birthday post + sephora birthday gift (mini review)

Some people loathe birthdays. Dread them, even. Not me! For as long as I can remember, I have eagerly looked forward to my birthday. October 24th has always felt like a special day in my world. Not only is it my my birthday but it is also my brothers birthday as well. (Yes, I am a twin.) Since it is so important to me and my family....it is extra important to celebrate, enjoy, and make special memories. Which is why today I am in full celebration mode. How will I celebrate? And what was my birthday gift from Sephora this year? Keep reading to find out.

Birthday Plans + Favourite Birthday Quotes

So...how will I celebrate my birthday? I've taken today and tomorrow off work to rest and relax - because your birthday is totally an excuse to treat yourself to a little TLC. Today will be spent enjoying a trip to the zoo with my husband, his mom, and aunt (who are also twins and are also celebrating birthdays today). Then it'll be dinner with my husband. Tomorrow, I'll be catching up on writing, reading, and doing whatever it is I feel like doing. Then that evening will be spent having dinner and cake with my family. On Saturday, my mom and I are taking a trip to Niagara on the Lake to do some shopping and sight seeing. And then seeing friends sometime on Saturday evening or Sunday during the day. It will certainly be a jam-packed few days but in the best possible way.

In honour of my birthday, I wanted to share a few of my favourite birthday-related quotes. They never fail to make me smile. Or to inspire! Fingers crossed they inspire you as well.

• Don't just count your years. Make your years count.
• The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.
• You are a whole year more incrediblerer. 
• You are older today than yesterday but younger than tomorrow.
• Every year on your birthday, you get a chance to start new.
• There's no such thing as aging, but maturing and knowledge.
• For age is just a state of mind and life can be such fun - and you still know how to party as much as anyone. 

Sephora Birthday Gift Mini Review (Kat Von D)

One of the perks of being a Beauty Insider at Sephora is the annual birthday gift. Any time you are at one of the stores during your birthday month, you can choose between two options for your gift. One was a skin care set from Drunk Elephant and the other was a set of Kat Von D items. Since I am a big fan of Kat Von D products (which you can see from previous posts here and here), it was an easy decision. The outer packaging itself was pretty simple and straightforward but it did say Happy Birthday on the top flap, which was definitely a nice little detail. The set included: a mini Tattoo Liner in Trooper Black, a mini Lock-It Translucent Setting Powder, and three Studded Kiss Lipstick samples in the shades Outlaw, Lolita, and Vampira. Here are my thoughts on the birthday gift items included in this Kat Von D set....

• Tattoo Liner. This is one high end beauty product that has been on my list of loves for quite a while. (I was posting about it years ago on my blog!) The liner itself is ultra black, easy to use, and allows you to achieve an ultra bold eyeliner look. Essentially, it is everything I look for in a pen liner. That being said, the price tag often deters me from purchasing a full-sized version myself. So it was nice to have a smaller version to use and treat myself to during all the birthday festivities. 
• Lock-It Translucent Setting Powder. There are a few products from the Kat Von D Lock-It line that I've tried over the years. The foundation was too heavy for my dry skin but the concealer was absolutely amazing. I hadn't tried the setting powder before so it was great to have this sample size as a trial. The packaging itself is great and has the KVD logo printed on top of the container. The powder itself is really soft, smooth, and has almost a light pearl finish. It blends in beautifully on the skin and will certainly be worth looking into once I finish using this trial size.
• Studded Kiss Lipstick Samples. Lastly, this birthday set included three samples of the Studded Kiss lipsticks. There are quite a few Kat Von D lipsticks in my makeup collection already, but it is always fun to try out different shades! This set comes with a red (Outlaw), a warm nude (Lolita), and a deep purple (Vampira). In the past, I had Lolita and really enjoyed it and this has inspired me to add that shade to my re-purchase list. 

All in all, I am really happy about the products in this Sephora birthday gift set. I am also excited to celebrate my birthday, see family, and make lots of wonderful memories in the days to come. 

Are you a fan of Kat Von D products? When is your birthday?