Month: May 2024
Queen of Rot
I am so out of touch with the video game world…Bee’s Knees “Queen of Rot” is inspired by a boss named Malenia, from the game Eldin Ring. I googled her and she seems to have her titties out. Good for her! Slay them all with your titties out!
I like a nice color-shifting moment, and “Queen of Rot” shifts from a dark forest green to a scabby brownish red. I like it a lot. (This was the first polish I picked from the April batch.)
This is two coats of “Queen of Rot” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Melt Down” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Raspberry Pop”.
Hummingbird
I love hummingbirds – they’re my second favorite bird, after the noble flamingo.
Penelope Luz “Hummingbird” is from February’s Polish Pickup. The only kind I see around here are ruby throats, which are green – but I’m sure there are beautiful blue hummingbirds in Mexico and Central America.
This is two coats of “Hummingbird” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Melt Down” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Raspberry Pop”.
Mileena Wins
Yes, THAT Mileena. Emily de Molly “Mileena Wins” is from April’s Video Games Polish Pickup and is inspired by Mileena from Mortal Kombat II. You know, the hot pink version of Kitana, except with TEETH. I LOVE looking at this polish!
I have literally a thousand hot pink polishes, but that’s what I love about Polish Pickup – each polish is so different that I’ll soon have two thousand hot pink nail polishes. To be fair, it’s really a red jelly with blue shimmer and gold glitter…but my human eyes detect hot pink.
This is two coats of “Mileena Wins” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Melt Down” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Raspberry Pop”.
May 2024 Ipsy Icon Box – Patrick Starrr
No, not Spongebob Squarepants’ best friend…this is Patrick Starrrr with 3 Rs!
Patrick Starrr is one of the OG YouTube Beauty Influencers. If there was a Mount Rushmore of YouTube Beauty, Patrick would be up there with Nikkie Tutorials and Manny MUA. Patrick’s beauty brand, One/Size has grown steadily and honestly, it’s great to see more diversity in an industry that has been traditionally dominated by white women.
That being said, not all of the products worked for me. I wanted to love One/Size Turn Up the Base Blurring Foundation in “Fair 3” ($35), but it oxidized on my chin immediately and gave so much texture. The color match was great – but my skin is just not a good fit. It wasn’t as hellacious as the Charlotte Tilbury, at least…
I did, however, LOVE the One/Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette in “Gworly Pop” ($38) – I love having a matte choice and a shimmery choice. I probably won’t use the cream…but never say never. I also like the One/Size Eye Popper Sparkle Vision Eyeshadow in “Everything & More” ($24) – it was one of my product choices. I usually stay away from liquid eyeshadow, but this one is blendable and beautiful.
My other product choices worked out as well: 5 SENS “Life of the Party” Eau de Parfum ($65) and Huda Beauty BOMBBROWS Microshade Pencil in “Medium Brown” ($17). This is actually the most precise brow pencil I’ve ever used – it’s almost “too” thin. I think I’d like to try a darker shade, though.
Also in this quarter’s box: Fenty Beauty Icon Semi Matte Refillable Lipstick in “Motha Love” ($20 for the case and $12 for the lipstick) – which was frustrating as fuck to put together; Kosas GrowPotion Fluffy Brow + Lash Boosting Serum ($48) – haven’t tried yet; and The Nue Co. Water Therapy Fragrance ($60) – a unique and masculine fragrance.
$319 worth of products for $74 – not bad!
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $14/month (recently increased from $13/month) and Icon Box (formerly Glam Bag X) for an extra $60/quarterly (recently increased from $43/quarterly). If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Little King Trash Mouth
It’s SO hard to capture a solar polish…
Cat Tail Nails “Little King Trash Mouth” is from February’s Polish Pickup and is inspired by the raccoon that lives in the alley behind Bob’s Burgers. I’ve never seen a single episode of that show, but I appreciate raccoons.
“Little King Trash Mouth” is supposed to go from pure white crystalline matte flakies to a dark gray in the sunlight. I admit, I fucked it up the first time. I put a top coat over it and it didn’t change colors a goddamn bit. It was a lovely polish, but it didn’t do anything in the sun. I removed it and didn’t use a top coat…and the results still weren’t very good. It changed to a light purplish shade…but nowhere near as dark as the sample pics…disappointed, to say the least.
