September Birchbox – Top-Rated Time Savers
I’m so predictable – I picked the featured box again this month. It’s called “Top-Rated Time Savers” and lord knows that I need to save all the time I can…
Let’s see what we’ve got…There’s Milk Makeup Ubame Mascara; amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo (I have at least 2 other cans of this); Supergoop! Shine-On Lip Screen SPF 50 (interesting); Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45+ (I think this is the one a tried a few years ago that made me look like Data); and Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuventor (love this stuff – main reason I chose this box).
What am I going to do with all the time I save? Write the great American Novel? Sew another quilt? I’ll probably just sleep in five extra minutes…
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.
Peggy
My first grab from this month’s Julep box – Julep “Peggy”.
Again, another surprise. I was expecting a rusty brown shimmer, but “Peggy” is charcoal with rose shimmer – basically a dark grey duochrome that flashes rust and pink in the light. You can see it much better on the bottle than on my nails, but whatever. What will they think of next?
After Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat, I painted two coats of “Peggy” and topped with “HK Girl”. It was one of those quick school night jobbies, but it turned out fantastic.
The most surprising thing about “Peggy” is that it stained my nails…GREEN. I was totally shocked that it stained both my cuticles and my nails a faint froggy tint. I was able to get rid of it with Julep Vanish…and trim those cuticles, too.
September Julep Maven Box – Cheers to Five Years!
Happy fifth birthday, Julep!
“Cheers to Five Years!” is this month’s theme and in addition to a whole new Wonder Maven polish collection, you could also choose curated set of three polishes, eye liners or lipsticks. I actually didn’t change a thing about my “It Girl” selection – the “Cheers to Five Years!” polish set. It included “Genevieve” – red rock chrome, “Peggy” – charcoal with rose shimmer, and “Acacia” – blue fjord chrome (it’s pining for the fjords). I debated changing up my selection, but these were the polishes for me.
No candy this month, but a new nail file was included – I can always use nail files.
November will be three years I’ve been with Julep – not counting mystery boxes and other purchases, that’s at least 108 polishes right there…WOW!
Not a Julep Maven? Click HERE to join – I’ll get a $15 credit and you’ll get your first box free!
Konstellation Chalkboard
Okay, we get it – those Kardashians like the letter “K”.
This is Sinful Colors “Konstellation”, my first pick from the handful of Kylie Jenner polishes that I picked up on clearance at Walgreen’s. I thought it would be a shimmery duochrome charcoal, but I was wrong…it’s a matte polish! The charcoal did shift from purple to green, almost like a puddle of motor oil in the driveway – but not shiny. I know what it reminds me of – a chalkboard! Something my children will never, ever see…
This is two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat. Like most matte polishes, it dried extremely quickly. It pulled back from the tips a bit as it dried, but it doesn’t look too bad. It did tend to stick to my skin – be careful with this polish. If might take a few strips of skin off if you try to peel it from around your fingernails.
If I had a more careful hand, I could use “Konstellation” as a background for some chalkboard themed nail art…I might have to experiment a bit to see how it works out. Or maybe I should try stamping over it…Hmmmmm….
Barbie & Kylie
Instagram is like my crack. My girl Rita (@blkisbeauti) posted that she saw the Barbie sets and Sinful Colors Kylie polishes for 50% off at Walgreen’s. I conned my husband into dropping me off to browse…but only after I walked the aisles at Lowe’s. Marriage is compromise.
I literally snatched up the last Barbie Face Case. There are 9 eye shadows (NO blue eye shadow? All my Barbies had blue eye shadow!), a blush, a lipstick, liquid eyeliner for that signature cat-eye) and eye shadow primer. I also grabbed “Barbie Pink” lipstick and a Makeup Bag – because of there is anything I need, it’s more makeup bags. They didn’t have any brushes or fingernail polish left.
I also spied the Sinful Colors Kylie Jenner Collection for 50% off. These polishes had been excluded from the usual Sinful Colors sales, so I was pumped. I am not thrilled to be making Kylie Jenner any richer, but I can throw the bitch $1.49. I picked up the following shades: “Kleopatra”, “Angelik”, “After Dark”, “Kargo”, “Konstellation”, and “Haute Koffee”. Oh, I get it…all the polishes have a “K” in the name. So klever.
You know I’m gonna hit more Walgreen’s to see what else I can find…
Target Beauty Box – September 2016
I have so many Subscription boxes stacking up…ugh, I need to stop unpacking my other shit and unpack THESE boxes.
