Author: Lara

 
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Finger Bangin’

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Sinful Colors “Bangin’ Blue” makes my fingers bangin’. (I know, that was just bad.)

“Bangin’ Blue” is a smurf blue jelly, loaded with jagged slivers of iridescent glitter. When I say loaded, I mean LOADED. This is just two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat. The one annoying thing…the sharp edges of the glitter poke through the “HK Girl”. It’s like my fingernails are ninja stars.

And I was right – “Bangin’ Blue” IS the blue version of “Devil’s Stare”!

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Glamingle

 

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When you don’t have the polish you want – you gotta make something up. I wanted something that would match my very favorite “i heart ronson” flamingo shirt – mostly black, but with flashes of pink.

I was imagining a polish in my head that’s black and pink at the same time. I tried a few pink glitters over blacks, but it didn’t look right. Then I got the bright idea to use a pink micro-glitter/shimmer…yassss.

After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I laid down two coats of Sinful Colors “Starry Night”, which is a black with rainbow micro-glitter. I then used a coat of Sinful Colors “Zest of Times” to bring the pink. I finished with “HK Girl”.

No angle would really do my nails justice – they are WAY more pink in person. I just couldn’t get the light to reflect the pink in my closet. (It was too dark and rainy all day for an outside pic.) Trust me, they will look SMASHING with that shirt.

It just came to me…why didn’t I just use Bitchcraft? That’s what I really wanted all along…

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Amazon Beauty Box – May 2016

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Amazon is going all out, putting itself into the Beauty Box game. First the Luxury Box and now this box…

This box was a bit more – $9.99 – and has drugstore brands…BUT…instead of giving me $10 off $50 like the last box, this box automatically put a $9.99 credit into my account. Of course, I can only use it on beauty products, but it will be much easier to use.

Inside the Amazon Beauty Box: L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in “Black”; Garnier Whole Blends Repairing Shampoo & Conditioner in “Honey Treasures”; Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Shampoo & Conditioner (I haven’t tried this before, but I love the other Fekkai samples I’ve received in the past); L’Oreal Brow Stylist Sculptor in “Brunette” (Interesting); L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation in “Nude Beige”; Black 15in1 Miracle Hair Treatment; and Mineral Fusion Lengthening Mascara in “Graphite”.

Lots of L’Oreal to try, but some other good stuff, too. Thanks, Amazon!

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Slim Pickins

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It’s been literally MONTHS (like 3!) since Sinful Colors have been on sale at Walgreens. Unfortunately, it’s the same sale as last time – $1.50…and none of the Kylie polishes are included. It’s annoying – not because I want to give money in ANY way to the KKK – but because literally 95% of the new polishes this year are Kylie-related. There are a few cute colors that look unique, but not cute enough to pay full price for.

I weeded through the regular collection and managed to find a few I hadn’t bought yet: “Rocket Out” – a ritzy 4th of July glitter with stars, “Bangin’ Blue” – a blue glitter, which I’m hoping is the blue version of “Devil’s Stare”, and “Sugar High” – a blue textured polish that my husband says is purple.

Maybe if I go to another Walgreen’s, I’ll find a few more that I don’t have yet…

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Sassy Classy

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I told you I was gonna try this with silver glitter.

I used Sinful Colors Base Coat, which I feel worked better than Orly Bonder for this particular polish. After two coats of essie “Strut Your Stuff”, I used Sinful Colors “Queen of Beauty” to create a gradient on the tips. It’s so shiny and beautiful and summery – everything I thought it would be.

i even did my toes (no glitter – glitter on toes is no bueno), so I can match Rachel when we go to the beach in a few weeks.

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Sephora Play! May 2016 – The Forces of Nature

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Sephora Play sent out a redesigned box for their 9th month. Instead of an inner box in a cardboard wrapper (like Birchbox), they sent out a standalone box (like Julep and Beauty Box 5). Instead of the tiny magazine, the product insert is now a folded one sheet. (There’s still the Play! Pass, good for 50 extra points on your next Sephora visit.) They’ve also moved away from numbering their boxes – no mention that this is box 9 on the insert.

May’s theme is “The Forces of Nature” and comes with a cute muslin pouch that says “Let’s beauty together”. Inside the pouch: Atelier Cologne “Orange Sanguine”; Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Deep Conditioning Mask (I’ve gotten this in boxes a few times and they’ve changed packaging to a tube instead of that annoying tub – thank you); Tarte Tarteist Lip Crayon in “Latergram” (nude); Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick in “Kimchi” (bright pink); Origins Maskimizer Skin-optimizing Mask Primer, Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask and Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask (oh, how I love masks); and Korres Wild Rose Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial.

What a dynamite box – I’ll use it all…probably tonight and tomorrow.

If you haven’t signed up yet – now is the time. 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.

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My First Black Moon

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This past week was one of a few firsts – my first Jeffree Star lippies and now…my first Black Moon Cosmetics lippies.

I was turned on to Black Moon…again, by Sally. As a small brand, they also have cyclical restocks, meaning you have to pay attention to get the colors you want. A big restock happened on May 13th and I had my order placed within minutes. It took just a week to get here, received it yesterday. The packaging is beautiful…and not just the lippies themselves. They come in a fancy box with an illustrated inside and glittery tissue paper…and a thank you note!

