{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.

{Splurge or Save} Christian Louboutin Nail Polish

Published on July 24, 2014August 13, 2016 by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

Anyone who knows me personally, knows that I have an affinity toward nail polish. The Mr. once described my behavior in a Sephora on the Las Vegas strip as a “lioness approaching her prey”. With that being said, I have tried it all and I must say, nail polish should not be a splurge. Take the Christian Louboutin nail lacquer that was released yesterday. For $50.00 a bottle, that is smaller than the average nail polish bottle I might add, what are you getting?- A nice rouge polish that can be replicated with OPI or even NYX polish (which is becoming my new favorite because of how long it lasts). You see, you are paying for a name, cool branding with the spiked top, and for people to see you wearing Christian Louboutin. But unlike his shoes, which can be readily identified by their distinctive red bottoms, no one is going to recognize your Rouge Louboutin polish. Think about it like this, 12 bottles of polish could buy you a pair of Louboutin heels…which I would consider a better investment, by far.

Splurge or Save? : SAVE

Would you spend $50.00 for nail polish?

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{The Bouqs} The Most Epic Way to Buy Flowers – But Is It Worth It?

Published on June 21, 2014April 24, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

You know I’m all about using my “cents” to live a fabulous life. As I get older, however, I’m feel empowered to define and redefine what a fab life looks and feels to me. One thing that is classic and has always made me feel… well fabulous is fresh flowers at home. It’s something about them that makes me feel very adult and chic, which inspires me to get my house super neat and clean as if Elle Décor was coming through. Being in the event design industry, I am fortunate to see all sorts of beautiful floral from around the world. Being on a financial plan, though, means that it is imperative to find creative yet economical ways to make sure that a simple luxury like fresh flowers is in the budget. Check out what could be one of my new go-to stops for fresh flowers on a budget.

The Bouqs

The Bouqs is a company out of California who contacted me last month about reviewing their product. Prior to that, I had not heard of them (I guess I missed that episode of Shark Tank). After doing a little digging, I learned that they offer sustainable and eco-friendly flowers that are grown on an active volcano in South America. Have you ever had volcano flowers??? Yeah, neither had I, so I had to order a bouq (short for bouquet) and let you all know if this is worth adding to your “simple luxuries” money envelope. I went to their website and I was immediately impressed that they had Ranunculus at a time when my floral distributor could not even get them for my brides at work. Swoon-worthy right?

While I LOVE ranunculus, I wanted something with a little flirty touch, so I took a chance and ordered their Desperado bouquet. As seen below, the Desperado is comprised of a lovely composition of pink roses and soft purple Dianthus. I thought the colors were gorgeous so I pressed “order” and waited a week. The delivery came as scheduled, but to my surprise, my pink and purple bouquet was all pink. It was not a big problem, but it just wasn’t what I expected… until I looked online and saw the note that stated: “Pink Roses with Purple Dianthus or similar accent flowers“. This folks, is a prime example of why it is important to read to the end of the line and the bottom of the page J.

Being that I had these delivered to my office, I had a slew of vases in our floral department to choose from. They arrived in a box so I immediately cut them under water at a slight angle to help them last longer. I also was advised by one of our senior designers at my office to remove all extra leaves and cut them short so that water and flower food is not wasted on foliage. I mixed in the flower food that was provided and started playing with how I wanted to style the arrangement I was making. This was my first arrangement right after I took it out of the box on day one.

Day Three

A Week Later

Bouqs start at $40.00 an order, including shipping, and would be a great option for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, dinner parties or just because. It’s not in my financial plan to get these weekly, but I will definitely take advantage of their concierge service that allows you to schedule floral deliveries to your favorite people. I know I will also use them again because the quality, service, and ability to stay fresh longer than your grocery store flowers makes it worth the money. I will list this as: A GOOD BUY.

What’s Your Take on Fresh Flowers? Fab or a Waste of Money

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