February 2013 Julep Box Opening!

Yay! I love when I have hard days only to go to my mailbox and get showered with nail polish :) 

This is what came in my February Julep Maven Box. I changed from It-girl to Boho-Glam. I've never chosen anything other than these two options, oddly. I was really tempted to try the holographics this month, though. But I just couldn't get these colors out of my head. They were just something that I didn't have.

 The first thing that they included was: a lash crimper and two chocolate hearts. Mama likes chocolate :) They were a nice, unexpected bonus :)

 They also had in there the Freedom Top Coat, which is supposed to make your nail polish act like gel nails, lasting twice as long as normal polish. This was another HUGE reason that I didn't skip this month. I was just so curious about the top coat :P The other box next to it is the Oxygen Nail Treatment. I don't know much about this, but I am excited to try it and see what I think.

These were the actual polished that I got in the box. The orange color is called Ingrid, and the light grey-blue is called Julianne. The colors were not wanting to show up true to color for me at all, so I will paint my nails in the future with them and show them in the daylight soon :)

Let me know what you got! And if you aren't already a maven, you NEED to get your first box. It's awesome and only a penny! Click here to be directed to their site!

NOTD: Julep Maven's IVY and VIVIEN

I've just been painting my nails like a fiend! Here is my current NOTD:

The blue sparkly color is called Ivy and the gold glitter tip on my ring finger is called Vivien. Both polishes were in the It Girl box in December from Julep Maven. So pretty! I loved both of these polishes. The best part? This manicure stayed on my nails for about a week without chipping too much, which is amazing, especially with how hard I am on my nails! Two thumbs up!

November Julep Maven Box

This is one of the older posts that I promised. I can't believe I never got this posted until now! This is what came in my Julep Maven November 2012 box. 

 The purple/silver one below is Nora, the olive green color is Hailee, and the fuzzy clear one is the Matte Top Coat. Nora is no longer in my possession, though. The color matched one of my friend's formal dresses, and so it was one of her Christmas presents, so you will never see a blog post of it unless I can get a picture of the polish on her nails. Sorry!

 All of these polishes had a matte suede finish to them. This was something I never experienced in a nail polish. Usually, I like my polishes to be super shiny, but I actually really liked the finish to these polishes. I have not yet tried the matte top coat yet, though. I'm kind of scared of that one's finish!

The other thing that was in the box were three nail polish remover pads. I haven't tried those yet, either. I've been busy, I'm sorry! And I've kind of been saving those for when I travel.

NOTD: Harper by Julep Maven

This polish is called Mermaid Vomit. Just kidding. But that's what I call it! This is actually Harper from my December Julep Maven box. It came in the IT girl box, and to be honest, it was my sole reason for buying the box that month. It's just such a pretty color. Here are a couple more pictures to see if any of them can do the polish justice...

That's better. It's a little more sparkly here. This polish applies like a dream, and it wasn't super clumpy like a lot of glitter polishes can be. Love this color!

Nail Polish Haul

These are the nail polishes I've picked up recently. I thought I'd share them with the nail polish addicts that read my blog :)

Sinful Color's Unicorn: I showed this one in a NOTD, but I thought I'd include it here since I did buy it recently. It was $1.99 at Walgreens.

Essie's Off The Shoulder: This is such a pretty pink. I've heard that people are having a hard time getting their hands on this one. I picked up the last one at my Target. I haven't tried this one on my nails yet, but it's going to be my next NOTD most likely.

OPI's Last Friday Night: This was from the Katy Perry collection from forever ago. I don't really know why it was still on the shelves at my Target. I've never seen this color in person because it was always sold out at Ulta when the collection came out. It was a lucky find, and I figured that if it was the only one, then it was fate. The sparkles mesmerized me as the polish threw itself into my cart, I swear.

That's all the nail polish that I've bought in the last couple weeks. I'm sure there will be more! I really haven't bought much recently, but there will be more hauls coming soon when I start to get ready to go back to college, rest assured.

Nail of the Day

This is my nail polish of the day. I used Sinful Color's Unicorn and Julep's Daisy. Unicorn applied kind of sheer (to get it opaque took me 3 coats) and it applies a little streaky, but I think that's to be expected of a color that cost me $1.99 at Walgreens. And who doesn't want a color called Unicorn?! Daisy on the other hand applied perfectly opaque. I didn't have to go over the stripe a second time or anything. I can't wait until I get to paint this all over my nails! Daisy was one of the colors I received in my first Julep Maven box.

