I'm A YouTuber?!

Hey friends!  Sorry for the ridiculously long hiatus.  I'm back to discuss my newest adventure and that is YouTube!  In February of this year, I decided to give it a go and created a channel dedicated to curly hair.  Its a laid back (aka low tech and low budget!) look into my approach to the Curly Girl Method.  I will be sharing some of my tips and tricks here as well...since everyone learns different, it may be helpful for some to have it written here as opposed to a video.  If you are a YouTuber, what info can you share with me?  I'd love to hear your experiences and knowledge.  You can visit my channel here and you can find me on Instagram at Curlsunfiltered.  Would love for you to subscribe/follow along and share with any of your curly haired friends! 

What's the Deal with this LipSense Stuff?

Is Lipsense worth the hype?? Day 3, here. The jury is actually still out. I LOVE the idea of this product. The color is beautiful.
Few first impressions; 1. It stings on first swipe. 2. Keep your lips taut when applying and let each thin layer dry totally. 3. Keep your gloss on hand and apply liberally. I havent been and that has impacted how it feels and wears. 4. It really doesn't budge. 5. Take excellent care of your lips. I have eczema and use Corti-balm (behind the counter at the pharmacy but no RX needed) as recommended by my derm. So far Lipsense has NOT exacerbated the eczema but I've been leary of it doing so. Lipsense does not recommend using other lip products but, for me, the Corti-balm is a must. I don't apply it underneath or on top of the Lipsense, just at bed. Lipsense claims that their color exfoliates dead skin and years of buildup from lead and wax found in other products. I'm not so sure that I believe that claim, but I'm giving this product a shot.
6. Its hard to get off. Ive used micellular water, eye makeup remover, jojoba oil and a microfiber towel. None of those remove it easily. My sweet friend Marjorie recommends a glycerin based soap which will be my plan of attack tonight.

I'm giving this stuff six more days of wear; I haven't used the gloss regularly so I do think that has impacted my results, the comfort of wear and overall impressions. Today has been much better than yesterday; I applied Corti-balm heavily last night at bed and have been applying the gloss regularly today.

Have you tried Lipsense yet?  What are your favorite colors?

Hourglass Vanish Foundation Review

Last month, I was THRILLED to receive the new Hourglass Vanish Foundation and foundation brush from Inflenster. It's adverstised as a long wearing foundation stick with the coverage of a liquid, fluidity of a liquid and weightlessness of a powder for invisible full coverage. The gorgeous packaging, the triangle shape of the foundation stick and the softness of the brush immediately appealed to me. Unfortunately, the asthetics are the highlights of this foundation. Without a primer (I do not use face primers), this foundation was difficult to blend, settled into every flaw possible and looked cakey. It did nothing to control my oil throughout the day and broke down rather quickly in areas. Also...the price. Lawd have mercy, this product is expensive!  Hourglass is definitely a luxury brand but you get VERY little product for the price. At retail, the foundation is $46 for .25oz; the brush is also $46. I would never pay $92 for this duo, even if the foundation made me look like an angel and the brush was made from the hair of the Gods. Have you tried either of those two products from Hourglass?  Would love to hear your thoughts!!  Appreciate the opportunity to review these products. Holler at me if you'd like an invite to Influenster.

