Category: Nails
Rose Quartz & Serenity
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For 2016, Pantone announced 2 “Colors of the Year” – Rose Quartz & Serenity. To me, it looks like your two basic layette choices – blue for a baby boy and pink for a baby girl. And Sephora really thinks people are going to wear baby blue lipstick? What do I know…maybe they will?
No need to go buy new polishes for 2016 – I dug into my stash and chose Sinful Colors “Glass Pink” for “Rose Quartz” and Sinful Colors “Cinderella” for “Serenity”. After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I painted two coats of “Glass Pink” or “Cinderella” on each nail. To add a little sparkle, I topped with a coat of Zoya “Monet”. I finished with “HK Girl”.
I love and hate these colors on my nails. It’s almost too cute and fussy. Almost.
Ringing in the New Year
This is it – the last nails of 2015.
I wanted something sparkly, so I grabbed Julep Classic with a Twist “Makenna”, gilded lilac glitter. The mix of gold and lilac microglitter is almost rose gold, one of my favorite tones lately. I need more rose gold in my life in 2o16!
After Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat, I was able to get full coverage in jut two coats. I went without a top coat, so I could enjoy the sandpapery texture.
Bela Lugosi’s Dead
Now that Xmas is over-ish, back to the grind…OK, not a grind exactly – but you know what I mean.
This is Kat Von D vs Formula X “Bauhau5” (Bela Lugosi’s dead…undead, undead, undead). It’s a matte deep raspberry…or, um fuchsia. It’s very similar to Sonia Kashuk “Jewel Orchid”, which is still on my toes.
I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat, then two coats of “Bauhau5”, then “HK Girl”. The first coat was streaky, but the second coat went on smoothly.
The “Bauhau5” Studded Kiss Lipstick isn’t an exact match – it seems a little lighter than the polish.
This lipstick has good staying power. It lasted through a juicy Fuddrucker’s hamburger for lunch and then mexican food for dinner. I did use a little gloss to revive it after lunch, but my lips were pretty pink until I got ready for bed.
Oh yeah, ignore my tit zit.
A Candy Cane Vibe
I was busy spreading joy and cheer yesterday, so this post is a bit late…
For my final Xmas manicure, I wanted a kind of candy cane vibe.
I was feeling too lazy to do stripes, so I went for a crushed peppermint effect. After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I used Sinful Colors “Tokyo Pearl” for the base – two coats. I used Sinful Colors “Decadent” on the tips. I tried to do a gradient, but it didn’t really gather at the tips like I was expecting. I finished off with “HK Girl” for a smooth finish.
Miss Colombia
I think we can all agree on one thing…if nothing else, Miss Colombia had the best dress. I was dying over the pinky nude rhinestone dress. (Beauty pageants aren’t something I normally watch, but it was on in the background at the in-laws…we had so much fun heckling!) I just happened to pick up NYC “Pink Bling” at Target on Saturday…78 cents – it’s a dead ringer.
After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I did two coats of “Pink Bling”. Coverage was okay – I probably could have gotten total coverage with another coat or two, but my nails are relatively unstained right now, so I didn’t mind my natural color peaking through. “Pink Bling” is a smooth glitter, but I finished with “HK Girl” for extra protection and shine.
“Pink Bling” would look ABSOLUTELY amazing over a silver or platinum base coat.
Festive Xmas Tree Nails
Instead of Xmas tree shapes, I decided to go with the extreme close-up version…
After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I painted two coats of Deborah Lippmann Wicked “One Short Day”. I used a dotting tool to make ornaments with Sinful Colors “Sugar Sugar” (yes, using this one again) and Ulta “Silver Bells”. I finished with a thick coat of “HK Girl”, but “One Short Day” is a bumpy glitter, so my nails still have some texture. I am annoyed that the polish is already starting to chip on my right hand. I’ve heard grumbling on the web about how bad Deborah Lippmann polish chips, but I didn’t want to believe it…
I thought I had talked Lily into letting me give us matching nails, but as usual, her stubbornness won. They are similar…but she demanded Julep “Priscilla” instead of “One Short Day”. (She had to look at EVERY green glitter that I own to decide.) She also demanded multicolored balls – pink, red, blue, silver and purple. I wish I wish I had been able to get a picture before the polish started peeling off. I honestly don’t know what she does to her nails, but they last 12 hours, tops.
Obligatory Snow Manicure
I can’t let the season pass without making my nails a winter wonderland!
