Julep February 2014 Boho Glam Box

Hi guys!

I dropped the ball on Wednesday, so I'm making up for it today to show you my February Maven Box from Julep!

This month's box featured three polishes and Julep's new Eye Sheen Liquid Eyeshadow.

I get the Boho Glam box which this month included Rooney (walnut bark creme), Love (gold, pearl, and fuchsia microglitter), and Cameron (silver lilac stardust).

I chose to get the eyeshadow in pale nude because I thought it would make a great base for powder eyeshadow.

I'm actually less excited about this box now than I was when I picked it, and I'll probably end up trading Rooney and Cameron away eventually. But I think it was worth it for the eyeshadow which is ridiculously pigmented, the perfect amount of shimmer, and really soft. 

Did you guys take your box this month? Which box did you get? Are you loving the colors?

January 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hi guys!

Today I have my January Ipsy Bag to show you! I'm actually really excited about this bag. This month's theme is "19 Reasons." Don't ask me what that means. I don't know.

So this is my bag this month:

In it, I received:

Épicé Purifying Exfoliant

Proactiv Mark Fading Pads

Mica Beauty Tinted Lip Balm in Natural

Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow Pencil in Pearl

Healthy Sexy Hair Leave-In Conditioner

I'm really excited about almost everything! I love that Ipsy gave me natural colors this time around. You guys know I love my naturals.

Do you get Ipsy? What did you get this month that you're totally excited about?

Nail of the Week 1/13 & 1/20

As promised, my NOTW has returned!

I left the gels I got for New Years on for a ridiculous amount of time, so last week I only had one manicure to show instead of the usual two. Now I'm back on track, so let's see what I've been wearing!

Last week I was wearing Julep's Char with Julep's Missy as an accent nail. This was my original idea for New Year's nails, and I really liked this combination. It wasn't very long wearing, though.

This week I'm wearing Julep's Ciara which is almost impossible to photograph. It's a kind of reddish-fuschia-y base with teal microglitter. What shows up in the bottle is the teal, and what shows up on my nails is (mostly) the base. Still, it's lasted really well. I painted on Monday and took this picture last night. My right hand has a fair sized chip on my middle finger, but that's it. Sometimes Julep just gets it right!

What have you guys been wearing lately? Next week I'm going nude!

Long drives and late Christmases

Sorry this is a little late.

I've been a bum lately, you guys. Straight up.

I'm now back in Baltimore. I drove from Tallahassee to North Carolina yesterday. I wanted to make it to Virginia before I stopped for the night, but winter storm Janus had other ideas.

Now I'm back home and it's time to get down to business (to defeat the Huns) and start working on my resolutions. More reading. More exercise. More learning.

In other news, Alex and I FINALLY got to do Christmas tonight.

She gave me:

This beautiful scarf

Arrested Development pins!

This leaf-y bracelet!

I sent her John Green books and a mermaid necklace. We didn't get to talk very long, but we have a lunch "date" tomorrow.

I need to get my act together. Anyone got any tips for that?

Five Products I've Emptied

It's that time again! The time where I show you things that I've used up recently. Most of these are familiar products, but some of them are fairly new!


1. Love & Beauty Lavender Cleansing Wipes

Another package of these have come and gone. I love these cleansing wipes so much, and they're ridiculously cheap, but there is no Forever 21 near me in Monmouth, so I'll either have to stock up or switch to the Olay Fresh Effects ones I've been using currently.

2. La Fresh Cleansing Wipes

You can see a short review about these here. The summary is: I liked them, but they're a little too expensive for me to repurchase.

3. Earth Therapeutics Tea Tree Oil Foot Repair Balm

This guy first showed up on my October Favorites, and I loved him so much, I had to repurchase. It's a little expensive, but I found it on sale at Kohl's in December, and it's definitely worth it. Nothing makes my feet softer. And now that I have the accompanying socks, it's even better!

4. Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse

This used to be my go-to styling mousse. Unfortunately, alcohol is one of the first ingredients in it, and that's not good for hair at all. Still, if I run out of my L'Oreal Everstyle one (which is either not restocked often or ridiculously popular) I'll pick this one up. I try not to use it too regularly though, especially now that it's winter and my hair is dry already.

5. Ole Henriksen Truth Creme Advanced Hydration

This sample size originally came in the October Ipsy Bag, but I didn't get it. I traded for it, and I just finished it up recently. It's very light, and I liked it just fine. The smell took a little bit of getting used too. I also think it was a little more greasy than I usually like. I didn't really realize just how light it was until I went back to my other moisturizer. It was fun to use, but nothing I'm raving about.

PS I know I failed at my NOTW last Friday - it will return this Friday, I promise!

Way down upon the Suwanee river..

It's been a minute since I updated purely about my life!

I had a very quiet holiday season, but it was good none the less. After New Years my sister and I drove from Baltimore to Tallahassee in a drive that should've taken us 13 hours, but really took us 15. We listened to show tunes and the Bastille album (more than once) and it really wasn't that bad of a drive. I'm not looking forward to making it by myself, though.

I've been in Florida for about a week and a half now. Caitlin and I spent time visiting the few friends we have left here and our family (and the kitties!)

Lauren and I at the bar

Kitty brothers tolerating each other

She left on Sunday, but I'm sticking around for a little bit. My laptop fell yesterday, so the glass is cracked in multiple places. My dad had the same thing happen to his phone and replaced it himself, so I'm hoping he can do the same here. My laptop is still perfectly functional, and the LCD itself is fine. We also have a flea infestation which means I'm currently covered in flea bites. Home sweet home, y'all.

