Author: Lara
Sephora Play! October 2017 – Complexion Companions
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know.
Sephora must have heard my complaints last month – fragrance is back. This month’s fragrance is Chanel Gabrielle. It’s an old fashioned scent, reminiscent of Estee Lauder – maybe White Linen or Joy.
The rest of the products in this month’s “Complexion Companions” box are…you guessed it…for your complexion. I am most excited to try Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder – it’s insta-famous. Also included: Becca First Light Priming Filter Instant Complexion Refresh (I think I tried a sample of this before and it broke me out?); Make Up For ever Ultra HD Skin Booster Hydra-Plump Serum, Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in R230 (I’m betting it’s too dark, since I use 115 in their Cover Stick); and Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in “Moonlight” (Hmmm…).
A very interesting and cohesive box this month.
I am SO proud of myself for remembering to grab the Play! card when I went to Sephora Friday – I got my 50 points!
Do yourself a favor and sign up NOW. 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.
Trixy
Here it is, the last of my Halloween nails…
Julep “Trixy” was the perfect match for my Halloween costume – the Evil Queen from Snow White. I rarely do full costumes anymore – in this case, my whole costume was the crowned wimple, a mini cape and the makeup. Really, the makeup WAS the costume. Oh…and an apple. The apple was key.
“Trixy” is a blackened purple glitter. It’s the sister of “Marlise”. Like Marlise, it a bit gritty, so I topped with Glisten & Glow Top Coat. This is two coats over Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat.
Since the glitter is in a clear base, this would look really interesting over a contrasting color. Maybe a yellow?
Bloody Angel
Pretend it isn’t November 1st and that it’s October 31st. Thanks.
Dripping Blood is my favorite Halloween nail art. This year, I decided to mix it up and go with a matte white background. I started with two coats of Sinful Colors “Angelik” after Sinful Colors Base Coat. I painted the drips freehand with Sinful Colors “Undead Red”. Not a bad job, if you ask me. Someday, I’ll get off my ass and use one of my fancy brushes…
This paint job lasted quite a while…well, Friday to Monday.
Only 364 days until Halloween!
I Remembered!
Guys! Guess what! I remembered to use my $3 off coupon from this month’s Target Beauty Box!
I had a nasty, nasty breakout last week, so I went looking for a face wash with sulfur in it. It was a total fail, so I guess I’ll have to break down and pay $38 for EradiKATE. Ugh. Sulfur WORKS THOUGH guys…in the meantime, I went ahead and decided to try Shea Moisture African Black Soap Clarifying Face Wash & Scrub ($9.99). I’ve read good thing about it online, so I thought I’d try it.
I also picked up Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist ($2.99), which I got a sample of in a box back in my June box. My son uses it, so I thought I’d try it out – it makes my hair feel like doll hair! It says to use it once a week, but I dunno…it might get used every time I wash my hair.
Oh, and I can’t run out of my Dip-its and cotton rounds – gotta have ’em.
I ordered the November box yesterday…another coupon is coming.
Belly Dancer
Years and years ago – like 1999 – I used to take belly dancing classes. I really enjoyed it, but I changed jobs at one point and started working weekends, so the classes no longer worked with my schedule. I couldn’t imagine taking classes again now – as self conscious as I was about baring my itty bitty belly at 23, I cannot imagine baring my lumpy mama belly now. Pretty sure I sucked really bad, too – the teacher always praised how well I could remember the choreography. I will, however, always cherish the brief moment in time when I was able to roll a quarter up and down my stomach – I really could do it!
My point IS…that my nail polish combination reminds my of gorgeous belly dancer costume. I started with Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and then two coats of Revlon “Chameleon”. I used Nanacoco “Emerald” and Sinful Colors “Twilight Twinkles” on the tips, to bring out the green and gold in “Chameleon”. I finished with Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
Hmmm…I’m gonna go find some quarters.
October Birchbox – Behind the Scenes Beauty
…And I’m back to the curated box option this month.
Really, I wanted the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate. Kiehl’s is really good stuff! I’m also happy to try the Matrix Biolage R.A.W. Uplift Shampoo and Conditioner – matching deluxe samples of each! No foil packs!
Also in this month’s “Behind the Scenes Beauty” box: [comfort zone] Hydramemory Cream Gel and Stila Cosmetics Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner (I feel like I have at least 6 of these).
Quite a good box this month…keep it up, Birchbox!
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.
Marlise
It doesn’t get much Halloweenie-er than this!
Julep “Marlise” is described as luminous borealis glitter, but it just looks black and green to me. When I think of borealis I think of the blue and purples, but there’s usually green in there, too. It’s not the first time that Julep’s descriptions have come from Bizarro World.
I started with Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat, and then two coats of “Marlise”. The glitter finish was rough and scratchy – those usually chip quickly. I sealed it with my favorite Glisten & Glow Top Coat, which made it extra shiny. The top coat didn’t entirely smooth the polish – it was still pebbley.
I was impressed by how long this glitter lasted with the top coat – it still looked decent when I took it off.
October Ipsy Bag – Spellbound
This month’s crimson lace makeup bag is absolutely outstanding. Sure, I have more makeup bags than any human being ought to have…but you never know when you’ll need another one.
The first thing I saw in the bag, was the huge Urban Decay package…I got excited, hoping it was the new Troublemaker Mascara (I know, I bitch about too much mascara – but new is new). But no, it was an Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in “Perversion”. I think I have 3 or 4 of these. I don’t even use eyeliner anymore…but I can use this for my Halloween eyebrows? Also in this month’s bag: Nail Medic Charcoal Infused Nail Polish in “Volcanic Ash” (ipsy, why do you send me so much gray nail polish?); tarte deluxe lifted sweatproof mascara (just say NO to waterproof mascara); Hey Honey Trick AND Treat: ACTIVE PROPOLIS CREAM CONCEALER; and TONYMOLY Peach Hand Cream (yummy!).
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
Red Left Hand
Sometimes, I see a nail look on Instagram that I just have to imitate. This is one I saw on @am1e’s feed. I happened to have all the stuff to make it happen, so I did.
I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat and then two coats of either Sinful Colors “Black on Black” or “No Text Red”. I used Sinful Colors “Devil’s Stare” as accents on my middle and ring fingers. The finishing touch was Zoya Velvet Matte Top Coat.
It turned out REALLY good – I was very proud of myself. I’m almost starting to prefer matte-d glitters to shiny ones. Almost.
Lily was not a fan of the matte finish. She said they felt “weird”. I guess matte nails are an acquired taste.
Smouldrin’ Cauldron
Not this past weekend, but the weekend before, I found myself in a rural Walmart after a family breakfast. While filling my cart with cheap Xmas decorations, I couldn’t resist throwing a few Halloween nail polishes into my basket as well…
This is Pure Ice “Smouldrin’ Cauldron”. It’s a gray jelly, with dark blue glitter and iridescent flakies. This is three thick coats, sandwiched between Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and Glisten & Glow Top Coat. Even with a thick layer of top coat, it was scratchy and jagged – I kept snagging my nails on things.
Yes, these polishes are just $1.98, but they aren’t anywhere near as good as Sinful Colors. They are goopy, take forever to dry and chip quickly. I wore this polish for less than 24 hours before I had to scrub it off. Yuck.