Influenster YSL Voxbox Product Review

As a member of the Influenster team, I was selected to receive and review the YSL Effet Faux Cils volumizing mascara in the shade High Density Black.  I've worn it almost everyday for two weeks now.

To start with, the packaging is absolutely luxurious.  It's a beautiful gold tube that looks stunning on top of any vanity.  The formula is very wet.  I usually don't like wet formulas because they make my lashes stick together, but the brush is perfect for separating them.  (If you aren't a fan of wet formulas then just leave it sitting for a couple weeks and it should dry up just enough to look great without clumping your lashes together.)  The formula also has B5 Pro-Vitamin to strengthen and protect lashes.  The brush is a narrow nylon fiber brush.  Some people prefer the plastic bristles, but I favor the fiber brushes.  This mascara does have a fragrance, but I think it smells nice.  Retail cost for this mascara is $32.00 which is remarkably expensive.  (Then again, it is from YSL.)  If you're interested in this mascara or any other YSL beauty products, you can browse their website here.  If you'd like to see this mascara in action, I have a few pictures of me wearing it on my Instagram account here.

I hope this was helpful.  Thank you for stopping by!

*I received this product complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes, but all opinions are my own.*

Urban Decay Vice LTD Palette Review + Swatches

I originally saw this palette for sale exclusively on Sephora's website months ago, but I wasn't able to purchase it then.  I was really bummed out because it was a limited edition item and I thought I had missed out on it.  Then I heard that Ulta was going to have it for a limited time, but again I wasn't able to purchase it because other things had come up which prevented me from getting it.  That was quite a while ago, so again I thought I had missed out on it.  However, I was randomly browsing Ulta's website and came across it about a week and a half ago.  I can't believe it was still available!  (If you're interested in purchasing this before it's gone for good you can find it here.)  I honestly thought they would all be gone by now.  So, naturally, I ordered it and here it is!  I know I'm probably the last person to do a review and swatches blog post with this palette, but honestly it's too beautiful and special not to do a post on.  The colors are of course beautifully pigmented and smooth (with the exception of two shades that have a bit of a chunky texture).  There's only one shade in this palette that I already have (Backdoor - Smoked palette).  The one thing about this palette that I don't like is that the packaging is just cheap plastic.  Sure, it makes it lightweight, but a palette this size isn't something I would typically travel with.  I do like that there's a button for easy opening though.

Packaging:

Swatches:

Overview

Nameless

Backdoor

Deeper

Disco

Heat

Crystal

Goddess

Vaporize

Floss

Perversion

Provocateur

Hoodoo

Freakshow

Junkshow

Blitz

Chase

Last Sin

Roadstripe

Anonymous

Laced

The colors that I'm most excited about are Nameless, Deeper, Heat, Vaporize, Hoodoo, Freakshow, Blitz, and Chase.  I like Provocateur and Last Sin as well but those two have a chunky texture that I'm not too happy with.

Were you able to pick this up?  What shades are your favorite?

Thanks for stopping by!

On Being Happy

This week's blog post is something different than I typically do.  I wanted to write about inner beauty - specifically happiness and ways to improve your happiness.  I believe that a truly beautiful person is someone who is confident and genuinely happy.

2013 and part of 2014 were very difficult for me.  I was suffering from severe anxiety and depression.  I hated feeling the way I did so I decided to take steps to improve my situation.  I can honestly say that I am the happiest right now than I have been in quite some time.  Obviously I didn't get to where I am now overnight, it took time and effort.  Most of the positions I put myself in (listed below) were uncomfortable for me at the time, but I'm so much better for it.  If you're looking for ways to improve your situation then I hope my list of steps is useful to you.

 Here are ways that I found to be helpful:

• Talk to someone - in the beginning, the only person who any idea about my trouble with anxiety/depression was my husband.  It took me almost a year to tell my best friend.  It took me over a year to talk to my doctor about it.  Talking with each person was uncomfortable and awkward for me, but it made it easier to talk to the next person about it.  Each person was incredibly supportive and offered to me any help that I wanted.  Honestly, I wish I had talked about it much sooner than I did.

• Go outside - there's just something so refreshing about being outdoors and taking a few minutes to focus on your well being.  You can use this as your "me time" and think about all of the things you want to change and accomplish.  While you're outside you might as well take a little walk.  Exercise is another great way to improve your happiness.  This is also a good way to get your daily intake of vitamin D (which is also really good for improving your mood and your happiness!)  If you live in a place similar to where I live (cold, wet, and cloudy for most of the year) you can also take vitamin D supplements to help you get your daily requirement.  If supplements aren't your thing you can pick up a natural light lamp to aid you with your vitamin D intake.

