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.

October Favorites

FabFitFun – My newest subscription addiction!!! I decided to treat myself to this subscription just in time for the fall box and seriously love what I got. Yes, it’s a pricier box but I honestly love almost every single item that was included and think it is more than worth the money.

White Pumpkin Candle – It’s a pumpkin candle… I mean, need I say more?! #Swoon

Rampage Glasses – I had an eye exam this month, upped my prescription, and got these babies. I love the cat eye shape and gold metallic finish. They go great with any outfit and are super comfortable to wear.

Village Naturals Therapy Aches and Pains Foaming Bath Salts – As the weather gets colder and colder I find myself taking more and more baths. This has been my favorite add-in when I want to relax in the tub lately. Smells great and you can’t beat the price! My husband  bought this for me last year around this time and I’m just now about to finish it up.

Mirabella Velvet Lip Pencil – Red lips have seriously been on repeat for me this month and this lippie has been my go-to. The pigmentation is incredible and it wears so nicely and comfortably.

 

September Favorites

Essence Sun Club Matte Bronzing Powder

I have been to Ulta twice this month to get color matched on new foundations and each time I have been recommended a shade that is too light. Needless to say I needed a little extra bronzing this month and this one was a life saver. Pretty much nothing beats a coconut fragranced face powder, am I right?!

Smashbox Photofinsh Pore Minimizing Primer

Don’t underestimate the power of a high end primer! This was my first and I love what it does for my skin… fills in pores and evens out the texture. I don’t use it on my whole face, just the parts that need a little extra love like my t-zone and areas that I have scarring from acne.

Essence Sheer & Shine Lipstick

I tend to have a heavy hand with makeup. I also tend to LOVE vampy lip shades for fall. Enter this product!!! There is literally no way you can overdo it with this lipstick and you will always get a nice, deep shade. It gives off a your-lips-but-better vibe with a sheer wash of color that is easy to build up and super comfortable to wear.

The Gifts of Imperfection

I featured this on my Fall Reading List post a few weeks back as a book I wanted to read up this season. Well, it was not at all difficult to get through! I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for inspiration in their own well-being. Brene Brown has a way of explaining her fascinating work on living a Wholehearted life in easy to relate to ways.

Old  Navy Striped Boat-Neck Tee

Picture this long sleeve tee with cozy black leggings, knee high boots, a warm wooly scarf, and Starbucks in hand. I mean, could it be anymore seasonly appropriate?! I got it in red, too :).

Lipstick Challenge: Days 25-30

It’s (finally) time to wrap up my 30 days of  lipstick! If you are unfamiliar, I accepted this challenge as a way to use up lipsticks that have been hanging out in my collection. If you are like me, you know the first-world struggle of wearing the same products over and over again, even when you have a wide variety to choose from. So, each day for 30 days I wore a new lip product on its own for the entire day. I didn’t mix and match and I didn’t rewear throughout the month.

Here is my final round of lip products…

25. Be A Bombshell “Lipstick Crayon” in Versailles
26. LOC “Ultra Gloss Lip Pencil” in Cupid’s Bow
27. Mirabella “Velvet Lip Pencil” in Red
28. Wet n Wild “Matte Lipstick” in Smokin’ Hot Pink
29. Rimmel “Stay Glossy Lip Gloss” in Treasure Hunt
30. Bare Minerals “Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick” in Love

I would totally recommend this challenge to anyone who loves lip products! It was the perfect way to decide for myself which were my favorites and which didn’t work well for me. At the end of this challenge I was able to declutter over 10 lip products that I didn’t reach for throughout the month. Let me know if you take on this challenge for yourself because I would love to keep up with your journey, XOXO!

Check out my previous posts from this challenge here…  Days 1-6, 7-12, 13-18, and 19-24.

Lipstick Challenge: Days 7-12

I’m back with my second round of lipsticks from my 30-day challenge! Click here to see my first six lip products and to learn more about the challenge. This has seriously been so much fun and  I think you should join the challenge too, XOXO.

