Ipsy Glam Bag July 2014 Review

I have to admit, while Ipsy sent me some fun products this month, I’m pretty disappointed in the fact that I didn’t receive even one full-sized product.  In my opinion, there are two things that define Ipsy from the rest of the $10/month subscriptions – 1.  They’re mostly focused on makeup products (as opposed to skin care, hair, or lifestyle products) and 2. They usually send 2-3 full-sized products (if not more).

So for them to send ZERO full sized products this months seems unusual.  I don’t mean to sound greedy, but it makes just makes me wonder…

** Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription that sends you a combination of deluxe-sized samples and full-size products that are personalized for you based on the results of your beauty quiz. Along with the beauty products, you also receive a monthly (super cute) make-up bag! The cost of an Ipsy subscription is $10/month. **

This month’s bag (valued at approx. $2.00) had potential, but didn’t really hit home for me.  A basic square pink bag with a scalloped edge could have been cute, but sadly the scallop edge is open and exposes the white underside of the material and makes it look cheap. 

Anyway….

Goodies received:

 

BareMinerals 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eye Shadow in Divine Wine

Full size = $18.00, Sample value = $5.41

I really liked this cream shadow.  It applies easily with a spongy applicator and blends very easily.  I will say, I had an easier time blending with a brush, rather than my fingers.  You have to work quickly as the cream sets and dries within a few seconds.

Divine Wine starts out looking like a deep medium brown, but blends out into a matte soft fawn brown with barely a hint of shimmer.  And you can add more product to build up more color intensity.

This cream eye shadow promises 12 hours of crease-free color.  With my oily lids and the humidity of summer in the Carolinas, I got more like 8-9 hours of crease-free color.  The product feels really light, as though I’m not wearing anything on my eye lids at all.

This is a fantastic summer product.

 

Pixi Beauty Tinted Brilliance Balm in Pretty Pink

Full size = $14.00, Sample value = $8.40

I’m beginning to really enjoy Pixi.  The more products I try from them, the more I realize I like a lot of their products.

I think we all know by now that I adore a good lip crayon.  And if that lip crayon is hydrating and highly pigmented, then you’ve got a real winner!  And that’s what you have with these Tinted Brilliance Balms.  And it comes complete with a minty scent!

Pretty Pink is a fairly bright true pink with blue undertones.  It’s a really great and fun summer lip color! 🙂

Oh, and considering this is a tinted balm, I was shocked by not only the color being as pigmented as it is, but also when that color lasted for over 4 hours!

 

Lavilin Jojoba Gel Cream

Full size = $21.00, Sample value = $3.15

For an every day moisturizer, this cream is definitely too heavy.  But I guess that’s why they say to use it after time in the sun to replenish the moisture in your skin.

It’s been annoyingly rainy and overcast here in Charlotte lately, so I haven’t had much time in the summer sun this month!

 

Pür Minerals Big Look Waterproof Mascara

Full size = $20.00, Sample value = $14.08

Sadly I didn’t really love this mascara.

I’ll start with the good stuff first:

It held a curl beautifully – as most waterproof mascara does.  It also provided good length and fullness in two coats.

And now for the bad:

The formula was pretty wet and it was really messy to apply, especially on the bottom lashes.  And because it’s waterproof, it took extra effort to clean up.  I also had serious problems with clumping.  And it made my lashes crunchy and brittle.

 

Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil SPF 08

Full size – $11.99, Sample value = $1.50

So get this.  I took this entire week off from work as my “summer vacation”.  I’m not going anywhere, but I just wanted some time to myself to relax and enjoy some sunshine and hang by the pool.  However, it’s going to be POURING RAIN all week long.

I was really hoping to have a reason to use this tanning oil!  Dang it!

Either way, it’ll be great to show off a fresh tan and it’s not too heavy or greasy.  But I’m still not the biggest fan of having oil sitting on my skin.

 

Overall, I thought it was a pretty good bag, and completely seasonally appropriate for summer.  Again, I’m just disappointed that there were no full-sized items in my bag this month.

And because of the lack of full-sized products, I noticed a significant dip in the overall value of the bag.  I paid $10, and the total value was $34.54.  A good value, sure, but pretty low for what I’ve come to expect from Ipsy.

Did you get anything awesome in your Ipsy bag this month?  Did you happen to receive any full sized products?

If you’re interested in subscribing to Ipsy, please consider using my referral link here.

