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 – August 2016

Could the bag this bag be any cuter?! For those of you unfamiliar with Ipsy, it is a ten dollar a month beauty subscription. You get five deluxe or full size samples shipped to you in an adorable bag. Join by clicking here if you are interested!

Now on to the good stuff…

Marc Anthony – Nourishing Argan Oil of Morocco Deep Hydrating Treatment

Repeat offender! I was super disappointed to see this included in my bag because I have gotten it before and didn’t love it. I’m probably the only person on the planet who doesn’t like the smell of argan oil, but that is the reason I don’t use this product. I’ll be passing this along to someone who may like it more than I.

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics – Neapolitan Palette

Pigmented shadows and I can totally create a full look using these shades. Overall I am impressed at the quality of these and think it will make a great travel product, especially.

Ciate London – Paint Pot in “Dangerous Affair”

Love!!! This is such a perfect color for the upcoming fall season and I have been wanting to try this brand for forever and a day. I have heard some amazing reviews about Ciate and can’t wait to try this little baby out!

IT Cosmetics – No Tug Waterproof Mini Gel Eyeliner

If  you are looking for a creamy, easy-to-wear, glide on black liner then I would  recommend this one hands down. It stays put all day, even on the waterline, and does live up to the claim that it won’t tug at your skin. It also goes on matte plus is easy to remove with a wipe.

Beaute Basics – Three Tone Bronzer

While these shades are a bit on the darker side, I’ll be saving this little guy for next summer when I really want to bronze it up. I think it would make a really pretty shadow as well.

July Favorites

As you can see, it was a great beauty month in July!!!

Since I cancelled my Birchbox this month (click here to find out why) I wanted to cash in my points for products, so opted for the Coastal Scents “Revealed 2” and “Revealed Smoky” eye shadow palettes. They are my first higher quality palettes and  did not disappoint one bit. The color selection on each is amazing and the formula is really buttery yet easy to blend out. Speaking of shadows, I found myself reaching for small angled brushes paired with a dark eye shadow this month instead of my go-to sharp liner look. Something about that look just seems so much lighter for summer to me. On my tight line, I had Colourpop’s “Swerve” on repeat this month. It’s as black as black can be and that baby sure stays put! I signed up for Curology in July and, while I haven’t seen any acne results yet, I am hopeful that I will so wanted to include it in this batch of favorites. (I will keep you posted on my progress!) Finally, I wanted to share with you the sweetest smelling strawberry yummy lotion that my body has been loving this month! The formula of this Grace Cole body butter is really light weight yet moisturizing and has been perfect for summer, XOXO.

Have you tried any of these products? What were your favorites this month?

Ipsy Review – July 2016

I love the mix of products I got this month! Let’s jump in 🙂 .

The BeFine – Food Skin Care is an unscented lotion which is something I know I will get a lot of use out of. The formula is creamy and not at all greasy. I was super excited to receive the Too Faced – Hangover Replenishing Face Primer and I do like it but don’t think it does much to control my oil, which is my top priority in using a primer. The smell is to die for and it does do a great job hydrating. To be honest I haven’t tried the Em Cosmetics – Lash Gallery Lengthening Mascara and don’t plan to until I use up a few other already opened mascaras I have in my collection… but I’m happy I got it. The Vasanti Cosmetics – Professional Eyeshadow Brush is really nice. The bristles are soft, the wand is long, and it is overall just a great brush for packing shadow onto the lid. My favorite product is by far the Bella Pierre Cosmetics – Banana Setting Powder!!! This is the first time I’ve tried a banana powder and I am in love.

Did you get any of the same products? What did you love this month?

Ipsy June 2016 – Preview

I’m seriously looking forward to every single item I’m getting this month! I’m most excited for the blush. It  will be fun to try out a new-to-me brand and expand my collection.

There is honestly nothing in this mix that I am least excited for, however the eye shadow and eye pencil come in different shades this month and if I get the red shadow or brown pencil I won’t be entirely happy with those. (I posted photos of the purple shadow and black pencil to send out good vibes :).)

The masks will come in handy as well as the brush… those are two items that I will totally put to great use!!! Looks like a good month to me, XOXO.

Ipsy May 2016 – Review

Have you heard of Ipsy?! It’s 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!!! Feel free to sign up by clicking here.

This is what I got this month…

Aurora – Gel Effect Nail Polish

I’m skeptical of any nail product that claims to be gel but doesn’t require a uv lamp. This was streaky to go on and chipped within a few days. It would have required three coats to look decent, but ain’t nobody got time for that.

Pacifica – Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow Trio

The colors in here are so spring and summer appropriate although the pigmentation is lacking. The purple works well on me and I really like that one exclusively.

Crazy Rumors – HibisKill Natural Lip Color

I don’t always need a super pigmented lip. Sometimes I appreciate a softer tinted lip so I was  pretty open-minded in trying this product. The scent was so strong that I had to take it off in less than a half hour and the tint was nothing special.

NoTS – 28 Remedy Acne Pore Deep Cleanser

If you saw my preview post on this month’s Ipsy bag, you know this was the item I was most looking forward to this month and I generally do like it. It is very sudsy with little exfoliation and leaves the skin feeling really soft.

