Speak Out
I’ve never seen Erin Brockovich, but I think she wore a red sparkly bra? I guess that is how this polish is inspired by the film, Erin Brockovich?
DRK Nails “Speak Out”, from February’s “Cute but Deadly” PPU, might be my new favorite red sparkly nail polish. I even took it with me to my last pedicure!
This is two coats of “Speak Out”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
Polish Pickup February 2026 – Cute but Deadly
I managed to miss January’s Polish Pickup “Y2K Comeback”, so I felt compelled to make up for it in February…there were lots of cute (but deadly) polishes to choose from.
I only ordered six polishes, so I was surprised to find a 7th polish in my package. It was another bottle of Phoenix “Succulents”, labelled ‘Batch 2’. This bottle is suspiciously pinker, so I’m guessing the pink was missing from the first batch? Amazing customer service!
Envy Lacquer “Are they made with real Girl Scouts?” ($13) is inspired by the Wednesday Addams’ quote. How could I resist?
Glisten & Glow “Mischief, Mayhem & Soap” ($14) is a magnetic polish inspired by Brad Pitt in Fight Club.
DRK Nails “Speak Out” ($13.60) is inspired by Erin Brockovich. I’ve never seem it, but this is a sexy polish.
Baroness X “Leprechaun” ($13.50) is inspired by the cute AND deadly Leprechaun…they must not mean the one from the films, because he is not exactly cute.
Jior Couture “Quirky Quokka” ($15) is inspired by the quokka’s penchant for throwing their offspring at predators to make a quick escape.
BCB Lacquers “Set Your Heart Ablaze!” ($13.75) is a solar polish inspired by Mitsuri Kanroji from the show Demon Slayer – my niece dressed up as her for Halloween one year!
Lots of polishes to try…I need to get back to painting my nails twice A WEEK instead of once…
Succulents
I was taking my contacts out and I was SHOCKED to find that this polish is the exact same color as my eyes – greyish green. I remember fighting with my mom in high school when I was filling out my initial driver’s license application. She was adamant that my eyes were blue and I argued that they were green. As a child, my eyes WERE blue – but by the time I was 15, they had turned green. She “compromised” that my eyes are might be grey…but I put green on my application.
Anyway…this is Phoenix “Succulents” from last December’s Maker’s Choice. It’s a greyish green magnetic polish, with a hint of pink. I could have swore there was more pink to it, but it’s very faint. Regardless, it’s a gorgeous polish.
This is two coats of “Succulents” , magnetized with a neodymium magnet, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
Kristjana
Look what I found! A 10 year old Julep polish that I haven’t tried yet!
Julep It Girl “Kristjana” is described as a sweet plum holographic and it’s still as good as the day it was bottled. It’s a bit sheer in one coat, but two coats was perfect. I’ll admit – the sheer formula didn’t hold up very well. I only wore it a few days before I had edge wear on every single finger.
This is two coats of “Kristjana” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
Trapped in Time
Life…uh…finds a way.
Colores de Carol “Trapped in Time” is inspired by a mosquito trapped in amber – you know, from Jurassic Park. It’s my last pick from August’s “Time Travel” Polish Pickup and I should have tried it first – it’s so gorgeous and multi-dimensional. It’s a strong magnetic polish, which heightens the depth of the polish so that it looks like there just might be something stuck in it. I feel like I have ant nail stickers somewhere…wouldn’t that be hilarious? Or I guess I could just go outside and find a real mosquito…ew.
One caveat – this polish stained my nails something fierce. No sheer polishes for me any time soon.
This is two coats of “Trapped in Time” , magnetized with a neodymium magnet, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
Mystery Gift Card Ulta Haul
Never look a gift (card) horse in the mouth!
I am not going to ask any questions as to why my employer sent me a duplicate of the $100 Ulta gift card that I got in December – I just spent on things I didn’t want to spend my own money on…
Peach Slices Scar Remedy Silicone Sheets ($19.99) had been chilling in my cart since January. I had a cyst on my arm removed and I would like to avoid scarring. Guess what – these damn things won’t stay on my skin, so I have no idea if they actually work. Dammit.
My big splurge was the Urban Decay Cosmetics Naked Shaped Multi-Tasking Eyeshadow Palette Warm ($56). I am fortunate to have a (mostly) neutral skintone, so this palette works for me – although not as well as the Cool one I got a few months ago. It’s giving Naked 3 vibes.
