My First Ever Blog Giveaway!

Hey guys,

So I have been wanting to do a giveaway for a while now so I have decided that since it's December and all (which means Christmas!) that it was time for me to do a giveaway! My blog will be two years old at the end of January which means I have waited long enough haha. I will be doing a giveaway every Friday for the rest of the month of December. I will be doing two giveaways here on the blog and two giveaways on my Instagram account so make sure you are following along so you can enter for your chance to win something! Most of the items are not very expensive but they were all paid for with my money. I'm not going to tell you what they are until I announce them mostly just because I want them to be a surprise!

So for today's giveaway, I will be giving away a this Sephora Favorites Lip Kit.

 These Sephora Favorites gift sets that they come out with every year are my absolute favorite. They make the best gifts because it allows the person to be able to try multiple items without having to spend a lot of money on each full size item. For example, with this lip kit, you can try out 6 different brands of lip products, find out which one(s) you like the best and then go buy the full size option. Plus they are perfect for travel because they are usually all below the TSA required size.

The lip kit comes with 6 different shades (I know there are only 5 in the picture, I didn't realize there were 6 until I had already taken and edited photos and didn't feel like retaking them haha) to try out from 6 different brands. They are all brands that I highly recommend. I personally already own and love a few shades of both the Kat Von D Liquid Lipstick and the Tarte tareist lip paint.

I purchased a set for myself as well and have already tested out the Laura Mercier Lip Colour and the Bite Lip Crayon and both are very bold and beautiful colors. I will definitely be buying more shades of the Bite Lip Crayon.

The giveaway will be open today and will close on Tuesday! I will announce the winner in next Friday's blog post!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This blog post is not sponsored and all items were purchased with my own money.

Thanks for stopping by!

Feel free to leave a comment or share this with your friends!

XO, Steph

Top 5 Favorite High-End Mascaras

Hey guys,

So today's blog post is all about mascara! You know that popular question, "If you were stranded on an island, what is one beauty product you would bring with you?" Well for me, that would be mascara. I absolutely love mascara and I probably own about 30 different tubes of it. I used to own more but I recently cleaned out my collection. I am obsessed with my lashes and making sure that they are long and full at all times.  

1) Too Faced Better Than Sex

I absolutely love this mascara and this is the first mascara that I recommend to people whenever they ask me which mascara is my favorite. It is my go-to mascara and it always goes with me whenever I travel anywhere. I love how you can just keep adding coat after coat and it just makes your lashes look so good. I typically will apply two coats in the morning but if I am going out later in the evening then I either add a third coat or I apply false eyelashes.

2) Lancôme GRANDIÔSE Extreme Wide-Angle Extreme Volume

So I discovered this mascara almost two years ago now and it is an amazing mascara. It can be pretty hard to apply because of the weird shape of the wand. I do have the tendency to get the mascara on the side of my nose or sometimes on my cheek (haha). However, this mascara makes your lashes so long and full, it totally makes up for the mess you may create in the process of applying it. It is definitely one that I recommend you should try at least once just to see if you like it. 

3) YSL Babydoll

This one used to be my favorite mascara for a long time because of how tiny the wand is. The wand is made out of plastic rather than fibers which is nice for making sure that you can really get in there and coat every single lash. As with some of the other mascaras, I typically apply 2 coats but if I am feeling adventurous I will apply 3 to make sure that my eyes really pop.

4) Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume

This is one of my newest favorites and it also replaced this mascara. I have fallen in love with this mascara because of the wand as well. I am really obsessed with the wand when it comes to mascara. The actual formula never really seems to make a difference for me. Since I have pretty oily skin, no matter which brand the mascara stills gets all over my eyelids and underneath my eyes. I am constantly having to touch up or wipe of some mascara that fallen. 

This mascara is probably the best one that Marc Jacobs offers and I love how full it makes my lashes look. I typically will apply two coats of it but you can add more if needed and your lashes will still look amazing.

5) Smashbox Full Exposure

This used to be my all time favorite but as more and more brands starting coming out with more mascaras, this one slowly moved to the bottom of my list. However, it will probably always stay on my list because of the fact that it was my first favorite. I also really love how big the wand is. It allows you to be able to coat every single lash and create full lashes (hence the name, Full Exposure).

Thanks for stopping by!

Feel free to leave a comment or share this with your friends!

XO, Steph

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January Favorites

1)  Tory Burch York Zip Passport Continental Wallet

 I received this wallet as a gift for Christmas from my parents because back in October for my 21^st birthday I bought the matching Tory Burch York Tote for when I travel. I like to make sure that when I buy a new handbag I have the matching wallet that goes along with it just make it look more coordinated but at the time I also had my eye on something else so I ended up not buying the matching wallet and decided to tell my parents to get it for me for Christmas. This wallet it amazing, it has so many slots for debit cards, credit cards, gift cards, and I.D. It also will probably fit a checkbook and your passport along with other important items that need to be kept in your wallet. The price is a little expensive if you are not used to spending that much on a wallet but I totally recommend this wallet. I honestly believe that it will also last for many years because it is made out of Saffiano leather, which is known as a really sturdy leather.

2) Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do

 I have been listening to this song on repeat this past week because it is absolutely amazing. I highly recommend that anyone and everyone purchase this song. Yes, it was written for the new Fifty Shades of Grey movie (if you’re not into that, try to get past it it’s just a movie) but it is still a fantastic and beautiful song. The music video is also pretty interesting to watch. Ellie Goulding has an amazing voice and she is a wonderful dancer.

