Review: September '13 Ipsy!

Yay Ipsy! The beginning of every month has gotten a little more exciting since I started getting this service. It's a monthly subscription service that sends you a few (usually 5) full size or deluxe sample sized personalized products every month. the theme this month was Classic Beauty, as usual I've got a quick review for you guys and a look with the products.

 So first we have Cailyn 'Tinted Lip Balm'. Alright first things first, this in no sense a tinted lip balm. What it is, is a very pigmented near matte red lipstick. I love the packaging! It comes with a little brush that pops out of the top.

Nest is a Single Eyeshadow from Nyx in Charcoal. I love NYX, and I'm always happy to get stuff from them. This is no exception! This shadow is smooth, easy to blend, and has great pigmentation. I used it on my lids, with greater concentration in the outer corners. Very pretty.

Elizabeth Mott It's So Big! Mascara. Can we all take a to snicker about the name like middle schoolers? Good? Okay. I liked this mascara fairly well. It's volume and length are reasonable if not spectacular, but it separates super well!

Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian. At first I wasn't thrilled, I already have a lot of black pencil liners. But this one is actually pretty nice! It's very black, creamy, and doesn't transfer. I used this in my waterline, and smudged along was lash line and outer V with a pencil brush. I also put the the extra product on the brush under my eyes a bit.

And finally Freeman Beauty Facial Paper masks. I got sent three to try: Purifying Star Fruit, Brighting Rose, and Hydrating Blue Agave. I tried out the starfruit one, it was only okay. The scent was really strong and fake which I didn't enjoy. I'll be trying the rose one soon, I hope I like it I've always been interested in paper masks!

So thats it for this months Ipsy Bag! You can get it for $10 USD per month here. What you think? Let me know in the comments! :)

August 13 Ipsy Glam Bag

Hello there! Today I'm gonna review the August 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag. I haven't done these reviews in a while, even though I've continued to get the service. But this month was so much fun that I wanted to give them a shout out! Lets go and see!

In this months bag I got a Michael Todd true organics jojoba and charcoal facial scrub (deluxe), an Urban Decay mini revolution lipstick in anarchy, a Pixi beauty lash booster mascara (deluxe size), a Mica beauty cosmetics bronze loose eyeshadow (full size), and a Nailtini nail polish in Mai Tai (full size). Ermahgerd. 

I did this quick look with the makeup items in this bag! :3

Let's start out with the Michael Todd True organics. I'm a big fan of charcoal scrubs in general and was really excited to try a Michael Todd product. I've heard nothing but good things, and this one is no exception. I love the lush dark angels charcoal scrub but this one is different in many ways. It comes out in a dark smooth paste with small particles for scrubbing. I think this product would be perfect for sensitive skin because it's a scrub, but it's not very abrasive. After using this product my face felt really smooth and moisturized but not oily at all. Also it smells fantastic! I always love the smell of charcoal scrubs they have a very earthy pretty sent.

Next up the urban decay revolution lipstick. Can we start by talking about how adorable the packaging is? It's so tiny! But not in a bad way. For a deluxe sample it contains quite a bit of lipstick and I think will last me a while. Also the shade, anarchy, is gorgeous. It's a hot pink that's super super bright, I'm in love! The formula is fantastic. It's creamy goes on smoothly and lasts very well.

Alrighty so on to the pixi lash booster mascara. This is the only product I wasn't wowed by in this bag. It's very natural looking mascara, that doesn't clump on the lashes which is nice. Also because this is a deluxe size the brush is really small so it's good for getting bottom lashes. A very comparable, but much cheaper mascara is the Maybelline Full n Soft mascara. It's one of my go to mascaras I'm tired because there's absolutely no way you can mess it up. It also leaves your lashes soft so you can always apply more later today if they need a little bit of a perk up. However the Full n Soft mascara doesn't smudge nearly as much as this (maybe because I use waterproof) so overall Pixi fell a little flat for me. 

