2013 Best In Beauty

Where do I even begin with this post? 2013 has been an utter whirlwind of ups and downs, love and laughter, discovery and disappoint, but most of all a year full of thanks. I don't think I'll ever begin to describe how much the beauty community (both here on blogger as well as on YouTube) has meant to me since I discovered it. It's a place where people can come together to share their love, excitement, and general giddiness over the silly things we smear across our faces on the daily… and I love it!
Thank you all for reading my ramblings, for showering me with encouragement and kindness, and most importantly for just being the wonderful people that you are.

So, without further ado, let's jump into my last post for 2013… let's jump into the best of beauty!

December Favorites!

I'll have my favorites of 2013 up here on my blog tomorrow (while I don't like conforming to the general opinions of the beauty blogosphere/YouTube-land, I sure do love me a 'best of insert year here' post) but until then I've got my Best & Worst video up for the month of December!

Hopefully you're all well and ready to greet the new year with a genuine smile (framed by lips painted to perfection with your favorite color of the year, of course)~

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: essie "mint candy apple" + "hors d'oeuvres"

 Ahhh~ finally a day where I can write up a blog post, edit a video, and snuggle with Galileo no questions or qualms about it; I live for lazy Sundays like these! Though admittedly this will be the last one for me in the coming weeks of the new year with family visiting, school starting up again, countless hours in the studio stuffing my face with trail mix, paint, and feelings… but let's not think about that.

Instead let's take a look at the manicure I had on this past week!

essie has been plastered on my nails for the majority of this month which has been both a joy and a hassle. I already reviewed "hors d'oeuvres" which, if you've read that post, you know is where the joy has come from; it's just a beautiful polish all around. On the other hand, I haven't reviewed essie's "mint candy apple" quite yet but I've been wearing it a lot as of late (you can see it on my nails here, here, and here). 

Where's the hassle? Well, it's mostly in the formulation of "mint candy apple" and where I find many essie polishes fall short. The color is absolutely beautiful (a frosty pale blue; no green hint of mint to be found here) and opaque but it chips extremely easily, leaving me with a burning need to touchup/repaint my nails every couple of days. No likey!!

However, with these two polishes working in tandem, it creates a look so dazzling that even a few chips along the tips of the nail don't detract from its beauty. I can't even tell you how many compliments I got on my nails this weekend at work while ringing people up at the register; grumpy holiday shoppers who don't respond to me asking "hi, how are you today?" took the time to tell me how fantastically delightful my nails looked, chips be damned!

Even though we've been pretty much snowless here in Boston this winter (aside from the occasional freak blizzard one day which lasts all of 48 hours before melting into an afterthought), essie's "mint candy apple" and "hors d'oeuvres" have kept my nails looking frosty and festive this holiday season. 

Joy! Rapture! Makeup feelings!!!

Have you done any seasonal manicures this winter?

What's your favorite nail polish from essie?

Do share!

xoxo - Cassie

What I Got For Christmas!!

Just thought I'd pop in really quick and post my latest YouTube video for you all (fresh off the processing press as of a few minutes ago!) in case you need some post-Christmas merriment to eat stocking candy (no I'm not talking about lint, I'm talking about Lindt) with. Remember: it's not about the presents but rather the loved ones you share your time and laughter with! 

Happy holidays to you and yours and I'll talk to you all soon in a blog post~

xoxo - Cassie

Weekly Outfits Are Back!

With finals the past couple of weeks and the holiday season piling on retail work hours (and munching on my sanity), my clothing choices have been a little lax in terms of 'style' this month. However, on the days where I felt even semi-put-together, I filmed my outfits and was able to mash five of them together to make an OOTW video for you all; to think I've only worn five decent outfits in the past twenty days is a little sad for me (cue sadistic self-effacing laughter) but at the same time I can't bring myself to care too much!

Either way I hope you all are well and enjoying a much more restful and rejuvenating holiday break than I am ♡

xoxo - Cassie

Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser: Review + Demo!

To start off my reentry into the blogging world, I figure talking about something tried and true would do; something every makeup lover needs in their medicine cabinet yet most seem to forgo in lieu of a makeup wipe. Heck, some people don't even remove their makeup before they go to bed on a regular basis… horror!! I honestly don't know how you ladies do it. Even in my most drunken of stupors I always took the time to remove my makeup and brush my teeth before conking out in bed (or on the couch, the floor, my head inside of a trash can… no need to judge; my one year of drinking far too much in college is well behind me).

The only thing I can think of is that people who don't remove their makeup before bed do so purely because they have yet to find a makeup remover that's quick and easy. Or, let's be honest, they just haven't tried Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser.

