Ipsy – April 2015 – Beautifully Bohemian

The April Ipsy bag came with this adorable makeup bag. You can bet that this IS NOT one that I will be giving away to anyone. It is just too darn cute!

If I do like the products, Ipsy supplies a link that offers a discount for Ipsy subscribers. It’s one of the perks that really works for me. I have purchased several of the products that I have tested. If you are interested in joining Ipsy, here is a link for you. https://www.ipsy.com/r/2tpz

This month I received 5 items in that beautiful makeup bag. The subscription promises 4 or 5 products, but I usually receive 5. It is usually really worth the subscription price of $10 per month. I almost always receive much more than what I pay for. Not to mention all of the great products that love and purchase again and again. Without Ipsy, I would never have found these products.

The first item is Julie G Nail Color by Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics. I received a full size .35 oz of the color Damsel, which is a vibrant pink color. Score! I adore this color! The nail polish went on nicely and quickly leveled out. I was shocked at how quickly the polish dried. I polished my nails only a few minutes prior to leaving for work and they were dry by the time I left. I only did one coat, which did seem to cover quite well. After a day or two, the polish on the tips of my nails wore off, but I’m sure that will not happen so quickly with multiple coats. You can get this nail polish for $3.99 here . Verdict: I don’t usually purchase polish, but I like this color enough that I would try some others. It’s affordable at $3.99, so why not!

Next up is Nude Dude eye shadow by the Balm Cosmetics. I received a .035 oz sample of the color Flirty. It’s hard to compare the sample size to the actual product size, since the shadow is not sold in singles, but rather a palette of 10 for $36.00. You can purchase this shadow here. I found this shadow to be too nude for my taste. There was virtually no color saturation and I had to apply several coats to see even a hint of color. If you like that nude, barely there color look, then this could be for you. Verdict: I’ll pass on this one. I have enough neutral shadows to choose from without shelling out $36.00 for more of them.

I was hoping to try this Eye Primer by MicaBeauty. Everyone needs a quality primer in their makeup bag to help eye color stay put. The sample I received was 4 g. I expected this product to be stellar since the full-size, 8.3 g product sells for $44.95 here. Uggh! What a disappointment! I did not like this primer AT ALL. While the color was good for my skin, the dry formula was not. The primer was so dry and hard to apply, which was not good for my older skin. I won’t even pass this one along. Right in the garbage can with you! Verdict: Obviously not a fan of this. Will not purchase.

A neutral lip gloss is always a must for summer, and that is exactly what I received in my .3 oz sample of Starlooks Satin Finish Lip Gloss in Cuddle. The color looks like gold in the pic, but it is really just a clear gloss with a bit of shimmer.  I cannot tell from the website how big the actual full size product is, but it looks like it may be double the sample size. So I’m guessing .6 oz. for $13.00 here. This gloss went on smoothly and did not feel sticky on my lips. While it was definitely too subtle for me for my everyday look, for a top coat over lip stain or as a gloss when I am doing the casual thing over the weekend it would work just fine. Verdict: I like the gloss well enough to use up the product, but I will most likely not purchase in the future.

Last is Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk. I received a 1 oz. sample. The product sells for $19.50 for a 3.2 oz can. You can find the product here. At first, I noticed that this dry shampoo was natural tint for brown hair. Now, since I have blonde hair, I asked Chris if she would try it. Before she even got a chance, I noticed the ingredients. Butane and Propane are the first two ingredients. What??? Are you kidding me!! Well, needless to say, I threw that shit in the garbage. I don’t want Chris putting lighter fluid in her hair! Verdict: Hell no!

All in all, not a great bag this month. But, they can’t all be winners. As always, I will wait patiently for next month’s bag.

So…what did you get in you April Ipsy bag?

Ipsy – March 2015

My March Ipsy bag took me a little while to be able to test out the products and form an opinion. Especially something like moisturizer, I need to use if for a couple of weeks to see if I really like it or not.

