Top 5 Tuesday: Nail Polish

Once again I am linking up with Rachel at Just Peachy for Top 5 Tuesday! I missed out last week because I was sick so when I heard this week's topic I got really excited! Nail polish is something I have recently become OBSESSED with buying. This time last year I probably had about 10 bottles, now my collection is overtaking the drawer I keep them in! I can't help it...they're just so pretty! I looked at everyone else who linked up with Rachel and NONE of these colors were mentioned, so hopefully you will find a color you wanna try!

1. OPI We'll Always Have Paris

This color will always and forever be my number one favorite! When first discovering my nail polish obsession I quickly realized that a plain black polish was way too harsh for my skin. So naturally I have accumulated a TON of colors that are very dark but not quite black. I first bought this color when it was revealed this was the color Mariska Hargitay wore to the 2010 Emmys (are you really that surprised??) and once I put it on my nails I LOVED it! It makes me feel so sophisticated and I love the deep purple color (this coming from a girl who is NOT a fan of purple!).

2. Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It

This color is the perfect color for summer! Even if I change my nail color, this is the color that I keep applying to my toes. It's such a bright red-orange color that looks great against a tan.

3. OPI Royal Rajah Ruby

I bought this color back in September when I realized I did not have ONE garnet nail polish in my collection! I had a couple reds but any Gamecock knows that red will just NOT cut it for football season! This color is the perfect shade of garnet and has the prettiest shimmers...perfect for any sunny day at Williams-Brice!

4. OPI Teenage Dream

This is the color that started my glitter obsession! I know some people think glitter polish makes you look like a 5 year old, and I do agree it may not be appropriate for all occasions, but just look at it! This color became a HUGE hit when the Katy Perry collection came out and quickly became hard to find. A big complaint with glitter polishes is that it takes ton of coats to make it look opaque, but 2 coats of this and you're good to go!

5. China Glaze Skyscraper

I haven't actually used this nail polish yet, but it is the newest baby added to my collection that I can't WAIT to try! I think it's a great glitter polish that is a great color for the fall/winter.

So as you can see OPI is definitely my favorite brand (who can resist the cute names!) but I have been a little underwhelmed with their latest collections. I was all set to buy some of the polishes from the Muppets collection, but after reading blog reviews and seeing swatches I decided to pass. Reading beauty blogs is definitely a good way to see what new collections are coming out and making lists for your next shopping trip!

Are there any nail polish colors you just can't live without? Let me know...you can never have too many!! ;)

xoxo

Natalie

October Birchbox

Nothing like posting about last month's box on the 2nd day of the new month! If you're not family with Birchbox, I explained it in last month's post. Let me know if you have used any of these products before and what you think of them! I haven't had a chance to use any of these products enough to give an opinion on them, hence the lack of "initial thoughts" this month! 

All the products in this month's box

Information card

AHAVA Rich Cleansing Cream

Description: A gentle, non-lathering cleanser that whisks away dirt, oil, and makeup faster than you can say 'non-drying.'

Size received: 0.68 fluid oz.

Full size: 3.4 fl oz for $30

Retail value: $4.31

Befine Lip Serum

Description: A lip-healing wonder: Befine's vitamin-rich Lip Serum heals and smoothes cracked or dry lips.

Size received: 0.34 fl oz

Full size: Comes in the BeLips Duo with a lip exfoliator. The duo costs $25

Retail value: $12.50

Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in Bronze

Description: This hydrating primer gives you a flawless foundation for makeup - plus a subtle glow. It works on all skin tones - we tested it!

Size received: 0.5 oz

Full size: 2 oz for $25

Retail value: $6.25

Orofluido Beauty Elixir

Description: We don't know what we love more - this hair treatment's trio of nourishing essential oils (argan, linseed, cyperus) or its intoxicating vanilla amber scent.

Size received: 0.17 fl oz

Full size: 3.4 fl oz

Retail value: $1.47

The Laundress Delicate Wash

Description: Laundry just got a little more civilized. Use this elegant wash on all your special items.

Size received: 0.5 fl oz

Full size: 16 fl oz for $19.00

Retail value: $0.60

Box's total retail value: $25.13

xoxo

Natalie

Top 5 Tuesday: October Favorites

I'm linking up with Rachel @ Just Peachy again for Top 5 Tuesday, and this week's theme is Top 5 October favorites. Let me know if you link up because I would LOVE to read!

