Ipsy

IPSY GLAM BAG APRIL 2015!

April 20, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Last month instead of writing a blog post for my Ipsy Glam Bag I did an unbagging first impressions video on my YouTube channel. I decided that this month I wanted to write a blog post on it, but if you missed seeing last months post you can watch the video. I did originally plan on doing a video unboxing, but it turned into a hilarious bloopers video for my channel : ) Please don’t forget to let me know what you got in your Ipsy this month if you’re a subscriber, and what you thought!

Ipsy Glam Bag March 2015:

My April Ipsy Glam Bag:

Bag and Theme:

The theme is “Beautifully Bohemian” and the bag is an adorable straw bag with colorful stripes. I *love* the bag! It is so cute and summery, and the inside is lined so even though the outside is straw it can still function as a makeup bag.

JulieG Nail Color in Damsel:

I love nail polish. This is a beautifully creme midtone pink color. I have a really embarassingly gigantic nail polish collection that I justify because I do my own nails and switch the colors often. I have not used this brand before, but hopefully it’s as pretty as appears in the bottle and wears well.

Hey Honey Good Morning Honey Silk Facial Serum:

I am excited to try this out! I am really pleased with the generous size of this sample because I will actually be able to get a good feel for the product. I am thinking even though it says “Good Morning” in the name that I may prefer it under a night moisturizer because I do tend to worry about getting oily in the daytime. I will check it out.

Starlooks Lipgloss in Cuddle:

At first glance I do not like this color. It seems a bit matronly, but once swatched I think it could have potential over nude lipsticks. We will see. Not a fan of the packaging, but the formula seems okay, and I love the small size with a nice doe foot applicator for tossing into any bag.

Nude Dude Volume 2 Eyeshadow in Fit:

I was SO excited to see something from The Balm. When I had my makeup done for my wedding the makeup artist used mostly The Balm and I have adored the brand ever since. I own the nude ‘tude palette from the balm, and now I really want the Nude Dude. They are reasonably priced, especially compared to other high-end neutral eyeshadow palettes, and very highly pigmented! Also, how cute is the packaging? They also offter a “clean” version if you don’t like the suggestive packaging of the Nude ‘Tude, but I am not sure of the Nude ‘Dude options. I got the color “fit” which is a beautiful copper color with gorgeous shimmer. I love that we got an adorable package magnetic closure which is such a nice touch.

Aromachology Rollerball Perfume in Sophisticated & Sensual:

At first sniff I wasn’t that into this, but after wearing it for the past couple of days I actually am really growing to love it. And, Stephan commented that I smelled good when I was wearing it (and he didn’t know it was something that I was reviewing or something new) which is always a bonus ; ) I love a rollerball for traveling and for my bag!

Overall I LOVED this month! I will use everything, and I see myself reaching for these products on a regular basis. Once again to me this was definitely worth the $10 that Ipsy costs/month. If you are interested in Ipsy, you can find out more here. Let me know what you thought in the comments or what products you got in your bag!!

Have a wonderful week and thank you for reading loves!! xo

Ipsy Glam Bag February 2015!

February 25, 2015 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Thank you for being here!

Today I want to share my Ipsy bag for February 2015! If you don’t know, Ipsy Glam Bag is a $10/month subscription where you get 4-5 deluxe size samples or sometimes full size products in makeup, hair, nails, and skincare. Do you subscribe to Ipsy? I would love to hear about what you thought of your bag this month!! I don’t look at spoilers, I love the surprise everytime I get subscription bag/box mail, but I do love seeing the other variations people got once I’ve opened mine. Do you check spoilers? Is that why you’re here?! ; )

February Ipsy Glam Bag:

Bag and Theme:

I like this bag, it’s very cute and will fit a few items nicely for long day trips or tucking some essentials into my diaper bag (p.s I miss purses!! ; ) ) The theme “Love is just a word…until you find someone to give it meaning” is cute.

Model Co. Blush Cheek Powder in Cosmopolitan 01:

This is my favorite item in the bag by far! I love blush and this classic pink color is so pretty!

City Color Cosmetics Cream Lip Stain in Flirtini:

It needs to be said: This packaging is awful! Seriously, not cute! Not even a little bit. I appreciate pretty packaging, but don’t consider myself a packaging snob, but this crosses the line for me! It also has an odd smell, not strong enough that it would stop me from wearing it, but something to be aware of. I will say that I tried it and really enjoyed the color and found that it did stain my lips pretty nicely. If you’re watching this season of The Bachelor, it reminds me of Brit’s famous pout.

Eva NYC Up All Night Volumizing Spray:

I haven’t tried this yet because mine leaked everywhere unfortunately : ( I have never had leaked items before and this month I had one in both my February PopSugar Must Have Box and my Ipsy! Ipsy responded almost immiedately to my email and they are replacing this item and my bag because it was all wet.