On to the Mica beauty cosmetics loose eyeshadow in Bronze. This color I reminded me a lot of Mac woodwinked eyeshadow. When I compare them I noticed some differences. MAC woodwinked is darker bronze with strong gold shift.  Mica Bronze a lighter more coppery bronze with more red undertones. Also the Mica is more of a straight up metallic, where as the MAC is almost a duochrome. I really really like how metallic it is, even dry. (In fact it's actually better dry)

Lastly Nailtini Polish in Mai Tai. Ohhh I really like this nail polish! It's reddish true coral cream, with a fantastic formula! It was almost a one coater, but I added a second just in case. Excellent shade, and great for the summer-fall transition. (Not the color on my nails in the picture!)

And the bag this month was adorbs! It's a warm purple with a cute gold school crest pattern.

Ipsy is a subscription service that is $10 a month you can sign up here: 

So what did you guys think? Any of you already subscribers? Let me know in the comments below!

MyGlam April '13 Bag Review!

Hey there lovelies! Today I have a review of this month's Glam Bag. In case you don't know what A Glam Bag is, MyGlam is a beauty subscription service run through Ipsy Michelle Phan's online beauty community. Its ten dollars per month, and beginning of every month you get sent a small bag of deluxe samples and/or full sized products. So lets see what we got this month!

This month has a pretty broad range of products that go along with the theme 'Pretty in Pink'. First is a nail polish by Sation called Love at First Byte, then a Big Sexy Hair Powder Play volumizing and texturizing powder, a Two Cosmetics Eyeshadow Duo in Heartache, and a blush from Be a Bombshell in the color Sweet Cheeks.

Lets talk about the nail polish! I got Love a First Byte, a peachy pink neutral. I'm happy to report that its not as sheer as I feared it to be, you can get it pretty opaque in two coats! Nothing too exciting but a fine polish. This retails for $5 USD.

Next up is the Power Play hair powder. I was honestly the most excited for this product. To use you sprinkle on dry hair a tousle for volume. I used this on second day hair that I'd sleept with french braided. It gave the curls really nice texture for a beachy-casual sort of look. The full size of this retails for around $15 USD.

At first I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get the other eyeshadow option, but after using the eyeshadow duo I was consoled. This duo in the shade Heartache comes with a shimmery baby pink, and a matte mauvey-rose color. They're very soft and the pigmentation of the light pink is very good. The mauve rose color isn't quite as pigmented but can be built up nicely. The packaging of this reminded me a lot of MAC's, though even though they look quite similar the MAC is heavier and more expensive feeling.  These retail for $7.50 USD.

LR: Two Heartbreak vs. MAC Free to Be

Finally our Sweet Cheeks blush from Be a Bombshell, this was the winner of this bag IMO! Which I found a bit surprising since the last Be a Bombshell product I tried ( Hot Mess Lipgloss from Dec's Bag) left quite a bit to be desired. Its a super pigmented bright pink blush, in the pan and swatched it seems very frosty but fortunately the shimmer doesn't translate on your face. The packaging pretty flimsy but the blush it self is fantastic! This retails for $16 USD.

Worth the ten bucks? I'd say yes. ;D What did you guys think? 

Feb MyGlam!

Have I mentioned how much I love this service? Because I really do. Especially when I'm broke, its so nice. But anyway this months bag has five products and is 'red carpet' themed, lets see! =)

It comes with a MICA black gel eyeliner, a little Coastal Scents quad, a Pixi Flawless & Poreless  Primer, a Pop Beauty Smoky Lash Mascara, and these Lash Card things. And I did a look with everything...

