YAY!! I Finally Have the Internet Back (For Real!!)

Yes, it's true. After about a month sans internet, I FINALLY have it all set up in my new apartment! To all my lovely readers, I'm super sorry that I haven't kept you entertained with my sassy scribbles for this long!

I have oodles of stuff to write about--TONS of giveaways, reviews and other fabulous things. Stay tuned, ladies!!

Sorry, Ladies!

I've had no internet for the past couple of weeks!  Needless to say, I've been basically dying without my internet fix. Everything should be running smoothly now though!

You can look forward to oodles of giveaways (some Kamibashi String Dolls might be in the mix!) and tons of reviews.

Stay tuned!!

Sealed With a Kiss!

Wrapping gifts is absolutely my fave part of the holiday season.  Well, other than the shopping and the actual giving of the gifts...

I love getting all creative with it.  I'm seriously so obsessed with wrapping gifts that often times, my fam will unload their unwrapped gifts on me for some fabulous Alana-style wrapping.  In the past, I've even wrapped gifts that were for me. That's how awesome I am at gift wrapping. [End of bragging sesh].

This year I was super excited when I found these adorable Glossful Greetings Gift Tags from Avon..Each set includes five gift tags with one application of their gorgey Glazewear Lip Gloss in Iced Pink (a shade that looks great on nearly all skintones).  It's great to keep in your purse for lip gloss emergencies, which are quite a normal occurrence in my life, and the tag itself is super cute!

Each pack of five gift cards is $4.99.  So that's like $1 a pop (I'm such an amazing mathematician, right?!), for a really unique touch to any gift.  That said, I'd prob go with something different for your dad's gift...

Michael Kors and Estee Lauder Team up for a Fab GWP!

If there are two things I love in this world, they are makeup and designer bags. Put them together and chances are, I'll have a seizure of delight!

This holiday season, Estee Lauder and Michael Kors have come up with this amazing gift with purchase.  The bag itself is incredibly gorgeous--I'd probably spend over $100 for that alone.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I'd sell my soul for it. It's the perfect clutch for a night out. 

The makeup that comes with it is gorgeous too.  Estee Lauder's cosmetics are always of the best quality and this set is no exception.  All of the colors are universally flattering and look super fabulous on every skintone.  The packaging is even super pretty.  Who doesn't love makeup that comes in adorable gold casing??

So to get the set, all you need to do is spend $50 on an Estee Lauder fragrance purchase (which is super easy and nearly all of their scents are incredible).  Then the set is under $40.  It sounds like a hefty chunk of change, but for what you get it's definitely worth it.

Here's what comes in the set:

• Golden Eye & Face Compact (Pure Color EyeShadow in Pretty Penny, Nude Fresco, Sugar Biscuit, Safari Green, Hot Cinnamon and Kenyan Copper, plus Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer)
• Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick (full-size, in Tiger Eye)
• Pure Color Gloss (in Wired Copper)
• Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil (great for smoky eyes, in Onyx)
• 2 Deluxe Makeup Brushes (Blush and Eyeshadow)
• Michael Kors Signature Cosmetic Bag

You can also choose the color of the bag.  It comes in gold (my personal fave), silver, and pewter.  I might just have to somehow get them all.

My game plan?  Buy a bottle of lovely perfume as a Christmas gift for someone, and keep the gift set as a gift for moi! Win-win! Not bad, right?!

As always, quantities are limited.  So get shopping, ladies!!

(Oh, and P.S.: the set is worth OVER $170!)

Add This to Your Christmas List: OPI's New Muppet Collection

 

I absolutely love the Muppets.  And now that they've got a new movie out (eeee!), OPI has come out with an amazing new polish collection that's completely Muppet-inspired!

The polishes are super cute--they're all chock full of chunky glitter, which is fabulous for the holidays.  Here are a few of my fave hues:

Divine Swine is, hands down, my fave shade in the entire collection! It has everything I could possibly want in a nail color.  It's full of gorgey pinkish-purple chunks of glitter, with a bit of silver mixed in.  It looks great on it's own (though I did need to use three coats for this result), or layered over a bright pink polish.

Fresh Frog of Bel Air is basically Kermit in a bottle. The shade of green is fantastic.  I can definitely see wearing this out for an evening on the town.  It's unique, fabulous and looks surprisingly great on everyone.

