Ipsy January 2014

Ipsy January 2014: 19 Things

Ipsy's theme this month was skin care, it seemed.  That's cool.  I need to replenish my skincare sample supply.

Ipsy bag, January 2014

I don't like this bag.  It smells terrible- like plastic and burning and grossness.  The design isn't that great, either.  I like the colors, but the design seems like something you would get with fake makeup for 6-year-old girls.

LeeAnni Eco 3 in 1 Revolotion

This is a little pot of a combination toner, serum, and lotion (get it... revoLOTION) from LeeAnni Eco.  It smells like cooked minute rice.  It doesn't feel heavy or greasy or anything, it just doesn't really have any distinguishing characteristics.  The white rice of face lotions?  Perhaps.

Full size, 4 fl.oz $29.98.  This container is 1/4 fl.oz., making it worth $1.87.

Mica Beauty Tinted Lip Balm in #5 Natural

I didn't expect to like this as much as I do!  I wouldn't call it a balm, though.  That implies something with the texture of ChapStick, to me.  This is more like a light, solid stain.  The website claims the color will last up to 24 hours, but I can't really comment on that as I've only had it for 4 hours.

This color is great, it is a total MLBB (my lips but better) color for me.  It doesn't feel like I'm wearing anything on my lips, I keep wanting to put more on because it is so light!  It's not sticky, not greasy, not liquidy or powdery.  Nice.

The full size, 4g, is $30 (and comes with a brush like the Cailyn version) and the 2.5g sample from Ipsy is worth $18.75.

Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner

As a curly-haired girl, I can never have enough leave-in conditioners.  This one smells faintly of passion fruit and left my hair nice and soft.  I like it.  Plus, it helped detangle everything.  FINALLY a Sexy Hair product from Ipsy that I actually like and will use!

250 mL at Ulta is $17.95.  50 mL sample worth $3.59.

Nourish Organic Face Lotion

This lotion is not one of my favorites.  It smells like an orange creamsicle and turned really watery when I went to rub it into my skin.  It left my skin smooth, but I'm not a fan of the texture at all.  Oh well, you win some and you lose some.  This brand is available at Target, among other places.

$21.99 for 1.7 oz.  Sample is 0.5 oz, worth $6.47.

Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow Creamy Eye Pencil in penny

I got the other makeup item offered this month: an eye pencil by Elizabeth Mott in a shiny copper color called, of course, penny.  The other option was a white pearl color, called, duh, pearl.  Creative names.

Copper swatched on bare skin

This is a pretty nice pencil.  I wore it out last night on my lids and it was subtle, but with a little kick.  The above swatch is still visible on my hand, but it has dulled.  I've washed my hands a few times since taking the picture yesterday, but I didn't vigorously scrub.  This pencil has serious staying power!

I saw some comments on Ipsy about sharpening this- it is not a twist-up, it is like NYX jumbo eye pencils and can be sharpened.

Sample is 0.7g, the full size is 1.5g and sells for $14.99, making the sample worth $7.

Ipsy January 2014

All together, my bag this month totaled $37.68.  

I wish I hadn't gotten two face lotions, there was enough variety this month that I could have received something totally different.  That's ok, I like the eye pencil and lip balm, and I love the leave-in conditioner.  It's a win overall for me.  

If you want to try out Ipsy for yourself, it is $10 per month and you can use my link here.  You might have to wait on the list, but they often do promotions where you can skip the line if you share a post on Facebook.  I'll get 250 Ipsy points for each referral.  1000 Ipsy points can be redeemed for a bonus item in your next bag.  Each product you get and review earns you 10 Ipsy points.  This is not the best system, but the products alone are worth the money you spend per month.

Also: Many thanks to Michelle for using my link! I hope you like your bags!

This post contains items purchased by me.  No special consideration or compensation was received for this post and all thoughts and opinions are my own.  This post contains a referral link; see above for details.

Stitch Fix #2, January 2014

Stitch Fix #2: January 2014

Many thanks to the person who signed up for Stitch Fix using my link!  I used my referral credit to schedule a fix :)

Stitch Fix #2

Stitch Fix is a clothing service that, for a $20 styling fee, sends you a box of clothing items and sometimes accessories.  You have 3 days to try everything on and return what you don't like.  You pay for what you keep, and you get a 25% discount if you buy all the items.  Your $20 styling fee is credit toward a purchase.

