Month: April 2017

 
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Everlasting Flash – April 2017

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I am going to tell you a tale of some of the best customer service I’ve ever received. Without fail, Sephora has provided excellent customer service – and this time, I didn’t even know I needed customer service!

Last Wednesday, I decided to take advantage of this month’s Everlasting Flash Deal and get early access to one of Kat Von D Cosmetics new line of Everlasting Lip Liners ($18 each). The deal was for “Lolita”, so of course I had to have it. I also ordered one of the new Everlasting Lip Liquid Shades ($20)- “Miss Argentina” (in homage to the character from Beetlejuice). The very next morning, I noticed an email that my order for “Lolita” had been resubmitted. Weird. I didn’t really think about it much, but on the way home from work, I got a call from Sephora Customer Service. It seems that they accidentally sent me a “Lolita II” Lip Liner instead of “Lolita”, so they sent me the right one as soon as the error was discovered. When I asked what to do with the “Lolita II”, she just…to just keep it. THEY LET ME KEEP IT…free ya’ll. I think I even got points for it.

…and this is why I LOVE Sephora. Rouge for life.

Oh yeah, for samples, I got a card with Urban Decay Optical Illusion Complexion Primer (I’ve been wanting to try this so bad!) and 2 shades of Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Makeup (shades are 2.5, 5.0 and 8.0 – I wear 3.5, so not very useful), Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 and Belif The True Cream – Aqua Bomb (one of my faves). I also used a code to get a deluxe sample of Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment (this shit is powerful and turned my skin into lizard scales after a single use; it’s 3% sulfur, so I’ll be saving for BAD breakouts).

The 15% off spring event is next week…need to dig through the couch for change…

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Ming Says Spring!

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Somehow, Julep “Ming” made it into my Julep box this month. Described by Julep as as sheer wild orchid jelly, it is the “Spring-iest” polish ever. A true jelly, it is indeed very, very, very sheer.

This is two coats over Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. I was tempted to do one more, but I stopped. I was afraid it would get too thick around the edges. I topped with “HK Girl”…and it still got a bit thick around the edges.

“Ming” would be great in a glitter jelly sandwich…I got ideas.

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Hand Jive

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Have you ever been confused by how a polish turns out? Funky Fingers “Hand Jive” didn’t turn out the way I expected at all.

“Hand Jive” looks so orange in the bottle – neon orange, even. On my nails, not so much. It turned out peachy. Not that anything’s wrong with that…it just wasn’t what I was expecting. I should have remembered the formula from the other “Grease” polishes, but to be fair – that was over two years ago!

I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat and then two fairly goopy coats of “Hand Jive” followed. I topped with “HK Girl”.

I think this manicure would have lasted a week or so, but to be honest…it was too boring for me. I had to let it go.

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Ulta 21 Days of Beauty – Day 14

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So proud…I made it all the way to Day 14 of Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty before placing an order!

I had to pull the trigger on trying It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder SPF50+ in “Light” for half price ($17.50 instead of $35). I’m always on the hunt for the perfect powder foundation. Trying it for the first time this morning, I wasn’t disappointed. This stuff is THICK. I used the included sponge for the first application, over only moisturizer – no primer – and it is THICK. Thick, but not as cakey as MAC Studio Fix. It covers almost as much as a liquid foundation, so I switched to my usual kabuki to buff it out evenly. I’m going to try over a few different primers next – it tended to settle into my nose pores, so I’m thinking that’s the only place I’ll really need it. A good buy!

I also took advantage of an NYX BOGO half sale – I got the Cosmic Metals and Lid Lingerie Shadow palettes (normally $9.99 each). They are like matte/shimmer twins. I wore Lid Lingerie today without primer. Note to self: NYX shadows ALWAYS needs primer. The colors are  nice though.

I also grabbed another Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($10) – it is my new go to. Also, it put me over the threshold to get $5 off my order. For free samples, I got an Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo (I have like 6 of these) and Smashbox Photo finish Foundation Primer (I have like 16 of these). They also threw in a huge sample pouch of DevaCurl Buildup Buster…but I don’t have curls or use a lot of product in my hair.

Free shipping since I got a Beauty Steal, so I didn’t have to hit the $50 threshold!

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That Would Be Enough

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I can’t resist a Hamilton reference to go with Julep “Eliza”.

My sole polish pick from this month’s box, “Eliza” is described as infinite ocean holographic. I don’t see much of that infinite ocean off the Gulf of Mexico, but I got a taste of it in Mexico last summer. It really does seem like glitters on forever.

This is two coats over Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat and under “HK Girl”. It’s an extremely smooth applying polish. It wears forever, too. I’m on day four and it should last a few more days.

It’s polishes like this that make me think…how lucky we are to be alive right now.

That was bad – I apologize.

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April Julep Maven Box – Relax & Remix

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So, I wasn’t feeling all of the Spring-like polishes available in this month’s “Relax & Remix” Collection. So I picked just one polish – Julep Bombshell “Eliza”, infinite ocean holographic. No idea why Julep It Girl “Ming”wild orchid jelly – is in my box. Thanks, I guess?

I decided to enlarge my makeup collection. I picked a new shade of Feels Like Velvet Full Coverage Eye Shadow Duo – “cinnamon & spice”. I LOVE these colors on me. They’re very warm and light up my face. I’m also impressed with the creamy formula – they stayed put all day without primer. I also picked a matching lippie – It’s Whipped Matte Lip Mousse in “Say Hello”, rich marsala matte. It’s Whipped doesn’t last through meal, well…not tablitas and fajitas, anyway. I’m not sure ANY lippie would last through the juicy smoked ribs I ate yesterday.

Not a Julep Maven? Click HERE to join – I’ll get a $15 credit and you’ll get your first box free!

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March Ipsy Bag – Tres Jolie

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March’s ipsy bag is beautifully color-coordinated – from the pale pink bag with a rose gold zipper to that snail thingy (more on that later) to the nude lippie. And the bag is super-sized – perfect for liners or brushes.

So about that cute little snail…it’s Ladykin Affinitic Snail Cream. It’s literally 80% snail secretions. And I am supposed to put this on my face. For wrinkles. For what it’s worth, I looked it up on Amazon and it had some legit good reviews…so I’ll give it a shot. But…snail slime…on my face.

Also in this month’s “Tres Jolie” bag: Cake Desserted Island Supreme Body Mousse; Elizabeth Mott Blending Brush (the Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush I received a few years ago is still my favorite lid brush); tarte cosmetics tarteist quick dry matte lip paint in “rosé”; and Doucce Freematic Eyeshadow in “Marisa” (for the record, I HATE the name “Marisa” – my college boyfriend cheated on me with a homely (and possible homeless) skag named Marisa).

Great bag this month! I’ll let you know if the snail trail kills me.

If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.