Here are days 7-12…

7. Rimmel “Lasting Finish by Kate” in 31
8. Me Me Me “Lip Cream” in Persian Pink
9. LOC Tati “Vibrant Matte Lipstick” in Glam Life
10. Tarte “Wonder Lipsurgence” in Poppy
11. Almay “Smart Shade Butter” in Berry Light Medium
12. Bare Minerals “Marvelous Moxie” in Birthday Babe

Lipstick Challenge: Days 1-6

There is simply no better way to get myself to wear different lip products in my own collection than by joining this challenge. Each day, for 30 days, I challenge myself to wear a lip product without any repeats. I won’t layer products and I will wear the product for the entire day.

Interested in keeping up with my month long journey? Follow my blog and I will post an update in 6 day chunks. Or join the challenge and have a little fun for yourself!

Here is the first set of lip products I have used so far…
1. Trestique “Mini Matte Lip Crayon” in Chile Red
2. Jing Ai “Velvet Shine Lip Jewel” in Pink Star
3. Rimmel London “Stay Glossy” in Eternal Flirt
4. Rimmel “Lasting Finish By Kate” in 104
5. ModelCo “Lip Lacquer” in Morocco
6. Neutrogena “Moisture Smooth Color Stick” in Pink Grapefruit

MAC Lipstick Wishlist

To be honest, I don’t own a single MAC lipstick. Lately I have been seriously considering investing in 1 or 2 (…or 3 or 5 or 50) because of their amazing reputation! Here are the few I’ve picked out for my wishlist. You check out their website here to create a lipstick wishlist of your own, XOXO.

Ipsy April 2016 – Review

I love this time of the month, IPSY TIME!!!

You can sign up here to receive 5 deluxe-sized samples in a cute new Ipsy bag every month. It’s a great way to try unique brands, use different products, and collect items that you may not pick up on your own. For only $10 a month, the price is right! Here is what I got this month…

City Color – Highlight Trio

This was my favorite product by far! The colors are super gorgeous and have a good amount of pigment. I am most excited to bring this traveling because it’s a 3-in-1, which means less packing.

Probelle – Nail Lacquer

I’m in love with the shade I got, “In Or Out” so much that I had to try it out right away :). The formula is nice and it seems to be pretty long lasting for a nail polish.

Nth Degree – Moroccan Argan Oil & Keratin Hair Serum

In my Ipsy April 2016 – Preview post, I predicted this would be my least favorite product. While that does hold true, I actually like this more than I thought I would. It’s useful to smooth dry ends and even though it’s not something I would typically buy, it seems like it will be nice to have.

Tarte – LipSurgence Lip Creme

My very first Tarte product! (It did not disappoint, that’s for sure.) The color I got is called “Wonder”. This isn’t the most opaque and long-lasting lipstick, but is very hydrating and easy to apply, which I have been reaching for lately anyway.

Crown Brush – C427 Duo Fiber Blush Brush

This is very versatile and easy to use… there are actually indents where your fingers should go! Easy peasy. The bristles are a little stiff and not as dense as I normally prefer, but still a great product to get.

My Rating: 

One of the best bags I’ve ever gotten!!! This was spot on with my preferences. The colors are all ones I would personally pick out and everything in this bag is something I will use. I am impressed at the sizes of the samples I got, which I really think make this particular bag worth it. Good job, Ipsy! XOXO

Ipsy April 2016 – Preview

So I’m really excited for this month’s products!!!

I don’t love the actual bag because It’s not really my style, but I do think my niece would like it so will probably pass it along to her. I am most excited for the highlight trio because I have been really into experimenting with highlighting products lately and look forward to seeing how this one will work out for me. I am least excited for the hair serum because I have an overabundance of these types of products lately and find that they generally just don’t do much for me.

Stay tuned for a review on the bag after I get the chance to try out the products, XOXO.

Did you peak this month? Are you getting any of the same items?