Ipsy June 2014

Ipsy June 2014

Continuing the back-log of June subscriptions, here is my Ipsy bag.

Rebecca Minkoff for Ipsy

I love the bag!  This is probably my favorite Ipsy bag to date, and I've been carrying it around ever since it arrived.  My one complaint is that the zipper is not on the top, but it's a minor detail.  The print makes up for it.

Carol's Daughter Sacred Tiare Styling Cream

I haven't tried this yet, and to be honest, I totally forgot about it.  Anti-breakage and anti-frizz sounds good though, I could use some of that (provided it is effective) on humid days like today.  If it works, I wouldn't be against picking up a tube of it, as it is relatively inexpensive for a hair product and you can find it at Target.

90 mL full size is $12, 15 mL sample worth $2

Realtree for her

Ugh, another perfume.  Great.  What happened to sending makeup, Ipsy?  This smells soft and powdery on me- like Love's Baby Soft, but without the nostalgia. It's pretty inoffensive, so I don't think I will have a problem wearing this to work.... if I remember it.  It's pretty boring.

$20 for 100 mL, making this (3 mL? it's about twice the normal size) sample worth $0.60

Nicka K Shimmer Eyeliner in Blue

This has a felt tip that is pretty flexible, so you can draw thinner or thicker lines depending on your mood.  The eyeliner itself is metallic and has a pretty thin consistency, with chunks of glitter in it.  You definitely need two coats of this, minimum, to really pack a punch.

Full size, $4.99

Shimmery

I was really excited to get another NYX Butter Gloss in this month's bag! I have a few already, and they are among my favorite lip glosses.

NYX Butter gloss in Eclair

This color is a little on the pale side for me, but makes for a nice nude lip.  In a weird twist, I got this bag a week before my niece was born... and we have been calling her baby Eclair because her name is Emerson Claire!  Weird.

The gloss itself is not sticky, very shiny, and smells and tastes like a dessert.

This is full sized, $5.

Ofra Universal Eyebrow Pencil

This eyebrow pencil isn't much different from any of the others that I have.  If you press hard, you get a dark brown line.  If you use a lighter touch, the color is softer.  However, this is definitely NOT a universal pencil.  It works for me, but probably wouldn't if you have any other brow color besides medium brown.  I think I like the Chella version better, because it is self-sharpening!

This is full sized, $13.

Ipsy June 2014

All in all, it was not the worst bag, but not the best either.  If the perfume and hair samples had been swapped out for makeup, I would have enjoyed it more.  Ipsy has sent a lot of skin and hair care products recently, and I would like to get back to makeup-only bags!

All together, my bag had a value of $25.59

Ipsy is $10 per month and sends you 4-6 deluxe and full-sized (mostly makeup) items in a reusable makeup bag.  You can review each item on their site for 10 points each, and every 1000 Ipsy points will get you a bonus item.  If you want to try it out, please use my link here.  I'll get some extra Ipsy points for each referral.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Balm, Balm Stain, and Matte Balms

I also picked up a set of these three Revlon products as an Ipsy deal!  I got them for $18, which is saving about 33% each.  They came loose in a pink Ipsy mailer... weird.  I guess I was expecting them to be wrapped or something?

Pretty

It was a little off-topic, but I did want to show that Ipsy does one deal per week where you can get a discount on a featured product from that month's bag.

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.

Ipsy December 2013 Review

Ipsy December 2013

A few moments ago, I watched the mail man deliver my mail in the snow.  There was no telltale pink envelope, and I was sad.  Ipsy should have arrived!  But... but... there's no mail on Sundays! OH NO!  I'll get it Monday.  The horror.

But, a minute later, he came trudging down the side walk with the pink bubble mailer gleaming through the flurries.  He put it in the mail box, and then slogged back to the truck, probably cursing me under his breath.  I shoved my feet into my boots and ran outside!  Yay!  A momentary distraction from the snowy gloom encircling most of the northeast!

Summary: I need to make my mail man cookies and give him a gift card to Dunkin.  RI runs on Dunkin.


