Tag: China Glaze

 
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50 Shimmering Years

Okay, after a brief distraction with Sporty Brights, I’m back to the Sesame Street Collection. For some reason, I’ve lost the privilege of picking the shade to sample – Lily is now choosing shades for me.

Lily chose China Glaze “50 Shimmering Years”, a full coverage rose gold glitter. I got full coverage in two light coats, over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat. I wanted to see it matte, so I used Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat on my ring finger and regular Glisten & Glow Top Coat on the rest.

I have a lot of rose gold glitters, but this is a nice one that I could see owning a full size bottle.

This is the 5th shade I’ve sampled – just 7 to go.

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RIP Little Polishes

It’s hard to say goodbye to dried up nail polishes, even if they are petrified beyond rescue. I recently reorganized my nail polishes and came upon these three polishes that could not be saved.

The hardest to let go of was Revlon Street Wear “Furball”. Revlon Street Wear was a fun line of nail polishes from the 90s – they offered a rainbow of colors and textures before it was mainstream to do so. I’m pretty sure that I picked this polish up in college. It’s very similar to Sinful Colors “Glass Pink”, so I won’t mourn it too much.

I also said goodbye to Revlon Nail Art “Break-up”, a dried up crackle polish. I think it’s a dupe of OPI “Super Bass Shatter”.

I was surprised that China Glaze “Boo-Gie Down” was totally solidified – but I guess I did buy it almost 6 years ago… no dupes that I can think of, I might need another black, white and gold glitter.

Rest in peace, little polishes…

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Since 1969

China Glaze “Since 1969” is obviously a nod to Sesame Street’s 50th anniversary in 2019 and it’s an homage to the street itself.

“Since 1969” is an asphalt shimmer, the very color of Sesame Street. I was glad to use a shimmer polish – my nails sure did need a break from glitters. This is two coats of “Since 1969” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. No mattes this time. This polish lasted a really long time and even braved a marathon round of dishes and kitchen cleaning yesterday.

4 down, 8 to go. I am beating Lily at trying them all – she’s only tried one so far!

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Gift Fur You

I’m gonna guess that China Glaze “Gift Fur You” is named for Animal. He’s the only fuchsia muppet that I can think of…

“Gift Fur You” is a fuchsia glitter, with a few silver glitters thrown in. Like “Grouchy New Year”, it’s not full coverage – maybe 80%.

This is two coats over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat. I did that matte thing on my ring finger and pinky, with Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat. I used the regular Glisten & Glow Top Coat on the first three.

I feel like this glitter chipped really fast for some reason…probably because I had to do fucking dishes again.

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A Grouchy New Year

I cannot believe I didn’t pick this one to try first, just based on the name!

This is China Glaze “A Grouchy New Year”, my second selection from China Glaze x Sesame Street 50 Years and Counting Collection. It’s a bright green glitter, but with different size glitters – everything from tiny pin sizes, to large discs. There are also a few gold glitters in there for fun. It’s not quite full coverage in two coats, maybe 75% coverage?

This is two coats over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat. I used Glisten & Glow Top Coat on the thumb, index and middle. I went matte with Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat on the ring and pinky.

If you asked me, I would say that Oscar the Grouch was my favorite muppet, but I bet my mom would say it was the Swedish Chef. She used to tell me that I was OBSESSED with the Swedish Chef, but I don’t remember that at all.

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Fa-La-Ah-Ah-Ahhh!

One of my daughter’s Xmas gifts was the China Glaze x Sesame Street 50 Years and Counting Limited Edition Collector’s Kit. It’s a set of 12 mini polishes, inspired by Sesame Street characters. This is the second Sesame Street collaboration from China Glaze and this set is all shimmers and glitters.

China Glaze collabs have kind of become a thing for Xmas for her. This year she got Sesame Street, last year was The Grinch and My Little Pony was the year before that. Lily decided that we need to try ALL 12 polishes in a row…

I was drawn to the purple polish with a gold shimmer – China Glaze “Fa-La-Ah-Ah-Ahhh!” – it looked unigue to me. It took me a hot minute to figure out what character this polish was for. Then I was like like, OH! Purple skin is The Count! And then I figured out that the name is his goofy laugh – “Ah Ah Ahhh!” – I am slow sometimes.

This is two coats of “Fa-La-Ah-Ah-Ahh!” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. This polish lasted well until I ended up on dish duty one night and the edges were murdered.

Similar polishes are Zoya “Faye”, Essence “Space Glam” and Nails Inc. “Dream Dust”. I guess this polish isn’t very unique after all.

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Ho, Ho, NO

Xmas is long past, but it’s taken me this long get my hands on my daughter’s Grinch polishes! I got her the set of minis for Xmas, but she is insisting on trying the polishes before letting me try them. Can you believe that? The nerve…and that is exactly what I would do.