If I do like the products, Ipsy supplies a link that offers a discount for Ipsy subscribers. It’s of the perks that really works for me. I have purchased several of the products that I have tested. If you are interested in joining Ipsy, here is a link for you. https://www.ipsy.com/r/2tpz

This month I received 5 items in a colorful makeup bag. I really have to start repurposing some of these bags. They accumulate too quickly.

 The first item was a .03 oz. sample size of Pixi Mesmerizing Mineral Duo by Petra. The color I received to test was Apricot Glow, which was extremely like. The package says that you can apply it dry or wet, so of course, I tried both ways. Dry, the shadow was very light, but I could see myself wearing on a summer day when my objective is to keep my look light and fresh. It applied nicely and lasted all day. Then I tried the wet application. While the color was definitely more saturated, I did not like the way it felt on my eyes. It was a very cakey feel, if that makes any sense. I could not find this exact product on the website. The closest item I found was a 6 color palette. This product sells for $12.00 for the 6-color palette. Verdict – I probably won’t buy this product. There are plenty of eye colors that I already love.

Next up is a .16 oz. full size Butter Lipstick by NYX Cosmetics in the color Pops. I was expecting just another lipstick, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I like lipstick. This lipstick blew me away! The lipstick went on creamy and smooth and felt beautiful on my lips. The first thing that really surprised me was the color. At first I thought it was a little too neutral and light, but the more I wore it, the more I fell in love. And did I mention that it had mega staying power? That’s right. It stayed with me for hours and hours, even through eating and drinking. The nice part about this was that, unlike other products that are meant to last all day, it didn’t dry out my lips and continued to look fresh. This product sells for $6.00, which means I can afford every color my heart desires. Verdict – I will definitely buy this product in every possible color…and you should, too.

I was never really big on highlighters. I think the work best with a darker complexion.   I am so fair…ok, I’m pretty pale…that I don’t get much impact from a highlighter. They usually leave me looking washed out. This month, to test, I received a 1.4g full size Ivory Lace Highlighter from Chelle. This product is in the form of a pencil, and I found the application of this a little rough for my older skin. It did not go on smoothly and tugged and my skin a bit. Not a good thing, especially if I apply it near my eyes. Truth be told, if I do need a product like this, either for cover up or contouring, I have other products that I like much, much more and are better suited to my skin. This product sells for $18.00. Verdict – I’ll pass, thanks.

I do like an effective face moisturizer, and this month I received a 1 oz. sample of Acure Day Cream. I wasn’t too sure about this. The first time I used it, it stung my face a little. I think it was just a case of my skin being chapped from the cold, because that did not happen again. In fact, I have been using it daily for about 2 weeks and my skin is definitely smoother than it was before. I thought from the sting and the scent that there was a citrus oil in the crème. Sure enough, there is citrus reticulata (red mandarin) oil. This face crème is gluten free and vegan. Free of parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, phthalates, formaldehyde donors, synthetic fragrances, animal testing, ethanolamine, mineral oil, propylene glycol and silicone…if that matters to you at all. This product sells for $18.99 for 1.75 oz. Verdict – This is a little on the expensive side, but I think it is definitely worth it. I will definitely buy this product.

Next up in the skin care category is Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels. I received 2 envelopes of two gels each. This is one product that I had to wait to try. Unlike cosmetics or creams, I couldn’t just try it on and get ready for work. We had to plan the testing of this product, so Chris and I decided to do a facial day and try these out while applying a hydrating mask to the rest of the face and saturating the hair with coconut oil. These gels get applied to the under eye area, which, honestly, was a bit uncomfortable to wear for 15 or 20 minutes.  And I have to admit…I didn’t really see any benefit. Sure, the fine lines around my eyes were a little less noticeable, but I can get that effect with a nice, cool, CHEAP cucumber. Even if I used organic, locally grown cucumbers, it would come nowhere near the cost of these eye gels. They sell for a package of 8 pairs for $30.00. Ummm…no thanks. I’ll pass. Verdict – obviously I will not purchase.

