4 Months?!?! An update + an apology.

Guys. Can we just talk about how I suck at blogging? I'm embarrassed. I'm ashamed. It's been almost FOUR months since my last post. I'm not going to waste time with excuses. I'm just going to apologize. I am truly sorry for my absence. For those that still continue to check my blog, THANK YOU. Even though I haven't been posting, I still check the site traffic here from time to time. It warms my heart to see people still coming to this blog daily.

So, now that I'm back, let's talk. A few things are going to change on this blog.

First, I cancelled my Julep subscription. (I almost have a post ready that discusses that in detail.)Although you'll still see older Julep polishes used for nail art and occasional swatches, no new Julep collections will make the cut. And of course, no new unboxing’s or reviews on Julep products.

The second change I plan to make is to incorporate more personal posts. That was my intention all along, but I fell short and stopped blogging before I made one.

Next, I really want to bring in beauty products of all kinds. I LOVE nail polish, but there are so many other products I use and love on a regular basis.

And last but not least, I'm going to (finally) incorporate the pups! After all, the blog is called PUPS & Polish.

So there you have it. Hopefully those of you that stuck with me will continue to do so. And again, I am so thankful for the readers that haven't left me. (I'm also working on replying to your emails!) And for the readers that have forgotten about P&P, well, I can’t blame you! I hope you’ll come back!

Floral Mani with White+Mint Stripes!

Hey guys! I’m back with another nail art design. It was a bit time consuming, but I loved the way it turned out. Sadly, I can’t take credit for this design. There are hundreds of variations of this design, so if you’re interested in recreating it, you’ll have plenty of inspiration! And as always, you can create this look with any colors or brand.



Here are the products I used!



1. Rock Hard Nail Hardener Base Coat
2. Nail Striping Tape
3. Julep Ramona
4. Julep Maddy
5. Revlon Minted
6. OPI Jade is the new black
7. Julep Brigitte
8. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Here are the steps I used to create this look, as well as a close up.

1. I started with a thin coat of my base coat.
2. I applied two coats of Revlon Minted.
3. After it was completely dry, I applied nail striping tape to my pinkie to create vertical stripes. I painted a thin layer of white polish and quickly removed the tape. I repeated this on the rest of my nails, with the exception of my ring finger.
4. While the stripes were drying, I then used a dotting tool on my ring finger to create a pink blob flower.
5. I used a thin nail brush to gently add the light pink accents inside the flower, as well as the leaves.
6. I repeated the previous steps to the rest of my nails, making small light pink flowers and accenting them with the darker pink.
7. To prevent smearing, I gave my nails about 10 minutes of dry time before applying my top coat.


Hope you enjoyed this look! I had a lot of fun doing it!

Julep Swatches (June 2014)

Hey y’all! Before I get to swatching, I have to say a HUGE thank you to everyone that has taken time to check out my blog. I know it’s still in the very early stages, so to break over 200 views on my first day was completely unexpected. Thanks to everyone that shared my page, followed it on Blog Lovin’, and supports it in any way. Love you guys!

Time for some swatches! For some odd reason, I love swatching nail polishes. It’s a weird, cathartic hobby of mine. As I mentioned in my last post, I only loved one color out of the entire “Three Wishes” Collection. Although the colors were pretty, but I couldn’t help but see lots of purple and LOTS of shimmer. (Shimmer just isn’t my thing.) After going through each color, I knew Bergen was the only color I really had to have.



It has a shimmer finish, but it’s much more subtle than I thought it would be. The color is definitely darker than what Julep depicted on their site, but I still enjoy it. I pictured it as a pale gray-blue, but it has much more blue than gray. It’s a calming, quiet shade. The formula was perfect to work with. Not too thick, not too thin.

Overall verdict: I like it! With the cool, calming tones, I would almost classify this as a neutral (and I love me some neutrals).

Next we have Majorie. I have to preface this swatch by saying that I really do not like the color orange. It’s my LEAST favorite color. Maybe I have hostility towards it because it’s really the only color I cannot wear. (Lots of yellow undertones in my skin + orange = Oompa Loompa status.) I would have never purchased this color for myself, but because it came as a free gift for choosing three add-ons to my box, it was out of my hands. I have to admit, I was kind of bummed when I opened the box and saw it. But, fair is fair. I decided to give it a shot.



Like Bergen, it has a very slight shimmer. It’s definitely a bright, fun, summery orange. The website describes it as a sheer finish, but I found that it was completely opaque after two coats.

Overall verdict: It’s okay (for me). I would recommend this color to others in a heartbeat. It’s just not my personal favorite based on my skin tone and preference. The formula is great to work with, and although I don’t see myself reaching for it for a complete manicure, it’s good to have around for nail art.

Last but not least, we have Veronica. Finally a crème formula! I LOVE the crème formulas that Julep offers. It’s a nice, mauve pink and it’s completely opaque after one coat. (You can’t beat one-coaters.) It’s obviously a thicker formula than the sheers, but still incredibly easy to work with. Like Majorie, I’m not sure if I would have picked this color myself. I tend to stick with pale pinks because they’re so neutral. However, I’m really happy they chose this color to give away. It’s very feminine, without being over the top.



Overall verdict: Love it. I can see myself reaching for this color quite a bit. I love that it’s a deeper, more wearable pink. I think it’s great for all ages and skin tones.




*Thanks for being patient with me as I continue to improve upon these posts. Please excuse picture quality, lighting, and/or typos. It’s still a learning curve and will improve with time!

Julep Maven June 2014 Unboxing

It’s here! The moment I’ve been waiting for. Some of you may know my obsession with Julep. Others might not. I’ve been a Julep Maven for 4 months now, and I have to say, this month is by far the best.

So far, I’ve been content with the boxes. I haven’t been in love with them, but I haven’t hated them either. The formulas used in the polishes are great, but the colors in each collection leave a lot to be desired. Call me crazy, but the recent collections are a little too sparkly and pastel for my taste. This month was no different.

I decided to branch out and try the “Core Classics” box. I’ve been bored with my skin care lately, and I’ve read rave reviews on the Bare Face Cleansing Oil. This was the best choice I could have possibly made. Not only did I get double Jules (reward points) for selecting that particular box this month, but I also used the Jules I already had to essentially pay for my add-ons!

For my add-ons I selected the color Bergen (aka the ONLY color I liked in this month’s entire collection), a pack of two Konjac Cleansing Sponges, and the Luxe Repair Skin Serum. As a gift for selecting 3 add-ons, I got two additional polishes for free. The total for everything was just over $51, but because I used my Jules, I only paid $25. Score!



I can't wait to test my new goodies out! Stay tuned for reviews and swatches!