INSPIRATION: The Final Reward

Sandals

Tumbler 

Nail Polish

Hats

Jewelry Holder

Headwrap

I can't be the only one who feels justified in spending money during finals week, right? Just a little something to make the hours of ulcer inducing stress and studying easier to swallow. I absolutely ADORE the NYX Butter glosses and somehow all three of mine have gotten lost this year. That justifies new ones, yes? The J.Crew hats are perfect for hiding greasy hair days from the lack of sleep and showering (if only the library had showers, right?), and while I'm not a big fan of monograms, who can resist a 35 oz tumbler? You read that right. 35 oz of pure iced coffee goodness (or water if you're into that kind of thing, I guess).

PS- I just realize this list makes me look like a Southern prep blogger, haha who knew I had it in me? Maybe the warmer temperatures are bringing out my inner state school sorority girl.

xoxo, Katie

BEAUTY: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Lacey Lilac" Review

If you've ever visited my little corner of the internet before, you will know that I don't just use any kind of nail polish. In fact, the mere existence of this polish in my collection is something of a small miracle. This is literally the only non OPI or Essie polish I own. I'm not kidding.  And I don't say this to be snobbish. I very well could be missing out of many a nail polish color and formula by being so exclusive. However, my mom always only bought OPI polish while I was growing up, and I would rather spend $9 on a bottle I know I will use and love instead of $3 on something that might turn out terrible.

So now that that little rant is over, let's get to the heart of this post. In a package from a friend I received this nail polish along with a few other trinkets and baubles. Now you can imagine my contempt at opening this. "Oh I'll never use this, it's a Sally Hansen polish".

Or at least that is what I thought.

For months I have been on the hunt for the perfect lilac color. Something not too grey or dull, but also not too dark or vibrant. A happy middle ground. Somehow, Sally got this one right. This color is exactly what I was hoping for, and I wasn't as displeased with the formula as I thought I would be.

(In sunlight)

(In shade)

The application is a bit thick, but not in a clumpy sort of way. Just in a thick cream type of texture. There is minimal streaking, and any of that will be easily fixed with a second coat. 

As for longevity, I can say that I have worn it twice with two different results. The first time I went AT LEAST three days without a single chip. No exaggeration. However, the second wear proved much less hardy and I had a minor chip on the second day. That stayed consistently small though and no other chips appeared until the third day. 

So what can I say? Maybe I was wrong to write off all other brands of nail polish. While I will continue to use this color in the future, I am still not quite swayed enough to spend my own money on them. I'll stick to my tried and true.

But if there are any company's out there willing to send over a sample or two, I'm not going to turn you down ;)

xoxo, Katie

OPI Christmas Haul Review

As some of you may already know, I have an addiction...to nail polish. Of course it isn't just any nail polish. It's the insanely expensive but always beautiful OPI. The entire time I was growing up my mom never bough cheap nail polish and insisted on always using OPI, and I can't try to fight it now! If you're interested in seeing my entire collection (although it is about 6 months old now and it's changed a bit) I made a video here on my YouTube. Naturally then, I ask for new color for Christmas and these are the newest additions! I know Christmas was almost two months ago, but better late than never right?

(Left to Right)

Tickle My France-y, You Don't Know Jacques!, Malaga Wine, No Room for the Blues

I can't get enough of pale blush/nude colors, and after searching for over a year I think Tickle My France-y has finally filled the hole in my life (and collection). It's creamy, relatively easy to apply (minimal streaking), and lasts fairly well (2-4 days with minimal chipping) when applied with base and top coat.

You Don't Know Jacques! is more than an odd color. I wanted a brown in my collection on the off chance I needed one for an outfit, and this is an overall solid one. Not too dark, not too light, and with a hint of grey. I've only worn it once so far and nothing very exciting to report about it. It was mostly a basics purchase kinda like that extra white t-shirt.

Malaga Wine is a beautiful color for winter. A deep true creme burgundy that I love the color of against my pale skin. I use it mostly as a great pedicure color, as it's a little vampy for my personal manicure tastes. The formula is great, not streaky at all. It is similar to another polish I have (Vodka and Caviar) but has more of a purple-ish tone. Overall, I'd say that nail polish lovers will see the need for this, but a deep red for the casual user will suffice.

Lastly, No Room for the Blues brings a spring color into play. I am in love. It's a perfect spring/summer time light blue, and lasts quite a while without chipping. The formula goes on very smoothly, and I'm really just praying for the days it is warm enough to wear this without looking crazy. Although I must confess, I did throw it on a couple weeks ago for a mood brightener. Worked like a charm.

