Before I Forget...

...I figure I should post my two most recent videos. Baby steps, right?

Anyways, like I said, I posted two more videos since my last blog post! I think I mentioned in that post that I feel like I've been pumping out videos lately like a madwoman and this weekend was no exception. 

As always I hope you enjoy the videos; if you missed either of them I've got them linked below for you to watch. Have a wonderful week everyone!!

xoxo - Cassie

Welp, This Is Embarrassing...

...I mean, it's not like it's been SINCE JUNE SINCE I LAST WROTE A BLOG POST. 

Ugh. The only reason I can give myself a pat on the back is because I promised that I wasn't going to make any promises in terms of blogging more frequently once I had graduated; I know myself a little too well at this point to make promises I know I can't (won't) keep. Hip-hip-hooray for self-knowledge!!

That being said, I'm actually extremely pleased with myself for keeping up with a rigorous filming schedule. I've consistently been able to upload 2-3 videos a week since the beginning of July and for that I feel like I deserve... well, nothing really but I am pretty darn proud of myself haha. I did lots of first impressions, an apartment tour, a "Get Ready With Me", my monthly "Best & Worst of Beauty", and even a thrift haul!! 

So if you've missed any of those videos, feel free to take a gander by clicking on the embedded links below. Being back in my home state of Minnesota has given me a renewed energy for filming and I hope you can feel that brightness in these new videos. 

Just as a reminder, you can always keep up to date with me through subscribing to my YouTube channel and by following me on Instagram! I also finally opened a P.O. Box here in Minnesota if you want to send mail my way (please don't feel obligated to, I just have it open for those of you who have expressed interest):

Cassie "Thrift Thick"

P.O. Box 1746

Minnetonka, MN 55345

Thank you to all of you who have stuck by my side over the years and cheered me on; I'm so truly grateful to have the support that I do and am able to keep on keepin' on because of it. So really, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

xoxo - Cassie

Empties #14!

Just trying to keep good on my word here and update the ol'blog; a new video just went live over on my YouTube channel! It's extra long (read: grab a snack and beverage of your choice) but hopefully you all enjoy it anyways. "Empties" videos were something I never thought I'd get into but honestly they're some of my favorites now!! 

Happy Monday friends :)

xoxo - Cassie

benefit "Roller Lash" Mascara: Swatches + Review!

Ah~ back to blogging... it's always a little bittersweet; especially when you're using photos that you've had stockpiled in your iPhoto library for the past 1+ years. 

Thankfully the product isn't too too old—in fact I did a "YouTube Made Me Buy It!" video for it back in March—and, more importantly, this mascara is just overall fantastic so I'll probably be talking about (and wearing, once I get through the 8,000 other tubes of mascara I have waiting in my vanity drawer to be tested/used) it for a long time to come! Oops, did I just ruin any and all anticipation I could have built up in the coming paragraphs of this post?

I told you: I'm a bit rusty at this whole blogging thing. I'll get the hang of it again in due time but, until then, just suppress the spoiled suspense and relish in the beauty that is benefit's "Roller Lash".

Upon initial impressions of this mascara I was a bit trepidatious; the curved wand had me all sorts of giddy because of my love for the wand of CoverGirl's "Clump Crusher" Mascara but, and this is a 'but' as big as my own behind, I was still traumatized (pardon my dramatics) by my previous poor experience with benefit's oh-so-popular "they're Real!" mascara. 

Was the "Roller Lash" going to be a repeat of its predecessor? Or was the "Hook'n'Roll" wand going to make all the difference like it did with CoverGirl's otherwise mediocre mascara formula?

Welp, I'm happy to say that this wand really does make all of the difference; this thing is downright splendid! 

The curve of the wand, along with all curved mascara wands, is so helpful in hugging the contour of an eyelid—I'm actually pretty surprised more companies haven't ditched straight wands and adopted this same shape. Because it's able to get right down to the base of your lashes, it's then able to effortlessly coat each lash with an even amount of mascara. With the addition of tiny comb-like bristles on one side of the wand... well, benefit's Roller Lash is pretty unstoppable. 

It separates, lifts, and lengthens the lashes like nobody's business and makes your lashes look like falsies with just two coats.

I mean, look at my lashes...

LOOK AT THEM.

Oh man I'm tearing up at these beautiful memories which, even if I was wearing this mascara at the moment (I'm not; it ran out awhile ago), would be absolutely a-okay! 

It's not a waterproof mascara so I'd say you have to avoid weeping with it on but if you shed the occasional twinkling maiden tear it shouldn't smudge or run. I've mentioned before than I have extremely watery eyes/my tear ducts are too small for my eyeballs/not even multiple surgeries have helped my eyes from constantly spilling over with tears, so I feel pretty confident in saying that if I didn't have problems with this mascara smudging or running then you won't either. Don't throw rocks at me if I'm wrong but I don't think you'll be disappointed with benefit's "Roller Lash".