Holiday Makeup Tutorial!

You guyyyyyyyyyyys, I am so terribly sorry that I haven't done a proper blog post as of late… BUT! Finals are (for me), as of today, officially over!!!! Can you hear the naked angel babies singing? Is that the smell of laziness and gluttony in the air? 

Indeed.

Thankfully I just (literally as of a few minutes ago) uploaded a new video onto my YouTube video so you can feel free to check that out if you're in the mood for some makeup goodness from me. I should have an actual blog post up in the next day or two here so bear with me until then… I have all of my break to catch up with you guys and annoy you with heaps of posts so just you wait hohoho~

xoxo - Cassie

D.I.Y. Shutter Mail Holder!

As per the request/demand of many of you when I hauled this old shutter, I put together a D.I.Y. project on how I turned it into a mail holder! So, if you're feeling super crafty and are in need of some mail organization like I was, give this a try!! Hopefully it was helpful for you… Galileo was a great little helper throughout the video as well if you're interested in some G-time (๑^っ^๑)

xoxo - Cassie

December '13 Birchbox!

Ughhhhhh I don't know you guys… if Birchbox wants me to subscribe again next year they really need to step up their game. It kills me to say that because I used to look forward to my boxes each month (though admittedly I still love the concept and their rewards/points program) but as of late they've been seeming like more of an afterthought.

CoverGirl Clump Crusher: Swatches + Review!

I've got a quick mascara review for you all today! Nothing super special but I figured it was better than no blog post at all in this end-of-the-semester-scramble that I'm currently caught in. 

I remember when Clump Crusher was first released and the commercials with P!nk were relentless on the tube ('television' for the more proper folk out there). Annoying, sure, but absolutely effective. I hate knowing that advertising works, especially when it's on me though at the same time I can't help but give advertisers a round of applause; it is their job after all!!

Regardless, I finally caved after seeing this in a ton of mascara routines on YouTube… and when people do nothing but sing a product praises I've just got to try it for myself.

While I wasn't completely blown away (and admittedly a little let down… 200% more volume? I think not CoverGirl) I have to admit that I do think this is a nice mascara. Not fantastic, not amazing, not good, not bad, but nice. And sometimes, for the daytime, that's all you really need. The formula turned out to be an absolute winner in terms of not clumping during application and for wearing beautifully; no need to worry about flaking, droopy lashes, or smudging with Clump Crusher.
Overall: if you're looking for length and/or volume then I'd look elsewhere. If natural looking definition is your bag though then I'd say this is definitely a mascara worth checking out!

Have you tried CoverGirl's Clump Crusher mascara?
Love it? Hate it?
What's your current favorite drugstore mascara?
Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

I feel like it's been forever since I put a picture of Galileo up, so here's the fluff booger having a snooze on his favorite perch by the heater ♡

CoverGirl 3-in-1 Outlast Stay Fabulous Review + NAKED3 Palette!!!

I just wanted to pop in quickly to say that I've got a new makeup review/first impression video over on my YouTube channel (and promise I'll have a blog post on it here later)!! And also, as the title of this post suggests, I JUST BOUGHT THE NAKED3 PALETTE… well, technically Santa got it for me since he'll be paying me back but still haha. I have needs and had to be sure I got my sweaty little hands on it before it sold out for the next few months since Santa is currently at his day job. 

Ho ho ho~!!

Have any of you nabbed the NAKED3 palette for yourselves yet?

Or am I the only one hyperventilating over it right now?

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: essie "hors d'oeuvres"

It's that time of the year again… I've got nail polish posts aplenty and that all points to one thing: end of the semester stress. The one way that I find it possible to unwind in the madness of higher-than-Theresa-Caputo's-(love her)-hair expectations is to slap on some fresh polish and render my hands useless for the next hour. SUCESS as far as I'm concerned; A+ art student!!

Anyways, just like my nail painting tendencies, this is the time of year that nail polish companies pump out holiday themed polishes and that means one thing… GLITTER. Because nothing says 'happy holidays' better than obnoxious bling, am I right? Of course I am (this is not the time or place to argue with me unless you want to end up going for a nice ride tied up in the trunk of my car).

Ahem.

Let's take a look at this little stunner from essie, shall we?

You're going to have to excuse me in advance for the mass amounts of Glamour Shots included in this post and just trust me when I say I could have blinded you with ten times more bling. So in reality you should probably be thanking me for narrowing it down. 'Tis the season right? Anything for you girls (guys?).