While basics aren't fun, they are necessary. I also received my favorite Seche Vite top coat and an OPI kit with base and top coat that came with two little glitters. Initially wary, it took me a while to try these, but I LOVED them. They're messy, so I would recommend applying them over a sink or bowl. Essentially I just applied a base coat and after 30 seconds or so dipped my finger into the glitter. Naturally I was covered, and it probably wasted a ton of glitter, but after two dips I was good to go. A top coat finished things off. Miraculously, it didn't take a jackhammer to remove. Two cotton pads of remover got 98% of it off and as far as glitter goes, I'm more than thrilled with that result.

I think I will do a review of Seche Vite vs OPI Top Coat because I have some very strong opinions about both of them, and I keep both in my arsenal for different purposes. Would that be of interest? Also, would swatches on those little plastic nails of the polish be helpful for the next color review? It didn't occur to me until just now that sometimes colors look quite different in the bottle. Let me know your thoughts of both of these questions in the comments! 

100 Subscriber Giveaway!

THE GIVEAWAY IS HERE! As a huge thank you to everyone subscribed to this blog, I'm hosting a giveaway! I announced this on my twitter and Facebook yesterday and asked for suggestions on what you all would like. Sadly, no one responded so I just had to grasp of straws here. Hopefully I didn't do too badly!

There are three "categories", the first being Bath and Body Works travel size lotions! I thought my international girls would appreciate this (yes, the giveaway is international!). The scents are "Paris Amour", "Honey Sweetheart", and "Be Enchanted". These are all personal favorites of mine so I wanted to share the love!

The next category is beauty/makeup, and I wanted this to be summer/spring themed so I bought some Aveeno facial sublock for underneath your makeup this summer! There is also a "Peach Kiss" Maybelline Baby Lips and a L'oreal False Fiber lashes mascara in "black lacquer".

The last category is nail polish, and there are three Essie polishes! The first is a florescent orange called "Bazooka", a milky pink white called "A-Dora-Ball", and an Essie Lux-Effect glitter polish called "A Cut Above".

So now onto how you can win/rules!

To win, you must...

1. Be subscribed to this blog.

2. Comment below with what is your favorite item(s) listed above and what fun summer plans you have!

You can earn extra entries by...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Lust List #3

It's been a while since I've done a lust list, and with Valentine's Day right around the corner it seemed appropriate! Here are a few things that I haven't been able to get my mind off of recently. 

I'm not sure what first jumps out to you, but the first thing I see is this AH-MAY-ZING leather biker jacket from SheInside.com. It looks so chic and sexy and sleek, perfect for the grudge biker cool look, which isn't exactly anything someone might say about me when they meet me, haha. It's very contrasted to my personality, and thats why I love it. It's edgy and dark and just fabulous.

Moving down, there are two new shades by OPI that I just need to get. The light blue is "Can't Find My Czechbook" and it's a milky, yet bright, almost robin's egg blue. The second color is "You're Such a Buddahpest" (you have to love these names!) and it's a PERFECT lilac shade. If you ask the girl who does my nails, I literally spend every spare moment I had looking for a shade exactly like this last fall and the thrill I feel at it finally existing is just beyond words.

Next is the floral bustier top from Topshop. Since it's from Topshop, I won't be able to readily get my hands on it in the states, but I'd happily settle for any girly floral top like this one. I think it would just be lovely for spring (yes, I'm already thinking ahead to spring outfits. 2013 A/W Fashion Week was last week for gosh sakes! ;) ).

Going up is a curling wand by Baby Bliss and this is really just the first pink one I could find, and I wouldn't be particular at all about which curling wand I can get my hands on. I just think it would be super handy to have one to reshape my curls after a day or two since it's terrible for them to be washed every day, and they tend to start to lose their shape after a day and a half.

Next, I'm sure my sister and friends are all screaming "hypocrite!" at this next item, because I swore I would never ever wear a pair of these, but creepers have grown on me SO much that I just need to get my hands on a pair before they fade away. I'm hoping they stick around for next fall/winter too. 

Last but not least is a MAC lipstick. I recently bought my first MAC lipstick and it's an absolute dream, so now I'm completely spoiled for them. This is "Saigon Summer" and looks like the PERFECT light orange/red color for spring and summer. I got into orange lips late last summer, so now I can seriously rock it this year.

So that's my current Lust List, and I would love to know what you're after at the moment whether it made my list or not! Leave me a comment, and don't forget to click any of my linky-links below or in the right side bye. Bye!

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NYPD

Happy Veterans Day everyone! In honor of this day dedicated to everyone who has served or is serving in our Armed Forces, I have a bit of a patriotic post today. This was an outfit from yesterday when I went and took photos of my friend, Becky, and her sister and boyfriend. It was a blast, and I had the amazing privilege of using my dad's Nikon that is 1000x better than my camera. I was beyond thrilled. Anywho, we were able to sneak in a few pictures of my outfit and also my straightened hair! I don't know that you all have seen it down and straight yet, plus I have new bangs now. Let me know what you think :)

 It was super windy, yesterday! My hair was all over the place.

