Month: August 2020

 
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Sephora Favorites Hello! Holy-Grail Greats

As soon as I start complaining about missing subscription boxes, Sephora releases another Hello! set. Even if it’s not all that great a set, I went ahead and ordered it – just to get some mail.

I didn’t think I’d like the Farmacy Daily Greens Oil-Free Gel Moisturizer with Moringa and Papaya, but it feels really nice on my skin. It’s similar to belif Aqua Bomb in silkiness.

I wore Valentino Donna Born in Roma today and I was surprised at how much I liked it – I don’t usually like woody oriental scents. I didn’t get an Italian vibe from this scent, it was very Far Eastern.

Also in the Holy-Grail Greats set: Tarte Lights, Camera, Action 4-in-1 Mascara (meh); Moroccanoil Treatment Light (meh); Smashbox Photo Finish Vitamin Glow (interested to try it); and Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 (meh).

The set was $10 and I used FREESHIP to get free shipping. The set also came with coupons for 15% off a full size purchase of each of the included products.

I’ve been saving up Beauty Insider points for several years and decided to use 500 points to get the Fresh Rose Hydration Heaven Set, which includes one of my favorite moisturizers – Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream, as well as Soy Face Cleanser, Rose Face Mask, and Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 (my favorite balm).

I received two fragrance samples with my order. Leila Lou by Rosie Jane is a heavy jasmine scent – it didn’t smell bad, but it was too much jasmine for me. I’ll be giving this one away. Viktor & Rolf Magic Salty Flower is more my speed. There’s a touch of jasmine in this scent, but there are more blossomy and salty accords. I’ll be keeping this one.

$163 to VIB status in 2021.

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Influenster Vox Box – Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex

It’s been awhile since I’ve gotten a beauty product Vox Box – the last few have been food…but I just received the newly formulated Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex.

I’ll be honest, I use a wide variety of skin products and my skin tolerates a wide variety of products, but my skin REALLY likes Advanced Night Repair. It’s a lightly scented, light-weight serum. It disappears into my skin within seconds. It doesn’t break me out and when I wake up, my skin is glowing. I feel like my skintone is more even and not as dull as it was a week ago. I’ve gotten samples of the original formula Advanced Night Repair with several different Ulta orders and it was fine, but I don’t feel that it was as nice to my skin as this new formula. I’ll be super sad when my sample runs out.

Literally the only negative about this product is the price. The smallest size – 0.67 ounces – is $50 and a full ounce is $75. I would be hard pressed to spend that kind of money on a serum at 44 years old. Ask me again at 54 years old though…

As always, product was received complimentary, for reviewing purposes.

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The Always Extra Mermaid Parade

What’s better than a $1.50 nail polish? TWO $1.50 nail polishes.

I picked up THE GLITTER – Sally Hansen Mega Strength “Mermaid Parade” – in my last Ulta order. I ventured out to Ulta this past Sunday for a haircut – I’m pretty sure I haven’t gotten it cut since some time in 2019 – and found Sally Hansen Mega Strength “Always Extra”, a nude sheer with a pink shimmer. These two are meant to be together – they have adjoining bottle numbers! “Always Extra” is 016 and “Mermaid Parade” is 017.

I used Sally Hansen Double Duty for the base coat. It’s not the best, but I’m trying to use up the bottle. All of my nails got two coats of “Always Extra”, except for the pinky, which got two coats of “Mermaid Parade”. I did a full coat of “Mermaid Parade” on top of “Always Extra” on my ring finger, and just did the tip of my middle finger. I finished with Glisten & Glow Top Coat.

I am in LOVE with “Mermaid Parade” – I am going to use it alone soon.

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Target Queen

I went to Target a month or so ago, and it was WEIRD. The dressing rooms are still closed, but it didn’t really matter, since there were no good sales. COVID-19 has sucked all the fun out of Target.

I used up my “Queen Bee” Rollerball, so I decided to switch to the Good Chemistry “Queen Bee” Body Spray with essential oils ($9.99). Now I can DROWN myself in it, instead of just hitting my pulse points. I wish they sold lotion and shower gel – I would buy the hell out of it.

I went ahead and stocked up on my Target stuff – Laundry Detergent, Contact Solution, Rewetting Drops, Polish Remover and Exfoliating Cotton Pads. Even though I got reusable polish remover pads, I still need Cotton Rounds for my skincare regimen.

I was able to use a $3.50 off $15 coupon from my Target Beauty Box…I better use them while I can, because Target Beauty Box is another victim of COVID-19 – they’ve been discontinued, too!

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Hella Bright

I was NOT expecting the peach shimmer peaking through the purple polish in Sinful Colors “Hella Bright” – surprise!

How have I missed trying out this polish from last year’s Neon Collection? It’s stunning.

This is two coats of “Hella Bright” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.

You’ll notice that I stubified my nails and cut them all fairly short. A few of the longer nails were getting sharp, so I just went ahead and cut them all to match. I feel really self-conscious of how short they are…

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Beautifully Bizarre

Don’t blame the polish – it’s my fault. I am totally incompetent when it comes to apply light or white nail polishes. I apply the polish too thickly, and it pools in the creases of my nails, which is exacerbated by adding a top coat. When I pick off the ragged edges of the top coat, it leaves ragged edges instead of a smooth line. Ugh, I need to start cleaning up with acetone or something…

But regardless of how ugly my paint job was, this polish is GORGEOUS in person. Pictures do not do it justice – you cannot even see the teal shimmer under neath this pink pearl polish. This is Orly “Beautifully Bizarre”, a $2.38 steal from Ulta.

The first coat was a bit streaky, but two coats was just right. I started with Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and topped with Glisten & Glow Top Coat. I had to see it mattified, so I used Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat on my ring finger. It was nice I guess, but muted the teal shimmer too much for my liking.

More pearlescent polishes!