On to the review!

Ipsy, The bag.  December 2013

Glam bags went up before today, so of course I peeked.  This month we got 5 items, 2 of which were constant (minus color variations), and three that varied.

Everyone got a POP Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eyeshadow Trio.

I got a shimmery set of light gray, medium slate gray, and a charcoal color.  This set is called "Smokin' Hot" and I'm not keeping it.  It would make a much better gift!

POP Beauty Smokin' Hot Trio

POP Beauty's site sells a palette of 10 shadows for $24.00, making three shadows (0.15 oz) worth $7.20.

The other consistent item from Ipster to Ipster was a Be a Bombshell The One Stick.  I got this in the color, "Flustered," which is a very bright warm-toned pink. 

Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Flustered

I have gotten quite a few products from this brand though Ipsy!  I was expecting this stick to be really thick and sticky and creamy for some reason.  I'm not sure why?  It went on smoothly, and was powdery to the touch when I blended it in with my fingers.  I'm not sure if I am willing to use this on my lips, I have too many dedicated lip products, but it would make a really nice blush!  Just be careful, because a little bit goes a really long way with this.

This sells for $16 on the Be a Bombshell Cosmetics site.

NYX Round Lipstick in Sky Pink

Everyone got a lip product, either a J.cat lip pencil or an extra creamy round lipstick from NYX.  I got the NYX lipstick in sky pink.  NYX describes this color as a, "light blue-toned pink with silver shimmer (pearl)."  Yeah.  It's a pale pink pearl lipstick.  Hey NYX, frosty pink lipstick died in the 80's, let's not bring it back.  Ipsy? Are you taking notes?

The lighting makes it look better than it actually is

$4.00 is too much for a throwback to the year I was born.  Oh well.  Win some, lose some.


This month, there were three different sets of false lashes and three different nail polish brands being sent out.  I was sent one of the nail polishes from Nicka K New York in Ripe Apple. 

Nicka K Ripe Apple

This is a darker red than I expected.  It reminds me a little bit of Julep Coco, but more of a true red than a brown-leaning one.  I like the design of the bottle, the top seems really sleek and elegant.  The formula is decent, and covers in two coats without any difficulty.  The problem lies within the brush.  For some reason, I don't like it at all!  It is very long and square and it was difficult to control.  There wasn't a flat side like some brushes, and it didn't have tapered edge bristles like others.  I'm sure I've used brushes like this before, but I can't ever remember having this much trouble.  Maybe it's just me.

Nicka K Ripe Apple Swatch, true to life.

$4.99 from Nicka K's website.

Some of the other either/or items were a Mirabella eyeshadow brush, a Demeter roll-on perfume, and this set of perfume samples from English Laundry.  The set came with their Signature fragrances for him and for her.

English Laundry samples.

I haven't tried out the men's fragrance yet, but the ladies' version smells like if you sprayed yourself down with Luv's Baby Soft and then rolled around in a pile of fresh-cut grass trimmings.  I actually like it.


Scratch that, I sprayed myself with the men's version.  #YOLO.  (Someone, come save me from myself).  It's not that bad!  It's heavy on the lemon, sandalwood, and cedar, and to me, smells like if you just spent a lot of time cleaning your log cabin with lemon pledge.  Honestly, I'll probably wear this one.  Who cares what the label says?  Gender is irrelevant when it comes to spraying fancy things on yourself.

The two vials were glass and I'm amazed they didn't break!  The sample sizes are quite generous, but neither one of my bottles were full.  Signature pour femme was about 2/3 full and pour homme was about 3/4 full.  I don't really care, this is still more than the normal freebie perfume sample size.  I'm just glad I like both scents and that they won't go to waste.

Each version sells for $72 for 1.7 fl. oz.  The samples were supposed to be 5 mL (0.17 fl. oz.) each, making them worth $14.40 for both.

Swatches:  Top (left) Flustered blended out.  Middle, Flustered not blended.  Bottom, NYX in Sky Pink.

Total Value $46.59.

