Polish Pickup February 2024 – Wild Animals
I *may* have went HAM on Polish Pickup. Again.
February’s theme was “Wild Animals” and I was excited to pick out some of my favorite animals. I was also excited to try some new nail polish brands.
Cadillacquer “Northern Cardinal” ($14) is inspired by the ubiquitous (at least in Texas) Northern Cardinal.
Cat Tail Nails “Little King Trash Mouth” ($12) is inspired by a raccoon that lives behind Bob’s Burgers. Oh, and it’s a solar polish.
Penelope Luz “Hummingbird” ($13) is self-explanatory. I had to have it.
Alchemy Lacquers “Karma Chameleon” ($12.50) is inspired by a chameleon.
Which one shall I try first???
Dead Inside
I’m still working on January’s Polish Pickup – Deadly Plants. This is Red Eyed Lacquer “Dead Inside“. Do you love holo flakies as much as I love holo flakies?
“Dead Inside” is inspired by the corpse flower, a stinky bloom that I’ve never experienced in person. The Houston Museum of Natural Science has had one bloom a few times, but it’s never been during I time I could get down there.
This is two coats of “Dead Inside” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Melt Down” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Raspberry Pop”.
Stitch
Nailtopia “Stitch – Limited Edition” was a nail polish that Santa left in my daughter’s stocking…I was going to wait until she had a chance to try it before I snatched it for swatching…as you can see, it took a bit of time for her to get around to it.
I am by NO MEANS a Disney Adult, but I am in love with this line of polishes celebrating Disney’s 100th Anniversary. If they were cheaper, I would’ve bought them all!
This is two coats of “Stitch – Limited Edition” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
Polish Pickup Overstock – February 2024
Ooohh….I cannot pass up a second chance to snag polishes I may have missed!
Every so often, Polish Pickup has an overstock sale – leftovers from previous months, stuff like that. All the polishes were $12 and wax melts were $4, so I decided to grab a few.
I’m going to skip to my most traumatizing choice – Vapid Wax “Szechuan Fire”. Holy fucking shitballs, this wax set my brain on fire – and not in a good way. As soon as I put it into the wax warmer in my bathroom, I started to feel physically ill. I don’t know if it was the ginger or the szechuan, but my whole body, mind, and soul were repelled by this scent. I scraped it out of my wax warmer and threw the rest of the pack away. My husband said it wasn’t bad, but we all know that husbands cannot be trusted. This scent was from January 2022 – Spices & Condiments.
I also got Vapid Wax “Hatteras”. This was a rainy, wet scent with lots of petrichor. I like this one a lot – it’s in my bathroom as we speak. “Hatteras” is from May 2022 – National Parks & Landmarks.
Tonshi Mountain Studios “Orange Harvest” is a basic orange with hints of spice. It’s a nice orange scent, without that fake orange smell. I couldn’t find online which month this wax came from.
MTK Designs “Seaing Unicorns” was one I remember passing up in November’s Fairy Tales and Folklore. It’s inspired by the scene in The Last Unicorn, when the unicorns are freed from the scene. I cannot wait to try it.
By Dany Vianna “Nana Nenem” is inspired by the Netflix show, Invisible City. I’ve never heard of it, but I’m intrigued. This one is also from November and it’s a thermal!
Four out of five winners isn’t bad…which polish should I try first?
First Ulta Haul of 2024
I know, it’s kind of hard to believe that I haven’t had an Ulta haul yet this year…to be fair, I ordered back on the 5th of February – I’ve just been busy with work, school, kids, a sick husband, excuses…so let’s get to it!
