Category: Nails
$2 off Revlon
I was supposed to be getting something to eat for dinner, but like a recovering crackhead, my feet took me to the cosmetics section before my head realized I was there.
The first thing I looked for was Orly Bonder, but there was an empty spot on the shelf. At least I know I should try to find it at HEB at $6.99 instead of $10 at Ulta.
Did you know that HEB now carries Sinful Colors? $1.98, so I gotta wait for a sale…
Then I noticed that there were store coupons for $2 off any Revlon product over $3.50. I took this as a sign that I should snatch up Revlon’s Quick Dry Base Coat and Quick Dry Top Coat, regularly $4.31, now $2.31 each. I also picked up Revlon Leather Cuir “Motorcycle Jacket” from the Spring 2014 “Leather & Tweed Collection”, regularly $4.28, now $2.28. I had been eyeing it the last few times I had been at HEB. It wasn’t in its own display, just mixed in with the “Amazing Spider-Man 2” Display…but this lonely bottle has been patiently waiting for me for several months…and now it’s mine!
I love a good coupon…my feet have the urge to go back to HEB soon…
Modern Mermaid in the Blue Lagoon
I went full mermaid this morning.
Captain Blankenship “Mermaid Mane” Sea Salt Spray in my hair – in a loose, wavy bun. After showering with Bath & Body Works “White Citrus”, I tried Atelier Cologne “Cédrat Enivrant” Cologne Absolue. I played a tense game of “eyeliner chicken” with my Vasanti Kajal Extreme Intense Eye Pencil in “Electric Navy” – luckily I won. (“Eyeliner Chicken” is when you keep putting on more eyeliner, trying to get it even. You know you’ve lost when you look like a raccoon.) The most important part was my mermaid manicure…
This is RUFFIAN “Blue Lagoon”. As beautiful as it is, it is a very unforgiving polish. I got full coverage in one coat, but it shows every imperfection. I have a few peeled tips on my right hand and they show. I also gave Sally Hansen “Diamond Shine” another try as a top coat…it didn’t dry fast enough and I got a few bubbles. Next time, I’ll use a faster drying top coat to try to avoid the bubbles. “Diamond Shine” can kiss my ass.
Modern Mermaid & More
If Birchbox keeps sending me coupon codes for 20% off my first purchase, I’m going to keep using them. Is that unethical?
I finally got a product in one of my monthly boxes that I loved enough to purchase. If you had told me a month ago that I would spend $36 on moisturizer/sunscreen, I would have laughed in your face…but then I tried COOLA Tinted Matte SPF 30 for Face. It goes on smooth – my face feel like velvet and stays matte and shine free all day. This is the holy grail of face products.
I had been lusting after the Limited Edition “Modern Mermaid” Box ($44) and I finally made the plunge. In the box: a deluxe sample of Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Genius Waterproof Topcoat (which I probably will never use); a travel size spray of Atelier Cologne “Cédrat Enivrant” Cologne Absolue (citrusy and woodsy – another scent my mother would have loved…and I love it too); Captain Blankenship “Mermaid Mane” Sea Salt Spray (I need to devote a post to all my sea salt sprays – I use them every day); COOLA Liplux SPF 30 Original Formula; RUFFIAN Endless Summer Collection – Nail Polish Trio: “Blue Lagoon” – a metallic blue, “Endless Love” – a metallic pink and “Sahara” – a metallic nude; Vasanti Kajal Extreme Intense Eye Pencil in “Electric Navy” (dunno about this one…); and a Stephanie Johnson Mermaid Round Snap Mirror, which is exceedingly cute. I think I will use everything in the box, except the waterproof mascara top coat – I don’t want all my eyelashes to fall out!
I also got 2 free samples in my box: another air repair “Rescue Balm” and eyeko “Skinny Mini” black liquid eyeliner, which I am excited to try out.
With my coupon and another $10 in Birchbox point, I only paid $54…sweet deal!
Click my referral link – https://www.birchbox.com/invite/5453f – I’ll get 50 points if you join!
