Tag: Orly
Vintage
It’s giving BAJA BLAST!
I don’t buy many mainstream polishes these days…but when I do, they’re on clearance at Ulta.
Orly “Vintage” is a lovely neon teal, but it leans a bit green on me – almost like a mint green? On the screen, it leans more blue and I was assuming that it would be a closer match to my living room paint…but alas, that green gives me more of a Baja Blast type color. That’s fine, I love Baja Blast. The formula was very smooth and only the slightest bit of streakiness, which is hard to avoid in creme polishes.
This is two coats of “Vintage” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
First Ulta Haul of 2026
There was a really good sale going on during the beginning of January, so I stocked up on a few things…
Vichy Dercos seems to be helping with the heartbreak of psoriasis, so I restocked on Vichy Dercos Selenium Sulfide Anti-Dandruff Shampoo and Dercos Hair + Scalp Moisturizing Conditioner ($15.99 each, down from $19.99). This purchase netted me a free sample of Vichy Mineral 89 Serum.
I couldn’t pass up the BOGO 40% on Garnier, so I got 2 Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Water (normally $11.99), as well as another pack of Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Eco Pads 3 Pack ($7.19, down from $11.99). This purchase netted me a free metallic train case…I quibble with their definition of train case – it’s just a medium size makeup bag.
Ulta Beauty products were 30% off, so I picked my Ulta Beauty Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($7.70, down from $11) and Exfoliating Round Cotton Pads ($2.79, down from $3.99).
Against my better judgment, I bought another crackle nail polish – Sally Hansen Insta-Dri x Stranger Things Nail Polish in “Rift” ($7.99). It wasn’t even on sale! But then I scrolled the sale page and bought Covergirl STRANGER THINGS The Bite PH Transforming Lip Gloss in “Hawkins Lab” ($4.50, down from $7.99). The slimy green gloss turns into a coral-leaning pink. (I like the r.e.m. beauty one better.) It also smells like burnt marshmallow goo, which tracks with that weird white goo in the upside down. I also got Orly Nail Lacquer in “Vintage” ($4.20) because it matches my living room.
I used a $5 off coupon AND $50 in Ulta points from my holiday shopping.
$1,143 to Diamond in 2027!
Power Packed
Help! What color is this???
It’s definitely not white…but it’s not gray exactly, either. There’s a hint of blue, but that’s not exactly right either. It’s the color of the sky on an overcast day, the sun nowhere in sight. Or wall putty. Or whiteout. Ugh. The polish is Orly Breathable “Power Packed” and I cheated and looked on their website – it’s described as a powder blue/grey créme.
Orly has launched the first Muslim friendly nail polish with the water permeable formula in their Breathable line. I was skeptical at first, but this polish has GREAT staying power. There is nothing on my nails except two coats of “Power Packed” and it lasted a full week with minimal chipping. It was also very easy to remove. Technology!
Zoomer & Zorbit
I was resisting buying any of the Orly x Lisa Frank Nail Wraps ($11.99 at Ulta)…until I saw how cute they looked on my friend, Angie. Angie is my biggest nail influencer!
To my credit, I only bought one of the four designs – “Zoomer & Zorbit” – a duo of freaky aliens. I’ve always had a thing for “little green men”.
This is my first time trying Orly Nail Wraps. The wraps are a bit short, so I can definitely only cover one nail per wrap. They filed down well though and didn’t leave a jagged edge. The wraps did not peel up either – they stayed put for a week! I will mention though – these wraps have a clear layer on top that may lift up. This clear layer peeled off of several nails and afterwards, the design faded off. So don’t be tempted to peel off the clear protective layer!
The strips are pricy, but have great staying power and apply very well. Here’s to hoping they go on sale!
National Nail Polish Day 2021
June 1st was National Nail Polish Day and Ulta had a lovely 11 piece gift with a $40 purchase. I just happened to need a few things…
I stocked up on 3 bottles of Zoya Remove+ ($10) and decided to splurge on a bottle of Pacifica Plant Magic 16 Free Polish in “Green Goddess” ($10). I wouldn’t ordinarily spend $10 on a single bottle of nail polish, but this color is so beautiful…plus, I used a $3.50 off coupon…so…
The 11 piece gift is worth more than what I bought! The gift included: Dashing Diva Gloss Gel Nail Strips; le Mini Macaron Sweet Mandarin Hand Mask; ella + mila Soy Polish Remover Wipes; Pacifica BioGlitter Translucent Topper in “Fairy Dust”; China Glaze “Summer Moon”; Orly Breathable 1-Step Manicure in “Power Packed”; OPI “Magic Hour”; lakur “Kissed by Rose Gold”; essie “Bahama Mama”; CND Solar Oil; and Nailtopia “Nails on Fleek”. So many new polishes!
