UPDATE: Where in the world is Camen Sand....Nope. Just me...

Okay. I know. I've been unfaithful. I've spent hours with other blogs. I've laughed. I've cried. I've shared deep secrets. But they weren't satisfying me like you were. I'm sorry. I can't quit you. Give me another chance? Anyway, enough silliness. Life has been insane the past year or 2. Like, REALLY insane. I've switched jobs so many times in the past 2 years. Lay offs SUCK! (Well...unless the people you work for are crappy...) But regardless, it's the worst feeling in the world being thrown out to the sharks. I HATE job interviews! I HATE not knowing when you're going to be able to afford a hot meal. It's awful! What I hate most of all is putting my love and energy into a company and getting crapped on in return. THAT, my friends, is the worst feeling in the world, especially when they slap THEIR name on YOUR work. But I digress...karma does what I should not. Through all of this, it's so easy to feel down and depressed, especially when you're in it alone. Anyhoo...I am without job again. I had a pretty great interview on Friday and I hope that works out. More marketing type stuff. I have lots of awesome ideas for this company and I think that's probably why my interview was over an hour long! I really hope that's a good sign... So having this newfound free time (and mild depression...)I've decided blogging again. Blogging is therapeutic for me. I can use my voice and state my opinions, my dreams, my frustrations-and no one can stop me! Yuck-just took a sip of water and saw a fly in my cup! EW! FOCUS! Okay, so! I've obviously been away for a while and had a bunch of time to figure out which beauty products work for me. When you're on a budget, it's SO important to find what works and stick with it. I'm hoping I can share some insight with beauty lovers on a budget. I used to have a MASSIVE kit. I had thousands of eye shadows, hundreds of lipsticks and dozens of mascaras. But when you move 3 times in 1 year, you learn to let go of a lot of stuff. My kit now is tiny. I've lost most of my Sigma brushes and that breaks my heart to millions of pieces. Nevertheless, I now know what I need to survive and I think I'm really figuring out who I am, what I want and how to get it. In my personal life, I've lost 2 of my best friends in the past year. They didn't die or anything...but our friendships did. I still wish them well, but after a while you have to let go. You can't complain about being a victim if you put yourself in that situation. "Never let someone become your priority while you remain their option." I value my morals and honesty and I expect the people I keep close to share those same characteristics. It's really an accountability thing. I could go on and on about this because it's something that I'm passionate about, but that's all a bit upsetting and I want this blog to be a happy place! *Que fireworks!* Once things get back to normal, I'll be taking requests for product reviews. Is there something you've seen on QVC that has you curious? Is there a new brand you want to try, but are nervous about? Tell me! Let me be the lab rat! I'm going to try to post fairly frequently now that I have my pc hooked up to the internet. (Who knew you could hook it straight to the Uverse receiver and have instant access?! GENIUS!) Now, I need to update this thing and look into purchasing the .com version. Watch out world! Till next time, Jenn

HOLY JUMPING JELLYFISH!

I can't believe I've neglected my blossoming blog for an entire month! OH NO! How did this happen?!

I'll explain: Things have been super crazy lately. My dad was admitted into the hospital last Monday night to begin his transplant process. Many prayers there, please. I am confident that it will all go fine, but I'm human...I worry.

I haven't been contacted to review for Beauty Stat in months. So...

Other than that, things have been insane lately. A lot of it is personal, so I don't really want to go into detail.

I have a TON of new products to review and swatch soon! I promise to get on top of it this weekend and start posting next week. There's a LOT to get excited about- $.49 liners, shadow sticks, nail polish and MORE!!!

If you haven't already, go ahead and subscribe to my feed and keep an eye on my Twitter! If you @reply me, you're entered into my first contest! :) Details to come!

Now...where's my chocolate?!
-Jenn

SNAG: Old Navy Techno Hoodies

"What the heck is a "Techno Hoodie?"" you may ask. Well, here we go!

Old Navy has come out with a hoodie with built-in headphones! It's surprisingly seamless in design and the earbuds are fantastic quality-lots of bass without losing treble. I'm VERY impressed!

Let me ease some tension-YES, they are machine washable! The drawstrings at the top of the zipper contain the wires that run to the tips where your earbuds are. The earbuds have a great rubber grip that fit in everyone's ears perfectly-the little 4 year old I nanny even wore them! The cord runs inside a cloth tubing alongside the zipper. You'd never know how it works! In the right pocket, you get a 3.5mm jack to plug in your iPod/Zune/phone/mp3/Walkman (hehe)/etc. This may be a negative for our left-handed pals, but for a cozy hoodie, great headphones and a perfect price point, I doubt anyone would be disappointed over that alone.

The hoodie itself is well made. The inside is lightly lined with fleece which is great and versitile. The zippers are reinforced and painted to match the hoodie color-no yucky brass! One thing I especially appreciate is the fact that the hood is practical and not oversized or obnoxious. A+!

These little guys are on sale until the 24th, but starting at 5am on the 26th, Old Navy will have a huge 60% off sale, so maybe you can get lucky and catch them then. They are already sold out online and taken off the website-in just ONE DAY!

95% of all the clothing I own is Old Navy-and this just adds to my collection!

I got my pink Techno Hoodie in pink with gray trim for just $15. Perfect gift for the outdoorsy or athletic type (or if you just like to have your iPod at the grocery store!)

