Ipsy Review - October 2014

In lieu of Tell Me About Tuesday, I'm going to give you my ipsy review for October. I'll start out by saying I thought this was an excellent month. The theme for this month was "Beauty Candy" and I thought for the most part, everything went along with that well.

 

The bag itself was a nice teal color with quilting. I can't say that the bags themselves usually get much use, but this one was one of the cuter ones. 

As for the products, per usual, we'll start with the good:

ModelCo VolumEyes Exteme Black Mascara (sample size)

As my frequent readers may know, my favorite mascara ever is a ModelCo mascara so I was super excited to try this one. It lived up to the brand hype! It went on smooth, volumized well, stayed on all day without flaking, and came off easy. What more could a girl ask for? Will I be switching from my other ModelCo mascara? Probably not, but that's because I can use BB points to get the other one at a discount, but I was pleased that this was such a large sample size so I don't have to buy either one for awhile. 

Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in Rose Berry (full size)

If any one product epitomized the theme of Beauty Candy, it was this one. It smelled like sweet tarts! It was delectable. It wasn't too thick, moisturized well, and I couldn't get enough of the smell.

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in Very Cherry (full size) 

I couldn't actually find a link to this anywhere and this color wasn't listed on their website which is a shame because it is gorgeous. It took 2 coats to get to the above consistency but that's fairly standard. I love that from far away it almost looks black, but the closer you get, the more cherry color you can see. 

Moving on to the bad category:

Starlooks Lipgloss in Guilty Pleasure (sample size)

Normally I'm super excited about lip products and this one looked like it had some potential. However, it was the stickiest lip gloss I've ever put on my lips. I swear it has hair magnets worked into the formula. It took much less than the usual gust of wind to blow my hair into it's sticky web. Literally every step I took, I was pulling hair of my lips. I just couldn't do it. It came off pretty quick. 

Lastly the meh:

Epice Purifying Exfoliant (sample size) 

Did this exfoliant work? Sure! Did it feel nice? Yeah. Why is it a meh? I don't plan on spending $32 on an exfoliant when you can get one that is just as effective for much less.

So there you have it folks. October was pretty good. The hand cream and the nail polish made the whole bag worth it despite failings in other areas. 

If you're interested in signing up for ipsy, I would appreciate it if you would use my referral link!

Happy Shopping!

Tell Me About - My Fave Beauty Products

Those of you that know me in person, and those that have been following me for awhile may have deduced that I am a pretty low maintenance person when it comes to my beauty routine. While I love trying new things with BIRCHBOX and ipsy, I tend to keep going back to the same beauty products and make up for my daily use (although some of those items I found through my beauty subscriptions). For Tell Me About...Tuesday, I thought it might be fun to go through a couple of my favorite everyday beauty products.

We'll start with hair:

Beauty Protector Shampoo, Conditioner, and Detangler
I tried this trio of products from Beauty Protector through various Birchboxes and I fell in love right away. They smell amazing. They leave my hair feeling soft and smooth, and I love how shiny my hair looks after using them. The detangler acts as a thermal protectant during blow-drying, and it works great. They are a bit pricey but Birchbox offers them in a package for $50 which saves about $16 off buying them individually. I typically save up my BB points to take off some of the sting of the price.

Moving on to moisturizers:

Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 50 Daily Moisturizer 
It's light, it feels nice, it's not greasy, and it protects my face from the sun. Need I say more?

Make up-
Brows:

Mary Kay Brow Definer Pencil in Blonde
Having blonde eyebrows has it's perks (I've never plucked ever!) and it's downside (if I don't color them in, you can't see them!) but one thing is for sure. A good eyebrow pencil is a necessity! I've used the Mary Kay blonde eyebrow pencil for as long as I've been drawing on my eyebrows. It adds just enough color so you can see my brows without making me look ridiculous. As you can see, I use this pencil a lot as it's starting to look short and stumpy. Don't worry! I've got another one on the way. It seriously lasts close to forever though.

Mascara:

ModelCo Fibre Lashextend Lengthening Mascara
This is the mascara that I compare all other mascaras to. I got it in one of my first Birchboxes and I've been hooked ever since. It goes on smooth and non-clumpy, it stays on all day without smudging or flaking, and it comes off super easy.