Gone Gonzo! is the perfect bright blue shade. It's similar to the other polishes in the collection, but I found that I actually got more color with fewer coats, for some reason.  This is another shade that looks great over other blue polishes.  I actually tried it over white and loved the results, as it made the blue stand out and look even brighter.

Rainbow Connection is def the most wearable in the set.  It's full of different-sized chunks of glitter in every color imaginable. This is my top pick for a New Years Eve polish!

The whole collection is amazing.  Who doesn't love chunky glitter??

The polishes are available at professional salons and spas nationwide including national chains Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA for about $8 each.

Disclosure: This post contains a product sent for review consideration. My priority is to you, and I honor that commitment by being honest! If you have any questions about this, please email me.

My Latest Obsession: Dressbarn (AND a giveaway!)

So remember how Dressbarn used to be for middle-aged women who wanted a new sack-like floral-print dress? Well the store has definitely kicked it up a notch (or a million).  Believe me, I was shocked!

After checking out their fab website, I'm ridiculously obsessed with oodles of their frocks, handbags, jewelry and adorable scarves!  My fave find so far?  This super cute Sequin Bodice Party Dress.  It's perfect for any holiday party.  Pink and black look amazingly gorgeous together and the sequins at the top of the dress add just enough bling to make the dress fancy enough for nearly any occasion.  I'm also a huge fan of the big pink bow that ties in the back. I mean, how can you not love a big pink bow??! It's just the perfect little cocktail dress--I can't get over it!  The dress is around $50, which is really decent for the quality and fabulousity it has.

Their Gloves with Beaded and Bow Trim are def on my wish list too (hint, hint, Santa). Not only are they toasty warm, they're also super ladylike and ultra chic.  The bow detail is classic and I absolutely love the beading.  A pair of gloves like this never go out of style.  They'd make a great Christmas gift for all the ladies in your life.  And since they're under $15, you can even afford to grab yourself a pair (or five)!

The store has so many goodies--I can tell a shopping spree there is in my future.

Here's the exciting part:  I have one $25 Dressbarn gift card to give away to a lucky reader!! You can use it towards a gorgey party dress, or on some amazing gifts. 

To enter the giveaway, send an email to sassyalana@gmail.com with the subject line reading "DRESSBARN".  The giveaway ends 12/5 and the winner will be alerted via email.

AND I have a fab coupon to share:

Awesome, right??! Good luck, ladies! Even if you don't win, check out the site! You'll be amazed at all the cute things they've got to offer.

Disclosure: This post contains a product sent for review and giveaway consideration. My priority is to you, and I honor that commitment by being honest! If you have any questions about this, please email me.

Press On Nails that Work!

My nails are awful.  They're brittle, jagged and I can't stop biting them.  So I usually have incredibly short nails that I try to wear polish over, but honestly nothing covers up the fact that my nails simply suck at life.

When I was younger, I used to try press on nails.  Back then, I remember having my mom put them on for me, only to have them immediately fall off the second I touched anything.  The glue was horrible and the nails themselves looked super fake.

As I got older, I went back and forth between having acrylics put on, but my nails grow so fast that I needed to get them filled practically every week and that can get pretty pricey.  Just getting the nails themselves put on can cost about $60. 

Well, my problem has been solved!  My amazingly fabulous pseudo-sister, Lauren, introduced me to these Kiss Everlasting French Nails.  I saw her the other day and her nails looked amazing so I asked where/if she had gotten them done.  When she told me that they were from this kit, I was SHOCKED.  They looked so natural, gorgeous and chic!

I tried them myself last night (with her assistance) and really love the results. The little tab on the top makes applying them really easy--you just use it to hold the nail while you apply glue, slide it onto your nail, hold it for a few seconds and then break it off.  I suggest filing a little afterward because the tab does leave behind a slightly jagged tip.

These things are seriously amazing though.  I've been cleaning, doing dishes, typing, eating, writing, applying makeup...basically everything--and these nails have not come off or even budged the tiniest bit!

The best part:  You can buy a pack of 'em for under $7!

For Anyone Who Loves Shoes!

I don't know what's getting into me, but I've got Christmas on my mind.  Big time.  So forgive me in advance for going on a holiday season tangent.