 Darn you, freckles!

Please excuse the lack of makeup in this post. I didn't really think of doing outfit pictures until we were already there!

Just me being silly :)

NYPD t-shirt, Goodwill - $2

American flag shorts, DIY

Vans, $55

Essie nail polish in "Watermelon"

#2 Lust List - Fall 2012

1. Nordic print leggings | 2. Mustard yellow skirt | 3. Maroon beanie | 4. Essie "Lilacism" | 5. Madden Girl "Zoiie" boots

Hello there, everyone, I'm home! I actually came home on Monday evening, but it was quite an ordeal. It seemed to take forever and a day, but I'm finally back into my normal routine. I've been sleeping like crazy (Wednesday I slept 18 hours!) but other than that, the antibiotics they have me on now are certainly doing the trick and I'm on the fast track to recovery. The worst part about this is that I am no longer allowed to have caffeine :( It's the price I have to pay for non-damaged kidneys, I suppose.

Now on to the real point! "The Lust List" Fall 2012 edition is here, and I am literally drooling over the items I have on here. The first is a pair of nordic print leggings. How adorable are the little deer floating around on them?! I've not actually found them in stores around me yet, they've just been floating around the internet. I'm a little afraid I won't like how the look once I order them, so I'm hoping they crop up somewhere soon... The second item is a mustard yellow skirt. I adore the mustard yellow color for fall (I'm also on the lookout for a pair of tights this color!), and this skirt is actually from Target. I think I'll make my way over there some time soon to try and snatch one up.

Item three is this super soft, super rich colored beanie from Topshop. I am so envious of people who have enough money to shop their on a regular basis, and for now I'm stuck looking for a knock off version of this or swooning after this one. Speaking of swooning, this grey-lilac Essie polish is at the top of the list. We all know I have a serious addition to polish, and a new season just means a new reason to buy new colors...right?

Last, but certainly not least, are the "Zoiie" Madden Girl boots. Last winter I saw them everywhere, but I had no idea they were Madden Girl brand, and I certainly wasn't forward enough to walk up to the owners and ask where they bought them. But this winter I am determined to find myself a perfect pair of brown equestrian style boots, even if they aren't this exact pair. My birthday is coming up in a few months, people, in case you're looking for ideas early ;) 

Splatter Painted Nail Tutorial

One big trend that I'm sure you're aware of is the galaxy print! It's everywhere! On leggings (a great pair is from BlackMilk), on shoes (the every popular Lita boot is available is this design), and now on nails! I stumbled upon a tutorial of how to do them yesterday and fell in love. Unfortunately, I messed them up just a bit...oops! The results, however, were not a disaster! They ended up looking like an intentional splatter paint design, and now I'm here to bring it to you. No one else will have them, simply because I just happened upon this is my quest for something else. Enjoy my mistakes ;)

If people know me at all, they know my love of nail polish. And through the years of collecting all of my different colors, I've become something of a snob. I tend to stray from anything that isn't OPI, haha. But, that isn't to say that you couldn't use a different brand or even completely different colors. I'll list the colors that I've used in the steps below, but I'll also post general guidelines to choosing colors that will work well. Happy splattering!

Steps for Splatter Paint nails:

1. Prep your nails. Make sure they're clean of any other nail polish, file them, and apply a basecoat.

2. Choose a dark color that will be the "canvas" of your splatter painting. I used "Black Onyx" by OPI but any dark navy, black, or dark purple would work best.

3. Next, you'll need a make-up sponge. You don't need an entire one, just a corner. You could get by with using just a corner and use only one sponge. The base of your painting should be a light color. I used a light green mint color, "Mermaid Tears" by OPI. Put a blob of nail polish on the corner of the sponge and start to dab it on your nails in any sort of pattern you'd like. Wait for it to dry.

4. Next, using another corner of the makeup sponge, choose a bright color. I used a hot pink, "Strawberry Margarita" by OPI. After your first layer of the lighter color has dried, begin to dab on the second color. Let it bubble a little bit or purposefully let some of the first color come through to create the "splatter" effect.

5. Next I used "Road House Blues", a navy, to help accent the other colors, but this step is optional. It's really up to you if you want to use any other colors at this point.

6. The last step is to add glitter. I used a multi-sized silver glitter to help add more of a "splatter" effect and to break up the colors. Add a top coat, and enjoy your new splatter painted nails! If people ask if you've been in the studio all day working on your next masterpiece, just play along.