Not a bad month, but not my favorite.  I really like the bag, the quilted black is quite a step up from the cheap-looking bags of the past!  I'm pretty ambivalent toward everything I got this month.  I'll probably end up giving most of it away.  Except the lipstick- that will probably end up in the garbage if I don't go as an 80's whatever for halloween in 10 months.

If you want to sign up for Ipsy, please use my link here.  It costs $10 per month and you will get 5-6 full or deluxe sized (mostly makeup) items each month.  If you like makeup, I would pick Ipsy over Birchbox.  You definitely get more bang for your buck this way!  If you sign up with my link, I will get 250 points which can be used toward a bonus item.  Each bonus item costs 1000 points.

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.

PopSugar Must Have Review October 2013

I can never seem to avoid spoilers for my boxes!  Try as I might, I always cave and click those spoiler links...

However, having the actual box in my hands is very different from seeing pictures online.

October 2013 Popsugar Must Have

This month, PopSugar did a Halloween/Breast Cancer Awareness theme.

First item is The Can't Cook Book: Recipes for the Aboslutely Terrified! by Jessica Seinfeld.  This is because, "the holidays are coming and you should cook for people,"... according to PS.

The Can't Cook Book

I love to cook.  I usually just wing it, but some of the things in this book look tasty.  I'm not sure if I'll keep this or not.  Nothing really compares to my kitchen bible: The New Best Recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  Now that is a cookbook.

This is my cookbook metric.
Photo from Amazon

The Can't Cook Book sells for about $17 on Amazon, but has a cover price of $27.99.


Next up, NYX Cosmetics Liquid Liner and Shadow Palette.. to look sexy this season.  Damn it, I try to look sexy every season.  Thanks, PS.

NYX Liquid Brown Eyeliner

The liner is from their "Collection Chocolaté" and is a non-sparkly medium brown liner.  The included brush isn't bad; if you are careful you can get a very, very thin line.  Liquid liners aren't my thing, though.  I'll see if I know anyone who wants this.

NYX Smokey Palette

Also from NYX is their Smokey Shadow Palette, with 6 eyeshadows and a useless sponge applicator.

NYX Swatches, 1

I was impressed by these shadows, they have decent pigmentation even without a primer (for the most part).  I did a quick eye look with my crappy brushes (my good ones are in the car so I can do my makeup in the parking lot at work...) and it didn't turn out that bad.  I think I will definitely need to use a primer if I want it to look good and stay longer than 2 minutes.

NYX Swatches 2: Note the very sparkly shadow on the extreme left

2 minute smokey eye on my face

Liner, $6.
Palette, $7.

NYX seems to be all over my subscription boxes lately!


Gorjana Charity Bali Bead Bracelet.

TIny Gorjana Bali Bracelet

The little insert PS sends says that this color is special, for PopSugar's signature pink color, and that all proceeds from their retail site will go to a charity called Breast Cancer Connections.

Bali Bracelet next to my Alex & Ani

This is cute and dainty.  I like it, but not enough to want to pay $45 for it... even IF all of that cost will go to charity.

Bracelet, $45.


Next up is a familiar item, that was to give you a festive season-appropriate mani:
Julep 4-Free Nail Color in Coco and Freedom Polymer Top Coat.

Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat and Julep Coco

I lucked out because I do not have this color, I like the color they sent, and I wanted to try the polymer top coat but did not want to pay what Julep charges.

Coco is an oxblood creme and goes on very smoothly in two coats.  This is an amazing fall color.  It's vampy, yet wearable, and doesn't wash me out like dark colors sometimes do.  The deep red does a great job of warming up my dead-looking hands.

Julep Coco with Freedom Polymer Top Coat over it.
I'm too lazy to clean up my nails right now.  Sorry not sorry, my couch is comfy.

The Freedom Polymer Top Coat is supposed to give a gel-like finish in 5 minutes without a UV lamp.

Coco, $14
Freedom Top Coat, $18.

