Author: Lara
Never Too Early to Start Xmas Shopping
I couldn’t pass up the chance to combine a 20% off coupon with an already smokin’ deal. I’ve been watching the Urban Decay Naked on the Run palette drop in price on various sites over the past month and it finally popped up at Ulta for $32. It was overpriced at $54, but $25.60 was just the right price. I tried the palette immediately and LOVED the shadow colors. Just the color “Dive” alone is worth it – metallic rose w/golden micro-shimmer. The Naked Lip Gloss “Sesso” is also nice.
I also picked up an Xmas present for Lily – the NYX Mega Glam Nail Polish Set. These little mini polish bottles are perfect for her tiny hands. I’m fairly certain she doesn’t read this site, so I think I’m safe in posting it.
I’ve finally figured out that the best day to order online from Ulta is Beauty Break Wednesdays – when they always have a free gift going. This time, I got a 4 piece sampler from bliss, with Fabulous Makeup Melt gel-to-oil cleanser, Fabulous Foaming Face Wash, Triple Oxygen Radiant Protection Energizing Serum and Instant Energizing Foaming Mask. I also got samples of L de L Cosmetics Retinol Anti-Wrinkle Facial Oil, Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer and Mario Badescu Botanical Exfoliating Scrub.
I can’t wait to use my Sephora VIB 20% off next week!
Kerry is So Very
Goodbye Halloween!
As soon as I got this month’s Julep box, I couldn’t keep my hands off the new Matte Metallics. I picked Julep “Kerry” to try first. “Kerry” is described as fluted gold matte metallic – I don’t really see any flutes…do you? The matte finish is AMAZING.
After Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat, I did 2 thin coats with no top coat. It dried super quick, but I still managed to knick my ring finger. I think it happened as I was opening a tub of Triple Chocolate Gelato. Mama’s gotta have her creamy cold treat before bedtime.
November Julep Maven box – The Switch-Up Collection
Dang Julep…getting my box here on November 2nd. And in all new packaging! The shipping box is now plain cardboard with purple stripes. Gone are the white polish boxes – now they’re a shimmery dark gray. I love Julep’s new look.
“The Switch-Up Collection” is November’s theme. The beauty product is What Your Skin Needs Restorative Facial Milk – a lightweight treatment milk with olive oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, coconut oil and squalane. (I’ll save you my husband’s commentary on facial milk.) I couldn’t resist the new matte metallic polishes – I picked Boho Glam “Kerry”, fluted gold matte metallic, and Classic with a Twist “Jo”, brushed silver matte metallic. All Julep Mavens received an extra polish Shake It Up! – It Girl “Melody”, an iridescent, high gloss, glitter top coat. For a treat, there was a Tootsie Roll Caramel Apple Pop. I’m scared to eat real caramel apples, but maybe this one won’t be so bad.
Not a Julep Maven? Leave a comment and I’ll send you a referral email good for a free welcome box!
Stone Cold Says So
Sinful Colors “Stone Cold” reminds me of a granite countertop…who am I kidding? It looks like a granite HEADSTONE.
I lied – I’m still doing Halloween polishes.
“Stone Cold” is a cool slate jelly with an iridescent shimmer and black square glitter. This is two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat and underneath “HK Girl”.
Ugh…daylight savings time ended. While my body loves being back to “real time”, the early sunset doesn’t give me time after work for pictures in natural light. For now, you’ll have to enjoy the weird fluorescent lighting in my living room.
The Wicked Witch of the East
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OK – this is it – the last Halloween manicure you’ll have to see this year!
We’re that lame family that sometimes does theme costumes. Not every year, but we’ve done it more than once. This year – the theme is The Wizard of Oz. My son is a flying monkey, my husband is the Tin Man, my daughter is the Wicked Witch of the West and I am the Wicked Witch of the East. Oh yeah, the dog is Dorothy. By far, I have the easiest costume – all I needed was a witch hat, striped socks and ruby slippers. Oh…and my nails did.
