Long Time, No See

Hello everyone!

It's been quite a while but I'm back! I have some announcements about things and I hope you follow me on all my creative journeys!

 First of all, YOUTUBE! My original channel is starting to expand. If you haven't already noticed, I'm adding more book reviews into the line up and trying to film more makeup looks. I'm going to try to make a 'Makeup For Beginners' series that I hope will be as helpful to those starting out as it is for me. I'm still trying to learn and hone my skills and there's no better way to learn than to make mistakes on YouTube for the whole world to see, right?

Please follow my channel here.

Second, my GAMING YOUTUBE channel! I've been debating on making a gaming channel for a while and finally bit the bullet when my best friend, Tiffany, and I started playing Dying Light, a zombie video game with heart. The first few episodes of that will be up by now, so please go have a watch, but in addition to that I'll be playing The Sims 4 and maybe 3 as well as Minecraft and Elder Scrolls Online and Skyrim. 

If you have any game requests, go ahead and leave a comment either here or on a video on my channel, which you can follow here.

Third, my BLOG! I want to keep up the parallel posts between my YouTube and my blog so look out for those and I also want to do a bit more fashion/home things on here as well. I sort of want this to be like a vlog channel without the videos... basically just more of an insight to my life and living.

Please follow my blog and/or leave comments!

And fourth, and finally, MY FITNESS JOURNEY. I have just started going to the gym and so far it's been great. I met with a trainer who's helped me design a program to help me lose weight and build muscle. I'm going to be attempting to follow the instructions as best I can and want to encourage any of you who are struggling with going to the gym as well. Trust me, it's not easy, but I already feel an improvement in my mood and productiveness.

Thanks all for being here for me and helping me on my way. Someday I'd love to be able to be a blogger/vlogger/gamer/writer and become someone you can be proud of.

Love you all,

Dana

Let's be friends:
- FIRST BEAUTY CHANNEL: http://bit.ly/1G5BPTM
- SECOND GAMING CHANNEL: http://bit.ly/2kMJxkL
- Twitch: http://bit.ly/2l5J65q
- Instagram: http://bit.ly/1G5BMav
- Twitter: http://bit.ly/1NXfj7r
- Snapchat: danaw160
- Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2l9ydNF
- Blog: http://bit.ly/1iOSypx

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and I have not been paid to promote anything.

Dana VS: Suave Dry Shampoo [Ad]

Hello again my friends!

Today I'm going to start out saying that this product I'm reviewing was sent to me for free for reviewing purposes. Would that make this sponsored in a way? I guess so! Thanks Influenster!

So I was sent the Suave Professionals Moroccan infusion Weightless Dry Shampoo... what a mouthful! I have only used a few different kinds of dry shampoo before so I don't have very many bad (or good) experiences so far. 

I tried this shampoo the week before going on vacation, which is also the week after I moved. So showing regularly had not been a top priority. However, using this dry shampoo, it really made it hard to tell if my hair was clean or "fake" clean. It really made my hair feel soft and gave it the volume it was missing.

Now normally when my hair gets more than the usual two day old it can become pretty greasy. It flattens and just kind of goes lifeless, so adding volume and masking the grease is exactly what I'm looking for. 

In the past, I've had a couple good experiences with Moroccan oil so I knew it'd do good things for my hair, but this dry shampoo worked really well. It lifted at the roots and absorbed the oil fairly quickly (even though I usually spray before I go to sleep so it works into the hair) and it smells amazing too.

Overall, I really am glad I was sent this product. It worked well for me and I'll most likely repurchase.

Until next time,

Dana

Dana VS: Influenster Blush VoxBox

Hello all! I know it's been a long while since I've posted, a whole year some could say! (Very late 2016 joke, I know)

Well I wanted to talk about something that I found a while back and have sort of fell in love with over the past month. And that's Influenster! If you haven't heard of Influenster, it's a website/app that provides free samples to up and coming bloggers, vloggers, or interested parties! I got an email one day saying that this box was soon to be heading my way and I got so excited! I had no idea what was going to be in there so you can see my raw surprise over on my YouTube channel!

