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Salmon Clamdiggers

So Old Navy was having a ridiculous Memorial Day sale – the whole store was on sale and I ended up going twice, knocking out a little of next year’s School Shopping…although mostly shopping for myself. I’d been coveting The Pixie Ankle Pants for while, although on my 6’1 frame, they’re more like what my mother would have called “Clamdiggers” on me.

I’d tried them on several times, but never saw the right color and fit…until now. I came across a pair with a salmon pattern and fell in love. I don’t know why – I’ve never particularly cared for the color, but they were just so…funky. I tried them on and they were like magic pants. I grabbed a salmon colored cardigan (grandma sweater) and white tank top to match…and I saw a Real Housewife staring back at me. I finally have something to wear while skipping out of PTA meetings to go smoke behind the elementary school! Wouldn’t you know, my husband said they’re HIDEOUS.

Of course, I had the perfect polishes to match – Julep “Nan” for my toes and Jenna Hipp “Crème de Cantaloupe”.

I went back to Orly Bonder for the base coat. “Crème the Cantaloupe” was streaky as hell on the first coat and started to worry, but the second coat smoothed out perfectly. My “HK Girl” is getting low and hard to get out of the bottle, but I got it on there – only a few uses left.

That color though…it is NOT for my skin tone. It’s like an electric cantaloupe!

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Pink or Purple?

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This polish has me all verklempt – is it pink or purple?

At first, I was convinced it was light purple, but when I showed my husband – he said it was very pink. I argued that it was purple, but my daughter agreed – definitely pink. Well shit.

In any case, Jenna Hipp “Très Parfait” was just as awesome as “Rose Tart” – super smooth in two coats. I used Sinful Colors Base Coat this time, but stuck with “HK Girl” – I love that shit, even if it smells like super glue.

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Beauty Box 5 – S.O.S.

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My poor little Beauty Box 5 has been sitting on the counter for almost a week – how could I forget?

May’s theme is “S.O.S.” – Super Outstanding Skin! Inside this month’s box; Bio Swiss Stainless Steel Mini Tweezer (perfect to add to my purse emergency kit – never know when you might have a brow emergency at work); Ahava 3 Sample Pack (fancy skin stuff); Styli-Style Blush/Highlighter Stick in “Bittersweet” (kinda orangey, but hey – it isn’t bronzer); Dermalogica AgeSmart Multivitamin Hand and Nail Treatment; and Coastal Scents Classic/Synthetic Brush (it appears to be an eyeliner brush – yasss).

OK, this is a better box than the last few – they’ve got me for a few more months…

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Pond Mani

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…and now for something completely different.

I decided to try a “Pond Mani” – layers of sheer polish over layers of dots that appear suspended in different layers of a pond. After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I started with a layer of white dots in Sinful Colors “Snow Me White”, then a layer of Sinful Colors “Prized Plume”. I repeated twice more – 3 sets of dots and 3 layers of “Prized Plume”. I topped it with “HK Girl”.

Obviously, my impatience shows – a few of the white dots smeared a little bit. Other than that, it worked perfectly. Next time, I’ll try a sheerer polish, but I’m ecstatic about how this one turned out.

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Sinful Friday

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I couldn’t resist a final stop at Walgreen’s on my way home from work Friday evening. What? You know how I am!

I decided I wanted the other two Sinful Colors opalescent top coats to go with “Prized Plume” (blue)“Flight to See” (purple) and “Sheer Flight” (green).

I also went basic and picked up some black and white for nail art – “Black on Black” and “Snow Me White”.

They didn’t have any good clearance polish – so disappointing.

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Climbing the Social Ladder

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After removing the foul “Italian Leather”, doing 7 loads of laundry, heating up dinner, paying bills and other assorted household chores, I needed a quick fix for my nails. No nail art, multiple colors or textures to coordinate. No fussy cremes that take forever to dry…

I picked Sinful Colors “Social Ladder”, a pale pink shimmer. It looks almost white in the picture, but it is pinker in real life. It’s a perfect Bridal polish. As my husband said, “It’s a little bit understated for you.” Every once in a while, I need to pretend to be normal. It was exactly what I was looking for – Sinful Colors Base Coat, 2 quick coats of “Social Ladder” and “HK Girl”. Wham, bam, dry and I went to bed…and proceeded to lay there for two hours, tossing and turning. Well fuck.

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May Ipsy Bag – Jetsetter

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Oooooh, this is my new favorite-est ipsy bag. It’s a bag from Breakups to Makeup – “Contents: My Life” – it’s amazing.