1. Bath and Body Works Paris Amour Triple Moisture Body Cream

I started using this before October, but I used up this last little bit of it this month and have had to resist buying more! I'm only resisting because I have SO many different body lotions and creams that I need to use up others, but I swear none of them moisturize like this body cream, even B&BW's lotion isn't as good. And  if I can remember correctly, this is the first Bath and Body Works product I have finished COMPLETELY!!

2. Davines Love Lovely Curl Enhancing Shampoo & Conditioner

I will admit that I was having a total fan-girl moment when I purchased these 2 products. The guy who does Mariska Harigtay's hair on SVU is on twitter and was getting so many questions about what they were doing to her hair this season and what products they were using, and he mentioned that this was the shampoo/conditioner pair they were using. I had never heard of Davines before, and it's a little more pricey than what I usually pay, but thanks to eBay I got the 2 for a decent price. 

I've only been able to use these a couple times since I got them in mid-October, but each time I've used them I have LOVED the results! I can't tell you how many products I have (shampoos, conditioners, styling products etc) that I used to attempt the "tousled, effortless" waves/curls with no luck. I use these at night and stick my wet hair up in a bun while I sleep and when I wake up, I have the tousled look!! 

3. Dr. Pepper 10

I may have found a new soft drink fave! I had a coupon for a free 2-liter of the new Dr. Pepper 10 and when I got it home I almost drank the whole thing in one night! It's much sweeter than Diet Dr. Pepper without all the calories of regular Dr. Pepper. Don't listen to the advertising campaign ladies, this drink is NOT just for men!

4. Gamecock Football

College football is one of my favorite things about fall in general, but October is when things really start to get interesting. At this point all the games are important, tough games that have the "we have to win" mentality. And for the most part the Gamecocks have done their job! It hasn't been pretty, and we've definitely had our struggles (our QB suddenly being dismissed, star RB getting injured and being out for the season, etc) but the important this is that we're 7-1!! Here's hoping the month of November is kind to the Gamecocks as well!

5. Fall TV

Just like football, fall television gets into full swing during the month of October. It's when you can see what new shows are actually going to make it and you need to keep in your schedule and which ones you need toss aside (and you hope the network feels the same)! I'm hoping to have a post up soon about my new fall TV faves and my tv 'schedule', but until then...

Fave returning show: Law and Order SVU (duh!)

Fave new show: Revenge (SOO good!)

BONUS: Birthday month

October will always and forever be my favorite month since it is my birthday month!! I just couldn't write a post about October without mentioning it haha. I had a fabulous birthday and can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store!

xoxo

Natalie

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!




One of my favorite beauty bloggers/Youtubers Amarixe posts a


 questionnaire every Monday so I thought this would be a great post


 for Halloween!


Leave your responses below or post on your blog so I can

read them!




1) Mood




exhausted. it has been an very tiring/emotionally exhausting day








2) When was the last time you carved a pumpkin?




o goodness probably when I was 10 or 11








3) What is your favorite Halloween candy?




Nonchocolate: candy corn

Chocolate: Butterfingers








4) What is your favorite Halloween memory?




Gonna have to say Halloween party sophomore year. I dressed up

as the ever popular Sarah Palin and definitely had a

fun time dancing the night away!

5) Do you believe in ghosts/spirits?




I definitely believe that loved ones we have lost are watching over

and at times are right there with us, but I don't believe

 in the spooky ghost types.








6) Were you allowed to dress up at school for Halloween as a kid?




I'm almost sure we were allowed in elementary school, but not in

middle/high school since I went to a private Christian school.








7) Did you trick-or-treat as a kid? At what age did you stop?




Of COURSE I did!! My mom made me quit at 13 but I still went

around with my little brother and his friends so a couple years I

still got candy! :)








8) What is your favorite Halloween movie?




I am NOT a fan of scary movies! I can't even think of a movie that I

like that has anything to do with Halloween!








9) Did you dress up for Halloween this year? If so, as what?




I was invited to a Halloween party/downtown at the VERY last

 minute (like that afternoon) so I played it safe and went as a

Carolina football player!








10) Weekly goals


.
Call Time Warner to fix bill


Clean apartment since whole family could potentially be coming

over Saturday!


Start studying for next week's plant test :/






xoxo


Natalie

Top 5 Tuesday: Purfume

In an attempt to get back into blogging, I've decided to link up with Rachel at Just Peachy for Top 5 Tuesday. This week's theme was perfumes, and this way more tough than I thought it would be since I'm obsessed with all things beauty! Nevertheless I was able to come up with the 5 scents that will always have a spot in my collection. Let me know if you link up as well...I would love to read your top 5!

