H&M Blusher "Spring Flower": Swatches + Review!!

Blush is one of those things that I really don't need more of; it's not that I have a disgustingly large amount of them (I only have around 6 or 7 blushes compared to nearly 50 lipsticks, 80-ish nail polishes...) it's just that I don't see the need to switch up my blush color all that often. 

I always end up gravitating towards the same peachy-pinks with the addition or subtraction of some shimmer (cue tarte's "blissful", the Balm's "HOT MAMA", NARS' "Orgasm" & "Super Orgasm"...) and this blush from H&M is no exception.

So why did I indulge on yet another freaking peachy-pink blush???

Because it's so freaking beautiful, that's why.

Being an artist it's no surprise to hear that I'm an absolute JUST-TAKE-MY-WALLET-(and-soul-while-you're-at-it)-sucker for a pretty package.

This blush is no exception.

This blush is the rule.

Thankfully H&M's "Spring Flower" doesn't just perform in packaging; the pigmentation and product quality is there as well. All four colors (a magenta, coral, orange, and shimmering pink) are extremely soft and, when swirled together, create a lovely warm pink with a bit of sparkle laced throughout. 

 Lovely (not me, the blush).

This is the kind of blush that gives you such a warm and healthy glow; it's what I think guys imagine girls to look like without makeup but we ladies giggle "oh stop (but tell me more)...", secretly laughing our tushes off because we know how far from the truth that is (and revel together in our makeup-witchcraft-ways here on blogger).

H&M doesn't get much recognition for their beauty products but I personally have always gotten along splendidly with them (I've tried [and loved] H&M hand creams, lip balms, nail polishes, etc.). They're obviously not of the same quality as some super high-end products but for the low price (I think this was only $5 if my memory serves me correctly) H&M ends up beating out some (most?) drugstore brands by a long shot.

Have you tried the "Spring Flower" blusher from H&M?

Love it? Hate it?

Tried any other beauty products from H&M?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

April Favorites (And Not So Favorites)!!

For anyone who's interested, here are my best and worst products of the month!!

As always I hope you enjoy ^__^

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: Revlon "Flirt"

LONG TIME NO BLOG PEOPLE *elephant tears*

I really have missed blogging but... well, school is wrapping up (finally!!) and my hard drive decided to die. So that's been a fun time, especially considering I was an idiot and hadn't backed up my files for a month. All of my art that I've been doing digitally, video footage that I had filmed (and a whole video I had edited and ready to upload to YouTube), and blog photos were wiped out with the push of a button. 

Ughhhhhhhhh. 

And all the Apple guys had to say was that I got "unlucky". Son of a...

Anyways, that's in the past so let's cheer up with a beautiful polish that screams Spring!!

I've had "Flirt" on my nails for nearly five days now and, if you can't tell by my frequent NOTD posts, that's a really big deal. It's just SO beautiful; super girly, bright but not neon or overwhelming, and the fact that I got it on sale at Target for $3 helps too. 

So, even though things haven't been the best lately, "Flirt" has definitely been helping to cheer me up (it's the small things, right?); the sun is shining, I re-filmed and edited a video (which is busy exporting as I type), I'm munching on some strawberries and grapes (YAY for fruit finally being in season!!), Galileo is snoring by my side...

I'm pretty content at the moment :)

How are you all doing? 

Any other beautiful polishes for Spring that I need to get my hands on?

Do share (I've missed hearing from you all)!!

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: Sally Hansen "Innocent Nude"

A quick NOTD post for you all... yay?

The question mark is only there because it's probably the most boring color (as an art student I know that it is indeed a color but to most people this is a non-color [and I completely understand; stick people are people too you know! (what am I talking about???)]) I could show you but this polish is kind-of-sort-of a trusty standby in my collection and I feel the need to show it off to you all at least once (especially for the non-nail painters that follow my blog).