If you want to sign up to be a Julep Maven ($19.99 per month, first box for free using code FREEBOX), you can do so by using my link here.  I'll get some points for referring you, and you will get Maven pricing (20% off site-wide), access to mystery boxes, and some quality polish.  You can skip a box or cancel at any time, as well as change style profiles to get whatever box you want that month.


Continuing the beauty trend (Halloween updos?), and the trend of sub boxes sending me bobby pins:

Jane Tran Thin Metallic Bobby Pins

Jane Tran Thin Metallic Bobby Pin Set.  2 sparkly green, 2 sparkly blue, and 2 sparkly gray pins (set D on their website).  These are cute, but I'm afraid they would be like all the other novelty bobby pins I've gotten recently and just rip out my hair.  These are going in the giveaway pile so one of my fine-haired friends can enjoy them.


Bobby Pins, $12.



To tie into the breast cancer awareness theme, PS sent "The Wet Brush" in a hot pink color. The company will donate 25% of its sales to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  This brush is supposed to allow you to break the cardinal rule of hair and brush it while it is wet.  The bristles do feel very thin and flexible to me.  I'll test it out after I shower tonight.

The Wet Brush

The Wet Brush, $14.  Also: Not only does this company make "the wet brush", they also sell little brushes they have deemed, "the squirts".  Yeah....

The Halloween theme continues with a more obvious item:

The Crispery Halloween Crispycake.

Giant hunk of marshmallow and crispy rice cereal.
SO GOOD.

This is a HUGE rice krispy treat with orange and black sprinkles on top. YUM.  Thanks!  I'll devour this once my nails dry.  I will share it though, because that much marshmallow would make me sick.  Also, their website tells you to share it because these things are big.  Seriously.  Diabetic comas await those who attempt to eat an entire crispycake in one sitting.

Crispycake, $3.95


Finally, PS included a $20 gift card (essentially, a waived styling fee) to Stitch Fix.

Blurry Stitch Fix Gift Card

Stitch Fix is a styling service that has you fill out a very detailed profile and sends you "fixes" of clothing and accessories that they think will fit you and that you will love.  You can let your stylist know what you liked and didn't, and what you would like to see more of.  There is a $20 styling fee per fix, that will get deducted from the price of an item if you buy something from them.  You get three days to evaluate everything before sending it back in a pre-paid bag.  If you buy everything they sent in that fix, you get 20% off of everything.

I think this is a great concept.  It's like Golden Tote, except you don't have to buy things before deciding if you like them or not!  I asked them to keep my prices low, and to send preppy casual items.  I'll be sure to put a review up when I get my items!


You can sign up using my link here, and I will get some credit to spend on their fixes.


Total Value (not counting stitch fix, and with a low book price): $136.95


Not bad.  I'll actually use some of this stuff this month!

PopSugar costs are increasing on the 4th of November to $39.95 per month. If you sign up before then, you can lock in the current pricing for 3,6, or 12 month subscriptions (about $32 per month) here.  If you use my referral link, I will earn free boxes for every so many people who join.

HOWEVER: even though they are increasing their prices, I still think that PS is a great deal.  You get full-sized (or very deluxe-sized) items each month.  The quality is almost always excellent, and the value always exceeds the amount paid for the box.  Even if you don't like something, they make great gifts.

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 referral links to Julep, Stitchfix, and Popsugar.  See above for details. 

Ipsy Review September 2013

Ipsy September 2013

Woo! Ipsy time!

This month's theme is "Classic Beauty" and the bags included products to help you create your favorite classic looks.

Ipsy September 2013

This month everyone received a shade of NYX powder eyeshadow single.  I got ES29: Deep Charcoal.

NYX Eyeshadow in Deep Charcoal

This is a shimmery darker gray color, but is very buildable.  I was able to get a sheer layer, but also a true-to-pan swatch with another swipe of color.  I used my finger and no primer in the pictures below.

Cailyn and NYX Swatches

Full size, value $4.50

The next item that everyone got was another mascara.  We just got one last month, but at least this is sealed and I can keep it until needed.  

