Author: Lara
April 2020 Ipsy Bag – Full Bloom
April’s ipsy bag is super bitchin’! I love the big wooden ring on the zipper and the soft lavender flowers.
For this month’s product choice, I selected Oryza Beauty Foiler Alert – Metallic Eye Shadow in “Rosé”. I have not tried it yet – maybe for my next video conference? I also haven’t tried the Araceli Beauty Ojos Perfectos Gel Pencil Eyeliner in “Black/Negro”.
I have been able to try the rest of the products in this month’s bag. I used the Ahava 24K Gold Mineral Mus Mask over the weekend. Even though it didn’t clear my pores as well as traditional mud masks, it made my skin so soft and glowing.
I’ve also been using the MURAD Nutrient-Charged Water Gel as my go-to moisturizer – it smells WONDERFUL. I’d actually pay for this one.
Stay tuned to see Context Skin Nail Lacquer in “Slow Down”.
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $12/month. If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Therapewter
There’s something magical about metallic nail polish – it’s my favorite.
This is Sally Hansen Color Therapy “Therapewter”. The bottle says “Argan Oil Formula”, which is even MORE magical…because argan nuts travel through a goat’s digestive tract before being expressed into argan oil!
I got beautiful coverage in just two coats. This is two coats over Sally Hansen Double Duty and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. It lasted a looong time without chips – honestly, I was impressed.
Pewter is an underrated finish. I used to have this pair of Naturalizer shoes in pewter that I wore literally until the soles wore through. I also appreciate pewter jewelry, but it’s rare these days. Bring back pewter!
Easter Egg Hair
I didn’t dye eggs on Easter…but I did dye my hair.
Shortly after the quarantine started I ordered 3 new samples ($11 each) from oVertone: Extreme Teal, Pink for Brown Hair, and Purple for Brown Hair. Shipping was slower than usual and it took a bit to get here, and then…procrastination. I finally got around to dying my hair on Easter Sunday.
I just went for it and used all of them. I didn’t mix them all together – I sectioned my dry hair and applied separately. I used Extreme Teal on the right side – it did not take well on my hair. It wasn’t teal, as much as a swampy grey-blue. I used Purple for Brown Hair on the center and Pink for Brown Hair on the left side. I am much more impressed by the “for Brown Hair” formulas. The “Extreme” formula did not color the brown portion of my hair at all, just the highlighted portion. There is a “Blue for Brown Hair” – maybe I’ll try that one?
I can get about one more use out of the remainder of the three sample jars. $16.50 per dye session is a bit pricey – but that’s because I bought samples. The full size is $29 and I can get 2.5-3 applications, (if I remember correctly), which is $11.60 to $9.67, if I stretch it, which is a bit more affordable. It’s still more expensive than Clairol Color Crave or L’Oreal Colorista, but my hair feels so much better after using oVertone. It’s definitely a luxurious product and absolutely worth it.
Donut Even
Here it is, the final scented polish from the Sinful Colors Sweet & Salty Collection – “Donut Even”. Even though it smelled DELICIOUS, I hated this polish.
I have always hated long bar glitters. They invariably lift up and snag things. “Donut Even” was no exception. The bar glitters bunched up in the edges of my nails, which then led to them to lifting up and either peeling up or getting snagged in my hair. It also chipped the easiest of all the scented polishes. I assume it was due to the lifting bar glitters? This is two coats over Glisten & Glow Base Coat.
“Donut Even” did have the strongest smell – it reminded me of sugary donut glaze. Doesn’t it look just like a Homer Simpson donut?
Genie
It’s been a while since I’ve ordered directly from Black Moon Cosmetics (dang, three years) and I’d forgotten how beautiful their packaging is.
A few weeks ago, they were offering free shipping on orders $15+, so I used this opportunity to order “Genie”, an iridescent fuchsia lippie ($18). I absolutely love this lippie – I wore it to the grocery store, because that is the only place I get to go right now.
My order also came with a free set of Black Moon Lynx Lashes ($14 value). Um, thanks?
Clearance PSA
This is a PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT!