I am very easily swayed by the monthly Diamond Love List emails…When I showed off my new Drybar The Single Shot Round Blow-Dryer Brush ($108.50, down from $155), he gave me SO MUCH SHIT, since I spent so much money on the Dyson Air Wrap. My answer was that my child stole my Air Wrap and I am too lazy to walk all the way to her bathroom to get it…and my Revlon One-Step smells like burnt dog hair. And really, it was only $25.50 after using $83 of Ulta points…
I was talking to a girl in one of my MBA classes and she said that she would never buy a perfume without smelling it…hi, it’s me – I’m the one who does that, it’s me. I knew that I would LOVE Fresh Beauty Hesperides Grapefruit Eau de Parfum Rollerball ($29) before ever smelling it and I was right. It reminds me of my mom…
Lippies were 30%, so I loaded my cart: Flower Beauty Bitten Lip Stain in “Tempt” ($8.40, down from $12 – it’s very similar to the Colourpop Stain) and KVD Beauty Everlasting Hyperlight Vegan Transfer-Proof Liquid Lipstick in “Ghost Bloom” ($16.10, down from $23) for me; Makeup Revolution Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory x Revolution Brat Lip Gloss ($4.90, down from $7) and Makeup Revolution Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory x Revolution Lip Balm ($4.90, down from $7) for Lil. I also added in Hempz White Peach Rosé & Peony Herbal Shave Gel ($6.49, down from $12.99) because it was half off. A bit disappointing to use, as it wasn’t as slippy as the Caress Body Wash I had been using to shave.
I am deeply saddened that I didn’t get to a salon to use my $25 off beauty services coupon for another year of Diamond, but I did remember to use my free foundation coupon. This year, I chose Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder Foundation in “01 Stay Buff”, a $39 value.
My $30 makeup purchase qualified me for a 4 pieces NARS gift, which includes NARS Climax Mascara; NARS Lipstick in “Inappropriate Red”; NARS Bronzing Powder and NARS High-Pigment Longwear Eyeliner in “Via Veneto”. I probably won’t use any of it. I also qualified for a free hair gift, but it sold out before I could place my order. Boo.
It’s so rare that I spend enough for the massive gift with purchases…this one required a $130 spend! Inside the HUGE satiny makeup bag: drybar DETOX Thickening Dry Shampoo (giving to my daughter, so I don’t have to buy her some); Urban Decay Glide-On Eye Pencil in “Whiskey”; Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate; Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner (there’s licorice root in it, I’m scared); e.l.f. Liquid Poreless Putty Primer; Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder; Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base Primer; megababe Space Bar (I think I have 3 of these now); Lancôme Cils Booster Mascara Base (and 3 of these); Clinique Almost Lipstick in “Black Honey” (yasss, the one in my purse is almost gone); Eau Thermale Avene Tolerance Cleanser; philosophy Purity Made Simple Pore Extractor Clay Mask; Peach & Lily Glass Skin Face Polisher; Estee Lauder Nutritious Melting Soft Creme Mask; Andrew Fitzsimmons Restructuring 10-in-1 Leave-In Conditioner; NYX Epic Ink Liner in “Black”; Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder; Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash; Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam (NOPE); Maybelline Sky High Mascara; La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum; Pixi Glow Tonic; Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen; Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Body Oil; Sunday Riley C.E.O. Afterglow; Dermalogica Micellar Prebiotic Precleanse (precleanse? I ain’t washing my face twice); Living proof. Clarifying Detox Shampoo (but no conditioner?); and Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner. PHEW, that’s a lot of good samples!
$1,105 to Diamond in 2025…
Toxic Pink
Gracefull Nail Polish “Toxic Pink” is from January’s Polish Pickup – Deadly Plants. It’s inspired by a particularly beautiful type of oleander called ‘Monrovia Red’. Since I live in Texas, there’s lots of oleander along the freeways. A single leaf is enough to kill a man…Texas says, let’s put it along all the highways!
This is two coats of “Toxic Pink” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Melt Down” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Raspberry Pop”.
It strikes me that “Toxic Pink” is quite similar to Lilypad Lacquer “Licorice Allsorts”. Am I doomed to purchase the same polishes, over and over again?
February 2024 Ipsy Icon Box – Gwen Stefani
I swear I just finished posting about January’s bag…
Hands down, this month’s Icon Box might be the best one that ipsy has ever sent out. Is it because it’s Gwen Stefani? She’s had brand collabs before – remember her Urban Decay palette – but now she has her own line, GXVE Beauty. I’ve never had strong opinions on Gwen Stefani – I don’t hate her, I don’t love her…she is just kinda…here? But her makeup might change my opinion.
