Beauty Box 5: September '13

 That's not a Birchbox *shockhorror*!! Indeed, perceptive readers: this is a different monthly beauty box... Beauty Box 5; beautybox five; I'm honestly not sure which spelling of the name it's supposed to be since the logo is spelled one way but the on the website it's referred to the other way. Regardless, Beauty Box 5 (I'm going to stick with that one just for kicks) is, from what I can tell, the same premise as Birchbox but has its own tweaks and perks here and there. 

Beauty Box 5 works with different brands than Birchbox (and honestly I haven't heard of most of them which is neither a good nor bad indicator), always sends out five beauty samples from month to month (Birchbox does anywhere from four to six), isn't a box within a box (which is good and bad in my eyes; I love using my Birchboxes to store odds and ends but I do end up throwing a lot of them away because I've been subscribed for so long), is two dollars more per month than Birchbox ($12/box rather than $10/box), and, from what I'm aware of, doesn't include any sort of rewards system like Birchbox does (oofta).

Either way, I was kindly sent the September '13 Beauty Box 5 (surely an extra they had lying around but hey I'm not complaining) to review for you all so let's get started on the products now that the nitty gritty has been analyzed! As always, my opinions are 100% honest; I would never lie or sugar coat things for you guys. Take the jump below if you're interested!

September Favorites!!

I am SO supremely sorry about the lack of blog posts this past week; I've been bogged down with school work and the last thing I feel like doing after writing theoretical papers is write... well, anything really. 

But I promise to have another post up very soon! Until then I hope a Best & Worst of Beauty video will suffice (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡

xoxo - Cassie

Weekly Outfits²!!

As always, I'm pretty sure I forgot to upload my previous OOTW video so it looks like you're getting a double dose of my weekly outfits today! I hope you're all having a good week so far and that you enjoy the videos~

xoxo - Cassie

The Accent TAG!!

For anyone looking for a Sunday-gotta-get-this-homework-that-I-put-off-all-weekend-done-distraction, here's my latest YouTube video for you all! I've always enjoyed the accent TAG so hopefully you enjoy my Minnesotan take on it :)

xoxo - Cassie

Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush "Flushed": Swatches + Review!

I know, I know: shame on me for not taking photos of the product before I used it.

But OOOOO plot twist!! It's actually shame on you for not remember that I indeed did take photos of this blush... over a year ago! Hahahahha so really you can point your finger back at me and join in the laughter because even I can't believe I've had this sitting unused in my makeup drawer for so long.

Beauty blogger problems, right? Right. 

In truth I feel like my review should be negated altogether because of how old this pot of cream blush is, but at the same time it feels semi valid because the texture isn't too different from what I see and remember it being a year ago when I bought it. Either way, do take everything you read in this post with a grain of salt and know that my experience may differ greatly from yours if you were to buy this fresh off the shelf.

Phewfta, glad that's out of the way.

During the summertime it seems like we, as the online beauty community (hugs all around! You gals [and guys?] are great), can't get away from cream blushes; people rave, gush, and all around spew their feelings for these pots of hydrating color. Which is exactly what worried me: during the summer my skin is plenty hydrated with the amount of sweat coming out of my pores so the last thing I wanted was to add even more liquid into the mix and be the possible cause of extra breakouts.

So I avoided... and waited... and then the next thing I know it's a year later and I hate myself for spending money on something that I never even used.

With the summer dying down though I decided it was about freaking time that I tried the Revlon PhotoReady cream blush on my cheeks and, while I'm not overtly wowed by it, I don't hate it enough to throw it away either.

"Flushed" is pretty much a straight up fuchsia in every way shape and form but (thankfully for most, sadly for some) blends really beautifully in the skin and takes on quite a natural flushed look... which I suppose is appropriate considering the name. 

More so than the color though, I was really worried about how this cream blush was going to apply. People always seem to make cream blushes sound like Satan's toilet in terms of application; patchy, blotchy, too quick of a dry down... none of these things sounded like fun and it seemed like the only solution was to buy a stippling brush. No thank you! If I'm not going to use a brush at least once a week then I don't want to spend my precious money on it. So I went fingers (okay, it's just my pointer finger but multiple fingers sound more dramatic... and dirty now that I think about it #sorryIguess) first into the pot and dabbed my cheeks drumroll please where it blended like a champ!

