Category: Nails
Starfish Kisses
Countdown to February 15th – the REAL holiday – when all the candy is 50% off.
I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat and then two coats of Sinful Colors “Starfish”. (“Starfish” is the EXACT color of Spongebob’s best friend, Patrick Star!) I topped with Sinful Colors “Love Sprinkles” – different sizes of white and light pink with white hearts. Again, I was a fishing fool, trying to get those hearts out of the bottle. Dammit Sinful Colors, make it easier to get that shit out of the bottle! I closed with “HK Girl”.
I bet you’re wondering what “Starfish Kisses” are…I’ll never tell…but if you look on my window sill, you’ll find some…
Target Beauty Box – February 2016
I can’t believe how much stuff is in the February Target Beauty Box – “Sweet Treats”. It is bursting to the seams.
Inside the box: Soapbox Coconut Oil Shampoo & Conditioner; Mayfair Soap Foundry Body Creme in “Sea Lily Jasmine” (Smells good); Vera Wang “Embrace” Eau de Toilette (Pear blossom and green tea – reminds me of my mom); L’Oreal Boost It Air Blown Texture Mist; Skinfix Lip Repair Balm; EcoTools Bath Pouf (it’s a bit tiny, but I can always use these); Laneige BB Cushion (Now that I finally tried the first sample I got, I’ll actually use this); Derma e Hydrating Night Creme (nice); and Incoco Nail Polish Appliques (I need to try these – this is the third pack I’ve gotten).
Just $7 for this box, with a $3 off $15 coupon inside. I need to hurry up and use the last 2 I got – they expire on Sunday.
The Fingers are Weak
…if you offer me free stuff for my birthday, I’m gonna go get it…
I talked my husband into dropping me off at Ulta on Saturday to get my deluxe sample of Benefit Roller Lash (I tried it and I must admit, it’s pretty nice.)
I also used my $10 off coupon to try some NYX stuff. I heard that NYX Micro Brow Pencil is a dupe of Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz…and it IS. Only $9.99 instead of $21.
I also got NYX BB Cream in “Natural” ($12.99) – another win – it’s great on my skin. I was looking for NYX Lip Lingerie – the display was there, but it wasn’t in stock…so I got the NYX Lip Ombre Duo in “Ginger & Nutmeg” ($11.99) instead. I also grabbed a clearance NYX Mosaic Powder Blush in “Spice”. I am getting addicted to NYX!
After I checked out, I went to track my son and sister-in-law down at Five Below. I found them in the checkout line wearing hats and taking pictures…but I felt something pulling me.
It was the nail polish. I can’t leave Five Below empty handed. I grabbed Funky Fingers “Queen of Hearts”, “Use the Force” and “Cupcake Sprinkles” – they have the bestest top coats!
The heart is strong, but the fingers are weak.
Go Broncos?
Obviously, the Broncos won because of my nails. Obviously.
I was happy to have a reason to use my “Horses” Jamberry Wraps – so I chose orange and blue to go with them. The orange is Julep “Mariska” and the blue is Sinful Colors “Endless Blue”. To jazz them up, I used essie Luxeffects “Set in Stones” and “Summit of Style” – but honestly, I can’t tell which is which. I used Sinful Colors Base Coat and “HK Girl” to start and finish my nails.
Birthday Nails
I was agonizing over what polish I should pick for my [40th!] birthday nails…until I got this month’s Julep box…then I knew.
Julep “Rosie” is charcoal grey with magenta glitter…and I LOVE it. It’s reminiscent of Zoya “Noir”, but in a smooth glitter formula. After Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat, I laid down two coats of “Rosie”. On the first coat, I noticed immediate shrinkage around the edges of my nails. Sigh. I made sure and coated the tips well on the second coat, but the polish still drew away from the edges of my fingernails, leaving a sliver of white fingernail at each tip. Le sigh. I sealed it with “HK Girl” and hoped for the best.
I had a very pleasant [40th!] birthday…work was low key, got my Tieks, had a lovely raw ribeye with the family, and didn’t find any new wrinkles or have hot flashes. Life is rosy…er, Rosie.
February Julep Maven Box – The February Collection
Hey Julep…creative name you dreamed up this month – “The February Collection”.
The spotlighted beauty product this month was more Eye Shadow 101 sticks. I wasn’t feeling it, so I picked a new lip gloss in “Captivated” – Iridescent fig shimmer with Power Cell Complex. For polished, I picked It Girl “Rosie” – Charcoal grey with magenta glitter – and FINALLY got It Girl “Celeste” – Cosmic gray iridescent glitter. Just like last year, the February box came with “Hartleigh” – Holographic heart glitter top coat. There was also a single, foil wrapped chocolate heart. Yeah, I already ate it.