I realize that we still have to get through the daunting family fun fest of Thanksgiving before we make it there, but seeing this super adorable Dazzling Heels Ornament set from Avon makes getting ready for the holiday oh so exciting!

The set comes with four gorgeous mini heel ornaments (each is about 7/16" W x 2 5/8" H).  To be honest, I wouldn't limit myself to using these doodads to decorate my Christmas tree--they'd look great almost anywhere.  Some examples?  In place of a bow on a gift, dangling over your desk, as a stocking stuffer, or even as a decorative fashion-y trinket anywhere in your home (just remove the string).  The colors do look a little holiday-esque, but the silver and gold shoes look like they could be used year-round.

Each set is only about $10.  These are def great to stock up on and give to all your fashionista friends (and of course keep some for yourself).  Avon has oodles of other fab ornaments like their Cosmetic Ornaments (the lipstick is my fave!!!), their Knit Sweater Ornaments, and their Dress Ornaments.  All of them are fairly inexpensive and really add a bit of fashion to the season!

I see Paris, I see France! I see...Weight Loss Underpants?

Umm...I have to be honest.  This is kind of the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen.

Japan has come out with these Calorie Shaper "panties" (the site is in Japanese, so good luck reading it!)  Apparently there's some sort of product inside the underwear that makes burning calories easier.  Personally?  I think it's a huge rip off.

ABC did a little investigating on the product, an the video confirmed my suspicions...the whole idea is just weird and the commercial is pretty hilarious (it's included on the ABC video).

If you feel the need to try them out, you can get a pair for under $40.

Best Idea Ever: Hem Gems

Buying pants really sucks when you're short (I'm 5ft even!)  Sometimes I can find a cute pair of petite pants, but they're usually too short to wear with heels, and "normal" length pants are always waaaay too long on me.  I usually end up hemming them myself by hand with a needle and thread, but it takes so much time and is just ridiculously irritating to do.

Now there's a quick, stylish solution (cue cheesy infomercial music), Hem Gems. Adorable name, right?! They work like little pins to hold pant legs at your desired length.  And they're super cute, to boot!  Each pack of Gems contains 8 pins--enough to quickly change the length of one pair of pants.  They also come in a few different styles (I'm partial to the pyramid studs).

The best part is that they don't actually alter the pants, so you can adjust them based on whatever footwear you choose for the day.

Here's a quick video showing how they're used:

Super easy, right? And they look incredibly chic. You can get a pack for about $20. Love it!

Gorgey Holiday Dress for Under $40!

I know, I know...it's still the beginning of November and even thinking about the holidays is ridiculously depressing.  BUT the one thing that's awesome about this time of year is that you get to buy pretty dresses for going out to all your amazing holiday parties!

I'm always on the lookout for dresses that are on sale (believe it or not, I am crazily poor and writing doesn't pay well!)

So I found this fabulous American Living V-Neck Satin Dress from JC Penney. And it's only $40. I can't get over it!!

The sapphire blue hue is flattering on nearly all skintones and is def an in color for the season.  I'm so in love with this dress--I want to buy five of 'em just so I have backups and can constantly wear them.  The style is great because it's totally timeless and can be worn for virtually any event.

You can pick up the dress in stores or online.  Get shopping, ladies, before they're all sold out!!

Victoria's Secret Goodie Bag for $25!!

So my lovely mom actually tipped me off to this.  She is quite the fashionista ;).

Victoria's Secret has this adorable bag 'o delight (or as they prefer to call it, their Must-Have Essentials Beauty Bag) and I'm crazily obsessed with it.

As most of you know, I'm a huge sucker for mini makeup bags filled to the brim with awesomeness. This is pretty much on the top of my list.

Here's what you get in the set:

• Love Spell® Hydrating Body Lotion, 2 oz.
• Victoria's Secret Bombshell™ Body Eau de Parfum, .25 oz.
• Beauty Rush® Lip Gloss in Strawberry Fizz, .46 oz.
• Clarins Instant Smooth Line-correcting Concentrate, .04 oz.
• skyn ICELAND® Icelandic Relief Eye Cream™, .06 oz
• StriVectin-SD® Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks & Wrinkles 3-week supply, .75 oz.
• VS Pro Air Brush Primer, .14 fl. oz.
• Booty Parlor Flirty Little Secret Firming Cream, Bronze Firming Cream and Luminizing Body Butter with pheromones, .17 oz. each.