Clinique was 30% off, so I picked up a spare Clinique High Impact Volumizing Mascara in “Black Honey” ($18.90, down from $27).
Something new from Sol de Janeiro: Cheirosa 68 Jelly Perfume Balm ($26). It’s like perfume chapstick? I haven’t decided if I like the way it feels on my skin…
Lots of freebies with this order! There was a Diamond Exclusive gift with $50 purchase – it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Moisturizer – good stuff. I also got a Peach Slices Snail Rescue All-In-One Oil Free Moisturizer with $10 purchase.
Inside the free 8 piece Skin Sampler with my $70 purchase: Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Elasti-Cream (to match my Jelly Perfume Balm!); Cocokind Electrolyte Water Cream; First Aid Beauty Ultra Gentle Cream-to-Foam Face Cleanser; Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser; Versed Cleansing Balm; Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Magic Water Cream; e.l.f. Cosmetics Thirst Burst Drops (I am using a sample of this now – good stuff); erborian Skin Hero; and Vacation Crystal SPF 50 Face Gel. I think I’ll use every single one, except the cleansing balm.
Inside the free 7 piece skin care sampler with $95 purchase: Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner; Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Serum; mixsoon Bifida Ferment Essence; Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Ampule (what IS this?); Peter Thomas Roth Peptide Skinjection (wasn’t this fool in the Epstein Files?); DIME Hyaluronic Acid Serum; and Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream. A higher end bag of samples – but I’m less likely to use these.
$1,027 to Diamond in 2027.
Rift
Say what you want about crackle polish – it’s the one early 00s trend that I just cannot give up.
I only grabbed one of the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri x Stranger Things polishes – “Rift” which is supposed to be the red one. I was expecting a red crackle, but I should have done more research before I started. According to the internet, it’s a ‘crackle jelly’ – meaning that the color is left under the crackle. Since I used a pink polish as my base, it’s hard to tell that this polish is slightly redder than the base polish alone. I’ll have to give it another try over a white or gray polish to get the full effect.
This is two coats of Dreamland Lacquer “Pink Pajama Party” and one coat of “Rift” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
February 2025 Ipsy Ultimate – Spring Collection
No curator for this quarter’s Ipsy Ultimate. I’m not even mad though – I usually have to Google who they are these days.
My favorite product choice this month was Fable & Mane SahaScalp Wild Ginger Purifying Scrub ($36). With the psoriasis flare I had a few months ago, my scalp is still recovering. Of course, my first stop was a new dermatologist to get a topical steroid to get it under control…but this scrub has really helped knock the mummy dust off of my scalp. I might actually purchase this when I run out.
My other two product choices were meh – not a lot of good products to choose from this month. I picked Tatcha Camellia Gold Spun Moisturizing Lip Balm ($32), which is like the Goldschlager of lip balms, and NARS Cosmetics Quad Eyeshadow Palette in “Kuala Lumpur” ($55), which is almost too pink for me. I’ve only used it once and I don’t foresee reaching for it often. I was hoping for more of a NARS Orgasm pink.
The products I did not get to pick were pretty good. I got Kevyn Aucoin Indecent Mascara in “Black” ($32 – one of the best mascaras I’ve tried – no clumps!); Rodial Collagen Drops ($95 – I’ve been using this on my face at night and I can definitely tell a difference in some of my deep wrinkles); Il Makiage Shade Addict High Impact Eye Color Palette ($68 and a much better match for my skintone than the NARS palette); Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Wand Duo in “Pillow Talk” + “Pinkgasm” ($84 and gifted to my big sis with a bunch of other Tilbury samples); and Dr. Brandt Skincare Glycolic Skin Renewal Mask ($52 – haven’t tried it yet).
$454 in this quarter’s box – I’m very pleased with my choices.
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.
Vintage
It’s giving BAJA BLAST!
I don’t buy many mainstream polishes these days…but when I do, they’re on clearance at Ulta.
Orly “Vintage” is a lovely neon teal, but it leans a bit green on me – almost like a mint green? On the screen, it leans more blue and I was assuming that it would be a closer match to my living room paint…but alas, that green gives me more of a Baja Blast type color. That’s fine, I love Baja Blast. The formula was very smooth and only the slightest bit of streakiness, which is hard to avoid in creme polishes.
This is two coats of “Vintage” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
TGIF
…and another one from Sherry the GOAT…Canmake Tokyo “TGIF”. This polish even matches my car! In person, the polish has a bit of a purple glint, but the camera doesn’t want to see it.
This is two coats of “TGIF” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.