Influenster: A Twist on the Subscription Box

Have you ever used Influenster? I first came across this website when I was looking for reviews on beauty and skincare products before I purchased them. This site has reviews for *everything* - I was able to find reviews for products that weren't even sold in the United States, which was really helpful for me, since I order most of my products online.

They also send out tons of products for testing in what they call their "VoxBoxes." This boxes contain an assortment of products. In my case, I was sent the Finesse VoxBox, which had, in my opinion, the most random assortment of products - Essie gel nail polish, Minute Maid rice and quinoa, an Olly protein smoothie and Not Your Mother's Naturals mousse. Pretty random, right? But hey, I LOVE trying new products out! The main difference between the VoxBox and the traditional subscription box is that you have to enter to win a VoxBox (which you do by filling out a profile, answering survey questions, and writing reviews) and all the items are complementary.

Out of all the products I was send, I absolutely love the Essie gel nail polish. I've actually already gone out and bought some more shades (I recently got Pinned Up and am probably going to get Satin Slipper next) because it's so fantastic. It lasts longer than regular polish, but more importantly, it tried SO quick. I can give myself a manicure before bed and don't have to worry about sheet imprints on my nails. Seriously, all you need is about 10 minutes and you can do a full, glossy manicure. My only disappointment with the line is that I wish there were more nude shades.

Shop the Finesse VoxBox!

K-Beauty with the Atopalm Real Barrier Collection

My skin has been going through a phase where it has been extremely dry, sensitive, flake and slow to heal. Likely a combination of this horrid weather and the fact that I've been using azealic acid and trentinoin (Retin-A) nightly. My current toner burned when I applied it and I was starting to run out of products and hadn't had a chance to replace them yet, so I decided to see what I had in my stash of products that Tony had brought back from Busan for me. My stash included quite a few products from a company called Atopalm, which I had never heard of before, as it is not really mentioned on any of the American Korean/Asian Beauty blogs. I also had not heard it mentioned on the Asian Beauty Reddit, so I really knew nothing about it when I first tried it.

Stylish Sun Protection with Cabana Life

Although am about 20% southern Italian, you would never know it from my fair skin. My nickname as a kid was Caspar (as in Caspar the Friendly Ghost) because I basically glowed in the dark. For the makeup enthusiasts, you'll understand what I mean when I say my "summer tan" it roughly equivalent to a MAC N4 or a MU Forever 115. Consequently, I am highly susceptible to burning, and have to make sure I reapply my SPF 70 every hour. So when Cabana Life reached out to me to team up on their new Bungalo Beach print, I was super excited to do a collaboration.

Dress | Wedges | Sun Glasses | Clutch (similar)

Cabana Life has a ton of cute, easy to wear designs that are perfect for throwing out and going out the door. I love anything that is appropriate for pool side and going out in to the "real world" that isn't pants. Now, I'm not anti-yoga pants, but I rarely find a pair that I find comfortable. Even more awesome is that all their clothing is made from UPF 50 fabric. With a history of sun cancer in the family, I'm all about making sure we're as protected as possible.

Anyone who uses any kind of social media knows that the Northeast has been stuck in the Eternal Winter, so I wasn't sure when I would get the opportunity to wear my CL dress. But we recently took a trip to visit family in Florida and I basically lived in my Cabana Life dress. The material feels like heavy weight swim suit material and drapes in a very flattering way. It also dries quickly (awesome if you have a toddler). If you're looking for a casual piece that goes from the beach to a date night, then definitely check them out. They also make suits and little kid coordinates!

Shopping the Spring Sephora Beauty Insider Sale

The Sephora Spring Sale is almost upon us! The dates have been released and here they are:

• Rouge: April 13-16 & April 20-23. Code YAYROUGE for 15% Off
• VIB: April 20-23. Code YAYVIB for 15% Off
• Beauty Insiders: April 20-23. Code YAYINSIDER for 10% Off

In the past Sephora has not excluded their luxury lines, which means you can get some great deals. I've heard unconfirmed rumors that The Ordinary will not be included in this Spring's sale and that Drunk Elephant (an popular brand in the Asian beauty community and beyond) will be limited to 3 products. I have been purchasing more Korean/Asian beauty products through Amazon (and of course there was the huge haul Tony brought back from South Korea for me), so my VIB status fell down to Beauty Insider this year. However, with this sale I should be back up to VIB and a 15% discount for the fall sale!

Here's what's on my wishlist:
Creme de Le Mer - My favorite luxury beauty product. I live in a particularly expensive county in New York, which means high sales tax. But I'll take any savings I can get, and when it comes to a luxury product, 10% off is still 10% in my pocket!

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial - I use AHA and BHA regularly, but this at home "babyfacial" sounds incredibly amazing! For a fraction of the price and time you can get a spa-like treatment right at home with all.the.acids. your skincare loving heart could desire!

Makeup Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation - I have been using this foundation for years and love it. It provides fantastic buildable coverage and lasts forever. Last time I tried the stick and I felt it was significantly more cakey, so I'm going back to the liquid.

Tarte Tarteguard Mineral Powder Sunscreen - I have to be honest, I have NO idea if this works, but I am SO intrigued! I always put sunscreen on before applying makeup, but being very fair skinned, I usually need to reapply. Trying to do so over makeup is always a challenge. Have I finally found a solution!?

L'Occitane Shea Cleansing Oil - I've posted before about how much I love this cleansing oil. It's one of my favorites and the scent makes it feel so luxurious.

Fresh Sugar Cream Lip Treatment - Fresh is one of my favorite brands and I love all their color. I'm so happy that they have revived and refreshed their line of lip products to include more color.

Yves Saint Laurent Top Secrets All-In-One BB Cream Skintone Corrector - This has been my favorite BB Cream for the last 5 years or so, but it has been sold out in my color (clear) at Sephora for a while now. I'm hoping it will be available again some time soon.

Dr. Jart+ Firm Lover Rubber Mask - I've been really upping my sheet mask game lately and have been using them every other night and loving the changes this has made. I'm super curious to try one of the Dr. Jart+ rubber masks and see if they're worth the hype (and price tag).

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Oil - People have been raving about this oil ever since it became available. I've heard of a few people trying to DIY it, but when you factor in the costs of the individual ingredients, it gets real expensive, real fast. I think for now I'll leave it to the professionals!

Alterna Caviar Repair RX Instant Recovery Conditioner - The entire Alterna Caviar line is amazing and one of the few shampoos and conditioners I've really found to be impressive. Of course, the price tag is also impressive! The silver lining to this product is that I only need about half the amount of product to do the same job.

What's in your basket?