{Splurge or Save} Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick & Brush Review

Published on August 14, 2016August 14, 2016 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

A few weeks ago, I received the Vanish Foundation Stick & Brush from Hourglass Cosmetics via Influenster for testing purposes. Its claim to fame is having the coverage of a concealer, fluidity of a liquid, and the weightlessness of a powder for undetectable full coverage. Well….I put that to the test. First, I selected the color from a computer screen so I worried if the foundation would even match my skin tone. If you are a frequent reader of shemakescents.com, you know that I never leave the house without mascara or a spritz of perfume. PERIOD. Those are my beauty standards and I take them very seriously. Lately though, with the surge of regular women rocking fully contoured faces on the daily, I have been compelled to add to my makeup repertoire. In the past few months, I have spent a good bit of money for drug store foundations/concealers in an attempt to discover a perfect color match and consistency. The sad part is, I spend money on those foundations that I use occasionally since foundation isn’t normally in my daily routine.

Yesterday, the Mr. and I went to Sephora to pick up my birthday freebie and I decided to play with more Hourglass cosmetic products in person. As the Mr. patiently waited for me to finish, he took notice of the $46.00 price tag for the makeup brush and another $46.00 for the foundation stick. Astonished and confused, he questioned me about who in their right mind would pay those prices. Well, let’s look at the two products separately.

Foundation Brush

I knew I was going to be reviewing foundation, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a complimentary Hourglass Vanish foundation brush. I used it with the Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick in Almond and the “seamless finish” advertised came to life on my face. The first week, I exclusively used the brush with the Vanish Foundation Stick and then I branched out to see if I would get similar results with brands under the $10.00 price point. The brush created a flawless finish regardless of the foundation used with it. Since #selfies and #usies are the millennial standard, having a secret weapon in your makeup arsenal that makes your skin look impeccable in photos and in person is worth the splurge.

Splurge or Save? : SPLURGE

Foundation Stick

As a woman of color, I often find it difficult to find makeup that doesn’t make me look chalky, too light, or too dark. Nude doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone, you know. Like I mentioned before, I had to pick my color from a computer screen and magically, I picked the perfect color. This is mind-blowing considering it takes me almost 20 minutes in Target to find something “close” to my skin tone. I love that it is a foundation stick because I can use it right as I am running out the door and I don’t have to worry about a mess like what you have when you use liquid foundation on the go. Instead of using it on my entire face, I have used it daily under my eyes to fake a “refreshed and youthful” look when I have been consistently running on 6 hours of sleep (not cool). Is it worth the $46.00 price point? I think this one could depend on what you look for in a foundation. I will be buying this foundation again, but it won’t be my exclusive foundation. At a $46.00 price point, it is too expensive for daily use so I will mix it in the rotation of my drug store foundations.

Splurge or Save? : SAVE

What’s Your Go To Foundation Brand? Please share below.

{Life Skills} How To Comeback From A Setback

Published on July 20, 2016April 25, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason3 Comments

I came across this quote the other day and I thought it was too good not to share. I talk and write about goals all the time, but I rarely write about how to stay on track after a setback. In the simplest of definitions, a setback occurs when there is a reversal in progress. Last year, I had a slight financial setback when I put a few thousand dollars on my previously paid off credit card. I consider this a setback because it literally set me back and an entire year of my money snowball and the added interest I will be paying to make up that year is definitely a reversal of progress. This year, my setback was not being exactly where I wanted to be career wise. This is something that has stressed me out a great deal until I realized this is my arrow year. They say an arrow can be shot only by pulling it backward so when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it’s going to launch you into something great. I hope this post launches you back onto your chosen path to greatness.

