Like many makeup and beauty hoarders, I have a lot of nail polish.Name just about any color or finish and I’m pretty sure own it.
And yet, I still find that I do not have enough.Talk about first world problems…
I need my nail polish fix!
If you’re anything like me, then Julep is the answer. By becoming a Julep Maven, you get a monthly mani in a box.
Unlike some other subscription boxes, with the Julep Maven Box you have the option to not only skip a month if you need (which I do from time to time, because, well, shopping happens + I got bills to pay), but also the option to gift your box to a friend.
What makes the May box so special, is that it included the new Julep Plié Wand. This wand take the theory of writing with a pen or pencil and applies it to the mani, giving you more steady control as you paint your nails. This goes against my logic for leg shaving, but I can attest that it works. And well. Very well. I dig it.
Right handed and not at all ambidextrous? Not a problem! After attaching the magnetic wand to your nail polish and paint your left hand, the plié wand twists to rest on your hand so you can stably paint your right hand.
Believe it or not, my right hand actually came out better than my left for once!
I joined Influenster not too long ago, and recently got my first VoxBox. I am always saying that I like to try new things, and VoxBox allows me to do just that + share my opinion on the products I try.
The theme of this particular VoxBox was Spring Fling, and had products to help you get ready for spring.
In an earlier post I basically said that waiting in line is the devil. Maybe not in so many words, but it is where 98% of my impulse buys are picked up.
This weekend I got to explore Albany and pretty much went buck wild crazy. Especially at Charlotte Russe. So many cute dresses and skirts! And the shoes…
Well on my way to check out I spotted two majorly amazing little products that I just HAD to snag.
Being in Vermont, this winter has been…long. After yesterday’s weather and looking at the forecast for the week, I think it is safe to say the spring is finally here to stay. Transitioning away from our winter wardrobe is something that those of us with heliophilia, await from the very moment that the leaves start to fall.
I noticed that I don’t really find myself thinking about as much is updating my makeup bag. When I say updating my makeup bag, I don’t mean adding to it…that is a never-ending thing for me that just kind of happens whenever I have money. What I’m referring to is the swapping out of darker, more wintery and sultry makeup for brighter, lighter and fun makeup used in the spring.
Everyone has their rules for just about everything now-a-days. While I understand that rules can be broken…there are products that I generally find myself going to in particular seasons that I don’t care for as much during others.
Left: Guerlain + Sephora Define Yourself Black Eyeliner Set (Out of Stock + now I regret recommending it so much…)
Right: CoverGirl + Sephora Define Yourself Color Eyeliner Set (Out of Stock)
Left: Bath & Body Works (I want my hands clean, not dry + No longer available, so glad I stocked up!)
Right: Purell
10. Tools
Left: Free gift with purchase from Sephora + sponge I found at a some drug store (here’s a better alternative + it’s a two pack!)
Right: Birchbox (No longer available, but here’s their new Birchbox exclusive Pouch) + Julep
Are these products that you find your self swapping out too? What else do you swap of for the spring? Do you have Instagram? Share a “What’s in my makeup bag” photo and share what’s stashed in your current makeup bag with the hashtag #myspringswapout!
There was nothing that I disliked about this kit, but I want to stress that these are minis. Samples. Not full-sized products. A lot of the reviews were from those that were disappointed with the size, so I was prepared to be a little disappointed. I wasn’t. In fact, I was very pleased with it.
A few notes:
The “purple” nail polish is really thick. I only painted one coat and was afraid that two coats wouldn’t dry without me managing to smudge them, and the color was bold enough to look as though I’d painted two coats.
The “coral” nail polish was a bit thin and even after two coats, I could still see through it, but I didn’t mind as it wasn’t too noticeable…
Kit Includes Deluxe Minis of the following products:
Social media has opened up whole new worlds for me! From twitter parties, to networking opportunites, to finding out about Keiko Kaveri’s #NoBareLips30.
This lipstick challenge starts today, with It’s World Kiss Your Mate Day, so take a photo kissing someone you love and join in on the fun! After the 30 days, I will share all my photos from the challenge along with what products I used.
Can’t wait until then? During the challenge, I will be sharing my photos on Instagram and Twitter, so if you aren’t already…FOLLOW ME! And don’t forget to tag me, if you want to make sure I see your lippies!
I promised that all my posts wouldn’t be about Birchbox, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to share about my monthly Birchbox!
This month’s Birchbox theme is Rainy Days. And even though Vermont has been seeing more snow showers than rain, in my book (and Birchbox’s…I asked on Twitter and they said yes) it still counts!
While I really liked everything in my Birchbox this month, I was particularly excited about the Color Club Art Duo Pen. I got it in black and plan to use my points to purchase in white.
Do you have a Birchbox subscription? What was your favorite product in your Birchbox this month?
Today actually hit the 70s! In Vermont, that’s a BIG freakin’ deal! So of course sandals are a must and that means one thing: PEDICURE!
Even though I’m super excited that the weather is nice, I have to be realistic. I know the temperatures will dip again, so I didn’t go too fancy with my feet, but my life needed a little perfection in it so, I went with Formula X for Sephora in Perfection.
For my mani I wanted to embrace spring and love A Crewed Interest by Essie, it’s one of my absolute favorites and just really reminds me of spring.
Still haven’t gotten my first official pedi of the season but when I do, you’ll know! Anyone else rockin’ sandals yet?
Every now and then, I like to give my nails a break from color. In part, this is so they can get some light and breathe a little. That being said, I think my nails look kind of blah when I paint them clear. So I don’t anymore. At least not technically.
Instead of one alternative I use is Nail Glow by Dior. I love that it makes my nails look brighter. Whereas, clear polish just makes my yellowish nails look shiny…
Now, this is something I NEVER thought I’d do. I’d seen people do the “big chop” and thought how brave of them, or that it looked great on them, but that I couldn’t pull it off. I had already transitioned and had been team natural for about a year, but my hair wasn’t in the best condition, as I took a very, shall we say, Solange approach to my hair (with much different results).
Whenever I considered cutting off my hair, I would shoot it down. When I transitioned, I had grown out my relaxer and then cut off the relaxed ends, so I never did anything even remotely close to a big chop. I had gotten my hair cut shortish in the past, but that was because I’d asked for a Rihanna cut without being on top of the fact that she’d since cut her hair from a bob to a reverse mullet/pixie…big mistake on my part. People said it looked great but I just wanted it to hurry up and grow out.
I cried every morning for months.
So when the school that I work at held a fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, my manfriend thought I was crazy when I told him that I wanted to be a shavee and go completely bald. He reminded me of how I’d hated my hair being really short and did not want to go through months of my misery. Got to love him! He even came and took pictures.
But this was different and for a really great cause. No tears, and it makes me happy to know that I stood (well sat) in solidarity with children who don’t get to make the choice to have or not to have hair. So I did it. And I’d do it again.