Overall, this is a really easy design, and it didn't take me too long to paint, so I'm very pleased with it!

Nail of the Week

This is my nail polish of the week. I say "nail of the week" instead of "nail of the day" because I've had this color painted on my nails since this past Saturday, and it is now Wednesday night. I'm wearing Chinaglaze's Ruby Pumps with a basic red color on my accent nail.

I really judge nail polish quality on how long it stays on. I'm not the kind of person to repaint my nails every over day. I'm just too busy and too impatient with nail polish. I'm super happy with this nail polish because it has lasted me five days. As you can see, it has started chipping in the corners of my first two fingers, but that's to be expected after five days. I'm also REALLY rough on my nails, so for a polish to stay more than 3 days on my nails is a huge plus. 


This nail polish is gorgeous. It sparkles in the sunlight light a beauty, and I get a lot of compliments on the color because it reminds people of the Wizard of Oz. If you don't already have this polish in your collection, I really recommend getting it at Ulta, Sally's, or anywhere else that sells Chinaglaze polishes.

Mini Excitement

As I'm sitting here watching the season premiere of Covert Affairs (which is amazing so far!), I thought I'd tell you about what I just ordered: My first Julep Maven box.

If you've paid attention at all to my previous blog posts you'd concretely know two things:
1) Bath and Body Works is an addiction.
2) Nail Polish is pretty. I like it, and am addicted to it as much as Bath and Body Works.

Julep Maven is like the monthly beauty boxes except that it's a box of nail polish! I decided to become what they call a "Maven" by buying my first box. I'm super excited because I ordered it a couple of days ago and today received an e-mail saying that it shipped. I'll post pictures and the works when I receive it, for sure! :)

Have a great Tuesday! I'm going to go finish Covert Affairs and then go to sleep because I have to get up early in the morning for camp. I'm tired already just thinking about it...

Purple Polish Obsession

I mentioned yesterday in my influenster box opening that the Polar Purple color that came in it was perfect for me because I love the color purple. I thought I'd touch upon that a little more and show you all how deep the obsession is...

Exhibit A:

It might be hard to see all of the different shades of purple, but these are all of my purple nail polishes. This is about half of my collection. There's clearly a problem with me...

Here are the polishes a little closer. Some of them still don't look that purple in the bottle, but they are a shade of purple on your fingers.

 (From left to right: China Glaze's Coconut Kiss, Joy, and Harmony)

  (From left to right: Gap's Violet, Ulta's Last Fling Before the Ring, Essie's No More Film, 

and NYC's 133A)

 (From left to right: OPI's Meet Me At The Star Ferry, OPI INK, and Nicole by OPI's Virtuous Violet)

My favorite, you ask? Definitely OPI Ink. It's name reminds me of the show LA Ink, which was on TLC for a while. It's also a polish that my sister gave me for my birthday, and it's SO pretty in the sunlight. It looks pretty dark on your fingers, but it sparkles this really vivid purple color in the sunlight. It's beautiful. 

My most worn color? GAP's Violet. This was a gift from a friend, and it is another vivid purple color. LOVE. I just wish it didn't chip so quickly. 

Most unexpectedly pretty? ULTA's Last Fling Before The Ring. This color looks NASTY on my toes, but SO pretty on my fingers. I just can't explain or describe how that's possible, but it is. 

Let me know in the comments what nail polish color it your favorite, what colors you LOVE wearing, and just for kicks, what your favorite color is :)

I Got My Influenster Summer Voxbox!!!

 I got my Influenster Summer Voxbox yesterday in the mail!!! I'm so excited!! Here is the box: 

(It's around 8pm here and the sun is almost set, so the lighting may be a little funky, but hopefully it's manageable!)

I've only had one day to kind of play with the products and try a couple things out, so here's what's in the box and my first impressions (from left to right):

Quaker Soft Baked Bar in Banana Nut Bread: This little bar looks SO good! I haven't tried it yet because I still needed to take pictures for my blog, but the minute I can, I'm going to chow down on that sucker!

Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color: The minute I saw this, I was ecstatic! My roommate introduced me to magnetic nail polish, and she bought hers from like $15. It wasn't the Sally Hansen brand, but it still looked really cool. The color I got was in Polar Purple, which is perfect because I'm obsessed with the color purple. I can't wait to try this out!