"Innocent Nude" is in the Sally Hansen "Maximum Growth plus" line of polishes and I first picked it up (two or so years ago? And this bottle is still going strong!!) to do just that: make my nails grow plus keep them nice and strong while it's at it!

To those of you who paint your nails often like me (I'm talking 2-4 times a week) you probably know a thing or two about how fragile your nails can become from all of that polishing and removing; chips, cracks, and flakes are no stranger to me when it comes to my naked nails. This is a shame because when I refrain from painting my nails I really do have healthy ones!

So, when I'm feeling extra nice, I try to give my nails a bit of a break by slapping a couple coats of "Innocent Nude" on them. I can still hear them singing HALLELUJAH from when I did them the favor this morning; I hope they return the favor by being ready for a heavy coat of glitter come next week. 

Doesn't this give the nails a really classy and polished (distant guttural laugh) look?

I love how it makes my nail beds look pinker and the tips milky. This is definitely my "I work at a job fancy enough to not allow nail polish" nail polish.

Have you tried Sally Hansen's "Innocent Nude"?

Love it? Hate it?

What's your favorite sheer nude polish?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie 

My First Empties Post!!

And it's in the form of a video, whoop whoop!!

So for those of you who haven't had the chance to check it out, or if you just love watching empties videos, then this should (hopefully) be a treat to start off the week with :)

Until next time!

xoxo - Cassie

My Top Spring Lipsticks!

I'm not sure what it is about the changing of seasons that warrants switching up makeup products based on color but this Spring I'm embracing it in full force. 

Bring on the brights!

Bring on the mattes!

Bring on the sheer pops!

Honestly, when it comes down to it though, I'm pretty sure I'm just embracing these changes because there are so many tempting products on the market right now (do I even need to mention the Maybelline Vivids collection? *swoon*) and I'm trying to be a good girl by putting my money towards more important things (i.e. groceries, paying off loans... the boring non-fulfilling things, essentially).

Clearly I have enough makeup so it's time to appreciate the things I already have (let's see how long this lasts)!!

Take the jump if you want to see what I'm going to be wearing the most in these upcoming Spring months :) 

Blue Eyeliner For Everyday!!

For those of you who haven't seen, I uploaded a new video onto YouTube... and it's a tutorial this time!!

Whoop whoop *happy dance*

For some reason doing actual tutorials rather than just hauls, beauty favorites, etc (chatty videos, essentially) makes me feel a bit more "YouTube" (not that that's an actual adjective...).

Anywhew if you check out the video then definitely let me know if you give this look a try!! 

I think it's super fun for Spring now that the weather is starting change (at least in some parts of the states; I can't believe Minnesota is still getting snowed on! Poor Minnesnowta...)! 

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: O.P.I. Get Your Number

Get ready for one of the most picture heavy NOTD posts (or maybe even posts in general?) you've ever seen. I took over 200 photos of this polish trying to capture its beauty.

TWO. HUNDRED. PHOTOS.

To put that into perspective I usually take 10-20 for any given nail polish post (if that).

O.P.I.'s "Get Your Number" is just one of the most beautifully and uniquely faceted polishes I have ever had the honor of adorning my nails with... its beauty is unrivaled. 

My tears are aplenty. 

Take the jump if you can handle it.

New Video... Finally!!

Sorry for my general lack of absence on the internet lately everyone!! I've been trying to keep up (so hopefully no one really noticed... or maybe no one noticed anyways? Haha T__T) but things have been a bit crazy with school and work and general life lately! Pretty typical nearing the end of yet another semester.

Hopefully this little OOTW video will tide you over until my next one; it's going to be a makeup tutorial (so I'm excited since it's been awhile!)!! I've got it filmed, just have to edit, edit, edit...

So look forward to that and, as always, I hope you enjoy <3

xoxo - Cassie

tarte Amazonian clay 12-hour blush "blissful": Swatches + Review!

Considering this is one of the very first cosmetic pieces I've ever purchased (cue sweet memories before makeup became an obsession) I'd say it's about time I did a proper review on tarte's "blissful" for you all!

