FabFitFun Summer 2014 Review

Fabfitfun Summer 2014

Yes, yes, I know this is a month late.  But, I figured that since it is a quarterly subscription, and the next one won't be out until September, posting it at the tail end of July is acceptable.

My life has been pretty chaotic this month! I think I mentioned it in the previous post, but in addition to moving, attending a week-long conference, and visiting my niece, my actual science work has been going REALLY well, so I've been putting in a lot of lab hours trying to push this project as far as I can before I have to start teaching again.

The upside to posting late reviews, is that I have had a chance to thoroughly test out all the products!

Fabfitfun Summer 2014

This was my second Fabfitfun VIP box, and I subscribed to this and the Nina Garcia quarterly to take the place of PopSugar Must Have.  I must say, looking at the boxes that have come out since I cancelled PSMH, I am very happy I put that $40/month toward something else!

Fabfitfun tries to send products from various categories- beauty, food, fitness, etc.

PopChips Sea Salt and Vinegar Potato Popped Chip Snack

I like Popchips.  I've received them before, and even those these arrived smushed (more on the smushed box in a moment) they were tasty.  I love me some salt and vinegar in the summer!  I'm not really a snacker, but if I've been working hard and sweating up a tsunami, I crave sour salty things.

One bag, approximately $1.30

Balanced Guru No Frizz Oil
Organic Sesame and Lemongrass Balancing Oil

I was pleased to see that this hair oil survived the arduous journey to my new house in MiddleOfNowhere, RI, safely.  I was also please to see that it is a full-sized product! I was not that pleased at all with the scent.  Normally, I love lemongrass scents, but there was something else in this (the sesame carrier oil, maybe?) that made me wrinkle my nose.  Fortunately, I already have a hair oil that I love (Orofluido).  I had a friend over for dinner and made her (yes, I totally forced her to) take a bunch of my extra products and samples home, and this was one of the things she went home with.  I haven't heard back if she likes it or not!

Full size, $13

It seems like the summer boxes across a lot of brands all included canvas clutches!  I'm not complaining, I have a million things in my purse but I justify having them all because everything is organized into 5 or 6 little pouches like this.  More variety just means I can rotate them more... or stuff more clutches into my bag....

Thursday Friday Away Mini Clutch in Jeweled, Turquoise

I probably would have chosen a different print from them, but this also isn't the worst variety that was sent out.  

$35, and they included a coupon for the site

Up next is one of the big-ticked spoiled items for this quarter.

Sonya Dakar NutraSphere Flash Facial

This is a facial treatment that applies exactly like white school glue would.  Seriously.  You spread it on clean, dry skin, and let it sit for a few minutes.  When you gently rub it off with water, it balls up just like Elmer's glue would.  They say that is your skin being exfoliated away, but it probably is just the dried product.  I am still convinced this is glue.  Whatever it is, it makes my face feel very nice and smooth after I use it.

This is full-sized and retails for about $95!  Woah. My face is so fancy.

Continuing the trend of Overpriced Spoiled Items That You Rub On Your Face...

Pur~lisse Pur~Protect Essential Daily Moisturizer SPF 30

I have finally embraced how pale I am, and so I have given up on trying to change that.  Therefore, I slather myself in sunscreen every morning.  This includes my face.  Normally, I use Supergoop, but that is more of a sunscreen than a face lotion.  This Pur~lisse has the benefit of being more of a face lotion, with a bonus of SPF.  It absorbs fast, has very little scent, and I can apply my makeup with minimal lag time.  It's pretty solid.  I wouldn't pay full price for it, though!  It's only 50 mL!

You can see my tube was banged up in transit and has some smudge marks on it from other things in the box.

Full size, $55.  Now my face is REALLY fancy.

Moving to the "fit" portion of this quarter...

Fabfitfun branded Water Infuser Bottle

These water bottles have been popping up in sub boxes all over the place in the last year!  It took until NOW for me to get one, though!  Everything here unscrews, so you can load fruits and whatever else into the middle portion, which has holes in it, to flavor your water.  The top screws onto the whole thing so the edge you drink from isn't exposed to the world.