I selected “Selene” (a beautiful deep plum with a gorgeous soft purple pearlescent sheen) and “Wrath” (the perfect combination of mauve with a hint of pink and a touch of brown). Like Jeffree Star, the lippies are $18 (click here to see the whole range). The formulas are not runny like Jeffree’s, but are more like a mousse texture – similar to Julep’s It’s Whipped Lip Mousse. They go on and stay on.

“Selene” is a pearly plum and very dark on me (husband said too dark). “Wrath” is very similar to Kat Von D “Lolita” on me – my holy grail color. That means I might not need to buy Jeffree Star “Androgyny” when it restocks…bullshit, I’ll totally be buying it anyway.

OH! And I’ve found the perfect way to remove these tough lippies! I dip a cotton ball in Peter Thomas Roth Pink Bombshell Lip Balm and it wipes right off and leaves my lips moist and hydrated. I definitely give it an A++ for preventing shredded, dry lips.

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Allure Beauty Thrills – May 2016

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As a pleasant surprise, Allure Beauty Thrills offered a pre-order several weeks before the May box went on sale. They offered all three of this year’s boxes for $199.95, with free shipping. That’s a $20 premium compared to buying each box separately…but without the hassle of making the tiny ordering window – guaranteed boxes!

I was a bit worried when I lifted the box – it seemed WAY lighter than previous boxes. When I opened the box, it even seemed less full – lots more bubble wrap and paper. But there are plenty of products…they’re just smaller. Inside the May box: Hask Macadamia Moisturizing Shine Oil (I have SO many HASK vials); Burt’s Bees BB Cream in “Light Medium” (I bet this stuff is good) and Burt’s Bees Lipstick in “Magenta Rush”; ChapStick Total Hydration 3 in 1 Lip Care in “Coconut Hydration” (this shit is the BOMB – I used up the last one…who EVER uses up a chapstick?); Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant Battery-Operated Spinbrush (I already have one from another box, so I gave it to Lily) and Truly Radiant Clean & Fresh Toothpaste; Aveeno Absolutely Ageless Intensive Renewal Serum; Completely Bare Calm Down Ingrown Hair, Razor Bump & Redness Eliminator (perfect for summer crotch rash); Caress Mystique Forever Body Wash; Compeed Blister Cushions (I need these – I have a few shoes I’ve been avoiding); Coppertone CLEARLYSheer FACES SPF 30 (Definitely going to try this while out fishing this weekend); Degree Women Dry Spray in “Daisy Fresh”; Not Your Mother’s In A Heart Beat Blow Dry Accelerator; Pureology Pure Volume Style + Care Infusion (the tube is the weirdest ever – an inner layer and outer layer); Redken Beach Envy Volume Wave Aid (yup, more of it); Rituals Magic Touch Body Cream (that sounds almost TOO sexy); scünci Everyday & Active 3x Stronger Braided Elastics (LOVE these); Simple Skincare Micellular MAKE-UP Remover Wipes; Sonia Kashuk Double-Zip Clutch (It’s HUGE); Tangle Teezer Original Detangling Hairbrush (I’m gonna be chasing Little Orphan Lily around the house with this); TIGI Bed Head JOYRIDE Texturizing Powder Balm (the fuck?); and VersaSpa Gradual Tanning Face Moisturizer (a whole lot of NOPE).

I feel like I’ll be using more of the stuff in this box than in past ones…now all I have to do is sit back and wait for my August box to arrive.

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Disney Princess

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It was a heavy mail weekend – I got my replacement Julep “Regina” and Your Lip Addiction “Covet” – in separate boxes – weird. I had to try “Regina” immediately. Goodbye to Lil’s dots!

“Regina” makes me feel like a Disney Princess…specifically Rapunzel in Tangled, because it would match her dress perfectly. It’s a shimmery pink/violet chrome with a hint of blue flash.

I started with Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. Two coats of “Regina” went on like a dream – perfect consistency, no bubbles. I finished with “HK Girl”.

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Sephora 2 in 1

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I’m going to kill 2 birds with one stone and post about a trip to Sephora AND a Sephora shipment.

Over the weekend, I persuaded my husband to drop me off at Sephora, in between an eye doctor appointment, torrential downpours and a stop by Academy to get fishing licenses. He actually parked the car, instead of circling the parking lot. Maybe next time, I can get him to come in (yeah, right).

I just wanted one thing…my free rollerball. As I expected, I chose Tory Burch Jolie Fleur Rose.

I browsed briefly, but nothing else caught my eye. They had several of the half-price Urban Decay lipsticks, but I didn’t bother. No money spent on this trip!

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I didn’t bother, because I knew I had one coming…I chose Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick in “1993” ($11). Mostly because it looks like my kind of brown…but also because 1993…1993 was a wild year for me – 17.I’m fairly certain that 1993 was the last time I was single for an extended amount of time…enough said.

I was far more excited about the new 500 point NARS “The Rules Box” (which is already sold out). I wanted to get NARS “Orgasm” Blush in my hot little hands…Also in the box: NARS Audacious Mascara, “Chelsea Girls” Lip Gloss and Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eye Shadow Base (been looking for a new one). I’m about to get NARSed out!

For my regular threee samples, I got Pinrose Treehouse Royal (a single use foil pack); Too Faced Glitter Glue Glitter Eye Shadow Primer (curious about this one); and GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment.

Just $11 spent here…and $151 to Rouge!