Alrighty, lets start with the primer because that was the first to go on my face anyway. Its oil free, hypoallergenic, and is supposed to clear pores and smooth imperfections for flawless makeup application. (Sounds like a plan!) Its also supposed to be shine blocking which is definitely something I'd look for in a primer. Now I don't about 'flawless' but I do like the finish that this gives, it makes your foundation go on smoother and gives it a sort of soft lighting effect. I would not recommend this for those of you with dry skin. I have a tiny bit of dryness right under my eyes and it did accentuate it a little. I also recommend using a setting powder afterward because I feel like my foundation dries waaay slower with this underneath. I normally don't wear primers, because they tend to break me out big time, but so far so good for Pixi.

Next are the coastal scents eyeshadows. The packaging is actually really useful for a sample package, because it re-closes easily. They were given out in two variations this one and a silver toned one. The color in here are Dark Golden Rod (a pretty dark gold with green shimmer), Sunbeam (a bright pastel yellow), Golden Globe (a shimmering medium gold), and Dark Golden Olive (sort of self explanatory). All of them have great pigmentation expect for sunbeam which is a little chalky.

Mica Gel Eyeliner. A black gel eyeliner, I'm always interested to see how these compare to MAC blacktrack. Which I love for its smooth texture, but sometime wished was more water and smudge proof. Well.... this isn't it. Its alright texture wise, very similar to Maybelline eye studio which I used to use but nothing too special. However if you rub this, even after its been long dry you will have crazy panda eyes! Not a fan. =(

 Lash Cards. Umm maybe I'm doing it wrong? I didn't find these very helpful, but maybe they would be if you have trouble with getting mascara on your eyelids. Or perhaps for putting mascara on others.

Pop Smoky Lash Mascara. A black washable mascara. Its very black, and pretty lengthening. The one thing that I find a flaw with is that it doesn't curl at all. I don't think I have particularly straight lashes, so I almost never curl them, but this makes them stick straight out which detracts from the lengthening effect. If you have naturally curled lashes, or don't mind curling them this mascara would probably be fine for you.

Not my favorite bag, but still worth the ten bucks! My favorite thing is the Dark Goldenrod eyeshadow. Do you like what you see?

Jan MyGlam Bag

Hello hello! The weather outside is still frightful, and frankly depressing. But some new treats in the mail from ipsy made me smile.

Yay goodies!

So first off we have a fluffy eyeshadow brush from SOHO. Its called the Get a Grip Crease Brush. Its very soft and fluffy, albeit not as dense as I might like. I've used it for blending out edges and it works pretty well!

Next we have Josie Maran Argan Oil. I was super excited to get this because I;e been wanting to try argan oil for quite time now. They give you a nice sized vial with a squeeze dropper applicator. I'm not sure quite how mush is in here, but with the nature of this product it'll last quite awhile.

Then we have Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Polish in Frappe. Members either got this shade, or a bright red. I think is okay. The color is pretty, its a rosy nude and fairly flattering on me. But its very sheer. I'm wearing right now with some chunky multi colored glitter (Spoiled Jewel Heist) and it looks nice. Wouldn't purchase more though.

After that we have Pacifica Tusan Blood Orange Body Butter. Ermahgerd. This stuff is so good! Its creamy, soothing, and the scent is great. Very bright and fresh, I'm a big fan. Its definitely inspired me to check out Pacifica's other stuff.

And last but not least Sexy Hair Spray and Play Volumizing Hair Spray. Haven't tested this too much yet but its a light hold hair spray. It has that 'hairspray' smell that I hate, but it goes away very fast so its fine. Great size for purses, or backpacks so definitely handy.

This is sooooo worth the price. Most these are already close to the price tag by themselves, and the nail polish actually goes over weirdly enoughSo first off we have a fluffy eyeshadow brush from SOHO. Its called the Get a Grip Crease Brush. Its very soft and fluffy, albeit not as dense as I might like. I've used it for blending out edges and it works pretty well!

Next we have Josie Maran Argan Oil. I was super excited to get this because I;e been wanting to try argan oil for quite time now. They give you a nice sized vial with a squeeze dropper applicator. I'm not sure quite how mush is in here, but with the nature of this product it'll last quite awhile.