Sally Hansen Nails and Cuticles Hand Creme: To be honest, my first impression was that it smells like sunscreen. I'm not a huge fan of the smell at all, but I put it on anyways, and it's definitely moisturizing. The smell isn't too bad, so I'll still use it, it just isn't my favorite. I'm going to keep using it and see if I grow fond of the smell or not.

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen SPF 30: Unlike the Sally Hansen Nails and Cuticles Hand Creme, this smells great! It's very tropical and girly, and it's perfect for the summer by the pool or at the beach. This is a 2oz bottle, and I don't know how long that will last, but I'm about to work at a summer camp, so I'll bring it along and see how well it works. I'm very excited for this, though.

Tampax and Always Radiant Collection: Sadly (or not so sadly, depending on how you look at it...) my period literally just finished (TMI? Ok.), so I won't be able to test these out for a couple weeks, but my first impression of these was positive. I liked that they came in the little bag, and that the bag doesn't say TAMPAX all over it. You can throw it in your pool bag or your backpack and be discreet about it. Also, they have redesigned the closures on the tampons, and it looks like they are going to be more sanitary to use. Overall, good so far! I'll test these out the next time mother nature graces me with my monthly gift :P

I'm very happy with this box. It was free, so it's kind of hard to NOT be happy with it, but the products seem promising, as well. I also love getting things in the mail, so I'd been looking forward to this voxbox since the moment I got the e-mail that I would be receiving it!

If you haven't heard about influenster, you can visit influenster.com to sign up! It's free to sign up, and what you do is you answer surveys about yourself so that they can put you in their demographics, and then from there, you earn badges that dictate which box would be right for you! You aren't necessarily going to get a box every time one is available, though. I've been a part of the site since April of 2012, and this was my first box. If you decide to join, just make sure that you unlock the badges that fit you, because from what I understand, that is how you begin to get boxes. Also, if you do receive a box, you have to agree to do a review of the products, not only on their site, but on any other media outlet (blog, youtube, facebook etc.) that you are a part of.

Comment below if you received a voxbox, if you are familiar with/have tried other Influenster voxboxes, or if you have tried any of these products before, and let me know what you thought of them!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!


Disclaimer: Influenster sent me this box for free so that I could review the products inside of it. All reviews are honest.

What's On My Toes?

 Happy 4th of July to all of those in the United States! In honor of the red, white, and blue colors, I thought I'd share the perfect red nail polish for all of your festive designs:

Introducing Ole Caliente by Essie. I really love this color. I bought it about 3 months ago when I was still in college, and have worn it on my toes ever since. It's the perfect red, and it stays on your toes without chipping for a while. What I especially love is that it's a super bright red instead of being a deep red, so it's perfect with a tan!


I used this with a pretty blue color from Revlon and a basic white polish to make some red, white, and blue nails for the holiday. If you see the polish, I'd suggest you pick it up! It's got a great formula, and is super pretty!!! I got mine at Target, but I know they have them at Ulta as well. 


Have a happy 4th, and let me know if you pick this color up!

My Current Beauty Wishlist

I read a lot of blogs and watch a lot of beauty videos on Youtube, and when I see something that I like or that I think will work for me, I grab my phone and add it to what I like to call me "Wonderlist." I figured out long ago that my phone is the best place to keep this list because I always have my phone with me when I'm out shopping. I thought I'd start off my blog by sharing my innermost beauty must-haves with you :)

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EOS Lip Balm in Tangerine
Picture from Evolutionofsmooth.com

1. EOS lip balm in Tangerine: This is a really simple thing that I want to try. I'm totally addicted to the EOS brand of lip balm, and their new tangerine flavor is no exception! The EOS lip balms come in fun scents, and I've always found them to be really moisturizing and tasty (not that you should be eating lip balm...Whoops.) 

Spring is technically here, but it's still chilly here in Texas (sadly...) and my lips are still prone to being chapped. When I finish my current EOS lip balm in the flavor Sweet Mint, I'm going to pick this one up! If you know where I can get my hands on this flavor, please let me know because I haven't seen it at Ulta yet!

Revlon Lip Butters in (Left to right) Peach Parfait, Cherry Tart, and Berry Smoothie
Photo from Walgreens.com

2. Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters: I know, I know. I'm WAY late on this trend. EVERYONE on Youtube has been talking about these lip butters, and I have yet to try any of them. I'm hoping to soon get my hands on these bad boys in the shades Cherry Tart, Peach Parfait, and Berry Smoothie.