 It's got to be worth at least $100.  StriVectin alone is super expensive. So spend the 25 bucks and get yourself lookin' gorgeous!

Nicole by OPI Holiday Glitters!

I know that Halloween was just yesterday, but I'm already in the Christmas spirit!! The latest Nicole Holiday collection is right up my alley and is totally getting me ready for the holiday season ahead!

The collection contains four gorgeous glitter hues.  They're a bit sheer, so they work perfectly on top of other colors, or even on their own.  Here's what the new shades look like:

Snow-Man of my Dreams  is a really pretty blue and silver (and even a tiny bit of red) glitter polish.  It's probably the sheerest of the bunch, so I'd definitely layer it on top of a solid blue shade for maximum bling power.  The blue is cool-toned and looks fab on all skinones.

Glitter in my Stocking is a yellow-gold glitter with tiny flecks of tomato-red in it.  It's my fave color in the collection and is great for dressing up an outfit for a holiday party.  It's a bit more thick than the other hues, so it looks fabulous on its own.

My Sleigh's in the Shop is without a doubt my fave color in the collection.  It's a great color to wear now and fabulous for the Fall to Winter transition.  Since this one is a bit sheer as well, I like to layer it over deep plum shades.  it looks super pretty!

Orna-Ment for Eachother is THE perfect holiday red.  It's got fiery-red glitter, mixed with some gold and orange bits.  The quality of the shade is great and this hue in particular makes me want to bust out some Christmas carols!

Look for the line in Walmart, Target, and Ulta!

Disclosure: This post contains a product sent for giveaway consideration. My priority is to you, and I honor that commitment by being honest! If you have any questions about this, please email me.

Miss Piggy's Most Hilarious Beauty Tips

Miss Piggy is currently the most stylish puppet ever to live.  From her new MAC line to the latest OPI Mupet-inspired collection, she's taking over the beauty world!

Here are a few of her fabulous beauty tips:

• "Never purchase beauty products in a hardware store." — As featured in Neverisms: A Quotation Lover's Guide to Things You Should Never Do, Never
  
• "It's a good idea to apply an all-over facial pack once or twice a month, but I never, never use mud. (Frankly, it brings up unpleasant memories.)" — Miss Piggy's Guide to Life
  
• "Beauty is a blessing and a burden. One must celebrate the blessing of being beautiful, and yet bear the burden of attracting freaks who want to sunbathe in the reflected gorgeousity of moi's porcine pulchritude. But, then again, who can blame them?" — As told to Pop Magazine.
  
• [On men:] "Ask yourself if he's such a hunk that he's worth it. If so, get more mirrors. If not, dump him . . . but get more mirrors anyway. After all, narcissism isn't a bad thing if it's about vous." — The Diva Code: Miss Piggy on Life, Love, and the 10,000 Idiotic Things Men Frogs Do
  
• "Especially for the Christmas season I use a champagne shampoo, followed by an eggnog rinse. It gives my hair extra body. And if I take a bath in the stuff, it gives my body extra body, too." — As quoted in McCall's December 1980 issue

Source: IMDB

Give Cancer the Kiss Off!

For Breast Cancer Awareness month (all of October), Elf is giving 100% of the profits from their Twinkle Pink Glitter Gloss and their Wild Watermelon Glossy Gloss to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Awesome, right?!

I'm already a HUGE fan of Elf's lip glosses.  They're highly pigmented, shiny (not sticky), and last forever.  Their studio glosses are only $3 a pop and they honestly work just as well as a $20 gloss--in some cases, even better!

The two hues that benefit BCA research are both beautiful pink shades.  Personally, I love the Wild Watermelon Glossy Gloss.  It's a darker, brighter pink that flatters all skintones.

So buy a gloss, or two (or a bunch)!  It's cheap and for a good cause.  At least that's my excuse for adding more lip gloss to my already-huge collection.

Miss Piggy for MAC!

Oh Miss Piggy, how I love thee!

For as long as I can remember, I've had a soft spot for Miss Piggy.  She's sassy, loves fashion and has a cute curvy figure! What's not to love?!

In Honor of Disney's The Muppets hitting theaters November 23, MAC has created a fabulous collection around the iconic Miss Piggy.  You can get her diva look by using the collection's three super wearable products. 

