Author: Lara
SO Violet
I was digging in my “untrieds” box and I pulled out Jenna Hipp “Violet Eclair” from the bottom. I thought, “Why not?”
Oh my, this polish is oh so violet. Unlike the other Jenna Hipp polishes that I have, this one isn’t a pure creme – it has a flash of blue shimmer. The polish was thin and a bit streaky, but it was barely noticeable after two coats. This is two coats of “Violet Eclair” over Sinful Colors Base Coat and under “HK Girl”.
I need more purple in my life. I tend to set aside the purples and I don’t know why – they make me so happy once they’re on my fingers.
Sephora Play! December 2016 – The Partygoers
Oops…my December Sephora Play! box got buried under a stack of shit on my counter. I could have used this stuff over the holidays…
This month’s theme is “The Partygoers”. I don’t go to many parties, but I put on a lot of makeup before I go to Target, does that count? The first thing that caught my eye…the goody bag is BLACK with rose gold printing…”I take the party with me”…It’s gorgeous. Also in this month’s box: Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (I have so many samples of this, but I’ve never tried it – I should); Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Smoothing Primer (I have the full size – good stuff); Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara; Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in “Always Red” (been wanting to try this new product!); Drybar Bay Breeze Hydrating Shot (instructions say to spray the entire bottle on wet hair, then rinse out after 3-5 minutes – kind of a pain in the ass); and Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon (smells like a Hobo’s ass crack).
A so-so box, but I’m not even mad.
If you haven’t signed up yet – you’re missing the boat! This is by far the best subscription box I get every month. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
New Years, New Nails
I decided to ring in the new year with totally glam nails. That…and I had no idea what I was going to wear. So I went neutral.
Julep “Judy” is moonbeam iridescent chrome. It was from one of the Mystery Boxes I got over the summer. It’s gold, but it’s silver, but it’s pearl?
After Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat, I did two quick coats of “Judy” and topped with “HK Girl”. It was a good consistency and was quite smooth, even before the top coat. I love light polishes like this – they don’t show edge wear, so all that New Year’s dishwashing looks like it NEVER HAPPENED.
Whipped Pussy with Tea, Please
Jeffree is shipping fast now!
I ordered these beauties on the launch date – Monday, December 26th. I got an email notification that they had arrived on Thursday, but there was nothing in my box when I checked Friday morning. A bit of drama with USPS and it was in my mailbox when I got home Friday evening.
The peachy gold metallic is Jeffree Star Cosmetics “Pussy Whipped” and I tried it first. Except for the gaggy Root Beer scent, I am in love with it. I wore the other shade, “No Tea, No Shade” (a browny-plum), on New Year’s Eve. I dotted the finish with “Rich Bitch”, the gold shadow from the Beauty Killer Palette. That shit stayed on 12+ hours – from around noon, past midnight…that’s through ham, turkey, pie, cheesecake, drinking wassail & rum and a particularly unsettling family game of Cards Against Humanity.
More of these metallic lippies, please!
Candy Crush
So I was going for a candy cane vibe again, but more like the crushed candy canes that you find on the floorboard of your car after Xmas. Kids are fun like that.
This is not an overly original look – I did a Candy Cane Vibe last year using similar polishes. Again, I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat and two coats of Sinful Colors “Tokyo Pearl”. For the crushed look, I used Funky Fingers “Red Wedding”, which has multiple sizes of glitter, plus jagged chunks. That shit was sharp. Instead of a gradient, I did the whole nail. I sealed the deal with “HK Girl”.
I didn’t love the way this turned out. Something didn’t gel between “Tokyo Pearl” and “Red Wedding” – the surface ended up a bit pitted and cloudy, even with “HK Girl” topping it. I feel like Funky Fingers doesn’t like other polishes?
I’ve Been a Good Girl…
I’ve been so good the past few months. Sure, I’ve bought a few things here and there, but I’ve drastically curtailed my beauty shopping. I’m trying to use what I’ve already amassed, sure – but really, trying to budget around two house payments. Regardless, I cannot pass up the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale.