What it wasn't a champ at though was staying on my skin. I'm not even that sweaty in the half-summer-half-fall weather so I know the slip and slide wasn't due to that, just merely due to the blush's formula. Which must be restated could absolutely be because my pot of "Flushed" is so gosh darn old. Either way, it's something to be noted regardless of validity.

Overall, this blush is okay; it blends wonderfully without the use of a brush (yay for one less thing to wash!), looks lovely and fresh on the cheeks, but only lasts a few hours so you may look a bit lackluster by the time noon rolls around. And if you're like me and don't bother to carry a makeup bag that means your glow is gone for any sexy lunch meetings you may have planned (which is super funny considering I eat lunch alone in my studio every day hahahah).

Have you tried the Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blushes?

Love 'em? Hate 'em?

How do you feel about cream blushes in general?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: H&M "Jo Is In The House"

I think I've found a new favorite nail polish. And by favorite nail polish I mean that whenever I don't have this on my nails (like right now... I hope that's not confusing, but if I'm honest with you most of the NOTD posts I do are of past manicures *facedesk* *I'maliar* *Ihatemyselftoo*) my happiness level goes down at least two notches. 

"Jo Is In The House" is just. So. PRETTY. I can't. But I will because I'm really freaking committed to telling everyone about nail polish.

I've been on the hunt for a beautiful holographic silver nail polish all Summer (I talk like I'm still on vacation even though it's 55 degrees outside and I have class today; have I mentioned denial and I are super good friends?) and I think my needs have finally been met. "Jo Is In The House" isn't a typical holo in the sense that it's a glitter polish (they're usually of a frost-esque finish) but it's beautiful nonetheless and the best I've come across in stores. 

Also, I suppose it should be noted that I layered "Jo Is In The House" over a silver polish (from dELiA*S that I got waaaay back in highschool [yay for extreme longevity!]) but it was an unnecessary step in my manicure; the H&M polish took three coats to get to the opacity I wanted and by then the silver polish beneath was pretty much undetectable. And while I'm gutted this holo polish takes so many coats I really can't be too bothered because it is STUNNING when the effort is made to be done right.

I can't even begin to tell you how many compliments I got while this was on my nails. It is SO distractingly pretty... honestly, it's probably the worst thing to have on your nails during the school year because you'll pay zero attention to the lecture and all of the attention to your nails; sooooooo preeeeeetty...

Ahem.

This polish is stunning; truly beautiful and an absolute keeper. I'm so glad to have "Jo Is In The House" in my collection and feel like it's an addition that any nail polish lover should make to their cache (because let's be honest here: if you're a nail polish enthusiast you don't 'collect' you straight up 'hoard').

Have you tried any holographic nail polishes?

Love 'em? Hate 'em?

What's one of your must-have nail polish shades?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

September '13 Birchbox!

This month's Birchbox was full of "punch me, I'm dreaming" moments... emphasis on the punch rather than the pinch. 

I mean seriously, look at this stuff!! It had me feeling like the Ketchum gang (who am I kidding, I'd be hanging out with Jessie and James) when they landed on the Island Of The Giant Pokemon (to any 90's kids out there [or anyone else who has good taste] you're welcome for the link to 21 minutes of pure nostalgic goodness).

If you're in the mood to gush over gigantic beauty samples with me then take the jump below... I can't imagine you'll be disappointed.

Nu●Me Reverse Curling Wand (13mm-25mm): First Impression + Review!!

Something a little different for you all today... a hair tool!! I am by NO means a hair expert (as I think can be seen by my hair-chunk-grabbing ways [as opposed to neatly sectioning off hair] in the video hahah) but I do aspire to have flawless hair always (this is a far off dream; it will never happen).

So, the other week I hopped on an offer to get $115 off of a curling wand from Nu●Me, a brand that I'm sure many YouTube viewers are familiar with considering they like to sponsor gurus up the wazoo (I was not so lucky to receive this for free but, with the discount code missglamorazzi provided to the masses awhile ago, I was pretty freaking tickled nonetheless). I did a first impression/demo/review of my own to share with you all so, if you're interested, you can watch through the embedded video above :D

Hope you're all well and, as always, I hope you enjoy~

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: deborah lippmann "ACROSS THE UNIVERSE"

Get ready for some serious nail p0rn folks; this polish is a star and deserves to have all of its bits gawked at.

