Erno Laszlo White Marble Dual Phase Vitamin C Peel Review

*PR Sample/Affiliate Links used

Friends, today we are venturing into the land of luxury skincare. Generally I am quite content with my budget-friendly routine, but I think there will always be that part of me that's a teensy bit curious as to whether or not ultra-luxe purchases are ever worth it. Fortunately for my wallet, I occasionally get sent press samples (or PR) to review from different brands, which gives me the opportunity to try more products than I would if I was just buying things on my own (cause, you know, your girl has a budget).

Which brings us to the topic of today's post. Thanks to the lovely people over at Influenster and Erno Laszlo, I've been able to try out and review this $100 White Marble Dual Phase Vitamin C Peel for you. Yes, I did just say $100, and no I am not joking. Erno Laszlo has been known for nearly a century as a leading expert in skincare among celebrities, having graced the complexions of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Jackie O. Their cult classic products come with a hefty price tag, but also some impressive claims. Could this peel possibly be worth a three digit splurge? Or are you just paying a whole lot for a name? Let's take a closer look and perhaps then you can decide.

E.L.F. Vox Box Unboxing

Guys, I'm not going to lie. This week was pretty rough. From about 6:45 Monday morning onward I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle against the universe. When we get to today's video I explain a little bit more of what happened, but let's just say I felt like I was non-stop riding the strugglebus.

Fortunately, my week did have one seriously bright spot in it. My E.L.F. Vox Box arrived! For those of you who haven't seen my previous unboxing videos, Vox Boxes come from an online community called Influenster. Influenster works with different brands to help spread the word about their products and provides freebies to different influencers to test and review. Anyone can join, so don't worry if you aren't a blogger! All you need is to be willing to try cool stuff and share your opinions on social media and such. Over the past two years I've been part of some pretty amazing campaigns, and feel really lucky for all the opportunities they've given me.

This time around I've been sent a bunch of goodies from budget-friendly beauty brand E.L.F. Cosmetics. Prior to 2016 I don't think I had given E.L.F. enough attention. They have a massive line of insanely affordable makeup and skincare that I'm always hearing great things about. It's been on my to-do list to get more familiar with their products, so I welcomed this Vox Box with open arms!

Kat Von D Lock-It Vox Box Review

Friends, when you're a beauty junkie like myself, there's nothing quite like the promise of new makeup to lift your spirits. A few weeks back I was having one of those epically frustrating, overly-stressed work days that can send even the most chipper of individuals into an existential crisis. Every minute closer to 5:00 seems longer than the last, until the span of time between 3:00 and 3:07 feels like an hour. Suddenly, my phone makes a little ping. An e-mail! Even if its nothing interesting, it's still a welcome distraction from the time-torture inside my cubicle. So I reach over and check, half expecting my electric bill, only to find out that it's Influenster telling me I've qualified for a new campaign!

I'm pretty sure in that moment I took the phrase "doing a happy dance" literally and immediately jumped out of my chair to share the news with my equally beauty-obsessed coworker. This wasn't just any Vox Box. I was being sent 5 (five!!) products from Kat Von D's new Lock-It range to test and review. Truth be told, I've read way more about Kat's products than I've actually experienced them first hand. Many of her products are constantly being raved about by the beauty community at large (Lolita Liquid Lipstick, anyone?), but I'd yet to take the plunge and purchase something myself.

Fast forward to a month later and I've finally got my own thoughts to contribute to masses. Did Kat's products live up to the hype? Read more to find out!

Marc Jacobs Beauty Glow Stick Review *

Makeup trends. We all know they come and go and come back again reimagined and rebranded as "vintage". But highlighting. With the continued mass hype around turning your face into a shining luminescent beacon, it doesn't seem like the end of this trend is anywhere in sight. Is it just me, or is there a new glow-inducing product hitting the shelves from some brand somewhere every single day? And while I'll be the first to admit that they're all stunning to look at, it's also kind of overwhelming. How does one possibly keep up? As a blogger and generally curious person, my natural inclination is to want to try everything. But with only one face and only once source of serious income, the line needs to be drawn somewhere.

