You're the Top: School Series- Top 5 Nail Polishes for School

We're back to the You're the Top series but this time, it's school themed and all about nails.  I have polishes for people who can wear bright colors and colors for people whose schools don't allow bright nail polish.  Don't fear, my dear girls/guys, you have options and I'm going to give you my top five! So let's begin.

Makeup MAYhem Day 12: Top 5 at (or under) $5

Welcome to Makeup MAYhem Day 12 which I have for you my top five products under $5.  They are all over the board with prices from $1.99 to $5.  These products are great and work just as well as their high end counterparts.  

1. ELF Studio Blush in 'Twinkle Pink'- This was my first studio blush from ELF and I was really surprised by how pigmented and beautiful it was when I put it on for the first time.  They are soft and not chalky or powdery and the best part? The total cost is $3 for the blush.
2. Sinful Colors Nail Polish- This brand of nail polish is one of my all time favorites and not just because of the great price of $1.99-$3.99.  They have colors upon colors, from straight color to major glitters and duo chromes.  They are usually opaque within one coat and, if you use a  top coat, it lasts for at least a week to a week and a half.
3. ELF Mist and Set setting spray- For $3 you get 2.02oz of product.  While it does not completely compare to, say, the Skindinavia spray or the Urban Decay setting spray (which is produced by Skindinavia) which cost upwards of $20+ but it does set your makeup.  It does make your makeup stay put even under theatre lights, I know from experience, which is a feat in and of itself.
4. City Color Cosmetics Glowing Complexion Illuminating Cream- This is one of my most favorite products on this list, costing $4.99.  I love to mix this with my foundation because then I get that lit from within kind of glow.  You can also use it alone to highlight your cheeks and your cupids bow.
5. Colour Pop eyeshadow in 'Fringe'- This is a gorgeous, silver gold color that is packed with shimmer.  These shadows (and lippie sticks) are the best $5 you could ever spend online. They are super creamy and they blend flawlessly and amazingly.
What are your favorite products under $5? I would love to know, so leave a comment down below! XOXO

Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be YOU!

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy nail polish: REVIEW!

A few weeks ago, I was in Target and finally after hemming and hawing over getting this polish and that day I finally broke down and bought one color and the top coat.

Spotlight Series: Essie Nail Polish

I'm sorry I've been MIA for the past couple of days, but to make up for that I'm starting a spotlight series on some of my favorite nail polish and today's post is about the brand Essie.  Most of the Essie nail polishes that I own from Essie are blue, there is only one pink.  I am trying to remedy that predicament.

If I could only use five nail polishes for the rest of my life...

I saw another blogger I follow do I post just like this and it spurred me to do my own.  It made me think about which polishes were truly my favorite, and then narrow it down from there.

Keep your nails healthy

I have notoriously bad nail beds, and so I finally started doing something about it.  I'm going to share with you my daily regime to help strengthen my nails and keep them healthy, besides just taking Biotin.

April Birchbox Opening!

I received my loved Birchbox a few days ago and I wanted to share what I got with you!

Ulta Haul plus some MAJOR finds at the Nordstrom Rack

Hello my lovelies!  How has your week been going so far? As it is very well known by now, my spending ban is over which made going into Ulta's that much better.  The main thing I was after was the ever popular Naked 3 palette  and I didn't see it and started to freak out but then one of the lovely workers informed me that the Naked palettes were being kept behind the counter, so I calmed down. I then went over to the Nordstrom Rack just across the way and instead of just finding clothes they had major products like Lorac, Stila, and Urban Decay.  I got an Essie nailpolish that would usually retail for at least $8 for $6.95 and my favorite find was Urban Decay's primer potion in Greed which is usually around $20 for $10.  To say I snatched that up fast would be an understatement.  If you want a better description of the products I got, keep on reading!

These are the things I received as a free gift or as a last second purchase (i.e. the brush and nail file)

Take Care of Your Nails Before You Polish

It's no secret that I love nail polish, and most things nail related- except emory boards, yuck!  Since this winter has been especially brutal, I have found myself taking better care of my nails and cuticles.  Today I'm going to share with you the products I use on my nails prior to any nail polish application and in my day to day.  I hope you enjoy! XOXO

Sally's+Ulta Haul

Soooo, my spending ban lasted longer than I thought it would- I only broke a month away from my actual goal, which I'm pretty proud of.  My friend and I went out today and went to Sally's and Ulta's, which was like putting a child in a candy store. The temptation was real folks, and I eventually succumbed to it.  Anywho, here is what I got on my breaking day!

Snowman Nails!

