Author: Lara

 
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Shine, Honey

I’ve been BAMBOOZLED!

Bamboozled…buffaloed…tricked. Sinful Colors Power Paint “Shine, Honey” is a DUPE of Sinful Colors Sinful Shine “Shine Annie”. Click the link and compare…exactly THE SAME.

Even so, I probably would’ve bought the polish anyway. I’m a hoarder, that’s what I do.

This is two coats of “Shine, Honey” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.

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Power Paint

Guess what? There’s a new Sinful Colors Collection! Well…kind of new.

I expected to find the new Power Paint polishes in a cute display on an endcap, but I was shocked to find them on the aisle, right where the Sinful Shine polishes should be…where did the Sinful Shine polishes go? It seems like this is not exactly a “new” collection, but a rename of the Sinful Shine polishes…these colors look VERY familiar….hmmmm…

Eh, HEB had BOGO 50% off coupons, so I went ahead and bought just 4 of the 15 rebranded polishes. Left to right, I picked up “24K Drips”, “Cari-BAE-n”, “Diamonds on my Neck”, and “Shine, Honey”. I hope they are not exact duplicates of polishes I already have!

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Iced Petit Four

I LOVE petit fours, but I’ve never had a periwinkle petit four.

This is Sinful Colors “Iced Petit Four”. This is two coats over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat. No top coat…except for my pinky nails. I topped with Glisten & Glow Top Coat. I like it glossy, too!

I really like the matte, yet shimmery finish. I felt a little bit like Elsa…Which Confection Crush should I try next?

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It’s So Grape

No need to adjust your screen, this polish is more gray than grape.

Sinful Colors “It’s So Grape” is another one of the Confection Crush “Sweet & Sugary” polishes. I mean…it DOES look like a grape gum drop…that rolled under my couch and moldered for a year. I don’t care, it’s still cute!

This is two coats over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat.

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Birthday Haircut

Okay, technically, I got my hair cut the day AFTER my birthday, but I say it still counts as a “birthday haircut.”

Although my hair DID need a cut, the real reason I went to Ulta was to use my Ulta Diamond coupons, which were due to expire on February 9th. That’s a ridiculously short period of time to use these valuable coupons…so I got my butt in there to get $25 off Salon Services and a free bottle of Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer in “0.5 Breeze”. Of course, my skin is so dry and flaky this winter that I haven’t DARED trying it. Soon.

After getting my hairs did and my skin matched, I went down every single aisle. Somehow, I didn’t go nuts. I found 2 Schmidt’s “Rose + Black Pepper” Natural Deodorant, one for me and one for Lily. They were on clearance, $4.99, down from $9.99. I came across a Revlon x Barbie Nail Tool Set ($7.99). I wanted to try the Colourpop Fresh Kiss Lip Creme, so I tried “Alt Rock” ($8.00). I thought it would be a dupe for KVD “Lolita”, but it’s more fuchsia. The texture is soft and it didn’t crack my lips, but it did get on everything.

I initially thought that this year’s Birthday Gift was lame – a Deluxe Sample of tarte Lash Smoothie Hemp Mascara, but I tried it and I actually like it. Who knew? I also used my $10 off birthday coupon.

$1,103.77 to Diamond in 2023.

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Late Birthday Post

Do my kids know me, or what?

This is the very first year that my kids took initiative and shopped for my birthday gifts ALONE, with no help from their father. Truthfully, he had NO IDEA what they had gotten me until I opened them. I giggled like a schoolgirl, opening up the Jason Momoa Funko Pop. (He may be single right now, but he will just have to be sad and lonely – I am NOT at all single.) I may have squealed with joy when I opened the Rose Apothecary Eau de Parfum from Beekman 1802. It smells just as awesome as the Rose Apothecary Lotion that Cat sent me! I am so excited to smell like “Ew, David” every day.

Thank you, gutfruit and crotchfruit…you made this old lady’s birthday very, very special.

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January 2022 Sucreabeille Mini Subscription Bag

You didn’t really think I’d be able to to stick with just one beauty subscription, did you?

I started off the new year with a new scent subscription and I am super excited about it! The Mini Subscription Bag contains 6 1ml oil samples – one unreleased scent and five current scents.

The unreleased scent is called “Team Reckless Abandon”. It’s a musky scent and I cannot quite place the rest of the notes. Since it is unreleased, I cannot search the site to tell me what it is…

My favorite scent from the bag is “Caffeine Poisoning”, which smells like I dumped a Caffe Mocha all over myself, but in a good way? Also in this month’s bag: “Bohemian” (discontinued, scented like absinthe and peppermint); “Blood Lust” (Oh, I have that one); “Papa’s Waffles” (this smells like straight BUTTER on me…like what I imagine Paula Deen smells like when she’s horny in the kitchen); and “Peace Out, Bitches” (a very subtle lemon and flowers scent). The only one my husband liked was “Peace Out, Bitches”…he has a very discerning sniffer.

