Tag Archives: Estée Lauder

Empties Roundup: February 2017

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Hey reader! Welcome to the Empties Roundup for February 2017! Somehow, the shortest month of the year has been the most epic month for empties. Keep reading to see what I used up!

Toni & Guy Matt Texture Dry Shampoo

This is my second Toni & Guy dry shampoo, but I think I preferred the Cleanse dry-sham to the Matt Texture. Either way, I’m still scoping out a replacement; I tried the brunette Bumble and bumble dry-sham when I was at Sephora last, and I might give that one a go.

Curology Protective Lip Balm SPF 30

This was a leftover from when I was a Curology subscriber. The balm was really smooth and creamy and lasted a pretty long time, even overnight if I applied it just before bed. I forgot to photograph the inside of the tube to show its emptiness, but believe me, I dug out every last bit of it. I replaced it with Sun Bum’s banana lip balm. It’s not as good, even if it does smell like banana Laffy Taffy.

NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray

This stuff wasn’t bad, I guess. I didn’t notice any added makeup longevity when I used it, but it didn’t make things worse, so there’s that. I did buy a bottle of Urban Decay’s All Nighter to replace it, but I’m not entirely convinced I need a setting spray at all. Maybe in the summer.

Valentia Night Revive Retinol Serum

I’m a little sad to see this stuff go. It was a pretty gentle serum and I did see some softening of fine lines and a brighter complexion when I used it regularly. For now though, I want to try some other retinol serums and see if this is one I’ll come back to; I really want to try one from The Ordinary.

CeraVe PM Moisturizing Lotion

I feel like I had this thing forever. I probably will buy this again, but not for a while yet, since I’ve got so many other ones I want to work through first. Currently I’m working with Skinfood’s Cucumber and Lettuce Watery Emulsion, Shiseido’s Benefiance Nutriperfect Night Cream, and Valentia’s Pure Glow lotion. I think the latter breaks me out, but I’m trying it again to make sure it wasn’t hormonally-related.

Boots Botanics All Bright Radiance Concentrate Serum

I liked this stuff, too. My Target recently stopped selling Boots Botanics — Soap and Glory is in its old shelf space — so I don’t know if I’ll ever get another chance with this stuff, but I did enjoy it.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum

This particular bottle was from a GWP set, but I have a full-size bottle of it waiting for me after I finish up some other samples. I’m working on a sample bottle of Lancôme ‘s Advanced Genifique serum, and Philosophy’s When Hope is Not Enough after that.

LUSH Aqua Marina cleanser sample

Confession: this sample was like two years old. I got it when I was visiting Philadelphia. Should I have thrown it out? Absolutely. I didn’t notice any ill effects after using it up at least. I might consider a repurchase of this, or at least another sample. Clay cleansers are nice sometimes.

A’Pieu NonCo Tea Tree Spot Patches

I didn’t know what to expect from these, but I liked them. I wore them to bed whenever I noticed a pimple coming up, and in the morning, they’d be dried up. Amazing! I just wish they put more than twelve or so in the pack. Occasionally I had some fall off, but that happens.

TonyMoly Whitening Capsule Essence

I liked this. It was a clear gel that absorbed quickly and moisturized. I only had ten packets, so I probably didn’t see the intended results in the time I had with it, but I’d like to give a full-size product a shot.

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Hand Soap, Geranium

I know hand soaps aren’t beauty products in the traditional sense, but I’ve found it difficult to get a good hand soap that doesn’t irritate my hands. This is important, regardless of whether or not you’re a nail blogger. I’ll never buy another hand soap.

Proclaim Coconut and Macadamia Nut Oil Hand Lotion

This stuff was pretty nice, and the tube was only a dollar from Sally Beauty Supply. It was moisturizing and the effects lasted a good long time, but I did find myself reapplying pretty often.

Dream Polish Gem Glam scented top coat

I won this in a giveaway! Thanks again to Kristi from BeginNails, because I loved this stuff and I hope to purchase my own full-size bottle eventually. The scent was fantastic and long-lasting, even after dish washing. I know it doesn’t look empty, but I cannot get that last bit out, so I’m calling it.

