Rock N Roll Bucket List

It's no secret that I love a great rock show. Since the age of 16/17 I traveled around going to as many shows as I could (missing as little school as possible haha). Now that I am a "grown up" it's a lot harder to find the time to do this like I used to but when I do it's more like go big or go home.

I've experienced a lot of things most people merely dream of. Like one time I randomly ran into Poison and Cinderella the night before their show, drank with them until the sun came up (I even ate peaches soaked in moonshine for the first time with them) then got invited with tickets and passes for their show the next night. I have so many awesome memories and stories from my life, some say I should write a book. But I feel there are many more to be made and these are some things I would like to accomplish before I retire.

1. Meet Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars. No secret I love Motley, but these are the only two I really care to meet. If I had to pick just one it would be Mick. I have so much respect for him not only as a guitar player but as a person for the things he has overcome, and his heart when it comes to the music.

2. Meet Billy Idol and have him growl at me... Not too much exclamation needed there.

3. See a concert in each state of the US, I'm almost half way there! I also want to see shows in as many countries overseas as I can.

4. Ride down Sunset Strip on a motorcycle with one of my musician buddies (silly but this could be a blast)

5. See a show at Red Rocks Amphitheater

6. Meet Courtney Love, I've shared a few awesome moments with her via the internet and her concerts (she actually played my song request which is pretty ducking cool in my book.)

7. Meet Steven Tyler and Joe Perry

8. Start shooting more shows! I have been really lax in applying for photopasses, and getting interviews set-up. This year I want to do more to fulfill that side of my life and to also help get some bands names out there more.

I'm sure I will think of a ton more after I post this but these are the most obvious and largest requests on my list

I have been rather fortunate and the rock gods have blessed me with some pretty incredible experiences, some that were on my list before they got checked off and some so cool I couldn't imagine them to include

1. Meeting Scott Weiland. I was super nervous about this one as he is very unpredictable and there have been many people disappointed after meeting him. My experience was pretty awesome. He played a tiny club in Annapolis, Maryland, I purchased a meet and greet (which I never do, but it was less than many tickets I've purchased at even smaller clubs so I decided it was worth the risk) As I was walking up, their young tour manager warned me they may bite, so I decided to make a joke about their bass player Tommy (having met him a few times, once while he was working at the Viper Room, he was bartending, I was double fisting the whole night)  Once I mentioned the Viper Room, Scott starts laughing and telling jokes. I'm behind them posing for pictures and Scott keeps talking and telling jokes practically right into my ear, with Tommy encouraging it. So I can safely say that night was a success. Weiland was friendly, funny, and nothing like a lot of people had painted him. I could go into why i think some people are disappointed with meeting their favorites (expectations versus reality, and if you act like a SUPER fan a lot of times the guys don't know how to handle it or in some cases have heard it so many times it can be buzz kill even though intentions are good.

I had previously written this post prior to Scott's passing and just had not posted it yet. His death is still incredibly hard for me to believe. I was recently in Los Angeles and found out he was cremated, I was hoping to be able to visit him and pay my respects.

2. Being in a Motley Crue DVD, yep you can find me in the Cruefest DVD, sadly my quick interview didn't make the cut but i'm in there multiple times.

3. Being in a music video...  I got eaten by zombies before the Walking Dead was a TV show

4.Toured, being the only girl on the road with 14 guys is not all its cracked up to be haha

5. Met the Goo Goo Dolls, one of my absolute favorites, I even had one of the goo's open and hold the door for me (little things like that make me smile)

6. Met one of my favorite bands since I was 14, and have been lucky enough to hang out with them on numerous occasions, shoot some rad shots of them playing, and countless other amazing experiences over the 13 years. Big shout out to American Hi-Fi for just being awesome both on and off stage.

7. Most recently on my trip to Los Angeles for the Motley Crue final show on New Years Eve, I happened to meet Dave Grohl and Pat Smear at the Rainbow. Dave was not in his usual mood and was rather quiet and not engaging with fans that happened to be there, as it was a few days after Lemmy's passing but we still exchanged a few words (I live in the town he's from, and was at one of their secret shows here and sparked a quick conversation) and it made my trip for sure. Pat was super awesome posed for pictures with a bunch of people that were around.

With the recent passing of some amazing artists RIP Scott, Lemmy, and David (Bowie was always on my short list of people I wanted to see live, sadly now that will never happen) I am determined to spend more time at shows this year. 2014 was a pretty decent year concert wise. 2015 was a slower year due to my job at that time and psychological effects a toxic environment can have on a person. So here's to 2016 to be a huge year for rock n roll.

Sometimes Life Hands You Lemons (blog update)

Since around April of this year I have been going nonstop trying to get things to fall into place in my career. This is why my blog has been so neglected. I have been struggling with some major decisions, coupled with many family medical issues, a demanding job, my freelance work on the side to make up for said demanding job not going they way it should have, and school. I decided late this summer to go for my real estate license and to go into real estate. I can say today that I finished my classes and there's finally an end in sight. That said I have a lot of catching up to do! I will have beauty product reviews, shopping hauls (including the story on how I finally got my Valentino Rockstud purse for 80% off, beauty and fashion deals, band interview/spotlights, and much much more! Thanks to all the new followers and to all the ones that have stuck it out through my hiatus!

Yves Saint Laurent MASCARA VOLUME EFFET FAUX CILS Review

I have been a member of influenster for quite some time, so when I was invited to participate and try out the new YSL mascara of course I jumped at the chance. If you aren't familiar with Influenster wow it works if you are invited and accepted to a campaign they send you over a free product to try.

Eye and lip products tend to be my favorite makeup items. I'm always on a quest to find a mascara that will really make my lashes look like I have my falsies on. The first time I tried this new product I was not very impressed. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. With mascara sometimes I find I have to try and apply it in different ways in order for it to turn out the way I want.

So I tried a second time and the results were really great. If you like Diorshow you will probably really like this one as well. For me I'm a very glam makeup kinda girl for any nights out and even during the day when I wear makeup it's never the typical "natural" look. For my day looks I really like this mascara a lot. It curls, adds volume, and is not clumpy at all as long as I use my lash comb after applying. That also being said it sadly won't replace my false lashes. I'm not sure anything will ever keep me from my falsies especially for concerts and such. But as far as mascaras go this is in my top 3 now and I'm very picky.

 

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Holy Tony Moly! Review

So I recently purchased a few Tony Moly items at Sephora. I could not resist the adorable packaging alone(I know I know I work in marketing so I should know better but good packaging definitely helps sell me on a product, am I wrong dolls?) Unfortunately there are a few additional items that I wanted to get like the eye calming stick that’s packed up like a panda, I mean come on how freaking cute is that?!

What I did get my hands on was the Tony Moly Bbo Bbo Lip balm in both the Honey and the Blueberry (pink lips and the red lips containers). At $9 I didn’t think the price was terrible since I use a lot of Fresh lip products and those are pretty expensive. This stuff is absolutely awesome. I have super easy to chap lips and have to really take care of them or they look and feel terrible. This stuff works. I didn’t find either to be the better of the two, they both did the job. If my lips were chapped I put it on at night and woke up to smooth lips. I didn’t have to keep using it constantly like chapstick though its texture and scent make me want to use it more. I find it to be better than my Fresh products that I spend 2x more on so you can bet I will purchase these lip balms again.

I also purchased the Tony Moly Pocket Bunny Moist Mist but haven’t used it enough to say it’s the best thing out there. The few times I have used it I have liked it. It feels nice and not sticky and does make my skin feel good. I think I will love this especially in the summer when I’m working outdoor events and also when I travel for all the amazing road trips I have set up. It’s definitely the cutest packaging for a facial mist I have ever seen.

All of these products were purchased at Sephora if you guys are interested in trying them yourself!

 

 

 

Sugarpill Eyeshadow palette, Sparkle baby and Cold Chemistry rock my world!

There are very few cosmetics items that get me super excited as easily as Sugarpill eyeshadow palettes do. I have all the other previous palettes and have loved them over the last year or so. I always love doings fun colorful looks for all the concerts I go to and Sugarpill has provided many of those. I find their shadows have more staying power that pretty much anything else out there (though I do love the makeup forever artist shadows, and use both together often)

So a little about each palette starting with Sparkle baby. This is a cute lighter palette with a hot pink (hotsy totsy) exception  (I love using pinks, they really make green eyes pop). I absolutely love Kitten parade as well it's a peachy pink, that isn't' too warm for us cool toned ladies. The lighter colors are really great for blending and highlighting other looks as well. The pigmentation on the lighter colors is not as good as I find most of the other Sugarpill palettes to be.

Under bright light

Under normal light

Cold Chemistry has been on my wish list for quite some time. I tend to do 2 looks, Smokey darker eyes, or bright fun eyes. Cold chemistry has all the darks I use most. A beautiful purple (Elemental Chaos) a great shimmery grey/black (Soots & Stars) and one of the best shades for highlighting (Diamond Eyes). The green (Subterranean) is gorgeous as well, but I do not use a lot of greens typically. This is probably my new favorite palette. SUPER pigmented and absolutely perfect for a variety of looks. This one gets my vote of approval and would be the first palette I'd recommend someone new to Sugarpill to try.

Kaplan MD Perfect Pout Lip Mask and Lip Balm Duo

I've recently placed a number of Sephora orders and would like to share some reviews on which products I like and don't as I use them.

