Month: May 2023
PEEPS Cotton Candy
Easter is long gone, but the PEEPS nail polish remains…
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri “PEEPS Cotton Candy” is so fun! In addition to the sugary texture of the soft pink cotton candy colored polish, there’s also different sizes of blue glitter in the mix. “PEEPS Cotton Candy” is my favorite of ALL of the PEEPS polishes.
This is two coats of “PEEPS Cotton Candy” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat.
May 2023 Ipsy Icon Box – Anastasia Soare
Anastasia? Of Anastasia Beverly Hills? That’s a really BIG name to start off Glam Bag X’s new identity as Icon Box. Anastasia Soare is definitely an icon – a BROW icon.
I am absolutely OBSESSED with Anastasia’s contribution: the new Anastasia Beverly Hills Primrose Palette ($55). I missed it when it dropped in 2021, so it’s a not a new product at all, but it’s new to me and that is all that counts. I love a good 10 shade palette, but I really appreciate it when a brand give you HUGE pans of your base colors. The shades are neutral, yet bold and maintain the high quality that I expect from ABH. I will struggle not to use it every day for the rest of 2023.
I am also obsessed with one of my product choices – Pat McGrath Labs LiquiLUST Legendary Wear Lipstick in “Rose Divinity” ($32). It’s a metallic mauve and I LOVE it. My other product choices were Grown Alchemist Polishing Facial Exfoliant ($65) and Kate Somerville Dry Skin Saver ($56). I admit, I haven’t had a chance to try either – soon!
Also in my Icon Box: Alamar Cosmetics Alamar Essentials Eye Trio Brushes ($18); Volition Beauty Golden Eye Brightening Serum with Vitamin C + Niacinamide ($40); MAC Magic Extension 5mm Fibre Mascara in “Extensive Black” ($26); and Skin Inc Body Sculpt Fit Serum ($32.50). I haven’t tried any of these products either…I know, I’m slackin’.
All together, my box was worth $324 – not bad.
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $13/month and Icon Box (formerly Glam Bag X) for an extra $43/quarterly. If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Hook ’em, Honey
I’ve used Sinful Colors “Copper Pot” before, but not for such a special reason…last week, we celebrated the life of a close family friend, Honey, and in honor of her love of all things University of Texas, we were asked to wear burnt orange. Even graduating from a Texas System School, I don’t own a single thing in burnt orange, so my nails would have to do…I picked up one of her Bevo stuffies and was excited to see how well it matched…Hook ’em, Honey!
This is two coats of “Copper Pot” over Vibrant Scents Base Coat “Island Petals” and under Vibrant Scents Top Coat “Island Petals”. I’m not so sure that Sinful Colors is a good combo with Vibrant Scents – I caught a few bubbles in the top coat.
Diamond Freebie Haul
I love the first Monday of every month. Not because it’s a Monday, but because that’s when Ulta has their “Diamond Love List”, which is full of exclusive deals and freebies for Diamond Members!
The best part about the “Diamond Love List” is getting to try new products before the official launch. Fresh Rose & Hyaluronic Acid Lightweight Moisturizer ($46) is a lighter version of the Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream that I love. I’ve been using it under my makeup and I love how light it feels. It’s a bit pricier than Oil of Olay, but those are damn near $30 now! I’m getting uncomfortably close to 50 years old, so it might be time to splurge a little bit…I mean, it’s not La Mer.
My hair needs more than a sample pack of deep conditioner, so I splurged on Joico K-PAK Color Therapy Luster Lock ($38.50). It came with a gift with purchase – a free shower cap and hair wrap set. Who doesn’t need an extra shower cap and hair wrap?
What else did I “add to cart”? Aquaphor Touch-Free Healing Ointment ($9.99) is THE BEST. Smartypits Natural Deodorant Sample Pack – Sensitive Skin ($10, down from $20) – I couldn’t pass up this set of 4 trial size deodorants. So far, I’ve only used “Rose Lavender”, but it hasn’t irritated my skin. I also picked up a few more Flowery Nail Buffers, at 40% off. I also got a pair of Diane Daisy/Clean-Cut Shear 5” ($8.79, down from $10.99) for Logan. I caught him cutting his hair with kitchen scissors!
My order also contained a birthday gift for my sister…not pictured.
…and now for the free stuff! I got an exclusive Clarins 4 piece set with my $35 skincare purchase: Clarins Double Serum Eye; Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté; Total Cleansing Oil; Extra-Firming Night Cream; and Instant Smooth – that’s five things! I also got a free mystery gift with select hair care purchase: it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Anti-Aging; Biolage Strength Repairing Spray; Love Wellness Call Me Collagen; Drybar Liquid Glass Shampoo & Conditioner; Verb Ghost Shampoo & Conditioner; Ouidad Water Works Clarifying Shampoo; Living proof. Perfect hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment; and it Cosmetics Bye Bye Lines Serum. Last, but not least, I got a Platinum & Diamond Exclusive 11 piece gift with $35 hair purchase: Biolage All-In-One Multi-benefit Spray; Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother; Living proof. Perfect hair Day Enhancing Treatment; Batiste Dry Shampoo; Bed Head Master Piece Hairspray; ANOTHER Love Wellness Call Me Collagen; Better Not Younger Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo (but no conditioner?); Virtue Healing Oil; OUAI Treatment Masque; and Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave-In Conditioner. My hair is so lucky!
On top of all those freebies, I was able to use a $10 off $50 coupon…just $718 to Diamond in 2024.