I have really been enjoying this.  I have tried a number of combinations, but I think my favorite was raspberries, mint, cucumber, and lime.  I just put a wedge (or 2 berries, or 2 leaves) into the infuser part and add water.  It has definitely upped my fluid intake, which is always a good thing.

Estimated retail $15

Ok, so I lied when I said I had tried everything.  I did NOT try these Kisstixx lip balms.  Firstly, the package arrived totally open in my shipping box.  Secondly, I do NOT like chocolate, and I dislike chocolate flavorings even more.

Kisstixxs SPF 15 Lip Balms in Chocolate and Strawberry

The idea behind these is that you apply one flavor, your kissing partner applies the other, and then you kiss and make a nice combo flavor between the two of you.  Sure.  Ok.  It sounds like this would have been a cute idea if I were still a teenager, but alas, I have not been one for almost a decade.

I might use the strawberry one if I somehow lose all my currently open SPF chapsticks.  Until then, they will sit in my box of items to gift.  If I had gotten the pina colada/ strawberry daiquiri version, or the raspberry/lemonade version, I would have been a little more excited.  I could put one flavor on my top lip and the other on the bottom lip and smush.  But, that is not to be.

Full size (featured on the show, Shark Tank) $5.99

Oh, coral nail polish!  How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Zoya Nail Polish in Maya

This is a nice summery color, and Zoya is a great brand.  The polish is on the sheer-er side, and I would almost call it a jelly... but not quite.  It is half-way between a cream and a jelly (a crelly).  It's pretty!  I like it a lot, and I'm glad they sent this nice tropical color.

Zoya polish, $8


There was a little bit of drama online because of the next three items.  FFF included them as "sponsored" items, so technically they shouldn't be included in the value of the box.  If they hadn't been included, everyone would have been happy.  Because they were, however, people tend to say it makes the box look like it is "cheaper" and "lower quality."  Whatevs.  "Free" stuff is free stuff.

Always Liners, Skintimate Shave Gel in Raspberry Rain, and Slim Fast Have Your Cake (Vanilla) Bar

Side note, that SlimFast bar wasn't that bad.  Melted from shipping, but not bad.

Fabfitfun Summer 2014

All together, this box had a value of $228.29.  More importantly, I like it way more than I thought I would when I peeked at the full box spoilers.

Fabfitfun VIP is $49.99 per season, but they usually have $5 off coupon codes floating around for your first month.  Many thanks to the person who signed up using my link! I got a few dollars off of this quarter's box, and I hope you liked it as much as I did!

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.

Ipsy February 2014 Review

Ipsy February 2014 Review

Well, the snowpocalypse that has hit most of central and eastern states has really taken its toll on my subscription boxes!  I know that I don't want to be out in the blizzards and ice storms, so I am definitely cutting the USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc people some slack for late deliveries.  The roads have been miserable and my boxes have been late.  That's life!

Ipsy finally showed up (despite yet another snow storm) yesterday.

Ipsy February 2014

This month's theme is "The Look of Love."  If features a carnation pink bag with a pink animal print interior.

Ipsy February 2014

This month, everyone received two staple items and 3 variable ones based on Ipsy Match.  I guess since I liked the last set of fake lashes, they figured they would send me more! Oh well.  I now have a ton of fake lashes.  At least I wear them every now and then.

J.Cat Eyelashes in style EL13

These lashes are made from 100% human hair and come with a little tube of eyelash glue.  There were a number of styles sent out this month, and while I did not get my first choice, I did not get my last choice either!  These will add some volume to my own lashes without looking too crazy.

These sell for $3.99 on the J.cat website.

Jesse's Girl 9 Pan Eyeshadow Compact in The Eyes Have It

As I just spent a ridiculous amount of money on indie eyeshadow samples in a rainbow of colors, I'm a little eyeshadowed out right now!  Ipsy sent subscribers one of four color palettes from Jesse's Girl, and I ended up with the greens and browns (probably because I have green eyes, and told Ipsy that I do in my survey.)

