Month: January 2023
Hypnotic Frenzy Skittles
Mini Sets are a natural choice for Skittle Manicures…so I grabbed the Julep Hypnotic Frenzy Set and got to work. It is a 6 polish set and it was SO HARD to give one the boot. Sorry “Brita”, you did not make the cut.
I kept it simple and did two coats of each polish over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. The three glitter polishes got a coat of Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber for good luck.
Going from thumb to pinky, I used Bombshell “Kirra” – Icy purple multidimensional glitter; Boho Glam “Maryann” – Lilac mauve shimmer; Boho Glam “Agatha” – Gilded bronze multidimensional glitter; Bombshell “O’Neill” – Sleek copper chrome; and It Girl “Vinsy” – Blooming pink multidimensional glitter. I don’t know that I got the order exactly right, but I really likes how this one turned out.
Carrot Cake
This nail polish makes me SO hungry for Whataburger! If you know, you know…
This is Nailtopia “Carrot Cake” and it is quite carrot-like. Fun fact, when I posted this pic on Insta, I used #🥕 – which got my post shadow banned. I edited it out later…I guess #🥕 means something bad? Maybe penis-related?
This is two coats of “Carrot Cake” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. So shiny!
First Ulta Haul of 2023
Well…that didn’t take long. The first Diamond Offers email arrived on January 2nd and I jumped right on it!
I wasn’t planning on getting the Urban Decay Cosmetics Naked x Robin Eisenberg Eyeshadow Palette ($27, down from $54), but half price made it a lot more attractive. Initially, I was put off by the lack of “naked” colors in a “naked” palette, but I was pleasantly surprised by how wearable these bright shimmery colors are. There are several color-shifting duochrome shadows, which are like catnip to me. I can see myself wearing this one quite a bit!
I didn’t want to forget to redeem my Diamond gift of a free Clinique Foundation, so I guessed at my shade and chose Clinique Beyond Perfecting Powder Foundation + Concealer in “0.5 Breeze” (normally $36). I chose correctly and this is a GREAT powder foundation – not cakey at all. Since all Clinique was 25%, I also picked up a back-up tube of Clinique Almost Lipstick in “Black Honey” ($16.50, down from $22). I never thought I’d be a Clinique girl like my mom, but here we are.
I threw some fun clearance items into my cart – a few $1.25 nail polishes, Nailtopia “Carrot Cake” and “Blueberry Milk”. I am out of samples of micellar water, so I am trying out wet n wild Makeup Remover Micellar Cleansing Water ($4.99).
I got a few different freebies with this order. I received a BareMinerals Platinum & Diamond Exclusive 4 Piece Gift with $35 makeup purchase, which includes Ageless 10% Phyto-Retinol Night Concentrate, Prime Time Original Foundation Primer, and Mineral Veil Finishing Powder in a very nice Makeup Bag. I also received an Exuviance Diamond & Platinum Exclusive! Free 4 Piece Gift with $25 purchase, which includes Deep Clean AHA Cleanser, Glycolic Expert Moisturizer, Overnight Transformation Complex, and A.G.E. Less Everyday Moisturizer. My skin is gonna look AMAZING.
Just $1,149 to Diamond in 2024…
The Dregs
When you hit the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale a few days before the end, you save yourself A LOT of money…that’s because all that’s left are the dregs and there are not many good deals!
I only spent about $14 – I bought a couple of “Strawberry Poundcake” Shower Gels at 75%, a “Vampire Blood” Single Wick Candle, and some sour goo lip gloss for Lil. I didn’t even get to use a coupon!
Jello Skittles
2023 is the year of the skittle manicure!
I have declared it, so shall it be.
I call this “Jello Skittles” – because this sheer matte polish looks like Jello.
I started with Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and then two coats of each color. Yellow is Sinful Colors “See-Through Citrine”, green is Sinful Colors “Sheer-Treuse”, teal is Sinful Colors “Turnt-Quoise”, blue is Sinful Colors “Kiss of Cobalt”, and purple is Sinful Colors “Veiled in Violet”.
I didn’t use a top coat, so I could keep the matte finish, but I definitely need to try then with a glossy top coat.
Champagne Bubbles
After being disappointed in “Rock Candy”, I demanded an immediate do-over to create Champagne Bubbles.
I started with Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and two coats of Funky Fingers “Oh Be One”. It’s an oyster shell polish, so a few streaks and brush marks, but nothing a little glitter cannot handle. For the gold glitter, I used essie “Summit of Style”. I topped with Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber and Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
I am VERY pleased with how my Champagne Bubbles turned out! I thought I was being original, but it turns out I did something similar…
Rock Candy
I wanted something shiny and eye-catching for New Year’s Eve…you know, for the couch…and it turns out that this nail look is about as exciting as my night last night – I was in bed by 10ish and MOST DEFINITELY asleep before midnight.
Sinful Colors “Rock Candy” is from the Jelly Topper Collection – the polish is packed with silver and blue glitter, no complaints there – but the jelly is clear. There’s just not much depth to this polish. Also, my nails are so stained that is appears to have almost a gold cast to it – that’s not the polish, it’s my nails.
This is two coats of “Rock Candy” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber and Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
I want glitter, but with something underneath to hide my hideous stained nails…