Seche Base ridge-filling top coat

This I didn’t love so much. I bought it by accident; I totally thought it was clear, since it was in a box with a white background. It was pretty white, streaky, and often interfered with jellies and other sheer polishes. I liked Seche Clear so I’ll probably go back to that, but right now I’m using Dream Polish’s Smooth Gem, another giveaway win from Kristi!

L’Occitane en Provence Extra-Gentle Milk Soap

So I got this from a thrift store. It’s pretty lovely stuff. I swore my loyalty to Mrs. Meyer’s a few photos ago, but I kind of lied, because I’d totally buy this soap again. I did have another bar so I was able to replace it quickly, but I may have to pay retail for one when the time comes.

Noni Papaya Pineapple Body Wash

This is from a hotel in Hawaii! You’ll notice I didn’t cut it open; it’s clear and I can see there isn’t much left in it anyway. It was nice stuff, but I’ve got other hotel minis to work though, lots of which are also from Hawaii.

Lancôme Nutrix Royal Body Creme

Another GWP product! This stuff was perfect for winter skin; it was rich and thick and lovely. I’ll definitely keep it in mind for when winter rolls around next year.

NSPA by Nirvana Spa Exotically Cream Coconut Shower Scrub

This wasn’t half-bad. It’s not the kind of scrub I usually buy; I go for the oily sugar ones. This one was very well scented, foamed easily, and wasn’t too harsh or abrasive.

The Indigenous Soap Company Tea Tree Patchouli soap bar

This was some good soap and I’m a little sad it’s gone. The fragrance was strong and earthy and the bar had poppy seeds in it for gentle exfoliation. It was very nice. Even my boyfriend liked it, and he doesn’t like anything.

Miscellaneous

Who loves samples? I do! Here are some quick notes. The Skinfood apple mask was very hydrating. The Missha BB cream was too dark for me, but I liked the coverage. The Kate Somerville sensitive skin cream was amazing; I had a cold and lost the skin between my lip and nose for a while, and had to limit myself to products that wouldn’t irritate the raw skin. That one was gentle and didn’t burn at all. I loved it. The Julep Rock Star cream was actually an empty from last month that I forgot; it’s still a winner. The Koh Gen Do gommage gel was pretty nice; I’d never used a gommage gel and I was really impressed with the results. I’d like to try it again. The COSRX BHA liquid was amazing and I’m totally getting a full-size bottle. The Origins masks were also lovely; I bought a full-size of Drink Up Intensive the last time I was at Sephora.

Sheet Masks

My favorite of these was the Snail mask. It dried up some acne that was coming up, and that was really impressive. The Creme Shop mask was really wet and I was patting the essence in for like an hour after; I see this as a plus. The Skinfood mask felt really nice and I did see some brightness after I took it off. The Welcos Jeju mask didn’t leave me feeling oily in the morning like some masks do.

And finally, there you have it, the February 2017 empties roundup. If you’ve read this far down, thank you so much for reading all this. Did you finish up anything good? Have you tried any of these products? Let me know!

I bought these products myself.
Except for the one I won in a giveaway.
And except for the Valentia serum, that was previously a press sample.

Empties Roundup: January 2017

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Hey reader! It’s the first Empties Roundup of the year! This was an exceptionally good month for used-up products, and I’m irrationally excited. Let’s take a look! I know you want to see all these cut-up tubes.

Carol’s Daughter Sacred Tiare Restoring Hair Mask

I loved this stuff. It was very rich and really did lovely things for my dry, damaged, all-over-the-place hair. The gardenia fragrance was very strong also, which was probably my favorite thing about it. I’ve replaced it with the It’s a 10 deep conditioner, which I don’t like quite as much.

Organix Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo

I’d heard good things about Organix’s keratin stuff, and I like their stuff in general, so I gave this a shot when I started straightening my hair. The plan was to just keep using my beachy wave shampoo until it was gone, but I’m glad I didn’t wait. My hair was a lot smoother after straightening with this shampoo compared to the beachy wave stuff. I might repurchase, but I also might move to that L’Oreal sulfate-free stuff everyone is talking about.