Palette in The Eyes Have It

The colors look really pretty in the palette itself.  There's even a yellow!  Very unusual for any palette, let alone a drugstore brand.

Swatched twice over bare skin with finger

However, these are lacking in quality.  There are a few dark shades that are pigmented, but the brighter, lighter colors barely show up at all.  A good primer and a white base might help them to pop more, but it's not worth the effort to me.  These are hard, have a powdery texture, and are just about what you would expect for paying so little.

These palettes sell for $3.99 at drugstores (they sell this brand at my local Rite-Aid) and on the Jesse's Girl site.

First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay

I just tried this- the last of my variable items- and it was ok.  I know it says there is red clay in the formula, but I wasn't expecting this gel-formula to be RED.  It's the color of the bottle!  It just surprised me.

The cleanser itself is mediocre, in my opinion.  It left my skin feeling a little tight and dry.  Some face lotion fixed that, but I don't like to strip my skin of all its oils, only to put them back in again.  I'd rather use a more hydrating face wash in the first place!  I have normal skin- it is not dry, it is not oily, and I don't have to worry about blemishes.  If you are on the oily side of the spectrum, this might work better for you, especially after a workout or a hot day.

The sample was 1 oz, and the full size (4.7 oz) is $24 on the First Aid Beauty site.  Sample is worth $5.11.

Next, we have the two items that everyone got, just with color variations.

Pop Beauty Plump Pout Mini in Peony Petal

I have only received Pop beauty products through subscription boxes, and they tend to be hit or miss.  Often, I find the colors and packaging geared toward a much younger audience.  This gloss in Peony Petal (a "pink rose") is something I like more than I expected to.  I did not know that it was supposed to be a plumping gloss until I looked in the mirror.  It works fairly well!  The color is a little bright, but I wear stuff like this from time to time.

Freckle city! Pop Beauty Plump Pout Mini in Peony Petal

This gloss has no stickiness to it, which is nice.  It is a little thick, but has good coverage and doesn't migrate to the outside of the lips or settle into the lines.  It has a weird scent, though, and I can't place it.  The other color option for Ipsy subscribers to received was Fuchsia Freesia, a bright pink.

The sample is 4g, and full sized is 8.5g for $16.  Sample worth $7.53.

Last, is a full-sized polish from Zoya.  I got "Dot" and the other option was "Odette"- a purple orchid color.

Add caption

As always, Zoya polishes come in a box and are 5-free.  This light pink color is really pretty!  Normally with pinks this light, there are coverage issues.  This went on easily, and had full, streak-free coverage with just two coats.

Zoya Dot

I probably have too man light pink polishes, but I don't care!  I'm happy to add another to my collection, especially one that covers so well.

Zoya polishes are $9 for 0.5 fl.oz and are sold on their site, and at Ulta.

February Ipsy

All together, this bag had a total value of $29.62.  This isn't the highest value ever, but it's not bad, especially for $10.  I didn't like the eyeshadow, and the cleanser isn't my thing, but I'm happy enough with the eyelashes, gloss, and nail polish that my money spent was worth it.  

Ipsy is $10 per month and you get sent 4-6 sample and full-sized beauty and makeup items in a little makeup bag.  They do their best to match you based on a survey.  They do have a point system for item reviews, but it is slow going!  Each item you review gets you 10 points, and each referral gets you 250.  You need 1000 points to get a bonus item.

Bonus: Beautyblender and Blendercleanser

Thanks to those of you who were kind enough to use my referral link, I was able to get a bonus item this month!  Many thanks to Caitlyn, Michelle, and Sarah!  I hope you have been enjoying your bags!

If you don't subscribe to Ipsy, please use my link here.  You may be able to skip the waitlist, they occasionally run a "share this link and we'll bump you up" promotion.

This post contains items paid for by me.  All thoughts and opinions are my own, and no special consideration or compensation was received.  This post contains a referral link, see above for details.