Emite Make Up Professional Eye Lash Curler:

Ipsy sent out an email saying that some of these were defective, and while mine wasn’t I don’t want to take any chances! I love my lashes, thank you very much! I don’t need an eyelash curler breaking them off! I love my Tarte curler and doubt this would have beat that for me anyways. It was nice they emailed everyone and showed pictures to identify a defective curler, though.

Mitchell and Peach Flora No. 1 Fine Radiance Face Oil:

I love this! It feels wonderful and doesn’t make my combo/oily skin feel greasy at all. A very nice face oil! I would consider purchasing this one!

Overall, I am not thrilled with the bag, but I don’t hate it either. Let’s hope March is a better month for my *BIRTHDAY* month : ) Do you subscribe to Ipsy? Did you like your bag this month? If you’d like to subscribe you can do so by clicking here!

Thank you for reading and supporting my blog! Please don’t forget to subscribe and share!! Have a great weekend!

Ipsy Glam Bag December 2014!

December 17, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

As promised in Monday’s blog post, today I want to share my Ipsy bag for December! If you don’t know, Ipsy Glam Bag is a $10/month subscription where you get 4-5 deluxe size samples or sometimes full size products in makeup, hair, nails, and skincare. Do you subscribe to Ipsy? I would love to hear about what you thought of your bag this month!!

December Ipsy Glam Bag:

Bag and Theme:

I think the theme “Thinking of You” is sweet and the card says “You Are a Talented Being” which I love, I am saving the card to put on my desk or vanity! The bag is really simple and nice, it reminds me of bags that my mom would get at department stores when I was little, which I would then steal and carry around like they were fancy purses!! I was *so* elegant : ) : )

Bumble and Bumble BB Repair Blow Dry Serum-in-Creme:

Even though this is tiny, I am excited for a sample from Bumble and Bumble! I actually don’t blow dry my hair too often, I try to let it dry naturally since I put enough heat on it curling it regularly. I am excited to give this a try!

Cailyn Just Mineral Eye Polish in #5 Orchid:

I thought this was nail polish at first! I am not a fan of loose eye shadows for everyday use because they can be messy and take longer to apply, but this color is reeeeeally gorgeous!! The packaging and applicator remind me of Beauty Rush Luminous Shadows that Victorias Secret carried several years back. I am going to give this a shot because with a little blending this might be a gorgeous one-shadow look! Not my favorite thing, but hoping to get some use out of it. The pigmentation seems to be good, and of course there will be fallout with a loose shadow, but we will see how it wears! Did anyone else get this? What are you thoughts? I would love to hear what you think!

Nourish Organic Renewing Eye Cream with Avocado + Argan for Normal to Dry Skin:

Typically with eye creams I want something that’s a little more potent and will really help me combat dark circles and fine lines, but because I am pregnant this is a great gentle and safe alternative. This feels rich and very moisturizing for the delicate eye area.

Tarte Lights Camera Lashes in Black:

I have sooo many mini mascaras, but I love trying new ones and this is a formula I know I love!! I always wear a water proof mascara as my first layer because I haaaate when mascara transfers, but this is a great mascara that builds beautifully on itself!!!

NYX Butter Lip Balm in Parfait:

I am suuuper happy with this! I LOVE NYX lippies, and I’ve never tried one of their butter balms but I love their butter glosses! My lips have been so dry this pregnancy, but I like to have color on my lips, so a tinted balm like this is fantastic! This is going to be packed in my hospital bag (which I need to do….liiiike now! I’ll be 37 weeks Friday!) for sure!!

Overall I am once again really happy with this months bag!! There isn’t anything that I won’t use or at least have fun trying, and it is definitely worth the $10! Do you subscribe to Ipsy? What did you think of your bag this month? If you’re interested in more information, you can find it here.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! I hope that you enjoyed this post : ) Have a WONDERFUL weekend! Can you believe it is almost Christmas!?! And Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate!

Tarte Kiss & Belle Lipsurgence Lip Set! Swatches & Review! Free shipping now!

December 15, 2014 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

About a month ago I got my hands on the “Kiss & Belle Lipsurgence Lip Set” from Tarte Cosmetics and because Sephora is offering FREE shipping on this until Thursday 12/18 with the code “GIFTSHIP” in the U.S, I thought it would be a great time to show you some swatches and give you a short review.

*NOTE: I am in no way affiliated with Sephora or Tarte, I just saw the deal was going on and wanted to share because (review spoiler!) I think it’s absolutely worth the money!