Formula 10.0.6 Best Face Forward Foaming Cleanser, mini size

I’d never heard of this brand before, but when I was vacation shopping last year, I found this in a travel set in Old Navy; it came with this cleanser, a small bottle of toner, some cleansing wipes, and a small tube of mud mask, all in a TSA-sized bag. I’d used most of this while I was travelling, and only recently pulled it out to finish it up. I liked it; it foamed, but didn’t make my face feel too dry after. I’d consider rebuying.

Evian Brumisateur Facial Spray

This marks the first time I’ve ever used up a press sample. I’m a little sad it didn’t last me until the summer, when I would like to use it for basic refreshment. In its last days, this spray served as a skincare refresher; I sprayed it on my skin when my skin felt dry, reviving my moisturizer a little. I may repurchase, but I’m also looking into other facial mists, so we’ll see.

Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Foam Cleanser, mini size

This was another one that was in my travel bag that I just needed to finish up; in this case, the cap broke and the product was going to dry out if I didn’t. I like these really dense and foamy cleansers, but this one felt harsh and stripped my skin. No thanks.

LaRoche-Posay Anthelios 60, sample size

I was about to throw this away because I’d had it for a while and thought it was expired. When I saw it expired in February, I knew I had to use it up. I’m actually really impressed by it. I have bad sunscreen habits because every sunscreen I’ve used before now is a white, goopy mess, but this one was different. This one was light, had a pleasant smell, and absorbed into my moisturizer very quickly. I may purchase a full size.

GlamGlow ThirstyCleanse Daily Hydrating Cleanser, mini size

I got this in an ipsy bag, and I kept it in my travel bag until I ran out of cleanser in the shower and had to dig it out. I’ve heard so many mixed reviews of GlamGlow products that I didn’t have high expectations for this, but it wasn’t too bad. My skin felt clean but not dry after, which I liked. The tube, though, says it foams, which I did not find to be the case. I wouldn’t mind another one of these tubes, but I don’t know if I’ll actually buy one.

Sheet Masks: Utena Puresa CoQ10 Mask and The Creme Shop Drink Up Skin Hyaluronic Acid Mask

So it’s not a secret that I went on a huge sheet mask binge recently. It’s time to use some up! The CoQ10 mask was one I already had, and the penguin mask is new. Before I would just rotate all the different masks I had so I used a different one every week, but now I’m trying to listen to my face and give it what it wants. Also, I found out what I look like as a cartoon penguin. Verdict: frightening.

Skinfood Pore Control Fresh Apple Essence

These are from my Roseroseshop haul. Even though they’re packets, I’m reviewing them as a single entity. I liked this stuff; it had a nice scent and made my skin feel moisturized and balanced after application. I feel like it did help with my skin’s oil production a bit, since I notice a lot more oil since I’ve run out. I think I will purchase this in a full size in the future, but not this time; I’ve replaced it with the 3W Clinic’s placenta essence.

Miscellaneous Packets

More stuff from the haul! I only have quick notes about these. The Origins Drink Up Intensive mask was really nice to use; you have the choice of washing it off or wearing it overnight, and I chose the latter. It was still moist and sticky when I woke up, though I had some trouble sleeping with it on; I was afraid to roll over and soil my pillowcase with it. The Skinfood watermelon mask pack was awesome; it was strongly scented of watermelon, and made my skin feel soothed and refreshed. The Skinfood aloe sunscreen was also very nice; it was a lightweight sunscreen like the LaRoche-Posay. I’ve only used this packet, but I look forward to trying the others.

Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Hand Cream

This was good stuff. It was a lightweight lotion that absorbed quickly into skin and had a very nice fragrance. I don’t feel like it lasted very long though, because I was constantly reapplying. I replaced with Proclaim’s Coconut and Macadamia Oil hand lotion, though this is almost gone as well.

Trader Jacques Savon de France, Oatmeal Exfoliant Ginger Almond

So Trader Joe’s is still a bit of a novelty here; there’s one store across town. Boyfriend bought this for me on one of his solo trips there. It was a pretty nice soap actually. It was creamy, it foamed well, and lasted a pretty long time. It contained big pieces of oatmeal, which probably isn’t effective as an exfoliant, but I liked it anyway. I’ve replaced it with a tea tree patchouli soap I bought in Hawaii.

SheaMoisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Energizing Hand & Body Scrub

You know I love these scrubs. This was pretty typical of the SheaMoisture sugar scrub; it’s abrasive (but feels good) and leaves an oily sheen on my skin. I will always repurchase these.

JĀSÖN Gentle Basics Day Lotion

I bought this because it was on sale at Target. The lotion consistency was on the thin side and took a longer time than usual to work into the skin, but I did feel moisturized throughout the day. I’m not sure I’ll repurchase this, but it wasn’t bad.

NSpa by Nirvana Spa Exotically Creamy Coconut Body Mist

I have compeletely gotten out of the habit of using body spray. I used to be an addict like ten years ago, but I’d always forget about it and it was the last thing I used up in a Bath & Body Works buy — the lotion and shower gel would be gone long before — so I stopped buying it. I got this in a set as a gift; the shower gel is in my shower now, and the spray, when I remembered to use it, didn’t last as long as I thought it would.

Grand Hyatt Kauai Anara Spa Cocomango Massage Bar

This is the nicest hotel soap I’ve ever used. It had some dried leaves in it that exfoliated, and had those round nubbies on one side that feel really good when you wash with the bar itself. Those wore down pretty quickly, but the soap quality was very good, the scent was strong, and my only regret is that the hotel did not have more I could have stolen.

That’s the roundup for January! Be sure to tell me in the comments what you used up and if you’ve tried any of the products I emptied out. This was a good month for me and empties, I think next month will be good too!

I bought these products myself, except for the ones that were free samples.
And except the Evian facial spray. That was sent for a review unrelated to this post.
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Skincare Haul: TJ Maxx

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I hear you already, reader. Another haul? Yeah, I’m a full-blown skincare addict now. Someone told me they sold a lot of Asian skincare stuff there, so I went to have a look. I was actually really impressed with their selection; I found a lot of high-end stuff as well. Also, for the first time, I did not even look at nail polish. I have traded one addiction for another. I’m scared for my wallet.

The best deals I got were easily the high-end products. I didn’t really even want some of this stuff, but the discounts were so steep I couldn’t pass it up, like this Estée Lauder serum; I have a sample of this I haven’t even used yet, but check out that price tag. 29 dollars for a product that retails for $95? Of course I bought it. I bought the Shiseido stuff out of curiosity, but I do plan to use it eventually. I did open the night cream and I’ve used it a few times — it’s so rich and makes my skin feel amazing. I know it’s a skincare no-no to start using many new products at once, but I couldn’t help myself. Also, I’m afraid that I’ll like these products, I’ll begin to depend on them, and then I won’t be able to find it at a discount again and I’ll end up paying $95 for another jar of this cream. Luxuries become necessities eventually, after all.

The sheet mask getting was good. I’m stoked about the Jeju Natural masks, since I actually bought a bunch of individual ones in my second Roseroseshop order. I was so happy to see them at TJ Maxx that I bought both boxes. I don’t know much about the Celkin and Kwailnara masks, but the value was good, so I grabbed them. I think I’ve heard about The Creme Shop in passing, like that they’re fake-Korean, but I’m not bothered by that. I’m looking forward to finding out what I look like as a cartoon penguin.

I had no idea SheaMoisture had professional products, and that kind of excites me. I found this in the foodie section — likely because the box says “cocktail” — and couldn’t pass it up. I love the idea of mixing my own product, like I’m a hair scientist. This has to be fun.

Some things got left out. I found a Too Faced face palette and some of their Melted lipsticks; the lipsticks were six dollars each, and the palette was ten. They didn’t make it into the photos because I’d already put them in the vanity drawers.

I’m pleased with this haul. I spent more than I wanted to, but considering what I saved on the high-end stuff, it’s like I bought those retail and got sixty sheet masks for free.

I bought these products myself. I was not paid to mention TJ Maxx in this post.

Project Pan, Winter 2016: Neutrals and Brights

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Hello hello! It’s time to share with you the makeup products I plan to use during the Winter 2016 season! Last season, I played around with some extreme smoky eyes and bold lip colors; this season, I wanted to experiment with colorful eyes and neutral lips. I’m excited to try some new things! If you’re familiar with fall’s Project Pan, you know that this isn’t a true PP challenge; this is a way for me to spend some quality time with makeup products I’ve bought and have never really used. It’s like a makeup date. For the next twelve weeks, I’ll be using these products on my face exclusively until the beginning of the next challenge, when I get my summer makeup out in March.

