Shellac and Gel nail polish alternatives

Fed up with my nicked nails by the time I returned home from my weekly manicure, I wondered, "Do drugstore nail polishes really work? Is there an alternative to Shellac?" I'd been trying a couple of things to try to extend my manicure past, oh say, 2 hours, and I think I've found the solution in Revlon. Yes, you read that right: Revlon! I'm so impressed with the durability of my newfound favorite nail polish that I've been taking it with me to the salon to get manicures. And no, I'm not being paid to say this! The photo below was taken 7 days after my manicure!

But why, you might ask, do I not like Shellac or gel manicures? To me, they hurt. It hurts when it's time to take off the polish, and then my nails hurt for days afterwards, which makes me wonder what else is coming off my nails besides the nail polish. But boy did I love those 2 weeks of not worrying about my hands.

Although Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy won't last as long as 2 weeks, but if you apply the topcoat every couple of days, I've been able to stretch my manicure to 10 days. And there's no UV light.

I'm loving these Revlon polishes so much that I went out and bought 2 more colors! I hope you like it too.

xo ~Kim

Lanakin

Throughout my entire life, there’s only been one thing that I’ve been jealous of my brother for. It’s not that he’s smarter than me, that he has a better sense of style than me, or that his level of common sense definitely out ranks mine; it’s the fact that his eye lashes are so luscious. Ever since the day he was born, he’s had amazing eye lashes while mine have been on the more “stubby” side. It’s something that I’ve learned to live with and throughout my years living with him, I’ve learned that he will forever have the better genes in the eyelash department.

However I felt my luck in the lashes department start to change when Lanakin reached out to me asking if I wanted to test out their  eyelash lengthening formula. I was all ears/all lashes. Anything to make my eyelashes look more luscious and beautiful than my brother’s oh so perfect lashes is seriously right up my alley. These are just the before pictures, but in just a few short weeks I’ll be back with an update post letting you know how awesome my new and improved eyelashes turn out to be, and if it really is possible to pull through and have the best eyelashes in the undeclared sibling war.

If you’re interested in purchasing Lanakin, feel free to use our discount code to get 10% off your order! The code is POPCO10

Have you ever used anything to help your eyelashes grow? If so, I’d love to hear about your results! xox Chloe

Morning Routine

My friends and I were having a conversation about whether we were morning or night people the other day, and it really got me thinking. What is is that makes us favor one or the other? I know that I love to wake up early, get my boring "to-dos" out of the way, and have the rest of the day left to diddle daddle and relax. Some of my friends would rather snooze all morning and then feel a sense of dooming pressure in accomplishing their "to-dos." I just think it's so weird how we're all wired so differently but all so similar at the same time. Anyway, this trail of thinking somehow got me inspired to share my morning routine with you lovely readers. I don't really think I do anything special, but I love seeing what products other people use so I thought, "what the heck."

And here we go..

+The first thing I do is lotion my body. I have extremely dry skin, and living in Colorado isn't doing my skin any favors. I absolutely adore The Body Shop's lotions and the Coconut flavor has such a subtle and clean scent. I would totally try this one out!

+Next, I apply deodorant. This might be TMI and you probably don't care, but I sweat profusely. I joke around and say that my armpits are geysers, but I'm not really kidding. They literally leak. This Dove deodorant works wonders and it smells great too! Plus, Costco sells it in a super size pack if you're into buying in bulk.

+I then move onto making my face look pretty. I usually start with curling my eyelashes, and I use the Shu Uemura curler. I swear it's the best eyelash curler out there. I'm clumsy, as you might know, so putting a metal clamp near my eye is dangerous, but I have yet to pinch my eye lid with this curler (I knocked on wood as I typed this).

+I then apply some eyeliner and mascara. Nothing too fancy happens here. I use Chanel's Noir pencil eyeliner. I change my mascara pretty often, but I love Maybelline's Colossal Mascara. +Next, I add a quick swipe of blush to my cheeks. I actually just recently started wearing blush and I feel like it makes my face look more awake and interesting. Dumb? Maybe, but whatever. I use Mac's Mable. If you have any suggestions for a good blush, let me know!

+The next step I take is spray a little splash of perfume on. I think if I had to only choose one of these steps to complete in the morning it would be this one. I don't know why, and I know it's weird, but I love smelling good. It's an instant confidence booster. Lately, all I've been using is this vanilla perfume from Anthropologie. My cousin and I tried it on randomly while shopping together and we both fell in love with it. Everyone smells something different when it's on, from marshmallows to hot fudge to fresh baked cookies. Everyone loves it though! This Anthro perfume is also a great option!

+Lastly, I brush my teeth because I'm human and I have basic hygiene. So go me, I guess. And that's all! I don't really do anything extraordinary different than the rest of the female population, I don't think, but I thought it might be interesting for you all to know what I do in the morning to make myself feel more presentable.

Do we use any of the same products in our morning routine? If so, let me know! What does your morning routine include? Thanks for reading! xox Chloe