Jelly Sandwich How-to!

So I got my paycheck today. Meaning that it's time for my bi-monthly beauty haul. I swear the first thing I do when I see that email pop up is go to Target , Walmart, or Walgreens, and spend a crazy amount of money on beauty supplies. This time I truly went overboard. I am totally one of those girls with a decent sized nail polish collection that looks through her choices and is never satisfied. (kind of like browsing through my giant closet and saying that I have nothing to wear!) I just want that it color (that I will most likely use once!) right there and right now. Plus I've had the craving for some different types of jelly sandwiches-- nail sammiches that is! So I picked up a jelly and a couple glitters on my trip. I've never been the one to pick up large glitter polishes before--- but since I've discovered the art of the jelly sandwich, I always find myself wanting more! So i picked up Essie --Stroke of Brilliance and a Sinful Colors Peacock looking color, plus an Essie Sugar Daddy (a must have for base and top of sandwich!) The Sinful Colors almost had a duo chrome peacock looking glitter that I thought I would give a chance. (Under a blue jelly I bet this would look awesome!) For my second attempt (ever!) at a jelly sandwich I used both my new Essie purchases. Here's a brief tutorial if you've never tried this cool polish idea-

1. Start with base coat or ridge filler- whichever you prefer. I use CND Sticky and like it so far!!

2. Paint your nails with two coats of jelly polish of your choice. (Jelly polish is one where when you pull the brush out of the bottle, you can see the brush completely through the polish... Like below!) Let the coats dry completely. (Sugar Daddy can totally be worn on its own for a better-than-naked nail look!)

3. Now, time for your glitter. Paint your nails to you hearts desire with the glitter of your choice. I personally think sandwiches look better with large flecks of glitter suspended in a clear coat base. They give you a more "speckled" look. But experiment! Also, let this layer dry completely as well. I really liked this blue glitter by the way. I have the silver glitter from the same luxe effects collection that I love too!

4. Then, paint your nails with one more coat of the jelly that you used for the base. (Or experiment and try some other jelly color!) Let dry completely.

5. Finally, finish up with top coat of your choice. I used the seche vite because it sets pretty fast (and I feel like it helps dry the other layers!)

Here are a few other pictures of this manicure. I really liked this combo!

I actually think that this glitter looks a lot like the Lynnderella Nosegay polish. This glitter is very blue when not put in sandwhich form. Kind of looks like a lavender/baby blue when it has Sugar Daddy overtop. 

(Photo courtesy of more nail polish)

Voila!! Jelly sandwich! Be careful though.... You now have a pretty good amount of nail polish on.... Perfect for you to catch on something and make it all bumpy! (Which I already did! Ughhhh) I'm so in love with the sandwiches it's crazy! I'm sure tomorrow I'll be trying some of the other glitters that I have in my untried bin!

Here are some photos of the other Jelly Sandwich that I tried. For this sandwich I used Essie Mademoiselle and Spoiled Trust Fund Baby.

I also picked up a new curling iron (1.5 inch with a clip) ,some hair spray (I'll be trying that soon too!) and plenty of school supplies. Till tomorrow.... A new day and a new jelly sandwich. 

<3mk

July 2012 Birchbox Review

After last month's Birchbox I said to myself, "If next month's box sucks I'm going to cancel it!) Well this month's box totally didn't suck! (For me at least!) If you are unfamiliar with Birchbox I would suggest checking out their website - especially if you have an extra $10 a month laying around!


This month's box had a five senses theme due to the teaming up of Birchbox and Glamour magazine. Here is what was in my box!

Boscia – Green Tea Blotting Linens (See it) 

These were pretty awesome on a hot day. I tend to get pretty oily when it's humid outside (doesn't everybody!) and used one to keep my face from getting shiny (as my boyfriend says!) I really liked these. They have a light scent and a package that fits perfectly in my wallet. I believe the full size pack is about $10. 

Juliette Has a Gun – Vengeance Extreme (Smell it)

This deserves a woah. I recently saw this perfume on my instagram at @aveyou. The bottles look awesome and the name is super hipster. This French perfume (which retails for $135 a bottle) was interesting. I typically prefer more oriental than floral scents. I’m also not a fan of the patchouli scent at all… this definitely has undertones of that. This perfume is super intense. I guarantee the perfume would last on your skin forever. I opened the 2ml tube and got some of it on my hands. Let’s just say I smelled it for hours after. I’m not sure if this is for me. Definitely more wintery than the fresh smelling summer fragrances that I would have been expecting in a July box. Full Size $135 a bottle. 