New bags from Express & Rebecca Minkoff!

Hi guys!

Just a quick post today to show off two new bags I received. The first is from Express, and I bought it with a gift card my sister gave me for my birthday that I just hadn't gotten around to using yet.

I was looking for something simple and stylish to have for work or traveling. It's big, but not huge, and it comes with a shoulder strap. I feel like I should get into using more than one bag for different things, and this is a great start.

The other one is a bag I've been lusting after since I saw it on Youtube. It's the Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac, and my best friend is the best.

Lauren bought this bag for me kind of out of the blue, and I am forever in her debt. It's perfect and beautiful, and I'm so excited about it! I will definitely be saving this one for special occasions. It comes in a bunch of colors, but I love the classic tawny color (as evidenced by both these bags).

Are you guys like me? Do you believe you can never have enough bags?

New Years Resolutions

I'm a little late, but I needed some time to really get my thoughts together. These aren't really resolutions so much as they're things I'd like to change in 2014. I'm leaving them vague on purpose because I know how easy it is to fail when your goal is like "lose 20 million pounds." Instead, I'd rather have things in mind that will help me be a better me for the new year. I feel like that's all anyone can ask.

Focus on being healthier

This includes mind, body, and soul. I want to eat healthier, be more active, do more yoga and focus on me. It's not something I'm good at, but it's something I want to work on.

Read more

The 50 book challenge is back in full swing this year! I know I need to step it up because I wouldn't have finished if it weren't for sitting in the booth all summer, but that can be part of focusing on me too.

Keep in touch more

I have good friends. And I'm horrible at keeping in touch with then. I want to reach out more. I want to not shy away from the phone when one of them calls, and I don't feel like talking. And I want to do all of that without being concerned that they don't want to hear from me.

Keep learning

I started a new job this year, and although I've learned a lot, I still know relatively little. I want to focus on gaining new skills so that I can be the best marketing person I can be and get over the little obstacle that is having no formal training or schooling in the subject.

I'm sure there are more, but for now, that seems like a good list. I want this to be a good year for me. It has to be a good year for me.

What're you guys planning on changing for the new year?

Favorite Products of 2013

Well, my little blog is 6 months old as of December, so while I don't have a whole ton of products that I loved for 2013, I do have some good ones. These are some products that I loved so much during 2013 that I repurchased them (some multiple times!)

Olay Fresh Effects Cleansing Wipes

I was totally in love with my Love & Beauty ones from Forever 21, so the fact that these have become my new go-to is pretty impressive. They're wet enough, take off makeup wonderfully, and are just a little bit textured. They're not too hard on my sensitive skin but still get the job done!

Earth Therapeutics Tea Tree Oil Foot Repair Balm

I picked this up on a whim at Ulta, and I love it so much. It keeps my feet (and hands) soft and moisturized without being greasy or thick. Plus, it has great natural ingredients in it!

St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub

Even though this doesn't work as well as it did when I first started using it, I'd highly recommend it. It's gentle and has natural ingredients but still does it's job. I like how clean my skin feels after using it.


Victoria's Secret Body Splash in Fresh & Clean

My favorite summer scent! I like that it's girly, but not overwhelmingly so. A little floral, a little fresh and totally me!

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation and Powder

While these two aren't my holy grail products, I am currently on my third bottle, and they've done really well for me. I might step up to a more full-coverage foundation when I run out of these, but until then, I like they way they feel, the way they blend into my skin, and the color match.

Don't forget to come back on Wednesday - I'm talking 2014 resolutions!

Nail of the Week 12/22 & 12/29

Hi guys!

I'm really loving occasion nails lately, and Christmas and New Years are the perfect occasion for sparkly and beautiful polishes!

For Christmas I wore this festive combination. The red is Zoya Liz (whee!), the green is Butter London British Racing Green, and the gold is Julep Zelda. Both the BL and the Julep applied beautifully and covered in two coats. Because it's a red, the Zoya was finicky. It ended up patchy on certain nails, even after two coats.

For New Years, I took a little detour from my polish path and got a gel manicure with my sister and her best friend Jess. This is an OPI gel color that I don't know the name of, but I am obsessed with it. It's a blue/green/purple galaxy-esque holographic polish, and it's SO beautiful. There's apparently a really similar non-gel polish from Sally Hansen. It's part of the Gem Crush line and it's called Glitz Gal. It's textured, which I'm not a fan of, but just as beautiful!

Did you guys do any festive manis for the holidays?

New Year Announcement!

Happy 2014 you guys!

I've just got a little announcement for you today.

Since I'm on furlough from work for two months, my blog is going on a bit of a hiatus for January and February. I'll still be posting, just not as much.

I've decided I'm going to take part in Makeup Monday and post beauty-related things on Mondays. Wednesdays will be for personal or non-beauty related updates, and every other Friday will be a NOTW. As of now, this will only be temporary. Once I start having a normal schedule again, I hope to be back to posting every other day.

For now, though, I'll only be posting two or three things a week. This will start Friday and go until the beginning of March sometime.

Thanks for understanding and for reading! I really appreciate everyone who reads this blog, and I want to keep it going and spend time on the content I post instead of burning out because I set an unrealistic goal for myself.

I'll see you guys on Friday!