The Week in Nails, November 24

Zoya Mason with Julep Cynthia 

This is what I ended up doing to cover the chips on my tips.  I wore this combo for 2 days.  I put a layer of Julep Polymer Top Coat over everything.

No-sponge glitter gradient with OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls and Julep Erica 

I then decided to do a little glitter gradient.  2 coats of OPI's My Boyfriend Scales Walls (an EXTEREMELY pale blue) with Julep Erica (orange/black/gold mystery glitter from the New Year's Mystery Box).  The above picture shows the process.  I first wiped off almost all of the glitter from my brush and lightly painted 2/3 of my nail with it.  When that was dry, I went back over about 1/2 each nail with another coat.  Lastly, the top third of my nail got more glitter, making it more opaque.  I find this easier than using a makeup sponge to fade the glitter onto my nail.

OPI and Julep

I wore this for 3 days.

Julep Reece

I had Julep Reece on my nails for the last two days of this week.  As usual, no base coat (I *still* haven't found one I like), and Julep Polymer top coat.  

This post contains items purchased by me.  All opinions are my own and no special consideration or compensation was received for this post.

The Week in Nails, November 17

Julep Meryl

Grey Nails are my favorite.  I love this color, and it was the first Julep I ever received!  Unfortunately, that means it is old and on the goopier side since I've used up more than half of it.  Oh well.  It's still pretty!  2 coats, no base and Julep Polymer Top Coat.

I may or may not have taken that picture whilst TAing, hence the dry-erase marker.  I wore this for 3 days.

Geometric Taping

My boyfriend and his friends were watching a hockey game and this is what I did.  It took most of the game to finish, but it was worth it.  I used OPI Russian Navy on most of my nails, with Julep Alexandria over the ring fingers, then taped off triangles and painted them.  The triangle colors are Nailtini Mai Tai, OPI Russian Navy, Julep Sienna, and NYC Tudor City Teal.  No base, no top (it needed one, but oh well), and I wore it for 3 days.

Zoya Mason

2 coats of Zoya Mason.  No base, no top, and I'm on day 2 of this (it is Monday).  It's a little chipped but I don't feel like taking it all off.  I might just do some designs over the chipped tips?  You will have to find out next week.

The opinions in this post are mine; all items mentioned within were paid for by me.  No special compensation or consideration was received for this post.

Ipsy October 2013 Review

Ipsy's theme this month was "The Art of Beauty" and once again, I'm a little disappointed by my bag.  I *might* cancel my subscription.  We will see how November and December go.

Ipsy, October 2013

In order from my least favorite to my most favorite this month:

Sexy Hair Spray Clay.

Spray Clay

I guess this is a hairspray that texturizes and mattifies.  I don't like the sound of that at all! I like smoothing things that add shine, and I don't ever use hair spray.

Sample size is 1.4 oz.  Full size (4.4 oz) $18.95 at Ulta, making this sample worth $6.03.


Next, LA Fresh Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes.

La Fresh Face Cleanser wipes

I really only use these when I travel, and I still have some left over from the LAST time Ipsy sent these to me.  Way to double up on samples! Oh, I'm sorry, La Fresh Make-Up Remover Wipes are *so* different from La Fresh Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes.  Ugh.

La Fresh sells 30 wipes for $9.99, making these 10 wipes worth $3.33.


Coastal Scents Medium Shadow Brush.

Coastal Scents Medium Shadow Brush

This seems ok.  I won't know until I really use it, but extra brushes are always ok by me.  Nothing to really complain about here!  I just wish they had said if this is natural or synthetic.  They sell both, but didn't specify on the packaging- my guess is natural, but I could be wrong.


$2.49 on Coastal Scents' website.


Bella Terra Mineral Cosmetics Mineral Shimmer in Navy.

Bella Terra Mineral Shimmer

I'm glad I got the navy instead of the color that was shown in my profile!  It is a decent mineral shadow, no complaints.  It did rub off pretty easily (at least, the pretty sparkly things rubbed off of my hand easily), so I will use a primer with it.

