My poor nails have been suffering for these past few months. Yellowing, and breaking, they've just become so brittle. It's not good. For the past two weeks I have been working towards getting my nails back in the shape they were at the start of this blog, and that in includes keeping my nails reasonably short, and using the products shown above/listed below.

I have been careful to have OPI Nail Envy (original) on all the time, with or without color on top. I make sure to use two coats each time I apply it. It has actually been doing an amazing at protecting my nails, and the new nail that is growing is is not stained. It's amazing as a base coat, and as a strengthener.  I am noticing slightly less pealing. They're getting there.

The trick to having great nails is by starting from the beginning, and that means cuticle oil. I am using the Julep Essential Cuticle Oil at least once daily. I'm hoping this is working, it's hard to tell since it'll be at least another month before that part of the nail become the tips.

I make sure to moisturize my hands, focusing on the nails. I have a lot of hand creams, but currently I am using the Julep Body Frosting. It takes just a little to cover my hands, and it smells amazing.

Occasionally I use the Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream. I'll usually do this once every few days instead of my cuticle oil.

I'm hoping this all works. I used to have strong nails, and I miss them. I want them back.

What are some of the products in your nail care routine? Do you have a holy grail product I should know about and try?

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Labeling Julep | quick tip

I was thinking today about my nail polish collection, and how people like to put a little bit of polish on top of the caps to make it easier to find the color. The only issue I have with seeing to color are with my Julep bottles. Julep came out with a batch of Swatch Me stickers. I know they came with a Maven box, I didn't not get that one, and I haven't seen them online yet.

I decided to take the cheaper route, and grab my hole reinforcements. I cut them into four parts, and placed them on the caps. I them popped the cap off (super easy to do), and put the polish on the sticker.

Quick, cheap, and super simple. I don't know how this will work for other brands, I know the Butter London caps pop off (there's no other way to use them without popping them off), but I don't know of any others.

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Updated Daily Essentials

I was looking at my last essentials post and I realized how much of what's inside has changed. I mix up the eyeshadows and lip products, of course, but other than that the rest is pretty much what my daily look includes.

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder- I've actually hit pan on this. I've been using it for months, and I am not loving it. I'm actually silently hoping I'll finish it quickly. Neutrogena Skin Clearing foundation- You all have seen this plenty of times already. Do I really need to get into how much I like this product? Maybelline Instand Age Rewind concealer- I bought this after my mom raved about it. I like it, but I don't think it's my holy grail. I'm still looking!

Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour eyeshadow (Decadent)- The pink shade in this quad is my favorite. I also love the orange tinted one. I haven't been using this quad as much lately, but I can't bring myself to put it in my drawer. Revlon Lip Butter (Candy Apple)- I am not a red lip type of person, but for some reason I am loving the look it gives when I just pat it on.

Pixi Large Lash Mascara- Again, you have heard me rave about this product as well as the Pixi Lash Line Ink. What more can I say? I'm obsessed with the eyeliner, and the mascara is really nice and smudge proof. Perfect for my allergies that have plagued my life this year so far. The Neutrogena MoistureShine Gloss (Nurti Berry)- What a color. If I'm not wearing Candy Apple, I'm wearing this. Avon Ultra Luxury eyeliner (Eggplant)- I have been wearing this eyeliner on my lower lash line since I first discovered it 1 year ago. It's my safety blanket, in a way.

Geurlain Meteorites Brush- I've had this brush for years, and it's never steered my wrong. I use it with my powder, not just my Meteorites. Real Techniques domed eyeshadow brush-  I use this with my Revlon quad, but I wish I had something a little bit different.  Avon Loose Eyeshadow (Enchanted Lilac)- I must be obsessed with purple or something, because I just recently stuck this in my bag with the intentions of using it again. Avon Cream Eyeshadow (Pebble Stone)- I had this in my favorites, and I am still loving it. I apply it with my finger still. I haven't invested in a brush yet. I really need to.

What are some of your go to makeup items? Any I should try out?

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Jubilee Grapefruit Body Scrub | Review

About the Product

Sizes: 4oz and 8oz

Prices: 6oz- $6 | 8oz- $10

Natural and homemade

Scents: Grapefruit, Peppermint, Jasmine, Orange

Ingredients: Sugar, Coconut Oil, Honey, and Essential Oils

-Thoughts-

I held onto this scrub for a little bit before trying it out. I do know the Etsy seller, she was a childhood friend of mine, and her mother works with mine (I also technically work with her mom too, but my job is kind of funky). That's how I got ahold of this product; my mom talked to her mom and mentioned this little blog of mine. Ok, so that's the back story of this little tale.

As I said, I held onto it for a bit. I did notice that the oils began to separate from the sugar, as oils normally do. It didn't effect the product. For some reason today when I went to use it the pool of oil was gone. Does sugar absorb oil? I really don't know. I just added a little bit of water on my hands, and it worked like normal. It just looks different, the product wasn't really effected. No idea what went wrong there, it could be that that's what it normally looks like and I was so used to the separation. I wouldn't put it past me, so I really don't think it's a huge deal as far as the product quality goes.

Being a sugar scrub, it dissolves as you use it. The smell isn't as obviously grapefruit as it was with the QTICA scrub I reviewed last year, but it also doesn't have all the artificial ingredients that one has. The scent is nice, regardless, and doesn't linger on the hands (a feature I personally like).

After using it, I immediately notice how much softer my skin is. My skin doesn't feel dry, or greasy after using the product.

Overall, I really do like it. If we're comparing prices, it's cheaper than the Qtica one, and better than any sea salt scrub I've tried (I don't like sea salt scrubs, though).

Do I recommend? Yes. Would I purchase this product? Possibly, I'm currently looking at my sugar scrub options, so I don't know if I will be repurchasing any for a while. It's definitely a contender.

Jubilee Bath and Body | Check out the shop

How often do you shop at Etsy? Do you prefer natural products over a big name brand?

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