I got a whole variety of products and now that I've had a chance to test pretty much all of them, I feel confident in telling you what I liked and didn't.

First, I got a travel/trial size of the Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant in the scent 'Ooh-la-la Lavender'. I absolutely loved the scent. It smelled fresh, light, and very lavender-y. It was almost like a perfume. Usually I hate when my deodorant has a strong smell because it could irritate my underarm area and this did not at all. It lasted all day and worked very well. I loved it!

Next, I got a set of Ardell lashes. If you've followed my YouTube channel, you'd know that I've never worn false lashes before and frankly the idea of applying them terrified me. But seeing as I got them for free (normally, Ardell lashes are around $5) I felt like I could really try it out and I wouldn't have wasted any money. It came with lash glue and instructions on the back and I really appreciated it!

I also got a set of Pantene Expert shampoo and conditioner. The scent wasn't my favorite, it was kind of an artificial chocolate scent. It was somewhat off-putting but it didn't bother me too much after the shower. The feel of the shampoo and conditioner was soft and it really made my hair feel soft and moisturized. I got a good four or five washes out of the bottles so it was a decent sized sample. Overall, I liked what the shampoo and conditioner did to my hair, but I didn't really enjoy the scent.

Lastly I got a full size (I think) packet of Simple Micellar Wipes. I'd heard amazing things about the Micellar water technology from a billion people and I had always wanted to try the Simple brand because they were, as they are called, made with simple ingredients. The wipes worked wonderfully, taking off all my makeup and even my Kylie Jenner lipkit. It did struggle on taking off the Covergirl Supersizer mascara which is the most impossible mascara to remove in my experience so far. But other than that, I LOVE these wipes!

All in all, I feel like I'll actually go out and buy at least half of the samples I got! Which for a completely free box, is amazing! Check out Influenster to see if you qualify for their upcoming boxes!

Dana VS: November Ipsy Bag!

Hello everyone!

I know I went MIA for a while, but I hope now to be back!

So I just received my November ipsy bag! I was beyond thrilled to discover the theme this month was a space theme. I love space!

 The theme this month was 'Beauty Blast'.

I loved this bag; not just the design of the actual makeup bag, but every product inside too.

I received five fabulous products!

Albertini International: Warm Love Pumpkin Exfoliating Mask

First off, this mask smells amazing. It smells like pumpkin spice and it actually works pretty well! I was so surprised at how soft and nice smelling it made my skin feel. It also has a warming effect after massaging it into your skin after a few minutes. The only thing that wasn't so great was the small chunks of what I'm assuming was pumpkin in it. It wasn't the easiest to spread over my face with the chunks, but that's part of the exfoliating so it's necessary.

4.5/5

Be A Bombshell: Mechanical Eye Liner

I was at first extremely excited to receive this product. I love eyeliners, and I've heard good things about the Be A Bombshell brand. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. It was so hard to apply, the tip was extremely pointed and hard to apply directly to the eye. I couldn't even use it very well. However, it would be a great product to create a smokey eye with.

3/5

Smashbox: Full Exposure Mascara

Every ipsy subscriber received one of these trial sized mascaras in their box. I was a little hesitant because the last mascara I got last month, the IT Cosmetics mascara, was clumpy and didn't look so great. However, I've heard great things about Smashbox so I was eager to try it. It is actually awesome. It added volume, curled, and wow did it lengthen! It went on a little awkward because the wand is so short, but the actual product is so worth it.

5/5

Dermelect: 'ME' Peptide Infused Lacquer in the shade Commando

  

At first I hated the color. It was a weird nude color and I thought it'd look really bad. But when I saw it in person and then applied it, I absolutely fell in love. It's a rosy, brown nude and it is actually very pretty. In some lights it's more brown, in others more of a mauve. It is also infused with peptides which means it's good for your nails. It helps strengthen and resists chipping.