Oil Slick Tar Ball
This weekend was our 5th annual Cuzzins Camp, where our family and friends get the kids together at LaLa’s in East Texas to enjoy a weekend of farm living and each other. This year, I couldn’t resist bringing nail polish for a night time activity for the girls. NOTE TO SELF: Bring more polish next time. Lily was insulted that I only brought 6 polishes to choose from!
Unlike Lily – who always wants to paint herself and make a mess, CK asked me to paint her fingers and toes. I was honored! She chose Julep “Jeanne”, “Estelle” and “Oscar” for her fingers. She chose “Caitlin” and “Tatiana” for her toes (not pictured). Lily slopped “Caitlin”, “Yumi” and “Tatiana” all over her feet, and had started on her fingers when I made her stop. She was paying a little too much attention to The Lego Movie and I did not want polish all over the kitchen. I put Sally Hansen “Diamond Shine” on her toes and sent her packing…
For myself, I chose Julep “Estelle”, originally from the Galaxy Mystery Box, but I got it in Golden Ticket Mystery Box #2. Julep’s site describes it as midnight black with holographic shimmer, but doesn’t mentioned that it is a lightly textured polish. It isn’t quite as rough as their stardust finish, but I wasn’t expecting it. As first, I freaked out that there was some weird chemical reaction between the Sally Hansen “Diamond Shine” and “Estelle” – it took over 30 minutes to fully dry! A quick Google confirmed that the polish is supposed to be textured – phew! even so, I am not thinking that “Diamond Shine” is nearly as good as “Diamond Flash”. I’ll have to try it with a few more polishes to be sure…
When my nails were wet, I thought they looked like an oil slick, but as they dried – they totally reminded me of tar balls. We are definitely used to seeing tar balls in Galveston! I don’t hate this polish, but it’s definitely not summery.
Targeting
Even when I have to go to Target for grown-up stuff like dog food and toilet paper, I am going to find some kind of beauty product that I need…
I took advantage of an Olay sale and stocked up on my face shit – Olay Total Effects “Revitalizing Foaming Cleanser” and “Night Firming Cream”. I have no idea if it’s firming anything, but it doesn’t break me out. A $3 off coupon was a nice addition.
For my nails, I picked up a new Trim Buffering Block, because SMOOTH is GOOD. Finally, I decided to try out Sally Hansen “Diamond Shine” Top AND Base Coat. I am a little suspicious of this product doing both, but at $3.99, I figure it will be decent at one of them, at least. I wanted to try Orly Bonder, but they didn’t have it, so I’ll be picking some up at my next Ulta stop…
Speckled
Julep “Kimberly” is from the April 2014 “Speckled for Spring” Mystery Box. I didn’t get this mystery box, but I did pick up “Kimberly” for $2 – couldn’t resist.
“Kimberly” is lavender with black specks. It’s not quite a creme and not quite a jelly, so it’s what the Internet Nail Polish Mafia calls a “crelly”. (Yes, I’ve been googling and educating myself.) The impression one is immediately left with is speckled Easter candy. As soon as I showed my husband, he said, “It looks like Easter candy.” The problem is that it’s June. This one probably won’t come out again until next Spring. I’m sad that I didn’t also order “Emerson” – the same thing in baby blue.
My Julep Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat is almost empty, but I probably have a few more uses left. I used Sally Hansen “Diamond Flash”, so “Kimberly” looks super-shiny. I got a little too much “Kimberly” around the sides of my fingernails and it crinkled under the top coat. The top coat dried before the polish and I had to press it down. Total amateur move.
National Pink Day
So yesterday was another one of those made up holidays – National Pink Day. So why not pink nails?
Don’t my nails look like tufts of cotton candy? Say “hello” to Sinful Colors “Pinky Glitter”. It’s sheer, but with 2 coats, I got nearly full coverage. By itself, the polish was slightly more matte. I used Sally Hansen “Diamond Flash” to shine it up.