While I subscribe to the Mini Subscription Bag at just $15/month (shipping is extra), there’s also a Medium Subscription Bag for $40/month and a Full Size Subscription Bag for $70/month. They are very, very tempting! Click here for a $5 off coupon (for you AND me)!

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Krushed Velvet

This vibrant matte moment is brought to you by Sinful Colors “Krushed Velvet” from the Kylie Trend Matters Collection. It was buried in a basket of untried polish in my bedroom…I came across it while quarantined.

This is two coats of “Krushed Velvet” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat.

This deep burgundy has a hint of gold shimmer that is very apparent when wet, but fades quite a bit after drying. Next time I use this polish, I might try a glossy top coat to bring out that shimmer, or possibly a gold glitter accent nail.

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Quarantine Nails

Locked in my room for 10 days…what else was I going to do?

Belle en Argent “What She’s Having” arrived in January’s ipsy bag. I think the name of the polish is referring to THAT scene in When Harry Met Sally. This is two coats of “What She’s Having” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat.

I wanted my nails to look fancy, so I made an accent nail with China Glaze “Diamond in the Rough”. I should have topped that finger with Glitter Grabber to smooth over the rough glitter, but I forgot to ask my jailers to slide it under the bedroom door. I topped them with Glisten & Glow Top Coat. All dressed up and nowhere to go.

I did my toes, too! Even though I just got a pedi, the lady didn’t cut my toenails down short enough and they were snagging on my sheets. Don’t you hate that? I cut them down SUPER short.

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Sucreabeille’s Old Soul Haul

How the hell am I supposed to smell all these delightful new scents with COVID-19? Help!

I placed this monster order on the day after Xmas and it took a bit to get here. I had been working my way through the scents slowly – a new one each day – but my progress was sidelined by a positive COVID test last week…argh…I’m all better now, and I can smell again…

The first item I added to my cart was a sample of “Old Soul” ($13), Sucreabeille’s most exclusive perfume. It’s a mix of rose and jasmine, with an undercurrent of sandalwood. My husband REALLY liked it, which is NOT normal for rose scents. I’ll be saving up my money for this one – an ounce is $150!

Next was The Blood Drunk Collection Box ($59), which includes a 1oz Oil Rollerball of “Blood Drunk”, which smells like a rich, musky pomegranate on me. The collection also included a tin with sample drams of “Blood Lust” (it’s sexy, but I’m not getting a “red lipstick” scent from it), “Heart’s Blood” (Egyptian musk, but different than Momento Mori), “Blood Drop” (like a bloody speculoos cookie…my husband said it was “medicinal”), as well as a special sample of “Fresh Blood” (hints of cherry in this blood). To be honest, they all smell very similar to me – I don’t think I could tell them apart in a blind smell test. They are also all oils and fade really fast on me.

I ordered another set of 5ml Sample vials ($28): “Blood of my Enemies” (this one smells smoky and somehow…salty?); “Cyanide” (a sharp, sweet cherry/almond start, but it disappears much too quickly on me); “Combustible Lemons” (a strong spike of lemon scent – like Lemon Pledge, but not quite – and then is disappears); “Sea Hag” (This one was a surprise favorite, with strong notes of petrichor – I need a full size); and “Not, Today Satan!” (the strongest note is Osmanthus, overpowering the candied grapefruit – I need to come back to this one).

I also ordered a set of 5 EDP drams ($60): “Belladonna” (yes, yes, another rose – but I love this one, too!); “Heck Puppy” (it doesn’t smell like a puppy – maybe more like clean puppy breath?); “Crafty Witch” (the description says it smells like a craft room and it smells like MY craft room/office – stacks of yarns and fabric and paper, with a hint of stale coffee and dust); “Black Honey” (one of my faves from my first order); and “Memento Mori” (why did I order more of this? I already have one).

Lots of freebies with this order. I got a free welcome gift (signing up for texts, I think) of a dram of “Coven”, which smells like herbs and leaves, but turns musky on me. I also got a mystery 8.5ml Oil Rollerball, which turned out to be “Sophia” from the retired Golden Girls Collection. The sharp cinnamon and vanilla notes smell like Ben Gay and Cheesecake on me…or maybe that is just what my brain imagines Sophia would smell like? My order was over $150, so I also received a free Rose Collection Box, which includes a dram of “Briar Rose”, a delicious green rose scent with a strong undercurrent of rosemary; a bottle of “Wood Rose” Bubble Bath, which I’ve been using as a shower gel and it smells exactly like you’d expect – sawdust and roses; and “Flame Rose” Buttercream Lotion, scented like burned leather and roses. This might be one of the most long-lasting and moisturizing lotions I’ve tried.

I ALSO signed up for Sucreabeille’s small monthly subscription box, which arrived…but I haven’t even gotten to sample yet – UGH.