Lovely Lips: Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Light It Up

Last month I redeemed some Ipsy points and I was supposed to receive a full sized lipstick along with my May glam bag.  However, they forgot to send it to me! 

After bringing it to their attention, Ipsy apologized and sent my lipstick to me right away.  And here it is: Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in  Light It Up.

The first thing I need to say about this lipstick is that I really dislike the packaging. I think it’s kind of dumb that you have to press and slide a button to release the lipstick from the tube.  Another blogger that I read said that she cannot even open her lipstick because the mechanism is broken.  What an unnecessary hassle!

   

Bare Minerals describes Light It Up as a vibrant melon.  I don’t think that’s the most accurate description, but I guess it’s not completely off base either.

I see this lipstick shade as almost a coral, but it leans too far orange.  But “vibrant” is definitely a key word here.  This lipstick is BRIGHT!  My photos don’t really capture how bright it is…

And the fact that this lipstick is completely opaque only intensifies the brightness.  Bare Minerals says it’s “super saturated and ultra pigmented” – and I would have to agree!

The formula almost reminds me of MAC’s amplified creme finish lipsticks, but a slightly lighter weight and just a touch more sheen in the finish.

I was able to get an easy 4 hours of wear out of this lipstick, but it didn’t last through a meal.

Also worth mentioning, when I rubbed my lips together right after applying, I noticed a few patches where the color moved and exposed my lips.  I didn’t like that.

I also struggled with a clean application.  Lip liner might be helpful going forward.

Overall, this really isn’t my favorite lipstick.  The color is just too bright and too orange for my tastes.

What’s also frustrating is that I think it looks nice in my photos…. not so much in real life.

I might consider checking out other colors, but it comes back to the weird packaging (I think they were trying too hard to be unique) and that fact that I struggled a bit around the lines of my lips during application.

Have you guys tried any of the Marvelous Moxie lipsticks?  What do you think?

 

 

Ipsy Glam Bag March 2014 Review

I got my Ipsy bag last week!  And in a much timelier manner than last month!  🙂

While I love the colorful, modern, and interesting design on the bag (valued at approx. $2), I didn’t care for the material they used, which is a bummer.

** Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription that sends you a combination of delux-sized samples and full-size products that are personalized for you based on the results of your beauty quiz. Along with the beauty products, you also receive a monthly (super cute) make-up bag! The cost of an Ipsy subscription is $10/month. **

Goodies received:

 

Be A Bombshell Eye Shadow Quad in Bora Bora

Full size = $16.00 (received full size)

Swatches L-R:  Starlet, Bora Bora, Risky Business, Rock Bottom

As a general rule, I like Be A Bombshell eye shadows.  They’re pigmented and smooth.

But this particular quad just didn’t blow me away.  The colors are gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t really want to wear them.  I tried putting together a couple of looks, but I didn’t really like the end results, so I didn’t photograph any of them.  Also, I had a difficult time blending the other colors with the turquoise Bora Bora shade.

I was able to get close to 6 hours of wear time (without primer) before these shadows started to crease.  I think that’s pretty impressive!

 

BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Get Ready

Full size = $18.00, Sample value = $7.50

  

I’m grateful that Ipsy is slowly starting to send out lip colors that are actually flattering!  And this one is GORGEOUS!

Get Ready is a warm, rosy pink with a creamy finish.  It provides medium to full color coverage on your lips and lasts 3-4 hours.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t survive a meal.

I thought the formula was fairly moisturizing.  My lips didn’t feel dry at all.  I would absolutely purchase this shade and take a good look at some of the other shades offered by BareMinerals.

 

Pacifica Body Butter in Indian Coconut Nectar

Full size = $15.00, Sample value = $4.69

I’m not always a huge fan of body butters as they are usually to heavy for my preferences.  And sometimes a bit greasy.

This body butter from Pacifica wasn’t too bad, and it did make my skin feel soft, but I probably won’t continue to use it.  It will probably go to my mom or my boyfriend’s little sister.

I did think the scent was pretty powerful.  My mom wears the French Lilac body butter on occasion, and that one is pretty strongly scented as well.  I guess what I’m saying is, if you’re wearing a Pacifica Body Butter, I wouldn’t add perfume on top of it because it really isn’t necessary.

 

Nicole by OPI Roughles Nail Polish in On What Grounds?

Full size = $7.99 (received full size)

  

I loved, Loved, LOVED this nail polish!  I’ve always been a fan of Nicole by OPI, and this polish is just as wonderful!  And the color is gorgeous!