Stila – Lip Glaze (See it)

This is one of those products that I would have never purchased in a full size container. I remember when these things first came out I wanted one so badly. The patented stila lip tube pencil was like the coolest lip gloss I've ever seen. Of course at $22 a tube and my paper route salary there was no way I was getting one of those. Flash forward to today - still never purchased one (even with a career!) After trying this I may actually have to break down and get one! I'm pretty sure the tube that was included is considered full size, and is a very pretty color. It is kind of a nude color with little flecks of gold glitter. Totally can be worn by any skin tone. I actually think this is my favorite of all the things in this box. I have used it everyday and will definitely be purchasing the cool kit that stila teamed up with Birchbox to create. I'm all over this one! $12 for 3 (different colored tubes - all of which nudeish and wearable!)

Gloss Moderne – High-Gloss Masque (Touch it)

I have yet to try this hair product. My boyfriend rushed me out of the shower yesterday when I had intentions of using it! It requires a 5 minute soak in time so I figured I would save it for one of those stressful days this week! It smells so yummy (kind of like coconut) and has a silky pomade texture. I am very excited to use it and will update when I try it. $39 for a full size container.

Tea Forte – minteas (Taste is)

I was kind of excited when I saw the cute little tin of mints. Kind of looks like a tealeaf and way snazzier than an Altoids tin. I’m a pretty big tea drinker so I figured I would definitely like these. I popped one in my mouth as soon as I opened my box. They are just ok. As far as a breath mint goes, I’m not sure if they are that effective. The little statement on the back says, “Say “hey” to your brain and get the brain matter working. Ginkgo with the lush flavor of juicy pear will have you revisiting your purpose, bringing focus to your mind.” So maybe a breath mint isn’t really their purpose… Hmmm. I’ll have to take one during crunch time at work and see if they really wake my brain up. I’ll have to check and see if there are other flavors that I would like… although I’m not sure if they are worth $3.33 a tin. I’ll stick with my ice breakers gum. (update: there are so many better flavors on the Birchbox website!)

Birchbox Exclusive – Earbuds (Hear it)

The earbuds are pretty cool. The colors are awesome and will look cool with my iPhone case when I go for a run. They are pretty cheap headphones though (to be expected from a $10 birchbox!) The little blue rubber ear covering has already ripped off one of my earbuds. I think I’ll stick with my iPhone headphones.

Overall I am pretty satisfied with this box. My subscription is safe for next month, but we'll see how long it lasts! Did anybody else get a Birchbox this month? What kind of stuff did you get?

<3mk

Julep Maven July 2012 Review

This month’s Julep box was the best. My julep collection now has 8 polishes!! Around the 20^th of June I received an email from Julep saying that we would receive a free America or O’Canada polish in our boxes for free. I was pumped. Nothing I love more than free glitter. Julep also allows you to switch the box that you will receive to one of the other styles. I chose to switch my usual Bombshell box to the It Girl box. The It Girl box had 3 polishes (plus the America Glitter) in it this month. They include Kate, Daphne, and Mila. Julep also offered an add-on month where you could choose any of the polishes from the July boxes (or the lip glosses) and get up to 2 for $5 a piece. I chose the Poppy Lip Gloss and the Yumi Glitter Polish. Oh wait… I forgot to mention that my box had a coupon for a free polish too. Woah… 6 polishes this month?? For $30?!?! Heck yes!

Kate – A pearlescent white polish. I am a total fan of the summer white polish. This is a much prettier wearable version than the typical white-out white. Looks super cute on your toes! Ignore the terrible polish job - white polish and I totally aren't friends.

Daphne – A creamy teal. This was the one polish I didn’t like this month. Mainly because I already have a polish that looks exactly like it - Sephora by OPI – Ocean Love potion. All four are very similar (See comparison below.) Honestly I’m not crazy about either of them. Maybe it’s because I don’t really like the color in general. They truly are identical though.

