Category: Nails
April 2018 Julep Maven Box – Bold Confection
So. Much. Polish.
April’s theme is “Bold Confection” and brings bright polishes with fun textures. I decided to go all polish. I chose Classic with a Twist “Cadance”, flamingo pink textured glitter; It Girl “Maureen”, seafoam oasis iridescent; and Bombshell “Samma”, frozen lilac iridescent microglitter. I also got a tiny roll of white nail tape. I wonder if it will be as hard to use as the nail tape I got from China…
No candy this month, but a free polish! I got Boho Glam “Della”, misted blackberry microshimmer. When I opened the box, I was sure that “Cadance” must have been the free polish – I couldn’t imagine myself choosing it…but I checked my confirmation email and choose it, I did.
Not a Julep Maven? Click HERE to join – I’ll get a $15 credit and you’ll get your first box free!
Target Beauty Boxes – April 2018
What witchcraft is this? FOUR different Target Beauty Boxes this month? (There was an extra box that dropped the last week of March, but since it was all curly hair products, I skipped it.) When it rains, it pours! The boxes have unique designs and a different coupon set-up than the usual $3 off $15 – each box has coupons for the specific products in the box.
I’ll just start with the top left and move clockwise…the “Be You(tiful)” box is the heaviest and highest value box. It includes e.l.f. Gotta Glow Up Tint in “Perfect Pink” (I suspect it’s like the Winky Lux balm); Simple Water Boost Micellular Makeup Remover Eye Pads (itty bitty!); Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo & Conditioner (ugh, the shampoo came open in the box – at least it made everything smell good); L’Oreal Pure Clay Cleanser – Detoxify and Brighten (picked this up several months ago – LOVE it); OLLY Beauty Vitamins; Sinful Colors Nail Polish in “Galac Sea” (Not a dupe!); and Honest Beauty Younger Face Deep Hydration Cream. This box included $9 in product coupons.
Next up is the “Treat Yourself” box. It includes Bodycology Free & Lovely Coconut & Rose Body Butter (smells good); Dr Teals Pink Himalayan Foaming Bath (ugh, I want a bathtub so bad); ME!Bath Bath Bomb (Ditto); Luxe by Mr. Bubble Bath Meltaway (jeez); Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in “Red Dahlia” (finally, a product I’ll use); Olay Regenerist Whip Active Moisturizer (I’ve been dying to try this); and Honest Beauty Refreshingly Clean Gel Cleanser. This box included $11 in coupons.
Directly underneath that box is the “All the Masks” box. It includes Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Mask; Que Bella Multi Mask Trio; Yes to Carrots and Kale Single Use Paper Mask; Masque Bar Luminizing Charcoal Peel Off Mask; and St. Ives Soothing Oatmeal Sheet Mask (I busted this one out the night I opened the box – I’m still smooth several days later). This box only included a single $1 off St. Ives coupon.
Last, but not least, is the “Wakeup and Makeup” box. It includes Sonia Kashuk Brush Cleaning Wipes; e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Blending Brush; e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Face Palette; Dove Dry Spray Invisible Sheer Finish Deodorant; Dove Dry Shampoo in “Coconut”; CoverGirl Peacock Flare Mascara in “Extreme Black”; and Honest Beauty Refreshingly Clean Makeup Remover Wipes. This box included $5 in coupons.
So…four boxes at $7 each, AND I remembered to use my $3 off coupon. With another 5% off with my Red Card and free shipping, that’s $24.25 for the whole shebang! If I manage to use even half of the $26 in coupons, I’ll be a happy camper.
An Oldie, but Goodie
I’m still reaching deep into my stash. I had gone for a pedicure last week and picked a bold turquoise shimmer by OPI (forgot to ask the name) and wanted to go full mermaid. (ALWAYS go full mermaid.)
I dug around and came back with Sally Hansen “Mermaid’s Tale”. I did a quick search on my site – last time I wore it was 3 years ago. That’s too long for this beauty.
This is two coats of “Mermaid’s Tale” over Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. I don’t remember this polish pulling back from the tips of my nails so much – I am thinking it’s the base coat? Ugh, it’s annoying.
…and then I remembered a possible reason it’s been so long when I went to take the polish off yesterday. It took about 45 fucking minutes to take this polish off. 45. Fucking. Minutes. Ain’t nobody got time fo dat!
Feeling Witchy
I don’t know why, but I’ve been having the urge to dig into my polish stash lately. I don’t know what look I was going for, I just wanted to play. No…I did kind of have an idea. I wanted something in a matte jade green…
Somehow I absolutely mis-remembered what the finish was like on the SpaRitual Luminaries – why did I remember them as matte? I dunno…I guess I could have used my matte top coat, but then I was sleepy and just wanted to go to bed.
I started with Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat, and then two coats of Deborah Lippmann “Defying Gravity”. I alternated Luminaries, starting with “Citrine Luminary” on my thumb and “Opaline Luminary” on my index finger. I didn’t even use a top coat, because I kept waiting for the polishes to get more matte.
I have to say though, “Defying Gravity” might just be my favorite green polish. It’s vibrant, but muted. I don’t feel like a goddamn leprechaun when I wear it. Maybe because it’s so similar to my eye color.
The Disappointment is Real
One last round of online shopping before I go back to work this week – I’ve been out of the office over ten weeks! I haven’t had that long off work ever, not even after my kids. I wonder if I will remember how to do my “real” job?
I’m not going to worry about that right now…instead, I am going to focus on my intense disappointment over Winky Lux Flower Balm ($14). I was prepared for my lips to turn any color in a range of red to pink to purple, but I wasn’t expecting what I ended up with – which was absolutely nothing. I couldn’t perceive any noticeable change in the color of my lips at all. I just paid $14 for Chapstick.