5/5 

tre'StiQue: Mini Matte Lip Crayon in the shade Florence Fig

As soon as I saw 'matte lip' I was sold. And this did not disappoint. It was a gorgeous color, a perfect dark, rosy nude. It went on so smooth and felt amazing. It's moisturizing and the color payoff is incredible. I am so in love with it!

5/5

So that's all I got in my ipsy bag this month! I am so happy that I got all things that I know I will use. I can't wait for the next month! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Much love,

Dana

Wanna see me open these products?

>> http://bit.ly/1NRmRbj <<

Dana VS: October Ipsy Bag! + GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Hello and welcome back everyone!

Wow, where has the time gone?! I swear it was just last week that I made this blog...

Well this marks the end of the first month of Dana VS! Stay tuned to the end of the post for more celebrating!

I got my October ipsy bag in the mail recently and could not wait to share it with you all! The theme for this month was 'Alter-Ego'. I must be completely honest and say that this bag compared to last month's blew me away. I don't think many people liked last month's bag, and I have to admit, I am one of those who didn't. But nonetheless, I was thrilled to see what came in this bag.

Pretty gold on one side, shiny plastic black on the other of this makeup bag

So let's jump right in and check out the first two products I tested this morning.

Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask

I never tried a hair mask before in my life. Never even heard of them until I worked at TJ Maxx and helped stock some. That being said, I had to google how to use the mask, as in what type of hair is it best suited for using on: oily and dirty, or fresh-out-the-shower. I used it in the shower instead of my usual conditioner and left it in while I cleaned the rest of myself. By my best guess I had it on for around 3-4 minutes, right in the middle of the prescribed 2-5 minutes the bottle says.

Pre-test hair: oily, tangled, frizzy
Post-test hair: incredibly soft, silky smooth, no frizz (!!)

The texture of the mask somewhat startled me, as it's quite thick (think facial mask thickness). The thickness of the mask made it a little hard for me to apply, seeing as I attempted to use it like my conditioner which has a thinner consistency. But it spread out easily and pretty evenly. I was very disappointed to find that the entire bottle (20ml/0.7oz) was used at once. That is my only con however. Many reviews raved about the smell which was supposed to smell like candy and they were entirely right! It smells AMAZING, sweet like candy but not too sickeningly sweet. I agree with those saying they'd wear the scent as a perfume. My hair is now softer than it ever has been before and is commercial-grade silky. I am so impressed, I know I'll probably end up buying more!

5/5
(I almost rated it a 4.5/5 because I wished the tester had more than one use, but that's not a rating of the product. The actual product is rated a 5/5)

Peter Lamas Exfoliating Pumpkin Facial Scrub

I love facial scrubs. I love pumpkin. I need to exfoliate more. Can you see where I'm going with this? I loved this product. It smells amazing (pumpkin pie!) and it wasn't too harsh on my sensitive skin. I used about half of the 30ml/1oz bottle and found that I could have used less if I wanted to. So by that estimation, I'll probably get around 3-4 uses out of this sample, which is super exciting to me.

Pre-test skin: oily and dry in different places, patchy red spots
Post-test skin: super soft, moisturized, less oily, slightly evened skin tone

I can easily see this becoming a daily part of my skin care routine, especially since I want to try and even my skin tone. Smells and works amazing!

5/5

Emite Make Up Tweezers

No offence, but what ipsy subscriber doesn't already have tweezers? As far as tweezers go, they work perfectly fine. But I have a pair that I like far more since the sides are slightly grippy and make holding it easier, as opposed to these which are just colored metal. And the color on the pair I received is already sort of starting to chip. I do like the color, anything a purple-fuchsia I tend to like, but that is not reason to really like a tweezer or not.