4 Steps to Come Back from A Set Back

Question Your Goals. Are the goals you set for yourself still relevant? What was important to you six months ago, may not even be on your radar anymore. That being said, it is okay to abandon goals that you have outgrown for more relevant endeavors. Take a step back and examine your career, relationships, and finances and decide what’s worth resetting and what can be let go.
Setbacks Are Meant for Learning. Okay, so your proverbial “tire” got a flat. What was your lesson? Was it to slow down? Focus more on the road ahead? Lean into the curves that life throws you? The only waste of a setback is not learning the lesson. A lesson missed is a mistake waiting to be repeated.
Break Down Your Goals Into Smaller Manageable Goals. Sometimes people have a reversal in progress when they get overwhelmed by the task at hand. It’s like eating pizza. You shouldn’t be able to eat the entire pie at one time, you have to eat it slice by slice. Weird example, I know… but you get the point. Here’s something a little more personal. I have a goal to be debt free (not including our mortgages) in the next five years. If I looked at the $27,000 in credit card and student loan debt in its entirety, I might have easily gotten overwhelmed with my goal. I had to break it down into smaller manageable goals. First I separated the debts- $5,000.00 for credit cards and $22,000.00 for the remainder of my student loans. I then set separate goals dates to be done with the debt. For example, my goal was to pay off my credit card debt by August 1, 2016, and I am happy to report that I accomplished that goal ahead of time. I did that by setting weekly goals with the 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge and bi-weekly goals of making a minimum $150.00 payment every two weeks regardless of the minimum payment. With the credit cards out of the way, I am now able to snowball that money to tackle part two of my student loans and knock out that remaining debt in four years or less.
Set a Goal Date & Get Her Done. In this post, “{Got Goals} How To Make and Achieve Your Goals” I break down the tools needed to complete this step. Check out the post and you will see what I’m talking about. Don’t forget when breaking down your goals into smaller manageable goals to assign milestone markers for you to stop and reflect on your progress. When I got my credit card under the $1,000.00 mark, I stopped and patted myself on the back because I could see my achievements in the near future.

{Reader Check In} How Are You Doing?

Published on July 8, 2016 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

I wanted to take a moment and check-in on you, readers of shemakescents. With all that is going on in the world know this, you are loved and you are important. Here at shemakecents.com that love and importance of human life transcends race, gender, class, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and any other ways that people are discriminated against. Be safe out there and keep pushing toward whatever goals you what to meet.

With that being said, I want to encourage those of you who are still committed to the 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge. I am so proud of you! Saving money is the easiest part, the discipline to be consistent every week is the challenge. Today I crossed off $19.00 which puts my at a total savings of $1,194.00 (YTD). I am so close to my 1st goal of paying off my credit card balance largely in part to my discipline and support from other people in the challenge. The goal is to go into the month of August with a zero credit card balance. Stay tuned!

shemakescents{at}gmail {dot}com | Instagram @shemakescents

If you would like to leave an encouraging message below or an update on your savings goals, I invite you to do so in our comments section below.

{Financial Cents} BINGO Money Challenge Hits MAJOR Milestone

Published on June 18, 2016April 13, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

Hello Lovelies! I have some exciting news to share with you this morning. Yesterday I crossed off $14.00 – doesn’t sound too exciting yet, but wait for it….. – on the 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge. That $14.00 put me at the $1,000.00 mark for this money challenge! –INSERT HAPPY DANCE!!!!

On the same day that I hit the $1,000.00 mark in savings, I also hit the under $1,000.00 mark in my credit card balance!!! While I am proud of the financial gains made in the first six months of this challenge, I am even more excited about the about the savings habits I have created for myself. I believe that creating a healthy savings routine is the first step on my journey to DEBT FREE living. I was chatting with a girlfriend of mine who made the observation that I have only been focusing on saving and not making increasing my sources of income a priority. In a lot of ways she was correct. I have placed a serious focus this year on saving because in the past, I would start the year strong with savings goals and plans for myself only to find some of them abandoned by mid-year. That being said, splitting my focus between increasing streams of income and saving would have only created more problems at that point in my journey when I wasn’t steadfast in making saving a priority. The phrase, “More Money, More Problems”, exists for a reason. Without a healthy savings routine and more income coming in, I could have easily created more debt and worsen bad spending habits. I have spent the first six months of this year really focusing on correcting past bad behaviors and replacing them with healthy habits. Now that I have solid saving habits, I can start also focusing on increasing income and using that increase to move on the next snowball in my overall financial plan- student loans debt. I attribute my success to personal will, saying no to social (sometimes), and having accountability partners, like readers of She Makes Cents to help keep me motivated. I would love to hear how you are doing with this challenge… the good, the bad, and the ugly.

shemakescents{at}gmail {dot}com | Instagram @shemakescents

Please share below or feel free to email me.

{Time Is Money} Are You Spending Both Wisely?

Published on May 24, 2016May 24, 2016 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

It’s safe to say that we have all heard the phrase, time is money. But what does that really mean? When considering the quote above, I would say it means that time is valuable. We can easily recognize the value of money, how great we feel when we spend it wisely, and how annoying it is when we feel that money is wasted. Those same paradigms should be applied to what I believe to be the most valuable currency that we all have- our time.

shemakescents{at}gmail {dot}com | Instagram @shemakescents

{Derby Fashions} Does Looking Good + Feeling Good = Spending Money?

