Category: Nails
Cyber Fundays 2018
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This Xmas, I did my Ulta shopping BEFORE Thanksgiving, during the “Cyber Fundays” event. They had some smoking deals that I couldn’t pass up! There were also some decent Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, but mostly on stuff I already had, like half price Modern Renaissance and Naked Heat. Boo!
If you’re thinking that this order looks skimpy…it’s because I pulled out the gifts I ordered for my daughter. She doesn’t come here, but her brother does – and I trust him about as far as I can throw him with one hand.
I was excited to snatch the NYX Lip Snacks Soft Matte Metallic Lip Cream Set ($15, down from $25) for myself. It’s a set of 12 minis of my favorite lip formula from NYX, specially scented like buttercream. I’ve onlhy sampled 2 so far, but they are the BEST. I also got a half-price Urban Decay Razor Sharp Water-Resistant Longwear Liquid Eyeliner in “Demolition” ($11, down from $22) – I think a shiny brown cat eye will look good on me.
The biggest bummer was a broken bottle in the China Glaze The Grinch Grinchworthy Nail Art Duo ($10). It wasn’t the “Grinchworthy” polish itself, but the “For Rhinestones Only” adhesive – the stem of the bottle broke inside the cap and it leaked everywhere. I called Ulta Customer Service and they sent me out another one immediately, no questions asked – so now I have 2 bottles of “Grinchworthy” and 2 pots of green felt. I cannot wait to make my nails look like Astroturf! Oh, and I got another tidbit from Customer Service – they won’t be including samples in orders again until January. Cheap bastards.
I added a bottle of Zoya Remove+ to get me over the $65 mark, to get the glittery pink 18-piece Cyber Fundays sample bag. The sample bag was STUFFED – it had: Too Faced Glitter Glue (saving for a special occasion); Cover FX Blurring Primer; Urban Decay Perversion Mascara; Patchology Flashpatch Restoring Night Eye Gels (this is the third set I’ve gotten – I guess I should use them); philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar; Clinique Happy; 2 Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Glosses in “Vintage” (2!!!); Lime Crime Unicorn Hair in “bunny” (ugh, another one); bliss lemon & sage body butter; Biolage Hydra Source Shampoo & Conditioner; L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Primer/Base for Mascara; philosophy Amazing Grace; Armani Code Cashmere; Skin Laundry Hydrating Cream Face Wash; L’Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Cleanser Detox-Brighten (this black one is my fave); MAC False Lashes Mascara in “Extreme Black”; and Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate. There were also 2 hot coupons – $15 off $75 (only good in December) and another $5 off $15 Ulta Beauty Collection (good until 2/1/19).
I was also able to use a $10 off coupon, bringing my order down to $64.49 before tax – but I still got the bag. I was sweating for a hot minute! Just $301 to Diamond…I do predict another order before the end of the year, but not that much!
November 2018 Julep Maven Box – Hand of Plenty
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Oh no! I almost forgot this month’s Julep Maven box!
I’m not sure how to wear rose gold eyeliner – but I picked one for this month’s box anyway. “Rose Gold Shimmer” is a new shade of when pencil met gel Long-Lasting Eyeliner. I keep forgetting to grab it and try it, so tomorrow is the day!
I also picked two polishes: Classic with a Twist “Nehali”, rich paprika metallic, and Wonder Maven “Sandee”, oxblood shimmer. I cannot resist shimmery reds!
I was also able to add a sheet of gold diamond decals to my box. I’ve amassed a nice collection of nail decals from Julep…
No candy…maybe next month I’ll get some Xmas candy?
Not a Julep Maven? Click HERE to join – I’ll get a $15 credit and you’ll get your first box free!
Wine with Ice, Garcon
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This polish looks almost as black as my heart…which is pretty black.
The polish isn’t black though – it’s a deep, deep wine. Pretty Woman “Wine with Ice, Garcon” was in my ipsy bag this month. Now, I don’t drink wine – I have a reaction – but I am pretty sure you never, ever, EVER put ice in it. Fairly sure.
This is two coats of “Wine with Ice, Garcon” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
This polish looked FANTABULOUS with “Triggered”, one of my new Jeffree lippies.
November 2018 Ipsy Bag – Happy Friendsgiving
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Oh hey, it’s glam bag time!
So, I’m not positive from the insert what this month’s theme is…and their website doesn’t make it any clearer, so I’m going with “Happy Friendsgiving”. The bag is pretty cute – you cannot tell from the picture, but the inside is lined with hot pink nylon.
