Month: March 2019
Sephora Play! March 2019 – Beauty in Bloom
What a weird ass box from Sephora this month. Why do I need 2 Dry Shampoos? They sent me Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1 and Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo. Do they think my hair is dirty?
Also in this month’s “Beauty in Bloom” box: NARS Bronzing Powder in “Laguna”; Sephora Collection LashCraft Big Volume Mascara, Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40; and Versace Bright Crystal (one of my little sister’s scents).
The assortment of products seems kind of random, but whatever.
Sephora Play is usually a really good subscription box with high-end products. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
March 2019 Allure Beauty Box – All-Star Lineup
Oh shit, I was wrong – this month’s clutch is WHITE, not BLUE as I predicted. Boo.
Oh, so Mamonde again? This shit is gonna be in every box, huh? (Like Sunday Riley?) That’s fine, I love rose. I don’t use toner as much as I should, but I will use Mamonde Rose Water Toner.
Also in this month’s box: Au Naturale The Anywhere Creme Multistick in “Grapefruit”; Biossance Squalane Vitamin C Rose Oil (ooooh, roses again); Acure Seriously Soothing Night Oil; Derma E Microderm Abrasion Scrub (Oh, they changed their packaging); Ren Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm; and Vichy Mineral 89 Fortifying Daily Booster.
Except for the Blush Stick, it’s an all skin box – I used to hate getting skin products and preferred makeup, but now I am happy to get the high dollar skin products.
The Allure Beauty Box is $15/month, but they give you $5 off your first box. They also offer an option for $150/year – a savings of $30. Sign up via my referral link.
So Amazon
I’m sure it’s not shocking that one of my nicknames during high school was ‘Amazon’. When I first started hearing it, it was meant pejoratively, started by a few jerky guys. Obviously, little Richard did not do his homework – Amazons are pretty badass!
I’m still feeling the purple, so I decided to recreate the same mani, but with a better purple. The better purple is Sinful Colors “Amazon Woman”, which is just outstanding. I had forgotten that it’s rather matte on it’s own – but of course, I topped with Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat for extra matte-ening.
Of course, I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat (which I still cannot find in a store – eek). This is three coats of “Amazon Woman”, again using Nicole by OPI “Rainbow in the Sky-lie” on accent nails. The matte top coat is SO important for a long lasting manicure. Matte polishes are very delicate and chip within minutes it seems. Unless you are planning to paint every day, a matte top coat is absolutely necessary.
One-Step
I’ve found it. I’ve finally found the single hair tool for a perfect blow-out. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with blow-outs for well over 20 years. Around the time I graduated college, I ended up with a hair cut that necessitated a blow-out with round brush (it may or may not have rhymed with ‘the Bachel’). It happened probably 3 times before I was like ‘FUCK this’. I’ve tried everything from ionic dryers to diffusers, but everything takes too damn long – and makes my hair frizzy. About 10 years ago, I picked up a Conair Wet-to-Dry Styler, which works okay, but again – it take forever. Several years ago, I stepped up to a Revlon Paddle Style Dryer Brush, but there was still something lacking…
…until I tried the Revlon Pro Collection Salon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer ($59.99). I can literally give myself a salon quality blow-out in about 5 minutes. 5 fucking minutes. I feel like I’ve suffered through decades of bad hair before this tool was invented. Run, don’t walk, to buy this tool. One exception, I give you permission to wait until you get a 20% off coupon like I did.
Oh and pro-tip – definitely use a blow-out spray or primer before you use it. I am using Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer Spray and it protects my hair while making it dry faster.
I also threw in a Revlon Nail Buffer ($3.49) because the 99 cent Diamond Brand ones I bought last time are SHIT. You get what you pay for!
My purchase qualified for a “Skinfatuation” gift with purchase, which included Exuviance Super Retinol Complex; Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer; Murad Resurgence Retinol Youth Renewal Serum (fancy); Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum; StriVectin Advanced Retinol Intensive Night Moisturizer; and Yes to Grapefruit Brightening Vitamin C Glow Boosting Paper Mask. That’s a lot of fucking retinol!
$138 to Platinum. It’s looking like I might have a chance to hit Diamond with Ulta this year, instead of Rouge with Sephora this year…
March 2019 Ipsy Bag – SHEro
When I first started with ipsy, I felt like the brands were amazing, but as the years went on, there were more and more weird brands and less prestige brands…but now ipsy is getting better again! The last few months have had better brands and better products overall – good job, ipsy!
This month’s “SHEro” bag is rose gold (my current fave metallic), embossed with “and off she went to change the world” – I love it. So, I have at least half a dozen samples of Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream and I STILL have not tried it. I’ll try it, I promise.
Also in this month’s bag: Tarte Maneater Voluptuous Mascara (will probably get sold on Poshmark); Ciate London Mini Lip Lustre in “Wildfire” (this color is fire); PUR Afterglow Mini Highlighting Skin Perfecting Powder; and Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm (I am not all in on cleansing balms, BUT I found that they are GREAT for melting longwearing liquid lipstick).
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
For My Work Wife…
I did these purple nails for my work wife – she loves purple!
Easter is coming and the stores are filled with pastels. I decided to mix up my pastels with some glitter. I started with Makeup Revolution “Adore” – two coats over Glisten & Glow Base Coat. The first coat was very streaky, but I got it to smooth out a bit with the second coat. There were weird fibers or hairs in the polish – I couldn’t tell if they were coming from the brush or what. This is the first time I’ve used this polish, so I don’t know what the fuck was going on with it – is hair nail polish a thing in the UK?
I used Nicole by OPI “Rainbow in the S-Kylie” on my accent nails. It’s a very versatile glitter, despite the fact that it is Kardashian-related.
I finished with Glisten & Glow Top Coat – I wasn’t brave enough to try the matte top coat , the polish is too lumpy. I do like the look quite a bit, although it’s starting to chip.
Target Beauty Box – March 2019
I almost didn’t purchase this month’s box, because of the Love Beauty & Planet Smooth and Serene Argan Oil & Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner – lavender sometimes gives me a headache, but then I remembered that I received them in a Birchbox last year and they were fine.
Also in this month’s “March Into Spring” box: Bliss Rose Gold Rescue Gentle Foaming Cleanser (rose gold everything!); TRESemme Botanique Nourish & Replenish Mask (for hair); Shea Moisture Matcha Green Tea & Probiotics Soothing Toner & Hydrating Mist (I never know what do do with these); and Shea Moisture Silicone Free Miracle Styler Leave-In Treatment (it smells super good). These products are a bit out of my comfort zone, but I am here for it.
This $7 box is heavy, but with a smaller number of products. As usual, free shipping, 5% off with my Red Card and it came with a $3 off $15 coupon. I did not manage to use my coupon last month, but I have high hopes for this month’s coupon.
Nakey Nay
Oh hey – Spring Break is over, so I’m back.
The next “Naughty Nudes” that I tried out is Sinful Colors “Nakey Nay”. I fucking love the name – it’s so over-the-top silly. This is two coats of “Nakey Nay” over Sinful Colors Base Coat. It applies so smoothly, like a dream.
You know I’ve been obsessed with matte nails, so I used Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat on all the nails, except that ring finger. I used plain Glisten & Glow Top Coat on the ring finger. I cannot decide on a favorite – I like them both.
Ignore the edge wear – I’d painted my nails on Wednesday, before heading out of town for Spring Break and didn’t stop and take a pic until today.
Let’s Flamingle
You KNOW I went back to Walmart and got Sinful Colors “Let’s Flamingle”. (I also got Sinful Shine “Poison Apple”). I paid full price, too – $2.98.
I am absolutely IN LOVE with “Let’s Flamingle” – I hope I am wearing it when I die, so my ghost will be always wearing it.
This is two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat. I went without a Top Coat and it’s beautiful. I have regrets though – I started getting chips on my right hand within seconds it seems. Next time, I’ll try it with a matte top coat.
That’s it – I am totally caught up! I have nothing left to post…until I take a pic of the Target Beauty Box that arrived in my mailbox today.
Naked Reloaded
My sweet Sally sent me an Ulta giftcard for my birthday last month. At first, I wasn’t intentionally saving it – I almost used it on a haircut a few weeks ago – but I’m glad I did save it. The new Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Palette ($44) was released at Ulta on March 4th – I ordered it that day in order to get the gift with purchase.
Sure, I have the first six Naked palettes (OG, Naked 2, Naked 3, Naked Smoky, Naked Heat, Naked Cherry), plus a dozen other Urban Decay palettes – but I need THIS one, too. There are a few interesting tweaks to the Naked “formula” – first off, there’s no brush – I guess that’s why it’s $5 cheaper than the rest of the Naked palettes. They also changed up the pan sizes – the lighter base shades have large pans and the dark and glitter shades have smaller pans – brilliant! That’s exactly how it should be! I’ve used it three times so far, and other than having to decide which brushes to use, the experiences have been great. I haven’t used it with primer yet, because it doesn’t need it. The shades are neutral enough for any skin tone, although they seem to lean olive, strangely enough. It’s the perfect neutral starter for someone just getting into prestige brands of makeup. I’ll be reaching for this palette often.
The gift with purchase was an Urban Decay Makeup Bag, in signature black, white and lilac. The bag included a deluxe sample of Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging and a full size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in “Perversion”. For some reason, I expected there to be a lipstick – nope. Free is free though.
For shits and giggles, I added two new Feeling Beautiful Freeman Masks ($4.29) to my cart: Deep Clearing Seaweed + Sea Salt Mud Mask + Scrub (I really liked the scent and how exfoliating this mask was) and Soothing Watermelon + Aloe Cooling Gel Mask (not especially cooling, but I did feel like it calmed my skin before my shower).
I also qualified for another freebie bag, which had a really strange assortment of products. The standout sample in the bag is the Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in (what I believe to be) “Crimson Chrome” – it’s not labelled, so I’m making an educated guess. I love the color and how it looks on me, but it gets on EVERYTHING – my poor hamburger ended up wearing most of it today. Also in the bag: Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels; Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm, Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant/Anti-Antiperspirant (why?); First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream; and Clarins Multi-Active Jour SPF 20. See what I mean? Odd.
$193 to Platinum…