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<<

Dana VS: Walmart Beauty Box!

Hello all and welcome back!

Today I'm going to review a new subscription box!

Walmart Beauty Box! One of the prettier boxes I've seen.

So my boyfriend signed me up for this box without me knowing and surprised me! It's very cheap- $5 per box which ships every season, meaning four times a year total. For the value of the items inside (two were valued each more than $5 so it paid for itself easily) it's a wonderful idea as a gift or for yourself!

Open up the box of goodies!

To be quiet honest, the quality of these products blew me away. There are two full size products and several quality samples. I love samples because then if I end up not liking the item, I haven't wasted too much money with the entire thing.

Vaseline Intensive Care Healing Serum Radiance Restore with pure cocoa butter

One of the full size items is this 6.8 fl oz moisturizer. Now, if you've seen my ipsy review, you'd know that I have enough moisturizers however I have used this one before and I really liked it. It is velvet smooth, smells incredible (cocoa butter is one of my favorite scents), and absorbs pretty well into the skin. 

Simple Micellar Cleansing Water sample, One Direction You & I perfume sample

A lot of beauty YouTubers I follow have been raving about micellar water recently and I was thrilled to receive a sample! It's a cleansing makeup removing water and I can't wait to put it to the test! I'll keep you updated on how it works.

I was very surprised to see the One Direction perfume. For some reason I didn't expect to get a perfume sample but I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. It smells really good. The inside of the card says 'The fragrance is made up of splashes of fresh fruit and seasonal flowers, infused with an undertone of musk.' I can definitely smell vanilla, grapefruit, and rose undertones. It's a light floral and a light fruity scent without being overpowering in either category.

Rimmel London Show Off Lip Velvet in Meteoric Matte, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Boosters Facial Cleanser sample, Aveeno Protect + Hydrate Lotion Sunscreen sample

I like facial cleansers enough but I do tend to stick to ones that work for me. So I can see the Neutrogena cleanser either becoming a favorite or just forgotten. Either way, I'm excited to give it a try!

I am really pale. Not albino pale, but very fair skinned (my MAC shade is like the second lightest). That being said, I rarely use sunscreen when I really ought to. I live way up north where it doesn't get extremely sunny, but still, I should use it a lot more. This doubles as a moisturizer and a sunscreen which means I'll most likely use it. 

And finally my FAVORITE product in the box! The Rimmel London Matte Lip Velvet! As you all know, I love, love, love lip products. This is a gorgeous dark red/maroon shade called Meteoric Matte and I fell in love with it as soon as I opened the tube (and the reaction was caught on camera, link below!) It is super creamy and richly pigmented - but beware! It does tend to stain your lips a little. However, I like lip stains and it really adds to the staying power of the product.

So there we have it! My first Walmart Beauty Box! I am so happy with all these products especially since I had no idea at all what I was getting!

Thanks for sticking around to the end!

Love you all so much!

Dana

Want to see me unbox these items?

>> http://bit.ly/1G5BPTM <<

Dana VS: Zoella Beauty

Hello!

Two posts right after each other, what?!

Well, I ordered some items online and they all arrived around the same time. Super exciting!

So today I have a post about a couple items from Zoella Beauty!

Zoella Beauty was founded by YouTube star Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, in 2014. The original range had a variety of products; makeup bags, shower soak, lotion, body spray, and more. A year later, she released a new line, Tutti Fruity, which included a new lip balm and new scents for her products.

First, I ordered the guinea pig makeup bag and the Creamy Madly Dreamy body lotion.

I have four guinea pigs of my own so I needed this bag!

The bag is massive, much bigger than I thought! It's probably the largest makeup bag I own which I love because it fits everything you could ever need in one adorable bag.

The lotion smells amazing. I'm not sure how to describe scents very well, but I'd call it a girly, spicy, scent which was the scent featured in a few of the products in the range. The lotion absorbs well into the skin which is a huge thing for me- I HATE the feeling of lotion lingering on the skin. So sticky! So slimy! Ew!

The products I most recently got were products I've been dying to have.

Fresh Fizz Bath Fizzers, Soak Opera bath soak and shower creme, and original Fizz Bar

In the past year I've been introduced to Lush and fell in love with bath bombs right around when they got super popular. I went out and bought three or four for my birthday this past year and have never turned back. So when I saw that Zoe released fizz bars (essentially bath bombs in bar form) I had a heart attack. Hence why I bought both of them at once.

