IPSY Review – March 2017

Have you heard of Ipsy?! It is a monthly beauty subscription service that allows you to try unique brands, use different products, and collect items items that you may not pick up on your own. For only $10 a month I’d say it’s quite the deal! You can join by clicking here if you’re interested.

Here is what I got in my most recent March bag…

Ofra Cosmetics – Peach Blush Talk about a dupe for Nars’ Orgasm!!! This blush has some serious gold reflection to it that is very flattering on the skin. On my skin tone specifcally I had some difficulty with the peach shade showing up, but I do think this will flatter lighter skin tones.

Air Repair Skincare – Complexion Boosting Moisturizer I am pretty picky with skincare and this passed the test. It is packed full of antioxidants and left my skin feeling perfectly moisturized. Can’t ask for much more than that!

Beau Gachis – Tapered Blending Brush This is my favorite item of the bag! Ipsy seriously reads my mind when it comes to brushes, because I’ve been on the lookout for a new blending brush. This baby is going to seriously come in handy. I love the curved tip and fluffy bristles… it makes blending a dream.

Tarte – Tartiest Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint While I love this brand, I’m not a huge liquid lipstick lover. However I did try this out and it was less drying than others I have tried in the past, with more of a velvet matte finish. The applicator is very precise and I think it will be a good shade to save for autumn.

ModelCo – Eye Define Crayon Liner This liner claims to glide on without tugging or dragging, which is the exact opposite experience I had with it. The product is very stiff and difficult to blend. I do like trying new black liners because, let’s face it, they are a staple in any makeup collection but this one just did not do it for me.

Physician’s Formula “Butter Bronzer”

Can we talk amazing bronzers for a second?!

This one tops the list. I knew this baby would be a hit when I picked it up and could smell the wonderful smells even through the packaging. Imagine your favorite tropical vacation wrapped up in a powder. I’m not kidding. Think warm summer day on the beach with your feet in the ocean dowsed in sunscreen sipping a blended drink… yup, that’s the one. To top it off the formula is so rich and buttery that it practically melts into your skin. It is also gluten free, oil free, paraben free, and cruelty free. Too bad the price isn’t also free, but at just over $10 you really can’t go wrong.

It does come in two shades at the moment. If you are very fair I would recommend the lighter one, though I do find the darker one isn’t all the dark so to all my medium skin tone girls out there, don’t let that scare you.

Pick it up today, I’m sure you will absolutely love it!!! XOXO

Ipsy Review – February 2017

If you are unfamiliar with Ipsy, it is a ten dollar a month beauty subscription service. You can sign up here to get five deluxe or full size samples sent to you in a unique beauty bag every month. I have been a member for well over a year now and can say that it is so fun to play around with a set of new and customized products. It’s a perfect way to build your makeup, haircare, and skincare collection.

Here is what I got this month!!!

NYX “Butter Lipstick” – Lippies are my favorite!!! I got the shade Lifeguard, which is not a full on red but more of a deep magenta. The satin finish on this is amazing. It is super moisturizing and comfortable on the lips. I will definitely be on the look out for more of these babies in different shades.

Luxie “Rose Gold Blush Brush #514” – When I started getting back into makeup a couple of years ago, I bought myself a (cheap) brush set off of amazon. Since then, I have been upgrading brush by brush so I was super excited to get this! I love Luxie because it is a cruelty-free brand and is great quality. This brush has synthetic bristles and is in a small dome shape. It is meant for blush, which for me works perfectly.

BeFine “Gentle Face Cleanser” – This cleanser, while a good product, wasn’t my favorite. I do like that it is vegan with all natural ingredients and has a nice minty scent. However, my preference is to use a face wash that has scrubby beads in order to really feel like my skin is getting cleansed. This is more of a smooth texture so I likely won’t be using it regularly, but do love the brand. (Here is a tip: Keep products you won’t use in a small basket in your bathroom to put out for when you have guests over!)