I hauled this polish a little while back, but just for the sake of... well, nothing, I'll reiterate for you all:

Never have I ever owned a deborah lippmann nail polish but ever have I ever wanted one. So the last time I had a wad of Birchbox points to spend I decided to treat myself to one (as well as a full-size perfume, which is a tradition of mine). No time like the present, right?

Wrong. 

The past would have also been the perfect time because "ACROSS THE UNIVERSE" IS EVERYTHING. I was a fool; I was missing out; I am ashamed of my "who needs a $19 nail polish *eye roll*" mentality; I will never make that mistake again. 

 "Cassie, those pictures are all the same..." "NO THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT AND PERFECT"

No one needs a $19 nail polish, but everyone needs a $19 nail polish that's perfect. There's a difference... you're welcome.

It should probably be noted that "ACROSS THE UNIVERSE" isn't actually perfect; the base that the glitter is suspended in is quite sheer so you have to put down a solid color first for an opaque background. But oh well. A small oversight in the big scheme of things. And with all of the beauty that is this polish, there's so much more to look at than a slight problem with base opacity *pshhht**eyeroll**exaggerated flailing of the limbs*.

I mean, just look at the freaking bottle!! Beautifully crafted and curved square glass with a comfortable weight to it... such perfection. And the glitter housed inside? Even more so.

The sheer navy base is packed with small pale cerulean hexagonal sparkles as well as large aquamarine and emerald hexagon glitters. The combination of all of these elements creates a mesmerizing mix of the deep ocean and a far off galaxy. 

I have painted my nails twice with this polish in the past three weeks (considering I usually use my individual polishes two times a year, this is a really big deal), once over a navy polish and again with a black polish (which is how I'm wearing it in this post), and each time my nails looked phenomenal. To be honest there wasn't much of a difference between the two base colors in terms of final effect but if I had to choose I would say I like it the black pairing better; it created more of a galactic look rather than the oceanic effect of the navy.

You can also create a very different look depending on the number of times you layer this polish; all of these photos are with just one coat of "ACROSS THE UNIVERSE" but, when I first painted it over navy, I used 2-3 coats for an extremely glitter packed manicure. Whether you're feeling seductively subtle or overtly obnoxious, deborah lippman created the perfect polish to suit your ever-changing girl needs.

Either way, I'm fairly sure that my love for deborah lippman's "ACROSS THE UNIVERSE" is more than apparent. To add a little more affection into the mix though I'd like to say that this is also one of the most chip resistant polishes I've ever worn; each time I've worn this polish it has lasted just under a week and, coming from an artist as well as someone who works retail (aka their nails are constantly bombarded with chip-causing catastrophes), this is really something.  

Have you tried "ACROSS THE UNIVERSE"?

Do you think it lives up to the hype and is worth the price?

What's your favorite deborah lippman nail polish (or dupes, if you know of any)?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Waterproof Mascara: Swatches + Review!!

If you've watched my most recent "Empties" video, you'd know that my last mascara ran out (only lasted a month; what a b00b) and thus had me hunting for a new one. 

I should take that back: I hunted for nothing, I merely remembered I needed a replacement mascara pronto while buying deodorant and toothpaste at Target one day. And, very unlike myself, I decided to nab a completely random mascara; no previous research, no recommendation, just pure unadulterated grab-and-go.

I wish I could say my spontaneity paid off.

The package looked promising (as most do) and I must say I was extremely pleased with the way this mascara looked on my lashes. Two coats gave me length and weightless volume, all of which are things that I look for (and count on) in a mascara.

So why did I give this post all sorts of negative connotations at the end of my intro paragraphs above?

(please excuse the bathroom lit flash photography... I wish I could say it won't happen again)

THIS MASCARA IS A SMUDGE-Y MESS.

No one had to punch my eyes to create the black disaster above; that was all thanks to a day's wear of the L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara. Heck, this mascara is smudging the minute you put it on. It is so wet that it's nearly impossible not to get a teensy bit on your lid(s) during application and then if you make one false blink/twitch during the dry down you're effed (and should probably just go back to bed).

Le sigh.

I really want to love this mascara, truly I do because it is everything in terms of how it makes my lashes look and feel. Unfortunately the wear-factor, which for a waterproof mascara is absolutely pitiful, looks the positives straight in the face and smack-cam's them into submission; smack, laugh, uploaded to YouTube #forevershamed #foreveralone.