Published on May 7, 2016 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

A few weeks ago I was low key stressing about Derby Fashion….I know, it’s just the Derby and people have real problems, but when I don’t look good, I don’t feel good. I wasn’t even planning on attending until the very last minute so things became a mad dash for me to find the a complete get up, including the dress, cute wedges for the grass, and of course, the hat! The Mr. and I were here, there, and everywhere and I even employed the help of my mom in the search for the perfect hat. I was swiping left and right (my bank cards not Tender) when it hit me…Danielle, you have hit one of your shopping triggers. In the past few years I have noticed that I tend to spend more when I feel something is “lacking” in my appearance. I will over shop when I probably didn’t need to as a way to try to correct something that may be off in my life. On the second day of running around Atlanta I forced myself to just stop and really think about what is currently in my closet. This is after the Mr. treated me to a very cute new dress and I bought new shoes. I was out looking for THE HAT when I thought about switching things up. Actually, it was after I saw this picture that I began to rethink my entire approach:

My original plan was to go traditional Derby in a more dressed up way, but I loved how pretty and comfortable she looked (no comment on her Beau). “Oh wait”, light bulb moment, “I have a very similar dress in my closet”….but still no hat. In my final half hour of stress before we had to leave, I told myself that whatever hat I found, be it for the dress we bought or the dress I have, would dictate my Derby look. Fed up and feeling a little defeated, I went to one final store and found a hat. We attended Atlanta’s version of the Kentucky Derby and had a blast with new and old friends.

Check It Out!

Through the experience I learned that I have to start making time to take better care of myself, that way I don’t have to get ready, I will stay ready. I learned from a mix of packing up my closet for the big move (another post for another day), that it is time for me to reinvest in my wardrobe. At (insert cough here) 30 years old, I shouldn’t be trying to wear the same staples from college. My style has evolved and so has my body. I also learned that along the line, I had replaced an updated wardrobe with things to make my new house a home. I was a girl with a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear because I had not taken the time to properly edit, purge, and organize. For Derby Day, I wore a dress from my own closet, shoes I already had, and a hat that, unlike the more traditional style, I could see myself wearing again. After I complete my Edit, Purge, Organize, which I will blog my way through, I will be able to make better decisions like that in the future.

Editors Note: I took the new shoes back because they worked for the new dress but weren’t really my style. With that money, I bought six new classic wardrobe must haves. Special thanks to Event Rentals Unlimited for VIP access to the beautiful air conditioned glass tent!

shemakescents{at}gmail {dot}com | Instagram @shemakescents

{Reader Success Story} A Shockingly Easy Way to Save Money for Fun

Published on April 15, 2016April 15, 2016 by Danielle YB Vason3 Comments

In my posts on this site, I share my progress toward financial freedom sort of like a diary to the world. Sometimes the stories reveal my failures and the things I learned from the experience so you don’t make the same mistakes. More often than not, my stories are transparent accounts of gained confidence in regards to my financial literacy. Every week, I have diligently crossed off numbers on the 52 Week BINGO Money Sheet and I update you on how those funds are being used. As of week 15, I have saved $590.00 extra dollars that I have put toward my credit card debt. I am proud of myself but I am equally proud to know I haven’t been on this journey by myself. This week, I wanted to shift the focus off me and begin to share the stories of other smart women who are kicking debt’s butt and redefining the “fab life” for themselves. Our very first reader’s profile is from Alysa T., a 28 year Marketing and Communications Manager out of Washington, D.C. A friend referred Alysa to shemakescents.com about 3 years ago and interestingly enough, the BINGO Money Challenge was the first article that she read.

When asked why she decided to join the challenge, Alysa explained, ” It’s a very simple and kind of fun way to put aside a little extra money each year! I think checking off all the boxes appeals to my organizational side too. This year I’m putting [my savings] towards a vacation. I am recently SCUBA certified and want to explore the underwater world more! It is awesome to know that she is using the money saved for things that (if you follow the blog, you already know what I am going to say) FEED-HER-SOUL! Over the past few years, Alysa has become more than a loyal reader. She is my Twitter pen-pal/accountability partner who sometimes sends me her progress updates before I have the chance to check-in. I LOVE THAT! I love knowing that we are on this journey together. “In past years”, Alysa reveals, “I used it for a new computer and a down payment on a car”.

