Polish Pickup April 2026 – Album Covers
Oh, I love a good album cover…do kids even care about album cover art these days? Even though the theme slapped, I showed some restraint…my untried are backed up all over the coffee table.
Alchemy Lacquers “Use Your Illusion” ($13) is magnetic polish inspired by Guns ‘N’ Roses ‘Use Your Illusion’, specifically by the color scheme of ‘Use Your Illusion II’. I have a hard time picking a favorite between I and II, but II does include ‘Estranged,’ which is one of my faves. Did you know that G’N’R was my very first concert?
Cuticula Limitless Top Coat “No Doubt, It’s Fruity” ($10) is inspired by…No Doubt probably?
Garden Path Lacquers “I No Longer Try to be Good” ($13.50) is a magnetic polish inspired by Florence + The Machine’s ‘Everybody Scream.’
As soon as I catch up, can I buy more?
Luck Dragon
Tyler’s Trinkets “Luck Dragon” is inspired by the one and only Falcor, the Luck Dragon from The Neverending Story. It’s from March’s “Sky Creatures” Polish Pickup.
This is my first polish from Tyler’s Trinkets and I am impressed with how flaky this flakie polish is – there are so many flakies that it could almost be a textured polish. I decided against using Glitter Grabber and was fortunate that the flakies stayed flat and didn’t start lifting. It was a BITCH to remove though.
This is two coats of “Luck Dragon”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Vampire Blood” and under Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber and Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
April 2026 Ipsy Bag – Dare to Daydream
Dare to daydream? I spend more time daydreaming than doing my actual job…shhhh…
My product choice this month was Tatcha The Dewy Milk Moisturizer and it was so good that I’ve already used it all up. The only thing that threw me was the bluish purpley shade – it reminded me of Ube or maybe even Bantha Milk?
The BelláPierre Cosmetics Purifying Milky Cleanser doesn’t seem to clean my face very well – I get makeup residue when I tone my face after using it. I gave the Memoire Archives “First Class” to my son’s girlfriend – it didn’t smell bad, it just did not smell like me. The Ruby Rose Cosmetics Lip Oil in “Watermelon” is quite nice. I haven’t tried the YSL Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara yet.
The bag itself is fine, I guess…nothing too exciting about it, except the pearl zipper pull..
I subscribe to the original ipsy bag for $14/month (recently increased from $13/month) and ipsy Ultimate (formerly Icon Box, and before that – Glam Bag X) for an extra $60/quarterly (recently increased from $43/quarterly). If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Mischief, Mayhem & Soap
Glisten & Glow “Mischief, Mayhem & Soap” is inspired by Brad Pitt in Fight Club and is from the “Cute but Deadly” Polish Pickup. I cannot argue that Brad Pitt is cute and deadly (then and I guess, now), but I’ve always been more of a Edward Norton girl, myself.
“Mischief, Mayhem & Soap” is a strong, STRONG magnetic polish. The picture does not do it justice – the pink just JUMPS out of the army green base. Every magnetic polish should be this amazing.
This is two coats of “Mischief, Mayhem & Soap” magnetized with a neodymium magnet, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
Green & Pink Aesthetic Ulta Haul
I didn’t plan it this way…but how come everything I ordered was matchy-matchy green and pink?
Yes, another restock on Vichy Dercos Selenium Sulfide Anti-Dandruff Shampoo and Hair + Scalp Moisturizing Conditioner ($19.99 each). I’m down to using once or twice a week, so this should last me a bit longer. Speaking of hair, scünci was half off, so I got Polybands for me (or my Barbies…$3.50) and Hosiery Elastics for Lily ($4).
I’m a sucker for Urban Decay AND lip stains, so I decided to try out their newest drop – Urban Decay Cosmetics Lip Toy pH Staining Lip Oil in “Jam Sesh” ($24). Unfortunately, I am underwhelmed by this product for the price. I mean, it looks nice…but the stain doesn’t last all day like the r.e.m. Beauty stains. I even got one of the high staining shades!
Good thing I bought two of my Ulta Beauty Ultra Slim Brow Pencils in “Dark Brown” ($11), because they jacked the price up to $12 in store – but they are still $11 online? Make it make sense. At least I got a free eight piece gift with my $21.50 purchase: Ultimate Lashes Mascara in “Brown”; Soft Blur Face Primer; Makeup Puff; Lip Stain deluxe sample; 5 Pan Eyeshadow Palette; Cosmetic Brush; and Matte Veil Eye Primer deluxe sample in a brilliant green Pouch.
Not only did I get a free Briogeo Avocado + Kiwi Hair Mask with my $50 purchse, but I also got an 8 piece skincare gift with my $90 purchase. Inside the skincare gift: Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Cream (I’ve been using this at night – not bad); Byoma Creamy Jelly Cleanser (I already used this one up – it’s squishy); Peach & Lily Miniprotein Exosome Bioactive Ampoule (What do all those words mean?); Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum; Beautybio The Zenbubble Oil-Free Calming Gel Cream (I LOVE the way this one feels on my skin at night); and Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturizer. I’ll try all of them…eventually.
I decided to be cheap this order and used a $5 off coupon, as well as $20.50 off in Ulta points. YOLO.
Just $828 until Diamond in 2027.
Flamboyance
Is it shocking that the flamingo polish wasn’t the first one I tried from the “Sky Creatures” Polish Pickup? I shock myself sometimes…
1422 Designs “Flamboyance” is indeed a flamingo-themed polish. A FLAMBOYANCE is a group of flamingos…what a perfect word for it! In addition to the chunky black glitter, there is also microfine rose gold glitter. I brought it with me to the nail salon last week for my toes, for a brief match with my nails.
This is two coats of “Flamboyance”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber and Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
Sky Fairy
Sassy Cats Lacquer “Sky Fairy” was my Easter polish – doesn’t it remind you of Easter grass? One time, my college cat, Bob, ate Easter grass and a long string of it was hanging out of her butt. We had to chase her around, trying to grab it…good times!
“Sky Fairy” is from March’s “Sky Creatures” Polish Pickup and is inspired by the luna month, my second favorite moth after the Death’s-head Moth. I’d moth me…I’d moth me HARD.
This is two coats of “Sky Fairy”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
Polish Pickup March 2026 – Sky Creatures
I went a bit overboard with March’s Polish Pickup….but how can I resist “Sky Creatures”?
1422 Designs “Flamboyance” ($13.50) is inspired by a flamboyance…which is a group of flamingos!
Arcana Lacquer “The Firemind” ($14.50) is a magnetic polish inspired by Niv Mizzet from Magic: The Gathering. (I haven’t played Magic in 30 years, but Google says it is a dragon wizard.)
Alchemy Lacquers “Here Be Dragons” ($13) is inspired by the dragons in the game, Stellaris.
Pahlish “Icarus” ($15) is a pricey magnetic polish inspired by the tale of the mortal that flew too close to the sun.
Haunted Polish “Odette” ($13.50) looks very similar to “Icarus”, but seems to be inspired by Swan Lake.
Sassy Cats Lacquer “Sky Fairy” ($13.50) is inspired by my second favorite moth, the luna moth.
Tyler’s Trinkets “Luck Dragon” ($13.50) is the third white-ish polish in the bunch, inspired by Falcor in The Neverending Story.
I’ll be having lots of fun with these polishes!
The Tea on the Manatee
Two Jior Couture polishes in a row? How did that happen?
Jior Couture “The Tea on the Manatee” is from way back – I originally picked it up from the July 2024 REWIND Polish Pickup, but it originally was featured in October 2021’s Monsters & Mythical Creatures Polish Pickup.
The ACTUAL tea on the manatee is that sailors used to mistake manatees for hot ladies with fish bodies…you know – MERMAIDS. I definitely could be mistaken for a manatee at a distance, so it makes total sense. Also…did you know that sea monster sightings were actually whale penises? It’s true – look it up!
I had been getting bored with thermal nail polishes, but this one reminded me why they’re so fun! It has a strong thermal effect AND is filled with flakies. I’m pulling this one back out in wintertime.
This is two coats of “The Tea on the Manatee”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
March 2026 Ipsy Bag – Do Less Glow More
March’s bag was a bit MEH. The only item I am obsessed with is the Mudmasky French Kiss Lip Butter in “Limoncello & Orange” – it smells SO GOOD.
I take that back – I also have been using my product choice as a night cream – LANEIGE Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Gel Moisturizer. It smells like luxury and I wake up with smooth SMOOTH skin.
Also in this month’s meh bag: Manna Kadar Cosmetics Pink Mirage Eyeshadow Palette; Mi-el Skincare Strawberry Kiss Sugar Body Scrub; and a Pear Nova Lid Focus Brush.
I subscribe to the original ipsy bag for $14/month (recently increased from $13/month) and ipsy Ultimate (formerly Icon Box, and before that – Glam Bag X) for an extra $60/quarterly (recently increased from $43/quarterly). If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.