While you’re searching the aisles of Walmart for toilet paper and hand sanitizer, please be advised that a SERIOUS nail polish clearance is going on. I found these in the Clearance aisle by the garden section (I was loitering there, while my husband was looking for something in the the garden section), but they might also be on the endcaps in the Beauty aisles. In addition to Sally Hansen, I saw some essie and L.A. Colors.
I paid $1.50 for Sally Hansen Color Therapy “Therapewter” and $1 each for Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear “Fantaseas” and “Confetti Craze”.
You may now return to your regularly scheduled quarantine activities.
Betsey
I know I should’ve waited until August, but I just couldn’t do it.
Julep “Betsey – Peridot for August” might be my FAVORITE from Julep’s Birthstone Collection. It’s from Julep’s second round of Birthstone polishes – I also have the first Peridot polish, “Claudia”. “Claudia” is a lighter – almost pastel green microglitter. “Betsey”, named for Fashion Designer and Icon Betsey Johnson, the polish is darker, ferny green iridescent duochrome. There’s hints of red and green fire in the shimmer – it’s stunning.
This is two coats of “Betsey” over Glisten & Glow Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
Gosh, I miss getting new Julep polishes.
Taco Tuesday
It’s Taco Tuesday…and we had Flautas for dinner, not tacos. We like to break rules around here.
Sinful Colors “Taco Tuesday” does not look like tacos to me. It’s a sheer, light orange base, filled with different shimmery red and green glitters, as well as a few peach glitters. What exactly is IN this taco? Lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese – but no meat? Maybe it should be called “Chile Con Queso Wednesday”?
This is two coats of “Taco Tuesday” over Glisten & Glow Base Coat. Again, the glitters kept lifting up and snagging on things, because I didn’t use a top coat. I didn’t use a top coat, because I thought I wanted to smell this polish. WRONG. Fortunately, the odor was very faint, because it smelled like raw hamburger meat. No ma’am!
On the Run
I am fully aware of the irony of continuing to buy eye shadow while under lockdown. I get to go to the grocery store once a week and I need to look HAWT when I go…
Sephora lured me in with 50% off the Urban Decay On the Run Mini Palettes ($12.50, down from $25). I’ve been drooling over these little 8 shade palettes. I Selected two of the five: “Detour” (blues and browns) and “Shortcut” (reds and mauves). I’ve had a chance to try both palettes and they are so blendable and smooth. I didn’t even have to pull out the shadow primer. I can see myself going back to these again and again. Now I want to get the other 3 colorways – please go on sale again!
I was able to snag a sample of Lord Jones Royal Oil, basically a CBD Beauty Oil. The only two ingredients are grapeseed oil and CBD oil…I’m hesitant to coat my face in grapeseed oil, as I’m recovering from a breakout. I’ll try it later, I think. I also got samples of Cristophe Robin Detangling Gelee with Sea Minerals and Marc Jacobs Youthquake Gel Creme.
Sephora is offering free shipping while their stores are closed. Don’t threaten me with a good time! Just $281 to VIB in 2021.
March 2020 Sephora Play! – Wild Beauty
Hmmm…only slightly fewer repeats in March’s Sephora Play! box.
I’ve gotten the Glamglow GLOWSTARTER Mega Illuminating Moisturizer in “Nude Glow” in TWO different Play! boxes: November 2019 and March 2017. I ain’t even mad though, because I love this moisturizer. I use it up as soon as I get it.
I’d gotten a sample of NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in “Starwoman” a few years ago, but I don’t think I even used it. I’ll use it this time?
I recently gotten a sample of Moschino Toy 2 in an Ulta Sample Bag, but hadn’t tried it yet. I wore it today and was surprised to find that it’s a keeper! The main accord is green apple and somehow, I LOVE it.
Also is this month’s “Wild Beauty” bag: Laura Mercier Caviar Chrome Eyeshadow Stick in “Metallic Taupe”; Fresh Sugar Mint Rush Freshening Lip Treatment (waiting on my bedside table to be applied before bed); and Amika Un.Done Volume and Matte Texture Spray (at least it’s not dry shampoo).
Not a bad box – I’ll use almost everything.
Sephora Play gives you 5-6 prestige samples a month, for just $10! You can sign up at sephora.com/play.