I suppose I’ll start with things that carry over from the last challenge. I won’t mention too much about essential things like foundation and primer, but there is a bit of overlap.

Face
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

Honestly, I don’t think I’ve written a makeup post lately without talking about this primer. Yes, it’s a big player in this look.

NARS All Day Luminous Foundation in Siberia

When I ran out of MAC Studio Fix Fluid, I was torn over what to replace it with. Part of me wanted just to get another bottle, because it actually was a good fit for me. I’m a person who likes to try new things, though, so I decided to go for a different foundation. There’s a part of me what wishes I’d just stayed with the MAC, though. I like the NARS foundation enough, but the thin consistency is annoying sometimes, and it’s not as neutral as I thought it would be. I’ll keep using it, but I probably will return to Studio Fix Fluid once it’s gone.

MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer in NW15

Yep, this again! I probably shouldn’t bother to include it since I used it like all of twice last cycle, but I already had the photo, so here it is.

NYX Radiant Finishing Powder in Brighten (pictured above)

I have a love/hate relationship with this powder. I love how complete it is; not only does it set makeup beautifully, it also brightens, color-corrects, and illuminizes, like it’s many products in one. However, it doesn’t keep oil in check, and the luminizing feature ends up making me look even more shiny than I am. It’s perfect for cool weather, but a no-go in the summer. I’m trying to use it up.

MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NW10

This powder is the best! The full coverage basically renders my concealer obsolete. Using it over liquid foundation is probably overkill, but it’s really the best complement to medium-coverage foundation. In the fall and winter, I want all the coverage I can get, and this helps me get there.

Marc Jacobs Glowstick in Spotlight

Remember this? Since I’m using neutral colors for my lip and cheeks, I wanted a neutral highlighter, and this was the best one. When I reviewed this, I reported that it was super creamy and blendable, but that was over the summer. Now that tepmeratures are lower, the stick isn’t quite so creamy, and it’s not as easy to use and apply. It’s a little disappointing.

MAC Powder Blush in Taupe

During fall’s challenge, I only used this for contouring my nose, chin, and forehead. I’m also using it as a blush this time around because I wanted a neutral base look. In this capacity, it hovers somewhere between blush and contour, and I really like it.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel

Yes, this again. It’s still not dried out, so I’m gonna keep using it.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express for Brows and Eyes in Brunette

Yep, this too.

NYX Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray in Matte Finish

This stuff goes a long way to keep me from looking powdery and unnatural. It doesn’t keep me mattified, but it makes my makeup look dewy and fresh. The bottle is almost empty; I’m definitely going to repurchase.

MAC Fix+ Finishing Spray (pictured above)

Having two facial sprays is probably overkill, but I feel like there’s a place for them both. The NYX spray sets my foundation, but I still use a setting powder, just for safety. The Fix+ spray keeps that last dusting of powder from looking too powdery. Probably unnecessary, but I like it.

Eyes
MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly

Painterly is also making a return in this cycle. I’d rather be using an actual primer, since my lids are kind of oily and creamy products like this have never worked for me in the past, but I’m making it work.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean and Milk

Black Bean was a godsend last cycle for my ultrasmoky eye, so I’ll be using it for the same purpose this time around. I’ll also be using the Milk pencil for extra-white whites and extra-bright brights. These pencils make eyeshadow look the way it’s supposed to look.

Urban Decay Vice 3 Eyeshadow Palette

I’ve had this palette for a while, and I’ve never used it until now. I chose a colorful palette to go with this look that’s otherwise very neutral; I wanted eyes that really stand out. I’ll talk more about this, keep reading!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyed Pencil in Zero

For my eyeliner needs.

NYX Big and Loud Lash Primer (pictured below)

I talked at length last time about my love for lash primers, and I’m still very happy with this one.

Estée Lauder Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara

This is a sample I’ve had in the drawer for a while, and I’m finally using it! I don’t really care for it, to tell the truth; the formula is fine, but the brush is huge and I don’t like huge mascara wands. I find them difficult to work with.