Comparison of Sephora by OPI - Ocean Love Potion and Julep Daphne. You honestly can't even tell the difference!On the left Sephora by OPI and Julep on the right.

Identical!

Mila – A multicolor glitter. On the computer the color in the bottle looked much different from the actual formula. This polish is a mix of silver, gold, green, purple, blue, and red glitter. On the nail, I feel like you pick up more of the silver. I like this polish because I feel like it goes really well over lots of different colors. I put it over Essie Playdate Purple and it looked pretty cool. I would buy this!

Julep Mila over Essie Playdate

America – Fine red glitter base with silver and blue hexagons and silver stars. This polish is cool although it is so seasonal. I painted my toes with this for the 4^th of July and had lots of compliments on my patriotic toes! The formula is very chunky and is kind of a pain in the butt to paint on. OMG I hate painting this polish. I included a picture of the tube because that looks cooler than the look of the polish on!

Yumi – A champagne and nude colored glitter. This was the polish I chose for my $5 add-on. I’m so glad I did. I LOVE THIS COLOR! It’s such a pretty nude glitter. I’m crazy about nude polishes and this glitter is not as flashy as you think. I’m currently wearing it on my toes and am always looking down! I would buy this again and again. (Although the glitter formulas this month were pretty sucky – nothing a little polish thinner can’t fix!)I only painted two coats as I was going for a more subtle sparkle on my fingers. You can put two more coats on and it looks super sparkly!

Anne – A blue/purple cream. This is the polish that I selected to use my free coupon on. I couldn’t be more disappointed with this. I was even close to sending this back to Julep for something else. I did my research before I selected my free polish. I went through a few different colors that I really wanted. Anne is a color that I saw at Sephora years ago. I loved the blue/purple mix. Even on the website page the color looks more blue than it really is. On the left is the picture that I found on Google Images. Google Julep Anne and check out all the beautiful colors. The one I received looks nothing like these; in the bottle or on the nail. In fact, this color looks just like two other colors I already own; Essie Playdate and OPI A Grape Fit. (See comparison below!) Needless to say I kept it, but only because it was free!

Here is the swatch of Anne that I was basing my purchase off of! (Photo courtesy of letthemhavepolish.com)

Here is my swatch:

 

SEE THEY ARE DIFFERENT!!! UGHHH.

Here is a comparison of Julep Anne, Essie Playdate, and OPI A Grape Fit respectively.

I’m pretty excited to see what Julep will be offering in their August box! I’m ready for some fall-ish colors! Did you get a Julep box this month? What colors were you crazy about? <3mk

Julep Maven Bombshell Box #1 Review

Lately I’ve been even more obsessed with nail polish than I ever have been. I’m constantly checking out manicure and nail art ideas and my collection has grown pretty quickly. When I saw that I could easily have a box of Julep products sent to my house every month I jumped at it. Plus I found a code that would allow me to receive my first box for a penny. How can you pass that up? I took the quiz online and wasn’t necessarily pleased with the colors they selected for me. So, I ended up choosing the box that I liked best – which for me was the bombshell box. All first time boxes come with two polishes and the Best Pedi Ever cream (which literally is the best pedi cream ever!) The other two colors that I received are Natasha and Oscar.

Natasha – Is a creamy red-orange. Totally not a color I would purchase myself but I was willing to try. I like the bright color and enjoyed wearing it on my toes for a few days when I got it. It does need a couple coats to completely cover. I would even think that this paints on like a jelly. Julep’s products go on pretty smoothly, but don’t last the longest! It looks very red in the picture above, but clearly paints on very orangey. 

 Oscar- Is a super sparkly gold glitter. I like this a lot because with two coats it completely covered my nail. It also dried very quickly but, was a HUGE pain in the butt to remove. Here is only two coats of oscar. 

Here is a mani that I did with Sinful Colors Coral and the Julep Oscar. This is about 4 coats of Julep Oscar.

Best Pedi Cream Ever – Seriously. It is. Put it on your feet before bedtime and wake up with super soft skin! I even rubbed in the leftovers on my hands and noticed a huge difference with one use. The container says it takes two days to see serious results. This cream alone makes the kit worth it. Amazing.

I am excited to receive next month’s box and to try more Julep polishes! I would recommend trying to find the current Penny code and at least trying out the first box. Which Julep profile do you have/have you tried? What do you think?

