Ipsy April 2014

I had unreasonably high hopes for the April Ipsy bag! Why? Well, April is my birthday month (stay tuned for a special announcement tomorrow!) and I wanted this bag to be amazing.
So, was it?

This month, Ipsy subscribers received 5 products an I am pretty sure everyone got the UD Black Velvet liner. The theme was 'Beauty Rocks', which was cute, but the bag could have been done better.
What I got:
St. Tropez Gradual Tan Plus Anti-Aging Multi-Face Action ($11): Unfortunately I probably won't use this. I wish it was a face/body tanner because I do not have a body tanner right now. I also like my pale-ness.
dr. brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant ($9.75): I like this! Considering the 2oz size retails for $78, I am really happy I can at least try it out!
Rainbow Honey Cosmetics nail polish in Midnight Fountain ($5): Right up my alley---blue glitter polish from a brand I have always wanted to try!
Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-on Eye Pencil in Black Velvet ($17): This is almost full size!! The fact that Velvet is on the packaging and not just in the name makes me wonder if UD is going to release a whole velvet line?! I love this so far. It is creamy and matte. 
Mary Kay At Play Jelly Lipgloss in Berry Me ($10): Full size and a perfect color for me!
Total value: $52.75!!
Even though I won't use the face tanner, the value for me is still over $40 for $10, with some awesome products that I have always wanted to try and that are new (UD Velvet and MK@Play).

What I liked about this month's bag is that I got a good mix of things...lipgloss, skincare, face, eyes, and nails! Perfect! I also love the music/rock theme.

From top to bottom: UD Black Velvet, Mary Kay Berry Me, dr. brandt Microdermabrasion, and St. Tropez Face Tanner.

My favorite thing from the bag is the jelly lip gloss! It feels so comfortable and really wraps around the lips, keeping in moisture and making them look plump and hydrated. There is no discernible smell or taste.

April's Ipsy was a success! Yay!

Want to join Ipsy? Check it out here!

Ipsy March 2014 Glam Bag: Destination Beauty

It is the middle of the month and that means it is  'Ipsy Glam Bag Review Time'!

March's theme is 'Destination Beauty' and the bag came with 4 deluxe and full-sized products for $10, as always. Some people were hardcore complaining that we only got 4 products instead of 5, but this was one of the best bags yet! No complaints here! What I got: Deluxe sample of bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in the shade Get Ready ($8): Pretty rose color, lovely vanilla smell, feels great on lips. Full-sized NYX 'Love in Rio' eyeshadow trio in 'Bikini Bottom' ($6): A neutral trio, light color pay-off but very wearable colors. Deluxe sample of Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer ($9): A new product from Pixi. Glowy and has Vitamins A, E, & C. Full-sized Chella eyeliner pen in Indigo Blue ($24): Water-proof and paraben free stunning blue felt tip liner! Total value: $47!!
And lets not forget the gorgeous bag! The print was done by artist Klari Reis!

Above are some swatches. 'Get Ready' is gorgeous and pigmented, and the Indigo Blue liner is so precise! The Flawless Beauty Primer has a hint of color, but it is negligible on the skin and face and just creates a dewy look. 'Bikini Bottom' makes me smile, just because of the name (calling my fellow Spongebob fans!) but the pink and beige give little payoff. They are great blending colors though!

Here is a pan shot of Love in Rio 'Bikini Bottom'. Excuse the cuticle line on my mani...its being going strong for over a week (Color is A-England 'Jane Eyre' if you were curious).

And here are the tips of the blue liner and the lipstick. Overall I am so happy with this month's Ipsy bag. A great value and items I will use!

And so...because the second I received the bag and saw the shade of the moxie lipstick was 'Get Ready'...I haven't been able to get this song out of my head...

The Temptations 'Get Ready' covered by one of my favorite bands, Molotov Jukebox. Enjoy! I can already feel summer...its 90 degrees here!
And if you are looking to join Ipsy....click here!

February Ipsy Glambag: The Look of Love

Just a quick post about my new Ipsy bag for the month of February. It is called "The Look of Love" and there was definitely a Valentine's Day theme to it. 
Sorry the pictures are awful---I took them quickly because I wanted to tear into it so badly!

So, what did I get? And the value?

J.Cat Beauty Lashes: Retail $3.99. Decent lashes to play/practice with.

Skyn ICELAND Fresh Start Mask with Ice Age Mud: Burned the living hell out of my skin but thankfully left no damage. My skin felt amazing after, just not pleasant at all during. Retail value $7. The full size includes 6 packs like the one you see above for $39...wow...that is pricey!!

Zoya Nail Polish in Dot: Pretty light pink. Retail Value is $9.

Tini Beauty Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow + Base In One in Violette: Retail value $18. This is full size. Pretty amazing.

POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini is Fuschia Freesia: Retail Value: About $8 since this is a half size of the original.

Total Bag Value: 45.99. SCORE.

I really love the Zoya and POP brands in this bag. There were also some other awesome brands this month like Mally!

On the left is the Tini Beauty Violette Cream Shadow and POP Beauty lippie on the right.

I loved everything but the face mask, so I am pretty happy. What did you get this month?

Ipsy January Bag: Review

Hey friends!
It's Ipsy time. This months' bag was centered mostly on skin care. Was I impressed? Let's find out!

I received 5 products this month. The bag is cute, but not amazing. I'll break down the products and my thoughts.
1. 4 Proactiv Mark Fading Pads. These have 5% glycolic acid and 2% salicylic acid. I haven't tested these as last time I tried Proactiv, I broke out. My skin may have some mild acne but it is sensitive to anything harsh. There isn't a specific price on the Proactiv website as these are sold in a kit, but I would say this is about $5 worth.
2. Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow Creamy Eye Pencil in Pearl. This is pretty worthless to me. Way too creamy, and such a tiny size. Oh well. The full size retails for $14.99 but to me, this is worth zero. If I was going to give it a price, I would say maybe $3.

3. Mica Beauty Tinted Lip Balm in Natural. This is really pretty! A flattering rose/nude color and is decently hydrating. The retail value on the full size is $30. This is a half size and does not come with the lip brush as it does in their online store. So to me, I could see this worth $10-$15.
4. Epice Purifying Exfoliant. I really love this. Made the bag worth it. On their website, their skincare is made to work with the Clarisonic, which I have. But it works with just your hands and water as well. The full retail for a 3.3 oz size is $32 and this is a 1 oz size. So, about a $10 value here.
5. Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner. I like getting hair things in my Ipsy bag. My hair is a mess right now, so hopefully this will help. It smells decent and feels pretty good on my split ends. For $17.95 the full size is 8.5 oz. This is 1.7 oz. I can barely do math, BUT, this is worth about $4.
Overall value: $32. A little less for me than other bags, but still three times more than the price of an Ipsy bag!
Did you love this months' Ipsy bag? Tell me what you got!

Ipsy January Bag: Review

Hey friends!
It's Ipsy time. This months' bag was centered mostly on skin care. Was I impressed? Let's find out!

I received 5 products this month. The bag is cute, but not amazing. I'll break down the products and my thoughts.
1. 4 Proactiv Mark Fading Pads. These have 5% glycolic acid and 2% salicylic acid. I haven't tested these as last time I tried Proactiv, I broke out. My skin may have some mild acne but it is sensitive to anything harsh. There isn't a specific price on the Proactiv website as these are sold in a kit, but I would say this is about $5 worth.
2. Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow Creamy Eye Pencil in Pearl. This is pretty worthless to me. Way too creamy, and such a tiny size. Oh well. The full size retails for $14.99 but to me, this is worth zero. If I was going to give it a price, I would say maybe $3.

3. Mica Beauty Tinted Lip Balm in Natural. This is really pretty! A flattering rose/nude color and is decently hydrating. The retail value on the full size is $30. This is a half size and does not come with the lip brush as it does in their online store. So to me, I could see this worth $10-$15.
4. Epice Purifying Exfoliant. I really love this. Made the bag worth it. On their website, their skincare is made to work with the Clarisonic, which I have. But it works with just your hands and water as well. The full retail for a 3.3 oz size is $32 and this is a 1 oz size. So, about a $10 value here.
5. Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner. I like getting hair things in my Ipsy bag. My hair is a mess right now, so hopefully this will help. It smells decent and feels pretty good on my split ends. For $17.95 the full size is 8.5 oz. This is 1.7 oz. I can barely do math, BUT, this is worth about $4.
Overall value: $32. A little less for me than other bags, but still three times more than the price of an Ipsy bag!
Did you love this months' Ipsy bag? Tell me what you got!

My November Ipsy Bag

Hey everyone!
There are a ton of "what's in my Ipsy bag posts" going around...so I won't bore you with the details...just what I got!
Kiss eyelashes (double back $6.99)Starlooks eyeliner in Amethyst ($14)Em by Michelle Phan eyeliner in Turquoise (what? two eyeliners?) ($20)Be a Bombshell lip crayon in Shameless ($14)Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched (mini size $10)Nailtini Nail Polish in Caviar Cocktail ($13)
Grand total: $77.99...and yes, everything is full size except when stated)
Wow.
Although I wasn't totally amazed with every product, I do recommend Ipsy because you get all of the above for $10! Best beauty bag around!
Now...let's get to swatches...

I have never tried be a...bombshell before, so I was happy to get this in my bag. The shade is Shameless, which is a pinky/berry, although it looks like a dark red rust in the crayon. 

Very pretty, but goes on a little dry on the lips. I feel I need balm or gloss with this, but I do like the grown-up shimmer.

I think Ipsy did a good job matching this color to my skin tone...I wonder if those corny quizzes they make you take really do work?!

This is a twist up-balm crayon style but has the texture of a lipstick.
The next thing I got was a Pixi bronzer in a dusty bronze/pink color. I like Pixi, but find it is a little too expensive for me when labelled as drug-store beauty, so I was jazzed to get this in my bag.

The pigment is kinda lacking, but it does give a nice sheen...which is good I guess, considering it is winter and no one should be bronze...kinda makes you wonder why they put this in a November bag, eh?

The two eyeliners were actually a better surprise than I initially thought. I am kinda over them putting Starlooks in the bags, but this time...I spoke too soon and once I swatched, I loved! I also liked the em. by Michelle Phan eyeliner. I was curious about the quality of her products, and the eyeliner lasted a long time!

I created a look with both of them (Starlooks Amethyst on upper lid and em. Turquoise on lower lash line). The Amethyst is very glittery and got into my eyelashes a bit, but the color is unique and unlike other things I have. I think Turquoise runs a little greener than its namesake, but still pretty.

Overall, November was a pretty good month to be an Ipsy member. Did you love your bag?

My November Ipsy Bag

Hey everyone!
There are a ton of "what's in my Ipsy bag posts" going around...so I won't bore you with the details...just what I got!
Kiss eyelashes (double back $6.99) Starlooks eyeliner in Amethyst ($14) Em by Michelle Phan eyeliner in Turquoise (what? two eyeliners?) ($20) Be a Bombshell lip crayon in Shameless ($14) Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched (mini size $10) Nailtini Nail Polish in Caviar Cocktail ($13)
Grand total: $77.99...and yes, everything is full size except when stated)
Wow.
Although I wasn't totally amazed with every product, I do recommend Ipsy because you get all of the above for $10! Best beauty bag around!
Now...let's get to swatches...

I have never tried be a...bombshell before, so I was happy to get this in my bag. The shade is Shameless, which is a pinky/berry, although it looks like a dark red rust in the crayon. 

Very pretty, but goes on a little dry on the lips. I feel I need balm or gloss with this, but I do like the grown-up shimmer.

I think Ipsy did a good job matching this color to my skin tone...I wonder if those corny quizzes they make you take really do work?!

This is a twist up-balm crayon style but has the texture of a lipstick.
The next thing I got was a Pixi bronzer in a dusty bronze/pink color. I like Pixi, but find it is a little too expensive for me when labelled as drug-store beauty, so I was jazzed to get this in my bag.

The pigment is kinda lacking, but it does give a nice sheen...which is good I guess, considering it is winter and no one should be bronze...kinda makes you wonder why they put this in a November bag, eh?

The two eyeliners were actually a better surprise than I initially thought. I am kinda over them putting Starlooks in the bags, but this time...I spoke too soon and once I swatched, I loved! I also liked the em. by Michelle Phan eyeliner. I was curious about the quality of her products, and the eyeliner lasted a long time!

I created a look with both of them (Starlooks Amethyst on upper lid and em. Turquoise on lower lash line). The Amethyst is very glittery and got into my eyelashes a bit, but the color is unique and unlike other things I have. I think Turquoise runs a little greener than its namesake, but still pretty.

Overall, November was a pretty good month to be an Ipsy member. Did you love your bag?

September Ipsy Bag

I have been interested in getting my hands on an Ipsy bag subscription for a long while, and after months on the waiting list, I finally got my first bag! The September Classic Beauty Bag! 

