Author: Lara
Clip Clip, Squeeze Squeeze
So…my favorite Scunci Octopus Clip broke. One of the arms broke clean off! I’ve had it less than a year – I’m devastated. I was going to put together an online order, but I couldn’t wait – I had to go to Ulta during my lunch and get a new one.
My work Ulta didn’t have the same Scunci Octopus Clip I got online, but they had cheap Riviera Knock-off Octopus Clips – 2 for $8. I tried them out and they’re working so far. We’ll see how long they last…
Oh, and I also bought what my husband says are the stupidest thing – Tube Squeezers (2 for $6)! They are shaped like lips and you put them on your tubes to squeeze all the product out. I don’t care of they are stupid – my toothpaste NEEDED them,
Oh, and Ulta sent a 20% off coupon to coincide with Sephora’s – but it wouldn’t work on prestige brands. No PUR Barbie Palette for me.
$575 to Diamond!
Sephora SUMMER SAVE, Part II
So you know I had to slip another small order in, while my 20% off code was still active…and Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty just happened to drop a new product – the Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil & Styler ($20). I know I should be more self conscious of the fact that I have to try nearly every brow product that hits the market…but I DO.
I ordered the MVP in “Dark Brown” – but I feel like it is lighter than the “Dark Brown” I use from Ulta. Even so, it looks shockingly natural – like little baby hairs. I am intrigued by the styling brush – it is NOT another spoolie, but more like an Artis eyeshadow brush – I like how it feels on my face, so soft. I’ve been using it for the past 3-4 days and am really liking it – but I do not know if it will replace my Ulta. I DO like it better than ABH Brow Wiz.
I also ordered a brand new lip product – Urban Decay Vice Lip Chemistry in “Stacked” ($22). It’s supposed to change color to match your own “unique chemistry”. It does have a nice staining effect – it doesn’t wear quite all day, but a good 6-8 hours. I like it, but not sure if I would pay full price for more shades.
Oooohhh…I actually received BOTH of the samples I chose at checkout! I chose a OUAI Treatment Mask (for my hair) and a trio of samples from Farsali – Rose Gold Elixir, Unicorn Essence and Skintune Blur. I wore the Skintune Blur yesterday and I noticed nothing different about my skin – just like I never noticed a difference with the Unicorn Essence. Bah.
$628 to Rouge…
Astrolady
I LOVE being surprised by a polish! I had no idea that Formula X “Astrolady” was a textured polish!
I started with Glisten & Glow Base Coat and painted a single coat. The first coat was a bit streaky – it reminded me of crackle polish. The second coat smoothed it out, but it wasn’t until I started to apply Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat to my pinky that I noticed that it was a sandy texture. I was planning on using a glossy top coat on the other nails, but decided to skip it.
I LOVE “Astrolady” – it might be my favorite textured polish ever. I want to try it with the Zoya Leopard Print Topper!
August 2019 Sephora Play! – Your Beauty Sidekicks
This month’s Play! box is Superhero themed, full of killer sidekick products.
First off, I gotta point out that my REN Clean Skincare Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream was busted – the tube was slashed somehow! It looks like the plastic cracked? I am lucky that the content congealed and didn’t leak into the box…into the trash it goes.
I am normally excited about Glamglow, but I am not sure how I feel about Glamglow Supertoner Exfoliating Acid Solution Toner. It’s a thick gray liquid – it’s charcoal. Hmmmm…
Also in this month’s box: Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Panoramic Mascara; Buxom Full-On Plumping Lip Cream Gloss in “Hot Toddy”; Clinique Moisture Surge 72-hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator; and Alterna Haircare CAVIAR Ant-Aging Smoothing Anti-Frizz Blowout Butter (TWO caviar products – suspicious?).
Sephora Play gives you 5-6 prestige samples a month. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
Palm to Palm
I did not wear “Weekend Superpowers” very long – I did not feel glamorous wearing it.
I was happy to move on to July’s ipsy polish – Color Club “Palm to Palm”. A vibrant crelly, I was surprised that it dried so sheer – you can see my nail line. This is two coats over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
I ended up with a lot of extra polish in the edges of my nails – the brush was all fucked up. It looked like a rooster’s tail…after a tussle with a weedeater. So, I am wondering if the brush being all fucked up was a fluke thing or if lower quality bottles were intentionally off-loaded on ipsy…hmmmm…Regardless, it is a lovely color and I’ll use it again.
OH! And it also stained a bit when I took it off – be careful with this polish!
Sephora SUMMER SAVE
It’s that time of year again…Sephora’s end-of-summer sale event – 20% off!
I had been keeping Rosebud Perfume Co. Rose & Mandarin Lip Balm ($8) in my cart for my next order, so I finally got it! It’s subtle scented and very slick – I’ve been using it before bedtime.
The email with my promo code showed me the new Moroccanoil Color Depositing Masks, so I ordered two Minis ($7) – “Aquamarine” and “Hibiscus” – I’ll have to wait another few weeks until my hair fades more, but I am excited to try them.