Elizabeth Mott “Whatup Beaches Bronzer” – I LOVE this bronzer!!! It is so soft and silky with the perfect matte formula and the shade is on point. My only complaint is the tiny little pan it came in, but I am debating getting this in a full size because I love it that much.

 Winky Lux “Diamond Complexion Powder” – And last but not least a… diamond powder?! Apparently this powder has finely crushed diamonds in it and while I am skeptical at that, I do like this a lot. I have been using it to set my under eye concealer and that’s been working out great. It gives a little extra coverage than my normal loose translucent powder.

Smashbox Mascara Showdown

A girl can never have too many mascaras, am I right?! This seems to be a very personal make up item for women and I would agree. Some like clumps, others like length, some want curls, and most just want to find the perfect product to smother the lashes in coats and coats of amazing goodness.

I’ve tried each of these Smashbox mascaras, and here are my thoughts…

If you like clumps, go for the X-Rated. If you dig length, try out the Full Exposure. For my own personal preference, I like the Full Exposure more but I can see why others may like the X-Rated. For me, the Full Exposure does a great job lifting, lengthening, and curling my lashes while the X-Rated falls a bit short.

Either way, I judge my mascara both on how they wear and how they come off. (I don’t miss my high school days of cheaping out on a mascara and tugging at my lashes each night.) I think it is just as important to find a mascara that won’t rip out your lashes and each of these are great for that… they come off with ease. I personally like to soak a cotton round in miceller water, press it against my lashes for a good few seconds, and gently rub the product away.

Do you have a preference between the two?!

Sinful Colors “Strawberry Milk” Kandee Johnson Collection

Have you seen that Kandee Johnson released a nail polish collection?! She is a favorite beauty YouTuber of mine and that being said, I just HAD to try out one of her new polishes.

I did watch her review of the line prior to shopping and decided to only pick up one to start for two  reasons… I typically prefer gel polishes because they last longer and I didn’t know how much I’d love the matte finish. I opted for the shade “Strawberry Milk” because, for me, it’s hard to find a true opaque light pink and I wanted to put this one to the test. Well it did not disappoint! The photo above showcases the matte finish, though I did slap a top coat on top afterwards to make it shinier… pure preference. And for under $2 a bottle you can’t go wrong!

She has a few other colors in the line I’d like to try out and if I do, I’ll of course share my thoughts with you. Overall a great product, XOXO.

Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation

Welcome to another foundation review! This time I’ll be laying out the pros and cons to the Clinique Beyond Perfecting 2 in 1 Foundation and Concealer. Let’s jump right into it…

Pros:
-Full coverage
-Matte finish
-20 available shades
-Doesn’t settle into lines

Cons:
-Heavy formula
-Looks somewhat cakey
-Oxidizes
-Messy applicator

After weighing out the pros and cons, I will say that I do like this foundation, but don’t like it enough to wear it every day of the week. I have oily, acne prone skin so a huge pro is the matte finish but a huge con is that this formula feels very heavy on my skin. For me it’s a better fit in winter in regards to the formula, however it does oxidize quite a bit so that’s not great either. I do enjoy the coverage it gives me because, after all, it does double as a foundation and a concealer. It definitely covers up any imperfections in my skin, blemishes, and scars while also not settling into fine lines or wrinkles. The price point isn’t too bad at $27, though once I run out I likely won’t purchase it again. I don’t hate it but it isn’t worthy of a rebuy in my opinion.

Ipsy Review – January 2017

Pacifica – Blushious Blush – Besides lippies, blushes are my favorite item to find in my bag! I got the color Wildrose and while it isn’t a shade I would normally go for, I do like it, for winter especially. There is a really pretty sheen that makes this blush super unique.

Purlisse – Blue Lotus Mud Mask – Nothing beats a good mud mask. I plan to save this sample for traveling, when my skin typically needs a little bit more love. The size makes it really travel friendly and I have loved this brand in the past so look forward to trying it out.

