Author: Lara
Blame it on my Juiced
It’s September…Summer is supposed to be in its last gasps…yeah right, this is Texas. It was over 100 degrees today. So instead of a pumpkin, this bright, juicy orange is just an orange.
This juicy orange is Sinful Colors “Juiced” from the matte Neon Collection. I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat (ooooh, I’m running low). I painted two coats of “Juiced”. There were a few streaks remaining in the second coat, but not enough for me to risk a third coat and a goopy mess. I finished with Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat for extra matte protection.
I took pictures in my kitchen and on my back porch, in varying levels of light. It doesn’t even look like the same polish from picture to picture!
You cannot see it in the pictures, but the thing I love about this matte collection is the faint touch of a shimmer in the polishes.
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.