The journey towards financial freedom isn’t a easy one…if it was, no one would have debt and everyone would be building wealth. Alysa’s biggest financial goal is to get her emergency fund to a healthy level so she can put more savings towards fun things. I’d say with a savings of $515.00 year to date, she is well on her way.

How Much Have You Saved on the BINGO Money Challenge? Share Below

shemakescents{at}gmail {dot}com | Instagram @shemakescents

{Every Woman Should Have} The Protection of a Slush Fund

Published on March 29, 2016March 29, 2016 by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

This is not a typical savings post, but a post that might just save you. I learned a very adult lesson when I was just a teenager watching a friend’s mother pick up the pieces after a messy divorce. To my knowledge, it was he who messed up…..so how in the world did she have to downgrade the lifestyle that they built together and he upgraded? The simple answer, he probably had the better lawyer. They shared an account but she didn’t have an account all by herself. At 15 years old, I learned that life happens and not everyone gets the happily ever after they were expecting. More importantly, I learned that every woman should have a her own money. I vowed that would NEVER be me. That was the year I started saving my own money.

The Protection of a Slush Fund

Creating a Slush Fund for yourself isn’t a selfish act nor does it have to be a sneaky one. In this post, Fortune Magazine author, Jean Chatzky, cites a study conducted by Princeton Research Associates for CreditCards.com. According to the study, “7.2 million Americans (4.4 million men and 2.8 million women to be precise) have a bank account or credit card that their spouse or live-in partner doesn’t know about”. That kind of omission in a relationship is not my personal cup of tea. I believe in the “yours-mines-ours” approach where the lines are clear and the division of funds works for both parties. This “Yours-Mines-Ours” strategy is me taking an active role in my personal finances and joint finances. Gone are the days where women are expected to blindly allow their spouses to run their financial house without know how the money is flowing in and out.

Regardless of your relationship status, YOU have a responsibility of building your financial house on a stronger foundation. Be proud of that. Be clear about your expectations. Be smart about your money. Every woman should have a protective slush fund because no one can protect you like you.

shemakescents{at}gmail {dot}com | Instagram @shemakescents

You’re married, so should you have your own slush fund?

{Monday Motivation} Refresh Your Priorities

Published on March 28, 2016 by Danielle YB Vason4 Comments

Happy Monday!!! Today’s Monday Motivation goes out to my family. This past Saturday, my eight year old cousin Kentric Stubbs Robinson had a wish granted by Make-A-Wish Mississippi; hours later, he lost his battle to a rare blood cancer. How lucky we all are to have someone that makes saying goodbye so hard. He was a fun, curious, and kind child who had a talent for dancing and was not afraid to show off this skills.

Today I motivate you to stop existing in this world and start living! Be like Kentric. Do something that feeds your soul; that’s where true happiness lies. If dancing is your passion, then dance. If reading brings you peace, make time to read. If your happiness is in the kitchen, cook. If helping others is your thing, go volunteer with an organization you admire. Just don’t waste the time you have left doing things that don’t feed you mentally, spiritually, or physically. Starting today, refresh your priorities. You will be a more fulfilled person for it.

shemakescents{at}gmail {dot}com | Instagram @shemakescents

{Monday Motivation} Attract What You Expect

Published on March 14, 2016September 4, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Happy Monday Lovelies! I hope it has been was a good one. I thought I would send you a little inspiration as you start your week off. This #MondayMotivation can be applied to your career, finances, love life, and friendships. It’s never too late the be the person you want to be.

Attract What You Expect

I take this quote to be a suggestion to be selective on who you bring into your inner circle. You can’t move forward if you surround yourself with stagnate people. Surround yourself with people who motivate you to keep moving not those who want you comfortable where you are. Another interpretation could simply be the Law of Attraction. For example, people who believe in doing affirmations to help them reach their goals. “I am a money magnet; therefore, money flows into my life abundantly”.

Reflect What You Desire

I desire to be credit card free by June 1, 2016. I have to continue to be diligent about paying extra over the minimum payment and not making any more purchases that can’t be paid off in full before the billing cycle. To do that, my actions must reflect my desires.

Inspirational Quotes

Become What You Respect

Be the type of person that you want surrounding you. For example, if you desire to deal with people who respect your time, don’t be the woman to show up late for anyone else. This is the ultimate, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

Mirror What You Admire

Use the best qualities of those you admire, put your own twist on it, and you will not only reflect admirable qualities, you will be the woman you want to be.

shemakescents{at}gmail {dot}com | Instagram @shemakescents