Then we have Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Polish in Frappe. Members either got this shade, or a bright red. I think is okay. The color is pretty, its a rosy nude and fairly flattering on me. But its very sheer. I'm wearing right now with some chunky multi colored glitter (Spoiled Jewel Heist) and it looks nice. Wouldn't purchase more though.

After that we have Pacifica Tusan Blood Orange Body Butter. Ermahgerd. This stuff is so good! Its creamy, soothing, and the scent is great. Very bright and fresh, I'm a big fan. Its definitely inspired me to check out Pacifica's other stuff.

And last but not least Sexy Hair Spray and Play Volumizing Hair Spray. Haven't tested this too much yet but its a light hold hair spray. It has that 'hairspray' smell that I hate, but it goes away very fast so its fine. Great size for purses, or backpacks so definitely handy.

This is sooooo worth the price. Most these are already close to the price tag, and I thought the combination was thoughtfully put together. 10/10 would bang. ;D

Glam bags are monthly subscription service for $10 per month at ipsy.com

Quick Look: MyGlam Look

As promised I did a look with all my new toys from my My Glam bag. I'll get a quick review with each product. I used my own foundation, mascara, and brow product but the only other products were the ones in the bag. Its pretty simple but I did like the way the products went together, I hope you like it!

I started out with foundation, and then primed my eyelids with Mirabella Eye and Face Primer. I didn't test it on my face because my skin has been really problematic lately; face primers tend to just break me out more. This primer was interesting, it feels oily but then dries like a powder. I then loaded up a brush with Nyx Ultra Pearl Mania Pigment in Mink and patted it all over my eyelid. This color is super pretty, the pic doesn't do it justice. Its a really nice soft gold and I think it stands on its own pretty well here. I lined my eyes with Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero which is a nice soft black. Quick mascara and brows, nothing exciting. The I took a Mai Couture Highlighter Sheet in  St. Barts and applied it on my cheeks. This is definitely more of a peachy blush on my rather then a highlight, but its very shimmery and pretty. I discover half a sheet folded in half is the amount you need. Also folding made it easier to apply. Then I finished off with Be a Bombshell Lipgloss in Hot Mess. It looks very red in the tube but is a much more subdued cranberry on me.

Things I liked: The colors went together very nicely! My favorites were the highlighter sheets, and the eyeshadow. I love UD's 24/7 liners too so that was nice. And the lipgloss is a pretty color.

Things I didn't like (as much!): The primer was sort of weird, it made the texture of my eyeshadow a bit less smooth than my normal primers. However it did last really well for a good twelve hours, so I can't fault it for that. The lipgloss is a bit sticky. Not enough to seriously bother me, but it doesn't last very long. About two hours on me without eating. If my lipgloss is sticky I need it to at least last well.

All and all I really enjoy these product and will used all of them. I'll probably try the primer on my face when it my acne settles down so I might do an edit or update for that later. I'd definitely check out MyGlam, its pretty cool. =) Do you have any new favorite products?

Review: My First Glam Bag

For those of you who don't know My Glam, now through ipsy, is a beauty sample subscription service by Michelle Phan. I've looked at many different sample services like this, but My Glam seemed like it had the best products. So lets let what I got! =)

Such a pretty mailer, its really shiny!

The little bag it comes in.

Goodies!

So in this months bag I got five things along with a coupon. I got a full sized Mirabella Eye and Face Primer, a full size Nyx Ultra Peral Mania Eyeshadow Pigment in Mink, a mini Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Zero, a full size Lipgloss from Be a Bombshell, and Highlighter Paper from Mai Couture. And a $20 off JustFab coupon.

Whoo! For Ten bucks a month thats pretty good. These are definitely all things I'll use. I'll post a look with these later so this is really more of first impressions. But so far I'm impressed!

Glam Bag is $10 USD per month from Ipsy.