Lips
MAC Prep + Prime Lip Primer

This is my favorite lip primer! It’s practically gone; in this photo, it’s twisted all the way up, and I’ve been using a lip brush to apply it. I can’t wait to buy another one!

Obsessive-Compulsive Cosmetics Cosmetic Colour Pencil in Anti-Feathered (not pictured)

My favorite clear lip liner! Sometimes I overdraw with this, or underdraw, because it’s invisible. Lately, I’ve found that the MAC lip primer is enough to keep my lip color on, so I’ll probably phase this out once it’s gone.

Obsessive-Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Sebastian

I forgot to shake it up.

When I started building this look, I started by choosing a lip color at random, and this is what I got, and it’s the part of this look I’m the most excited about. It’s a color I’ve never really worn before, a color I’ve never really seen on people. At first, I wasn’t too sure about it and nearly put it back. I put it on, though, and I loved the way it looks on me. Sure, it’s not a conventional color, but it’s strangely wearable while also quite unique. I am really enjoying it.

The Process

While looking at densely populated palettes like Vice 3, I’ve often wondered what would happen if I wore the colors as they’re placed. Sure, it’s not organized to be worn a certain way, but I’ve always wanted to try wearing shadows one line at a time to see what the colors would look like, and just to experiment with different combinations. That’s the idea behind the eye looks I’ll be doing with this palette. In my first week, I’ll be using Vanity, Lucky, Reign, and Bobby Dazzle together.

I used the Milk pencil on my lower lid with Painterly on the upper lid and brow bone. I then applied Bobby Dazzle all over my lid. Can you see the difference? It’s a stark white on my lid, but a gentle shimmer on my browbone. I worked Lucky and Reign into my crease, and used Lucky and Vanity on my lower lashline. Starting with this column of shadows made this one easy; I’m definitely looking to some of the others being a challenge.

Here’s the whole look! Everything on my face is mentioned in this post. I plan to do a different eye look each week to match my Manicure Monday look, and I’ll post the eyeshadow of the day on Instagram, so follow me there to stay up to date. I won’t do any update posts until the very end. I hope you’ll follow along with me!

The Marc Jacobs Glowstick was sent for review, which is linked here. This post is not related to that review, and my opinion is not swayed by free stuff.
Everything else I purchased myself.

Birthday Mani Digest 2016

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Welcome back, reader! As you know, I took a bit of time off these past couple weeks to celebrate my birthday. It was only supposed to be one, but the arrival of Hurricane Matthew led to everything being postponed. That madness is now over, and now I’d like to show you what my nails were up to during the downtime. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen most of these lovelies already. I promise I will not be mentioning my birthday again until next October.

Birthday Mani #1: Pink Frosting With Sprinkles
Essie’s Good Morning Hope with Lynnderella‘s Icing Glass Garland

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The first birthday mani was a fun warm-up with an untried Lynnderella topper. I had a lot of fun wearing this; Icing Glass Garland was a lot more interesting in real life, however. There is a lot of iridescence and color-changiness. It doesn’t look like much over Good Morning Hope, but it still made for a fun and dainty look.

Birthday Mani #2: Cupcakes
Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Eleanor, China Glaze’s White on White, LA Girl’s Black, Orly’s Water Lily, P2’s French Kiss, Ciate’s Pillow Fight

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I always do cupcakes to celebrate my birthday, and this year’s mani was actually done in the middle of the hurricane. Even though the hurricane was an unwelcome birthday event (thanks, universe), we still had a good time. A lot of our friends live in evacuation zones and came to stay with us when the call came to evacuate, so we still had a party and ate food and played board games. It was not the worst experience.

Birthday Mani #3: Hello Dalek
Digital Nails‘s Hello Dalek

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This was last week’s Manicure Monday post, but I’m including it for continuity. Monday was my actual birthday, and it was a ton of fun to wear a party on my nails as well. When your birthday is on the worst day of the week, you have to party any way you can.

Birthday Mani #4: Glitter Frosting
Digital Nails’s Pandorica, Model City Polish‘s Sheena is a Punk Rocker, Wacie Nail Company’s Your Daring Escape, Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Walk Through the Tulips
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This look includes the polish I made myself for my birthday! Your Daring Escape is a silvery-white holo with holographic glitter and pearl pink and metallic silver flakies. I wanted a holo-meets-glitter-gradient look, but as the sun never came out that day, a lot of the beauty got lost.