The eye set consists of Miss Piggy Pink eye shadow, a blue-pink frost ($18); Penultimate Eye Liner in Rapidblack ($21); and a full set of falsies, Lashes #36 ($18).

Very exciting, no?

The collection is available online only, starting November 14th.  Ugh...I can't possibly wait that long!!!  Well, this set is definitely on my Christmas wish list!

New Pink Shatter by OPI

There's a special place in my heart for OPI Shatters.  I love the fact that once you've applied them, you can literally watch the shade crackle over your nails.  And the effect is really funky (in a good way). Shatter polish is just so fun to play around with.  I love mixing different color combos.

Their latest Pink Shatter is exactly what I've been waiting for!  By now, you should all know that pink is by far my favorite color.  So why shouldn't it come in the form of a shatter nail polish??  Clearly OPI agrees with me on this.

Over the years OPI has released pink polishes exclusively for the month of October to raise funds for research into the prevention and cure of breast cancer. OPI now intends to raise $25,000 to contribute to the NBCF. Throughout September and October OPI Pink Shatter will be on sale, 100% of profits will be donated! Huzzah!

Pink Shatter came to be for Breast Cancer Awareness month.  They always do something great for BCA, but I think this year is the best so far.

The Pink Shatter polish isn't exactly a straight, bright pink.  Rather, it has a bit of a coral finish to it, and is even a little sheer. It actually takes on a neon look in the sun.  It's a really unique color and I'm hoping that they come out with something similar in a solid shade.  The polish also has the tiniest bit of a shimmer to it, though it definitely is not a glitter or shimmer polish. 

I tried it with a light pink base and really liked the results.  It's like a wonderful pink explosion all over my nails!!

You can buy Pink Shatter wherever OPI polish is sold; at salons and spas nationwide including chains like Beauty Express, JC Penney, Regis, Trade Secret and ULTA. Each bottle is around $8.50.

Disclosure: This post contains a sample product sent for consideration by a PR firm. My priority is to you, and I honor that commitment by being honest! If you have any questions about this, please email me.

Amazing Makeup Palette For $3.50 (ONLY TILL MONDAY!!)

Right now, E.l.f. is running an incredible deal:  their Studio 83-piece Essential Makeup Collection is only $3.50 until Monday (10/24).  Usually, the palette is $35, which still isn't a bad price--but of course $3.50 is waaaay better!

The makeup set is fantastic.  It has everything you need for day looks, night looks, events...literally everything you could possibly need is in this kit. AND it conveniently folds down into a 6.5" square, so it's super portable.

Here's the rundown on what you get:

• 64 Eyeshadow Shades
• 8 Lip Gloss Shades
• 4 Blush Shades
• 4 Bronzer Shades
• 1 Lip Brush
• 1 Eye Brush
• 1 Face Brush

Great, right?! I'd get it for the plethora of eyeshadow alone! I actually own this set, so I know how great all the products are.  The eyeshadows are highly-pigmented, and the colors are fabulous.  The majority of the kit can be used on every skin tone out there.

All you have to do is add the set to your shopping bag.  At the checkout screen, enter the code "83FOR350" to get the deal.

New Fall Issue of Applaud Women Online!

Hey, Ladies!  Just wanted to give you a heads up that Applaud Women magazine's latest issue is up online!

There are some fab articles about fall beauty and fashion (and oodles of other great stuff), so check it out.

My article in the issue, Frugal Fashion Finds for Fall can be found on pages 44-45.  Take a look for some great tips!  Here's a screen shot of it:

Happy weekend!

A Chic & Spooky Halloween Headband

With Halloween right around the corner, I've been trying to find holiday appropriate accessories that aren't tacky.  And that's practically impossible.

I did, however, manage to find this super cute headband on Etsy.

I love headbands with a little flair to them, so the flowers on the headband really tickle my fancy.  They have a bit of a shabby chic look to them, which is really adorable and stylish to boot.

The only thing that makes this headband look Halloween-fabulous (as opposed to regular-type-fabulous) is the fact that the flowers are black and orange. Which is great.  It's not over-the-top, but it gives a little nod to the holiday.

You can get your own Halloween headband for $11.  Check out the designer's other headbands too for some fun year-round looks!