It's So Big Mascara from Elizabeth Mott

It's So Big Volumizing Mascara from Elizabeth Mott.  Claims to lengthen and curl your lashes, and last all day.

The full size is 10 mL and sells for $20.  Sample size 4mL, worth $8.

We also each got three other items, chosen based on our Ipsy profiles by Ipsy Match. Uh.. ok.  I would have liked the mini Butter London polish WAY BETTER than anything I got.  Oh well, win some, lose some.  Could have been worse!

Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple

Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple

This is packaged just like the Cailyn gel eyeliner I got in a previous bag.  The cap unscrews from the pot and there is a built-in brush.  I used my finger to apply this and now my finger is stained... I probably should have used the brush!

Cailyn Balm and included brush

Everyone got the same color, a bright blue-toned red that should be flattering on most skin tones.  I don't know what I'm going to do with all these red lip products I'm getting! I suppose I'm going to have to learn to rock the red lip.  This balm is more like a stain- it is on the dry side, but not drying, if you know what I mean.  It didn't rub off on my boyfriends cheek (he HATES when things don't pass that test! ;) and still feels pretty smooth on my lips without being sticky or slimy or anything.

This was the tiniest amount of product I could manage to apply- and it's STILL super red.

This was full-sized (3g) and sells for $19.

Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian

Starlooks Kohl Eyeliner in Obsidian

Snore.  Another black eyeliner that is not my beloved UD24/7.  It's going in the giveaway drawer.  I'm sure it's great, but I have at least 3 UD liners in Zero and one in Perversion.  Not to mention my various black gel eyeliners that I have gotten in sub boxes.  I don't think I'll use them up any time soon anyway, as I mostly wear bright colors and not black.

Again, I think it's interesting that a makeup company with its own subscription box would partner with Ipsy.  It's probably a good move on their part, and at least a black eyeliner is generally going to be flattering on everyone- not like the lip liners they sent out that were odd colors.

This is full sized (2.4g) and sells for $12.

The final product(s) I got in my bag were three of the Freeman Beauty Paper Masks.

Freeman Beauty Paper Trio

I got one each in Starfruit (purifying), Rose (brightening), and Blue Agave (hydrating).  You smooth the mask on your face, wait 5-10 minutes, and then peel off.  I've never used a paper mask before and am interested to try it out!

These sell for about $1.99 each.  $5.97 for the three.

The other either/or items were: Butter London mini polish, Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil, J.Cat Beauty Fantabulous Lipstick, Jesse's Girl Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo, John Frieda Full Repair Conditioner, Pop Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon, Skyn Iceland Firming Eye Gels, or Victoria Jackson Taupe Brow Pencil.  

This month there was also a promotional insert for em by Michelle Phan (the new makeup line by Ipsy's founder).  It showed an actual size picture of the Life Palette (Career Life) and included some samples pressed onto the cardboard.  These always weird me out.  Anyway, they included a blush and 3 eyeshadows from the "look 4: natural talent" quadrant of this particular palette.  It says that the sample "is for evaluation of texture and aesthetic properties only"... whatever that is supposed to mean.  So, not enough for an actual application of the product, just enough to see the colors and feel what it feels like stamped on paper?  Thanks...  The colors give are ok, but nothing special.  A bunch of neutrals.

em by Michelle Phan sample

Total Value $49.47

This bag was decent.  I like the actual bag's print more than I thought I would after seeing it online.  Black eyeliner, mascara, and red lips are definitely classic looks, and the grey shadow would make for a nice smokey eye.  I'll probably use the face masks for a girls' night, since Ipsy was nice enough to include 3!  BB would have only given us one, I'm sure...  All in all, it's an acceptable bag.  I'm not absolutely in love with anything, but there aren't any duds.

If you want to sign up for Ipsy, you can use my link here.  I'll get 250 points for referring you.  It costs $10 per month, including shipping, and you get deluxe and full sized products.  It is a mostly makeup subscription with a few other beauty things thrown in every now and then.

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.