To be fair, this was the only item out of the entire bag I didn't like... and I didn't even not like it. It's just... I already have one.

3/5

The Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long-Lasting Liquid Lipstick in shade COMMITTED

Also being entirely honest, at first I was thrilled to receive this, but when I pulled it out of my bag, I was so very disappointed. The tube is just about the size of my pinky finger, only thinner. I did not expect it to be so tiny. I was so disappointed, I almost didn't want to bother testing it. I couldn't imagine how many uses I'd get out of this itty bitty tube.

However, I tried it. And I LOVE it. First, it smells like mint chocolate chip. Best smelling lipstick ever. Second, it went on amazingly easy and completely matte and opaque. Only con is that once it dries it is a bit sticky feeling if you press your lips together. But I can tell this color isn't going anywhere. It's also the perfect pinky nude for me. I love it!

5/5
(UPDATE: It was very difficult to remove with my makeup wipes so I'd suggest a lip color remover to help take it off!)

IT Cosmetics Hello Lashes Clinically Proven 5-in-1 Mascara

I was excited to try IT Cosmetics for the first time! I'd heard very good things about them from time to time so I looked forward to trying them for myself. To be honest, this formula was very clumpy at first. It's 5-in-1 powers are to lengthen, volumize, separate, curl, and condition your lashes. It certainly lengthened and volumized for me, but I don't really think it curled or separated my lashes until I really worked the wand. As for the conditioning, there are peptides, collagen, proteins, and jojoba in the formula.

It looks pretty good, but I had to work the wand in there to break up the initial clumps that formed. If you take the time to work with the product, it actually is quite nice. The 'chaotic mascara' look is in right now, so this is a great current formula.

4.5/5

All in all, I'd rate my October bag a whopping 5 out of 5 stars! I am so happy and impressed with the products I received, but I do wish they started to give at least one full size product. But hey, it's $10 for these amazing brands so I won't turn my nose up at them!

And that marks the FIRST MONTH OF DANA VS! -cue confetti cannons-
I am so grateful to everyone who reads my posts, even if it's only family and friends. And because I am so grateful I'd like to do a little giveaway! I will be giving away some of my all-time favorite makeup products!

Update: Giveaway is over! Thanks so much for entering!

WINNER WILL RECIEVE:
e.l.f. Cosmetics Lengthening and Volumizing Mascara
NYC Liquid Eyeliner in Black
e.l.f. Cosmetics Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder
e.l.f. Cosmetics Moisturizing Lipstick

RULES:
1. You MUST be a subscriber on Youtube, I will check!
2. Leave a comment either on this blog post OR the October Ipsy Unboxing video on my channel saying you're entering or whatever else you'd like.
3. You MUST be comfortable with giving me your address!

Giveaway ends a week from today and the winner will be contacted on October 23rd!
Again, thank you ALL for supporting me! Good luck!

Much love,
Dana

Dana VS: Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer

Hello everyone!

First off, sorry for not posting yet in October! I've been very busy with school, my internship, and a lot more! Thanks for sticking around!

Next, I want to talk about something today that I haven't done yet on this blog: video games! I've loved video games since high school (I played while I was younger but didn't get into them the way I do now) when I met one of my best friends. She introduced me to a whole new world of games that I never even imagined. One in particular, the Animal Crossing series, I remember her showing me as I expressed interest in getting New Leaf for my Nintendo 3DS.

I fell in love with it as soon as I tried it.

Cafe

Very recently, October 2nd, the Animal Crossing series welcomed a new title into it's ranks, Happy Home Designer. If you've never played the games before, you are a human in a world of talking animals. In the typical games, you come to a new town with no money to your name and work off your home mortgage by doing odd jobs and selling fruits, fish, and bugs. Sounds exciting, right? It actually really is! But with Happy Home Designer, it takes the typical games and flips it upside down.