Beauty On A Budget

I get asked a lot by friends and random strangers alike what products I would buy if I only had "x" amount of money in "x" store.

So today...I pick the drugstore.

Here in Houston, we have CVS and Walgreens on literally every corner, so my addiction is easily fed with a .5 mile walk across the street to either store!

Let's say you have $25.

First of all, I think foundation is given. A good, buildable foundation is even better, that way you can almost double it as concealer. I recommend Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse. I've had mine for what seems like ages and a little goes a long way. I love the creamy finish, especially on my dry areas. Even on my oily lids/nose, this foundation doesn't slide. I like setting it with translucent powder, but that's optional. The pump keeps it clean and controls how much you get out at a time. Very convenient, especially for about $6!

Next, my new favorite mascara-L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in black. I just got this mascara last week on a whim and fell in love. I haven't found anything quite as good as a brand new MAC mascara until now. (I'm also a big fan of Covergirl Lash Blast, but the applicator is just so large!) This mascara glides on like butter and lasts all day and night. I'll definitely keep it around! You can find it for about $5.


For shadow, I suggest another Maybelline product. I think Maybelline is a fantastic drugstore brand! I suggest keeping a neutral quad on you at all times. I can't tell you how many times I've been out without makeup and made plans without time to run home! The Maybelline Eye Studio Shadow Quads are a great option at around $6!

Don't forget liner! Jordana Eyeliner pencils range from $.69-$.99! What a steal! They have great staying power, too! Grab one in brown and one in black.

I didn't buy lipsticks for the longest time because I have a bad habit of licking my lips and I feel like it's silly to spend money on something that doesn't stay. Having said that, the Wet n Wild Silk Finish Lipsticks are only $1! Even if you have to reapply, you really can't go wrong at that price point!

Finish your face with blush. Wet n Wild Ultimate Minerals Blush is a great choice for around $4. The coverage is sheer, but buildable and the container has a plug so your blush doesn't spill everywhere! I'm really impressed with this product.

So there you go. A full face for under $25!

Do you have any other products you suggest that I may have overlooked? Let me know!

Have a great evening!
Jenn

Regret: Glade Scented Oil Candle

Where do I begin?!

I'm a very honest person. It's not my intention to "bash" this product in any way-the following is my opinion.

I have seen the commercials about Glade Scented Oil Candles and how they're supposed to be so wonderful and make the room smell nice. I was at Walgreens getting something to snack on (plus pink Christmas lights, Cosmo, and hair dye...) when I saw the really cute pink/black tin they come in and picked one up. $2.50 I think. I loved the Dewberry scent and lit it as soon as I got home.

I was very excited to soak in a hot bath and light my candle...only there was NO scent! Nothing! After an hour, I blew it out and went to bed.

I got home today and relit the candle. 30 minutes later, it's non existent! What a rip-off! I paid money to burn an unscented candle for an hour and a half?! I would have been better off with tea-lights! Ridiculous.

I understand it's only $2.50, but I expect a product to do what it's made to do! I wouldn't complain as much if I had noticed a scent or the candle would have burned longer.

This just goes to show...I'll stick with my trusty Candles By Victoria from now on...

Review-Rimmel Mix It Up Eyeshadow in Out Of The Blue

I have to admit-when I first saw this product, I was immediately blown away by the gorgeous colors! Teal, purple and metalic fleck mixed up in a creamy formula. I didn't think I could ever use a product like this on my lids, but I had a few other ideas in mind, and the fact that it was half-off and came with a matching eyeliner sold me!

I was right about one thing-this product is WAY too bold for me to wear as a shadow, but looks great against my blue eyes as a waterliner! Then again, isn't that what the liner is for? Well...kinda. I like to line my waterline and sometimes tightline (the tiny line of skin under your top lashes) with the liner pencil then set the waterline with this little baby and some MAC Fix+. It's definitely not an essential and maybe not worth the $6, but it will last me a very very long time. I also thought about using this color as a base or blending it into my crease to create a more colorful smokey eye, but with all of life's chaos lately, I haven't had the chance to experiment.

Other shades are available-I may try another when I get the chance. The marbelized look is so unique!

Overall, I really love this product. It stays, maintains a perfect price point and looks so magical and pixie-like. It's a great way to add subtle color without looking like a disco ball.

Grab Bag-Caboodle Super Model Ult Organizer

I've been eyeing Blanche Babcock's Caboodle for a while and decided it was time to get my own!

I checked Amazon and eBay first and wound up finding a cute pink one on eBay. I thought the price was okay ($17.50 I believe) but the shipping was $13.50! Yikes! I paid it forward anyway since it was exactly what I was looking for...or so I thought!

The Caboodle isn't nearly as large as I had hoped. I can't fit a liner without lying it diagonally and my Coastal Scents 88's won't fit in the bottom compartment. Bummer! The seller is a tackle company or something. Which would explain my next complaint-there are scuffs all over! :/ some worse than others. One side of the Caboodle looks like a cat scratched it. It's still nothing horrible, but the item was supposed to be new and there's no way that damage happened during shipping!

The print and color are adorable and the lock is a great feature. It feels sturdy and has 4 posts on each corner so the bottom stays clean.

Anywhoo, I did manage to get my money for shipping back, so I guess I can't complain too much. I still want a larger one for gigs and long trips, but I definitely am satisfied with what I got.