Author: Lara
One & Done
I was surprised to see the UPS Man pull up today – what was he bringing? Why…it was the Sephora order I just placed on Wednesday – that was FAST!
It’s been available via Urban Decay’s website for a few weeks, but I wanted to wait until either Sephora or Ulta got it – points! Sephora had it first, so I ordered immediately. I’m talking about Urban Decay Naked Skin One & Done Hybrid Complexion Perfector in “Light Medium”. I loved their Naked Skin BB Cream in “Light”, but it was discontinued and “Medium” is a bit too orange for me – unless I kill it with a lot of powder. I was excited to see the range of shades. I was wishing and hoping that that it would be even better than the BB Cream.
As soon as I was done working, I ran into the bathroom and washed my face with Fresh Soy Cleanser. I tried it on my bare skin, with my hands – no primers or moisturizer and…it was okay. It was a bit more coverage than the BB Cream, but not full coverage. It somewhat hid the pores on my nose, but didn’t affect the ones on my cheeks. It seemed to get hung on a few skin flakes. The color was right. I was slightly disappointed, but I think I need to experiment with exfoliation beforehand and maybe spot applying primer or pore perfector. It’s not a trash product, but I’m not convinced that I’ve finally found my holy grail foundation. Sigh.
By the way, my husband HATES my eye makeup today. He said I look like Divine, which I thought was a compliment – he said it is not. I wanted to play with my new Makeup Revolution “Dia de los Muertos” palette – when else am I gonna wear neon yellow eyeshadow, but at home? I layered Urban Decay Liquid Eyeliner in “Woodstock” over it – I LOVE the way the colors look together. I completed the look with Kat Von D “Sexer”. I really need a better lighting set-up than standing in front of my bedroom window…ugh.
Oh…and I also used a code to get a free sample of Boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding Intensive Wash-Off Treatment. Pore Pudding. Heh. Unfortunately, the other samples I chose didn’t make it into the box. Sad clown. I would be more bummed, but it was all foundation samples – that’s all they had this week. Get your shit together Sephora!
Sephora Play! 07 – March 2016
“The Perfection Collection” is Sephora’s March theme – and it is the most perfect box yet. I’ve gotten almost all of these products before…but haven’t tried some of them…yet.
This box gives me my 3rd bottle of Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil – I guess I better try it. Also inside this month’s box: Murad Invisiblur Protecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30 (I’ve got another sample of this, but cannot remember if I’ve tried it); Fresh Soy Face Cleaner (gentle and smells like cucumber); Sephora Collection The Perfectionist Airbrush Sponge (looking forward to trying this one); Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in “Trooper” (I’ve got several of these, but I love the cute little mini size); and Maison Martin Margiela Replica “Beach Walk”.
If you haven’t signed up yet – do it 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.
Model Perfect
Oh yassss…this is so much better!
Julep “Abby” – honey almond sheer creme – is model perfect. Seriously – I feel like a Victoria’s Secret model. It’s a barely there polish – almost like nothing at all. This is two coats over Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. It was very subtle at one coat, but I did two to cover up any discoloration. It’s shiny by itself, but I added “HK Girl” for more.
Can you tell that I managed to get a cat hair sealed into the polish on my middle finger. Our new kitten, Merkin, leaves her little black hairs EVERYWHERE. I managed to pry it out and repair it….phew!
March Beauty Box 5 – Make Room to Bloom
“Make Room to Bloom” – sure, why not?
This month’s Beauty Box 5 is full of pastels and flowery things: Colour Me “Sky Blue” Fragrance (very strong Freesia scent – reminds me of a stronger version of Bath & Body Works Freesia); Mai Couture Blush & Highlighter Papiers (this is DUMB – tinted paper you rub on your cheeks); Pur~lisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum (full size is $65 – really?); Glamour Dolls Eye Shadow Duo in “Secret Weapon” (shimmery nude and copper shades); Personail Custom Floral Nail Polish Wraps (very Easter-y); and a bonus temporary tattoo – a rose.
Not a bad box…but some weird stuff, for sure.
Periwinkle Puke
I was going for an Easter egg type vibe, but I ended up with periwinkle puke.
I was chatting with Rachel the other day and she was all excited about her new periwinkle polish – so I thought I would try my periwinkle polish – Nails Inc. “Princes Palace”. I used two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat. It’s a decent formula – streaky on the first coat, but smooth with two. So far, so good.