First up is this month’s Target Beauty Box. It included OGX Renewing Coconut Milk Shampoo (no Conditioner – fuckkkkkk); S.W. Basics Organic Lip Balm (only three ingredients – cocoa butter, coconut oil and beeswax); Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara, Rimmel The Only 1 Lipstick in “One of a Kind” (the insert said it would be “Naughty Nude” though); EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Deep Conditioner (I guess I can use this with the shampoo); Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream (yassss queen); and Biore Baking Soda Cleaner (I am almost done with the full size one in my shower – I love this cleanser).
At $10, this box seemed a bit overpriced, but I feel like I’ll actually use most of the stuff in the box. I also got my $3.50 off $15 coupon – if I remember to use it. Don’t forget the 5% Red Card discount.
Danica
Oooooh…another blurple!
Julep “Danica” is blue violet iridescent chrome. Blue + violet = blurple. It’s so sparkly.
I started with Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. This is two coats of “Danica” topped with “HK Girl”. Another silky smooth formula – the perfect consistency. It seemed to chip more quickly than usual – but that could be yesterday’s toilet cleaning spree and several rounds of dishes.
My first thought was that “Danica” was referring to the NASCAR driver. Now that I think about it, I think “Danica” is Winnie from The Wonder Years. There’s something a bit psychedelic 60s about this polish.
My husband wants to see “Danica” on my toes. I think I can make that happen…
Vacation Time Lolita
I LOVE finding polishes that match my lippies!
At first, I was confident that Sinful Colors “Vacation Time” would be a match to Jeffree Star “Celebrity Skin”, but it wasn’t brown enough. Then I looked at “Rose Matter”, but “Vacation Time” wasn’t nearly that pink. Then I looked at Kat Von D “Lolita” – BINGO! It’s a perfect match!
After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I painted two coats of “Vacation Time”. Like most creme polishes, the first coat was streaky, but the second coat evened it out. It is a nice formula – not too thick, not too thin. I used “HK Girl” to finish.
I also did my toes – I’m not so sure how I feel about my toes looking so…normal.
KvD Beauty Addiction
I don’t care if I’m between houses – I’ll just get my Sephora order sent to my in-laws’ house.
Sephora renamed their “Rewards Boutique” – it’s now “Rewards Bazaar” and new items are added every Thursday. The Thursday before last…they added a new 500 point item – The Kat Von D Beauty Addiction Set, which includes Ink Liner in “Trooper”, Tattoo Liner in “Mad Max Brown”, Studded Kiss Lipstick in “Cathedral” (been dying to try), Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in “Vampira” and a “vegan leather” (whatever the fuck that means – vinyl?) makeup pouch. Yup, had to have it…so what can I order to get it???
I settled on the Sephora Z palette ($28) – I’ve got quite a few loose pans of shadows from my sub boxes, I was a bit annoyed when Sally showed me that Makeup Revolution launched their own (significantly cheaper) customizable palette the very next day after my order. Sigh.
I used a code to get Deluxe samples of the two new Elizabeth and James scents – Nirvana Rose and Nirvana Bourbon. I did NOT like either. Per my son, Nirvana Rose smells like hand sanitizer and Nirvana Bourbon smells like a hobo’s asscrack. Maybe they’ll grow on me…
For my three samples, I got Balenciaga Skin (which smells very alcohol-y), Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Acqua (am I allergic to Neroli? I got an immediate headache!), and Hourglass Ambient Light Correcting Primer.
Only $13 away from Rouge in 2017!
Neely
Julep “Neely” was my second pick from the huge mystery box haul. I was just drawn to this sparkling cranberry full-coverage glitter…like a soccer mom is drawn to the glitter aisle at Hobby Lobby.
I started – of course – with Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. “Neely” was almost full coverage in one coat, but I went for two coats. Holy shit – it’s perfect! The formula was the perfect consistency – not too thick or goopy. I didn’t get clumps of glitter – just smooth coverage. No chunky, sharp edges either. This is one of the best full coverage glitters I’ve ever used. Once I added “HK” Girl, the shine was off the charts. It was long lasting, too – I wore if through my move – nearly a whole week. It bit the dust when I started cleaning, then unpacking and washing dishes – all that Fabuloso and water made my nails start peeling and the tips got absolutely shredded. It will take my nails several months to recover from the move. It would be a tragedy if I didn’t love my new place so much.
I want everything I own to be covered in “Neely” – my phone, my car, my bed, my dog, my shoes…ESPECIALLY my shoes.