<3mk

June 2012 Birchbox Review

I know, I know. It's July 15. I'm a little late ok. I wanted to make sure that I did the review for this Birchbox as well as my new July box. I first heard about Birchbox via a post somebody made on Instagram. I thought how cool of an idea it was to receive a little grab “box” of beauty samples that I would most likely never think to try. At $10 a month (half the cost of my Julep Maven subscription) I figured I would give it a shot for as long as I was satisfied. I was so excited to receive my pink box in the mail towards the end of June. I love the little brown cardboard box – it’s super cute! I also really like the idea of the different theme that each month’s box has. This month’s theme is Jet Set beauty. I wasn’t too excited about the contents of my box after seeing the other posts (full size stila bronzer?? HELLO??) but I gave most items a try. Here is my brief and hopefully helpful review of all the products in the box : )

Borghese – Bagno Di Vita Soak 

This was the only product in the box I didn’t try… but not because I didn’t want to. I don’t currently have a working bath tub- only a shower. It gets poured into the bath water and it’s supposed to help soothe dry skin and tired muscles. My box came with two packets, both of which I gave to my mom. Hmm…. I wonder if she’s tried it yet! Full Size $35. 

Eyeko – Fat Eye Stick 

This was the full size product in my box this month. It is a very thick eye crayon used as an eyeshadow or maybe a thick eyeliner. I’m not in love with this because of the color. Although several people would tell me due to my blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin I would look best in a brown liner, I don’t agree. I prefer darker eye makeup (black) to really make my eyes pop. I did try to incorporate this with my daily eye routine and my Naked 2 palette and simply wasn’t crazy about it. It blends well and goes on smoothly. It did last awhile (on my skin) and it’s a pretty cool package. It looks like a pencil that needs to be sharpened but it twists up. I would be more willing to try this product in a thin liner…. and in black! Full Size $15.

theBalm Cosmetics – Stainiac in Beauty Queen

This stuff reminded me a lot of Benefit benetint. It's super red on your lips.. like post-kool aid drinking red. It's very, very difficult to put on your cheeks successfully. Especially if you are wearing a pretty good amount of foundation. It's a cool tube. Not sure if I would pay for the full product. 

Yu-Be – Moisturizing Skin Cream

This was actually my favorite product in this box. It kind of reminded me of Aquaphor, which I use pretty frequently on my hands and lips. I used this product on my cuticles before bed and woke up with much softer hands. I probably would purchase this item in this box first. Full Size is $16. 

Luna Bar – Luna Mini

This Luna Bar was so yummy. I can’t remember what flavor it was because I ate it so fast! I’ve tried Luna bars in the past. They aren’t necessarily the healthiest snack choice, but they would be better than fast food and cheap grocery store crap. They are more formulated and geared for women. I’m guessing because of the soy protein that is in them. I would never purchase these from Birchbox, probably just my local grocery store. Get some. They are de-licious! 

Overall I wasn’t pumped. If next month’s box is sucky I will stick with my Julep Maven and cancel this subscription. Who knows maybe I will check out some of the other beauty boxes! I hope this helps. 

Insomnia.

Insomnia has struck again. It wasn't even an hour ago that I was slaving away at my desk grading summer school papers. I was so tired I didn't know how I would ever survive. Now here I am in bed with a snuggly pup and my eyes feel the opposite of heavy. I actually feel pretty lame starting a blog, but I just have so much to share!! (totally joking- the life of a math teacher is treś ordinaire!) I spend most of my summer days sitting on the couch with an unsweetened tea searching through different blogs of makeup and nail swatches. Oh and don't forget scouring instagram for the latest mani of the day. I spend so much time reading all this awesomeness and then all of a sudden it hit me- I too can write a blog!!!(hehe!) I mean I don't get fancy boxes of tarte cosmetics sent to me for free -- but I do have a kick ass makeup bag that is dying to be emptied and shared. (plus a bin full of untried nail polishes and birchbox samples that would like a little shoutout too:)I'm excited. Like super pumped. I hope you join me. Check som e reviews. Get some tips. Maybe even a nail art idea (which will most likely be stolen from the world of instagram!) Whatever it is that you find here that may be helpful to you I hope you come back. Read. Tell your friends. Your mom. Then repeat. <3m