Month: July 2017
What’s A Budget?
“What’s A Budget?” by Trust Fund Beauty came in last month’s ipsy bag. Now that’s a good polish for me – I keep talking about having a budget, but then I just buy whatever I want anyway.
I’m not quite sure how to categorize this color – ipsy says it’s sea foam blue, but there’s a hint of tropical mint. Or maybe mojito? There’s a hint of shimmer in the polish, but it’s hard to see in the picture. Coincidentally, it perfectly matches the color we are painting our living room – Behr “Island Oasis”.
I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat. The first coat was thick, streaky and gross. I nearly gave up and took it off. I persisted and painted a second coat. Like magic, it leveled out and the streaks disappeared. How about that…“HK Girl” finished the job.
I would have kept it on longer, but the edges looked shit after taping off the kitchen…
Naked Heat
I’d passed quite a few opportunities over the past month to pick up the newest Urban Decay Naked Heat palette ($54). Both Ulta and Sephora had a few pre-sales, then there was the official online launch. But the stars aligned while I was on vacation…not only had I accrued $53 in Ulta points (my last spend was the Alice Through the Looking Glass palette), but I received a 20% off anything coupon from Ulta….would it work?
Fuck yeah, it worked! But to my delight/dismay, I was now under the $50 shipping threshold. What is there to do, but to also add one of the new Urban Decay Naked Heat Vice Lipsticks in “Scorched” ($17). All told, I paid $4.11 for the palette and the matching lipstick. My samples were good, too – NARS Blush in “Orgasm” and it Cosmetics No. 50 Serum Collagen Veil.
Damn, I’m good.
I waited a bit after receiving to write my review…I wanted a chance to fully try it out and make sure before declaring it the palette of the year. IT’S THE FUCKING PALETTE OF THE YEAR. No joke, I’ve been using this palette every single day since I got it. The rich bronzes, coppers and bronzes blend beautifully and coordinate well together. There’s a full range of shades and finishes. This might be my favorite Naked palette now – so sorry, Naked 3.
$86.66 away from Platinum status for 2018.
Marisol
Julep “Marisol” – golden amber metallic – reminds me of a huge hunk of petrified amber, full of glowing bubble that catch the light.
When I picked my Julep box last month, I had no idea how beautiful this polish would be. I just got lucky, I guess
This is two coats of “Marisol” over Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. The polish is smooth, not bumpy – so I finished with “HK Girl”.
Is it me, or is my index fingernail too long? I feel like it’s too long. I just hate to cut a strong nail that’s not chipping.
Summer Chrome
As fate would have it, Jeffree Star Cosmetic‘s Summer Chrome Collection dropped at almost EXACTLY the same time that my flight to Washington DC was set to land. But I remembered! I had my order placed before our plane reached the gate.
I briefly considered the whole collection, but I knew that I’d never ever wear that Kermit Green color – “Venus Flytrap”. I also didn’t need “You. Better. Work.” since it’s pretty close to Kat Von D “L.U.V.” So I just picked three ($18 each) – “Candyass” – pink gold metallic, “Calabasas” – dark dusty rose, and “Family Jewels” – cool toned milk chocolate matte. “Candyass” is already sold out!
My order was waiting for me in the mailbox when I got home the following Sunday…and per my email, had been sitting in the mailbox, roasting since that Friday. All of the colors look great on me, even if I do say so myself. The formula seems thinner, but that could be due to the mailbox roasting?
I meant to get one of the new Lip Scrubs, but I totally forgot. I see another order in my future though…
Saint or Sinner?
Fragrance is a very personal thing. What smells wonderful on one person, may well smell like a corpse flower once it hits your own skin. The only way to know…is to try it out. I get SO many samples from my boxes, that I have a good chance to try out lots and lots of different fragrances. (Collecting perfume samples is something I’ve been up to since I worked up enough courage to start asking for samples at the Foley’s Makeup Counter while shopping with my mom.)
Sometimes though, you just buy a fragrance – whether based on the brand, the name or even the bottle. Even though I was in the middle of my vacation, I couldn’t pass up the $15 off $50 email…I went ahead and ordered travel sizes of Kat Von D Saint and Sinner at $22 each. I crossed my fingers as I opened Saint to smell it…and promptly spilled it all over my arm. Luckily, I’m a fan of the light vanilla jasmine scent. Sinner is a spicier scent, with cinnamon and patchouli. For some reason, it just doesn’t last on me – I cannot catch a whiff even 10 minutes after putting it on. For me, Saint is the clear winner and I could see buying a larger bottle.
I also ordered Sephora Collection Luster Matte Long-Wear Lip Color in “Rose Luster” ($7, down from $16) to get to $50. It’s a nice matte color, but I didn’t feel like it was very long lasting.
For samples, I ended up with Madame C.J. Walker Beauty Culture Silkening Blow Out Creme (weird), philosophy Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 Cleanser (love this stuff); and Lancome Dual Finish Multi-Tasking Powder & Foundation in One All Day Wear.
Only $432 left til Rouge!
DC Vacay Nails
For one of our longest vacations ever, I needed a nail combination that would last 8-10 days. We would be visiting Washington DC/Virginia and each day would be packed with activities – there would be no nail nights on this vacation. I needed a light neutral color, that would render chips nearly invisible.
I chose Sinful Colors “Glass Pink” for my base color. This is two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat. It’s very sheer, but gives just enough coverage to mask my severely stained nails. I topped with Sinful Colors “Silver Crush” for extra sparkle. I finished with “HK Girl”.
By the way, I took this pic while waiting for a shuttle at Reagan National Airport…multi-tasking!
So, it’s been about…10 days? Sure, it’s chipped, but still looks pretty darn good. Tomorrow is nail night!
Sephora Play! June 2017 – Your Summer Starters
Oops! I left town without finishing my homework…
Without further ado, here’s June box/bag, “Your Summer Starters”: Benefit The POREfessional (so much of this stuff, but it works); OUAI Rose Hair & Body Oil (smells so good); First Aid Beauty Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer (excited to try); Rich Kid Coconut Oil Gel (ooooh, more coconut); Kat Von D Everlasting Lip Liquid in “K-Dub” (This is SO my color, well…my old car’s color; Also, I used the alias ‘L-Dub’ on another blog years ago); and Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium (nope).
A great box, cannot wait to use more of the products!
I wish I could use the 50 point bonus cards on online orders – I hardly EVER go into the store.
If you haven’t signed up yet, do so now. This is by far the best subscription box I get every month. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.