I’m slightly embarrassed about the orange tint on the bottom half of my nails. Before I realized that I was tearing up my nails by not using base coat, I managed to stain my nails pretty good. (The worst offender was Zoya “Bobbi”!) I’m starting to freak out because my Julep Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat is almost empty. I don’t know if I want to buy another bottle – it’s good stuff, but pricey. Help! What base coats do you people use???
Cinderella, Cinderella
If you can’t decide, why decide? That’s why I like going to Chinese buffets – you can have a little bit of everything.
After Julep Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat, I started with one coat of Sinful Colors “Cinderella”, a baby blue shimmer with pink/orange undertones – it’s one of their more popular colors. It’s fine by itself, but I wanted to try out a bunch of green and blue glitters that I had recently bought.
On my thumb, I used one coat of Sinful Colors “Green Ocean”, a limited edition St. Patrick’s Day polish. It’s a sheer jelly, with iridescent flakies. It gave only a slightly green cast to “Cinderella”. I need to try it over a black or a dark blue. It was the only one that felt a bit bumpy after my top coat (NYC In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry in “Grand Central Station”). This was also the first time my topcoat cracked! Only on one thumb though, thank GAWD.
My Index Finger got Sinful Colors “Green with Ivy”, which isn’t green at all, maybe teal-ish? It’s another sheer jelly, but with holographic glitter bars. It’s from the Summer 2014 “Destination Color” collection and a Walgreen’s exclusive color. I was not wowed by “Green Ocean” or “Green with Ivy” over “Cinderella”.
My middle finger is like WHOA with Sinful Colors “Nail Junkie”. The base is turquoise, so it is the only one that really changed the base color of “Cinderella”. I wanna do my whole hand in it!
My husband liked my ring finger the best – Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in “Sea-ly String”, from the Fall 2013 Collection. The base is sheer blue, with a variety of silver, blue and black glitter and bar glitter.
Finally, my pinky got Sinful Colors “Ice Dream” from the Holiday 2012 “Winter Shimmers” and Holiday 2013 “Glitz & Glittered” Collections. This look could be Frozen, part 2.
Which one is your favorite?
Hook ’em Horns
So I’m not actually a Longhorn, but my mother was. I did, however, go to a UT system school – UTD – and as such, burnt orange was one of our school colors, along with green. Orange and Green is a winning combination…SAID NO ONE EVER. Even so, I feel that I am somewhat entitled to rock burnt orange nail polish.
This is Julep “Tatiana”. It was originally part of the September 2013 “Cityscape Collection” Boho Glam box, but I received it in my Lucky Mystery Box. Julep’s site describes it as golden burnt orange microglitter. Since I am now a base coat/top coat believer, I started with Julep Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat, 2 coats and then finished with NYC In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry in “Grand Central Station”. The results are OUTSTANDING. I may actually keep this longer than 24 hours….
It’s Not Horrible…
That’s the first thing I said to my husband when I finished painting my nails last night – “It’s not horrible…”
A few months ago, I was chatting with Dr. Goddess and she was displeased with a yellow polish that she received in one of her Julep Mystery Boxes. She challenged me to find a yellow nail polish that looks good on the lily fishbelly white, like ourselves. Yellow, like coral, usually looks amazing on dark or even very tan skin…but isn’t quite as magical on pale skin.
I purchased Sinful Colors “Yellow Spotted” a few weeks ago during one of my Walgreen’s binges. It’s a new shade from the Summer 2014 “Turn Up the Heat” Collection. It’s a very primary yellow, with a prominent shimmer. It’s almost exactly The Simpsons yellow! I started with Julep Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat, added 2 coats of “Yellow Spotted” and topped with NYC In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry in “Grand Central Station”. I got decent coverage, with just a bit of thickening towards the cuticle.
Like I said, it doesn’t look horrible, but it doesn’t look awesome with my skin tone either. Being 1/4 Chinese, I tend to have a faint yellow undertone to my skin anyway. Yellow clothes do not compliment my skin and neither does this nail polish. I do think I will use the polish again, if only with green or purple glitter. Plus, there’s always Lily – she got my husband’s olive skin and looks great in yellow polish!