I filled my baskets with basics (that I actually needed) just to justify that damn lip balm. 2 bottles of Zoya Remove+ Nail Polish Remover ($10) – the best polish remover in the whole world, right Beth? I also noticed that SheaMoisture was Buy One, Get One Half Off, so I ordered back-ups of SheaMoisture Peace Rose Oil Shampoo and Conditioner (normally $11.49).
Oh, I was also able to take advantage of last week’s bareMinerals Beauty Break. I was able to pick my shade of BarePro Foundation. I took a shot in the dark and chose “Cashmere 06”. Also included: bareMinerals Skinsorials Skin Longevity Vital Power Infusion (huh?); Gen Nude Patent Lip Lacquer (color isn’t noted on the vial, but I think it may be “dahling”); Prime Time Original Foundation Primer; and Original Mineral Veil. I tried out bareMineral original foundation when it first launched – ~13 years ago? It somehow made me look older than I was, but now I’m that age, so maybe I should try it again? I’m looking forward to trying these old and new products.
For my samples, I got OGX Orchid Oil Shampoo & Conditioner and St. Moritz Professional Wash Off Tan (nope, nope, nope).
I also decided to bop in to Ulta for a haircut yesterday. I am completely incapable of walking out of Ulta empty-handed.
NYX has really found their niche in liquid lipsticks – they have over a dozen different lines, each of which has a distinctly different formula and feel. Right now, my favorite line is definitely the Metallic version of the Soft Matte Lip Creams. I had to pick up two more, since NYX Cosmetics are Buy One, Get One Half Off. I chose “Monte Carlo” (a pink leaning red) and “Rome” (rosy mauve?). Normally $6.99, the sale made them $5.24 each.
I wish I had figured out about using the Ulta Salon sooner – only $197.67 to Ulta Platinum. I also have $67.50 in Ulta points – I see a splurge in my future…
Betcha I’m a Unicorn
Usually, I’m not impressed by milky nail polishes – ESPECIALLY milky glitters – see China Glaze “It’s a Trap-eze”. But it turns out that I really like Funky Fingers “Betcha I’m a Unicorn”.
“Betcha I’m a Unicorn” has a pinkish white milky base – it’s almost iridescent. The glitters are varied – white dots, holographic squares and dots, light blue bars and holographic/white shards. AND the polish is loaded with glitter – no fishing.
This is two coats over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. The best part about this kind of light polish – I swear, I could’ve worn it for a month because it camouflages chips and edge wear so well.
I am in love with these Funky Fingers polishes from Five Below. I wish they’d hurry up and release some new ones!
Blue Steel
I call this look…Blue Steel.
Julep “Ida” is described as blue heron matte shimmer, but to me, it’s Blue Steel. This is quite a unique polish. I have load of steel, gunmetal, stone – all sorts of metallic gray polishes – but nothing like this blue/gray metallic polish.
Matte polishes can be pretty hit or miss and Matte Metallic polishes are difficult to work with, but “Ida” was a breeze to apply. This is just two coats over Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat.
I feel like I need to find Magnum and Le Tigre polishes, too.
Space Glam
Oooh…Space Glam!
Essence Cosmetics “Space Glam” is a complex nail polish. The gold shimmer hits you first, but the base is a duochrome, color-shifting wine to mauve to lavender.
This is two coats of “Space Glam” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
Come to think of it, this polish seems really familiar. I wracked my brain and figured it out – it’s very, very similar to Zoya “Faye”. “Faye” is a tiny bit less gold and more mauve, but they’re very similar.
Sally Hansen 3D Design
When it comes to nail decals – or anything that is supposed to stick to the nail, like nail wraps or even nail stamping – I am deeply skeptical. In trained hands, sure…but most are hard to get the hang of using. I was pleasantly surprised by Sally Hansen 3D Design Appliques. I picked the Floral design, but they also come in Geometric and Knit Sweater patterns. They were an absolute snap to use.
I started with Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat and then a single coat of Sally Hansen “Hot Magenta”. (This bottle of “Hot Magenta” is one of my older polishes – the date on the bottle is 2008.) I then carefully peeled off the decals and placed them on my nails. I went in with another coat of “Hot Magenta”, topping with Glisten & Glow Top Coat. The results were amazing – the clear decals took the polish like a champ. They are mostly idiot proof, although I did manage to tear one of the decals. I was able to place the two pieces back together on my nail, so it wasn’t noticeable at all.
Each package comes with 16 decals for $7.99. (Why not 20, so I can get two full sets?) $7.99 is a bit pricey for one and a half manicures worth of decals, but it’s about the same as Jamberry wraps, which go for $15 each and provide 2-3 applications. I might get more of these if I can find them on sale somewhere…
They’re After Me Lucky Charms!
I couldn’t let St. Paddy’s Day pass without a pretty green mani…
I pulled out an oldie, but goody – Julep “Tatum”, neon chartreuse chrome. This is two coats over Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat.
I had intended to use the gold clover decals in this month’s Julep box, but I couldn’t figure out how that was supposed to work. The label said ‘nail decals’, but they were on a white card like skin decals…and the instructions said to apply to clean, dry skin. Go home, Julep – you’re drunk!
Instead of the gold clovers, I decided to try out Julep “Desiree”, a high-gloss holographic top coat. I only used it on my ring finger, but you can’t even tell – the chrome effect is too reflective. I need to try it again on a creme polish. I topped with Glisten & Glow Top Coat, but the bottle is getting too old – it is getting to thick to cover smoothly and I got SO many weird bubbles. Good thing I have a fresh bottles stashed…