This is two coats of “Little King Trash Mouth” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Melt Down”. I DID use Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Raspberry Pop” on my pinky nails…but it didn’t seem to make much difference?
Kevin for King!
I’ve never heard of the game “Overcooked!” or Kevin the dog. I’m OLD. Apparently, it’s a Nintendo Switch game? In any case, Krisable Designs “Kevin for King!”, from April’s Polish Pickup, is inspired by Kevin the dog, from “Overcooked!”.
I am a nut for turquoise/teal polishes, ESPECIALLY if there is copper glitter involved. So this one was a no-brainer…
This is two coats of “Kevin for King!” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Melt Down” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Raspberry Pop”.
Polish Pickup April 2024 – Video Games
Did I need another $90 worth of nail polish?
The answer is clearly YES.
April’s Polish Pickup theme was “Video Games” – and that’s such a good theme! I picked a few of these polishes just for the theme…
Bee’s Knees “Queen of Rot” ($14) is inspired by Malenia from Elden Ring. (Insert Melania joke here.)
Dam Nail Polish “NO! Not Rainbow Road!” ($13.50) is inspired by the hardest level of Mario Kart.
Fancy Gloss “I Think I Have an Idea” ($13.50) is inspired by the game Rayman.
Krisable Designs “Kevin for King!” ($12.50) is inspired by Kevin the Dog from the Overcooked Series.
Cadillacquer “The Killing Moon” ($14) is inspired by Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, but I am gonna pretend it’s about Donnie Darko.
Emily de Molly “Mileena Wins” ($13) is inspired by Mileena from Mortal Kombat II.
I bet you cannot guess which one I’m trying first…
Pamplemousse Rose Ulta Haul
I bought someone a birthday present…which I am not posting about…but is it bad that I kept the free stuff that came with it?
I mean, a few of the items were for me – Ulta Scented Foaming Hand Wash, Essence Pink Is The New Black Colour-Changing Lip & Cheek Balm, and a GIMME beauty Thick Hair XL Barrell Claw Clip (they sent the wrong fucking clip, but it still holds all my hair, so it’s fine).
I received a free 10 piece Clean Ingredients gift with my $70 purchase: belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb (LOVE this stuff); Live Tinted Hueguard 3-in-1 Mineral Suncreen Moisturizer Primer (I had been wanting to try this); Love Wellness bye bye bloat; Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Eye Treatment; Sunday Riley Auto Correct; Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil; Lanolips Tinted Lip Balm; fur Ingrown Concentrate (oooh, I have one RIGHT NOW); and Peach Slices Snail Rescue. Wow – I wanna try ALL of these…and I also got a free mystery gift. Inside the mystery gift: Donna Karan Cashmere Mist; Mugler Alien Goddess; Beekman 1802 Shine Control Gel Cream Moisturizer; Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen; Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam; Kate Somerville HydraKate; Sun Bum Daily Body Suncreen Moisturizing Lotion SPF 50; Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum (I just finished off a full-size of this); and Peach & Lily Super Reboot Resurfacing Mask. More great stuff to try! I got to use a $3.50 off $15 coupon, too!
$679 to Diamond in 2025.
C is for Cookie
…and that’s good enough for me!
That’s right, I was a Sesame Street kid and a Muppet Show connoisseur. I had Sesame Street Fever on 8-track, that’s how old I am. Cookie Monster wasn’t my favorite, but we got along okay…I mean – who doesn’t like cookies? I like a good chocolate chip cookie – especially the ones my daughter makes – but Oreos are my drug of choice…
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri x Sesame Street “C is for Cookie” is the truest, bluest blue nail polish that I own. There were no streaks, no bubbles, no trouble. It’s beautiful.
I almost wish that this polish was textured like the Elmo polish. Almost.
This is two coats of “C is for Cookie” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
Northern Cardinal
Cadillacquer “Northern Cardinal” is another outstanding thermal polish from February’s “Wild Animals” Polish Pickup. It’s very responsive – I’ve been having great luck with thermals lately. My nails were just long enough to sometimes appear to be a red and black french manicure.
This is two coats of “Northern Cardinal” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Melt Down” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Raspberry Pop“. I also pulled out the Glitter Grabber, but the flakies behaved and laid very flat for me.