Right off the bat, Gwen’s lipstick blew me away. I received GXVE Beauty Xtra Sauce Longwear Vinyl Liquid Lipstick in “Original Recipe” ($24) and it is what Urban Decay WISHES their Lip Bond product was like. That shit did not BUDGE, yet it didn’t dry out my lips. It did, however, require very powerful makeup removed to get rid of…I haven’t tried the other GVXE Beauty product – GVXE Beauty Line It Up Clean 24-Hr Gel Pencil Waterproof Eyeliner in “Bathwater” ($20). I just don’t have much use for blue eyeliner at 48.
Another homerun in this box – the Dominique Cosmetics The Essential Palette ($49). Christen Dominique is an ipsy stylist – I guess she has her own makeup line now? This eye shadow palette is GORGEOUS. The colors are very similar to the Lolita Por Vida palette. This is the only eye shadow I’ve worn since the Icon Box arrived.
The Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation in “2 Neutral” ($49) was underwhelming. The color match was okay, not perfect…but it oxidized on my face almost immediately. I was able to smooth it out with a wet blender, but it was still frustrating to use. The REN Clean Skincare Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask ($58) was fine. I used it yesterday and it did make my face smoother.
My product choices were mediocre this box. I should’ve looked for more details on the Maison Louis Marie No.13 Nouvelle Vague Perfume Oil ($65). The top note is muguet AKA lily of the valley, which is far too geriatric for me. It overpowers the citrus. I was happier with my other two picks: First Aid Beauty Oil-Minimizing Toner with Salicylic Acid ($24) and SONÄGE SKINCARE Saffron Energizing Vitamin Mask ($68).
This might be the first Icon Box where I use EVERY single product…except maybe that perfume. The box is worth $357 – NICE.
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $14/month (recently increased from $13/month) and Icon Box (formerly Glam Bag X) for an extra $60/quarterly (recently increased from $43/quarterly). If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Mandragora
Although I am no longer in my Harry Potter era, I can appreciate a pretty polish when I see one. It seems gold, but has beautiful green and fuchsia shimmer.
Moonshine Mani “Mandragora” is from January’s Polish Pickup and is inspired by the Herbology Class scene in the first Harry Potter film. I did not know until I googled it, that Mandrake is hallucinogenic? I mean…I’m too old to start experimenting with strange plants, but interesting nonetheless. <Furiously googling how to import Mandrake from Asia…>
This is two coats of “Mandragora” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Melt Down” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Raspberry Pop”.
Polish Pickup January 2024 – Deadly Plants
They keep getting my with these killer themes! The first Pickup of 2024 had an amazing theme – Deadly Plants.
From left to right:
Ard as Nails “Poison Ivy” ($13.50) is inspired by…duh…poison ivy. I personally don’t have any experience with poison ivy, but my husband is VERY allergic. He gets into every few years or so…that’s country living, I guess.
Moonshine Mani “Mandragora” ($13.00) is inspired by the Mandrake scene in the first Harry Potter movie.
Red Eyed Lacquer “Dead Inside” ($12.50) is inspired by the corpse flower. I hope the polish isn’t that stinky.
Gracefull Nail Polish “Toxic Pink” ($12.75) is inspired by the plant Nerium oleander ‘Monrovia Red.’
Envy Lacquer “Poison Garden” ($13.00) is inspired by, well, The Poison Garden in London.
I’ve already tried a few of these and they are OUSTANDING.
Regents Place
In any case, Nails Inc. Gel Effect “Regents Place” was a freebie from a a few summers ago, and I just got around to sampling this shiny periwinkle polish. It wasn’t streaky and it was quite striking.
When I googled Regents Place, I was expecting something traditionally British and quaint…y’all…it’s a fucking high rise, mixed use development – a fucking skyscraper mall.
This is two coats of “Regents Place” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.