Month: November 2019
Soap, Soap, Soap!
So, I’ve been sitting on my hands all day, trying not to order goodies from Bath & Body Works. The entire store is Buy 3, Get 3 and the Black Friday bag looks really good…but you and I both know that the Semi-Annual Sale will be better. I can wait 30 days, can’t I?
Last Saturday was a killer deal though – $2.50 Hand Soaps! The limit was 15, so 15 was how many I bought. Most were Xmas scents, but I stocked up on some “Rose Water & Ivy” as well.
They let me stack coupons, so I got to use a $10 off and a free item coupon. I wanted to get another “Rose Water & Ivy” Body Wash – but it’s off the shelves. The Fuck? Same for “Black Peony”! I was going to settle for “White Citrus”, but they had everything BUT the body wash. I gave up and picked out a Body Wash for my husband – he got Aromatherapy “Stress Relief” – he likes those mint and eucalyptus body washes, but I cannot STAND a minty bunghole.
The receipt said I saved $83.50 – not bad!
November 2019 Ipsy Bag – Wild Side
Ipsy wants me to take a walk on the “Wild Side” this month. I used to be 100% leopard print everything in the 90s – this little bag would’ve matched everything I owned in the 90s.
The only product in this month’s bag that I’ve tried so far is the La Chloris Urban Botanics Ultra Glow Moroccan Rose Mask. It’s a 15 minute pink clay mask that smells like roses. It was a GREAT exfoliator.
Also inside this month’s “Wild Side” bag: MURAD Essential-C Day Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 30; Layla Cosmetics Layba Nail Polish in “1012” (an odd blue-gray polish); Hola Neon Tinted Lip Balm in “Call Me”; and Gigi Gorgeous Living Lip Balm in “Natalia” (Gigi is an influencer, but I don’t know much about her).
An super cool bag with less coll contents this month.
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $12/month. If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Ulta Friendsgiving
Ulta is luring me in with their Friendsgiving sales and coupons and gifts with purchase…it’s not even Black Friday yet and they’ve got me placing three orders within a week or so!
After the purple shampoo sample I picked up for my son in my last order, he asked me for more. I decided to get him a full size bottle, but I chose a cheaper brand – Clairol Shimmer Lights Purple Shampoo for Blonde & Silver Hair ($9.99). I don’t feel like it worked as well as the Joico – his hair almost seemed to have a pinkish tint – I accused him of using my Overtone Conditioner, but he said it was the Shimmer Lights. I’ll continue to monitor his hair situation.
Sally Hansen products were 40% off! I grabbed a few Hard as Nails Xtreme nail polishes for $1.79 – “Heart of Sass” and “Rockstar Pink”. I also got one of the Jelly Belly x Insta Dri polishes – “Hot Buttered Popcorn” – for $2.99. My daughter actually BROKE her last nail clippers with here thick ass nails, so I got her another nail clipper ($1.79). Almost out of habit, I added a Zoya Remove+ Nail Polish Remover ($10).
I cannot pass up a 50% off lippie – I limited it to one – NYX Soft Matte Metallic Lip Cream in “Rome” ($3.50, down from $7).
So Ulta was giving a gift with purchase for a $17.50 purchase, so I looked around to see what I could find…I immediately put a Lash Separator in my cart ($9). I hate the tarantula mascara look and this little gadget is great at separating the clumps. I cannot believe that I’ve gone 30+ years of using mascara without it. I grabbed a Matte Metallic Liquid Lipstick in “Golden Age”, rose bronze with pearl shimmer, ($4, down from $9). I also got Juice Infused Lip Oil in “Sweet Rose” ($9) – this stuff is GREAT for removing liquid lipstick. The oil does NOT smell like roses though – it smells more like olive oil – why?
The gift with purchase came in a very nice black patent vinyl bag and included these Ulta products: Luxe Lipstick in “Mischevious”; Pack of 5 Pre-Moistened Makeup Remover Facial Towelettes; Hydrating Face Primer; Jelly Gloss Lip Gel; Tinted Eye Primer in “Champagne”; Bold Ambition Mascara in “Jet Black”; an eyeshadow brush and a cheek brush. The bag didn’t come with an Ulta coupon!
Oh hey, I don’t even really like MAC products, but this Beauty Break was super cute because of the HUGE lipstick-shaped carrying case. It also came with 3 minis – Matte Lipstick in “Sin” and two lipglasses in “Wildchild” and “Oyster Girl”.
No special coupons, but I was able to use old faithful – $3.50 off $15.
$376 to Diamond status…
Beautiful Bri
After my disappointing experience with “Disco Baby”, I wanted a sure thing. Julep polishes are almost always a pure pleasure, so I pulled one of the polishes from my most recent order – Julep It Girl “Bri”, purple ember holographic shimmer.
This is two coats of “Bri” over Glisten & Glow Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. Application was a dream – It was the perfect consistency and self-leveling.
This combination is lasting well – there’s a bit of edge wear, but no major chips. Ugh, I wish Julep was still putting out new polishes!
Liquid Chrome Disco Baby
Fuck. This. Nail Polish.
Not since essie “Belugaria” have I hated a nail polish formula this much. But Sinful Colors Liquid Chrome “Disco Baby” broke me. It had so much potential, but I couldn’t get it right, even after trying a second time.
I was super excited to find the 3 piece set at HEB for $6.99. In addition to the Liquid Chrome polish in “Disco Baby”, it comes with a base coat and Sinful Colors Mirror Shine Top Coat. (HEB also had 3/$5 coupons for Sinful Colors – I squealed and grabbed 3 Sinful Shines – “Diamond in the Raw”, “Wine Not” and “Galaxy” – HEB spoils me rotten).
I followed the instructions to the letter. After the base coat, I painted one coat of “Disco Baby”. The polish dragged a bit, but I expected that. There were a few thin spots, but nothing too egregious. I then finished with the Mirror Shine Top Coat. What the fuck, why the polish start swirling as soon as I applied the top coat? It even got a few bubbles.
Fuck. I know I am spoiled by Glisten & Glow, but the time it took this top coat to dry was totally unacceptable. I sat through a whole episode of The Walking Dead and it was still a tad tacky. Even they next day, it had an almost sticky feel. I hated the way it felt and hated the way it looked – see left picture. Oh – and it started peeling away from the edges of my nails. Not chipping – this shitty polish peeled down from my cuticles.
No one likes a quitter, so I decided to try again. The very next day, I took off the polish and tried again. Again I started with the base coat and a single, albeit slightly thicker coat of “Disco Baby”. This time, I finished with Glisten & Glow Top Coat. Well, THAT was a mistake. The top coat literally made the polish start to swirl and dissolve. It was an effect similar to the Transforming Top Coats. Have you ever balled up a piece of aluminum foil and then tried to smooth it again? THAT is what my nails looked like. At least they weren’t sticky.
I don’t know if my nails are too bumpy, or if I am just not patient enough or if this formula is just stupid, but I gave up on this polish. Not one to be selfish with my misery, I promptly boxed up the Liquid Chrome set and sent to my nail buddy, Angie. She is not blessed with HEB up in Plano, and I am hoping that she can prove me wrong by making this nail polish her bitch!
November 2019 Allure Beauty Box – Thanks a Whole Lot
November’s Allure Beauty Box focuses in on skincare (and other products) you can be grateful for.
I literally TORE into the e.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer. I used it before going out and it made my skin look flawless. I used it under a powder foundation, but I bet it would also do great under a liquid foundation. At $8 at Ulta, it’s on the more expensive end of e.l.f. products, but compared to any other brand – it’s a steal!
Also in this month’s box: tarte Color Splash Lipstick in “yachting” (full size!); Freeze 24-7 Anti-Aging Eye Serum (I keep being unimpressed by eye serums, but by the time I need them it will probably be too late); Curology The Cleanser; Vichy Double Glow Peel Mask; and Bliss That’s Incredi-Peel Pads (Hmm, 2 peel products this month).
My skin is looking forward to being pampered and exfoliated!
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.
Come Closer
Here in Texas, it will be fall for approximately three weeks, before we get three days of winter and then summer again. I took advantage of the brief autumnal interlude to try out Sinful Colors “Come Closer” from The Naughty Nudes Collection. I’d describe this polish as creamy cafe au lait. That’s a fancy way to say coffee and milk.
After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I painted two coats of “Come Closer”. I wanted to see both shiny and matte finishes, so I used Glisten & Glow Top Coat on my thumb/ring finger and then Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat on the rest.
Target Beauty Boxes – October + November 2019
Oops…I did it again…
I finally thought to check for Target Beauty Boxes and found that I missed a month…again. I don’t think Target is sending out email notifications anymore – or else they’re getting lost in my spammy inbox and I am just not seeing them. Come to think of it, I haven’t been seeing anyone else post about the boxes either – no wonder there were still October boxes left – Target is not telling anybody!
There were actually TWO November boxes, but one was entirely for Curly hair, so I just picked up the “Beauty Boosters” box. Inside the box: Love Beauty Planet Radical Refresher Body Wash – Coconut Water + Mimosa (just a packet, so good for travel); Olly Undeniable Beauty Multivitamin Gummies; Sunny Isle Jamaican Black Castor Oil Eyelash & Eyebrow Grow Serum (I don’t need more eyelashes, but I am intrigued by the idea of growing thicker brows – mine never recovered from the plucky 90s); Garnier Fructis Sleek Shot In-Shower Styler (weird); Pantene Gold Series Hydrating Butter Creme (what is this?); and Pantene Gold Series Leave-On Detangling Milk. A very odd box.
October’s “Hers” box was themed “Your Autumn It-Kit” and included Ardell Faux Mink Lashes (nope); Crest 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste, Vaseline Extremely Dry Skin Rescue (I need this – my skin is parched); No7 Laboratories Line Correcting Booster Serum; L’Oreal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup in “Hot Pink” and “Raspberry” (Seems like a waste of effort for me, but I might try it); Lumene Nordic Hydra 24 Hour Moisturizer (This is a nice moisturizer, but be warned that the scent is strong and you can smell it on your face); and Head & Shoulders Royal Oils Moisture Boost Shampoo and Moisture Renewal Conditioner (I really feel like Head & Shoulders has upped their game from just dandruff shampoo – I’ve liked every new formula they’ve put out). I like the October box more than the November one.
October’s “His” box was themed “Moving & Grooming” and included Suave Mens 3-in-1 Citrus Rush Shampoo + Conditioner and Body Wash; The Art of Shaving Unscented Pre-Shave Oil, Shaving Cream & After-Shaving Balm; Bandito Chill a Minute…or 30 Cream Mask (chance of my husband trying this are slim); Crest Gum and Sensitivity All Day Protection Toothpaste (I’ll be stealing this for myself to try); Dove Men+Care Active Fresh On the Go Deodorant Wipes; and Head & Shoulders Old Spice 2-in-1 Shampoo.
Each box was $7, free shipping, plus 5% off with my Target Red Card. Of course, the coupons in the October boxes have already expired, but I should be able to use the November $3 off coupon – it is regular old coupon again!
Blue in the Dark
This polish TOTALLY DOES glow under a blacklight!
Yes, I realize this is the third of the “Wicked Neons” that I’ve tried and previously have been unable to confirm it’s blacklight qualities…until my husband reminded me that his old blacklight is in our daughter’s room. I honestly had no idea! I ran in there that night and confirmed that yes – it does glow, and quite brightly!
This fascinating bright blue polish is Sinful Colors “Blue in the Dark”. This is two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. I feel like I am amassing quite a collection of bright blue nail polishes. I predict that I will buy even more.
The Lolita Por Vida Palette
Ohhhh…Kat Von D‘s newest palette might be my favorite ever. it launched in early October, but I knew that my 20% off was coming, so I held off on ordering it. Say hello to “Lolita Por Vida” ($49.50).
I’ve used this palette every day for the past week and I am in LOVE with it. I’ve sampled all but 3-4 of the shades and they are all supremely blendable. The absolute best shade is that rose gold glitter, “reina”. It gave me full coverage in one swipe, with NO PRIMER. The fallout was minimal and it stayed all day. The one downside is getting the glitter off – it’s nearly impossible. I used liquid soap, a makeup eraser, but finally had the best luck with micellar water on a cotton pad.
I also picked up a Lock-It Powder Foundation Refill in “Fair 120”, since I hit pan on my current one. The refills are just $23, compared to $36 for the full compact – that’s a great deal. More makeup brands should do this!
So…I’ve been feeling a bit weird about continuing to buy Kat Von D’s makeup – I’ve been feeling uncomfortable about her anti-vaxx statements and other recent missteps. But then when I think about it, are there any celebrities who are not batshit insane? And are there any beauty influencers that are not batshit insane and/or soulless shills? I guess I am erring on the side of assuming positive intent – maybe Kat is just ignorant of the science behind vaccines and NOT blatantly disregarding the health of her child?
I actually got both of the samples that I chose: Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet and philosophy Amazing Grace.
$485 to Rouge status…I’d also used my code for Xmas shopping, but I don’t think I’ll be getting to Rouge for next year.