life

beauty August 16, 2017

My must have Spectrum synthetic makeup brushes

Spectrum brilliantly fun, bright brushes are absolutely gorgeous and functional. I specifically chose brushes I either use a heck of a lot or ones which I didn’t have in my collection. Recently I’ve seen a number of fun colored brushes but often the case is that they are very cheaply made so imagine my surprise when I heard about spectrum brilliantly bright brushes that were also of good quality I had to give them a try. My first impression of these brushes was the insanely plastic smell that came from the plastic bag they were kept in. While the bag is very adorable (reminds me of the same kind of plastic my blow up couch was made from when I was young) I don’t think it is the best option for storing brushes. The smell took 2 weeks to completely dissipate from the brushes. However after just a few…

events April 24, 2017

Women in tech summit – Philly 2017

This past Friday April 21 and Saturday April 22 I attended the WITS (The women in tech summit). As always there was a mixture of workshops and talks. Friday jumped right into it while have some time to network. Saturday had a phenomenal key note speaker who really set the tone for the day. I met some very lovely and talented ladies from all over the east coast. Every time I am in a WIT type event I am always so floored by how much talent can be in one room at one time. Sensational. I attended workshop about teams, personal branding, AngularJS, and using GIT. I attended some very informative and inspirational talks from other women in the technology field. Since this is my first post I wanted to keep this short and sweet. Here is a clip from one of the talks I attended. The lady who is…

events January 30, 2017

Clarins opens a new King of Prussia shop

I’ve recently had the opportunity to attend the opening of the first Clarins stand-alone store in King of Prussia Mall. Let me first start by saying the store is gorgeous. It completely shattered my childhood impression of who Clarins was tailored to. (Yes I use to only think of Clarins as the moisturizer my grandmother would wear.) The store is stylish and modern while feeling very homey. “This new boutique demonstrates our desire to focus on our clients and make them feel they are the center of attention, because they are. We want to be able to listen to them better, offer personalized advice and have a chance to really pamper them.” – Natalie Bader, President of the Clarins Brand. What you can find at the store Did you know that Clarins is one of the most popular European skincare companies? Well, now you can find the fan favorites…

beauty November 21, 2016

Amazon December holiday shopping gift guide

Most of this list is very budget friendly items under $100, even the more expensive tech options are still good in comparison to other sites. As always I suggest doing your homework for your online shopping. I love amazon because I can compare their sellers and with Amazon prime two day shipping is a breeze. Here are some of my favorite finds this season on Amazon. I have a feeling that a number of these will show up as deal items in the coming week! Perfect amazon gifts for the men in your life The Beard bro – For the ultimate beard trimming guide this little tool packs a of style for a clean cut look that even barbers are using! BeardScape beard and hair trimmer – If you know someone in the market for a beard/hair trimmer (or just needs an upgrade) this little wireless guy is a dream. It includes…

beauty September 15, 2016

Beauty Blender vs real technique’s blending sponge

Overall blending sponge comparison I just so happened to purchase a Sephora set which included an original pink beauty blender sponge. Around that same time I purchased my real technique blending sponge. From my experience these blenders both work the same. They absorb the same they dry the same, you can clean them the same. I haven’t seen any difference in deterioration either but I will revisit this article at a later date and update after having used them a while. The noticeable difference is the additional angle that the real technique’s orange sponge. I really enjoy this angle for blending edges plus it’s also nice so if I put it down it doesn’t roll away. Function + design + price = my choice When it comes down to the price real techniques wins in my book hands down. As a girl on a budget I understand the need to…

beauty September 2, 2016

make up for ever plexi gloss reviewed

I ordered sample sized pack of make up for ever plexigloss in red and pink from sehpora. I also received another plexigloss in my sephora pink box. So far I really enjoy these glosses. The two in this small kit are very pigmented and could even be worn on its own. As someone who doesn’t regularly use gloss these little babies will last me a while. I especially love the applicator its unique shape helps create more defined lines and we all know gloss can end up being messy if not applied properly. It also allows me to wipe off any excess that I don’t need without making a mess. I’ve be sure to revisit this post and add a photo of me wearing these colors. They really are brilliant.

beauty September 1, 2016

Sephora’s paint it pink box reviewed

Impression This was a pretty awesome box that was about $40 US. The beauty blender alone costs about $20. I’ve come to a realization that 1. I love sample size products and 2. Sephora puts out pretty awesome compilation boxes. Now don’t get me wrong sometimes they can be a hit or a miss (and sometimes they put the same product in like 10 different boxes). This box was nothing short of awesome. There were 3 reasons I picked this box, Urban decay, Tarte and the beauty blender. I feel like the other products were just bonuses on top of that. As I mentioned there are typically some repeat items so the make up for ever lip gloss and the mascara are ones that I’ve seen in other boxes. I think for people like myself that enjoy experimenting with different products these are the best way to go, not only…

health August 26, 2016

Homeopathic medicine for sprains & bruises

I was sent the ZIM’s Max-Arnica homeopathic medicine to try and share my opinion with you lovely people. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this product for my sprained wrist. Now I’m pretty selective about the products that I feature on this blog but it just so happened that I had sprained my wrist/ bruised my arm failing I mean falling up a flight of stucco like stairs at a train station. I am always one for using home remedies before medication so this seemed like a middle ground to me. Why this worked for me I work on a computer all day so there is a lot of typing and leaning that can occur. By the end of a 10 hour day I was in pain and this little bad boy alleviated some of the pain and allowed me to better perform my daily tasks. Application of…

beauty June 10, 2016

Under the sea summer makeup and skincare giveaway

Happy June and almost summer! We recently had a heat wave here but I got to thinking it’s been a heck of a while since my last appreciation giveaway. This year I decided on a themed giveaway for you lovely people. I could think of no better choice to match crashbeauty’s color scheme than an under the sea styled giveaway! So here’s to mermaids, sun bathing and sea monsters. Grand giveaway: Two of these items traveled all the way from the UK for this giveaway. Makeup bag/Clutch from UK etsy seller SweetAsCanBeShop this little bag is absolutely adorable inside and out! UK brand Spectrum blending brush (B06 blending friend) to blend out and soften your summer makeup Make up for ever travel size plexi-gloss (202) which is a sheer gloss that adds a little color and shine to balance out your summer look And Finally Urban decay deluxe shadow…

beauty May 27, 2016

Real Techniques on point brow set & retractable lip brush

I picked up this little brow gem at our local Kohl’s. I also picked up their retractable lip brush because. I can never have enough lip brushes. First let me say, I love that this was a combo of both tweezers and assorted applicators. With the brow set you get the travel carrier and 5 items. 2 tweezers for various precision (angled tweezers and detailing tweezers), one slanted smudger (arch definer), one slanted angled liner brush (or brow brush), and a slanted spoolie. So first, you’ll notice these brushes are uniquely placed on a slant that I found to allow me to get closer to my mirror because I have terrible vision without my glasses. Second, I really like this carrier however I really wish it wasn’t white because I just don’t see it staying white. So not only does this keep these brushes easily accessible on my makeup tower…