What You Get:

This kit containsn a total of 8 deluxe mini sized lipsurgence lip tints and lip glosses:

4 LipSurgence lip tints in Dreamy (raspberry), Alluring (very pretty mauve), Innocent (a nude), Dainty (pale pink)

2 LipSurgence matte lip tints in Eternal (pink nude), Fancy (berry)

2 LipSurgence lip glosses in Kiss (pale pink), Belle (a raspberry)

My Thoughts:

I absolutely LOVE this set! They are small, but perfect to throw in your purse, and still plenty of product. I love lip products, so it is pretty rare that I go through something completely (unless you’re talking my EOS lipbalms!), so I don’t mind the smaller size. The lipsurgence tints twist up and are like the many other jumbo crayon style balms out on the market. The lipsurgence tints have a very minty smell and a cool feel on the lips, I like this but it is something to be aware of if you aren’t a fan of that in your lip products. The lip glosses in this set have a very nice vanilla scent. The matte tints wore for a long time, and didn’t seem drying on my lips which is really saying something since my lips have been *SO DRY* this pregnancy! It has been a problem because I have had to avoid a lot of my favorite lipsticks, especially my mattes. The regular tints don’t last quite as long as the mattes, and the color is more varied in opacity and pigmentation depending on which of the regular tints I reach for. These glosses are a little bit sticky, which I actually like because it means they’ll have a better staying power! The glosses are not so sticky that they are uncomfortable on the lips. I think that the color and finish variety in this set make it a fabulous gift for any makeup lover out there, and it’s also very affordable compared to other holiday makeup exclusives! You could also split this up and they’d make great stocking stuffers!! I have been reaching for these almost daily lately, and am very pleased!

Swatches:

Thank you for reading my post! Be ready for my review of the Ipsy Glam Bag for December on Wednesday! Also, can you BELIEVE we are only 10 days away from Christmas?!

IPSY GLAM BAG NOVEMBER 2014!

November 24, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! My husband dressed up like Captain America for a Comic Con event and I was so proud watching him interact with people and take lots of fun pictures! He is super supportive of this blog, and all of my other ideas and endeavors, not to mention my photographer for outfit posts, and I try to be as supportive of him as he is of me <3

Today I want to go over my November Ipsy bag, which I am very happy with this month! If you don’t know, Ipsy Glam Bag is a $10/month subscription where you get 4-5 deluxe size samples or sometimes full size products in makeup, hair, nails, and skincare. Do you subscribe to Ipsy? I would love to hear about what you thought of your bag this month!!

November Ipsy Glam Bag:

Bag and Theme:

I really like this bag! It’s so fun and girly, and it reminds me of a bag that you would find at Victoria’s Secret even though this months bag says Forever 21 for Ipsy. I think the theme, Girl Meets Glitter, is really fun for the holidays coming up!

Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Eye Base in Submissive:

I was really excited to see this in the bag! I love using M.A.C Paint Pots and Maybelline Color Tattoos for an eye shadow base, and this looks very similar to those. I think the color is beautiful, and although it feels a little more slippery and thin that what I expected, I think it will be stunning with lots of eye looks.

J Cat Beauty Wonder Lip Paint in Red Potion:

This immediately reminded me of a lip tar, which I have never tried but have always been interested in, and I am intrigued to try this. I did find the applicator to be only okay, and I did end up using a lip brush, but the color I did like! It was a bit darker, very vampy, but I could apply it with a light hand and get a more everyday wearable fall/winter color. This wore nicely on my lips and lasted well. It was a bit of a pain to apply, and I would be interested to try another color that I might prefer, but I did like this.

Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Volume Shine Hairspray:

I love little travel size hairsprays because we do tend to travel for nightaway trips pretty often. I am loving that this has argan oil, and am going to try this out first but will very likely pack this in my hospital bag for baby #3.

Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Ultra Orchid:

Usually eyeliners with glitter bother me because they can tug when you use them, but this is very soft which I really like. I think this could be very pretty for holiday looks. I like that I don’t have any liners in this color.

Temptu S/B Highlighter:

I have always been interested in the Temptu airbrush systems, but I didn’t know that they had products that could be used without the system. This is a very pearly white/pink highlighter, and I think that it would apply nicely with a small stipple brush. I love a good highlight, and I have high hopes for this!

Overall I am very happy with this months glam bag! I think that these prodcuts will definitely get some use and I think they’ll be fun things to play around with! I LOVE that a lot of these products are things I haven’t played around with much, like the J Cat Wonder Lip Paint, and that is awesome as a beauty blogger who wants to learn about new things! If you would like more information about Ipsy or would like to subscribe, you can find the information you need here.

Thank you as always so much for being here!! Please subscribe if you haven’t done so already and find me on social media!!

