Sponsored: Giving and Receiving Made Easy by Ziftit + $10,000 Could be Yours!

This post is sponsored by Ziftit via HerCampus; however, all opinions are 100% mine and 100% true.

We have all been there - you sit in front of your pile of Christmas presents, anxious. Have you been a good enough girl this year for Santa to finally bring you the new Coach Love Eau de Parfum that youve been lusting for all year? You hastily rip through box after box, unearthing the most random assortment of drugstore beauty products, candles, and Bath and Body Works sets. These are great gifts, sure, but there is one problem: you already have all of them.

This is when Ziftit comes to the rescue!

If you are a Shopcade addict enthusiast like me, Ziftit will be your new best friend. The website basically functions like Shopcade - you have the ability to search for products and compile lists. However, there is one neat function of Ziftit that I have never come across in my 21 years of life: send your lists to Santa (I dont mean that literally of course).

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Mascaras Under $20!

Hello, world.

If you are like me, you probably have more mascara than you can actually use. I have my favorites that I wear on a regular basis, but I also have a few that I use so that they dont feel left out, lol. Despite having a ginormous stash of mascara, I cant stop myself from looking for more whenever Im window shopping even because I just might find my new favorite. This drains my bank account because mascaras are surprisingly expensive. This may not be true of all mascara, but I find that the more it costs, the better it works.

I still want to satisfy my mascara addiction without breaking the bank, and I want to spend on mascaras that will actually work so I decided to create a list of mascaras under $20 that has all the properties that you can ever want.

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Sponsored: Frankly Supports the Unedited You!

This post is sponsored by Frankly; however, all opinions are 100% mine and 100% true.

Hello, world.

I am hit with a wave of nostalgia when I revisit the days when my best friends and I would host sleepovers just so we can bond over talks about boy bands and cute classmates. We can talk about anything and everything under the sun because we knew that it would all stay inside the room.

When high school came around and leisure time became a scarce commodity, we started relying heavily on cell phones. Needless to say, sleepovers became a thing of the past. We would try our best to hang out, but one thing or another would always get in the way. Whenever we werent in school, our main medium of contact was cell phones.

I am now in my senior year of college. Being on the opposite side of the world from my sleepover buddies, even text messaging is out of the question. We depend more on services such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Messages sent through these platforms are incredibly unsafe. I know this from personal experience, but that is a story for another time.

Privacy related to messaging services is a real concern for me so I was excited to hear about a new smartphone application called Frankly.

Frankly is available for download in the Apple Store and the Google Play Store. Unfortunately, it is only compatible with Apple and Android devices for now.

{ Features }

Frankly may sound like a typical instant messaging service, but it actually has features that set it apart:

• The name probably suggests this, but this app allows you to be frank. Whatever you send over this app, be it messages or images, self-destruct upon reading. Once that happens, thats it; nothing is saved on the servers. This is perfect for times when you want to share something personal with a friend but dont want to run the risk of someone else pulling it up.

• Everyone remains anonymous when you start a group chat. Youll be able to see the people included in the group, but you wont know whos saying what! I feel like this would be a great way to do a virtual intervention or something, lol.

• There is one final feature of Frankly that a lot of you will love (I know I do)! It has happened to all of us - we send something, then immediately regret sending it. With Frankly, these mistakes are easily rectified. Just cancel the message, and it gets deleted!

{ Uses }

Frankly works like any other messaging app so its super user-friendly. Here are ideas of how you can utilize this app:

• Gossip! Admit it; we all do it. Now, you can do it knowing that itll never leave your phone.
• Group chats! Say whatever you want without fear of it getting leaked.
• Chatting in a crowded setting! This is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to texting in public. You never know when people are looking over your shoulder (like when youre in class). Frankly lets you read messages and view images whenever you want.