Have you tried the L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara?

Love it? Hate it?

What's your most memorable mascara meltdown (the photo above was after a day at work... attractive!)?

xoxo - Cassie

Another Empties Video!!

Sorry for my lack of legitimate blog posts everyone... unfortunately that's how it's going to be now that school has started up again T^T But until next time (I promise it'll be within a day or two here!!) here's my latest YouTube video to hopefully tide you over!

I hope you're all well~

xoxo - Cassie

Another Weekly Outfit Video!!

These are going to be MUCH more frequent (an actual weekly thing like the title suggests; what a concept!!) so I hope you enjoy watching them; they're quick and easy for me so I definitely enjoy doing it for you all :)

If anyone else started school this week like myself I hope you've had a great time so far!! Here's to another amazing year as an ID number in the school system (somehow I actually say that endearingly, haha).

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: essie "lapiz of luxury"

I start school tomorrow which is always a little bittersweet; gone are the days of lounging on my bum (simultaneously watching TV and surfing the web, as you do) with Galileo and back are the times of creation and bickering with the pompous contemporary art community (which, mind you, is a small portion of those I come face-to-face with but they're there nonetheless and my Gemini innards have no problem telling them if they're being arrogant a**holes).

So, to calm my mind and nerves (and pretend I'm not still fighting off the remnants of my Summer cold), I'm marathoning Restaurant Impossible (which never fails to remind me that as much as I hate working retail, waitressing was so much worse) and also painting my nails with one of the most perfect colors I've run across in a long time: essie's "lapiz of luxury".

I feel like it was near the beginning of this Summer that O.P.I.'s "You're Such A Budapest!" started making its rounds throughout the beauty community. Everywhere I turned there seemed to be some sort of a mention about the beautiful pale periwinkle lilac polish but, having a polish collection that fills me to brim with both pride and embarrassment, I held off (good girl) on adding another shade to my stash (sad girl).

Luck struck my mailbox a couple of weeks ago though in the form of a coupon booklet for Walgreens; it was full of cosmetics offers (clearly they know me well...) like a dollar off certain brands of lipsticks, BOGO deals, and, the most exciting of the bunch, a $2 off coupon for the full line of essie polishes. Two bucks really doesn't sound like much but knocking an $8 brand that doesn't have the best track record in my book (the formula varies far too much from polish to polish to justify trying anything new) down to $6 was enough reason for me to take the plunge and nab any shade I desired. 

I think I stood in front of the essie wall for five or ten minutes (two different employees came over to ask me if I needed help or if anything was wrong hahaha), idling and grumbling over which shade I wanted the most. Finally my eyes settled on "lapiz of luxury", a shade I hadn't heard of but a color that screamed "You're Such A Budapest!"-dupe-possibility, and my decision was swiftly made; "lapiz of luxury" went straight to the register and onto my nails the minute I got home.

Looking at swatches of the O.P.I. contender online, I don't think this is a perfect dupe by any stretch of the means ("You're Such A Budapest!" is far more pale/pastel and pink/lilac based) but it is still beautiful in every way shape and form. The formula is a delight which is something I find essie consistently struggles with; it's got a crelly (mix between a creme and jelly finish) feel, is thick but not cumbersome, and only needs two coats for full opacity. It also dries astoundingly quickly so you don't have to worry too much about bubbling between coats.

Look at how plush and glossy this stuff is!!! Seriously, I am SO impressed and can see myself wearing this polish on a monthly basis (which may not seem like much but, with a collection upwards of 100 polishes, it actually speaks volumes as to how much I love it). I fully stand behind essie's "lapiz of luxury" and would recommend it anyone; periwinkles like this one are flattering on so many different skin colors and are a touch of pretty whimsy on anyone's finger tips.

Have you tried essie's "lapiz of luxury"?

Love it as much as I do?

What nail polish is currently gracing your fingers?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

August Best & Worst of Beauty!!

I'm seeing "August Favorites" posts pop up all over Blogger... which reminded me: I forgot to link my Best & Worst of Beauty video for you all!! 

So, if you haven't checked it out and are interested in some awesome (and not so awesome) beauty products then I would be delighted to have you watch! As always I've included the video by embedding it above :)

xoxo - Cassie