Birthday Mani #5: Stripey Blue Frosting
Literary Lacquers‘s Bluestocking Romance, Hard Candy’s Sky, China Glaze’s Mosaic Madness

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This was the mani I got the most compliments on for sure. I’d always wanted to do this moving stripes design, and this was the day I felt like dealing with the striping tape. It came out so much better than I expected it would, though I’m a little disappointed it smeared a little with the top coat. I’d totally do it again.

I also want to take this time to share some birthday manis of years past. I realized at some point that I’ve been doing the annual cupcake mani for five years now; the annual cupcake mani predates wacie.com, even. I love doing little retrospectives like this; if I’ve learned anything from this, it’s that my cupcake painting skills have gotten only marginally better.

2012
Colors Unknown, but probably all Sinful Colors

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Look at this. I almost don’t even want to share this, but we all have to start somewhere, right? I do remember waiting practically all day for the dots to dry, and they still smudged when I put the top down. Not only was this before wacie.com came to be, but I think it was also before the days of quick-dry top coat. Those dark, dark days.

2013
Sally Hansen’s Mint Sprint, OPI’s Eurso Euro, P2’s French Kiss, Sally Hansen’s Hard to Get, Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Floppy. Hoppy. BUNNIES!

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These look more like mashed potatoes than cupcakes. This was my first birthday post on the blog. Going back and reading the post, about it, I completely forgot all that stuff happened! I do remember doing this mani in Boyfriend’s tiny Atlanta living space, trying not to bother him and his roommate with nail polish smell. I got acetone on his desk and ruined the varnish. I still feel bad about that.

2014
Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Dawn Breaks and If You’re a Seascape, Indigo Bananas‘s Moonlight (Clair de Lune), P2’s French Kiss, American Apparel’s Neon Pink, Essie’s Fiji, Ciate’s Candy Floss

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That P2 polish finds its way into every birthday mani, doesn’t it? I loved this look a lot. I totally wore it to a fancy restaurant. Here’s the post!

2015
Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Ocean Warmed by the Sun, Digital Nails’s Purple Reign, Nails Inc.’s Pudding Lane, Hot Topic’s Light Blue, Estee Lauder’s Black Plum

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This is last year’s mani, and the mani that celebrates the big 3-0. This was also one of the last photos I took on my phone before Drunk Me left it on top of the car and broke the camera forever. Good times!

Again, a huge thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday; I cherish all of you! Thank you so much for tolerating all of the birthday posts.

Pretty sure I bought all these polishes myself.

Swatch Sunday: Estée Lauder’s Black Plum

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Swatch Sunday!! Today’s swatch is luxurious and glamorous. I feel like such a Fancy Nancy with this on. I’m wearing Estée Lauder’s Black Plum; this is three coats with one coat of Alter Ego‘s She Shines top coat.

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Black Plum is a deep blackened plum (surprise) with a subtle lilac shimmer. The shimmer didn’t translate well to the nail, but it looks gorgeous in the bottle. You can see it somewhat in the sunlight (photos below), but in the studio it’s basically invisible. However, this formula was a joy to work with. I had perfect opacity in two coats, and the consistency was on the thin side, but not to thin as to be watery. My favorite thing about this formula, though, is the high gloss it dries with. This is some wicked shiny nail polish. In fact, I think I dulled it when I put on my top coat. It looks like plastic leather sexiness when it dries. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

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This is my first Estée Lauder polish; in fact, I don’t have much experience with the brand at all, apart from some lipsticks and skincare minis from gifts with purchases. This polish was also in a gift with purchase, probably the only thing from it I’ve actually used. I’m really impressed with it. I’m disappointed the shimmer doesn’t capture well, but I love it anyway, so much so that there’s definitely a trip to the Estée Lauder counter in my future.

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Here are those sunlight photos. You can see the tiny lilac shimmer if you look really hard. Otherwise, it just presents as a rich plum creme. I’m totally fine with this.

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You can get this polish wherever Estée Lauder is sold. I get mine from Belk.

This polish was a gift with purchase. It was not sent for review or evaluation.