I know I had included it in my "Pretty In Peach" post (extra gold stars to anyone who remembered it was even in my "2012 Best In Beauty" post!) but I really do think that this blush is gorgeous enough to warrant a post of its own. 

"Blissful" is, to put it as simply and beautifully as possible, a matte warm pink; there's no shimmer, no sparkle, no crazy undertones or gimmicks, just pure pink bliss (pun not intended but I like it so I'm keeping it there).

I haven't allowed Galileo to photobomb any pictures recently so I figured I would include a couple this time around since they were so darn cute... "blissful" matches his little pink nose almost perfectly!!

You can also see that I've put a decent dent in this blush; if you've ever worked with a tarte Amazonian clay blush you would be well aware that you just dab your brush onto the powder (no need for rubbing or swirling) and you have enough pigment for both cheeks. So for there to be this much wear on the pattern of "blissful"... well, I'm pretty darn proud to say the least!

I'm really not kidding when I say this is one of my all-time favorite blushes. If I could only pick one blush to work with for the rest of my life I would probably pick "blissful" because of the no-nonsense natural beauty look that it lends my cheeks.

So there you have it! 

Hopefully my feelings have been adequately expressed for this blush, though, for those of you who have been in love before (with a cosmetic product or otherwise *ahem*), you're probably aware that words will never be enough.

Have you tried tarte's "blissful"?

Love it? Hate it (say it ain't so...)?

What's your favorite blush of all time?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: Pink Tie-Dye

Quick little nothing post for you all but I figured, since my nails were kind of sort of everywhere in my April Birchbox post, I should put this up for those that expressed interest in my colorful digits!

I always wonder if people are grossed out by the dust/buildup on my nail polish bottles haha... it's just not something I can wipe off though because I keep my nail polishes out in the bathroom and, like many, I spray hairspray in the bathroom so the dust sticks to the hairspray and it's basically stuck on there for the rest of forever. 

Anywhew, these nails are the type that look suuuuper complicated to create but in reality only take 10 seconds (give or take) per nail. 

I'm not sure if any of you remember a certain nail post from way back when but I basically did the same thing here as I did there except on my whole nail. All you have to do to recreate this look is grab at least two polishes, put a few blobs of each color onto your nail, then swirl the colors together with the end of a bobby pin; easy peasy!! Slap on a super glossy top coat and you've got a fantastic looking manicure (if I do say so myself).

Another thing people always wonder is if I only paint the nails on my left hand when I do nail art. To answer I have to laugh a little and say no way!! I'm lucky in the sense that I'm semi-ambidextrous (I am predominantly right handed but am left hand dominant with certain things like rolling camera film [and other semi-useless life skills]) but I usually only take a picture of my left hand because my camera is right handed... if you've ever tried to take a picture on a right handed camera with your left hand then you know why I don't really ever do it haha ;)

I included a photo of both hands for you all though so you know you can trust me!

How have you all been?

Done anything creative with your nails lately?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

April '13 Birchbox!

Oh Birchbox, you're such a tease; last month you had me feeling slightly underwhelmed and then this month... THIS MONTH YOU WIN ALL OF MY LOVE. 

I'm not sure how long I'll be able to emotionally handle this roller coaster ride of a relationship I have with you but considering I have a yearly subscription I'm pretty sure that means I'll have to get used to eating my feelings some months and rolling on the floor in delight (that's not supposed to sound dirty...) other months.

Wanna see what got me hot and bothered this month in tantalizing detail?

Take the jump my friend; I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Another Week, Another Assortment Of Outfits

This week sweaters and pants were apparently my outfit of choice... funny I (and I'm sure others) don't realize these things until someone points it out, as several already have on YouTube haha, or until I edit these little videos together. 

Oh well, viva comfy I'd-rather-be-cuddled-up-in-bed-with-a-book-and-my-cat weeks!!