3) Nars Virtual Domination Cheek Palette

 I purchased this Nars palette back in December and I have been using the different blush options almost every single day. I purchased this palette because I wanted something I could travel with that gave me a lot of options to choose from plus I love Nars blushes. This palette contains 3 blushes, 1 highlighter, and 1 bronzer. I love all of the color choices for the blushes; they each go perfectly with my skin. The highlight is really pretty; it has specks of glitter in it that shimmer when in the sun. I already own another palette from Nars that contains the same Laguna bronzer and so I already knew that I loved it. The color is just right, it’s not too dark or too light.

4) Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac Black

I have been wanting this bag for the longest time but I could not decide between the Mini Mac, Mac, and the Mac Daddy. The Mac Daddy is an extremely large bag and when I saw it in person I was knew that I did not want a crossbody bag that large and that me with two choices, the Mini Mac and the Mac. I ended up asking for the Mini Mac in black with gold hardware for Christmas and ended up receiving it and now that it has been about a month I love the bag but I am not that big of a fan it because the opening is very small and it is hard to get anything in and out of it. I think that in a few years I may purchase the larger size in the black with the gold hardware so I can have the option of choosing a different size depending on what I am doing, where I am going, and what I am wearing. However, if you want a nice crossbody bag that holds a decent amount of stuff I highly recommend this bag because it is only about $200 and it is a durable bag that will last a while.

5) MTV's Eye Candy

This is a new TV show on MTV that comes on on Monday nights at 10 pm central time. I have recently become obsessed with this show and I can’t wait for every Monday night to watch it. If you are looking a new show to watch this is definitely one that I recommend and I normally cannot stand shows that are on MTV. This show is about a girl who is a hacker that is working with the cyber crimes unit of the New York City Police to figure out who a serial killer is.

6) Cocoa Krispies Cereal

Lately I have enjoying a bowl of this for breakfast every morning, which brings me back to when I was kid (which I know was not that long ago). For breakfast, if I choose to eat cereal, I normally select one the Cheerios flavors but occasionally I like to live a little and grab cereal like Rice Krispies or Fruit Loops both which a delicious but unfortunately not really that healthy for you. 

7) Phillips Sonicare DiamondClean Toothbrush

I also received this Toothbrush for Christmas and I absolutely love it. There are so many reasons why I would highly recommend purchasing this toothbrush such as the color options and the many features it has to offer. It comes in three different colors, which include black, pink, and white. This toothbrush offers 5 different levels, which includes, clean, white, polish, gum care, and sensitive. My personal favorite is probably the polish level because it is quick and really intense and it makes it feel like you have just been to the dentist. However, I do not recommend using that level every single day. I have wanted an electric toothbrush for a while now and I selected this one because it is great for traveling. The brush head is removable and replaceable and can be stored in the case that comes with the toothbrush. The case also acts as its charger when you are traveling. All you have to do is connect the case to the wall charger and leave the toothbrush in the case so it can charge. Also, the way you charge this toothbrush when you are at home is by placing it in the little cup that comes with it. The cup sits on a silver charging base that plugs into the wall and you can leave the toothbrush in the cup all day to charge and the cup can be placed on the counter next your sink. It is a little pricey compared to other electric toothbrushes but I would have to say that it is worth every penny. It also comes with a 2-year warranty (as long as if you remember to register it) and when I registered mine they also offered me another 6 months of warranty.

8) Marc Jacobs Lip lock Moisture Balm

I recently received a sample of this with my online Sephora purchase and I love using this every morning after I have washed my face, I apply it and allow my lips to soak up the moisture from the balm and then when I am done with my makeup and hair and I am ready to walk out the door, I will add my lip last to make sure that it is fresh and vibrant. I highly recommend purchasing this product because it is amazing and my lips feel so much softer since I have started using this product.

9) Nick Jonas Album

This album came out last November (2014) but I just recently purchased it and I have been slowly memorizing all of the lyrics to the songs. Some of the songs are interesting (meaning not really my style) but most of them are very catchy and I enjoy listening to them. Aside from Jealous and Chains, my two favorite songs off the album are Warning and Avalanche featuring Demi Lovato.

10) Michael Kors Sutton Medium Satchel in Electric Blue

This bag was also another Christmas present. However, this present was not really planned. I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted this Christmas and so I gave my parents a couple different options to choose from because I could not make up my mind and thankfully this is bag they (and by that I mean my mom) ended up selecting. I love this bag very much and I am so glad that this is the one that was selected. I have been using this bag every single day this past month and I love the size and the versatility. It has the short handles, which allow you to carry the bag with your hand or place it in the crook of your arm. It comes with a longer strap to allow you to wear it crossbody style or just draping from your shoulder. Even though it is not very large, it is a very roomy bag and allows me to carry a large wallet, my checkbook, my cosmetic bag, a pair sunglasses and their case, a mini umbrella (since I live in Florida and you never know when it will rain), and other random things that I have thrown in there throughout the day. I also love the color, it is very vibrant and I am glad that I was given this bag because I do not have any bags this color.

By the way all of the pink is clickable and will lead you directly to site so you can purchase and/or view the items mentioned.

Thanks for stopping by! Check back next week for more posts!