It Cosmetics – Bye Bye Undereye Concealer – This concealer is supposed to illuminate your under eyes and double as an anti-aging product. I can totally see what they were going for, but for me personally it didn’t quite work out. I found that it actually brought more attention to my under eyes in a non-flattering way. I’ll stick with the regular Bye Bye Undereye concealer because the coverage is still amazing.

Temptu – Matte Primer – I have been enjoying this primer quite a bit! It’s great for everyday priming around the perimeter of my face, though I do go in with a separate pore-filling primer to take care of my stubborn t-zone area. The only thing I don’t really care for with this product is the smell, which is chemically.

theBalm – Matte Bronzer – Talk about an item I was excited to see! This is a cult favorite and I got the shade Bahama Mama. It is on the cooler tone side and pretty dark for my skin currently, but I think it will work well for me in the summer months… ohhhh summer 🙂 .

 

This month was a definite hit for me!!! Recently I have only been excited for one or two items in my bag, but January was good to me. I see myself using all of the items except the concealer, which I plan to pass along to a friend. Click here to sign up for Ipsy, it’s something I look forward to each and every month, XOXO.

Winter Nail Polish Picks

I tend to go for a bold nail. I like color, I like texture, and most of all I just like to have fun with my manicures. Cold weather season is an extra special time for me to break out the dark, sparkly, shiny polish… which I clearly love! Here are my favorite winter nail polish picks from my own personal collection.

OPI – “Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous”
Ciate – “Dangerous Affair”
OPI – “Glitzerland”
OPI – “An Affair in Red Square”
Essie – “Aruba Blue”
Red Carpet – “Nominated For…”

Ipsy Review – December 2016

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that allows you to try unique brands, use different products, and collect items items that you may not pick up on your own… AND it’s only $10 a month!!! I’ve been a member for about a year and half and love this service. You can join by clicking here if you’re interested.

Smashbox – InstaMatte Lipstick Transformer: I honestly think I am the only person on the planet that doesn’t love the matte lip trend. That being said, I did give this a quick shot and found it didn’t work too well for me so I did pass it along to someone else in my life who I think it may work better for.

Privai – Aqua Gel Masque: I have been meaning to try a gel moisturizer, as I have acne prone skin and use cream moisturizers, which I hear can enhance pimples. This one has worked nicely for me so far. It smells and feels great on the skin!

Royal & Langnickel – MODA Angle Shader Brush: Ipsy has sent me this brand of brushes before and I really love them! This is high quality and I’m in love with the purple!

City Cosmetics – Be Matte Blushes: This is my favorite item I got this month… I love trying out new blushes and don’t have any of these colors. The shades are called Fresh Melon, Blackberry, and Guava. They are great quality and I’ve found them to last all day long.

NYX – Prismatic Shadow: And my least favorite items I got is this little guy in the shade Fireball. I don’t love red-based shadows on my eyes and keep getting them sent to me, grrrrr.

Ipsy Review – November 2016

Time for my monthly unbagging! If you are unfamiliar with Ipsy, it is a ten dollar a month beauty subscription service. You get five deluxe or full size samples sent to you in a unique beauty bag. (Join by clicking here if you are interested.) Here is what I got this month…

Out of my mix of items I will probably get the most use out of angled eye brush because, let’s face it, no woman can have enough make up brushes! However why in the world any company makes brushes with white bristles is a mystery to me. I’ve already tried the Formula X nail polish and, while I LOVE this brand, the color isn’t much my style. I may use the Ofra Banana Powder but prefer a more full coverage powder. I like this product but would recommend it to my less acne-prone friends out there. For me, it just doesn’t provide the coverage I like. I was excited to try theBalm Mad Lash mascara but the packaging is super strange and after reading reviews I know I’m not the only person who thinks so! Instead of twisting the wand up you have to pull it out and it got pretty messy for me. Lastly I just don’t see myself using the NUXE facial serum and will probably pass it along to someone else.

I hate to be negative, but honestly I’m not overly thrilled with my bag this month. I find that the months tend to wax and wane… some months are just better than others and this month just wasn’t my favorite, XOXO.