Lifestyle – Page 31 – Adventures in Polishland

Category: Lifestyle

One Lovely Blog Award

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Adventures in Polishland

A huge THANK YOU to Beauty Geek of WordPress for nominating me for the One Lovely Blog Award. It means so much to me that people are enjoying my blog. I can’t believe this is my second blog award, as I’ve only been around for about four months. I hope you will all continue to enjoy my Adventures in Polishland.

There are five guidelines for accepting this award:

1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you.
2. Paste the award image on your blog, anywhere.
3. Tell seven facts about yourself.
4. Nominate up to 15 other bloggers for this award.
5. Contact the bloggers that you have chosen to let them know that they have been nominated.

Seven facts about me:

1) I’ve met President Obama (though before he was president).
2) I was a competitive dancer in jazz, tap, and sometimes ballet for ten years.
3) I know every word to the song “La Vie Boheme” from RENT.
4) I’ve been to Disney World four times, and Disneyland twice.
5) Full House is my favorite TV show of all time.
6) I absolutely love shopping.
7) I could wear jeans every day of the year.

My Nominated Blogs (5 WordPress, 5 Blogger):

I follow so many lovely nail blogs it was difficult to choose just ten!

Thanks again, Beauty Geek!

Little Black Bag: Take Two

Posted on July 19, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Remember a few weeks back when I posted about my first Little Black Bag? Well, I decided to splurge on one more, and boy have I learned some tricks! Little Black Bag is another monthly subscription that costs $50 per month. You pick the first item (handbag, jewelry, makeup, etc), and then are given 3-4 more items from the stylists. Then, you have one week to trade your items with other LBB members. The goal is to get lots of items at a high value. Last time, I got a purse and two ncLA nail polishes. This month, with very careful trading, I not only got a purse, but I got three nail polishes and nail wraps! Let me show you everything I got.

Look at all that great stuff! The handbag is the real highlight. It is a Nica Sinead Satchel bag that retails at $98. This bag is even more gorgeous in real life than it was online. It has a snap closure, an adjustable strap, and a gorgeous floral pattern on the front. Inside, it has lots of pockets & zippered compartments. I can’t wait to use it! I think I may make this my everyday handbag in place of my three-year-old Coach that I’ve had a hard time parting with. With this handbag alone I have already made a great deal, spending only $50 for this $98 purse.

Next, I got a set of nail wraps from ncLA that retail at $16. I got the pattern Geri. I’ve never tried any nail stickers or wraps before, so I can’t wait to see how these work! According to ncLA, all you need is clear nail polish, so one day I’ll be blogging about these. Have any of you tried them yet?

Finally, I got three Michael Marcus nail polishes, which are worth $15 each! From left to right, the colors are Brilliant Sand, Fuchsia Have a Good Time, and Paradise Pink. One thing I love just by looking at these polishes is the bottle’s shape! It’s a fun, geometric look. I’ve never seen that on any other polish before. I’m very excited to try these out as well! The colors are beautiful. Have you tried Michael Marcus out before?

You may have noticed in the photo of all my goodies together that there is one more item pictured. For the month of July, LBB provided its users with a bonus sample of Redken hair products. This bonus was the secret to my success this month! I traded my sample multiple times to get nail polish. I guess some people would prefer to have hair product versus a polish (silly, I know!). In the end, I did keep one Redken sample– anti frizz milk. I look forward to using this, too!

All in all, the value of my entire LBB is $159– over $100 in savings! If you are willing to spend the $50 up front to purchase LBB each month, then you are definitely getting a good deal. Because I do not have room for LBB in my budget, I am not going to be purchasing any more for a while. The great thing about this website is that I can choose to skip any month that I don’t wish to purchase. Perhaps one day I will splurge on this again!

If you are not yet a Little Black Bag member, please click HERE to join.

My July Julep Maven Box!

Posted on July 7, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

I have been in love with Julep Maven ever since I got my first box last month. The polish is simply to die for, and the company really takes care of its customers. Here is what I got this month!

Left to right, Lynn, Yumi, and America. Plus a lip vernis in Peony (in box). As a little bonus, some candy!

Although I am technically “Classic With a Twist” according to my style quiz, I switched to “American Beauty” this month because I liked the colors better. I have been in need of a nice, nude color like Lynn! I was also thrilled to be receiving the bonus America the Beautiful polish, which I featured in THIS post. All in all, a great month! The best part of this box was that I got a voucher from Julep for any free polish! How awesome is that? They really want to make us Mavens happy. Plus, who doesn’t love surprises?