This month’s bag is an odd assortment of products: Doucce Punk Volumizer Mascara; Pistache Skincare Whipped Pistachio Body Butter (it smells like pistachio pudding – I love it – I left it on the coffee table to use, but my kids better keep their paws off it); Pretty Woman Nail Polish in “Wine with Ice, Garcon” (I don’t even drink wine); Ciate London Mini Translucent Setting Powder in “Hideout”; and theBalm Cosmetics Nude Beach Eyeshadow in “Brave”.
Like I said, the products don’t seem to go together this month, but they each seem great individually.
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
We Will Spock You!
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Have you ever bought a polish based on the name alone?
That’s how I ended up with essence cosmetics “We Will Spock You!”, from the ‘Out of Space Stories’ Collection – I was browsing Ulta the other day, while my kids were getting haircuts. I saw the name and had to have it. The fact that it was being clearanced out for $1.49 was a happy coincidence.
This is THREE coats of “We Will Spock You!” over Glisten & Glow Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. I barely got full coverage with three coats. The polish is very thin and easy to work with though.
I was thinking that I don’t already own a silver holo, but then I remembered Julep “Tin Man” – it is very similar, but whiter? Does that even make sense?
Just $301 to reach Diamond status – this is after the haircuts, even! That means I’ve spent about $899 at Ulta this year – wow!
You’re the Shade That I Want
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I know, I know, this teeny tiny bottle makes my already large hands look ginormous. It is what it is – I was cursed with E.T. fingers, at least that’s what my mother used to call them. She would be amused that I purposely post pictures of my long, strange fingers on a nearly daily basis.
I had forgotten about the set of Grease nail polishes I had picked up at Ulta, but I found them stashed in a cabinet. The first one I grabbed was OPI “You’re the Shade That I Want”, because I was going to paint my toes and thought the bright pink creme would look nice…but it was freezing fucking cold and I did not dare take my socks off. It’s supposed to be up in the 70s in a few days, so I’ll do it then.
This is two coats of “You’re the Shade That I Want” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and topped with Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
Phone home.
Inspired by Brianna
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If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times – imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
I thought I was obsessed with Sinful Colors…until I joined a Sinful Colors fb group. These ladies are giving me run for my money – and I am loving it! They are giving me so much inspiration and commiseration about how hard it is to find the Limited Edition shades at Walgreen’s these days. I was immediately inspired by a manicure I saw by a girl named Brianna (@simplynails94), that I had to imitate it.
I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat and two coats of Sinful Colors “No Filter”. (“No Filter” actually belongs to my daughter – she had picked out for herself.) I topped with a coat of “Zest of Times”, one of my favorite pink toppers. I finished with Glisten & Glow Top Coat, although I wish I had tried a matte coat instead.
This combination seemed so familiar – I searched my site and it turns out I had done something similar a few years ago, layering “Zest of Times” over “Starry Night”.
The Wiz
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What do you wear when you’re going to see The Wiz? Some wicked nail polish, duh.
The Wiz was being performed at TUTS, and I was excited to take Lily to her first real musical. I had taken Logan to see Hamilton there earlier this year, so I wanted Lily to see one, too. As soon as I started seeing ads, I knew she would love it…and she did. She was singing and dancing in her seat!
I don’t need much of an excuse to pull out the Deborah Lippmann Wicked Nail Polish. After Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat, I did two coats of my favorite green – “Defying Gravity”. I used the glittery “One Short Day” to add sparkle to the tips, topping with Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
Lily used my polish, too. She just used “Defying Gravity” as the base and used a dotter to write “The Wiz” on her nails in red. She is so creative with her nails – I wonder where she gets it from?
Once Bitten
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Once Bitten is a seriously underrated movie. A young, virginal Jim Carrey, lured into the sordid world of vampires while searching the streets of LA for sex…oh wait, wrong site.
This is Sinful Colors “Bitten”, one of my Halloween scores. Red nails go with everything, really. This is two coats of “Bitten” over Sinful Colors Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
A juicy red crelly, it’s another dupe for Zoya “Sooki”. I keep buying the same polishes, over and over.
Monsty Skin
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…and back to our regularly scheduled nails.
Pretend it’s October still, thanks.
Right before Halloween, I decided to dig into my stash and create “Monster Skin” nails – or, as my nephew would say, “Monsty Skin” nails. I started with Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat. I them did a single coat of Sally Hansen Gem Crush “Cha-Ching!” – it still gives full coverage in one coat. I thought I would top it with a lime green crackle coat – Sally Hansen Crackle “Sage Smash” – but it was dried up! Finally, I chance to try out Julep Voila! Nail Polish Thinner! The bottle said 1-2 drops, but I I probably put in 10-20. I shook it and shook it and managed to thin enough around the brush to mostly a full coat on my nails. It kind of crackled…somewhat. I sealed the deal with Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
What came out on my nails, was not the same as what was on my nails. Instead of “Monsty Skin”, I got “Bloody Grinch”. I don’t hate it.