I really stuck to the essentials. A $10 candle. A couple of bath poofs. 3 $3 Wallflower refills. 8 bottles of $3 Hand Soap. And NO bath gel/lotion/body spray. Zip. Nada. NONE. I’m still trying to finish off the dozen or so scents I have, but I was really tempted by Sweet Cranberry Rose. If it was 75% off, I might have cracked.
Also had a $10 off $40 coupon from the mail. SO it was a pretty economical haul.
Shitstorm
To say that 2016 was a complete and utter shitstorm is a VAST understatement. Between politics, celebrity deaths and even the fucking weather – a complete, utter shitstorm.
To commemorate that shitstorm, I created these shitty nails, which actually are not shitty at all. I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat and two coats of Sinful Colors “Nirvana”, the dullest, doo-doo brown I have. I topped with another two coats of Funky Fingers “Olaf” – yup, still hard to fish those snowflakes out, but I got ’em. I topped with “HK Girl”. A few of the snowflakes were still sharp and bumpy, but they all stayed down until I removed the polish.
P.S. That’s not a real turd. It’s a fake one I got from Five Below.
Here’s to hoping that 2017 is at least slightly better than 2016. It won’t take much.
December Ipsy Bag – carpe p.m.
So does “carpe p.m.” mean “Seize the Night”? Wouldn’t it have been simpler for ipsy to just theme the bag as “Seize the Night”?
This month’s bag is full of juicy finds:a MintPear Beauty Blending Sponge (I am getting quite a collection of these); Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Face Primer; mPrincess Mineral Eyeshadow in “Melting Maple”; tarte Cosmetics tartist Glossy Lip Paint in “wcw” (I tried this immediately – I am not used to the glossy look, but the deep vampy shade looked great on me…although it did NOT last through a meal like the lip liquids I’ve been using lately); and Cake Beauty Heavy Cream Intensive Hand Repair Balm.
Oh – and that hot pink crushed velvet bag – CRUSHING it.
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
December Birchbox – Shine On
I couldn’t resist picking the “Shine On” curated box this month – I saw a rose product and that is all it takes for me.
The product in question? The Organic Pharmacy Double Rose Rejuvenating Face Cream – two roses are better than one, right? Also in this month’s box: LOC One & Done Shadow Stick in “Rock Steady”; IPKN Radiant Cream Primer SPF 15; Rene Furterer Lumicia Shampoo and Rene Furterer Lumicia Conditioner (YES! Matching shampoo and conditioner in the same size tubes!) There was also a purse sized mirror in this month’s box, along with a card with fancy gift labels (that I would never, ever use because they aren’t self-sticking).
If you would like to try Birchbox, click on my referral link – https://www.birchbox.com/invite/5453f – I’ll get 50 points if you join.
Son of a Nutcracker!
Santa! I know him!
None of that in my house – this is the year that both of my children no longer believe in Santa Claus. It’s bittersweet. Relief that I no longer have to prolong the elaborate charade, but still it stings just a little bit. This was the last of the childhood lies to die. My kids never did the Tooth Fairy thing – they refused to give up their teeth (I blame Teen Titans, da da da da). The Easter Bunny game lasted until Mommy and Daddy forgot to hide the eggs one year. And this year, we buried Santa – 2016 really WAS the year of Celebrity Deaths.
I’m trying to stay festive though. This will probably be my most festive look this year. After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I alternated with two coats of Zoya “Bobbi” or Sinful Colors “Pine Away” on each nail. I topped with TWO thick coats of Funky Fingers “Son of a Nutcracker”. I topped again with “HK Girl”. Let me tell you, this was a BITCH to get off. And I forgot how much “Bobbi” stains your nails. Ugh.
I was so honored that my mother-in-law liked this combination so much that she borrowed the polishes. We were twinkies!