I filled out a profile with my sizes and style preferences and Stitch Fix did the rest.

Look Cards

The stylist includes a card for each item with a few outfit ideas, along with a little letter.  It's a nice touch, and there are some ideas on the cards that I wouldn't have thought of.

My fix!

This month was pretty good, and the stylist definitely picked items true to my tastes.  I just wish everything wasn't so expensive!  Even after the 25% discount and $25 credit, I would have had to pay $182.50 to keep everything.  I didn't like everything that much.  I'd rather get Golden Tote if I was going to spend >$150 on clothes at a time.

Sophia Skinny Jeans, $88

First item was a pair of jeans from Kensie.  The Sophia Skinny Jeans were awesome, a perfect color and fit, but my budget doesn't allow me to buy $88 jeans right now.  :(  I liked them a lot!

Not too long!

Bye bye, jeans :(

Jeans: Returned

This is the shirt that I ended up keeping!

Galway 3/4 Sleeve Button-Up Blouse, $38

It's really hard to take pictures of black clothes.  I tried.  The buttons are pearls with gold edges.  The shirt is on the sheer side, but you couldn't see the white tank I was wearing through the material. 

Not much definition to the shirt, but it drapes well

This blouse is by 41Hawthorn.

A little wrinkly from its travels

Blouse: Kept

Strasbourg Split-Neck Knit Top, $48

I had mixed feelings about this shirt from Loveappella.  I liked the purple, and that is was soft and long in the back.  I did NOT like that it was a $48 tee shirt.  Too expensive!

I'm so pale that I throw off the contrast.  Sorry!

I'm also having iPhone camera issues.  It works if I restart my phone, but it doesn't like to focus on things and sometimes will randomly close itself.   But, I digress.  I'm sorry for my shitty quality phone pictures.  It would look dumb if I took these with my iPad though!

boring

Boring Shirt: returned.

Cellar Open Front Drape Cardigan, $48

Another weird item.  The sleeves on this Sweet Rain cardigan were too short to be considered long-sleeved, but too short to be 3/4.  I kinda just pushed them up.  The back of this was gathered with an elastic band, and I would have preferred it just drape.

Again, sorry for the color balance.

I would probably wear this, but if I wasn't keeping the whole box, I wouldn't want to pay $48 out of pocket for it.

Cardigan

Cardigan: Returned

Selfridge Cowl Neck Long Sleeved Shirt, $48

UGH.  Again, it's super hard to take pictures of detailed black shirts.  This is a drape-front shirt from 41Hawthorn.  With this shirt, just like the cardigan, the sleeves were a weird length.  These hit just above my wrist bone.  Awkward.

It took me a full 5 minutes to put this shirt on.  It was needlessly complicated.

This shirt fits like a tight tee, but the the front panel folds up to make the cowl, so there are two layers with no bottom seam.  Does that make sense?  It took me a while to figure out how to wear it.

Holy cowl neck.

This wasn't really my style.  I don't really see myself wearing it.

Cowl-Necked Shirt: Returned

The merchandise total came to $270 for this fix, but if I had bought everything, the 25% off and the $25 credit would have brought the total to $182.50.  No thanks.  I kept the blouse and sent everything else back.  

I like the idea of Stitch Fix a LOT.  I really do.  I feel like this would be great for someone with a grown-up job who doesn't have time to shop, and has the money to afford an $88 pair of jeans.  That's not me right now, sadly.  

I would have loved to keep the jeans, but I'm glad that blouse I liked was the most inexpensive item in the box.

If you want to try out Stitch Fix, please use my referral link here.  I'll get $25 credit, and you will get a custom box of clothing to spare you from going to the mall.  Try it on in the privacy of your own home, see how it fits in with your current wardrobe, and send back what you don't like.  It's that simple.

This post contains items purchased by me.  No compensation or special consideration was received for this post.  All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains a referral link; see above for details. 

Popsugar Must Have January 2014

Popsugar Musthave January 2014

I got my box early this month!  Very early.  In fact, spoilers only started showing up this morning.  FedEx usually gets to my house around 6:30 pm, so I wasn't the first, but I am one of the first to open up the January offering from Popsugar.

This month is all about keeping your resolutions.

What's inside?