1. Viva la Juicy by Juicy Couture

I was on a mission to buy another perfume just for the sake of buying when I came across this AMAZING scent! I was in Kohls and spritzed this on my wrist and immediately fell in love. As I was shopping the rest of the day I couldn't stop smelling my wrist!! So I had to go back and get it! I got the smaller bottle and used up almost half in the first month that I had it. I don't wear perfume everyday (see favorite body sprays next) but when I do this is the first one I grab!

2. Bath and Body Work Twilight Woods

When I initially smelled this scent in the store I was not a fan. But one balmy Saturday in the South my friends and I were sitting in Williams-Brice getting ready to watch out Gamecocks play, when my friend whipped this out of her purse and sprayed it all around us. I was in love! Its definitely a more sensual scent but since it's in the body spray form it is light enough to be wore during the day. I have the mini version in my purse at all times and spray it a couple times if I rushed out the door without a fragrance or need a refresher throughout the day. 

3. Bath and Body Works White Citrus

This was my signature scent this summer! I had a coupon for a free Signature B&BW item and my mom suggested this scent. I usually go for more girly/florally scents so something fruity was a bit of stretch, but I used over half of the full-sized bottle in about 3 months! While it is more of a summer scent, I still find myself reaching for it when I need an energizing pick-me-up. 

4. The Beat by Burberry

This was my perfume discovery last summer! I got this scent as a sample when I ordered from Sephora and couldn't help but wear it everyday. Like I said I tend to gravitate towards girly scents, so this one caught me by surprise! It almost smells uni-sex but it has just the little something that makes it girl-oriented (they do have a men's version). Next time you're in the store definitely give this one a sniff!

5. Very Hollywood by Michael Kors

And were back to the girly scents! I only have this one in a rollerball but I still love it! If you're uncertain about a scent I definitely recommend grabbing it in a rollerball and seeing how you like it before splurging on a full bottle. Plus they're really easy to carry around in your purse if you don't feel like hauling around a mini body spray. ANYWAYS...this scent is SUPER girly and floral smelling! Some say its a scent more suitable for nighttime, but I think it's perfectly fine for daytime as long as you don't get too heavy handed! Plus the bottle is so pretty (and we all know thats half the reason we buy perfume!)

Here's hoping I'm back to a more scheduled posting!

xoxo

Natalie

Happy Birthday to ME!! (and Ashley)

This is me and my friend Ashley.

Her birthday is on October 11th.

My birthday is on October 11th.

Making us BIRTHDAY TWINS!!

So I thought it was only appropriate to post this video from one of my favorite movies EVER!!

Here's to making my 22nd year (and Ash's 23rd) our best years YET!!

xoxo

Natalie

September Birchbox

As a self-proclaimed beauty junkie, when I heard about Birchbox I thought it was a FABULOUS idea! If you haven't heard of it, Birchbox is a $10 monthly subscription service where each month you receive a box of beauty goodies, and more often then not your box retail value exceeds your $10 purchase price. 

I began subscribing to Birchbox a couple months ago after watching so many Youtube videos and being jealous of all the awesome samples everyone was getting. It's a great way expose yourself to new brands and products of skincare, makeup, haircare, and other fun things.

So without further adieu, here is what I received in this month's box. 

Here is how the box typically looks every month

Each box also comes with a card with a note from the Birchbox girls as well as a list of the all the products your box contains.

Box contents 

**things were packaged a little neater, but I took a sneak peak before this photo!**

*not sure why this pic flipped??*

Incoco Nail Polish Applique

Description on info card: We all have a wild side. Eye-catching nail strips are the latest trends - try them on your fingers or toes.

Size I received: 12 strips

Full size: 16 strips for $7.99

Retail value: $5.99

Initial Thoughts: Every month I get on Birchbox's facebook page and *somewhat stalk* what people have already gotten in their boxes, so I knew these were coming. People who had already received their boxes had gotten zebra and weird leopard color patterns, so I wasn't looking forward to these. But when I saw that I had gotten blue glitter ones, I was thrilled! I have had a slight obsession with glitter nail polish recently, so I am much more inclined to try these out!

*again apologize for the wonky photo*

Jouer Lip Enhancer

Description on info card: Why settle for plain 'ol lip balm when you can hydrate, plump, and condition all in one go? Right, we thought so.

Size I received: 0.07 fluid ounces

Full size: $14 for 0.33 fluid ounces

Retail value: $2.97

Initial Thoughts: I am OBSESSED with Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm (@ Sephora) so I'm not really in the market for a new lip balm. However, I have only used this once and like it as well! I only used the Jack Black lip balm at night because it is rather thick. This once is lighter and smoother and could potentially be a go-to lip balm for the day. And you only need the tiniest bit!