I used Jamberry Stripes and Chevrons on my thumb and pinky. I used Zoya “Chyna” on my middle three fingers. (This is two coats over Zoya Armour.)
Do you like my doorstop? My little sister got it for me a few Xmases ago…
Target Beauty Box – October 2015 – #2
What! What! WHAT! There were 2 Target Beauty Boxes this month!
This $10 box packs a punch – I don’t even know how they fit it all into the box. Inside my box: Goody Ouchless Silicone Lined Elastics; Cover Girl Intensify Me Eyeliner in “Intense Black” (it has a paddle tip that paints thin and thick lines); Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in “Wardrobe”; RoC Deep Wrinkle Night Cream (I’ve heard good things about RoC, but have never tried it – looking forward to trying it); ACURE Moroccan Argan Oil + Stem Cell Triple Repair Shampoo & Conditioner (big samples, not foil packets!); Skinfix Ultra Rich Body Butter; Hello Toothpaste in “Supermint”; Olly Beauty Vitamins (with Biotin, Vitamins C, E & Borage Oil – I ate them already – they were yummy); and S.W. Basics Certified Organic Body Scrub (At first, I thought it was a packet of granola – it has just three ingredients: sugar, coconut oil & shredded coconut – so it kinda IS granola).
As usual, there’s a coupon $3 off a $15 Beauty purchase. Another great box from Target!
Slutty Pumpkin
If you’re a fan of How I Met Your Mother, you know all about Slutty Pumpkin. For some reason, Slutty Pumpkin is all I can think of when I look at this glittery Halloween paint job.
After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I painted two coats of Sally Hansen “Sweet Nectar”. By itself, it’s totally traffic cone orange – but it’s much more festive after a thick coat of Sinful Colors “Splatter Spell”. I was hoping that the orange shards would be…oranger? They are more gold than orange. I topped with a coat of “HK Girl”.
Okay enjoy, because it will probably be another year before I rock orange nail polish again…
Sephora Play! 02 – October 2015
It’s only the second month, but Sephora Play! is quickly becoming my favorite subscription box. The samples are SOOOOO good.
This month’s theme is “Secrets to Dewy Skin.” I don’t know if I want dewy skin, but looks like I am gonna get it with these: boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser & Konjac Cleansing Sponge with Bamboo Charcoal (I’ve been wanting a Konjac!); Sephora Pearl Mask (with real white pearl); Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Day Tint; Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Instant Infusion Treatment Toner; belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb (this stuff IS the bomb – I love it & get samples of it whenever I can); and Atelier Cologne “Mandarine Glaciale” (I have a rollerball of this stuff already – I like it, but my husband thinks it smells like plastic).
The box comes with a card that gives 50 extra points with my next Sephora purchase.
Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can get on the wait list at sephora.com/play.
Go Batty
Shit! It’s almost Halloween! I better show off my Halloween polishes now…
This is Sinful Colors “Go Batty” – a glow in the dark, baby blue jelly with Silver holographic half-moons. I guess those are supposed to be the bats? I love the finish of these glowing jelly polishes – the colors builds beautifully and the polish naturally fades to a clear border around the edges of the nails – no harsh edges. I did have to do a lot of fishing to get those moon out – I did a lot of shaking and rolling every few nails.
This is two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat and sealed with “HK Girl”.
Taffeta, Darling
Yeah, I took this picture in my car – so?
I had a good reason – I just can’t remember what it was. I think I was afraid it would be raining when I got home from work (it wasn’t). Well, whatever the reason – the lighting in my car was really good today.
This is Julep “Cally” from August’s “Muse Montreal” Collection – festival fuchsia iridescent chrome. I can’t resist a fuchsia. There’s the slightest hint of an orange shimmer – it reminds me of those color shifting Taffeta Prom Dresses from the 80s/90s…I never had one, but Seventeen Magazine was full of them.
This is two coats with Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat and “HK Girl”. The polish is thin, but gives great coverage.