Doctor on Demand

This fall, my allergies have been out of control. Seems like this year has been worse than years past. At the end of September, I got my first sinus infection. Missed a day of work but toughed it out with my Neti Pot and OTC meds. Few weeks later, round two hit. Missed another day of work but still didn't seek medical attention. Well...I woke up yesterday morning with congestion, sinus pain and pressure and swollen lymph nodes. Ugh! Looked like I was going to have to break down and go to the doc. Last night, I somehow stumbled on the Doctor on Demand app. Basically, this app allows you to Facetime with a board certified physician, psychologist or lactation consultant on your mobile device or PC. These physicians are able to submit prescriptions to the pharmacy of your choice; pharmacy info is obtained prior to you seeing the Dr. They treat issues such as cold and flu, sore throat, UTI, skin issues and rashes, diarrhea and vomiting, eye issues, sports injuries, travel illness and other common illnesses for adults and children. They don't treat anything chronic or emergent (sudden or severe illnesses or injuries). The cost is $40 for medical visits which last 15 minutess.
Appointments with a psychologist are $50 for a 25 minute appointment and $95 for a 50 minute appointment. Lactation appointments are $40 for a 25 minute appointment and $70 for a 50 minute appointment. These prices are for everyone, regardless of whether you have insurance or not. However, they do provide referral codes...if you use code Ashlee16, your first visit is free!
My first impression was super positive. I was quickly matched to a physician. Unfortunately, I was kicked off the platform within 3 minutes of video chat. I called customer service who quickly provided me with credit for a free visit; they also did some troubleshooting with me on my device. I spent less than 5 minutes on the phone with customer support. I logged back on to the app and after about 5 minutes, I was speaking with another physician. She was thorough, knowledgeable and took the time to address my questions and concerns. She submitted an allergy RX to my pharmacy and I was done! I could not be more satisfied with this app. Going someplace like MedExpress or Urgent Care would've required I take time off work...and would've taken much longer! With Doctor on Demand, I was able to be treated from my home prior to going to work in under 30 minutes; it would've been even faster had I not encountered technical errors. Next time you're under the weather, give this app a try. I think you'll love it!

This post is NOT sponsored. I did not receive any free services or compensation for my review.

Jesses Girl Liquid Liner...Dupe for Kat Von D Tattoo Liner??

I got a Jesse's Girl liquid liner in a recent Ipsy and was excited to try this bad boy out. I'm a huge fan of Kat Von D tattoo liner and was so hopeful that this drugstore find was going to be a dupe for it. It has some rave reviews online and great claims..."waterproof, smudgeproof, long lasting".  Well, I'll save you the excitement and drama...it ain't a dupe. In fact, the Jesse's Girl liner stinks!  The color transferred and broke up within an hour of applying it...to a primed eyelid, might I add.  Save yourself the money on this one, friends!! 

YSL Black Opium

I was thrilled to see I qualified for the Influenster YSL Black Opium Vox...YSL is a fabulous luxury line and I couldn't wait to try this perfume. I have to admit, when I grabbed the box from my mailbox, I was disappointed in how light it was. I totally expected a generous sample given past brand boxes I've received through Influenster. What I found was a tiny little glittery black bottle with a circular cut out in the middle which allows you to see the perfume. The packaging was not what I expected from YSL. Honestly, the bottle is kind of cheap looking. A matte black bottle would've made a stronger statement, in my opinion. I pulled the lid off carefully...no atomizer on this sample and I didnt want to spill any. The scent is amazing. Bold, sexy and a great fall weather statement fragrance. Sadly, it falls short in terms of lasting ability. I put it on before work and couldnt smell it on me 15 minutes later when I got to my office.
I'd recommend skipping this perfume. It definitely comes along with the YSL price tag but falls short in being worth the price.

CoverGirl Stay Luminous Review

Thanks to Influenster I got to try the new Covergirl Outlast Stay Luminous foundation. I'm not crazy about this product. I tend to stay away from luminous or dewy products as my t-zone can get greasy...but I gave this a shot as it was included in my Vox Box. I first tried it yesterday with no primer, applied with the Icosmetics Flat Top Buffing Foundation #6 brush. It went on great with this brush, however, the foundation stays tacky...which is really pretty gross. With that being said, it looked pretty great all day. I got oily in the usual spots but nothing out of the ordinary. I applied it today over Neutrogena Shine Free primer with a Beauty Blender. It looked BAD before noon. Real bad. My t-zone was out of control and coverage wasn't anything to write home about. And the tackiness was still there today (I set the foundation both days with translucent powder). I'm glad I got this to try and review it, however, it would be going back if I had purchased it myself. I will give this another shot, likely in the dry winter months but I have my doubts. At this point, I say save your money. If you want #covergirl foundation, get the 3-in-1 Stay Fabulous. It's a much better product than this!