Eyeliner:

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner
It took me some time to feel comfortable using liquid liner, but I think I have it down. I like how smooth and even, this liner goes on and the tip is pointy enough that it goes on precisely.

Eyeshadow:

Julep Sweep Eyeshadow Palette - Neutrals
You may have guessed that I don't go crazy with the eyeshadow. I typically stick to neutrals and this palette that I got in one of my Julep boxes usually does the trick. Who knew that a nail polish company would do eyeshadow well?

Lips:

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
I'm a sucker for a classic. Why is this lip balm so popular? Because it works! I've never found something that works better. I don't like any of the fancy Burt's Bees lip balms either. Just the plain old, yellow tube beeswax lip balm.


Nails:

Julep Annemarie
Nude nails are having a moment right now. I picked this color up at one of Julep's sales for a steal. To be fair, it leans more towards brown than nude, but I love it. I like that it's subtle color, but still makes it look like you put in some effort. The last time I wore it, I couldn't stop looking at my nails. They just looked so classy.

So there you have it folks: my super simple and low maintenance beauty routine. Are there any beauty products you can't live without?

ipsy Review - September 2014

Happy September! I bring you another edition of the Good, the Bad, and the Meh. The theme for ipsy this month is Street Style. The bag is an appropriate studded, silver bag, and the contents, for the most part, fit the theme.

As usual, we'll start with the good.

Pacifica Natural Waterproof Eye Pencil in Gun Metal (sample size)

I was so happy to receive an eyeliner sample in a color other than black. This silver color was fun! It was subtle while still adding some pop to my eyes. It stayed on all day without smudging or transferring to my upper lid. I approve! It was the perfect addition to the "Street Style" theme.

Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in Love Affair (full size)

This lip gloss was a bit more dramatic than I usually wear, but it looked pretty good on. It wasn't overly sticky and it went on smooth. Definitely a good product.

Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush (full size)

I'm always a fan of receiving make up brushes in my beauty subscriptions because they are quite useful, and I'm not likely to go out and buy them myself. This one was pretty good. The crease side was good for a precise application on the lids while the shadow side was great for blending (does that sound like I know what I'm doing, 'cause I'm totally winging it).

Onto the bad:

Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser (sample size)

I was excited to try this product because I may not always know what to do with makeup products but facial cleanser? I'm pretty sure I know how to wash my face. Well this stuff was...awful. Now maybe it's because I'm not used to cream cleansers, but let's just say I had to wash my face with my regular cleanser to get this off. My hands seemed to stick to my face as I was rubbing it in, and it just got worse. I generally prefer my face to feel softer and I don't know, CLEAN after washing. This just made my face feel sticky.

Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream (sample size)

I saw this and thought "Oh, a LUXURY hand cream. Well that's got to be good!" News flash: if that's what luxury smells like, I'm fine being with the unwashed masses. Seriously. I couldn't wash this off fast enough. It smelled like grass and soap, but not good soap.

Apparently I felt pretty strongly about everything in this bag because there is nothing in the meh category this month. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but it's how it goes.

Overall, the things in the good category definitely made this month worth it. Just the lip gloss and makeup brush alone added up to triple the cost of the bag, so I certainly can't complain, and if there's ever a bag where I love every single thing in it, it'll be a miracle.

If you're interested in signing up for ipsy, use my referral link here. In theory, you would skip the waitlist, but I make no guarantees.

PS. If you're already an ipsy subscriber, be sure to check out the ipsy points page. They've updated the list of redeemable items! They usually go fast so hurry, hurry, hurry!

Happy Shopping!

ipsy Review - August 2014

Guess who got both her ipsy and BIRCHBOX reviews done this month? This girl! We'll get right to it.

Starting with the good:



The makeup bag this month is super cute. I'm a sucker for polka dots and I love that this is shaped more like a pencil bag than their usually makeup bags. I will likely actually use this one to keep my makeup organized (or at least my plethora of eyeliners).

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara (sample size)

I received a sample of this about a month ago directly from Urban Decay and loved it, so I was happy to get another one. My 3 rules for mascara are that it volumizes my lashes, stays on all day without flaking, and then comes off with minimal effort. The first 2 were definitely met. My eyelashes looked super full and it lasted all day. It wasn't the easiest to get off, but it didn't take a ton of scrubbing so I'd say that rule was met too. I can definitely recommend this one.

Jersey Shore Mongongo Organic Anti-Aging Lip Balm (full size)

I'm very particular about my lip balm so I was pleasantly surprised with this. It immediately relieved my dry lips and kept them moisturized for hours. I have issues with most lip balm making my lips feel dryer after an hour or so. That was not the case here. This stuff lasted.


Paula's Choice Clear Ultra-light Daily Mattifying Fluid SPF 30+ (sample size)

I couldn't decide if I really loved this stuff, but in the end, I couldn't think of anything bad about it except that I didn't like the way it smelled. It was a lot thinner than my usual moisturizer too, but I couldn't deny it was effective. It moisturized, mattified, and offered sun protection. It squeaked by into the good category.

There wasn't anything in the bad category in this month's bag so we'll move onto the meh:


Lord & Berry Silk Kajal Kohl Eye Pencil (sample size)

There was nothing stand-out amazing about this eyeliner, and there was transference to my upper lid, so it wasn't great. However it wasn't as bad as the Noir eyeliner from my BIRCHBOX. Also, after reading the website, it looks like it's one of the only eyeliners tested and approved safe for inner eyeline use. I guess I will have to try it in that capacity although the thought of getting that close to my eye with it scares me.


Coastal Scents Forever Blush Sample Duo (sample size)

OK. So I know I went into a long explanation on my BIRCHBOX review about how I try to make sure I try all the products, but I didn't try this one. Why? Because I don't need blush. I have naturally rosy cheeks, and I don't feel the need to do any contouring. So this sample was a waste on me, but since there wasn't anything wrong with it, it goes in the meh category.

This month they finally updated their rewards point bonus items so I picked up 2 extra items using points:


Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow in Ambrosia (full size)

This freebie is worth $18 so I was super happy about that. I also love cream eyeshadow. I think it's because it blends easier making it easier to apply. At least this novice thinks so. This was a good color too; pretty neutral so it gives just enough oomph to my eyes (please tell me I used that semi-colon correctly).


Sugar Line n' Shine Eyeliner Pencil and Bonus Sharpener (full size)

I found this eyeliner to be longer lasting than the sample one I received, and the bonus (to the bonus) sharpener was a great add in. You can never have too many of those.

Overall it was a good month. Any month where there is no bad is fine by me, and with the add ons, this bag was worth at keast triple what I paid for it.

If you're interested in joining ipsy, use my link here!

Happy Shopping!

ipsy Review - July 2014

Sooo. I didn't quite make it to church today. Between having family in town, and having a pretty rough couple of days with the baby, it just wasn't going to happen, but since I hate to disappoint, here's my July ipsy review instead. I know it's not quite as much fun, but it's something, right?

The theme for this month is "Sensationally Sunkissed" and I can't tell you how pleased I am that they DIDN'T send me some kind of bronzer or self-tanner. I just won't use that stuff. I was quite happy with most of what they did send me.

We'll start with the good.

Pur-lisse Pur-protect Essential Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 (sample size)

If you've been reading my BIRCHBOX and ipsy reviews for awhile, you may have noticed there are a couple of items I'm really picky about. One of them is mascara, another one is moisturizer. I've got my favorites and products have to be pretty amazing in order to surpass those. This moisturizer is one of those pretty amazing products. It moisturized, it smoothed, and it protected. I even went on a couple of walks with it on in the heat of day and not even the slightest hint of sunburn. For my sensitive, pale skin that's a pretty big deal. It wasn't oily or heavy. It was perfect. The only downside? The price tag. I can't see myself paying $55 for a 1.7 oz bottle of moisturizer. That's too bad.

Bare Minerals 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow Broad Spectrum in SPF 15 (sample size)

Yes that's the whole name of the product. I received it in Barely Nude. I was skeptical as I am with most eye shadow, not because I have a favorite, but because I feel like most eyeshadow is pretty much the same. I know some of my makeup artist friends are gasping at me right now for that, but I'm just not that picky. This however, was fantastic. It was easy to put on with the applicator, easy to blend, and stayed on without any weird creasing or smudging. The nude color was subtle enough to make a difference without making me feel like I was wearing too much color.