Smashbox – XRated Mascara

I enjoy this a lot! The wand looks a little out there, like it will massively clump up your lashes but I was pleasantly surprised with the effect it gave me… longer, thicker lashes with a smooth dark black formula!

My Review:

This is an Ipsy first for me, but the thing I loved most about this month’s bag was the bag itself!! I have been looking for something to keep travel brushes in and this bag is so perfect for that job. The bag is big and flexible and the print is too perfect for what I’ll use it for. Beyond that (and I hate to be negative on my blog) this was one of my least favorite bags I have gotten in my 9 months with Ipsy. It’s hard for me to 100% get behind any of the products with the expectation of the mascara. The cleanser and shadow I will use but am not overly excited for. The chapstick and nail polish I am planning to give away to people in my life I think it may work better for. Without the actual bag, this month would have been sort of a bust for me.

 

Any thoughts on your bag this month?

Ipsy May 2016 – Preview

This month’s Ipsy theme is “Destination Chic” which I think is adorable. The bag itself I absolutely love! I’ve been on the lookout for a bag to keep brushes in for travel and think this one will be perfect because of the shape and print of the bag.

I am most excited to try the face cleanser because it is specifically for acne prone skin, which I have (and hate). The nail polish comes in either the pink shown above or an orange. If I get the orange it will be the product I least look forward to. Everything  else looks useful for me. I’m super excited to get my hands on the bag this month!

Be on the lookout for my review on this bag after I get a chance to try everything out, XOXO.

April Favorites

Elf – High Definition Undereye Setting Powder

Sometimes I never know how much I love a product until I run out of it. I then go into the great debate of repurchasing or trying something new. I ran out of this recently, tried a few different powders in my collection (nothing I had could compare), and wound up repurchasing this in April. This powder perfectly sets concealer, brightens up the skin, and is so inexpensive.

Maybelline – The Blushed Nudes

The shades in this palette are gorgeous, wearable, and work so well together. Pigmentation is not as strong as it could be, but it’s a great palette if you are looking for your makeup to be a bit less bold. There are also tips for blending shadow combos on the back of the packaging, which I found super helpful!

Rimmel – Natural Bronzer

I had never used an actual bronzer until I picked this baby up a few weeks ago… now I don’t want to put it down! I use it mainly in the hollows of my cheeks, temples, and top of my forehead. I now understand why a cool-toned matte bronzer gives the most natural look.

Flower Phone Case

Confession… this is not the exact phone case I fell in love with this month. I (like all females everywhere) got sucked into Target’s dollar section recently and found the cutest flower case for my phone and now can’t find it anywhere online to share! 😦 This one is comparable though, a clear case with a flower print. Super cute and perfect for spring.

“Yes Please” by Amy Poehler

What’s not to love about Amy Poehler?! She is so funny, such a great role model for young women, and has tons of great stories to share in this book. It’s a really fun, funny, and quick read that I would recommend to anyone looking for something light-hearted to pick up.

Birchbox – March 2016

My Birchbox came today!

Birchbox is a $10 a month beauty subscription service. You can sign up here to get 5 deluxe-sized samples sent to your house in a pretty new box each month. It’s a fabulous way to collect different beauty items and get to try products you may not otherwise purchase on your own.

There are two reasons why I love Birchbox… This first is because there is a level of customization you’re involved in that other beauty boxes don’t offer. Each month you get to decide between a preselected mix of items or pick one item that you’re guaranteed to get and all others are selected for you. I also love Birchbox because the rewards system is really great! You can go online and review the products that were sent to you and get $5 back per box to spend on the site.

Let’s dig in, shall we?!

Amika – “Perk Up Dry Shampoo”

This is the product that I hand-picked this month. It smells great and is perfect for my summer weekend trips to the cabin. I use dry shampoo all the time and find that buying minis in the store gets really expensive, so this is perfect for me.

Wilma Schumann – “Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads”

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on these and already tried them out. They are unlike anything I’ve ever tried! This pack comes with two gel patches that you put on for 20 minutes. They have a refreshing feeling and work great to hydrate your under-eye area.

Cargo -“Land Down Under Eye Shadow Palette”

I believe I got the color duo Beach and Suntan, which are sandy gold and smimmery chocolate. (Does anybody else find that these are really common colors to get in beauty subscriptions across the board?) They are pretty colors,but I have tons of these shades so I’m not overly excited to try them out.

Coola – “SPF 50 Sport Mango”

This smells so yummy! I tend to only use a separate sun tan lotion during the summer because my make up usually already contains SPF. However, this will definitely come in handy for my upcoming trip to Key Largo. It’s light, so would work well on the face.

Marcelle – “BB Cream Golden Glow”

I’m a little surprised this isn’t advertised as a tinted product because the color is very dark. I don’t tend to use BB Creams because I prefer a more fuller coverage look, but again will probably save this for Key Largo because I think it might be perfect for the pool and beach.

My Rating: 

This month’s box was filled with a lot of good-to-have items that will likely be useful for summer traveling, but only had one product that I was super excited to try. I’m a little disappointed because up until now I have always gotten one new product in the box that I fell in love with right away. This time I don’t see anything like that. Still, I do think that the price of the box was a great value and am content with what I got, XOXO.