Fortunately, I've got Influenster in my life, which is not only a great resource for staying up to date on new product launches, but also affords me the opportunity to actually try some of those products without the worry of breaking the bank. For those of you who aren't familiar with Influenster, they're a company that networks between brands and social media influencers. It's entirely free to join, and doesn't require you to be a blogger or vlogger (although it certainly does help). Based on your profile, how active you are in the Influenster community, and your number of followers, you can qualify for different campaigns where you're sent free product to test and review. I've been a member for about a year and a half now, and I've been lucky enough to participate in some pretty awesome campaigns from brands like L'Oreal, Neutrogena, YSL, and Marc Jacobs. While you are asked to share your thoughts on whatever products you test, those opinions aren't assumed to always be positive, which is something that I've always thought important. I'll graciously accept freebies, but never on the premise that I'll say something is great when it is, in fact, kind of terrible.

Which brings us back to the reason you probably clicked on this post. I've got my hands on the new Marc Jacobs Beauty Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator, and I'm ready to give you guys the low down. Yes, it was sent to me for free to review, but everything I have to say about it is my own, honest opinion. We're all friends here, and real friends don't lie to each other. Amirite?

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence Review

*PR Product/Affiliate Links used

As much as I have a weakness for eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks, the one thing I never regret investing my money in is quality skincare. Makeup is fun and beautiful to look at, but nothing is more important to me than taking good care of the face it sits on top of. You can totally build a great regimen on a budget (check out this full skincare routine I've put together for under $100), but that's not to say that luxury products are never worth the splurge. For me it's all about getting bang for my buck. Do I want to drop an extra $40 or $50 for pretty packaging and a name? Not really. But if I'm investing in top-notch, effective ingredients that actually deliver as promised, I can get behind that. The tricky part is understanding what exactly you're paying for before you hit that checkout button. And that, my friends, is why I'm here. I want to help you #educateyoself so you can make informed decisions about the things you're spending your hard earned money on.

Recently I was sent two insanely splurgey products from Influenster to test and review - the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence and the SK-II Facial Treatment Mask. And when I say splurgey, we're talking triple-digit-burn-a-hole-in-your-wallet-splurgey. There are very few products I've tried that are more expensive than these, which left me all the more curious as to whether or not they actually work. Now, I haven't explored much of the Asian beauty scene, but I have heard many rumblings about how amazing this particular brand is. With innovative ingredients, SK-II products promise to transform your skin and deliver a youthful, radiant glow. Transform is a pretty powerful word, and an enticing one at that, but ultimately I need more than words to become a believer. So, in the name of science and informed consumerism, let's get into this!

Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara Review *

When it comes to makeup products I use on the daily, mascara is always near the top of the list. Even if I feel like doing the bare minimum, a few coats of mascara always make me feel a little bit more pulled together. That being said, I'm pretty ruthless about the types of mascaras I'll use. I want something that will give me blacker than black, pumped up lashes that isn't going to flake, smudge, or make me look like a raccoon at the end of the day. And with my stockpile of products to test and try, if a formula doesn't deliver, I'm not going to waste my time with it.

Up until the last month or so I'd gone back to using my trusty Maybelline Lash Sensational, which you all are probably sick of me talking about at this point (it's just so good, forgive me). And then I got some amazing news. Influenster was going to be sending me the Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara to test out! I'd never tried a Marc Jacobs product before, although I've made googley eyes at their displays for quite some time now, and what better place to start than with one of my most tested beauty staples? I had high hopes and high standards for this mascara to live up to, and had my fingers crossed that it would be every bit as amazing as it sounded.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture VoxBox*

Confession.

I've got expensive tastes.

Now, I'm not one to name drop, nor would I ever buy something just for sake of flaunting how much money I spent. I just appreciate quality when I see it, and often (but not always) the nicer something is, the more it will cost you. As my father often says "someone could take the price tags off of everything and you'd still pick out the most expensive thing in the store". It's probably about as close to a super power as I'm ever going to get.

