Month: June 2016
Mannequin + Rose Matter
Seriously, Jeffree Star needs to to STOP releasing new lippies. My pocketbook is feeling the pain…
Jeffree Star Cosmetics launched these two new colors on Wednesday, June 8th. My order shipped on Friday, June 10th and were in my mailbox by Monday, June 13th. His team is getting speedy.
I would have posted sooner, but I wanted to wear both shades for a day before writing…
“Mannequin” is a medium nude, a shade between “I’m Nude” and “Celebrity Skin”. It’s perfect for my skin tone – it looks my skin, but better.
“Rose Matter” is a rosy Flamingo coral on me. It doesn’t look quite the same as pictures I’ve seen online, but it looks like it belongs on me. It’s a bit similar to “Gemini”, but with cool undertones.
No more new colors for at least a month, Jeffree!
Veronica is a Gemini
It doesn’t matter how shitty today has been…My lips and nails match perfectly…
It turns out that Julep “Veronica” – modern mauve creme – is an almost perfect match to Jeffree Star Cosmetics “Gemini”. I had no idea…but I was looking for a “normal” polish to wear today, since I was meeting my new President and VP at work today. (Sometimes I pretend to be a regular person…shhhh, don’t tell.)
I used Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. The first coat of “Veronica” was a bit streaky, but it improved with the second coat. The second coat had a few thin streaks, but nothing too horrible. It may be because this is a positively ancient polish – I got it as a freebie two years ago – and it was probably already a year old then. I finished with “HK Girl”.
I think I’m going to find polishes to match ALL of my Jeffree Star lippies…
June Birchbox – Everyday Magic
I’m ready to perform some “everyday magic” with this month’s Birchbox.
No curated box this month – I wanted the sample choice. I hadn’t yet gotten the Goof Proof Brow Pencil when I chose Benefit Gimme Brow Brow-Volumizing Fiber Gel in Shade 3 for my sample choice this month. To be honest, I’m scared of how it will look with fiber gel in my brows. My eyebrows are fairly sparse – they need volume, but…scared! I’ll report back when I try it.
Also in this month’s box: Balance Me Congested Skin Serum (hmmmm…); Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser (I LOVE anything that promises to clean my crater pores); Oribe Dry Texturing Spray (?); and The Beauty Crop PBJ Smoothie Stick in “Raisin the Roof”.
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.
Naveena
I have so many teal polishes, but I didn’t have teal jelly…Julep “Naveena” from this month’s Julep box fixed that right up.
I started with Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. I painted two coats of “Naveena” and then finished with “HK Girl”. My first impression was that “Naveena” has more coverage than a jelly – it’s more of a crelly, creme jelly. Two coats gave nearly full coverage, but my nail line is still quite obvious. The coverage wasn’t exactly streaky – it was more like watercolor paint, settling around the edges, with thin spots in places. There was strong shrinkage around the edges after topping with “HK Girl”, but nothing awful. I also noticed a plague of bubbles underneath the “HK Girl”. They weren’t there last night, but maybe I put on the top coat too soon?
When I googled “Naveena”, I found an Indian Slasher film actress…I didn’t even now that they watched horror movies in India. I need to get out more…
The Triumphant Return of Peony
I tend to get really excited about the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale…but this time is different…it’s like a dream come true.
We all have discontinued scents that we pine over. For my mom, it was Love’s Baby Soft Lemon. For my husband, it’s the original formula of Van Cleef & Arpels Tsar. One of mine is Bath & Body Works Peony. (Some of the others are B&BW’s original Rose and Cedar & Clary Sage; and Victoria’s Secret Delicate Petals and Secret Charm).
The last time I was able to buy it was in 2004, when I was pregnant with my son. I loaded up at a Semi-Annual Sale. My stock had lasted well into 2009, because I remember having some left when I moved into this house. I’ve been holding onto that last quarter inch of Fragrance Mist, wearing it a few times a year.
On Sunday, one of my dreams came true – Peony is one of Bath & Body Works’ flashback fragrances.
Since I happened to have a 20% off + free shipping code from my last online order, I went ahead and used the website. Flashback fragrances are $3.75 – whoa! I loaded up and got 4 Shower Gels, 2 Body Creams, 2 Fine Fragrance Mists and 1 Lotion. I’ll probably get more before the end of the summer…
I wasn’t exactly running low on Hand Soap…but I bought 24 anyway because they were on sale for $3 each…and 20% off made them $2.40. Plus, I didn’t have to carry them out to my car. I was a bit disturbed when I opened the box – it looks like they just dumped them in there…but they all look intact.
There were 3 different coupons in the box…I’m predicting another haul before the end of the sale…I’ve got a whole ‘nother month!
Target Beauty Boxes – June 2016
One for me and one my man…
My box was $10 and loaded to the gills: Pantene Expert Intense Hydration Shampoo (a HUGE bottle – but no conditioner!); SheaMoisture Fruit Fusion Creme Rinse (I guess I can use this with the Pantene Shampoo); Pixi Mesmerizing Mineral Duo in “Apricot Glow”; Laneige Water Bank Serum (love Laneige); S.W. Basics Exfoliant (Um, basically granola); L’Oreal Paris True Match Cushion Foundation in “Nude Beige”; L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Volume Filler Cream (what will I be filling with this?); Soap & Glory Righteous Butter Body Cream (yum); Yes to Cucumbers 10-count Facial Wipes (How many of these do I have now?); CoTZ Face SPF 40 (coming to Mexico with me); and e.l.f. Lip Kiss Balm in “Bare Kiss”.
