Author: Lara
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.
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.
First Ulta Haul of 2022
I placed my first Ulta order of the year…I had no specific plan in mind, I just kept adding to cart until it felt right.
I take that back, I did have a bit of a plan. I am running out of conditioner, so I picked up a refill of NatureLab.Tokyo Perfect Smooth Conditioner ($23). The shampoo lasts forever, but I go right through the conditioner. Speaking of refills, I got a refill of my KVD Beauty Lock-it Foundation – it was half off ($12, down from $24)! My favorite Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” was also half off ($5, down from $10), so I got another one of those, too.
I need eye shadow like a need another kid, but I got the NYX Limited Edition Lunar New Year Eyeshadow Palette ($10) anyway. I am annoyed that I haven’t had a chance to play with it yet.
I cannot pass up cheap nail polish, so I got China Glaze “Diamond in the Rough” and “Bring on the Bubbly” for $1.88 each. They’ll make good toppers.
My order qualified for a tarte 4 piece Beauty Break, which includes tarte Stay Spray, sugar rush Lip Slip in “Dragon Fruit”, sugar rush Lash Smoothie Volumizing Hemp Mascara, and a shape tape glow wand. Tarte isn’t my favorite makeup brand, but it’s not bad.
$3.50 off coupon and $1,150 to Diamond for 2023.
January 2022 Ipsy Bag – Happy Vibes
Why yes, I could use some happy vibes right now.
My product choice this month was the Rose+Quartz Hair Mask. I have not had a chance to use it yet, but I am looking forward to trying it out this weekend.
Also in this month’s happy, happy bag: Benefit The POREfessional Lite Primer (looking forward to trying this); Belle en Argent 8 Free Nail Polish in “What She’s Having”; Purlisse Beauty Ageless Glow Serum BB Cream SPF 40 in “Fair” (I feel like this product is going to do a lot of things); and Sophia + Mabelle SMALL + MIGHTY Extreme Volume Mascara in “Black”.
Looking forward to my Glam Bag X next month!
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $13/month and Glam Bag X for an extra $43/quarterly. If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Royal Cake Pop Nail Party
There’s nothing I like more than a good, ole fashioned Nail Party!
Last weekend (BEFORE I was infected with the ‘rona), I was blessed with a 24 hour visit from close friends. Although Shari is not at all interested in my beauty and nail obsessions, Brittany was more than happy to play with my nail stuff, while Shari taught a ZOOM Sunday School Class. Nails are so much more fun together!
I started off with Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and two coats of Sinful Colors “Royal Cake Pop”. Going through my nail decals, I came across a small pack of Scratch Accent Nail Wraps in white and gold. (These are old, old, old – from a 2016 Beauty Box 5.) I thought the white and gold with give off a nice “Art Deco” vibe with the chromed silver finish of “Royal Cake Pop”. The white strip on my pinky turned out fantastic, but I was startled to see that the gold strip turned olive green over the silver polish!
I finished up with a coat of Glisten & Glow Top Coat. This manicure felt like it last forever – a full week with just minor edge wear. Thank you Confection Crush Collection!
I’m looking forward to another nail party…someone come play with me! (After quarantine is over, of course!)
Barbie Skin
Sinful Colors “Frosted Sugar Cookie” looks like Barbie skin to me – is that weird? Have I been playing with Barbies too much lately?
This is two coats of “Frosted Sugar Cookie” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat. It’s still a semi-sheer matte finish, but there’s an underlying blue shimmer that is very, very faint.
I am really digging Sinful Color’s super large Confection Crush Collection – I cannot decide if I should steamroll through all the shades, or if I should mix it up…
Still a Little Sale Left…
That’s right, there’s still a little Semi Annual Sale left at Bath & Body Works. I bopped in a few days ago to see what was 75%.