If you want to hear me gush about this mascara more then feel free to watch the "Best & Worst of Beauty" video that it was featured in around the 13:03 mark!

Have you tried benefit's "Roller Lash" mascara?

Love it? Hate it?

What's your current favorite mascara?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

*tap tap tap* ...Is This Thing On?

So I know I said I was going to try to keep up with my blog now that I've graduated...

...but then I was working a stupid amount at my retail job;

...and then my internet modem broke for a week;

...and then I had to pack up my apartment;

...and then I moved back across the country to my homeland of Minnesota;

...and then I had to unpack;

...and then here we are, a month has passed, and I haven't updated my blog.

I'M SO SORRY!!

Hopefully, if you're at all interested in my product reviews, you've subscribed to me over on my YouTube channel so it's been hardly noticeable that I've been gone/busy but, if not, here are the videos that I've uploaded since last updating you all at the end of May! Product reviews/first impressions, a "Get Ready With Me", and a "Best & Worst of Beauty" for your viewing pleasure; if you missed any of them I hope you enjoy!

And of course I just hope you all have had a lovely summer so far (despite the mind-numbing heat). I've got loads more videos for you all in the near future and am also cracking my knuckles in preparation of writing lots of new blog posts. Time will tell if I can stick to it here on my blog but my fingers, as always, are crossed!

xoxo - Cassie

NYX Matte Lipsticks: First Impression + Review!

Welp, this is exactly why I never make promises in regards to posting more/again here on blogger. Because even though I really want to, something always seems to come up that impedes on my ability to do so. 

Case in point: last Thursday, after hosting a particularly long Google Hangout (it was four hours and fabulous), I noticed my throat was feeling a little sore but chalked that up to having spent a large portion of my day chatting with you all; no big deal; I'd feel fine in the morning. WRONG. Turns out that was the beginning of this nearly 2 week stint of a respiratory & sinus infection combination (with a heaping helping of laryngitis on top) only able to be concocted by Satan himself.

Thankfully I had filmed a whole cornucopia full of videos last month before my thesis show in order to compensate for a lack of time to film this month; while this video was filmed over a month ago (you can see the date on my phone during one of my check-ins) it's still a perfectly good and fine review on a product that has been on the market for quite some time now. So, if you haven't had the chance to watch this video of mine yet, feel free to check it out either through the embedded video on this page or over on my YouTube channel! As always I hope you enjoy it!!

xoxo - Cassie

P.S. - Big thanks to Bree who sent these lipsticks to my P.O. Box to test out... it was so kind of you to send that package to me and your generosity is beyond heartfelt!

P.P.S. - My apologies in advance if any (or all) of this post is unintelligible. The constant fever that I've been dealing with has fried my brain to the point where I'm having to look up definitions of words like "concocted" to make sure I'm using them correctly... orz

Weekly Outfits #47

How good am I—two blog posts in less than 24 hours?? 

Can we ignore the fact that I'm just dumping yet another video in your lap and focus more on the fact that I'm keeping my word to start blogging again? It's the small victories you guys... the very small victories 

(;´༎ຶٹ༎ຶ`)ง

If you haven't seen my most recent OOTW video then feel free to watch through the embedded video above (or just hop on over to my YouTube channel and watch it there); as always I hope you enjoy it and that you're all doing well!

xoxo - Cassie

The Biggest Dump I'll Ever Take On This Blog (... I Hope)

Phewfta.

I suppose that's what happens when you don't blog for over a month and a half (47 days to be exact). 

On the bright side, that means that if you haven't been keeping up with my videos then you've got a whole heck of a lot you can binge watch right now! At least I know I like a good channel/series binge from time to time—oh who am I kidding, I always love to do that. Viva la addictive personality and forever weeping due to self-induced sleep deprivation!! 

With my graduate degree (yes, I got my MFA this past weekend!) under my belt I'm hoping to finally get back into the swing of blogging. Granted, I can't make any promises because I know I rarely keep them when it comes to my hobbies but, knowing me, I'll be craving something to keep myself busy during these not-yet-big-girl-job-employed times. Considering the mass amounts of albums on backlog in my iPhoto I've got a feeling I'll be reviewing products via typing and photography very soon!

I hope you all are well and congratulations to any other 2015 graduates out there! We did it!!