His box was $5 and not nearly as full: Nautica Life Cologne (husband said NOPE); got2B Glued Spiking Glue (husband shaves head, son has long hair); Marlowe No. 142 Men’s Shave Gel; Axe White Label Night Body Wash; Old Spice Hardest Working Deodorant; Dove Men + Care Complete Care 2-in-1 Shampoo; Nivea Men Creme (moisturizer?); Schick Hydro Men’s Razor; CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar (the box opened slightly and left soapy flakes all over the inside of the box); and Remington Beard Boss Beard Oil (husband said nope, but I’m gonna make him try it). With all these travel sizes, he’s ready to travel, too!
As always, I got 5% off with my Target Red Card and a coupon for $3.50 off any beauty purchase of $15 in each box. I also remembered to use the $3.50 off coupon from last month’s box – SCORE!
June Julep Maven Box – Midsummer Light
When you get so much mail in one day (Saturday) that it takes days to work through the backlog…
June’s theme is “Midsummer Light”. I wasn’t wowed by the polishes this month, but I did choose one that looked pretty – Wonder Maven “Naveena”, lush jungle teal jelly. I have lots of teal polishes, but no teal jellies.
For beauty products, I chose one of the new Skip the Brush Creme-to-Powder Blush Sticks in “Warm Bronze”. I’m hoping it will give me a sun-kissed glow without actually stepping outside. I also chose a new shade of When Pencil Met Gel Long-Lasting Eyeliner in “Sunset Gold”. I’m gonna bling out my eyes.
My only complaint…NECCO wafers. Fucking disgusting. My husband called dibs and he can have those nasty things.
Not a Julep Maven? Click HERE to join – I’ll get a $15 credit and you’ll get your first box free!
Platinum Perk – Urban Decay VICE Lipstick
Another Platinum Perk from Ulta – am I gonna get one every week?
It was obvious from the outside of the box that I would be getting something from Urban Decay‘s new line of VICE lipstick. But what?
I carefully opened the outside box and pulled out the folder to find 24 samples of VICE lipstick. That’s a lot of lipstick…but nothing compared to the 100 lipsticks that make up the whole line. There are shades from every color family – purple, pink, red, brown and nude. There are different finishes – sheer, cream, matter and metallized. I better get my lip brush ready to break into all those little pods…
There’s also a folded up insert, featuring Ruby Rose (gorgeous), with all 100 shades shown. I was pleased as punch to find that 1993 (my new favorite shade) is part of the permanent collection.
Beauty Killer
It’s here…my precioussssss….
I didn’t get home until after 10 PM Saturday night, but the first thing I did was bust open that box and start smearing it all over my face. Beach hair, slightly sunburnt…still fabulous. I didn’t care that it was 4 AM in Scotland – I was sending Sally pics and videos. I will expect nothing less when she gets hers!
Launched on May 25th, I was lucky enough to get an order in for the first batch of Jeffree Star Cosmetics first eye shadow palette – “Beauty Killer” ($45). I was there at 12:00 sharp, with my finger on my phone.
Look at how BIG those shadow pans are. No other makeup company gives you that much shadow. And look at the color names – “Courtney”, “Black Rainbow”, “China White”…and they’re SO pigmented. I was able to apply “Rich Bitch” to my eyelids with just my fingers.
I also got one of Jeffree’s new Skin Frost Highlighters – “Ice Cold” ($29), a platinum lightning bolt across your face. I’m not exactly good at using highlighters, but I’m sure going to have fun trying.
I also couldn’t believe that “Rich Blood” was still in stock from it’s launch the week before…I snatched that sucker up! I also added “Prom Night”, because why not get free shipping? Over $100 = free shipping!
Oh…and Jeffree has two NEW lipstick shades launching on June 8th. “Mannequin” and “Rose Matter” will be mine…oh yes, they will be mine.
Aloha Beaches
Finally!
A new collection of summer polishes from Funky Fingers at Five Below! Grammy was taking this kids to go birthday shopping, but I ended up doing more shopping for me…
I found these three polishes and I couldn’t stop giggling at their naughty names. The peachy pink is “Beach Please”. The chrome-y blue is “Salty Kisses” – Grammy and I couldn’t stop laughing at that one. (No one wants salty kisses…no one.) The shocking pink one is “Aloha Beaches”. These were well worth 3/$5.
I found a big floppy hat ($5) to wear at the beach and the pool…yup, I am officially one of those old ladies. I always manage to get a sunburn on the part on the top of my head. It only took my 40 years to do something about it.
I also found a huge inflatable flamingo for $5…huge might be an overstatement. The jury is still out as to whether I’ll be able to wedge my fat ass into it…at the very least, I *should* be able to get it around my waist…if not, I guess Lily will get a new pool toy.
I let me husband pick which one I would try first…
…and he chose “Aloha Beaches”. Good choice, honey.
I didn’t realize that these polishes are demi-matte. This is two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat. The formula is nice and smooth –
I decided to forego a top coat, so I could enjoy the matte finish. Ugh, I’m too rough on my nails to go without a top coat. Even though my nails were dry a full two hours before bedtime, I still woke up with sheet marks in my nails. Even worse, I had to get my car towed to the dealership today and taking my keys off the keyring mangled a few of my nails. Bah, humbug.