Ipsy Glam Bag October 2014!

October 20, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I had a post prepared for today, but when I got my Ipsy bag in the mail right before leaving for a night away, I thought it would be a great time to do a true first impression of this bag. Please excuse the not so wonderful lighting, but you can see that I was really in a hotel ; ) Do you subscribe to the Ipsy Glam Bag?

October Ipsy Glam Bag:

The Bag:

The teal color is pretty, but I really don’t care for this bag. The quilted design in okay, but it is SO cheap-y looking and cheap/plastic feeling. I will use it for travel, but it isn’t anything I’m excited about.

Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths:

These smell very nice and worked well removing my makeup in the hotel. Very nice product! But to take the place of my beloved Neutrogena cleansing cloths? That’ll be hard!

Ayres Body Butter:

This is a tiny sample, but I always love trying lotions and body butters! This is made with the essential oils jasmine and rosemary, and I do like the smell. This does feel nice and rich, and I’m going to enjoy using this.

H20+ Face Oasis:

This says it is a hydrating treatment that is oil-free and non-greasy, which is important to me because I have combo/oily skin. I love trying new skin treatments, and am intrigued by the gel texture of this. This is a really high-end product, and I’m excited to get the chance to try it out with this generous sample.

Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascara in 001 Blackest Black:

I already have an unopened package of this from my PopSugar Must Have Box, and now that I have two I am going to try it out. I love trying new mascaras, but I don’t like opening more than a couple at a time. I love that this is a full-size product!

Noyah All-Natutral Lipstick in Deeply in Mauve:

How cute is this tiny little lipstick?! Adorable mini lipstick but it did nick very easily on the edge when I opened it (you can see this in the picture where the lipstick got onto the tube). It is a great color for fall and the formula seems to be very creamy which feels great on the lips. The color seems to be buildable, and I really like it. It did wipe off pretty easily when I swatched it, but we will see how it wears on the lips!

I think I will really enjoy the cleansing cloths, even though they aren’t that exciting, and I really like the body butter as well. I think the lipstick is precious and I like that the color is very buildable! Do you subscribe to Ipsy? Did you like your box this month? I would love to hear from you! I am going to tweak my profile and see if my products improve a bit for next month, although I still think this was worth the $10. Have a wonderful week and thank you for reading!!

Ipsy Glam Bag September 2014!!

September 24, 2014 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!!

Well, I *finally* caved! I have been a reading and watching reviews and unboxings of the Ipsy Glam Bag for a looooong time and after some heavy debating between Birchbox vs Ipsy, I decided to ~~go with~~ start with Ipsy. Today I will be sharing what I got in my bag as well as my thoughts/mini reviews. When you sign up for Ipsy you create a profile so you get items that are supposed to be catered to your preferences, as well as skin type and hair type. Ipsy sends deluxe samples and full-sized products for $10/month. If you are interested in signing up for the Ipsy Glam Bag you can do so here.

September Ipsy Glam Bag:

Swatches of NYX Hot Singles Eye Shadow in Burlesque, Pacifica Natural Water-Proof Eyeliner in Fringe, and Cailyn Art Touch Tinted LipGloss in Basic Instinct:

The Bag:

The bag is a cute silver/chrome faux leather with stud details. This bag is cute and a nice size to slip into a purse so that your essentials are easy to grab!

Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in Basic Instinct:

At first I was really excited for this product, and I really do like the lip gloss formula…the color is just not for me! This is a really pretty nude, but the color isn’t the most flattering with my skintone. I *do* like the lip gloss though, and would like to try it in another color.

NYX Hot Singles Eye Shadow in Burlesque:

This is my first NYX single shadow, and I think it’s a beautiful color. The eye shadow has nice color payoff and will be beautiful for fall and winter. I would like to de-pot these into a Z-Palette, and I think they would work well stored with M.A.C single eye shadows.

Pacifica Natural Water-Proof Eyeliner in Fringe:

This is a basic brown eye pencil, and I like brown eyeliner for a more natural look. I do NOT think that this eye pencil is waterproof, but I will continue to use it and enjoy the color.

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask:

I haven’t tried this yet, but I am VERY excited to try this! I love deep conditioning treatments, and I am always looking to give my ends some love!

Crown Brush C476 Crease/Shadow Brush:

I have never tried Crown Brushes before but I am excited to try this one out! Duo ended brushes aren’t my favorite, because they aren’t as easy to store, but I do travel at least one or two nights a month, and this will come in handy for that!

I am very happy with my first Ipsy Glam Bag, and although I’m not in love with all of the products, I can pass them onto family and friends who may like them better, and I’ll still get more than $10 worth. What subscription boxes are you loving? What boxes are you lusting over? Let me know in the comments!! : )