Pixi Beauty Mini Tinted Brilliance Balm (sample size)

I received this in Unique Pink which is supposed to work with your PH to show up in your own personal pink color. I'll be honest, it pretty much had no color on me. I don't know if that's because my PH created such a sheer pink that it didn't show (which makes me think there's something wrong with my PH. I'm talking about PH like I understand the science behind it. Spoiler alert: I don't) or if that is just a fancy gimmic and it's more for a placebo effect of "oh look at my own personal pink!" Either way, the balm part of it really did moisturize my lips and it smelled nice. Overall it got my lip product seal of approval.

There wasn't anything in the bad category so we'll go on to the meh.



Clear Clinic Laboratories Vanished Clear Spot Treatment (sample size)

I'll be honest, this is in the meh category because I haven't had a chance to use it. I've been lucky enough to be breakout free for awhile so I had no spots to use the spot treatment on. It could be a fantastic product. It could be a terrible product. I have no idea, but since I can't use it right now, it's meh.



Model's Own Nail Polish in Red Sea (full size)

Normally I'm super excited about nail polish, so why so meh about this one? I don't do glitter polishes. It's just not my thing. This nail polish is perfectly acceptable as a nail polish. I just don't see myself ever wearing it.

Overall this was a pretty good month. Any month where there's nothing in the bad category is a good month, and there were more products that I loved than products that I didn't care for. Yes, I think that fits the definition of a good month. It's not exactly rocket science. High five ipsy.

If you're interested in joining ipsy, use my link here. I'm told if you use a referral link, you skip the waitlist, but I can't confirm that. I think it's worth the $10.

ipsy Review - June 2014

Happy June! I know I was pretty hard on ipsy last month, but they certainly redeemed themselves this month. We'll get right to it.

The good:

NYX Butter Gloss in Eclair (full size)

I was probably most excited about this product, and it didn't disappoint. It goes on smooth, and the light pink color compliments my skin tone nicely. The only downside (and it's not really a downside) is that it doesn't "taste as sweet as a sugar cookie" as advertised. It tastes like lip gloss. Color me disappointed. Also, a friend with a more tan complexion was not a fan of the light pink as it washed her out. So, while it's a good color for me, it's not for everybody.

Jesse's Girl Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (full size)

This product boasts "Japanese calligraphy precision" while applying. I've been using Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner which is quite easy to apply and precise. I was impressed to see that the tip on the Jesse's Girl liner was actually thinner and thus more precise. While I'm no Japanese calligrapher, I was impressed with how smooth it went on. I can't speak to its waterproof quality as I haven't tested it in the rain. However, it came off really easily when I washed my face so I don't know if I'd trust it while swimming. That's fine with me, because I actually appreciate when makeup comes off easy, instead of having to scrub my eyes out.

Be A Bombshell Lash Out Mascara (full size)

I'm very particular about my mascara. I need it to go on smoothly, and come off easily. This did both. While it didn't add a super amount of volume, it's perfect for every day wear when you don't need to look like an eye model.

There's no bad in the bag this month (yay!) so on to the Meh:

OLEHENRIKSEN Truth to Go Wipes (sample packet of 10 wipes)

I used these to remove my makeup last night. It removed about half of it (meaning when I actually washed my face after, there was still some make up to come off, not that it only took the makeup off half my face in the style of Mulan). It also dried my face out a little bit. Both of these reasons are why they are in the meh category. Also I wasn't a big fan of the smell. It wasn't terrible, but their "signature citrus vanilla" scent wasn't as good as it sounds. So I guess that's 3 reasons why they are in the meh category. They would be good in a pinch while traveling though.

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray (sample size)

I'm never a big fan of these "beach sprays" because my hair at the beach is not attractive, so why would I want that in a bottle? However, in the name of science I decided to try this one. As expected, my hair did not turn out with what I expect stylish beach hair to look like. To be fair, I have quite a bit of hair so it's probably too heavy to achieve that look, but I'll let you decide: Beachy waves or frizzy mess?

I'm leaning towards the latter. I even went out in public with this hair FOR SCIENCE, PEOPLE! I got a couple of looks and I may be paranoid, but I saw judgement in their eyes. Yes, I am capable of styling my hair without it looking like I don't own a hair brush. So maybe this should be in the bad category. I guess I decided that it was my hair that was the problem and no product can give me beachy waves, so why fault them? Or maybe I was just so impressed with the rest of the bag that I went easy on them. Either way, I won't be using it again.

