Save or Splurge? Another Drugstore and High-End Beauty Showdown

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Anyone who's been around these parts for a while knows that when it comes to beauty products, I appreciate having a healthy mix of high-end and drugstore options. Sometimes the quality of a product merits the extra cash, sometimes the budget friendly option performs better. It's one of the things I love about beauty blogging. The more I try and review, the better able I am to compare and contrast so you guys can reap the benefits!

I know I'm not the only one who loves searching for a good dupe. It looks like my original Save or Splurge post has been getting a lot of attention lately, which made me think it's about time I did a follow up! Over the past 7 or 8 months I've been keeping an eye out for potential pairings, and I think I've now rounded up a nice little selection of products to share with you guys.

Today I've got four of my favorite high-end beauty products to talk about: a cult favorite liquid lipstick, an iconic brow pencil, the perfect summer blush tint, and the super glue of eyeshadow primers. Are they worth the splurge? Or should you save your money and opt for these budget friendly drugstore options instead? Let's take a look!

Summer Stitch Fix Review

I don't know how things are in your neck of the woods, but in my neighborhood, it's seriously feeling like summer. Connecticut has the luxury of being ice cold in the winter, sweltering hot in the summer, and generally confused during the spring and fall. But really, I shouldn't be complaining, even if the thermostat is rising above 90. I'm a summer baby, and I'll take the heat and sunshine over frostbite inducing temperatures any day.

Now that it's officially time to bust out the warm weather clothing, I figured I was due for another round of Stitch Fix. For those of you who missed last season's post, Stitch Fix is a personal shopping and styling service. Every time you schedule a fix, your stylist will look through your profile (you can even link a Pinterest board for visuals) and pick out 5 clothing and accessory items he or she thinks you'll love! After your fix arrives you have 3 days to try everything on, see how things work with your wardrobe, and decide what you want to purchase. If there's anything you don't love, you just send it back to Stitch Fix in the prepaid mailing envelope they give you. And if you love everything, you'll get a 25% discount when you purchase your entire fix. There is a $20 styling fee to have a fix created for you, but that fee will be automatically applied toward anything you choose to purchase.

I personally like to schedule a fix every season, just to give my wardrobe a little refresh. However, you can schedule them as frequently as every couple of weeks, or as infrequently as an annual treat. You're never roped into any monthly fees, and you can also set price points for different types of clothing to help your stylist create a fix that fits within your budget. Basically, Stitch Fix is really what you make it out to be, which is one of the things I love about it. It's gotten me to be a little more adventurous with my wardrobe, and has helped me to find some pieces I love that I might never have thought to try on!

So, confession. I made a bit of a boo boo with this season's fix. Everything turned out fine in the end, and I learned some valuable lessons in the process, but yeah...let me tell you the story.

Summer Beauty Haul | Birthday Goodies, 4th of July Deals & More

When I was a little kid, I used to hate the fact that my birthday was a. in the summer and b. the day before the 4th of July. I never got to bring cupcakes into school or have my birthday announced over the loudspeaker, and every time I tried to throw a party to celebrate, all my friends would be away for the holiday weekend with their families. I basically decided that the universe had cursed me with the worst birthday ever.

Twenty years later, my opinions have done a total 180.

I love my birthday. There are always amazing deals happening right at the time where I might have some newly acquired gift cards to spend, I never have to work the morning, AND I get fireworks. I mean, seriously. Thank you mom and dad for bringing me into the world on what I have determined is essentially the perfect weekend.

As you can tell from the title of this post, I've done a little damage recently in the shopping department. How could I resist picking myself up a few birthday goodies at a time where so many sweet deals are to be had? I suppose I could have had more restraint...but really, since when are birthdays about denying yourself? I always love sharing what I'll be testing and reviewing next with you guys, so I've rounded up all my new loot and filmed a little haul video.

Birthday Freebies

One of the things I look forward to every July is the slew of e-mails that show up in my inbox, filled with awesome coupons and promises of freebies. Why July? Because it's my birthday! As much as celebrating with a big party and cake can make me feel loved and appreciated, I honestly look equally forward to my yearly ritual of parading around the mall, collecting my free little treats. Maybe I'm just an introvert, but the gift of me-time is perhaps my favorite thing to give myself (you know, along with some chocolate and a bath bomb). To keep you guys in-the-know, I thought I'd round up a list of my favorite birthday freebies, both beauty and non-beauty, so you too can get in on all the goodness.

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?