if this doesn't prove everything that I said in my last post (about three minutes ago?):

I DON'T DESERVE ANY SORT OF A DEGREE.

I remembered to post that nail tutorial, but not the thrift video that I promised last week (in my "Sneak Peek..." post here) even though I posted this on Youtube first; this is not a matter of "which came first (the chicken or the egg)", but merely "how dense can Cassie be during the summer always". 

LAKJFLKDFLKSJ (aka the verbal expression of a facepalm).

Here you go guys, and sorry for my idiocy:

Enjoy!!

xoxo - Cassie

Another Nail Tutorial!

I don't deserve to ever get my masters if I can't learn to remember to post my Youtube updates onto my blog on a timely basis ever.

Grrrrrrrrr.

My only excuse is that I have been more than preoccupied trying to get all of my crap together before I move, get appointments made and done with (changing doctors, banks, getting my cat, etc.), not to mention spending as much time as possible with the ones I love and am leaving back home (because Minnesota will ALWAYS be where my heart is)!!

Anywhew, here is the tutorial to go along with the nails I've been sporting for the past week... I'm sure you've seen little glimpses of them in OOTD posts if you're super observant ;)

Don't let the length of it scare you, I just babbled a lot haha. You can figure out how to do the nails by skipping around the video if you don't want to hear me ramble (I don't fully blame you only kindof).

Enjoy, and let me know if you try it out yourself! :)

xoxo - Cassie

7/15 OOTD

I'm actually posting whilst wearing this outfit... shocker!

Let's celebrate :)

Striped Sweater - Goodwill

Exposed Button Shorts (hauled here) - Goodwill

Canvas Wedges - Urban Outfitters (Sale)

Prescription Glasses - Pearle Vision (Men's Giorgio Armani)

It's still really hot and humid here in Minnesota but I was an idiot anyways and wore a lightweight sweater.

I guess I didn't put too much thought into my outfit since I was at work until the wee hours of the morning and then got up early again today... but it was all worth it because I got to meet my kitty!! He really attached to me and sat peacefully in my lap and took a little nap; he's such a sweetheart, I can't wait to take him home!

Take the jump to see more :)

Sephora Haul/Unboxing!

I'm a sucker for a gimmik. Especially FREE gimmiks.

So when Sephora emails me with an offer for a free, full sized product I pretty much scream "SOLD!!!!!!" and load my cart with items from my shopping list until it hits $50+ (who wants to pay for shipping? Pshhhht, definitely not me).

Wanna see what I got? Take the jump below!!

7/13 OOTD

I'm not sure I'll ever get into the habit of posting OOTD's on the actual day that the outfit was worn.

Oh well, a post is better than nothing right? 

Right.

Please ignore my face; I didn't notice until long after that I look tired/pissed off/cocky... what a strange combination. Just focus on those sexay curves! Va-voom!!

Anyways, I had such a busy and fun day yesterday (regardless of it being Friday the 13th)!

I woke up, unboxed a package from Sephora (post coming up next!), got ready to out, went to some garage sales and Ikea/Mall of America (vlog in the near future!) with my very good friend Carmen, went to dinner with my family, and then finished up the day washing dishes into the wee hours of the morning at work. 

I was a busy bee, but a happy one :)

Take the jump to read more!!

Birchbox: July 2012

I was so thrilled when I went to let my dog out this afternoon and this bright pink package was on the doorstep to greet me! It wasn't scheduled to be delivered until the 16th, so it was a very early (and lovely) surprise!! 

I was so excited for the theme of this box, plus the fact that Birchbox had teamed up with Glamour since that gave me the feeling I was going to get better products... and boy was I right!!

Click the jump below to see what was inside!

Sneak Peek...

So my thrifting video from Tuesday has been loading onto Youtube for about 20 hours now (how sick is that?) and has 633 minutes to go (is that even more sick?)!! So stay tuned, it should be up around the wee hours of the morning tomorrow.

Here's a sneak peek of what I hauled...

 Michael Kors Halter Tank - $1.50

Pillsbury Doughboy Polo - $1.50

Hawaii Graphic Tank - $1.50

Black and Metallic Turtle Neck Tank - $1.50

Deep Wine/Berry/Maroon Corduroy Jeans - $4.99

Plaid Velvet Collar Dress - $1.50

Abstract Floral Blouse - $1.50

Periwinkle Vertical Stripe Button Up - $1.50

Blue Plaid Flannel Dress - $1.50

Exotic Marine Fishes - $3.99

Monet's Years at Giverny - $4.99

Journey Into China - $1.50

Wild, Wild World of Animals: The Cats - $1.50

I'm so thrilled with everything I got, but I was especially jazzed with the books I picked up. Each one of them is more than just a picture book; they all combine history and science with the pictures so not only can you drool over the gorgeous photographs and prints but you can learn a lot while doing it (just don't drool too much... you'll ruin the books!)!!

