You Had Me at Shine-Free

As an oily-faced gal, I am a sucker for anything that claims to magically erase/prevent/dissolve oil and shine.  My brain says, you know better, Cassie but my heart says, I need that in my life!  That being said, I think only 98% of products that claim to provide oil relief actually do.  Maybe it's me, maybe it's Maybelline but I was not impressed by their Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation.

Bloggers, Blawggers, Blahggers

I recently signed up to be a member of a fashion bloggers' community as I thought it would be a great way to connect with my peers.  I obviously had no idea what I was getting myself into; the vehemence of my fellow members is unsettling and ballsy.

Shortly after creating my profile and taking a few (several) minutes to write and add a short quip about myself and this blog, I received my first friend requests.  How nice, I thought, maybe they found my blog through my profile and liked it or something.  Or, maybe they saw that I updated my profile in the member activity feed and said "Fresh meat!  A new fellow blogger who I can beg to visit my site!"  It was definitely the latter.  Shortly after accepting their requests, I received private messages from my new "friends" asking if I would visit their blog and if so, they would gladly return the favor if I sent them a link to my own blog.

First of all, the link to my blog is clearly on my profile.  So if you were that interested in learning about me or my blog, you could have found it yourself.  If you're giving me an ultimatum by stating that you'll only visit my blog if I visit yours, I AM NOT GOING TO VISIT YOUR BLOG.  Sure, I'd like to have more readers, but I want to earn your attention and loyalty.  I don't want you to visit my blog out of a mere formality.  I continue to receive a request from a certain member every single day and I continue to reject them because the second time I accepted their invite they sent me the same exact spam message they sent the first time.  Their status is also "subscribe if you're feeling nice."

Is this what "networking" has become?  I'm not saying us bloggers shouldn't be supporting each other, I'm saying some of us are going about it in the wrong way.  We should be building relationships with each other, and simply sharing links and hoping for the best is not building a relationship.  While you may get a few hits on your blog from your new friends, if you don't go beyond that first transaction you're just inflating your perception of influence.  While number of visits is good and well, I think the true test of a good blog is the level of engagement with readers.  I can tell a blogger really cares about their readers when their content is inspired by their readers and they take the time to respond to their readers' comments.  I doubt the most successful blogs became successful because they sent solicitations to anyone and everyone they could get their hands on.

I know not every blogger is like this, but it seems like a good bit are using this brash method of self-promotion.  When did this become acceptable? Are there any other bloggers out there who are tired of all the spam from your peers?

July Ipsy Glam Bag: Beach Beauty

I know I said somewhere in this blog that I would be showing what I got for June's Glam Bag, but by the time I got motivated enough to do it, it was already July.  Soo, here's a look at what I got for my July bag and a couple of quick first impressions.

Got (Nail) Bling?

Thanks to Walgreens and their sale on nail stickers, I have a nice little collection of nail bling/stickers/foils/appliques going on.  I found these just by chance at an end cap near the hair care aisle.  My Walgreens had a lot of other Revlon designs to choose from, but the two that I purchased were the only ones I could see myself wearing out in public.  The ugly fruit pattern that I've spotted before was on sale too, not surprisingly (who wants fruit on their nails?)

Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup

I was completely shocked when I saw my post on this list since I've only been blogging for about a month and there were quite a few other entries.  However, I am honored to have been included among such inspirational writers and fashionistas, and I hope you'll take a gander at all of the blogs mentioned and enjoy them as much as I have!  (A special thanks to IFB for providing all of us with this opportunity.  We work hard to have our voices heard, and the insights and networking that IFB provides are invaluable and much appreciated.)

Free To Be Me

Today is a national holiday here, Independence Day. Common themes celebrated, among hot dogs and fireworks are notions of freedom.. but what does that freedom mean if not free to be ones self? This week we have a great array of posts that reflect the freedom to be as you are, whether it be wearing a crop top in your 40's , dissecting the shoes of women's right's hero Wendy Davis, or discussing the oft not discussed issue of the rise in plastic surgery for men. Of course we also have all the goodies you'd expect from a fashion roundup, so relax today and read these links!

Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup

1. All Things Kate: Fashion Flashback: Christian Dior
2. Anything You Can Buy: Store Credit Cards: Savers or Enablers?
3. Attire Club: Discussions On Men’s Plastic Surgery
4. DIY Doyenne: 12 Simple Ways to Build Engaged Blog Traffic
5. DressCode: HighFashion: The 10 Definite Mens Must Haves in Summer 2013
6. Fashion is Evolution: DIY Mui Mui-inspired glitter shoe video tutorial
7. Fashion Thrill: The Mystery of Chanel No. 5
8. Fashstash: Like a Maharajah | Jeetinder Sandhu
9. I Can Style U: What Are Men Really Wearing This Summer?
10. Inspirations & Celebrations: Best Shorts For Your Body - Summer Style Guide
11. Lover of Clothes: The Other Side of Blogging
12. Not Dressed as a Lamb: How To Embrace The Crop Top Trend In Your Forties
13. Rose & Pine: Summer Skincare Tips & Summer Skin Essentials
14. Sobbing on Fifth: The Trend: Match Your Mani to Your Clutch
15. Sophisticated Lace: The Shoes of a Female Hero
16. Style Bizarre:3 Ways to Accessorize your Swimsuit
17. Style Convict: 4TH OF JULY STYLE GUIDE
18. The Photogramps: How to Wear Tropical Print
19. Un Femme d'un Certian Age: Style Crushes: What They Can Teach Us
20. We Are Ready Made: TOO MUCH CONTROL?

  SPONSOR: Shopbop: Elizabeth Cole, Fleur du Mal, Jay Ahr, J Mendel, шопбоп, Mugler, Fjallraven, Lead, Tess Giberson, 30%, & 50% Sale

Store Credit Cards: Savers or Enablers?

It's Saturday morning and I'm doing my typical weekly peruse of the local mall.  I've managed to find a couple of purchase-worthy items (on sale, no doubt) and I approach the register, bargains in hand:

"Hello!  Did you find everything OK?" asks the cashier.
"Yes, thank you."
The cashier asks, casually, "Did you want to save an extra 15% and open a rewards credit card with us today?"
The bargain side of my brain says, 15% off - YES! while the common sense side says, DON'T. YOU. DO IT.  "Um," I start to reply, "I'll pass, thanks."

We've all had this experience before - the dreaded credit card plug coupled with tempting savings.  The question is: Are they really saving us money, or do they encourage shoppers to spend more?