Now you are an employee of the raccoon selling people houses. You take clients and fulfill their needs for their new home. You have an unlimited access to a catalog filled with items to put into their houses however you like. It's a fun, simple game that has endless designing possibilities!

Office-themed house

Classic-themed house

Modern-themed house

Pool-themed house

Children-themed house

Blue-themed house

Library themed house

 You can customize your character, build schools, shops, and offices, or help out the citizens looking to move into the town you help get off its feet. There is an endless list of things to do and even more different possibilities in how to do it.

Shop

School

Clothing Shop

Seafood Restaurant

School

Cafe

Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer is pretty much the perfect dream for any Animal Crossing fan. I know that I always wanted a chance to organize the stuff in my house but it was never easy. This makes designing your (or other's) home so easy and incredibly fun. 

All in all, I already know I'm going to end up wasting many hours of my life on this game. It's so much fun!

Thanks for reading!

Much love,

Dana

Dana VS: September Favorites!

Hello and welcome back!

Can you believe that September is over?!

I know I can't. I was thinking about things I wanted to make a YouTube video about (GO SUBSCRIBE PLEASE!! Link at the bottom!) and I saw a tweet from another YouTuber saying that she's filming a September favorites... And I freaked out because I don't know what happened to the time!

Anyway, I wanted to share some favorites with you that I've enjoyed all month. Some you may have seen, some are new!

First, something I'm currently wearing, a Turbie Twist. 

Excuse my fresh-out-the-shower face...

This is a rather strange device but there's literally no downside so I just keep using it. The Turbie Twist is a super absorbent towel that is designed to wrap around your hair and cut your hair drying time. It doesn't entirely dry your hair, and I don't mind that it doesn't, but it absorbs so much water, my hair dries in less than half the time it would take any other day. It also makes my hair a lot easier to brush than if I stepped out the shower and tried brushing it. I don't know how it does it, but it like prevents tangles from forming.

Next up is a TV show, Once Upon a Time. 

Just looking at this I can hear the theme song...

I watched the first three seasons in quick succession last year and had been patiently awaiting Netflix to get the fourth season after it ended on television. (I don't have cable so I can't watch it live... And I'm too lazy to watch it online the day after.) But I zipped through the fourth season during September and I fell in love with it again! The characters, the plot, the everything!! I think it's very well done!

Next is something you guys have seen before.

Tanya Burr Cosmetics eye shadow pallet: Fairytale

I said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE this pallet! The colors work so well together, bend super easy, and blah blah blah. If you want to know more about the pallet, go see my Tanya Burr Cosmetics blog post!

Moving right along is another thing you've seen before.

Rimmel London Show Off Lip Velvet: Meteoric Matte

Super smooth application, gorgeous color, stays forever, hydrating matte formula, sign me up!

Everything I've ever wanted from a lip product, I found in this matte liquid lipstick (I think it's a liquid lipstick??) and I can't wait to buy this in more shades!

Next is a candle!

Yankee Candle: Absolutely Autumn

I only have the small $1.99 version at the moment but I know I'll be buying this candle in a larger size soon. It smells amazing, like a spiced autumn day. It's kind of a manly scent, a deeper spice, but to me it smells like cuddling with my boyfriend on a chilly evening... very descriptive, I know. Anyway, this is a great autumn scent.

And finally, my last September favorite is a book!

The Creative Writer's Notebook by John Gillard

I am a Creative Writing major and so this book drew me in instantly. I bought it from Barns and Nobel ages ago for around $8 but didn't get around to working in it until now. It is separated by 'chapters' started with advice and about famous authors such as J.M. Coetzee and Virginia Woolf and then has a couple pages of exercises to help get the juices flowing. I love the exercises and really enjoy reading the advice.

So that's my favorites! It was really hard to choose what I've been loving during September but it's probably because I've never done one of these before!

Thanks for stopping by! What have you been loving during September?

Much love,

Dana

Want to see me talk about my favorites in a video?
>>WATCH HERE<<