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze
Photo Credit: Target.com

3. Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadow: This is another item that I have been late to jump on the bandwagon. I've seen gurus on Youtube compare these to the MAC paint pots, which is a HUGE compliment to Maybelline, but also a lot for them to live up to. I think that's why it's taken me so long to buy them; I'm worried that I won't like them. I'm hoping to pick a couple up though, because the $5.84 Target price tag on these is a lot cheaper than MAC paint pots! I'll probably pick up the eyeshadows in the colors Bad to the Bronze, Bold Gold, and possibly Too Cool. 

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo
Photo from Suave.com

4. Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo: I've never tried a dry shampoo, and I saw this one on a blog and thought I'd try it. I'm super anal about having clean hair, and as a college student, I know how important it is to look good in a short amount of time. It can't hurt to try a dry shampoo and at a $2.60 price tag from Target, it's a great deal!

L'Oreal Color Rich Lipstick in Fairest Nude
Photo Credit to Drugstore.com

5. L'Oreal Color Rich Lipcolor in Fairest Nude: I saw a swatch of this on a blog and immediate thought "Oh my gosh!!! MUST HAVE!!!" It was so pretty, and I'm hoping that it will be a nice shade on my lips!



Be warned: The rest of this wishlist should just be called "Katie's nail polish addiction wishlist". . I just wish nail polish wasn't always so darn expensive...

Essie Luxeffects Top Coat in Shine of the Times
Photo from Amazon.com

6. Essie Luxeffects Top Coat in Shine of the Times: SO PRETTY! I saw swatches of this on a nail polish blog, and completely fell in love! From the picture above, it's probably impossible to see how pretty it is. You really have to swatch the color to see how much it sparkles. It has these really pretty sparkles that shift color, making it a really diverse top coat that looks good on any base color. I've had my eye on this nail polish for a while, and each time I go to buy it, I keep convincing myself that I don't need it until I see swatches online of it and convince myself that I do need it.
*Here is a link to a blog that I'm in love with. She does wonderful swatches of this top coat, although I'll warn you now: Once you see the swatches, you'll want the polish!

Essie A Crewed Interest
Photo Credit from Essie.com

7. Essie A Crewed Interest: This is a peachy pink polish that just came out from Essie in their Sprink 2012 collection. Pastels are IN for the spring and I don't have anything like this, so obviously in my mind that means that I need it :)

OPI Nicki Minaj Minis 4 Pack
Photo from Amazon.com

8. OPI Nicki Minaj Minis Nail Polish 4-pack: When I first saw this collection, I was on the hunt for a light, opaque pink, and fell in love with Pink Friday from the Nicki Minaj collection that just came out from OPI. I also liked the teal blue, Fly, from the collection. I figured my best bet was to get the minis, and then see how much I actually liked and how often I would really wear the colors before committing $8.50 for each full size bottle. Not to mention that I don't have anything like these 4 colors, so it's not a complete waste at all!

China Glaze Electropop Collection in (left to right) Sweet Hook, Wicked Style, and Dance Baby
Photo Credit to eNailsupply

9.China Glaze Electropop Collection in the colors Wicked Style, Dance Baby, and Sweet Hook: I've looked at so many swatches of this collection and can't take my eyes off of them. Wicked Style isn't completely unique, but it's a beautiful color that screams "Katie's got to have it!", Dance Baby fulfills my hunt for an opaque light pink, and Sweet Hook fits my love of the color purple, not to mention I don't have a purple like it (although I have a LOT of purple shades!).

China Glaze Prismatic Chroma Glitter in Optical Illusion
Photo from Nailsupplies.us

10. China Glaze Prismatic Chroma Glitters in Optical Illusion: This nail polish doesn't come out until April, but it sure is sparkly! It's such a pretty sea foam green too, which is unique. I'm going to try to get my hands on this polish when it comes out.

That's it. These are the items that I've got my eyes on and that I hope to get soon. When I was looking these items up for this blog post, I noticed that Ulta had a alot of these items on sale! They also have a coupon for $3.50 off of a $10 purchase, which doesn't expire until March 31st. Looks like I might be visiting Ulta soon to get my nail polish fix!!!

I feel my wallet getting lighter as I speak...

-Katie