Both smell incredible and you get a LOT of product for pretty much the price of maybe one and a half bath bombs from Lush. You can get at the very least eight baths out of both bars and if you're frugal, it's an excellent alternative to $6 bath bombs (Lush is very expensive, but the quality is there so it's a great treat every once in a while... but enough of that, I'll post about Lush later!)

One of my favorite things about Zoella Beauty is the absolutely stunning packaging. Thought went into every word, font, lace detail, and even the wrappings of the products. It's so gorgeous and well-thought out that I am thoroughly impressed every time I look at them.

I also ordered the last thing I could from her original range, seeing as they cannot ship the body mist overseas. The Soak Opera shower creme and bubble bath. Just hearing the name sounds so luxurious. And trust me, the product lives up to that expectation.

If you run the product under warm running water, it will quickly fill your bath tub with bubbles. The formula is so soft and smells so good, it's like the cheapest form of aromatherapy out there. Just smelling the bottle next to me has a soothing, relaxing effect. Ahhh...

Overall, Zoe knows what her fans wants and isn't afraid to deliver incredible products for very affordable prices. I can't wait to order more and help support my favorite YouTuber!

Thanks for sticking to the end!

What is your favorite Zoella Beauty product? What would you want to try?

Much love,

Dana

Want to watch me talk about these products?

>> http://bit.ly/1KEKluH <<

Dana VS: Tanya Burr Cosmetics

Hello again!

Welcome back and thanks for being here!

Today I want to chat about something that I love and have wanted to chat about for forever.

Tanya Burr Cosmetics.

Tanya Burr is a YouTube sensation, with three million subscribers, and in 2014 she released her very own makeup line under the brand Tanya Burr Cosmetics.

I have been dying to get my hands on her products ever since, but never found I had the money or time to order some until she released new packaging along with three brand new eye shadow pallets. I fell instantly in love.

I ordered only two of the pallets and one lip gloss, but I can't wait until I've saved up for more!

I adore the metallic packaging!

So the first eye pallet I want to talk about is the Galaxy Eye Pallet.

Top left: Snowflake, top right: Moonlight, bottom left: Stormy Sky, bottom right: Starry Night

Each shade is perfectly pigmented, easy to blend, and such a gorgeous color. I am in love with the shade Moonlight; it is a shimmery light brown. Perfect for a neutral smoky eye, which is my favorite look.

Next up is the Fairytale Eye Pallet.

Top left: Cream Tea, top right: Velvet Cushion, bottom left: Alohomora, bottom right: Witches Cat

If you couldn't tell, I have used this pallet! Alohomora is my all time favorite shade of either of the pallets; it's such a gorgeous shimmery silvery brown. Again, they are all very pigmented and easy to blend, making looks using all four colors a breeze.

Overall for the eye shadows, I'm actually impressed! The cardboard packaging, while looking very nice, made me a little nervous as to the quality of the shadows inside (not saying all cardboard packaged eye shadows are bad, but I've had bad experiences with some). But they were very high quality, Tanya does not let her fans down!

Lastly, I got her lip gloss in the color Picnic in the Park.

I love the metallic!

To be quite honest, I was somewhat unhappy with the color. I guess I should have noticed that it is the brightest pink of all the colors, but I didn't expect it to be quite so... neon-y. The swatch on my hand is actually not as bad as it looks on my lips. On my lips, it's a bright, bright pink and as a lip stick, I think it'd do better for me. As a lip gloss, it looked not so great. However the formula is super hydrating and not as sticky as I thought! It feels nice and velvety on the lips which gives me hope for my next lip gloss purchase!

Overall for the lip gloss, I wish I ordered a different color, but that doesn't mean I won't rock this one when I can!

Overall for all the products, Tanya has exceeded all my expectations and I cannot wait to integrate one of my favorite YouTubers into my daily beauty regime!

Which was your favorite eye shadow color?

Thanks for tuning in!

Much love,

Dana

Want to watch me talk about these products in a video?

>>> http://bit.ly/1KEKluH <<<

Dana VS: ipsy Bag 1

Hello and welcome all!

Today I am beyond excited to review something I have been eagerly awaiting for month now!

MY FIRST IPSY BAG!

Now, for those who may not know, ipsy is a subscription service (meaning they send you a new bag every month) for beauty supplies. They send around 4-5 samples or full size products in a cute makeup bag every month. That's right. Every. Month.

It's a dream come true.

Anyway, I received my first bag today. Literally today. Like two hours ago. And I'm already deeply in love with it.

(Look at how adorable the package was. SO SHINY)

Inside the package was a gorgeous taupe-y brown makeup bag packed to capacity. 