I have to admit that I've been on a bit of an essie polish spree lately; I'm not quite sure what has sparked it but I'm going to boil it down to emotions under the guise of needs. Usually I stuff my face with carbs in these situations but for some reason essie has been my drug of choice as of late. My ego (in Freudian terms) likes to reason that at least my mom appreciates the fact that food and cosmetics are the hardest 'drugs' I've ever gotten myself into thus far hahah.

I think what attracted me the most to essie's "hors d'oeuvres" was the mix of gold and silver glitter composing the polish. Just looking at the bottle in the store I was unable to tell what sizes of glitter were which color because the overall shine and shift of the polish is immense; depending on the light, the angle, the everything, "hors d'oeuvres" is a mesmerizing medley of holiday glitz and glam.

True to most (all?) essie polishes, "hors d'oeuvres" takes 2-3 coats to reach full opacity and doesn't last longer than a day or two before the edges start to chip and flake away. Also, true to glitter polishes in general, it was an absolute pain in the butt to get what polish stuck around off the nail. I can't say I really minded any of these quirks though because a.) I already knew the generally terrible formula that is essie nail polish, and b.) I've dealt with enough glitter in my life to know taking it off wouldn't be pleasant. 

The beauty of this polish made up for everything I mentioned above because it really is a stunner. The fine gold glitter that the base of the polish is comprised of mixed with the large and small silver hex glitters is something you just can't help but look at constantly while you have it on (and trust me, everyone else will be looking too).

Have you tried essie's "hors d'oeuvres"?

Love it as much as I do?

What are your favorite holiday nail polishes this year?

Do share!

xoxo - Cassie

Another Weekly Outfits Video Is Up!

Sorry for my slight lacking in 'real posts' as of late… I promise to get an actual review of something up as soon as my semester is over next week-ish; just bear with me and hopefully my YouTube videos will keep you occupied until then (இ﹏இ`｡)

xoxo - Cassie

Best & Worst of Beauty (AKA Monthly Favorites) + Wine!!

I just got home from a busy busy day (including a loooooong Black Friday work shift… oofta) and figured I would stop in real quick to post up my Best & Worst of Beauty video for November! 

Hopefully you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it), ate lots of yummy food (regardless of whether you celebrate the holiday or not), and maybe even scored some great deals if you're a crazy Black Friday shopper. Seriously, you all are mad haha but I guess it kept me busy at work and I wasn't bored for even a second; one couple even put on a show for me and the rest of the customers by making out (tongue, slobber, shifty hands and all) at the register while I was ringing them up. 

What a sight bright and early in the morn'!

As always, I hope you enjoy the video~

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: Urban Outfitters "BOHEMIAN SUMMER"

For some reason when I first saw the Illamsqua speckle polishes (stick with me people; I know this is a post about an Urban Outfitters polish but I promise the Illamasqua reference is valid) I was only attracted to the nude beauty "Freckle". The colored versions—pink, purple, green, and a blue identical to this one—just didn't interest me in the slightest. Which I suppose, in the long run, I'm perfectly pleased with because it save my wallet a good amount of tears; Illamasqua polishes will set you back a whopping $17 but when you can snag Urban Outfitters polishes on deal for "2 for $8" (which is pretty much always) then you're only spending about a fourth of the Illamasqua price. Bargain!!

I've gushed about my love for Urban Outfitters polishes before but to quickly reiterate: I love pretty much everything from the super-opaque-quick-dry-chip-resistant formula right on down the to the chunky square glass bottle they're housed in. And, as I said before, at a mere four bucks the price tag ain't bad either.

"BOHEMIAN SUMMER" is a beautiful icy blue creme with large hexagonal and tiny round matte navy glitters packed throughout. The polish is nearly opaque in just one coat but adding a second layer allows a bit of the first layer's speckles to peek through and create a depth that's insanely quirky and mesmerizing. I don't own "Fragile" (the blue speckle Illamasqua polish) but judging by pictures and swatches on Google, I feel pretty confident in saying that "BOHEMIAN SUMMER" is a fantastic money-saving dupe. 

 Overall I'm just enamored with this Urban Outfitters polish. I wasn't completely sure about it at first but after a minute of having "BOHEMIAN SUMMER" on my nails I knew I was smitten. The robin's egg pattern and color mimic is truly adorable. 

So don't let the price tags on Urban Outfitters' clothing scare you away from their nail polishes; they're high quality at a low price and I truly can't recommend them enough!!

Have you tried Urban Outfitters' nail polishes?

Love 'em? Hate 'em?

What brand of polish do you think gives you the best bang for your buck?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

Thrift Haul!