LIV GRN Earth Eau de Parfum

Description on info card: Made from sustainable ingredients, this sultry scent is laced with jasmine and sandalwood. Plus, ten percent of sales go directly to Global Green, an environmental non-profit.

Size I received: No sized listed, but I compared it to a typically perfume sample which is 1.5 ml or 0.05 fluid ounces

Full size: 3.4 fluid ounces for $60

Retail value: $0.88

Initial Thoughts: Is it weird to say that this smells like a green perfume? My initial reaction is that it smells kinda soapy and not a scent that I would naturally gravitate towards. 

Pangea Organics Facial Cream for Normal to Combination Skin

Description on info card: An all-natural moisturizer, with antioxidant-rich grape extracts and essential oils, keeps skin both hydrated and shine-free.

Size I received: 1.0 fluid ounces

Full size: 2.0 fluid ounces for $36

Retail value: $18.00

Initial Thoughts: I got so excited when I saw this in my box! I am a big skincare junkie and am always looking for the next best thing to get rid of acne and help cleanse my skin. Surprisingly I've never tried any natural skincare, so I am very excited to see how this works. I have heard a lot of good things about the Pangea brand, so hopefully I will have luck with this. And this is a VERY generous sample size!

Treat: Birchbox Friendship Bracelet

Retail value: unknown

Thoughts: While it is a nice gesture, I highly doubt I will actually wear this bracelet. Someone said it reminded them of a kabbalah bracelet, and now thats all I can think of when I look at it. Nevertheless, it is nice that the girls at Birchbox thought of us on their birthday :)

Total Box Value: $27.84!

Are you subscribed to Birchbox?? If so what did you get in your box this month??

Please let me know if you liked this post. Hopefully I'll get around to posting my Birchbox every month!

**I purchased my Birchbox subscription with my own money. I was not "gifted" anything and not compensated for my opinion.**

Day in Athens

This past Saturday Dad and I made the trip down to Athens to see the Gamecocks take on the Georgia Bulldogs. Dad got his undergraduate degree at UGA and his masters at USC so I've always harped him about going down to Athens and "reliving his college days." Needless to say the whole time we were down there all he could say was that it looked almost NOTHING like he remembered and the trees were much bigger than he remembered (to which I promptly told him that the trees had 30 years to grow! They don't stay the same size!)

Lemme just say though...Athens is NOT an easy town to get around!! If you've every been to Williams-Brice stadium, you know it's not on USC's campus, but about a mile down the road by our fairgrounds. Therefore, there is PLENTY of parking and you don't have to be afraid if you car is gonna get towed or not. So needless to say, after the parking/traffic situation, we were MORE than ready to get into the stadium and mix ourselves a little cocktail (hey Dad wanted to relive the good ole days, I was only happy to oblige!)

Our first view of Sanford Stadium and the back of the scoreboard

Full view of the stadium our way up the stairs

First time back at his Alma Mater in 30 years!!

My first visit to another SEC stadium!

As you can see our seats were pretty awesome! Yea we were in the 600-section, BUT we were on the 50 yard line and surrounded by fellow Gamecock fans!

View of the campus

Halfta say Sanford's scoreboard is really nice! 

Hopefully when ours is updated it'll be similar to this

(Notice the final score!)

All the Georgia fans leaving early when they thought it was over.

It was easily the CRAZIEST game, let alone 4th quarter I have EVER seen!

Field after we WON!

Carolina flag waving in all its glory!!

Sea of people going across the bridge after the game

Sea of people to the left. 20 minutes after the game is over.

So the game ended at 8:15. We hung out in the stadium till around 8:30 then began making our way down and out towards our car. Since the parking was SO atrocious, we FINALLY got to our car around 9:15. THEN we sat in MORE traffic with the non-working traffic lights. Fortunately, the route we chose took us through sorority row so we at least had some nice scenery. 

Sorry for the major blurriness but this was the Kappa Kappa Gamma house! 

So glad I got to see it. 

Gamma Phi Beta 

Apologies for another bad pic but this is the Chi Omega house.

My dad got super excited when he saw this because all throughout college he was the Chi O house boy!! He said the house looks exactly the same as he remembered and was just stunned it was still the same house!

Another pic of Chi O. 

Once we turned off sorority row we thought we were home free, but O NOOO!!! There was even MORE traffic! We FINALLY made it out of athens around 10:30pm...TWO HOURS after the game ended!! 

Overall it was an AWESOME weekend!! I got to spend an entire day with my dad watching the Gamecock on a beautiful Saturday. What more could a girl ask for???