But then I decided to spruce it up with Sinful Colors “Baila Baila”. Still, not too bad…until I decided to top it with Zoya Matte Velvet Top Coat. That didn’t go so well – I guess the periwinkle was too thick, because a few of the edges wouldn’t dry underneath. Zoya Matte usually dries within minutes – but not this time. I dinged it a few times before bed, but I was able to mash it flat. I was horrified to wake up the next morning with imprints of my sheets on the top of my nails….yup, periwinkle puke.
I struggled with posting this mishap – but I figured I must share the fails as well as the wins.
March Ipsy Bag – Hello, Spring
Hello, Spring!
March’s ipsy bag is here to help me say, “Hello, Spring” with an adorable blue and red rose bag. Inside my bag: a Beau Gâchis Paris eyeshadow brush; Starlooks Luxe Longwear Eye Pencil in “Jet”; Marc Anthony Nourishing Argan Oil of Morocco 3 Day Smooth Perfect Blow Dry Cream; Nudestix Lip + Cheek Pencil in “Mystic”; and NYX Cosmetics Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in “Kitten Heels” (So happy to get this color).
Oh…and I used my ipsy points to get Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter. It smells awesome and matches my bag.
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
Starlet Fever
I got Starlet Fever – Sinful Colors “Starlet Fever”.
I wanted to transition from Green Week to Easter Week with a sheer Spring pastel, but all that green left my nails with a yellow tint. Instead of just sheer, I chose a sheer glitter. “Starlet Fever” is cotton candy pink with fuchsia and iridescent glitter. This is two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat and under “HK Girl”.
I feel like I’ve got a kind of Glinda vibe going on…but I asked Lily if I looked like a good witch or a bad witch – that was a mistake. She didn’t hesitate to say “bad witch”. I guess I should have asked her before washing my makeup for the night…
On Wednesdays, We Order from Ulta
Ulta knows what they are doing, offering their Wednesday Beauty Breaks…I’ll be pondering on whether to order something, I’ll get that email, and I’ve clicked “Complete Order” before I know what hit me…
Since my main purchase was a gift, I’ll show you the stuff for ME that I got. I ordered BOGHalf Freeman Beauty Masks – both new – Banana-Oat Instant Smoothing Mask and Charcoal & Black Sugar Mud Mask. There’s a new Apple Cider Vinegar Mask that I wanted, but it was sold out.
This weeks Beauty Break (free with $50 purchase) was from Laura Geller. It was Baked Marble Eyeshadow Duo in “Pink Icing/Devil’s Food”; Color Drenched Lip Gloss in “Pink Lemonade”; i-care Waterproof Eyeliner in “Charcoal”; and double-ended makeup brush (I wanted this the most!) – all in a cute gold wristlet.
I got nearly the same skincare samples AGAIN – Benefit The POREfessional and smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. Both are good products – but I have so much! Oh…and I used a $3.50 off coupon to get my total to $50.94 – I’m getting good at this!
I Declare Shenanigans!
I declare shenanigans!
My nails didn’t turn out the way I expected AT ALL.
My final nails of Green Week were full of surprises.
The first surprise was Sinful Colors “San Francisco” – I thought it would be a creamy emerald green from the bottle, but it turned out to be a kelly green shimmery jelly.
It’s very sheer after one coat and still a bit sheer after two coats.
This is two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat. I decided to leave it at two coats – even after with the visible nail line.
The second surprise was what essie luxeffects “Set in Stones” did over “San Francisco” – it turned gold! Maybe the yellow pigment in the green polish leached into the silver glitter? Or more likely, it’s just the reflection coming off the green. Either way – I wanted SILVER glitter to match my shirt! Shenanigans! (Top Coat is “HK Girl”, of course.)
My shenanigans are in silver sequins, not gold…argh…
Oh well, maybe I’ll get it right next year.
March Birchbox – Ready for Anything
This month’s Birchbox has me “Ready for Anything”!
I chose this month’s curated box. Inside the box: PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Smoothing Blowout Spray; MILK Studios Lip Color in “C.R.E.A.M.” (What is this, lipstick for ants?); Smashbox Photo Op Eye Shadow Trio in “Filter” (Pretty browns, but unfortunately, one of the pans is shattered); Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream; and Wilma Schumann Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads.
A cute little box…if I can salvage the eye shadow and figure out how to use that tiny little lipstick.
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.