After sporting America the Beautiful on my nails for the Fourth of July, I knew Lynn would be a good change for me. Even my mom mentioned that it was different to see me in a shade that’s not so bright! But Lynn is a gorgeous nude that is more on the peach side. It is a bit sheer, but only took two coats to be opaque. It also has a hint of shimmer in it, making it that much more beautiful. It’s perfect if you don’t like bright colors, or if you are looking to play down your nails for some reason. Of course, it’s stunning on its own as well! What do you think of these swatches? The color photographed very well.

How gorgeous is that polish?! Plus, it will look even better the next time I show it because I’ll be adding a little “sparkle” to it! Keep your eyes open for another entry about a mani upgrade in the near future!

Don’t forget, you can become a Julep Maven, too! Enjoy your first box for just $0.01 when you enter the code COLOR2012 at checkout! This is not a joke! Here are some benefits to joining:

You receive a Maven box of at least 2 polishes per month for only $19.99 (plus other goodies & freebies year long!)
Don’t like your box? Switch for another!
Don’t want to buy one this month? Skip the month & don’t get charged!
You’ll always get 20% off all Julep products in the Maven shop.
If you find you don’t like Julep, cancel any time.

Join Julep Maven today by clicking THIS link! Let me know if you joined 🙂

Try it on Tuesday: July 4th Edition

Posted on July 3, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Yesterday I anxiously awaited the arrival of my July Julep Maven Box, and when it arrived I was so excited to try out my new polish. As tomorrow is the Fourth of July for all of us Americans, I knew I just had to put on America the Beautiful right away! I decided to combine this glittery goodness with a red, white, and blue that I already owned. Here are all the polishes I used:

Left to right: unnamed red mini from OPI, Empire State Blue from NYC, 104 (white) from Fabulous Nails, and America the Beautiful from Julep.

To complete the mani, I painted two coats of America the Beautiful on each finger except for my ring finger on each hand. I am loving the One for Fun look lately, and just had to do it again! The glitter was actually pretty easy to work with. Unlike other recipients of July’s Julep Box, I have many stars in my America polish. I do admit, they seem to clump together, but with a bit of careful polishing, you can get them to stand out. I love the mix of glitters, too– fine red grains, blue & silver flakes, and the silver stars! It’s very beautiful.

On my accent finger, I used the scotch tape method to create diagonal stripes of red, white, and blue. I love this trick, but always get impatient waiting for the polish to dry. Remember, when you use the tape, begin from the bottom up. In other words, I painted the red color first, then the white, and ended with the blue. It’s much easier to build on colors rather than attempt to work in between them. With a bit of patience, your nails will look great!!

Though this mani looks fabulous in person, it was extremely difficult to photograph. I tried areas with different lighting and tried shooting from different angles. Finally, my dad helped out with this camera phone macro setting and got the shot below for me. You can see the stars shining bright!

What are you wearing for Try it on Tuesday or July 4th? Let me know! You can always post photos on my Facebook page HERE. Finally, don’t forget to enter my giveaway! Only 4 days left to score some polish and glitter from LASplash. You can see that post HERE.

My First Little Black Bag!

Posted on July 2, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Have you heard of this super fun website called Little Black Bag? It’s another monthly subscription that is really interactive. You pay $49.95 (yes, a bit expensive, but fun to splurge!) and pick one item of your choice. Then, stylists pick 3-4 more items for you based on your answers to a style quiz. Don’t like the items you receive? You have an entire week to trade your items with other Little Black Bag (LBB) users! What kind of items, you ask? There are handbags, jewelry pieces, cosmetics, and more. I, of course, wanted some fancy nail polish! After lots of trading (and a few mistakes) here is what I ended up with.

All together I got a Nila Anthony Ruffle Messenger Bag valued at $75, and two NCLA polishes valued at $16 each! That’s about $57 in savings. Not bad for my first attempt at LBB, but like I said, I messed up a little bit. I traded a handbag that I didn’t like for an item worth half its price, and lost out on that value. Now I know how the trading works, though! I’m hoping in my next LBB I’ll get even more goodies for my $50. I’d love to try out some of the NCLA nail wrap strips, and I’d love some jewelry next time. If you’d like to join LBB, please sign up HERE. I know this is a bit expensive, but you can skip any month if you don’t have room in your budget. I’m sure you’ll love this website as much as I do.

Before I end this post, here’s a closer look at my new polishes. They’re stunning! I can’t wait to try them out soon.

The glittery goodness of Miss Sunset (left) and Hollywood Hills (right).

What?! A Blog Award?!

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Adventures in Polishland

That’s right, everyone! Thanks to Entaeyen over at Samples by Entaeyen I received my first blog award. I’m so excited! Adventures in Polishland is just continuing to grow!

Here are the rules for accepting the award:

1. Nominate 15 fellow bloggers who are relatively new to blogging

2. Let them know that you have nominated them.
3. Share 7 random facts about yourself.
4. Thank the bloggers who have nominated you.
5. Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your post

My nominations are:

CraftLikeaTeen – Ashley is just getting started & is doing a great job showing her nails and jewelry.
ManPolish– The husband of a fellow nail polish lover is using his creative writing abilities to poke good fun at us who are polish obsessed. So hilarious!
Polish Monster – A cute name & a great blogger! She shows us many different polishes from mainstream and indie brands.
Irnbb – This awesome nail blog began in March. She’s got lots of great polishes & posts already!
Modest Matte – Only one month in & this proves to be a very promising blog.
BeautyDaze – Another new WordPress blog! Features everything from makeup to clothes, and the website is beautiful.
Lacquer Land – She has amazing swatches & is super friendly!
Pick Your Polish – Brand new to nail blogging, but already has great stuff going on over at her blog.
RaraReid – She features adorable nail art on her blog!
LDN2NYC – Two lovely ladies, Tanya and Fiona, run this blog. Another beautiful webpage featuring nail polish and more.
Beyond the Polish – This nail blog is very well done, and Maya is so sweet.
Nail Varnish Paradise – Lots of cute nail art! She shows you great products, too.
Lacquer and Lashes – Another nail blog run by two lovely ladies. They’re also so nice!
Polished by Maddie – If you like swatches, Maddie’s blog is for you! Lots of pretty ones.
Frugal Polish – Just like me, she’s dedicated to nail polish on a budget.

7 Random Facts About Me:

I’m obsessed with the song “Call Me Maybe” and love THIS YouTube clip of the Harvard Baseball Team.
My favorite broadway show is Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which I sat in the front row for after winning the lottery with my friend Lisa.
I purchased one pair of Sperrys as a splurge and now I want them all.
My favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip.
I love dogs and cats, but don’t have any.
I was a competitive dancer growing up in tap and jazz, and also took ballet classes.
Minnie Mouse is my favorite Disney character.

Thanks again for the blog award! Stay tuned for more Adventures in Polishland.

The 11 Question Meme!

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Adventures in Polishland

I’ve been tagged! Thanks for including me, Narmai! Check out her blog Made by Me HERE.

The 11 Question Meme

I. Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
II. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.
III. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
IV. You have to choose 11 people to tag and link them on the post. Go to their page and tell them you have linked him or her. No tag backs, and you legitimately have to tag 11 people.

PART I

I’m a Bravo addict. I’ll watch the Real Housewives any day and every day!
Justin Timberlake is my boyfriend.
I love coffee, and I pick both Dunkin’ Donuts AND Starbucks.
I crochet in my spare time, and am trying to set it up as a small business called Captain Hook Crochet.
Harry Potter and The Hunger Games are pretty awesome book series.
Growing up I played the trumpet. One day I will again.
I saw Clinton Kelly in Macys’ and rode in an elevator with Christian Siriano.
I could eat pizza and ice cream every day.
I aspire to be an entertainment and sports lawyer.
Couponing is a worthwhile hobby of mine.
I love to be silly.

PART II

1. Describe your ideal sunday morning.

Sleeping in just a little, then enjoying a nice breakfast and cup of coffee. And, of course, browsing the ads in the Sunday paper.

2. Are you a fan of gadgets or do you stay away from technology?

I have an iPad that I am obsessed with, but I’m not into too much other than that.

3. What TV programme do you never ever miss?

I don’t really watch TV shows on a weekly basis, but I love Smash and Dancing With the Stars.

4. If you could invite anyone for a dinner, who would it be?

JT.

5. Who was your childhood hero?

Difficult question. Not sure that I had a hero, but I wanted to be a pop star like Britney or Christina.

6. What three words would your best friend use to describe you?

Silly, sincere, smart.

7. What would be your favorite place in the world to live?

I don’t think I’ve been to enough places to really know yet, but I am very happy to be moving to NYC!

8. If you could be someone else for a day, who would you want to be?

I’d be Elle Woods. That’s anybody, right?!

9. Where do you see yourself in three years? (annoying question, I know)

Graduating law school, baby!

10. If you could change or erase something that happened in the past, what would you choose?

So many things I would change! Probably my choice of undergraduate school.

11. What’s the best april fools joke you have pulled on someone or someone pulled on you?

I stay away from April Fools! I’m not a fan. I enjoy a good prank on other days, though.

PART III

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Who is your favorite clothing designer? Why?
What song gets stuck in your head most often?
What was your favorite school subject growing up?
If you won the lottery tomorrow, how would you spend (or save!) the money?
Top 5 books you would recommend to a friend.
Do you remember your dreams?
Coke or Pepsi?
What is your guilty pleasure TV show?
Do you enjoy gossiping?
What’s your favorite color?

PART IV

Naomi at Bewitchery
Amie at Am1e’s Nail Diary
Liz at My Life is FabuLIZ
Ami at EverySensory
Jesse at BeautyByMsJesse
Andra at LacquerLust
Christie at TotallyChristie
Lucy at NailDays
Holly at MissHollyBerries
Tiffany at 2thelastdrop
Fancie at Fancieland

Julep Maven Box: My July Pick!

Posted on June 20, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Today Julep announced the Maven boxes for the month of July and I am super excited! All of the boxes are beautiful, but I decided to switch from Classic With a Twist to American Beauty. Here’s what I will be getting in my box:

Stunning! The best part of July is that every Maven will receive an additional polish for FREE! You get a different polish depending on your country. I’ll be getting the gorgeous one for the U.S.A.

If you haven’t joined Julep yet, this is the perfect month to do so! Not only do you get the regular Maven box, but you will get the extra polish. Don’t forget– you can use the promo code COLOR2012 to get all of this for ONE PENNY!! People have asked me if this is a joke, but I assure you it’s not. Julep believes that once you try their products you will keep coming back for more. Remember, you can cancel your Julep subscription at any time and you can skip any month that you don’t want. Go sign up here: http://www.julep.com/?r=21760558 and become a Maven! Let me know if you join 🙂

My First Julep Maven Box!

Posted on June 15, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

For those of you that like my Facebook page, you know that I have been dying to receive my first Julep Maven box in the mail. It arrived yesterday, and I got right to painting! I’m typing this sporting my new Susie nail polish, and I couldn’t be more excited to tell you about this fabulous website. Get ready for some photos!

For those of you who haven’t heard of Julep before, it’s a great brand that typically sells for $14 a polish. The polish was created specifically for Julep nail parlors, but now it can be purchased at Sephora or on the Julep website. The Maven membership is very similar to ShoeDazzle, when each month stylists pick products for you based on your answers to a style quiz. You can either choose to purchase a box for $19.99 each month, or you can skip the month. Though the price tag is a bit expensive for me, I had a promo code for the website that allowed me to get my first Maven box for just one penny! That’s right– I only paid one penny for this box of goodies.

As a Julep Maven there are many benefits. First off, Mavens get 20% off anything at the Julep website. Plus, each Maven box contains at least $40 worth of products. There are also special freebies and discounts throughout the year. Julep really takes care of its members! Here’s what I saw when I opened my first box:

I do admit, the packaging was great. But let’s get to the products themselves! This month I got the Classic with a Twist Intro Box. It included 2 polishes, Susie & Niecy, and The Best Pedi Creme Ever. I love the colors I got, especially Susie, which is a light mint green. Niecy is a beautiful pink, but I didn’t try it out yet. Susie was meant to be on my nails first! I do admit, I got nervous with the first coat of polish, because it came out streaky, but the second coat covered up all imperfections and looked beautiful! I just love this cream polish. At the end of this post there are some swatches of it.

Doesn’t it look great?! I can’t wait to try out Niecy, too. The best part about all of this is that I got this box for just a penny! You cannot beat that deal anywhere. If you like what you see here, you can join Julep Maven, too and get your first box for a penny. Simply sign up HERE and enter the code COLOR2012 at checkout. The best part about being a Maven is that even if you don’t want to purchase a box each month, you simply hit the “skip” button and you aren’t charged any money. So even if this is the only box you get from Julep, how can you go wrong? You only paid one penny! So what are you waiting for? Go get yourself your first Maven box!

Bigger and Better

Posted on June 9, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

I’ll admit it. For the past week I’ve been a bit obsessed with all things nails, including nail blogs. After sifting through dozens I’ve realized I have so much to learn! As this blog is for the average girl on a budget, I’m not worried with reviewing all of the top notch brands out there (though I will with the right opportunity!), but I am still focused on building a blog that is accessible and in touch with its followers. With that said, I’ve done some upgrading!

I now have released a Facebook page for Adventures in Polishland! With this page those who are not subscribed to my site through WordPress will know when I have posted new entries. It will also allow me to make more frequent updates about sales and bargains that I find, and give sneak peeks on my manicures. Please go HERE to like my page, or click “Like” on the Facebook badge on the right side of my blog.

Here are a few other cool things I’ve learned about my blog:

Click the “Follow” button at the top of the right hand column and you will receive an email whenever I update
Not a WordPress member? You can still comment on my entries using your Twitter or Facebook
If you like something I’ve written about, let me know! You can click the “Like” button under any entry or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

I am so excited about this blog, and I hope you are enjoying my Adventures in Polishland! Of course, while I was upgrading my blog I also upgraded my last manicure. What do you think?! I underlined the glitter in my manicure with a hot pink detail.