I'm importing my April Birchbox photos as I type so I should have that post up next; look forward to it and I hope you enjoy this video if you haven't seen it yet :)

xoxo - Cassie

PS: This is my 200th post... wow!! I honestly can't believe I've been blogging for only 10 months and yet have pumped out so much content (both good and not so good haha); thank you for being on this creative-outlet-esque-journey with me and I hope to continue to create enjoyable posts and videos for you all in the future <3

NOTD: Nicōle by O.P.I. "Pick Of The Glitter"

If you watched my collective haul video from last week, you may remember me hauling this little beaut of a nail polish. 

Don't remember it?

That's fine; you'll have trouble forgetting Nicōle by O.P.I.'s "Pick Of The Glitter" after sifting through this nail p0rn of a blog post.

"Pick Of The Glitter" (which I must say is one of the cutest nail polish names I've stumbled across in a long time) is, to put it simply, a bottle of multicolored and different sized glitters suspended in a clear base. The majority of glitter packed inside is a mix of pencil tip sized round copper sparkles and large hex glitters of teal and brass.

However, there is one more color of hex glitter within this beautiful disco snow globe that snuck past my nail wh0re radar... LIGHT PURPLE. 

I didn't notice the purple at all before putting this on my nails but was so happy to see it speckled amongst its glitter brethren during application!

I applied one coat of Urban Outfitter's "Hangover" to my nails before topping with my beloved sparkles just to give them a backdrop to pop against and blend into. Two coats of Nicōle by O.P.I.'s "Pick Of The Glitter" actually looked really pretty but I went with three coats just to give the polish a nearly opaque glitter finish (which was just how I happened to be feeling at the time... though I know I'm going to regret it when I go to remove it haha).

Oh, and by the way: my childhood was calling; I'm glad I picked up the phone.

I was at Target getting some milk, eggs, and a Swiffer Sweeper (ahhh domesticity) and happened to see these cracker stacker Lunchables on sale for a dollar a piece. I must say, apart from my beautiful "Pick Of The Glitter" polish, this was one of the best purchases I've made in a long time :)

Have you tried out Nicōle by O.P.I.'s "Pick Of The Glitter" yet (it's a new-ish Target exclusive polish!)?

Love it? Hate it?

What's your favorite glitter infused polish?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

Haul + March Favorites: New Videos!!

Here you go folks, another installment of videos for you to check out if you're interested ^__^

I hope you're well and that you enjoy the videos!

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: Revlon Colorstay "Marmalade"

Sorry for the long absence here on Blogger everyone!!

I'm not sure why but I've just been extremely tired lately due to a lack of restful sleep and thus haven't been very productive on many life fronts.

So, to perk myself up I decided to paint my nails in one of the most GORGEOUS nail polishes I've encountered in a long time; it's not often that a 'normal' polish can outshine many of the eye-catching glitter polishes on the market but the vivacious orange that is Revlon's "Marmalade" does just that.

Typically, orange polishes make me shudder in disgust but "Marmalade" made me shiver in delight.

It is such a beautiful mix of tangerine/clementine/blood orange hues that really pops on the nails yet still manages to look refined and tasteful; "Marmalade" is essentially a classy city window shopper as opposed to a neon strutter on the Jersey Shore boardwalk.

Normally I don't post this many pictures in a NOTD post but I just found it was necessary to show off the many facets of beauty that is Revlon's "Marmalade". The color definitely shifts depending on the light that it's in but I have yet to find an atmosphere that makes this polish look at all short of gorgeous.

I don't say this often, but you NEED this polish if you're even a semi-polish freak.

The Colorstay line from Revlon is one of my favorite nail polish formulations (great brush, smooth consistency, opaque, dries quickly, and wears extremely well [just short of a week]) and, like said, this polish is just a stand-out stunner.

Have you tried Revlon's "Marmalade"?

Love it? Hate it?

What has been your favorite polish this spring?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie