I've Moved!

Hey guys! Quick update! I've changed blogging platforms and am now over here!
I will no longer be creating posts for this site but am currently posting every week on my new, updated blog =) I explain more over there - go check it out!

Completely Bare

        If you're like me and have ever struggled with unwanted hair, these products are must haves! I've teamed up with Completely Bare to show off their Facial Moisturizer & Hair Inhibitor and their Ingrown Hair Razor Bump & Redness Eliminator. 

      I've struggled with unwanted hair most of my adolescent to adult life - from wanting to shave daily, finding hair above my top lip (yeah.. not so fun) and getting ingrown hairs that can be sensitive. Ever since I started my hair removal journey I've mostly kept to shaving, plucking with tweezers and even tried at-home laser hair removal. I found out quickly I wasn't a fan of laser hair removal (none that I've tried worked) and foams tended to be a bit messy. My skin also seemed irritated by those products so I've stuck to shaving and plucking.        Until now.. I think Completely Bare's hair removal products are perfect if you're wanting to go "fuzz free" or need to "calm down" areas that might be sensitive or have redness. 

New Fave Facial Cleanser!

         For the past few weeks I've been trying out a facial cleanser from one of my favorite skin care companies, FoxBrim. I've gotten to work with this brand on a couple of my YouTube videos before and have been impressed each time! This Coconut Milk & Honey Facial Cleanser is light and super refreshing. I usually like to take my makeup off with a makeup removing wipe then wash my face but I feel that I don't have to do that first step with this cleanser. It seems to take off everything easily  and quickly  - and I LOVE that. I've tried out other cleansers before that didn't seem to do the job as well. I would still find myself wiping makeup off or my skin just looked a little dull, which is the opposite look I'd like to have when washing and moisturizing my face. 

The bottle I have is 6 fl. oz and retails at $17.95 and I think I'll get use out of it for a while - you don't need very much and I use it with either my hands, a facial sponge or my Spin For Perfect Skin. Try it out if you haven't already! 

Cara Delevingne Joins The Rimmel London Family!

Rimmel London announced yesterday that Cara Delevingne is their new brand ambassador! I'm thrilled to see Cara join #TeamRimmelLondon! I love her work and think this will be such a great fit! ALSO - she's hosting a Global Snapchat Press Conference on Friday and she wants YOUR questions! Use the hashtag #RimmelXCara on Twitter and Instagram so you get your Q's in! 😉

Also, have you seen my newest YT video? It's all about working from home as a YouTuber and blogger!  Check it out here!

March Favorites 2016

Yesterday I made my March Favorites video live and realized there were just a couple products I forgot to mention. 😋🙈 These are some favorite products I've been using for a long time and I don't think I've ever even talked about them in any of my videos - this is why a blog is great lolz.          I've been obsessing over skin care products - body scrubs and great shaving creams make me feel so spoiled! Months ago, I was working with the company, Svelta and was lucky to be sent this Luxe Coffee & Raw Sugar Body Scrub.  It. Is. Beyond. AMAZING.

Spring Outfits

     It's been gloomy and rainy in Los Angeles lately - which I love but I wanted to brighten up my blog! This is one of the outfits I'm wearing in my Spring Lookbook video I'm uploading next week! See below for a link to the unlisted video!

I've been into simple, casual outfits and this sundress is the comfiest! Esp. with a cozy, oversized scarf for any 'almost warm' kind of weather.

NO MORE SPONSORED VIDEOS?!

             Lately, I've noticed the views on my recent videos are lower than the norm and quite frankly, that drives me insane. I believe it's due to working with too many brands at this point (which is great for me, but not so much for my viewers). As much as I try to incorporate the products I really do love into my videos, it seems to completely backfire when someone sees that it might be sponsored.         So, in my new video, I talk about my thoughts and feelings on sponsored videos - mine and other Youtubers. I also bring up what direction I want to take my channel and whether or not I will be working with so many brands in the future.         In my YouTube analytics, I noticed that the highest viewed videos on my channel are NOT sponsored. If you're a YouTuber and look at the top 10 videos in your analytics from the past 30 days, you know what your audience want to see more of. That's when I realized my channel cannot grow if I keep working with brands. Which is unfortunate because that's how I pay my bills =(  What are your thoughts on sponsored videos?  Click HERE to watch my video! I'm considering being VERY strict when I do decide to work with a brand in the future but I think you guys might agree with what I have to say. 

HUGE BEAUTY GIVEAWAY!

Here's a NEW BEAUTY GIVEAWAY! I'm giving away over 50 beauty products and I'm so excited to finally share this! For this giveaway, the rules are; 1. Must be subscribed to my main YouTube channel: Click here to SUBSCRIBE! 2. Follow me on Twitter: @sarahrocksdale - Click here to follow 3. Follow me on Instagram: @sarahrocksdale - Click here to follow 4. Repost the above photo with the hashtag #SarahRocksdaleGiveaway on Twitter OR Instagram (or both hehe) And a bonus would be to go LIKE my Facebook page - Click here to LIKE &/OR Follow me on SnapChat: sarahrocksdale
And that's it! This giveaway is international and I'll announce the winner on social media on May 1st!  ALSO - I just uploaded my London Travel Diary! Check it out here! GOOD LUCK!!! 

My Casual Monday #OOTD

      So this is actually a sneaky peak of one of my outfits for my Spring Lookbook I'm currently finishing up editing! Wanted to include some outfits that I typically wear while I'm working from home - getting dressed for the day but not really anything fancy, just some cute, comfy outfits! The video will be up soon and I'm excited to share it. 

I'm also making my London Vlog live later today as well! FINALLY!

Grunge Feels // Flannel & Leather

This was one of the outfits I wore in London recently. Since, I've been leaning towards an edgier look. Click here to check out my blog post on my favorite places in London I got to visit - this combination of distressed denim, leather and flannel makes me think of the Camden area that has an edgy, eclectic vibe. 

Music Festival Essentials

       Music festival season is just around the corner and I recently made a video showing off some essential items to take with you if you're lucky enough to go. Click here for my Coachella Essentials video to see everything. In this blog post I've included a few from the video and one extra I wish I had thought of when filming and editing! 

*image taken from Instagram
       The other day I was in the mood to play around with a 'festival' look and this is what I came up with. Follow me on Instagram and my YouTube channel to see more makeup & fashion pics. 

Some of My Favorite Places in London

        If you follow my YT channel or social media, you'll know I won the Rimmel London #LondonLookContest and recently got back from London with my husband, Kyle. The whole experience was surreal and I'm excited to share my vlog soon with you guys! If you haven't seen my Snapchat compilation video, click here for a sneaky peek of meeting the Rimmel London team, Rita Ora and more! 

              Kyle and I would love to go back to London sometime soon and venture the streets more. During the day, I was with the Rimmel London team and the other international winners while Kyle strolled around and did whatever he wanted =) After the first day of touring London, I mentioned some places he should check out and we both ended up liking these places quite a bit. Here's some of the places I got to see that were my favorites...

Current Beauty Favorites

      Some of my current favorite beauty products - are KILLER! I've been obsessing over these few things since I got them and use them almost everyday. These are also perfect for throwing in your bag on the go, day to day and traveling. I started using a few of these about a month ago and would def recommend them if you're on the lookout for some new products to try out.

I only have 3 items; a hair product, a perfume and a makeup remover.

Favorite Photo Editing Apps For Instagram

      I've been editing videos and photos for a while now for Instagram and currently have 3 favorite apps I wanted to talk about. These are my go-tos I use when editing a picture on my phone and I have barely used anything else in the past few months. 

1. Afterlight
      This seems to be everyone's favorite - I love messing around with making photos brighter and using the saturation to enhance color or lack of color creating a faded look. I've been to beauty events at night where some of the pictures/selfies I'll take with people will look too dark (I can't stand the flash on my phone, I think it makes everyone look ghost-like lol) using Afterlight helps brighten a photo so much! It reminds me of Picmonkey where you can brighten the background of photos by turning up the highlight. I also love the filters you could use in Afterlight. Although I don't use them often, they can really change the tone of your photos.

Boho // Grunge

     This outfit has been my recent go-to - it's casual yet dressed up and comfy. I've loved maxi skirts for years and own a few but this one is my favorite, it goes with everything! I especially love wearing crop tops with it or tucking in a tank/shirt. The leather jacket instantly gives this look a bit of an edge and I think pairing everything with the heels creates a polished outfit. 

 I've been working with the LIKEtoKNOW.it team and am really excited to share some more fhasion pics soon! Plus beauty products I've been loving. Click here to see the outfit details for this look and follow my LIKEtoKNOW.it page for more! Signing up by email will keep you updated on some of the fashion finds I've been rocking lately.

Makeup Manual - For Everyone From Beginner to Pro by Bobbi Brown

      I've had a copy of Makeup Manuel by Bobbi Brown for a while now and realized I never did a proper book review on it. As a huge fan of Bobbi Brown's work and of makeup, I am still thoroughly impressed by this book. Whether you're starting out with makeup or a seasoned professional, this book is a must have for all makeup lovers out there. It's quite simply the best.  

 I love that each chapter covers so much information in a condensed yet helpful form and it ranges from several topics. Brushes, different makeup products and how to use them plus tips for building your portfolio and more. There's also so many pictures showing off her technique when applying makeup which is very helpful.

Winter Lookbook 2016

      Wanted to share some of my go-to winter looks today! Here are some of the looks in today's beauty video, let me know which outfit you like best. Follow me on Instagram to see sneaky peaks of future blog posts and new videos! This is my LIKEtoKNOW.it page where you can shop the looks I wore in this video. I 'm planning to add more photos soon to my liketoknowit page every week!

Check out my Winter Lookbook video here and let me know if you'd like to see more fashion videos, or if you prefer to see pictures instead =) I love doing both but am curious to know what you think! Also, if you missed my Fall Lookbook, click here.

winter lookbook - sneak peak

      Wanted to give you guys a sneaky peak of this Saturday's beauty video - my Winter Lookbook! Here's one of the outfits I'll feature in the video. My favorite blazer, a button up shirt, jeans to give it a casual feel and my go-to boots I've been obsessed with the past few months. 

      I'm also rocking my tan Forever 21 purse that I think goes well with the colors of the outfit, including the subtle gold details of the buttons on the shirt, blazer & chain of the bag.

make up for ever ultra hd concealer // Giveaway

       Recently I was lucky to be sent some products from Make Up For Ever and stashed a few aside for another giveaway! Introducing the new Ultra HD Invisible Cover Concealer..

      For the past month I've been wearing Make Up For Ever's Ultra HD Foundation and have been really loving it. This formula gives a light to medium coverage, click here to see a makeup tutorial I filmed using it. I've only had the concealer for a couple of weeks now and have gotten to try it a few times. I was impressed by the lightweight formula and how the concealer instantly brightened my eye area and remained crease-free without having to apply a setting powder over it. The foundation and concealer are a great match together if you're someone who likes a lighter coverage. Both apply smoothly and give a very natural makeup look. This concealer is meant to correct dark circles and is a must-have for instant undereye perfection. 

Favorite Beauty & Fashion Bloggers

       For being still fairly new to the blogging world (this will be my second consistent year blogging!) I've read and kept my eye on a few key beauty & fashion bloggers I think you guys will love if you're not following them already. Do it! Here are my top 4 I've loved all last year and even some before then. I've also included ipsyOS at the end for beauty Youtubers and bloggers. Their blog is filled with incredible tips and advice for anyone who loves creating online content.

               *image taken from Instagram 1. Katie's Bliss       I first found out about Katie from watching her Youtube channel a few years ago and really enjoy her channel and blog. She's got a great taste in fashion and she also shares lifestyle videos on her channel. Just scroll through her Instagram and you'll be hooked. I constantly get inspired by her posts and you will too. I also enjoy watching her Snapchat, Katie'sBliss - go check her out!

Best In Beauty: 2015

       There were a few products in 2015 I couldn't stop using obsessively and wanted to share them with you guys! Hair, skin care and makeup items I loved and will continue to use throughout 2016. Check out my video here if you're interested in seeing every product. Here's just a few from that video:

1. Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Refreshing Dry shampoo        This is the best dry shampoo I've ever used! I'm especially very picky when it comes to dry shampoos and was very impressed when I tried this one out. It left my hair feeling as if I really just washed and blow dried my hair! That's the aim when you pick these up but when I usually try out a dry shampoo, I'm left with white bits in my hair I can't brush out, a gross/gunky feeling in my hair or just see that nothings changed. How irritating. One my friends said she gave up on dry shampoos a few months back and I agreed with her.. until I tried this. I picked it up from Walgreens and it was $7 - I'll definitely buy this again!

Beauty Giveaway Winners Announced!

       Hey guys! Hope you all had an amazing New Year celebration and I'm excited to FINALLY announce the winners to all of my giveaways that took place in December for Vlogmas and on my main beauty channel! Thank you all for being so amazing and patient, there were so many giveaways I got a little overwhelmed keeping track of them all but I think this will be the best way to announce everyone's prize! I'm just asking you to shoot me an email if you are one of the winners and I'll send your prizes to you ASAP! My email address is sarahrocksdale@gmail.com  And here we go!

1. The winner of the TooFaced Cosmetics Bon Bons Palette is.... Elsa Beckford!!!!!!