So overall, it was a good month. ipsy redeemed themselves after last month's disaster. I was wooed by their full size products and good quality make up. Moral of the story, stick to make up, ipsy. It's where you excel.

If you're interested in signing up for ipsy use my link here. If you use a referral link you're supposed to get off the waitlist faster. I don't know if that's true, but it's worth a try!

Happy Shopping!

ipsy Review - May 2014

I seem to be on a roll with these subscription reviews this month. Let's see if I can keep this up. I'll be honest, it's not easy. The baby definitely takes up most of my time and when she's sleeping, I feel like I have a million other things I need to do. But for now, I seem to be getting into a rhythm and keeping up. We'll see how much that changes when I go back to work in a few weeks. Enough about me. On to the review!

I'm a little disappointed this month. I know a lot of people were already upset when they looked at their "glam room" because they saw it was more skin care products this month and less makeup, which is more what ipsy is known for. I don't mind skin care products so much and was actually pretty excited when I got my bag. It looked like it had a lot of promise, and the sample sizes were quite impressive. But after trying all the products, I was underwhelmed. There wasn't anything great this month, so we'll start with the meh category.



Calvin Klein Endless Euphoria Perfume (sample size)

I'm not the biggest fan of perfume. I could take it or leave it. This stuff isn't completely overpowering, so it's acceptable. I'm not sure if I'll ever wear it, but it's nice to have the option. I appreciated that the sample size was larger than most perfume samples, so kudos for that.



Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask (full size)

This was one of the items I was particularly excited about. I originally thought it was a very large sample, but after going to their website, it seems that this is the full size version of their product. To be fair, I've only had the chance to use it once, but that one time seemed to undo what the Beauty Protector products from my BIRCHBOX did to my hair. Maybe I should've used a bit more of the product, or maybe I should've conditioned prior to using it instead of using it as a conditioner. Either way, I wasn't super impressed. The best thing I can say about it is that it smells decent. I don't think I disliked it enough to put it in the bad category, but it's borderline.



Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo (sample size)

I've been getting more and more into eyeshadow these days, so I wasn't completely bummed out when I found out I would be getting some this month. Unfortunately, these colors are not for me. The lighter color would do nothing for me since it almost matches my skin tone, and the darker color is a bit too dramatic for me. The best part about this duo is the name of the colors (Moonbeam and Unicorn).



Avene Thermal Spring Water (sample size)

So...this is literally water you spritz on your face or body. I guess it's supposed to calm irritated skin, but color me skeptical that I would want to pay $18 to buy some bottled spring water in a sterilized can to spray on me. Maybe I'll keep it on the changing table because it says it helps soothe diaper rash. This is another borderline "bad" category product. I guess I just thought it was more comical than bad.

There's only one product in the bad category this month:



Jersey Shore Sun Sans Tan Anti-aging Sunscreen (sample size)

If you read my BIRCHBOX review, you'd see that I rated the sunscreen sample I got from them a "meh". That stuff was pretty standard sunscreen. This stuff was not. It was overly thick, it smelled bad, and it didn't spread well at all. I'm sure as a last ditch effort I would use it, but as someone that has to use sunscreen constantly, I would not want to fight with this stuff on a regular basis. It just didn't work well for me at all. In fact, I wiped it off very shortly after applying because it made my skin feel gross.

The last thing I got this month doesn't really fit into a category because it was an extra item that I used my ipsy points to get.



BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Light It Up (full size)

I appreciated that I got this for free using my ipsy points because it is an $18 tube of lipstick. I just wish I was able to choose the color. The "Light it Up" color definitely did light it up. It's a very bright watermelon color that I'm sure would look great on someone that wore makeup on a regular basis, but to me, it looked a bit too...dramatic. It was a lot of color, and I think it stood out a bit too much with my skin tone. Maybe I'll be brave one day and wear it, but it would have to be the right outfit.

So that's my bag for this month. I know it seemed like I was a bit harsh on the review, but I was pretty disappointed after being so excited about my bag. Almost every month I LOVE my ipsy bag, but eventually I had to get a bad one. I'm sure next month will be better.

If you're interested in joining ipsy, please use my referral link.

Happy Shopping!