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: deborah lippmann "GOOD GIRL GONE BAD"

I think every nail polish enthusiast can nod their head in (vigorous) agreement that we often times fall into 'ruts' with our nails. Sometimes it's a recurring color or topcoat, sometimes it's nothing but workplace-appropriate nude, and sometimes you just feel like every color you attempt to put on your nails just doesn't look right. As a girl who feels about as naked without polish on her nails as she would going out in public without a bra on, the 'closet full of clothes but nothing to wear' (in this case it's 'racks full of polish') feeling is tremendous; heck, it's borderline torture.

Well in walks in deborah lippann's "GOOD GIRL GONE BAD". Out walks my heart. Me-ow.

One of my lovely viewers on YouTube passed this polish on to me (along with 10 pounds of Canadian snacks, sweets, and other makeup goodies—I wish words could express my gratitude for the thought, care, kindness, and selflessness in that box but, alas, 'thank you' is all we have at the moment) through my P. O. Box and I'd be lying if I said I didn't squeal like a schoolgirl when I saw this polish. I've always coveted deborah lippmann polishes and admired their beauty from afar; that weighty glass cube bottle, the gorgeous assortments of shimmer and glitter… and a pretty-penny price tag to go along with it. 

I've heard that the cremes deborah lippmann makes are all sorts of amazing but, truth be told, I only care about her glitter concoctions. Cremes are a dime a dozen at the drugstore (not to mention I truly do love polishes from Revlon and O.P.I.) so spending absurd amounts of money on one is too ridiculous, even for a polish addict like me. However, when glitter and obvious shimmer are involved… well, call me Pavlov's dog in a Christmas store (you know, because of all of the bells? On the ornaments and stuff? Alright, I'll just go laugh at my own joke in the corner).

I don't normally include this many shots of my nails in a "NOTD" post but darn it this polish warrants and deserves the few extra glamour shots. "Good Girl Gone Bad" is just one of those polishes that looks a bit different from every angle, shifting in the light or lack thereof, and shimmers up the wazzoo. It's not 90's glitter though (don't get me wrong, there's always a time and place for that too), it's much more of a refined and elegant shimmer; not so in-your-face that you're left stunned and blinded but noticeable enough to gain all of the giddy ooo's & ahhh's that reside in our never-too-old-for-Lip-Smackers hearts.
And these kinds of black plum colors? Don't get me started; they go with anything and, because of the mass amount of prominent silver and raspberry shimmer, can be worn all year round without fear of looking out of place.

How do you feel about deborah lippmann polishes (glitters, creams, & whatever else she makes)?
Are they worth the high price tag to you?
What have you been loving on your nails lately?
Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

Two More Videos For You... & That's No Joke!!

April Fools' Day has never really been my schtick but hey! if you enjoy it (and celebrate in a non-hurtful manner; jokes can go too far and people do have emotions after all) then I hope it's a happy one for you and your poor tormented loved ones. 

For everyone else who's probably just yawning though another perfectly mundane Wednesday: here are a couple of new videos for you!! Well, one of them is new... the other is only a couple of days old though so I'm just letting that slide. If you haven't seen them and are interested in a lipstick review and/or monthly favorites video then I hope you enjoy! The week is halfway through so hang in there, especially if you're enduring jokes all day. If anything just give the person a wet-willy and call it even; I promise you'll feel much better haha.

xoxo - Cassie

General Update Under The Façade Of A Video Dump

 I feel like 2015 has been the year of "I'm sorry"; at school, at work, here on Blogger... I'm just burnt out. 

My thesis project has been consuming every ounce of creativity in my short little body, work has been draining any shred of strength my muscles can give (and also stripping me of my dignity but that's really nothing new for retail work/customer service jobs), and what little time I have left has been going towards cuddling with Galileo, coddling my emotions, and consuming multiple pounds of chocolate.

So please bear with me while I pull through this final semester of my Masters program. Once I graduate (knock on wood/fingers crossed/anything superstitious you think may help me earn the title of "Master") I promise I'll have free time on my hands—likely more than I'd like—so I'll be able to get back to blogging regularly again!

As per usual though I've been trying to upload at least one video a week over on my YouTube channel so feel free to watch any of the videos linked above if you've missed them. An empties, a "Best & Worst of Beauty", a product review... lots to chose from so hopefully something will catch your eye and be worth watching/enjoyable! 

xoxo - Cassie

Double Dose: YouTube Made Me Buy It!

YouTube making me buy things lately? Not surprising.

Complete lack of a presence on blogger lately? Zero shock value.

Enjoyability of my videos lately? Well, that's up to you!!

If you haven't seen my latest two videos yet then feel free to head on over to my YouTube channel—or click on the embedded players above—and take a gander! 

I hope you all had a great week and have a relaxing weekend (˶′◡‵˶)♥

xoxo - Cassie

Life Has Been Crazy Lately: Here's A Hoard Of Videos

So much for me getting back into blogging this year, huh? Well I do suppose that's why I never any promises. In my two week blog absence I sure have continued to be active on my YouTube channel though!! With variety 'ta boot; I've uploaded "Empties", "Best & Worst of Beauty", "YouTube Made Me Buy It!", and "Collective Haul" videos since I last posted here on my blog. 

