Category: Nails

 
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Everybody Wins

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Another day, another surprise in my mailbox.’

I tried to resist, but I only made it about 3 days until I decided that I had to buy $25 of Julep goodies to get their Oscar “Gift with Purchase.” The set was called “Everybody Wins” and comes with a gold sequined clutch (lined with leopard!) and 2 polishes. There were actually 2 sets – both come with “Oscar”gold glitter, but “Holly Would” comes with a holly green frost and “Rita Royale” comes with royal blackcurrant shimmer. (Whatever, it’s fucking fuchshia.)

To get these goodies, I purchased “Party’s Over”, a special glitter polish removal system. Basically little caps that hold a remover pad of the finger. I also got “Glenda” – a- silver crackle topcoat. I know crackle is so 2012, but I wanted it…

My total – $25.39. Like a boss.

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I Can’t Stop

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I can find a deal anywhere.

Picking up some dinner and ice cream making supplies after work, I couldn’t resist checking to see if there were any clearance polishes. A friend of mine had spied a massive amount of $1.00 – $1.50 polishes on clearance at a different HEB, so I rolled the dice at mine. I found a few $1.00 polishes…2 Maybelline Color Show Holographic polishes – “Mystic Green” and “Blue Blaze.” I also got a little bottle of Rimmel 60 Second in “Blue Eyed Girl” for a future project.

St. Ives Scrubs were also $1 off, so I tried the new varieties – “Pink Lemon and Mandarin Orange” and “Oatmeal Scrub & Mask.” I was also out of Sea Breeze.

And Dr. Delta…because I had a $1.50 off coupon, I bought the friggin’ Eucerin! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!?!?

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My 1st Birchbox

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I got my first Birchbox yesterday!

I’m quickly becoming addicted to subscription boxes…good thing Birchbox is only $10! I signed up in time to get the February box…this is what I got.

Beauty Protector Protect & Oil, which is Argan Oil for your hair. I’ve never even heard of Argan Oil before, so looking forward to trying it.

A sample of “Hello” by Harvey Prince, a citrus-y scent. I am thinking of layering it with B&BW “White Citrus.”

An itty bitty bottle of OPI Sheer Tints “Don’t Violet Me Down.” (My husband picked up the bottle and opened it and declared that something was wrong with the polish – it’s too thin. I assured him that it’s supposed to be like that.) I was disappointed that I didn’t get the Ruby Wing UV polish that my friend Luci got, but I’ll live.

A tiny vial of Truffle Therapy Anti-Aging Serum by Skin&Co Roma, which again, I’ve never heard of. I tried it last night. I was expecting to wake up looking like Snow White, so I was a bit disappointed, but I guess I’ll give it another couple of days to work. I’m just glad I didn’t wake up to a pig rooting around on my face.

Finally, I got 2 teabags from Harney & Sons Fine Teas. I hate iced tea, but I like hot tea, so I’m looking forward to trying them.

If you would like to try Birchbox, click on my referral link – https://www.birchbox.com/invite/5453f – I’ll get 50 points if you join.

 

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I’m a Bad Influence

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As she was painting my toenails, my daughter Lily told me that she “wants to be a fingernail painter when she grows up.” Sigh. Way to aim high. To be fair, I’m fairly certain that she thinks that my job is being a fingernail painter. That’s pretty much all I do these days.

But before she painted my toes, Lily painted her own toenails and fingernails.

She picked out Julep “Kristy” and “Lindy” for her toes.

 

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She picked out Julep “Libby” and “Geo” for her fingernails.

She has picked that combination before – she really likes turquoise-y fingernails.

That girl knows what she wants.

I hope she gives me a discount when she is a famous fingernail painter.

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Grenade

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My son was having a sleepover for his birthday last night, so I threw myself on the grenade of trying to keep Lily out of their hair all evening. I decided on a Mani/Pedi Party in my bedroom. She did her nails…and then started looking at me.

Not only did I let her pick the polishes…I let her paint my toenails, too. She chose Julep “Joanna” and “Rosa” – Amethyst for February. Good job, Lily!

She did a pretty decent job for a 5 year old. To be fair, I did scrape off most of the extra in the shower this morning – there was half an inch or so extra around the edges of my toenails…but those who know me, know that they look like that when I paint them, too.

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The Shocker Mani

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I think I’ve found my signature “look.”

It’s called the “Shocker” Mani.

Why is it called the “Shocker” Mani?

 

 

 

 

 

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THIS is why.

I used Julep “Coco” and “Nan” on the bottom coat and Julep “Jane” on top.

Now I can flash the “Shocker” everywhere…at home, at work, at school functions, at the grocery store…

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Beatrix was a Bitch

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It seriously took me nearly an hour and a half to get “Beatrix” off my nails.

Julep glitter is some serious shit. Zoya polish remover is the best I’ve used…and it still took forever.

Never fear, I ordered Julep’s glitter remover – It’s aptly named “Party’s Over”….but it won’t be here for another week.

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Kroger has Outlawed Pussy?

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I snapped this pic at Kroger last summer…OPI is known more for their merciless and unending product tie-ins, than actual product quality. Last year brought us a commemoration of classic Bond Girls…

I just couldn’t get over the fact that a Kroger employee was so offended by “Pussy Galore” that they had to put a sticker over it. And yes, I totally peeled it off…

It reminds my of my old High School Librarian. I checked out “Christine” by Stephen King and she had whited out all the curse words. What?

 

 

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Too Short

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I did that thing.

You know…that thing where you cut one of your fingernails too short, then you trim the rest to match and then another one is too short, so you trim again…Eventually, all of your nails are 3 millimeters long and they look ridiculous in the sexy glitter polish that’s supposed to make you look like a porn star.

Yup, that’s what I did last night.

Even so, I think Julep “Beatrix” makes my fingers sexy. Don’t they look like they should be wrapped around a banana or a corndog or something?

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Velcro

“Lindy” chipped really quickly for a Julep polish…so I was happy to try out one of my new birthday polishes from my husband. China Glaze‘s new line of polishes is called Crinkled Chrome and I figured it would simply be a smooth metallic finish polish…was I ever wrong!

The Crinkled Chrome polish IS a metallic finish, but as soon as I put it on, I thought it was bubbling…but it wasn’t bubbles. As the polish dried, I figured out that Crinkled Chrome is an opaque polish, full of glitter – micro glitter and bar glitter. The glitter makes the metallic finish look like crumpled aluminum foil…or is it “crinkled” aluminum foil?

The big problem with this polish is the texture. Originally, I was going to say that the texture was like sandpaper, but it’s not quite that rough. More than anything, it feels like Velcro. When I touch fabric – it sticks to my fingernails. When I run my fingers through my hair, it yanks my hair out. China Glaze managed to invent the first Velcro nail polish!

It’s a damn shame – I love the color, “Don’t Be Foiled”. It’s not quite teal and not quite baby blue. It’s a perfect mellow blue. Maybe it will be less Velcro-y on my toes?