 For just under $11 a month, you get fun samples of new and known brands and a cute bag to go along with it. What's not to like? 

 Bags vary from member to member based on a survey you take, but here is what I got! Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple (Regular $19 a pot): This is a cool product because it comes with a built in lip brush. To me, this isn't moisturizing or what I would call a balm in anyway. It Is full pigment and a great red, but the name is misleading. I like it for what it does do though. It is also rather matte. Cailyn is a brand that is 100% natural, mineral based, and hypoallergenic. Cool! NYX Single Eye Shadow in Hollywood (Regular $4.50): This is a full sized silver/white sparkly eye shadow. Not the best I've tried from NYX, though. It is fall-out central and goes on patchy. Would make a good over-coat for another eye look. NYX is cruelty-free. Elizabeth Mott "It's So B!G" Volumizing Mascara (Regular size $19.99, this is a smaller travel size): This is a decent mascara with an hourglass brush. Doesn't clump, but doesn't do much else to add drama. If you aren't familiar with this company---its the people who brought you those cute, but rather useless, Lash Cards. Victoria Jackson Taupe Eyebrow Pencil (Regular price $14.95): This is full size and a really nice product. The pencil is pretty universal, creamy, and easy to apply with a twist up applicator. It does need to be set with brow gel though. Victoria Jackson is a Hollywood makeup artist and does a lot for charity. Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian (Regular price $12): This is your basic black eyeliner pencil. Not too hard, not overly creamy, and not overly black. Decent, but I wouldn't hold my breath for this one. The brand is cruelty-free, though. Total Real Value: $60.35 How Much I Value It At: $30. So...even though some of the products aren't the greatest, I still got more than my money's worth! Let's see some swatches. 

 

From left to right: Lip Balm Tint, Brow Pencil, Eyeliner, and Eye shadow.

 

 

Here is a look of me wearing the brow pencil, the eye liner, the mascara, and the shadow.

 

 

Here is the Cailyn lip tint.

 

 

And here is a full face with all the products in the kit.

 

What do you think? Are you an Ipsy fan? Or will you pass on this beauty subscription?

 

 

September Ipsy Bag

I have been interested in getting my hands on an Ipsy bag subscription for a long while, and after months on the waiting list, I finally got my first bag! The September Classic Beauty Bag!  

  For just under $11 a month, you get fun samples of new and known brands and a cute bag to go along with it. What's not to like?  

  Bags vary from member to member based on a survey you take, but here is what I got!   Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple (Regular $19 a pot): This is a cool product because it comes with a built in lip brush. To me, this isn't moisturizing or what I would call a balm in anyway. It Is full pigment and a great red, but the name is misleading. I like it for what it does do though. It is also rather matte. Cailyn is a brand that is 100% natural, mineral based, and hypoallergenic. Cool!   NYX Single Eye Shadow in Hollywood (Regular $4.50): This is a full sized silver/white sparkly eye shadow. Not the best I've tried from NYX, though. It is fall-out central and goes on patchy. Would make a good over-coat for another eye look. NYX is cruelty-free.   Elizabeth Mott "It's So B!G" Volumizing Mascara (Regular size $19.99, this is a smaller travel size): This is a decent mascara with an hourglass brush. Doesn't clump, but doesn't do much else to add drama. If you aren't familiar with this company---its the people who brought you those cute, but rather useless, Lash Cards.   Victoria Jackson Taupe Eyebrow Pencil (Regular price $14.95): This is full size and a really nice product. The pencil is pretty universal, creamy, and easy to apply with a twist up applicator. It does need to be set with brow gel though. Victoria Jackson is a Hollywood makeup artist and does a lot for charity.   Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian (Regular price $12): This is your basic black eyeliner pencil. Not too hard, not overly creamy, and not overly black. Decent, but I wouldn't hold my breath for this one. The brand is cruelty-free, though.   Total Real Value: $60.35   How Much I Value It At: $30.   So...even though some of the products aren't the greatest, I still got more than my money's worth! Let's see some swatches.  

 

From left to right: Lip Balm Tint, Brow Pencil, Eyeliner, and Eye shadow.

 

 

Here is a look of me wearing the brow pencil, the eye liner, the mascara, and the shadow.

 

 

Here is the Cailyn lip tint.

 

 

And here is a full face with all the products in the kit.

 

What do you think? Are you an Ipsy fan? Or will you pass on this beauty subscription?