{ Verdict }

What do I think of this app? It actually blew my expectations out of the water. I went into it thinking that it was going to be a waste of time, and that this app is just going to be like any other instant messaging app. I was very wrong. A few girls and I tried out this app, both the one-on-one feature and the group chat feature. We found some pretty interesting things:

• It tells you when someone takes a screenshot! Yes, it actually shows you that someone has taken a screenshot immediately after they do it. If youre speaking in confidence and you see the message pop up, you know its time for some butt kicking.
• Avoid looking away from the screen once you decode a message because itll self-destruct before you read it completely.
• We had no idea who was who in the group chat. No picture shows up or anything, just the anonymous text whoever sent.

I highly recommend Frankly as the next instant messaging app that you download. Its free! And your secrets are safe with us. (;

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Allure 2013 Beauty Breakthroughs

Hello, world.

Allure has always been my source numero uno when it comes to product recommendations. I have found countless holy grail products through the magazine and the website, and I have no intention to switch print sources.

Magazines are known for rating anything and everything, and Allure is no different. One of the lists that I look forward to anually is the Beauty Breakthroughs list. Since the winners are nominated and voted for by readers, it is a trustworthy source.

In this post, I will be featuring three beauty innovations from the Allure 2013 Beauty Breakthroughs list that I want to try for myself.

{ Number Three }

Smashbox Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Liner in Storm | $20

I love kohl, but it has one flaw that annoys me: it is impossible to sharpen perfectly. Being so soft, the end dulls out quickly. When I attempt to sharpen it, the end either turns out uneven, or it is so pointy that it breaks off immediately. With this product, when you put the cap back on, a mold in the cap reshapes the soft kohl.

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Birchbox: October 2013 Unboxing

Hello, world.

It has been a while since my last unboxing post all the way back in April, but I have a valid excuse! My May and June boxes were lost in the mail since I moved. I contacted Birchbox about it, and they were gracious enough to send me replacement boxes. Unfortunately, they were out of inventory so they refunded the $10 for my May box. For my June box, instead of reimbursement, they just made my August box free, and they threw in 100 Birchbox points as well! They have excellent customer service, and its also why Ive been so loyal to the company.

My July, August, and September boxes are sitting in my apartment somewhere. Ive used some of the samples but not all of them. I seem to have misplaced my camera charger so I couldnt post even if I wanted to. I finally decided to use my phone to take pictures until I can afford a new camera. So, we are back on track!

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Metal Accents

I have been seeing metal accents everywhere!

Posse Lina Stud Crossbody in Olive | $319

This is a good example of a mixture of two trends: metal accents and mermaid colors. The green is a lovely standout color, and the metal chain and studs give an edge to the crossbody. I would wear this with a rocking pair of leather pants and some black booties.

B-low the Belt Pyramid Studded Clutch in South Beach Black | $350

This is a casual clutch that would go great with everything. I would play up the tame look by mixing and matching more pieces with metal accents.

Nila Anthony Metal Corner Crossbody in Sky | $69

This is another example of mixing two trends: metal accents and geometric shapes. The metal accents in this crossbody complements the edgy geometry really well, and to offset the edginess, I would pair this with a tan trench or white denim.

How are you rocking metal accents in your outfits?

Image source:

MyHabit.com

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My Ultimate Vacation Destinations

I am a broke college student, but I can dream. I compiled a list of all of the places that I want to go to in case I win the lottery one day.

{ Norway }

Norway would be an amazing country to visit. It has stunning landscapes and fresh fish, and life does not get better than that.

{ Provence }

Provence, France would also be great to visit. It boasts vast lavender fields and medieval towns.

{ Lake Garda }

Lake Garda, Italy is a beautiful lake surrounded by Venetian villas and waterfront hotels. It would be the ultimate destination for some rest and relaxation.

{ Fiji }

I feel like the places that I want to visit all have water, but I am still going to include Fiji because water this beautiful deserves to be experienced.

{ Maine }

I will end this post with a domestic location. Yes, it is again by the coast, and it again has fresh seafood.

When I finally get to go on a big vacation, it should be easy to pin down the things that I want to do there: relax by a gorgeous view of the water while enjoying fresh seafood.

Where is your ultimate vacation destination?

Image sources:

ETFTrends.com

LonelyPlanet.com

ArchonEstate.com

USDiveTravel.com

LTA-LSR.com

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