First up is the Kaplan MD kit. I've heard about this kit all over the internet and was very curious to see if it could deliver. I have issues with chapped lips and I'm constantly looking for products that can fix and prevent this issue. After reading about this product I knew I had to give is a shot.

The lip mask feels very tingly when I've used it. The first time it absorbed much slower than the last few times I've used it. It definitely plumps my lips, though the effect is temporary (lasts a few hours tops) After you use the mask you are supposed to wipe off the excess, then apply the balm.

The balm feels nice, no major smell to it in my opinion. It helps hydrate for sure, but I'm not sold that it would work nearly as good on its own.

Overall I really like the product but I'm not sure that it's the best thing out there yet (I like to try everything until something stands out and becomes the only product I want to use because it's so amazing) I would definitely use it prior to special occasions to plump up my lips a bit but to me that is the most noticeable difference between this product and others out there.

How to get High End items on a low end budget

Since starting my blog a few years ago I have completely changed the way I shopped. I have always loved pretty things and had champagne taste on a PBR budget. Over the last two years I have found a way to get some of the coveted items I always though were just outside of my reach. So today I will share with you some tricks and tips to get those items at a much more affordable price.

1. Online cashback! For some of you this obvious, but after talking to a lot of friends not everyone seems to know about it. I primarily use Mr. Rebates and Ebates. If you have a Discover Card you can go through Discover Deals and get up to 15% cashback at times. Right now there's 15% cashback at Saks Fifth Avenue and 10% cashback at Sephora through Discover. This may not seem like a lot but believe me it adds up quick! This is a good time to buy a pair of classic Louboutins that rarely (if ever) go on sale since it's like getting 15% off. I'll post links below for you to sign up for these sites if you aren't already taking advantage of them. There are many other cashback sites out there, these are the one's I have personally use and would recommend.

Ebates (referral link)


Mr.Rebates (referral link)

2. Know your brands. It helps knowing about the brands you like. For example Christian Louboutin shoes do go on sale. Twice a year actually, however these are the more seasonal colors and styles with some classic once in awhile. Chanel does the same. Knowing the sale cycles and products makes it much easier to find what you covet at a discounted price.

3. Shop around. Again some of you are saying I do this! Before I buy ANYTHING, I always Google search the item to make sure I'm getting the best price with the highest cashback possible!

4.Gift Card events. Neiman Marcus and Saks both offer events where if you buy a certain amount they will give you a gift card. Some brands are excluded, but a lot of high end brands like Alexander Wang, Alexander McQueen, Chloe, and many others are not. My first bag splurge was an Alexander Wang Rocco. I added a filler item to my cart to put the total over 1000. For making a purchase over 41000, I got a $300 gift card. I also got 10% cashback. So ultimately I ended up paying $600 for the purse, which often costs more even on sale. Sometimes depending on the timeframe of your purchase, you can get an even better deal. With most credit cards they offer a price rewind. If the item goes on sale within 60-90 days of purchase they will give you credit back for the difference. This has worked out for me a couple of times making the item cost even lower! So this is why it's  always good to know your brands and know the sales cycle.

5. Shop more buy less. Instead of buying a ton of items that are a good deal or cheap, buy smart. If you buy something think am I really going to wear this often? Many people will tell you of cost per wear, this is definitely something people should think about. For example I'm more likely to wear a purse or sunglasses for a long time, therefore spending on a high quality item rather than a bunch of cheaper items I grow sick of makes sense. I also do not take the tags off items until I wear them. If they sit in my closet for more than 3 weeks they go back (unless they are out of season like buying a sweater during the summer or vice versa) Bottom line is don't buy things you will not wear no matter how great the price.

6.Places I shop for deals. Of course there's your TJ Maxx, Homegoods, Marshalls, Off Saks, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Nordstrom Rack(I've found Jimmy Coo's, Mui Mui, and many other designer items at prices between $75-$250, sometimes with the item being full price in store still!), and many other stores that offer high end items at lower prices but there are other places as well. I'm a big fan of Gilt.com they offer a lot of Alexander McQueen items at great prices. For example his iconic skull scarves. They are usually a decent percentage off to begin with, but Gilt also sends out promo codes for an additional 10-30% making them a steal! I have bought many items this way. Another good site is the Outnet.

7. Secondary Markets like eBay, consignment &thrift stores and Poshmark. I shop through a lot of secondhand stores on Instagram. You can follow their accounts and when new items come in they post them and you can call and purchase. This is great for items you may have missed out on. I eyed a particular Alexander McQueen bag but it sold out online at a price I just couldn't pay. A few months later a trusted seller on eBay posted the bag at a great price and now its mine.  Poshmark can be great too. I sell on there and have done very well making some money (I usually put right back into my closet)

My Poshmark Closet

These are just a few of the many ways you can find Luxury items at a more affordable price!

Happy Shopping!