Bella Terra Mineral Shimmer in Navy, Swatched.

This shadow sells for $14.99 for 2.5g.  The sample is 2.0g, worth $11.99.


Last, but not least, is Zoya Mason.

Zoya Mason

This is a nice dark fuchsia, with a hint of glitter.  It's a really pretty color and I know I will get a lot of wear out of it.  I don't have anything quite like it in my collection!

Two Coats of Zoya Mason

$8, 15 mL.  FULL SIZED.  Not a sneaky 80% size (I'm looking at you, bella terra!).


I think the bag iteslf this month sucks.  It's white (again, when will they learn?!) with a pink interior and the words "Love of beauty is taste.  The creation of beauty is art."  Lame.  Patterns or solids, please! I don't need your silly words of "wisdom", but thanks.

Blurry picture (my iPhone is acting up) of this month's bag.

Overall, I'm disappointed.  The other options this month were Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Dolly; Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster; Sexy Hair Blow Dry Gel; H2O Plus Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment, Nourish Organic Body Lotion; Ofra Sultry Lipgloss and Plumper; Ole Henriksen Truth Creme Advanced Hydration; be Delectable Hand Cream; Starlooks Lip Pencil, Wet n Wild Photo Op Eyeshadow.  So, there were some other crappy options, but also some really good products!

I've gotten all of the lame stuff for the past 2 months and none of the things I actually want! I did try changing my profile, but I don't think they are paying any attention to that.

Total Value: $31.84.

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.

The Week in Nails, October 20

Julep Padma

2 coats of Julep Padma, with Freedom Polymer Top Coat.  I wore this for 2 days

Sinful Colors Energetic Red

2 coats, no top or base coat.  I wore this for 1 day.  Sinful colors makes some great polishes, and at about $2, you can't beat the price!

Zoya Mason, 2 coats

Seche on top (hence the pulling at the tips... I need a new bottle!), 2 coats.  2 days.

Julep Grace with Oscar on tips

I had a wedding to go to, so I went to my old stand-by for formal events where I'm wearing gold jewelry.  I think it's simple and the glitter tips are just enough to make it fancy, but a little different than just a French mani.

2 coats Julep Grace with Oscar sponged on the tips.  Freedom Polymer Top Coat.  3 days (including today, Monday).

The Week(s) in Nails, September 29

I was away last weekend (Vegas, baby!) and didn't have internet access to post anything. So, with my apologies, here are the past two weeks in nails.

Sally Hansen Sugar Coat in Red Velvet

Two coats.  No top coat, no base.  I wore this for 2 days, I like it a lot.  It's not as uniform of a texture as OPI's Liquid Sand, and it's not glittery either, but it's still a nice polish.  Not bad for getting it on clearance at Target ;)

China Glaze Dress Me Up and Julep Jane

China Glaze Dress Me Up was part of the Hunger Games "Colors from the Capitol" Collection.  I believe this was the color that was originally to be named after Prim.  It's a dusty mauve color that gives almost enough coverage in 1 coat, so I did two.  Juelp Jane is a full coverage gold and rose gold glitter named after Julep's founder.  Two coats, wore it for 2 days.

China Glaze Dress Me Up, Zoya Jules, and Julep Jane

A few of my nails had chipped after 2 days, so I replaced one of the glitter nails on each hand with two coats of Zoya Jules.  It's a shimmery champagne color, and I probably should have done another coat.  I wore this variation for 2 more days.

While I was in Las Vegas, I wore Julep Lynn.  It lasted 5 (!) days without much noticeable chipping.  No pictures, sorry.

I had naked nails for a day when I got back, and then wore this for the next 3 days:

OPI Russian Navy and Julep Erica

2 coats of OPI Russian Navy, with one coat of Julep Erica (the New Years Mystery Box surprise glitter) over my ring finger.

