Haul

Manicure Monday – 3/25/19 – Craving Some Color Haul

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Craving Some Color HaulCraving Some Color Haul

For a while I’ve been in neutral. My manicures, anyway. And I love them. They are chic, effortless, professional, and pretty. They’re still what I reach for the most because they just feel right to me. They’re low-effort but high-polish. My toes were unwaveringly in shades of red since June. I love red, period.

It was winter. It was dreary. On a lark, I did a pedicure at the beginning of January with Nina Ultra Pro Caribbean Blue. For fun. For a shred of liveliness in January. I didn’t intend a matching manicure, but as I executed the pedi I was so thrilled with how it came out that I had to do my nails that way too (using Sensationail Polish to Gel because I can’t be bothered with RnP on my fingers these days). I used to wear a ton of color, used to have a gigantic polish collection that I gradually started to pare back when I started using gel polish.

Inspiration

The two weeks I wore that magnificent blue pearl made me realize I missed having some color in my life. Or at least on my toes and very occasionally (I still try to pretend to be quasi-professional most of the time) my nails. I spent more time than I care to admit (cough, hours and hours) looking at and fawning over swatches. I ultimately purchased five bottles of (regular formula, gasp) polish; I’m calling it my Craving Some Color Haul:

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Recent Repurchases

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This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift and some 2018 updates! Enjoy.

When it comes to finding products that really work for you, you tend to sift through a lot of BS:

  • overpromising, underdelivering products;
  • overhyped (by the community) products;
  • or things that just, through by no fault of anyone, don’t work for you.

Trying new things can be fun, too, but when you find products that REALLY work for you, you tend to cling to them. I do, anyway. Here are my recent repurchases.

Recent Repurchases
Recent Repurchases
1. Eucerin Daily Replenishing Body Lotion, $10 / 2. Urban Decay All Nighter, $30 or $39 for 2
3. L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black Mascara, $8 / 4.  Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil, $16

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The Haul-idays / No Buy / State of Things

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No Buy

Haul

Since the sale I bought C Firma during, I allowed myself to spend a little more on beauty-related products during the holidays.

In addition to the MiroPure Straightening brush, I bought:

  • Another hair tool to try. There’s no universe in which I would have dropped money (>$125!) on a Beachwaver but I got the InstaWave for $25.
  • A few more Gelaze colors to play with. I hadn’t purchased any gel polish in nearly a year!
  • Some extra Clarisonic brush heads. There was a Cyber Monday sale – got two Radiance heads for $24. Not as excellent as my usual purchase of 4 for $64 (4 pack for $81 + 20% off).
  • A new (to me, not new release) Real Techniques brush. I didn’t really have anything to use on my whole, finished face to blend any edges that I missed, and for $4 on sale I figured it was fair.

Holiday Stuff

In all, I found myself yet again underwhelmed by the holiday offerings put out by most brands. It does look like Fenty Beauty rose to the occasion (still haven’t tried anything from Fenty, though), but everything else fell flat to me. Even Urban Decay who, in spite of my occasional criticism, I generally enjoy, swung and missed (me).

The only thing I found myself tempted by were the new Heavy Metal glitter liner shades – but given that I have few opportunities to even wear the one I own (Midnight Cowboy), I refrained from adding more to my collection. Glitter eyeliner, after all, is not appropriate for work.

State of Things

Now for some general, “state of things,” updates on things I’ve talked about but not super-recently.

No Buy

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The Sickness; Sephora and Ulta Haul Chatter

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I seem to have a reasonably solid immune system and tend to only be taken down by the sick once or twice a year. Alas, this past week was one of those times. There’s been a lot of hot tea and chicken soup in this house in the last two weeks There wasn’t a whole lot (read: none) in the way of writing in the last week-and-a-half. The time I didn’t spend down and out (and re-watching Cowboy Bebop for the umpteenth time) I spent at work because I have a problem am a sucker didn’t want to leave things unfinished before my vacation (all are true).

Before The Sickness struck, though, I managed to get through my Ulta and Sephora purchases without going overboard.

Sephora Haul

Sephora still had Drunk Elephant’s Come C about Me set in stock, so I went for it. I haven’t gotten into any of the product yet; tragically the skin near my nose has been more reptilian than human since I received it. I’m excited to check out B-Hydra to see about the hype.

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Back on a No Buy / March Haul

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no buy

I’ve accomplished and purchased the things I wanted to do and more without going overboard. My rules are a little different this time, though, based on what I reasonably expect to need to restock.

The Rules

No…

  • Makeup, brushes, storage, or tools
  • Hair products or tools
  • Nail products or tools
  • Fragrance purchases
  • Skincare
  • Beauty services (hair, nails, brows)

E-mail won’t be auto-deleted, but I won’t go browsing just for mindless amusement.

Exceptions to the No Buy

  • If MUJI drawers go on sale for $10 again, I’m going for it.
  • If I break a jaw clip (lazy hair days), I will replace it.
  • Obviously if I run out of my facial cleanser, I will repurchase. To me, this is more of a hygiene non-negotiable; plus, my cleanser is drugstore.

My March Haul

  • Replacement Gimme Brow.
  • Essence Make Me Brow – a <$5 alternative to Gimme Brow…for science.
  • Sally Beauty’s GVP version of Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo. I’m almost out of my Blond Brilliance purple conditioner, and I read shampoo is better-suited to this task.
  • Tarte’s Airbuki brush to use with my Amazonian Clay powder foundation (reviews on both coming soon) during Macy’s VIP Sale, man. Got it cheap!
  • Tarte Shape Tape Concealer.
  • Radiance brush heads for my Clarisonic…also 20% off at Ulta.

I’m Stocked Up On…

  • Concealer. I have concealer FOR. DAYS. Between my drugstore holy grail, MAC Pro Longwear, NARS Radiant Creamy, and now Tarte Shape Tape…yeah. I’m good. I probably need to extend a concealer No Buy past the duration of this one.
  • Missha Perfect Cover – when I realized I liked it, I bought a backup tube, so I have enough to last me quite a while. Even a shade that I can mix when I start self tanning/accidentally get natural color in spite of my sunscreen.
  • Mascara is good, too – I just opened a new L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black, and I have an unopened one.
  • Brow products.

Are you considering a no buy soon?

May 2016 Haul

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Alright, I was supposed to be on a No Buy through June. I screwed that up. But we all benefit!

I wound up getting a promotional thing from eBates – on top of that day’s 8% cash back from Macy’s, there was a $25 back on $100 spent on Cosmetics. That’s easy. Responsible? Questionable, but I decided to treat myself because these last several months have kicked. My. Ass. Then, I had a gift card to get my brows waxed at Ulta (another great experience with Benefit) and had some extra, so I got something silly and gimmicky for fun. Here’s what’s new from my May 2016 Haul:

May 2016 HaulMay 2016 Haul

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