Definitely feel free to watch any of my videos (linked above) if you missed them and, as always, I hope you enjoy and are doing well ^_^

xoxo - Cassie

L'Oréal Infallible Eye Shadow "Liquid Diamond": Swatches + Review!

Ahhh~ it's been a long while since I've been quite this obsessed with a makeup product. Especially an eye shadow; I mean, I love a good eyeshadow palette and everything but honestly I feel like if you own two palettes you own all the eye shadow you'll ever need. It takes a lot of oomph these days to get my gears grinding over 'yet another' eye shadow but goodness gracious this one does it for me. 

Take the jump to see why it has me all sorts of hot and bothered!!

CoverGirl Full Lash Bloom Mascara: First Impression + Review!

Just stopping in—yet again; I promise to have a 'real' blog post up soon—to let you all know I have a new video up on my YouTube channel testing out the CoverGirl Full Lash Bloom Mascara! A wonderful and generous viewer of mine sent it to my P.O. Box (along with a bunch of/way too many goodies… y'all are seriously far too kind to me but I appreciate it so darn much) and I definitely wanted to share the first impression experience with you all!! 

So, if you haven't seen it already, feel free to watch it and I hope you enjoy :)

xoxo - Cassie

Weekly Outfits #44!

It's been a looooooong while since I put together an outfit of the week video… my apologies!! A mixture of poor/non-existant winter lighting along with winter break where I wore nothing fancier than jeans and a tshirt were the culprits this time around. Hopefully I can get my act together and film my outfits more often though; I always seem to get such sweet and positive feedback from you all when I post these videos! 

So, without further ado, here's my 44th OOTW video. If you haven't seen it yet—no worries I only uploaded it yesterday—then I hope you enjoy :)

xoxo - Cassie

The "Mother Daughter Tag!"

Need something to watch? Might I suggest the video I just uploaded on my YouTube channel?? It's a fun one and something quite a bit different than the norm… my mom is in it! I know I talk about her a lot in my videos so, since she just spent the last week here in Boston with me, we figured we'd film the "Mother Daughter Tag" one day for fun. And oh my goodness, fun it was!! 

To say my mom is a gorgeous lady (both inside and out) is basically the understatement of the century; I'm so lucky to have her as my mom :)

xoxo - Cassie (and Becky [her lovely mom])

NOTD: Sparkling Nude (H&M Nail Polish + Glitter Kit)

I really don't know what it is about this manicure but I adore it. Lahve it even. The fact that I kept it on my nails for more than a week (yes, viva my Revlon ColorStay Gel-Smooth Base Coat + Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat combo) speaks volumes; the fact that I used the spelling "lahve" speaks even louder.

Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon: First Impression + Review!

Not much to say here… it was another day and I wanted to try out another lip product!! 

What can I say; I'm an addict and I don't want to recover; Viva! 

xoxo - Cassie

benefit "they're Real! push-up liner": Swatches + Review!

Here we go people... my attempt at getting back into the swing of blogging this year. 

Step 1 (aka the only step of this operation): finally write blog posts for products I took pictures of during the summer of 2014. Yup, that's right; I've had photos sitting in my iPhoto albums for over six months now and have yet to write them the blog post they deserve. 

I mean, imagine your parents taking you to Glamour Shots, getting you all dolled-up and pampered with a dated hairstyle and feather boas slung everywhere (and on everyone), then keeping the photo negatives sitting in a dark drawer for multiple months to come. No. Unacceptable. Those beauts deserve to be hung on the walls (yes, multiple walls in multiple rooms of the house) in fancy gold frames for all to see.

So I figure the best way to kick off my back-to-blogging venture is by reviewing one of the products that I continue to use and adore to this day: benefit's "they're Real! push-up liner". While I don't use it every day (I'm far too low maintenance to wear wings on my eyes from day to day) I definitely use it every time I decide to sport that classic bold flick across my top eyelids. 

It's not the perfect product but it sure is a treat… let's take a peek!

Reviews, Tutorials, & Hauls… Oh My!

Posting all of these videos is probably SO beyond irrelevant at this point but, hey… when you haven't done a blog post in nearly a month I figure maybe it's better late than never. There's a good spread of videos from the past few weeks though if you've been unable to watch my YouTube channel because of the holidays; I totally understand if you missed any (or all) of them and just hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones.

Three cheers to the New Year everyone!! Here's hoping I get back into the blogging swing of things now that we're onto the new 'slate' (so to speak) that is 2015. I'll do my best!

xoxo - Cassie