$697 to Diamond Status…
Put the Top Down
Nothing like a little neon pink for Halloween…
This neon pink – Orly “Put the Top Down” – was perfect for this year’s Halloween costume – pink flamingo. I literally dressed like a pink plastic lawn flamingo – it was my daughter’s idea.
Yeah, I’m about a week late – but this nail polish is SO outstanding that I’ve been wearing it for 9 DAYS. As a matter of fact, I just removed it a few minutes ago. Orly is just one of the best polishes out there. My only complaint is that there were a few thin spots in the coverage, even after the second coat, but c’est la vie.
This is two coats of “Put the Top Down” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
Lucid Dream
Orly “Lucid Dream” reminds me of a shiny, new penny…how many penny polishes do I have? Julep “Penny”… Julep “Natalia”…OPI “Worth a Pretty Penne”…I don’t care, I’ll buy them all!
Orly nail polish is such great quality – amazing coverage and no brush marks! This is two coats of “Lucid Dream” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat. My pinky got the matte treatment with Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat, while the rest went shiny with Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
Beautifully Bizarre
Don’t blame the polish – it’s my fault. I am totally incompetent when it comes to apply light or white nail polishes. I apply the polish too thickly, and it pools in the creases of my nails, which is exacerbated by adding a top coat. When I pick off the ragged edges of the top coat, it leaves ragged edges instead of a smooth line. Ugh, I need to start cleaning up with acetone or something…
But regardless of how ugly my paint job was, this polish is GORGEOUS in person. Pictures do not do it justice – you cannot even see the teal shimmer under neath this pink pearl polish. This is Orly “Beautifully Bizarre”, a $2.38 steal from Ulta.
The first coat was a bit streaky, but two coats was just right. I started with Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and topped with Glisten & Glow Top Coat. I had to see it mattified, so I used Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat on my ring finger. It was nice I guess, but muted the teal shimmer too much for my liking.
More pearlescent polishes!
Hufflepuffery
When I got my last Ulta order, I thought my daughter was going to have a seizure from how excited she was about my Gryffindor palette, so as soon as the Hufflepuff version was back in stock, I had to get it for her.
So yes, I ordered her the Harry Potter x Ulta Beauty Hufflepuff Eye Shadow Palette ($16). A few more products dropped, so I also got her a Hufflepuff Cosmetic Bag ($16) and the House Pride Hair Accessory Set ($18)…I admit, I stole the Gryffindor scrunchie and my son stole the Slytherin one.
I came across a new product that I found intriguing – The Sign Tribe Remove and Chill Reusable Nail Polish Remover Pads ($16). I spend a small fortune on cotton rounds, so I was curious if I could save some money using these pads. I’ve used them a few times and they seem to work just fine with regular polish remover. I still need to try them with Remove and Chill Nail Enamel Remover. Each pad is supposed to be able to be used 25 times, whereas I use between 2-6 cotton rounds each time. So…this pack should replace roughly 300 cotton pads, or 3 packs ($3 each or so). If I get 50 uses out of each pad, it might be worth it?
I have a hard time saying “no” to clearance nail polish. It’s rare to see Orly on sale, especially for a price as low as $2.38. I picked up 3 different shades – an iridescent pink pearl called “Beautifully Bizarre” (somehow I added 2 to my cart, so someone will get gifted); a rose gold shimmer called “Lucid Dream”, and a hot pink called “Top Down”. I also got a few cheap Sally Hansen Mega Strength polishes – a pinky gold glitter called “Mermaid Parade” for $2.68 and a matte fuchsia called “Like a Girl” for $1.50.
Oooooh! I qualified for a free pink tote with my $75 purchase. I do not know what I am going to tote with it, but I’ll think of something. I also used a $3.50 off $15 coupon – stacking deals.
$608 to Diamond – almost exactly halfway there!
Are You Still Available?
The reason I get so excited about trying new brands of nail polish is because I’ve pretty much tried every brand there is…but there are a few that have been beyond my grasp…
I hadn’t been able to try Makeup Revolution nail polish because Ulta doesn’t carry it here and they won’t ship it across the ocean…but I got a guy…I checked their site and it looks like they don’t even carry the polish online anymore – they must be liquidating their stock via mystery bags.
The first one to catch my eye was Makeup Revolution “Are you still Available?”, a dusty medium purple. This is a full coverage creme. The quality was very good – not too thick and not too thin, although the brush itself was sub par. I got full coverage with two coats over Orly Bonder and under “HK Girl”.
I haven’t gotten my hands on Jeffree Star Cosmetics “Scorpio” yet, but Sally has it and I swear that “Are you still Available?” would be a perfect match. I might have to add it to my Cyber Monday order if it’s in stock…