I pulled out one of my oldest polishes for the base – Urban Decay “Strip”. I can’t remember exactly when I got this polish, but it was probably 12+ years ago. It still had the price tag on it – I bought it at Nordstrom for $9.50. Remember when Nordstrom was the only place you could buy Urban Decay? Anyway, it’s a beautiful icy silver foil. I needed just one coat over Orly Bonder for full coverage. No one makes polishes like this anymore! I then dipped and dabbed Funky Fingers “Elsa” to get the snow flakes. (I gave up by the time I got the middle finger on my right hand – ain’t nobody got time fo dat!) I finished with “HK Girl”, but I still have a few snowflake edges sticking up – they got all caught in my hair when I was washing it this morning. I was even able to find a glass ball to match my nails. There really isn’t a sophisticated way to hold a huge ball, is there?
So, yeah – I have decade old+ polishes – anyone else? Please share so I don’t feel quite so bad about my nail polish hoarding…
Allure Beauty Thrills – December 2015
Just like last year, the Allure Beauty Thrills Box went on sale during Thanksgiving vacation. Again, I set my alarm and ordered. The price went up again – $49.95 now, with $10 shipping. Even so, it is a hell of a deal.
There were a few repeats from previous boxes, but loads of new stuff: Algenist Power Advanced Wrinkle Fighter Serum (easily the most valuable item in the box – $105 on Sephora’s site); Aloxxi Volumizing Whip (eh, I am SO past the mousse phase); Caress Daily Silk Silkening Body Wash (this is THE BEST for shaving your legs in the shower); Clear Scalp & Hair Total Care Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner (going to my sister); Colgate Optic White Toothbrush + Built-In Whitening Pen (my third one); Colgate Optic White Express White Toothpaste; Dove Advanced Care Anti-Perspirant/Deodorant (still using the last one I got); Dove Deep Moisture Wash (another good one for leg shaving); e.l.f. Studio Lip Exfoliator (intrigued); e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in “Bordeaux Beauty”; HASK Monoi Coconut Nourishing Shine Oil (another repeat); Herbal Essences Naked Volume Shampoo (what the fuck am I supposed to do with shampoo and no conditioner?); Jessica Custom Nail Color in “Soak Up the Sun” (bright ass pink); Michael Todd Knu Anti-Aging Face Lift Serum ($58 on Ulta’s site); Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Unscented Refreshing Dry Shampoo (Ugh); One ‘N Only Island Essentials Awapuhi Intensive Treatment; Redken One United Multi-Benefit Treatment (I LOVE the Blonde Idol BB Spray from my first Allure box – looking forward to this one); Rusk Working Spray; Simple Skincare Micellular Make-Up Remover Wipes; Sonia Kashuk Tools Medium Eye Shadow Brush No. 28 (I needed another blending brush); Suave Professionals Moroccan Infusion Styling Oil; Touch In Sol Feel Like Honey Moon Skin Base; and Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Cleanser (Tomatoes and charcoal sounds like something you’d use to get out skunk stink).
All these high end wrinkle products – my face is going to be a smooth as a baby’s behind!
Another Ugly Christmas Sweater
So basically, any polish combination with red and green, and/or glitter – looks like an ugly Christmas sweater to me.
This year’s ugly sweater combination is Sinful Colors “Cauldron Couture” over “Sugar Sugar”. (Technically, “Cauldron Couture” is a Halloween polish…but green and black glitter can also be Christmas-y?) On Sunday nights, I need something quick – Sinful Colors Base Coat, two coats of “Sugar Sugar”, one dabby coat of “Cauldron Couture”, a thick coat of “HK Girl” and bedtime.
“Sugar Sugar” is one of my favorite glittery reds. I didn’t remember, but I also used it for the base last year. DOH!
Lovecraft
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Kat Von D “Lovecraft”…or should I say that I couldn’t wait to get Kat Von D “Lovecraft” on my hands?
I wasn’t sure which base coat would work the best, so I threw the dice and picked Sinful Colors Base Coat – it was fine. The first coat was a bit patchy, but the second coat covered all of the bald spots and didn’t drag. “Lovecraft” is rather thick, but not goopy. The brush is so tiny, I had to use 2-3 brushfuls to cover each nail. I finished with “HK Girl” and did drag a tiny bald spot on the middle finger of my right hand. Curses!
I LOVE the way “Lovecraft” looks, but my husband said, “Meh.” What does he know about edgy neutrals, anyway? He also said that the lighting in the picture makes my mole look like a pimple. I wasn’t self-conscious about it until he said that. He is my biggest cheerleader.
I already had a mini of Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick “Lovecraft” from Sephora points, but it’s always good to have a backup.
“Lovecraft” is matte mauve pink nude – very matte. It’s not quite as drying as most of the matte lipsticks and lip creams I have tried. It has good staying power and a coat of clear balm late in the day revives the color. As you can see, the polish and lipstick match quite well.