Dead Flowers
Well of course I’m going to gravitate towards a nail polish called “Dead Flowers” – duh.
This is Poetry Cowgirl “Dead Flowers” from April’s Polish Pickup. It’s an absolutely PACKED microglitter – primarily silver, blue and rust colored glitter.
I used Vibrant Scents Base Coat and Top Coat in “Island Petals”, with two coats of “Dead Flowers”. The top coat is fairly thin and I could feel the texture of the glitter through the top coat. It could’ve used some help from Glitter Grabber, but I wanted to see what it was like on it’s own.
Polish Pickup April 2023 – Flowers
I’ve been following Polish Pickup for years and years, but never bought anything…I was happy with my Julep and Sinful Colors, and whatever else I found at the grocery store…but I am no longer getting half a dozen new polishes every month…so splurging on Indie Polish is much more attractive these days. PLUS, supporting small business – I’m in!
April’s theme was “Flowers”. The first thing I added to my basket was Baroness X Acetone Antidote in “Darkness Falls” ($8). It’s an additive that protects your skin from acetone – and it smells great. It contains glycerin and jojoba oil. I added about half the bottle (probably too much) to my little up&up nail polish remover finger tub and it does exactly what it says it does – my fingers were soft and moisturized and smelled like peonies and musk. I will be a repeat customer, for sure.
I also tried out Vibrant Scents’ Base Coat and Top Coat in “Island Petals” ($8.50 each). They have a lovely tropical scent – plumeria maybe? The scent doesn’t last long, but it’s an absolute improvement over the usual nail polish smell.
I only snagged one nail polish – Poetry Cowgirl “Dead Flowers” ($12.50), a dense microglitter. Stay tuned to see it!
Chira
I am really liking the change in scenery in my nail pictures. Since tearing down our old patio cover and building a new one, I don’t get the same quality of light on the patio. I’ve since moved to the area right outside my garage, which includes a few Sago Palms and my succulent collection. I am still experimenting, but I think the Sago Palm is winning.
Julep “Chira” is a rich teal microshimmer. If I was asked to describe this polish, I’d call it midnight teal.
This is two coats of “Chira” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
PEEP My Skin Haul
YASSSS! I was hoping for more textured PEEPS polish to go on clearance after Easter and I was able to snag another Sally Hansen Insta-Dri x PEEPS Nail Polish Duo Pack for 30% off ($8.39, down from $11.99). This Pack includes “PEEPS Classic Chick” and “PEEPS Cotton Candy”.
My dermatologist suggested benzoyl peroxide for my bacne, so I snagged CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser, which happened to be 20% off ($15.19, down from $18.99). I haven’t started using it yet – I wanted to wait until after I washed my sheets, so I could make sure my dirty sheets weren’t making it worse. I washed my sheets TODAY, so tomorrow will start my bacne attack.
They were a whopping 60% off, so I grabbed Ulta Beauty Milky Toner ($4, down from $10) and Shine Bright Exfoliating Face Polish (also $4, down from $10). The Face Polish smells go good!
The weirdest thing – there was a random extra item in my box: Flower Blush Bomb in “Cinnamon”. I would never order this product – so weird. The sticker price is only $11.49, so I don’t feel bad about keeping it. I’ll maybe give it to my daughter or my nieces.
No other freebies, but I did use a $3.50 off $15 coupon. $856 to Diamond in 2024…
Eras Tour Nails
About this time the Sunday before last, I was sitting in my seat at NRG Stadium, patiently waiting for Taylor Swift…
I’ve been to a lot of concerts in my day, and I am not exaggerating when I say that it might be the best concert I’ve ever been to – it was a Las Vegas style spectacle! Almost everyone there was dressed up in one of Taylor’s eras…but I chose to dress up my nails instead, copying Taylor’s own eras tour mani. (In case you’re curious, my son dressed as “Red” and my daughter dressed as “Folklore”.) I started off each nail with Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat, and finished with Glisten & Glow Top Coat. A few nails got Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber.
“Debut” was easy – Deborah Lippmann “Mermaid’s Dream”.
I have A LOT of gold polishes, but I chose Sinful Colors Sinful Shine “Rule My World” for “Fearless” because it was on top of the pile.
“Speak Now” was a bit more difficult. I started with two coats of Deborah Lippmann “I Put a Spell on You”, but it was too sheer and pink, so I topped with a layer of Julep “Queen Anne” and Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber. Yes, that’s perfect.
“Red” was a HARD one – I have literally 100 red polishes. Again, I resorted to just using the first shimmery red I found, which was Sinful Colors Power Paint “Shine, Honey”.
I couldn’t do just a plain black for “Reputation” – I had to have the gold flakies in Sinful Colors “Buzz Off”.
“1989” was totally screwed up. In the bottle, Sinful Colors “Poison Arrow” looks blue, but on the nails, it looked more aqua.
Julep “Hartleigh” was my immediate pick for “Lover”. The base is two coats of Deborah Lippman “Chantilly Lace”, topped with “Hartleigh” and Glitter Grabber.
Not quite sure why “Evermore” is silver, but I picked Sinful Colors Sinful Shine “Diamond in the Raw” for my silver.
“Folklore” is a boring old taupe. Julep “Kay” is the least boring taupe I could find.
Taylor’s newest album, “Midnights” deserved the sky at midnight, so I chose Sinful Colors “Witch, Please”. I loved this nail the most – I need to revist “Witch, Please” again in the near future.
And there you have it…my eras nails. Who else should I do? The first 10 Madonna albums? Or maybe Weird Al?