Not a Julep Maven? Leave a comment and I’ll send you a referral email good for a free welcome box!
Black Gold
Black gold…Texas tea…
I was afraid this combination would look trashy, but it turned out fairly classy. After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I painted two coats of Maybelline Color Show “Twilight Rays” on each nail. “Twilight Rays” is black with a strong gold shimmer. I thought it would be more subtle, but it is really striking. I used essie Luxeffects “Summit of Style” to accent my thumb and ringfinger – I got it on clearance at HEB yesterday for $4.22! This is just one coat of “Summit of Style” – I think I could get full coverage in two, maybe three coats. I sealed the deal with “HK Girl”.
It’s funny how essie “Set in Stones” is blindingly blingy, yet “Summit of Style” is more understated – more like gold jewelry instead of diamonds. My luxeffects collection is almost complete…
Midnight Jewels
Maybelline ColorShow “Midnight Blue” is an inky dark blue. At a glance, it appears black, but it’s blue enough that I was able to photograph the blue easily. When I bought it a few weeks ago, I was thinking that it was a jelly and I would get sheer coverage. I was wrong, it’s a creme – full coverage in two coats.
To jazz it up, I added Sally Hansen “Family Jewels” on my thumb and ring finger. “HK Girl” sealed the deal.
I wasn’t sure what to use for the base coat, so I just used the usual – Sinful Colors Base Coat. I’m definitely expecting stained nails after taking it off though. The price of beauty…
The Vegas Challenge
So…my dear skeptical husband didn’t think I’d be able to last 5 days in Las Vegas without painting my nails. That sounded like a challenge to me!
I’ll admit, I cheated a little bit. I was careful to choose very light polishes that would wear well…but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t have had a freak slot machine accident that mangled a nail. I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat and then a single coat of RUFFIAN “Sahara”. I then sparkled up with THREE coats of Nicole by OPI “Pick of the Glitter”. THREE. I was hoping for fuller coverage, but it’s not bad. I’m still gonna need a chainsaw to get it off. I finished up with “HK Girl”.
Just in case, though…I took “Pick of the Glitter” with me, in case I needed a touch-up.
Turns out, I didn’t need any touch-ups. Although there is major edge wear – there were no major chips. Actually, the new growth and my cuticles look worse than the tips.
Toodles, I’m going to go look for my chainsaw…
First Ulta Haul of 2016
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I didn’t think it would be so soon…but here it is – my first Ulta haul of the year.
I had been using John Frieda Illuminating Shine and I REALLY like they way it makes my newly short hair feel. I noticed it was $3 each on Ulta’s site and went nuts, ordering 3 each of shampoo and conditioner. (I guess it is discontinued now – it’s no longer on Ulta’s site. FUCK.) Isn’t that the way it always goes? You find something you like and them BOOM – it’s gone. Ugh. I also got a John Frieda Gift with Purchase – travel sizes of John Frieda Beach Blonde Cool Dip Purifying Shampoo, Smooth Seas Detangling Conditioner and Sea Waves Sea Salt Spray. Of course, I just cut all the blonde off my hair, but these will be good for summer.
I also picked up Urban Decay Loose Ultra Definition Finishing Powder – I’ve been using the Pressed, but wanted to try this. I also got Biore Baking Soda Liquid Cleanser (is baking soda the new charcoal?) – I tried it last night and it was nice. I had been lusting over Nicole by OPI “Pick of the Glitter” for about a month, after spying it in a Walgreen’s display. It was still on my mind, so I broke down and bought it. (It is every bit as good as I thought it would be.)
My purchase qualified me for the Platinum Skin Beauty Break Gift with $60 Purchase – a little plastic makeup bag with NOICE samples. Inside the bag: Dermablend Professional Setting Powder (Pricey); Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser (going to Vegas with me); StriVectin SD Advanced Intensive Concentrate for Wrinkles & Stretch Marks (Which one should I work on first?); Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive (Leave it to Gwyneth Paltrow to make beauty products in the worst scent imaginable); Clarins Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate; Lancome Renergie Lift Multi-Action Lifiting and Firming Moisturizer; Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels; Patchology FlashPath Eye Gels; and Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil. This is the best sample bag I’ve gotten from Ulta, I think!
I didn’t get my Variety Sampler though…Bummer.