The first one she allowed me to sample is China Glaze “Ho, Ho, No”. It’s an orangey red polish, with a thick gold shimmer. How can a shimmer be thick, you ask? I don’t exactly know – the polish just seems to have more of a texture than the usual shimmer – it’s like the shimmer is actually chunky? I don’t even know how to explain it, except that I felt like it snagged on stuff – even with a top coat.

This is two coats of “Ho, Ho, No” over Glisten & Glow Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.

Three nail posts in a row – I better start mixing things up!

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Xmas Eve Nails

Waylaid by the flu, I am a wee bit late on posts. Christmas is but a memory, but here I am, sharing my Xmas Eve Nails.

I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat and two coats of Sinful Colors “Ruby Glisten” as the background for my tree. To make my trees, I used China Glaze “For Rhinestones Only” to draw a tree shape and dipped each nail in the little pot of Grinchworthy Grinch Tinsel. Yeah, it pretty much got everywhere. For the stars on the trees, I fished them out of Sinful Colors “Star Studded”. For the decorations, I used a dotting tool dipped in Sinful Colors “Queen of Beauty”. I topped it all with Glisten & Glow Top Coat. Several gloppy coats and they were still bumpy.

I think they turned out all right, but the texture was intolerable. I could not handle it for more than a day…and then it took more than an hour to scrub these trees off my nails. Do not recommend.

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Grinchworthy

 

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This is it – I have found the ultimate Xmas polish!

I ordered The Grinchworthy Nail Art Duo in my last Ulta order. The bottle of adhesive – “For Rhinestones Only” – had shattered either in the warehouse or during shipping and had oozed all over the set, so I had to have them send me another one. It arrived within two days and I was able to get to work…

I started with Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat. I did two coats of “Grinchworthy” on every nail. I then used “For Rhinestones Only” on my thumb and ring finger…and then dipped it into the little pot of…Grinch pubes? Is that what it is supposed to be? It was like microscopic bits of easter grass, fertilizing my entire house. I then coated each nail with Glisten & Glow Top Coat, going extra thick on my Grinch pube nails. Even so, I felt like I was molting green bits for days.

I have fallen in love with China Glaze “Grinchworthy”. I want to be a Grinch 365 days a year.

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Cyber Fundays 2018

 

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This Xmas, I did my Ulta shopping BEFORE Thanksgiving, during the “Cyber Fundays” event. They had some smoking deals that I couldn’t pass up! There were also some decent Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, but mostly on stuff I already had, like half price Modern Renaissance and Naked Heat. Boo!

If you’re thinking that this order looks skimpy…it’s because I pulled out the gifts I ordered for my daughter. She doesn’t come here, but her brother does – and I trust him about as far as I can throw him with one hand.

I was excited to snatch the NYX Lip Snacks Soft Matte Metallic Lip Cream Set ($15, down from $25) for myself. It’s a set of 12 minis of my favorite lip formula from NYX, specially scented like buttercream. I’ve onlhy sampled 2 so far, but they are the BEST. I also got a half-price Urban Decay Razor Sharp Water-Resistant Longwear Liquid Eyeliner in “Demolition” ($11, down from $22) – I think a shiny brown cat eye will look good on me.

The biggest bummer was a broken bottle in the China Glaze The Grinch Grinchworthy Nail Art Duo ($10). It wasn’t the “Grinchworthy” polish itself, but the “For Rhinestones Only” adhesive – the stem of the bottle broke inside the cap and it leaked everywhere. I called Ulta Customer Service and they sent me out another one immediately, no questions asked – so now I have 2 bottles of “Grinchworthy” and 2 pots of green felt. I cannot wait to make my nails look like Astroturf! Oh, and I got another tidbit from Customer Service – they won’t be including samples in orders again until January. Cheap bastards.

I added a bottle of Zoya Remove+ to get me over the $65 mark, to get the glittery pink 18-piece Cyber Fundays sample bag. The sample bag was STUFFED – it had: Too Faced Glitter Glue (saving for a special occasion); Cover FX Blurring Primer; Urban Decay Perversion Mascara; Patchology Flashpatch Restoring Night Eye Gels (this is the third set I’ve gotten – I guess I should use them); philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar; Clinique Happy; 2 Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Glosses in “Vintage” (2!!!); Lime Crime Unicorn Hair in “bunny” (ugh, another one); bliss lemon & sage body butter; Biolage Hydra Source Shampoo & Conditioner; L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Primer/Base for Mascara; philosophy Amazing Grace; Armani Code Cashmere; Skin Laundry Hydrating Cream Face Wash; L’Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Cleanser Detox-Brighten (this black one is my fave); MAC False Lashes Mascara in “Extreme Black”; and Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate. There were also 2 hot coupons – $15 off $75 (only good in December) and another $5 off $15 Ulta Beauty Collection (good until 2/1/19).

I was also able to use a $10 off coupon, bringing my order down to $64.49 before tax – but I still got the bag. I was sweating for a hot minute! Just $301 to Diamond…I do predict another order before the end of the year, but not that much!