Textured polishes can be fun to try out, but for me, they’re not always a favorite, so I ended up putting some top coat over the texture and it smoothed it out beautifully, added some shine, and I was still able to enjoy the beautiful color!

This polish applied really easily and dried really quickly.  Two coats was all I needed for complete opacity.  And I had no problems removing the polish.  It came off easier than a glitter polish.

 

Overall, this was a good Ipsy bag.  Not great, but certainly good.  And as always with Ipsy, it’s a fantastic value – I paid $10, and the total value was $38.18!  It’s the best deal in town in terms of a beauty subscription, in my opinion!

If you’re interested in subscribing to Ipsy, please consider using my referral link here.

Mom’s Daily Makeup

*I was inspired to write this after reading this post by Anastasia. 

 

You guys may remember my mom from this post a few months back.

Today I wanted to walk you through her current makeup picks. My mom has struggled in the past with finding the right cosmetic products because most beauty products are really centered around younger people.  Shimmer/glitter in face products or bright and bold lips are not always a comfortable option for those who are over the age of 50.

But over the last few years, my mom has acquired a nice selection of products that are suited to her preferences and make her feel good about herself.

Because she still works, this is her beauty routine Monday – Friday.  On the weekends she uses different (and less) products.

 

 

Nuance Front & Center Concealer and Brightener in Light

Mom says:  This is a really good match for my skin tone.  The concealer is really easy to apply and blend, but the formula is slightly on the dry side.  I like that there is a brightener included as well.  I don’t use the brightener every day, but it’s a nice option if I I’m having more under-eye darkness than usual. 

 

Bare Minerals Original SPF 15 Foundation Powder in Medium

Mom says:  I’ve been using this Bare Minerals powdered foundation for quite some time now.  It gives me a natural finish – you almost can’t tell I’m wearing it!  It makes my skin look healthy and radiant without any added shimmer.  It never gets on my clothes and even though I touch my face a lot throughout the day, it still covers me all day.   

 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express for Eyes and Brows in Blonde

Mom says:  As I’ve gotten older, my eye brows have thinned and grayed.  I’ve tried so many brow products in the past, and none of them looked natural.  In this palette, I really only use the darker brow shadow.  It looks really natural and the color is somewhere between a very light brown and gray. 

 

Ulta Plush Drama Volumizing Mascara in Jet Black

Mom says:  I received this mascara as a free gift from Ulta and I really love it.  As I’ve gotten older, my eye lashes have become more sparse, so they really need to be amped up.  This mascara gives me great fullness and length.  (For reference, I was previously using Benefit They’re Real mascara previously, but I much prefer this Ulta mascara).

 

L’Oreal Pencil Perfect Eye Liner in Cocoa

Mom says:  I really like the twist up style of this eye liner – I like not having to sharpen it.  And I prefer a dark brown eye liner over black because it’s a softer look.  I’ve been using this L’Oreal eye liner for a long time.  Once you apply it, it lasts all day. 

 

Bare Minerals Blush in Golden Gate

Mom says:  I won’t wear shimmery blushes.  I bought one once, and a co-worker made a comment about “all the glitter” on my cheeks.  So now I only do matte blushes.  I like Bare Minerals blush because even though it’s not shimmery, it still reflects light and looks really pretty.  I’m not sure I’m wearing the best color (I would prefer something a little more pink), but I’m going to use what I currently have until it’s gone.

 

Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick in Pink Toffee

Mom says:  I’ve been wearing Clinique lipsticks forever.  I’ve always been a fan of the brand.  Their formulas are smooth and creamy, which is good because I don’t wear lip balm.  I started wearing Pink Toffee because I thought it was a really pretty and natural looking color.  It’s a neutral mid-toned pink, with very slight brown undertones.  I can’t say how long lasting it is because I have a tendency to lick my lips.  So I feel like I reapply every 2 hours because I accidentally licked off all my lipstick! 

 

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser (not pictured in photo)

Mom says:  I just started using this product and I really like it!  I have some large pores on the lower part of my forehead that I’ve really struggled to smooth out.  This product really works for that problem area.  My pores aren’t invisible, but they are significantly minimized and smoothed over.  I will continue to use this product on a daily basis. 

 

I really enjoyed putting this post together!  I’d love to know what makeup products all of your moms are enjoying!  🙂