I have never heard of “Whipped Rose Latte”, but roses and coffee? Yes, please. It’s a pleasant, homey scent – nothing like you’d expect a rose scent to be like. The only product left was Body Cream (75% off), so that’s all I got. My husband sniffed it and HATED it…sigh, so the cream is relegated to my office.
The only 75% off Hand Soap was “Boardwalk Vanilla Cone”, so I just got one. I also grabbed 3 more 75% off Wallflower Refills.
Lily wanted the Tea Tree & Peppermint Essential Oil Mist, but I am not sure what for. It wasn’t 75% off – it was $4.95.
I got more coupons in the mail a few days ago…should I make another visit?
Pistachio Praline
I figured it out!
Well, not really…someone told me how to fix my Grand Canyon issue. Someone in the Sinful Colors fb group suggested NOT using a base coat. I’ll be a sonofabitch…it worked! Just two coats of Sinful Colors “Pistachio Praline” and there’s not a streak in sight. Perfection!
I’ve never personally encountered a Pistachio Praline…I would eat the shit out of one. I loooove pralines. All of the new Sinful Colors polishes make me hungry!
Rosewater Delight
Crackle nail polish can be great…if it is SUPPOSED to crackle. Unfortunately, Sinful Colors “Rosewater Delight” is NOT a crackle polish. “Rosewater Delight” is from the Confection Crush Velvet Matte Collection.
This is two coats of “Rosewater Delight” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat. The Grand Canyon on my thumb nail is completely puzzling to me – why did that happen? There are creeks like that on most of my nails…what on earth?
I need to do some research…
Sucreabeille!
I’ve got a new obsession…it’s an Indie Fragrance House called Sucreabeille. My sister sent me a link months and months ago, but I hadn’t made a purchase until this past Black Friday…I delayed my posting a bit, because I didn’t want to spoil a gift. I got so many different scents, that it did take me a bit to work through them all.
All of Sucreabeille’s scents are available in either perfume oil or eau de Parfum. I prefer EDP, so that’s what I ordered.
I couldn’t resist the Challenging Discovery Set ($28), which includes 5 1 ml samples of strange and unusual scents: “Black Honey” (a rich blend of honeys and incense); “Chloroform” (an indole heavy gardenia – unfortunately, it literally smells like cat shit on me); “Final Boss” (and now I know that synthetic ambergris smells like cat piss on me – maybe I should try “Final Boss” and “Chloroform” together); “Cute Rage” (all I smell is APPLE); and “What Fresh Hell is This?” (smells like a black jelly bean on me – giving it to my son). I’d say that this was a wasted purchase, except I really had fun trying the scents and torturing my family with them. “Final Boss” was the only one bad enough that I had to wipe off immediately, and I am in LOVE with “Black Honey”.
I also selected a set of 5 sample drams ($60) to try out: “Goth. As. Fuck.” (I’d argue that this is also a challenging scent – incense, patchouli and beeswax – but I am up to this challenge); “I Come From a Long Line of Terrifying Women” (I admit, I bought it just for the name, but the mix of whiskey and tobacco is intriguing); “Lilith Fury” (Again, the name got me – it’s a spicy chai scent); “Mouthy Broad” (whiskey and roses); and my favorite of the whole order, “Memento Mori” (the mix of incense and Egyptian Musk is an almost exact dupe of the Blue Rose incense we used to buy at Scarborough Faire – it brought back a flood of memories.)
Since I bought during a black Friday sale, I got lots of freebies. I got a whole-ass oil rollerball of “Krampus” (a delicious gingerbread scent), as well as 3 oil drams from the Winter Collection: “Frozen Moon” (sugar plums and marshmallows), “Whispering Black” (cedar and rain), and “Heartwood” (rose wood and cedar wood, it reminds me of the cedar balls my mother kept in her armoire).
Did I mention there is a monthly subscription box, too? I sure did sign up!
There was a killer after-Holiday sale, so I have another order coming!
If you’d like to try out Sucreabeille, use my referral link and we’ll both get a $5 off coupon!