•  De-clutter - this time last year, my husband and I went through everything (yes, literally everything!) in our home and donated, sold, or threw away anything we didn't want or need (clothes, appliances, keepsakes, etc.).  You don't need to go to that extreme, but just start somewhere.  If there's an item that doesn't bring you joy or use, get rid of it!  When my husband and I went through our things I noticed that I carried around many possessions that I didn't really need or even want.  Some items I kept because I felt like I had an obligation to keep it around (it was given to me or I had paid quite a bit of money for it) or because I thought they might be useful someday.  All of those items that I thought might be useful someday, I realized that they wouldn't be.  (How many years had I been carrying them around and I still couldn't find use for them?!)  It was such a relief to be rid of all of the junk that was cluttering up our home.  I haven't once missed any of those items since we got rid of them or found use for any of them.

• Manage your social media - this is something else I did last year.  If seeing posts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. make you feel uncomfortable or put you in a bad mood, remove the culprit from your feed.  I don't follow all of my friends on all of my social media.  That doesn't mean that I don't like them as a person, it's just that I don't agree with/like the things they post.  And that's okay.  If you have a friend on Facebook that is constantly posting updates or pictures that you don't like but you still talk to them and want to keep them in your friends list, you can manage your settings so that you no longer see their posts in your feed, but you'll still friends with them.  If there's someone on your friends list that you don't personally know then there's no reason for them to be on your friends list (unless you're networking).  Sometimes, you realize that someone you used to be friends with isn't your friend anymore.  I had people on my friends list that I didn't even like or talk to anymore for years because I felt obligated to keep them around because I had known them for a long time.  Life is short, there's absolutely no reason to keep people in your life that bring you down.

I really hope this was helpful in some way, and if you have anything to add to this please leave your suggestions in the comments below!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by!

Sephora x Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary - The Red Bow Beauty Diaries

I saw on Sephora's website a few months ago that they were doing another Hello Kitty collection, but I decided not to purchase any of the items this time around because the prices were outrageous even for a huge Hello Kitty fan like me.  (Excuse me, but $195 for a fake crystal encrusted handheld mirror?!  No way.)  I did however pick up the compact mirror about a week ago because it was half off, but I figured the good stuff from the collection was long gone.  Luckily for me I just so happened to find this box set while wandering around Marshall's.  It was the only one there and it was also only half the original price so I went ahead and picked it up.  The little collectibles are incredibly cute and the makeup is actually quite nice.  I think I would be a bit disappointed if I had paid the original $49, but for only $19.99 I just couldn't pass it up.  It comes with a total of 15 pieces - eyeliner appliques, Hello Kitty figurine, pink hair mascara, eyeshadow sticks, liquid eyeliners, lipglosses, a hair tie, bandages, a little coin purse, nail appliques, and lipsticks.

Pink hair mascara

Eyeshadow sticks

Eyeliners

Lipglosses

Lipsticks

Did you pick up anything from this collection?

Thanks for stopping by!

Urban Decay Smoked Palette Review + Swatches

I saw on Ulta's website last week that they were still carrying Urban Decay's Smoked palette (on sale for only $20!), so I quickly snatched one up before they were all out.  I think this palette is being discontinued because Sephora also had them on sale for $20 and now that they're all gone they haven't restocked them online.  I love a good smokey eye, so of course I am so glad that I picked this up while I still had the chance.  Naturally, the pigmentation is amazing.  This palette also comes with a small Primer Potion, a full size 24/7 Glide On eyeliner pencil in Perversion, and a step-by-step guide book.

Packaging:

I have to say that I am not a huge fan of this packaging.  The zipper tends to get stuck around the corners and it's a little bulky.  I think the outside will get dirty and stained eventually.  It's a bummer but what's on the inside certainly makes up for the packaging a bit.

 Swatches

Overview:

Kinky

Freestyle

Mushroom

Backdoor

Blackout

Barlust

Rockstar

Evidence

Loaded

Asphalt

Backdoor, Barlust, Rockstar, and Loaded are my absolute favorites so far.

Do you own this palette?  Which colors are your favorites?

Thanks for stopping by!