May’s theme is “Jetsetter” – too bad I did all my jetsetting already! Inside: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Lip Pencil in “Ozone” + BONUS Revolution High-Color Lipgloss in “Failbait” & “Bittersweet”BelláPierre Cosmetics Waterproof Mineral Gel Eyeliner Pencil in “Ebony” (I could rock a killer cat eye while I take my kids to the pool?); 2 Klorane Smoothing and Relaxing PatchesPixi by Petra Beauty Bronzer (Just what I needed, more bronzer); and Bare Republic Naturals SPF 30 Mineral Face Sunscreen Lotion (It’s by Coola, so I know I’ll love it).

If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.

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Allure Beauty Thrills – May 2015

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Oh it’s been too long since the last Allure Box – 6 months! Even though I haven’t used up any of the products I’ve been using since the last two boxes, I need more…

This box is chock full of new stuff: Aloxxi Lightweight Sculpting Wax (oh HELL NAW); BIC Soleil Glow Razor (I doubt I’ll give up my beloved Mach 3 for this); Bioré Charcoal Pore Minimizer (LOVE their Charcoal line – using this tonight); Cetaphil Intensive Moisturizing Cream; Dickinson’s Original Witch Hazel Daily Refreshingly Clean Cleansing Cloths; Clear Scalp & Hair Active Damage Resist Ultra-Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner; Colgate Optic White Express White Toothpaste; Colgate Optic White Toothbrush + Whitening Pen (got one of these in the last box and haven’t used it); Derma E Anti-Wrinkle Vitamin A Glycolic Cleanser (I got this in a Birchbox and just used it up yesterday – I love it!); Derma E Anti-Wrinkle Vitamin A Retinyl Palmitate Creme (Huh?); Dove Advanced Care Anti-Perspirant/Deoderant with NutriumMoisture (I am almost out of deodorant); Dove go Fresh Revitalize Body Wash (I am using the last one I got to shave my legs and I am almost out); Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Sunless Tanning Mousse in “Deep Bronze” (I’ll be giving this away); John Frieda Frizz Ease Nourishing Oil Elixir (Oooooh!); MD Complete Even Tone & Texture Accelerator; Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Cleansing Conditioner; Physicians Formula Eye Booster Instant Lash Extension Kit (this scares me); Pond’s Rejuveness Anti-Wrinkle Cream; Revlon PhotoReady Eye Art Lid + Line + Lash in “Desert Dazzle” (my sister gave me one of these in a different color from her Allure Sample Society Box, but I haven’t tried it yet); Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick in “Gladiolus” (too orangey red for me); Secret Outlast Clear Gel (I don’t usually like gel deodorant, but I’ll try it); Suave Professionals Luxe Style Volumizing Weightless Blow Dry Spray; Suave Professionals Sea Mineral Infusion Exfoliating Body Wash; and Suave Professionals Visible Glow Self-Tanning Body Lotion (another one I’ll be giving away).

All this for $45.95 + $10 shipping! Even though I’ll be giving away about a third of the stuff, it’s still a great deal.

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New Car Smell

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I’ve tried scented fingernail polish a few times and had never been particularly impressed with the results. The ones I’ve tried either flat out did not smell at all or had a faint scent that quickly faded. Not so with Revlon Parfumerie “Italian Leather”. That shit has an odor you can smell several feet away. Do you understand the horror of being able smell my own hands while they’re down at my sides???

It wouldn’t be so horrifying if the polish emitted a pleasant smell. “Italian Leather” is not a pleasant smell – it is a chemical-laden leather and plastic smell – not unlike that “new car smell”. Even with a thick layer of lotion on my hands, I couldn’t stop smelling it as I fell asleep last night. Luckily, it fades in time. It’s been about 24 hours and I can now only smell it if I intentionally sniff my fingertips, although I pick up the odd whiff every now and then.

I used it with Orly Bonder. The formula was a good consistency – good coverage in two coats. I did get a lot of tip wear within 24 hours, but that is to be expected without a top coat. The color is doo doo brown with a subtle shimmer – it looks like I have been playing with my fudge machine. The staying power of the scent makes me want to try more Revlon Parfumerie polishes, but I’ll use more care in choosing the scents…

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May Birchbox – Beauty Solutions

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Another Beauty Solutions box so soon? We just had one in March!

I don’t even remember what made me choose this curated box – it was probably because I hadn’t heard of any of the products in it? The box contains: Cotz Flawless Complexion SPF 50; JUARA Candlenut Body Creme (I had to Google Candlenut); Marcelle Hydra-C 24H Energizing Hydrating Gel (Mmmmmm…I love the new gel trend); Number 4 Blow Dry Lotion; and W3LL PEOPLE The Expressionist Mascara in “Black”. This is a kind of skin-centric box, but I this is the time of year my skin needs a lot of help – it alternates between greasy breakouts and dry scales. Ugh.

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.