(I received five goodies, a makeup bag, and a card about how to enter for freebies)

So first off, let me start with what I wasn't thrilled with. I was still excited about receiving it, but it's not something I'll use often.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream: Intense Hydration for Dry Parched Skin

Okay so to be completely honest, I'm not sure why they sent this to me (edit: I retook the beauty quiz and I had selected that I enjoyed moisturizers so I unselected it for future bags. I have plenty moisturizers). However, it smells amazing. It's not perfumed, but it has a nice light scent that I really enjoyed. 

It's a rather thin moisturizer, which I love because I hate the feeling of thick moisturizers layering your skin. It absorbs really well into the skin. Both my boyfriend and I will probably use this closer to winter when our hands and elbows get dry.

4/5

Elizabeth Mott Queen of the Fill: Tinted Brow Gel in the shade medium dark

Now I am a fan of all natural brows. No plucking for this girl (which is lucky because my brows don't grow all crazy anyway. They have a nice shape and color already). So this product was less about the filling in and more of the staying power. My hairs can get all crazy during the day.

The formula was actually better than I thought it'd be for this product. It went on nearly invisible to my dark eyebrows, which was totally fine for me, and it dried quickly and set them instantly. They staying power was awesome. While I may not be using this daily, it's definitely a product I wouldn't count out!

4/5

Octavio Aceite De Argon:Argon Hair Oil

I'm going to start off saying my hair gets very oily, very fast. Like, in two days it looks like I haven't showered for a week.

That said, this product was awesome. I usually only use hair oils the day of my shower, or in the morning if I shower at night. I had incidentally showered just before receiving my bag so I waited until my hair was slightly damp to use it. It smells like a fresh oily scent... it's hard to describe. It has the typical argon oil scent, if you've ever smelled argon oil. It is soft to the touch and made my hair so soft and shiny, I felt like I was in a hair commercial. (Cue hair flip)

4.5/5

 

NYX Cosmetics: ipsy Eyeshadow Trio

At first, I was excited but also a little disappointed by this. I love, love, LOVE the Nudes by Maybelline pallet with a burning passion. These shades reminded me of the pallet due to their nude-y smokey color. But WOW this pallet blew me away.

The pigmentation of this pallet was awesome. I accidentally used too much of the black (as I tend to do with black) and while I was fumbling to correct the mistake, I was thoroughly impressed with how much pigmentation came from one small swipe. The colors are also absolutely gorgeous on, and it made my run-of-the-mill brown eyes pop.

5/5 all the way

City Color City Chic Lipstick in the shade Je t'aime

Hands down my all time favorite item in this months bag. But then, I'm a sucker for all lip products. This lipstick was the softest, creamiest, most moisturizing lipstick I think I've ever tried.

Wow.

The color is a gorgeous dark rosy nude. It went on very easily and very pigmented. Again, it was incredibly soft and moisturizing. The staying power was better than some lipsticks I've tried, but it certainly not a stain of any description. I know I'll be using this lipstick a lot.

10/5

So that's all for my very first ipsy bag!! I am very much happy and impressed with the quality of products sent to me, especially when you remember that the bags are only $10 a month.

Thank you very much for sticking through this post to the end!

What was your favorite product, or what products are you loving this month?

Much love,

Dana

Want to watch the Youtube video of me opening my package?

>>>>>>https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh0Hf1ORCkIamw_PRZN3oTQ<<<<<<

Welcome!

Hello all and welcome to my revamped blog!

Previously, I was 'D Signing Off' but I figured having 'D' in the name is asking for a lot of immature jokes... So I upgraded to include my whole name! (Wow... much excite)

Dana VS is an idea I've had for a couple years. Basically, I wanted to take a thing (video game, movie, show, beauty product, etc...) and review it. For example, a post coming very soon is 'Dana VS Ipsy Bag 1' in which I reveal and review each of the items I received in my September Ipsy beauty bag.

So lets chat about me!

My name is Dana, I live in Milwaukee, WI currently, and I'm in college going for my Bachelor's of English in Creative Writing. What I've wanted to do with my life ever since I was 15 years old was write stories. A blog is essentially a collection of stories, right? So I've decided to make my start here.

Just this past year I started getting into beauty and makeup and I found that it's actually a whole lot of fun. I love experimenting and trying and failing and I want to bring you along on my journey. I've started a Youtube channel, by the same name, so you can watch and read my journeys through makeup and even more.

I appreciate each and every view, comment, and follow. Just know I love you all! Thanks for taking the time to read my silly posts!

Much love,

Dana