Retrospective: Ipsy June 2013

Ipsy April 2013: Month 10; On the Wild Side

Ipsy bag June 2013
Photo from Ipsy

This month's bag was leopard print with a neon green zipper! Unlike the other bags, this one has a zipper across the front instead of across the top of the bag.  I'm not sure I care either way, it's just something new to note.

Cailyn Line-Fix Gel Eyeliner with Brush Built-In in 06 Purple
Photo from Ipsy

This is a very pretty-looking liner.  The brush pops out of the top of the case and can be flipped around and re-inserted so you have a longer handle.  However, this does make it unwieldy to carry around because it's an awkward size and shape.  I wish they had a separate flat top for the liner pot and I could just carry my own eyeliner brush separately.

The color is a rich, dark purple without any of the brightness that can sometimes make purple liners look unprofessional.  This is totally wearable for most occasions.  It goes on smoothly and stays put, which are two very important eyeliner qualities.  I have a few purple liners (both gel and my beloved UD 24/7s) but no color quite this deep.  Due to its uniqueness and quality, I'm keeping it, even if I don't wear gels too often.

Full size $21 for 4g plus brush.

NYX Powder Blush in Spice (Matte Mauve)
Photo from Ipsy

Honestly, I haven't opened this yet.  It's not particularly "summery" and I have so many blushes that I may never even get around to using it.  I'm just not a blush girl.  I wear it every day, and I have two or three I rotate throughout the year, but I don't care enough about it to have a spectrum of blush colors from bubblegum pink to deep red to peach and tangerine and all the colors in between.  I do have a powder blush from NYX that I use to contour and I like it.  It blends well, so I am assuming another shade of the same product will perform similarly.  It's not super-duper pigmented, which makes it very useable.  I hate blushes that are so bright that you can't even touch the bristles of your brush to them without picking up too much.

Full size $5 for 5.2g.

Starlooks Lip Pencil in Bare
Photo from Ipsy

Starlooks is a makeup company that also has their own branded makeup subscription box.  I find it interesting that they would pair with another beauty subscription box... maybe in the hopes of gaining some more subscribers?  If that is the case, they would have done better to provide a different product.  They sent out three colors of these lip liners and from what I can tell, they were the wrong three colors for pretty much everyone.  I haven't even opened the plastic seal around this one yet, because it looks dark and greyish and will almost certainly be the wrong color for me.  I've seen people say the quality is great, but that won't persuade me to try this.  I have 3 or 4 open lip liners already and they cover the colors I need.

Full size $12 (2.4g).

J.cat Sparkling Cream Palette in Volta
Photo from Ipsy

This is in my 5 least favorite Ipsy products post.  I don't feel like talking about it again.

Full size $4.49 for 0.1 oz of product.

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil
Photo from Ipsy

This is in my Ipsy Top 5.  I've used this almost exclusively as my go-to highlighter since I got it, and I've only sharpened it once! Sorry to my Benefit High Brow that is sitting neglected at the bottom of my makeup bag.  This is the perfect color for me and the texture is awesome.  It blends so easily, and even can cover up some stray hairs that you have yet to pluck from under your brows ;).  This is the final polishing step to my minimal makeup.  Chella also sells other colors of this product.  It's a little pricey, but seems like it will last long enough to get your money's worth.

Full size $18 (1.4g).

There were some variations in the bags this month.  Everyone got a blush from NYX, but it could have been powder, cream, or mosaic.  The other two potential products were J.cat eyelashes with eyelash glue and Psssst! Dry shampoo.  This would be instead of the highlighter pencil or cailyn eyeliner, I believe.

Total Value $60.49

Wow! That is a great deal for only $10! Every item was full-sized, which is amazing. Even with the dud glitter palette, this was a great bag, and I'm totally happy with it.  Way to go, Ipsy.

Ipsy costs $10/month, including shipping, and sends you a box of 4-6 samples and sometimes full-sized products.  If you would like to sign up, my link is here and I will earn a free item if 2 people sign up with my link.

This post contains products I purchased with my own money.  No compensation was received for this post and all opinions are my own.  This post contains a referral link, see above for details.