Despite my affinity towards nice things, I'm also your normal working lady on a budget. Splurge purchases are not something to be made every day, and I've got to pick and choose carefully when spending my hard earned cash. While a lot of quality products cost a little bit more, dollar signs are not directly proportional to awesomeness, as I'm sure many of us have learned by spending way too much money on something that was overly hyped.

But that's one of the reasons I love blogging so much. Not only do I get to help other people steer clear of the stuff that disappoints or clue them into hidden gems, but I also have an amazing network of blogger friends and brands that do the same for me in return. One really awesome website that anyone can work with is Influenster. They team up with brands to help them find the right consumers to test out their products. That means you get to try awesome stuff for free in exchange for providing your honest feedback on the web or through social media.

In the past year I've gotten to participate in a number of cool campaigns, but this one might just be my favorite to date. I've been oggling Yves Saint Laurent's lip products from afar for years. They look so incredibly beautiful, but the sticker shock has always been too much for me to get over. Needless to say I just about fell out of my chair when I saw that Influenster was sending me two YSL Rouge Pur Couture Satin Radiance Lipsticks to try. With a retail price of $36 a pop, these babies are definitely in the splurge category for me, and I am SO thrilled to finally be able to try them out and let you know whether or not they're worth the hype (and your dolla dolla bills, y'all).

YSL Touche Éclat Blur Primer & Blur Perfector Reviews*

First off, let me say that I cannot BELIEVE that it's taken me this long to write this post. I have been so so excited about this VoxBox, so please don't let my delay lead you to believe that these products are anything less than superb. As you can see, Influenster sent me two new products from Yves Saint Laurent to test and review, and I've basically been overjoyed from the moment I got the notification e-mail. YSL is one of those brands I've admired from afar for years now, but have considered a little bit out of my price range and therefore have never purchased. I'm so happy to finally be able to add some YSL products to my collection, and to be able to give you guys a first look at these brand new launches! The Touche Éclat Blur Perfector and Touche Éclat Blur Primer are aimed at blurring the look of pores and imperfections on the skin, giving you a flawless, glowing complexion. Let me show you a closer look!

L'Oreal Ultimate Straight Haircare Review*

Hi everyone! I hope you all are having lovely holiday weekends. I had some pretty spectacular birthday celebrations myself, so perhaps I'll have to tweet or instagram some pictures from the festivities. Anyway, on to today's post! Thanks to my friends over at Influenster I've gotten to try the entire Advanced Haircare Smooth Intense Ultimate Straight line from L'Oreal. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit puzzled when I found out I qualified for this campaign, because my hair is kind of naturally straight as a stick. Still, with my beauty blogging duties in mind, I gave all four of these products a try so that I could report back to you on how they worked and what they did for my hair.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Review*

If you've got oily skin, finding a decent moisturizer that doesn't turn you into a grease ball by noon time is no easy task. Out of the many different formulas I've tried over the years, there's only been a handful that have truly impressed me. That being said, a true beauty enthusiast never tires in the hunt for a holy grail, so I'm always up and ready for moving on to the next thing. That being said, I was pretty darn excited when I found out I was going to be getting a Vox Box from Influenster with the new Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel. This brand new hydrating gel offers continuous hydration throughout the day while also promising to be oil-free, lightweight, and non-sticky. Was it everything I hoped it would be? Yes, and maybe then some.

Influenster Moda Vox Box*

Sometimes I feel like I'm always late to the party. There is so much out there in the world of the blogosphere, and I wonder how I don't stumble upon things sooner than I do! One of my more recent discoveries was influenster - a company that utilizes the power of social media to help brands promote and get feedback on their new launches. It's free for anyone to join, and individuals are chosen for different campaigns based on their demographics, interests, and social media presence. Influensters who are chosen for a specific campaign are sent Vox Boxes, which contain free products for them to test, try, and review. Apparently I joined at just the right time, because I was able to qualify for this awesome Moda Vox Box! Let me show you a closer look at what I got.