Hello hello everyone, and happy almost Thanksgiving!! 

I hope you're all looking forward to a little vacation time, lots of delicious foods in casserole dishes, and lovely time with your families. In the meantime, if you need a little Goodwill goodness to get you through the last stretch of days until turkey day, feel free to watch my latest thrift haul on YouTube! 

As always, I hope you enjoy~

xoxo - Cassie

stila stay all day waterproof volumizing mascara: Swatches + Review!

I honestly don't think I've been this conflicted about a product in… ever? Which makes me think that doing a review on it is semi-stupid as well as semi-senseless. Regardless, it is what it is and I'm here to give you a review that will probably confuse you more than it will guide you; WELCOME TO MY AWKWARDLY TIRESOME LIFE I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR STAY (you won't).

I got this little sample as a freebie in an Ulta order quite some time ago (a month? Two months? What is time when you're in school other than a constant reminder that you'll never get anything done on time and things that you do get done are never good enough?) so I didn't have many expectations… essentially I was just giddy over getting something for free. 

So when I first pulled the applicator wand out of the mascara tube I was intrigued; the wand was in the shape of some sort of a pyramidal (sorry for the reference to my science background [it makes me cry too]) structure which is something I had never seen before. 

Was it going to work? Did it matter?

I still don't have the answer to that but I sure can tell you, as I said in the opening, I'm just plain old confused (which, again, is a reminder of the days I wept in the front row [no shame] of my organic chemistry lectures). The stila stay all day waterproof volumizing mascara is extremely weightless which would normally be a wonderful thing but it also points to, what I assume is the reasoning behind, this mascara not providing much volume. It does, however, deliver in the lengthening department. Your lashes really do feel all fluttery and feminine but I do get the feeling that if you don't have decent lashes to begin with then this mascara won't do much for you. Again, that's just a hunch but I'm going to stand by it. 

So there you have it folks… all of the reasons why I just don't know about this mascara. 

I can't see myself running out to buy a full tube nor can I imagine recommending this to anyone. That aside, I do think that this is a nice bottom lash mascara so for the time being I'm going to use it for that. My lashes overall though just scream for more oomph (read: volume) and the stila stay all day waterproof volumizing mascara just doesn't do it for me.

Meh. Meh. MEH.

Have you tried the stila stay all day waterproof volumizing mascara?

Love it? Hate it?

Have you found the perfect mascara that gives you length and volume?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer: First Impression + Review Video!

With the semester wrapping up here in grad school land, I've been pretty much the worst blogger ever as of late; my sincerest apologies!! I've basically just been holed up in my studio painting so, with the daylight hours waning with the coming of the new year, by the time I get home it's pitch black outside and I don't have time to take photos (not to mention my brain wants nothing more than cuddle time with Galileo and gallons of sleep). 

Excuses (reality) aside, I put up a new video on my YouTube channel where I try out and review the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer for you all! I know it's kind of an 'old news' product but I had it in my stash and finally got around to trying it out now so sue me. 

As always I hope you enjoy~

xoxo - Cassie

Another Weekly Outfits Video Is Up!

I can't believe it but we're up to #30 in terms of OOTW videos here on ThriftThick… holy cow!!

If you need some late night weekend videos to watch then feel free to check this one out (if you haven't already), or maybe if you just need some outfit ideas to inspire you for the coming week then take a peek! 

As always I hope you enjoy~

xoxo - Cassie

November '13 Birchbox!

It's that time of month again ladies (and gents?)! 

We're nearly halfway through November and, tried and true, my Birchbox arrived just on time… emotionally as well; truly I was having an awful day when I finally got home around 10:00pm, opened my mailbox expecting nothing other than bills bills bills, and saw this pink beauty waiting for me. Instant happiness, giddy girl feelings, and bliss! I couldn't have timed this one better myself.

Let's take a peek at what I got this month, shall we?

NOTD: Ruffian Manicure (feat. "HEDGE FUND")

Ughhhhhh so these photos may or may not be from the end of September… which, if you know me even a little, means the former rather than the latter. I'm sorry; I'm human; it'll definitely happen again. 

I wasn't too thrilled when I got "HEDGE FUND" as my Ruffian nail polish shade a couple of months ago (everyone got a Ruffian polish that month but the color varied) but I was excited to try the brand nonetheless. So, to make lemonade out of this lemon, I decided the perfect thing to do with "HEDGE FUND" was to try out the 'Ruffian Manicure'… I don't know if Ruffian can really claim this type of manicure as their own (I've seen it plenty of times before) but I guess that's branding/marketing for you.