Not impressed by her latest launches, I did order one of the new Kat Von D Kitten Minis – Crush on Blush – Highlighter + Blush Duo ($22). The blush shade is “Nova” which matches my fave lipstick “Lolita” perfectly – it’s a better match than my actual “Lolita” blush. I’ve been using the highlighter, “Gammaray” for eyeshadow – I LOVE it.
I wasn’t planning on getting a new foundation, but I was poking around on the site and came across bareMinerals Blemish Rescue Skin-Clearing Loose Powder Foundation for Acne Prone Skin in “2N” ($29). When I opened it up, my first thought was FUCK, it’s too dark. That’s what I get for letting the site choose for me – I had them match the last foundation that I felt was a really good match for me, Fenty Beauty in “150”. Once I got it on my face, it wasn’t really too dark – darker than my usual, but not too dark. This is a full coverage powder – more full coverage than I am used to, so I may save it for special occasions and not wear it to work every day. It wears okay, but I feel like it oxidizes by the end of day – maybe not the best for summer sweating.
Again, I got neither of the two samples I picked. Instead of REPLICA Whispers in the Library, I got Lancome La vie est Belle. Instead of Glamglow Waterburst, I got Clinique iD Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly. Boo.
I know if probably doesn’t seem like it, but I’ve really reduced my spending this year. This order doesn’t quite get me to VIB status for 2020 – my total spend year-to-date has been $338, believe it or not. Another $662 just isn’t in the cards this year, unless I win the lottery!
Nails on a Chalkboard
…or is it a chalkboard on my nails?
Honestly, that didn’t even cross my mind with this polish at first – I just kept thinking of of army/camo green. It wasn’t until I tested the matte top coat of my pinky that I saw it – it’s just like an old fashioned, dark green chalkboard.
This is Nails, Inc. “Weekend Superpowers” from this month’s ipsy bag. I groaned audibly when I saw the color – it’s just so…dull. It doesn’t make sense at all for summer – it is more of a fall/winter polish. A friend mentioned that she received a peach polish, so I guess not everyone received this funky color. Or maybe it makes sense, in a “Back to School” sorta way?
This is two coats of “Weekend Superpowers” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat, except for the pinky with Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat.
August 2019 Allure Beauty Box – Summer Brights
Well this is a rather random assortment of summer-y products. Weird flex, but okay, Allure…
Inside this month’s neon yellow pouch: Benefit They’re Real Mascara (a solid mascara, but not as good as Rollerlash); Erno Lazlo Multi-Task Eye Serum Mask; Primera Alpine Berry Water Cream; Nuria Defend Triple Action Eye Cream; Cargo Cosmetics Essential Lip Color in “Bordeaux”; Laritzy Cosmetics Liquid Beam in “Topaz” (ugh, wet finish eye shadow – ewww); and Makeup Eraser The Mini in “Black” (I keep meaning to try one of these).
Confession…I haven’t sampled any of this month’s products – they just are not that interesting. Bummer of a box this month!
The Allure Beauty Box is $15/month, but they give you $5 off your first box. They also offer an option for $150/year – a savings of $30. Sign up via my referral link.
$5 Friday
I know I said I’d use up what I had before I bought more…but $5!
Last Friday, I got that magical email from Bath & Body Works that “selected fragrances” were on sale for $5 – shower gel, body cream, even fine fragrance mist! When I got there, it was all the new scents! It was Friday – I had the beginnings of a migraine – so I treated myself to a full set of both “Midnight Peony” (the muskier sister to my old favorite “Peony”) and “Rose Water and Ivy” (maybe my new favorite – it’s very similar to the long discontinued “Delicate Petals” from Victoria’s Secret).
I also had a coupon for a free item up to $14, so I got a “Hello Beautiful” Shower Gel to fill up my travel size bottle. So that was 7 products for $30 – that’s a smoking deal!
I also sampled another new scent that I’m adding to my wishlist – “Kaleidoscope”. (It wasn’t on sale, or I would’ve gotten it.) The main note is pink pepper – I have no idea what that really is, but it’s spicy and I love it. I think Tory Burch also has Pink Pepper, because that’s what it reminds me of.
August 2019 Ipsy Bag – Bare Yourself
Oh, ipsy I knew I shouldn’t have mentioned how much I don’t want waterproof products last month – I got 2 of them this month!
Waterproof eye shadow? Ugh, like I am going to wear a full face to the pool? Regardless, the Suva Beauty Eyeshadow in “Turmeric” is a “water-resistant” gold foil. The Huda Beauty Lip Contour in “Trophy Wife” is also listed as waterproof, which makes a bit more sense for a longwear lip lip liner.
Also in this month’s shockingly weird dark green, pyramid studded vinyl bag: It Cosmetics Confidence in a Gel Lotion Moisturizer (my product selection for the month – looking forward to sampling this one); Nails Inc. Nail Polish in “Weekend Superpowers” (the same weird, flat dark green as the makeup bag); and Papa Recipe Bombee Honey Moisture Cleansing Foam.
I didn’t add on any products this month – nothing looked tempting.
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.