Each page of the fish book features a color photo of a fish, along with a detailed description about them. I love using these types of things as inspiration for color palettes in my paintings... no one does it better than Mother Nature!

The first section of the Monet book details his time at Giverny, along with B&W photos of him there and his surroundings.

 And the rest of the book features, in color, the paintings he did while he was there (and as a girl with her B.A. in Studio Art and is on her way to getting her Masters in drawing/painting, you KNOW I'm a lover of Monet and his lilies).

This book on China is BEAUTIFUL; I mention it in the haul video so I won't go too in depth here, but I have been an avid student of all things Asia since I fell in love with Sailor Moon as an early teenager so this is a wonderful addition to my collection (that's National Geographic for you)!

I am a cat lover, so this was no surprise purchase either. While I don't ever plan on adopting a wild cat (my domestic Siberian will do just fine, thank you), I still love to learn about them... I mean, did you know that Tigers were the only cat that likes to swim? You learn something new every day :)

And that's it! Like I said in my last post, I also got a lamp and lamp shade but I'm sure you'll see that after I move into my new place and have it displayed properly.

Happy Haulin'!

I'll post the video tomorrow once it's uploaded :)

xoxo - Cassie

7/10 OOTD

I know, I know: the dates don't match up.

But yesterday was a busy day and I just couldn't (didn't) get around to posting these photos.

Anyways, as I said in a previous post, I've been feeling a little guilty about not posting more on clothes since that's what my username suggests this blog would be all about. I just feel so awkward going out and taking pictures of myself since a.) I'm not a model, b.) my neighbors often see me taking these photos aka AWKWARD, and c.) I just don't feel like what I wear in the summer is all that fantastic since I try and wear as little real clothing as possible in the heat (I'm a sweaty person, so sue me).

Want more? Click the link!!

Easiest Up-Do Ever!!

Remember way back in when in my dreaded first post when I promised/mentioned that I would be doing a hair tutorial on that look in the near future?

Well, I finally did it!

Check it out if you'd like and I hope you enjoy!

xoxo - Cassie

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain: Swatches & Review

I've been feeling a little guilty lately... my blog's name implies that I would be focused on thrifting/fashion when, in reality, the majority of my posts are beauty related.

My only argument is that it's summer and if I don't have to put actual clothes on I won't haha. I am planning on going thrifting tomorrow though, so expect a "thrift with me/styling" video soon :)

Anyhew, onto the actual post.

While I fairly strongly dislike Revlon lipsticks, I'm pretty in love with their balm-esque (need I mention this post??) products.

Here's where these beauts come in: enter the Revlon balm stains.

Click below for the full review!

L’Oreal Colour Riche Caresse Lipstick: Swatches and Review

Let me start off by saying: I NEED MORE OF THESE.

I was a doof and only got two shades suited to be "my lips but better" shades since that's what I wear most often. But now that I've slathered these on my lips... Oh baby, I need to get some crazier shades to add to this collection!

I'm a big fan of L'Oreal lip products; while most girls gravitate towards Revlon, I'm definitely a L'Oreal girl. They tend to provide more pigmentation and last longer which are the two things I want out of a lipstick (especially when I'm paying good money for them!).

Jump for the swatches and review!!

My First Nail Tutorial!!

I did a how-to on a look that I get TONS of compliments on every time I do it: plaid nails!!

It's up on Youtube if you want to check it out :)

Hope you enjoy!

xoxo - Cassie

Weekend Thrift Haul

My mom and I started mosaic-ing my old dresser to vamp it up and take it from "little-girl's-room" to "statement-living-room-piece". 

After a few trips to the Home Depot (and a few bags of free popcorn from the "roofing expert") we finally got the right paint color and got my dresser painted (which, in this heat and humidity, is no small feat). So we ambled out into the hazy streets to some estate sales in search of cheap plates to smash!!

While the first few sales were a bust (apart from a foldable dining room table I picked up for $10 that just needs a little TLC [wood glue]), we found one house that was full of fortune; this was the house of a hoarder. And while I'm sure it was bad for the previous owner, it ended up being GREAT for us because we found some of the most unique antique pieces in her small (stuffed) home.

Take a look!

June 2012: Best & Worst of Beauty

New video up!!

Hope you enjoy!

xoxo - Cassie