Retrospective: Ipsy May 2013

Ipsy May 2013: Month 9; Spring Fling

Ipsy bag May 2013
Photo from Ipsy

This is a wind-breaker-esque fabric with a blue and orange chevron print.  It's actually pretty cute and I think whoever ends up getting it filled with goodies this Christmas will like it, too.

Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Fig
Photo from Ipsy

Oh, Juice Beauty.  You and I have such a love/hate relationship.  I love some of your products, but hate the smell of most of them.  This is no exception.  I like the texture of this gloss, it is not too thick or thin and is not sticky at all.  I love the shimmer and gloss it gives to my lips, and it has fairly decent staying power for a lip gloss.  I hate the smell/taste and the color looks terrible on me.  It looks brown.  I don't wear brown lip colors for a reason.  They look awful with my pale skin and blonde hair.  Just awful.  I don't have any friends with the right coloring for this, so I'm going to hold onto it for now.  Maybe I'll make a friend down the line who will be able to wear it!

Full size, 8g, $15.  Also available in a set of 4 for $48 ($12/each).

Pacifica Coconut Crushed Pearl Bronzing Body Butter
Photo from Ipsy

I was super excited to see this in my bag! I know a lot of people were disappointed they got a bronzing lotion, but not me.  I'm very pale and plan on staying that way, but I don't want to blind people with my legs when I wear a dress.  Enter bronzing lotion.  I have a few already, but this one is nice and subtle.  It's not too bronzing or too shimmery, plus it smells awesome.  To me, it smells like vanilla and coconut.  To the boys at work it smells like: cupcakes, vanilla frosting, birthday cake, rice crispy treats (yeah, it kinda does, actually), and just all around deliciousness.  They couldn't stop talking about how good I smelled at lunch.  Ladies, take note: wear this and get lots of male attention because you smell like baked goods.

This 2fl.oz. size sells for $7.

Yaby Concealer Refill in Buff
Photo from Ipsy

For once, Ipsy matched my skin tone (closely enough).  There is one shade lighter than this (vanilla), but they say to pick a concealer that is a little darker than your skin tone, right?  This works pretty well on my slight under eye circles, and I haven't tried it on anything else.  Trying to cover up each individual freckle I have seems obnoxiously tedious.  Most days I don't even bother with concealer, but at least now I have one in case I want to use it! I didn't before and had been meaning to pick one up when this arrived.  It'll do.  Plus, it is magnetic and fits into the case they sent in March.

3.5g (20mm pan diameter) $4.85.

Zoya Nailpolish in Piaf (yellow, far right)
Photo from Ipsy

The purple on the far left is called Julie.  I think that if a customer had the name of a polish in this collection, they should have sent it to that person! I would have MUCH rather gotten the purple with my name on it than the ugly yellow that I'll never be able to wear.  Gross.  It's a pretty glass-type glittery finish, which I'm sure is lovely in the other colors.  Oh well.

This was full size, 0.5 fl.oz. $8.

Mirabella Perfecting Powder in Translucent
Photo from Ipsy

This is in my Ipsy top 5.  I have used up about 2/3 of this, and I've used it every day since I got it.  I'll be sad when it runs out! It really does buff into your skin to give a flawless finish.  I love it.  I can't speak highly enough of it.

Full size $30 (4g), this is 1.3g and worth $9.75.


There was a wide variety of products that were sent out this month.  It looks like everyone got a nail polish and a concealer, and three other items.  The other options were: Anastasia mini clear brow gel, Pacifica luminizing body butter, Pacifica Island Vanilla & Tahitian Gardenia Perfume Rollerball, Macadamia Hair Healing Oil Treatment, NUME Finishing Serum, Mirabella Colour Sheers Lipstick, St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion, Mirabella Shimmeratti Glimmer Gloss, Mirabella Lip Lustre Liner.

Total Value $44.60 (using $15 for the lip gloss).

There was a decent variety of items included in this bag, and most of them were really great! I do wish the gloss and nail polish were different colors, but I like the lotion and perfecting powder so much that its value far exceeded its $10 price tag for the bag.

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.