The Ruffian polish itself was actually extremely pleasant to work with; it was opaque in one coat and dried relatively quickly. I think it looked gorgeous paired with NYC's "Sidewalkers" and I got an overwhelming amount of compliments on the manicure while it lasted.

So there you have it folks! I hope you like this manicure and, if you haven't already, definitely give it a try for yourself. No nail tools or tape required; just paint your nail with the base color normally, let it dry, then paint the top color the same way you normally would but stopping the brush a bit higher than the cuticle so the base color peeks through. Easy peasy 〜(‾▿‾〜)

Have you tried Ruffian nail polishes?

What was your experience?

Tried the supposed 'Ruffian Manicure'?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie

Limited Edition Maybelline Matte Color Tattoos: Swatches + Review!!

Ohmahgah you guys I can't even with these. I CAN'T EVEN. I think the lady at the cash register of the CVS I finally found these at saw me pee a little when I found these sitting in the Maybelline Gilded In Gold display (which is the limited edition collection these matte Color Tattoos are a part of). Can you blame my inability to control my excitement though?? 

For nearly a month now I've been hunting these down at every Walgreens, RiteAid, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ulta… seriously, every store I could think of that gets in limited edition cosmetic releases I was there. And I was creepy (I'm assuming anyways… I can't imagine any of the stores thought my silent-disheveled-sweats-wearing-self was endearing).

Enough of my rambling though; let's get on to checking out these beauties and seeing if the hunt was well worth it, shall we?

Revlon Matte Balms Follow-up Video!!

Like I mentioned in my original post on the Revlon Matte Balms I filmed an in-depth review/demo/first impression video for you all and finally got it uploaded to YouTube!! It really is a mishmash of a video but I hope you enjoy  it nonetheless; I'd like to think I hit on all of the major points that I may have missed in my blog post, not to mention you get to see these beauties in action! So exciting, I know.

I also promised in yesterday's post that I'd have a 'real' blog post up either today or tomorrow… since I uploaded this video today though I guess that means it'll have to be tomorrow that I whip up a nice makeup review for you all haha. Get excited though, it's on yet another *SPOILER ALERT LOL NOT REALLY* fabulous matte product!

xoxo - Cassie

Need Some Outfit Inspiration?

Well then I may (or may not, depending on your fashion choices #don'tworry'boutit) have some for you if you haven't checked out my latest OOTW video!!

I hope you're all having an awesome week regardless and I'll be back with a super mega awesome makeup post either tomorrow or Friday for you all (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

xoxo - Cassie

NOTD: Urban Outfitters "BRIGHT LIGHTS"

It's not often that I actually post a NOTD while I'm still wearing the polish… but "BRIGHT LIGHTS" is the exception. It is just so stinking cute; I honestly can't take my eyes off of it and figured that means it's worth sharing with you all straight away.

Right away.

Right now.

 I know, I know, you're probably thinking Wow Cassie, that's an awful lot of photo pimping that polish… was that really necessary? Oh darling; DUH it was necessary!! "BRIGHT LIGHTS" is deserving of every glamour shot in the world. I mean, look at it! It's such an adorable concoction of multi colored (and multi sized) glitter in a milky robins egg base… it's absolute perfection. 

Urban Outfitters is pretty high on my list of "stores who rip you, your cat, and every dead relative of yours off (even in the sale section)" but I have no problem shelling out top dollar for their nail polishes. Which honestly isn't even that steep; at $5 a bottle and often a "2 for $8" offer running, these end up being cheaper than Revlon polishes. Not to mention I love the ice cube-esque bottle, NARS textured wand topper, super fun selection of colors and finishes, and the formula is a creamy and dreamy delight. 

Basically: I love UO polishes. That is all.

I can't help but think "BRIGHT LIGHTS" looks like birthday cake frosting. Maybe it's the super milky base, maybe it's the red/yellow/green/blue glitter mimicking funfetti sprinkles, maybe it's the fact that I'd just really love some cake right now. Regardless, I'm so in love with the way this polish looks on the nails; it's just cute, cute, cute. Not to mention application was a dream. I only needed three coats for the photos above (which sounds like a lot, but for a sheer milky base like this then you know that that's the standard minimum) and didn't have to go fishing for glitters. Each dip gave just the perfect amount!

So, like said, I'm absolutely enamored with Urban Outfitters' "BRIGHT LIGHTS" polish. If you can find it either in store or online then I would highly recommend getting it. L'amour!

Have you tried Urban Outfitters polishes?

Love 'em as much as I do or not so much?

What's on your nails at the moment?

Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie