Red Pumps
Do these red pumps look orange to you?
This is the final polish from my coworker, THE GOAT: Ducato “Red Pumps”. It’s just a nice little orangish red creme polish with just a hint of jelly. No streaks after the second coat and it wore well.
This is two coats of “Red Pumps”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Vampire Blood“.
May 2026 Ipsy Ultimate – Summer Collection
Ipsy is really pushing the Natasha Denona these days…I’m not even mad.
Two of my products choices were Natasha: Natasha Denona My Dream Eyeshadow Palette ($72) and Natasha Denona My Dream Cheek Trio ($48). Be careful with the eye palette – she is SUPER pigmented. I didn’t realize that the cheek trio was a single blush shade and two highlighters – with a cream texture, no less. Even so – I LOVE the blush shade. it applies wonderfully with my usual brush and it reminds me of NARS Orgasm. Definitely a keeper.
I haven’t had a chance to try my other product choice yet – Rare Beauty Find Comfort Bouncy Body Cream – Awaken Confidence ($36).
Most of the other products were really nice: YSL Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick ($43 – although I would never spend $43 on lip gloss, I can see why it’s so much – it’s great); BISHA Essential Setting Powder in “Tokyo Translucent” ($40 – perfect for when you don’t want full foundation, but don’t want to be shiny); Ciele The Blush Brush ($32 – haven’t tried it yet); and Dermalactives Resurfacing Honey and Charcoal Mask ($159 – fucking expensive, but it makes my skin butter smooth, so I get it).
The final product is an abomination of god: Makeup by Mario Ultra Suede Cozy Lip Creme in “Nude Suede” ($26). It was like putting concealer on my lips – totally unusable. This one is going in la basura.
Except for the abominable lip creme, this is a really nice box. The box value is $456, one of the higher combinations I’ve gotten.
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.
Trapped in Time with Blue
So…my first idea was to use REAL mosquitos on my nails…but I couldn’t figure out how to get dead mosquitos that weren’t squished flat on my arm.
I was going for a more detailed version of a mosquito trapped in amber, using Colores de Carol “Trapped in Time”. I don’t think anyone is out there making mosquito nail decals, so I dug through my stash of decals and I found a Julep Halloween set with skulls, snakes…and spiders! Turns out, there ARE spiders that drink human blood…indirectly from mosquitos. I think they turned out very nice – the silver was a nice contrast to the amber. I was even more impressed that the stickers stayed flat and didn’t lift up at all, seeing as they were from 2017!
I just happened to have Blue the Dinosaur laying around…don’t most autistic people own at least ONE dinosaur?
This is two coats of “Trapped in Time” magnetized with a neodymium magnet, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under the Julep Spiders, I used Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Vampire Blood“.
I’m in Charge
This is me, not remembering that I purchased magnetic nail polish four years ago, WAY before I became obsessed with magnetic nail polish…
I’ve always like metallic nail polish, but this gold in another level. It’s very smooth and not streaky at all. It worked well with my magnet, so I’m looking forward to trying the other polish in the set.
This is two coats of “I’m in Charge” magnetized with a neodymium magnet, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Vampire Blood“.
Use Your Illusion
How many times have I written here that Guns ‘N’ Roses was my very first concert? I was turning sixteen and I BEGGED my mom for tickets…so she brought me, my younger sister, and my best friend at the time, who…just a few short months later, would have sex with my first boyfriend and take his virginity. Yes, forty four years ago and I’m still salty – what about the girl code??? Uteruses before duderuses! Anyway, I am petty and she has 4 different baby daddies these days and we are NOT friends, frenemies or even acquaintances. Estranged, if you will…which is also one of the most underrated G’N’R songs off that album.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Alchemy Lacquers “Use Your Illusion” from April’s “Album Covers” Polish Pickup. It references the cover of ‘Use Your Illusion II’ flawlessly. I am really getting the hang of magnetic polishes – that’s pretty much all I wear these days.
This is two coats of “Use Your Illusion” magnetized with a neodymium magnet, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Vampire Blood“.
All is Vanity
‘All is Vanity’ by Charles Allan Gilbert is probably THE most famous optical illusion paintings ever created. Although there is no sailboat (or a schooner), it doesn’t take a genius to see the optical illusion.
Zombie Claw “All is Vanity” is inspired by the famous illusion. Although it is very Halloween-y, it’s actually from last October’s “Optical illusions” Polish Pickup. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the bottle, but it’s another flakie-tastic polish – flaming flakies in a sea of sheer violet. The sheer base made the polish shrink around the edges, but it wasn’t horrific.
This is two coats of “All is Vanity”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber and Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Vampire Blood“.
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 “Froot Loops” and under Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber and Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Vampire Blood“.
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“.