A while back, my dad let me paint his thumb nail bright pink and he has continued painting his thumb nail with different designs and colors ever since then.  This time, though, when he re-did his nail I got to do the design.  I chose to paint a snowman on his thumb using the Stripe Rite brand nail polish to do the design and a very sparkly blue Orly color that I own.  Here is the finished product:

The design itself was very simple, just a bunch of little dots and two black lines for the top hat.  I am much better at doing designs on other people's nails than my own, I find it much easier to keep a steady hand when working on someone else's nails.  Do you do any special nail designs on yourself or others? XOXO

NOTD: Red and Gold

In the holiday spirit, I decided to paint my nails since school is done and I don't have to worry about my work chipping them.  I used two of my all time favorite OPI colors which are from the James Bond Skyfall collection: The Spy Who Loved Me (red) and Goldeneye (gold).  I love OPI nail polish because it is such a high quality and goes on so smoothly, some of their colors I only need one coat because they are so pigmented.  I really like this red because it has subtle gold running through it, which gives it more dimension.  I did a red base with a gold french tip.  The gold tip isn't super noticeable but that's the way I like it because if it chips, people are less likely to notice.  I think this is a nice change from the usual red and green holiday polish.  Do you do any special nail designs or colors for the holidays? XOXO

NOTD: Color Block!

Color blocking has become big in fashion this year, and I saw this nail design in my aunt's In Style magazine and wanted to try it.  This was so super easy to do!! I used a Sinful Colors lilac purple as the base, I painted the whole nail this color and then built upon it.  I didn't use any tape or special brushes to do the horizontal stripes, it was really easy to do it with the brush provided with the polish.  I used a coral-y pink from the Nicole OPI collection, sadly I don't think they carry the color anymore, and I picked an angle and painted the polish over top the purple at an angle from one side to the other.  As you can see it doesn't have to be corner to corner- it can be how large of a block, or how sharp of an angle you choose.  I just did whatever happened with each nail!  Once that dried I took what I call Tardis Blue, and did the other angles the same way.  The blue is by Essie and is called Mesmerized if I can recall correctly.  This is a really easy design to do, and if you mess up it still looks really cool!

Have you tried this trend yet? XOXO

NOTD: Teal, teal, teal!

Hi guys! Today is my first NOTD (Nail of the Day) post, so bear with me! We enjoyed a second snow day today, so a friend came over and we watched movies, trecked to dinner, and painted our nails :) I chose the teal nail polish I got a few years ago to match my Junior Prom dress.

The brand of this nail polish is China Glaze and the color is Custom Kicks (721).  I would think that it's still available but don't quite me on it.  I really like this nail polish.  It's opaque after one coat and there is a slight shimmer to it but it's not overpowering.  The color is a lot deeper and much more green than the picture makes it seem.  The actual polish itself is pretty liquidy and gets onto the brush really nicely and you can do two or three nails without having to re-dip the brush.  I would definitely recommend this brand to anyone, they have a wide selection of colors and don't cost you an arm and a leg.
Have you ever bought nail polish just to match a piece of clothing? XOXO

February Birchbox: Opening and Initial Reaction

Today, I received my very first Birchbox!  The tracking number had said that it wouldn't be hear until Friday, so I was squealing as soon as I looked in my mail box and saw the green slip that told me I  had a package- I think I probably squealed until I received my package and then there was more squealing as I opened it.  Let me say, I was not disappointed with my first Birchbox! :)

The theme for this month's box was 'Red Carpet Ready'. This made me so happy since I am a theatre major with an emphasis in performance and the biggest night of the month for me is Oscar night.

Here's what came in this months box:

1. Beauty Protector (in the red spray bottle)- This spray is supposed to nourish and detangle your hair.  It is a leave in conditioner that you don't have to rinse  out, you can leave it in.
2. Color Club Nail Polish (Color: Mamba)- This is the Birchbox brand of nail polish, and I'm very picky about the varnish I use on my nails so we'll have to see how this goes.
3. Juicy Couture Perfume in La La Juicy- This is obviously just a little sample size but I'm super excited to try this out because I'm always on the hunt for a new perfume (not like I don't have enough already).
4. Wei Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask- I've never tried a full on hair mask like this, so I'm excited to give it a spin.
5.  Wei Pomegranate Buffing Beads- These are little beads that can make your favorite shower gel into a scrub or you can just add water to them and create just 'scruby water'.  This is another thing that I am super stoked to try.
Then of course there was a piece of Ghiradelli chocolate with caramel in it.  This was a bit random but a really nice treat.
Do you have any favorite items from your Birchbox or other monthly subscription box/ bag? XOXO