So…are you an Ipsy subscriber? Let me know what you think of this month’s bag and what you received to test.

Ipsy – February 2015

I’ve been a bad little blogger…I’ve been away too, too long.  I had some personal stuff going on in my life that kept me away from blogging, but I’m back now.

I wanted to share with you my review of the Ipsy samples I received for February. I’m a little late, so forgive me. I will be reviewing March’s bag shortly. I promise not to keep you waiting for that one.

If you are not familiar with Ipsy, it is a cosmetic sample subscription service. The cost is $10 per month and you receive 4-5 samples each month. Products are samples size, deluxe sample size, or full size. In addition to cosmetics, you can receive hair products, skin care products, and tools such as makeup brushes. I have been doing this for about 10 months now and I absolutely love it. I get so excited each month…it’s like Christmas each time for me. I know…I’m such a dork.

If you are interested in joining, here is a link for you. Ipsy.

This month I received 5 items in a pretty pink makeup bag. I’ll tell you…I am finding that I am accumulating way to many makeup bags. I’m going to have to start repurposing some, or giving them away. If you are in need of a makeup bag, let me know. I have plenty to share.

The first item was a 1 oz. sample size of Up All Night Volumizing Spray by Eva NYC. The spray was light weight and had a nice, clean scent. It did in fact give my fine, thin hair some body and the body lasted most of the day. What I did not like about this spray was that it left my hair feeling a bit on the sticky side. This product sells for $24.00 for 8 oz. Verdict – I probably won’t buy this product. There are other products that work just as well without adding the stickiness factor.

Next up is a .34 oz. sample size Fine Radiance Face oil by Mitchell and Peach. This oil is a mixture of various oils like coconut, apricot kernel, jojoba, sunflower, and others. The instruction state to use 3 drops and smooth over the face. I’m guessing that the full size product comes with a dropper and that the drops are larger than the 3 drops I got out of the sample bottle. I had to use much more than 3 drops. The oil went on nicely and was absorbed quickly. I was expecting a certain amount of smoothness after the oil was absorbed, but I didn’t really see it. After using it for a few days, I really didn’t see any improvement in my skin. Honestly, I wasn’t very impressed. 6.7 oz. of this product sells on a UK website for 30 pounds, which is around $44.00 USD.  Verdict – I definitely will not buy this product.

Next up is a Professional Eye Lash Curler by Emite Makeup. To be fair here, I don’t use an eye lash curler and I do not like them. I tried it once, put it away, and never tried it again. Nothing against the tool, it’s just not something I use. This item sells for $25.00. I can’t imagine spending that much money on an eye lash curler, but that’s just me.

Now, stay with me. Only 2 more products to go..and I definitely saved the best for last.

Blush Cheek Powder by ModelCo in the color Cosmopolitan (Ballerina Pink). I cannot say enough about this blush. It has become my new go to. The color goes on nicely and stays on all day. It is a nice, neutral shade and feels very light on the skin. It did not get blotchy like some other blushes can. I received a nice sized sample of this product, which should last me quite a while. The full size product sells for $22.00. Verdict – I will most definitely buy this product.

Last, but certainly not least is a .078 oz. full size Creamy Lip Stain by City Color Cosmetics in the color Flirtini, which is a lovely pink color. Great for every day wear. I can’t say enough good things about this lip stain. It went on smoothly, perfect color saturation, and staying power like you would not believe. I was skeptical at first because it had a slight smell and went on like a lip gloss. This did not feel slippery or sticky like lip gloss and once it was on my lips, I detected no odor. I did have to reapply bit after eating and drinking, but for the most part, this stayed with me all day. Another go to for me. This product sells for $4.99…..can’t beat that! Verdict – I can’t wait to get this in other colors. I simply love this product.

So…are you an Ipsy subscriber? Let me know what you are testing and how you like it.