I really feel like PSMH is grasping at straws when they choose themes, and with how they try to fit their items into said theme.  It's ok to just send a box of stuff.  I promise.

Anyway, the big-ticket item this month is a (Malin + Goetz) Detox Face Mask.

(Malin + Goetz) Detox Face Mask

This goes on like a lotion and foams up after sitting on your skin.  I tried it out, and it was a very interesting sensation.  It feels like little bubbles popping all over your face!  My skin feels smooth and hydrated after using it, and it smells like almonds (benzaldehyde).  Not bad.  I like it a lot!

4 oz, sells for $40 on the (M+G) site.

Next up is a book by Eric Helms: The Juice Generation

The Juice Generation by Eric Helms 

I have a juicer.  I've used it a few times, but it is a pain to clean.  It also takes a LOT of produce to make a glass of juice.  This has juice and smoothie recipes, as well as a guide for getting started and easing your way into juicing.  Maybe I'll give it a try.  Or, maybe this will just sit with my other cookbooks and be neglected.  

Book, $15.96 paperback on Amazon.  Cheaper for Kindle version.

Also included this month is a pair of tech gloves from Jack + Lucy

Jack + Lucy golves

These are gray (chenille?) gloves with conductive threads woven into the forefingers and thumbs.

Gloves

They are nice in the sense that they extend above the wrist, eliminating the pesky gap between short gloves and coat sleeves.  The fingers are a little big on me, these don't stretch very much which could be a problem for some of the smaller-handed ladies out there.  These do work with my phone, but not as well as just with a finger.  I'm not sure if it is because I have a screen protector on or not, but I have to be very deliberate with my gestures when I use these to manipulate my phone content.

I couldn't find this brand anywhere online, and there wasn't a website listed in the PSMH booklet.  I'll estimate these at $15 to be nice.

Since it is January, I sort of expected a calendar of some sort in this month's box.  I was right.

Rifle Paper Co. Cities Calendar

This stand-up calendar from Rifle Paper Co. features cute drawings of a different city each month. The actual calendar part of each page is pretty small, and I don't like that there isn't room to write down appointments and reminders for the days.

January: New York

The pictures are cute, and I'm sure I will find someone that will like this.  I use a blotter-style calendar at work, so I can write down my appointments and reminders and research goals for each day. It also gives me space to write down random things, so I don't need to dig around for paper.  This calendar is not as practical.  Cute, yes.  Practical, no.

This is $16 on the Rifle Paper Co. website.

I wish I had never opened the next item:

Pipcorn Truffle Flavored Mini Popcorn

Pipcorn Mini Popcorn in Truffle flavor from Pipsnacks.  This is amazing.  It is SO GOOD!  I can't even tell you how delicious this popcorn is.  Seriously.  It is salty and savory and light and because the kernels are mini, there aren't any big chunks of hull to get stuck in your teeth!  This mini version is supposed to be easier to digest.

Mini popcorns

All I know is that this is the best bagged popcorn I've ever had.  Ever. 

Pipcorn is $18 for 3 bags ($6 each) and comes in a variety of flavors.  

Last, but not least... well, ok.  Maybe least.  Revlon by Marchesa Box o' Files.

Revlon by Marchesa Box o Files

This is a box of nail files.  They are cute.  They file my nails.  I'm not too excited about them, but whatever.  I'll still use them.

$3.49 at Target.

Popsugar Must Have January 2014

All together, this box had an estimated value of $96.45.

I like the face mask and LOVE the popcorn.  I'll actually use the gloves and files, but that's about it.  At least it is better than months where I just give everything away.  I wasn't blown away by anything.  The last few boxes have been kinda dull for me.  I don't plan on renewing my subscription when it runs out in March.  I'll get 2 more boxes, and then move on to a different subscription.  Maybe FabFitFun?  Any ideas?

If you want to try out Popsugar, please use my link here.  I'll get a free month if I refer 1 more person.   It costs $39.95 per month, plus tax if applicable, and you get discounts if you buy a 3, 6, or 12 month subscription.  Right now, you can get 3 months for the price of two with code NEWYEAR.  Other codes include $10 off your first box with code JAN10, or a free necklace with code HEART14.

No special consideration or compensation was received for this post and all thoughts and opinions are my own. All items mentioned within were paid for by me. This post contains a referral link; see above for details.