Ipsy Glam Bag August 2014 Review

Guys, I gotta be honest and tell you that this is my final Ipsy bag, as I have officially cancelled my subscription.

Don’t get me wrong, this is still a good subscription service, but I’ve noticed that I’m not actually using the majority of the makeup and products Ipsy is sending me.  It’s not that I dislike the product, but rather the color is generally not my favorite.  So most of my Ipsy goodies are just sitting at the bottom of my makeup drawer, completely untouched because I’d rather wear the colors and products I like and picked for myself.

And I’ve also noticed a big decline in the amount of full sized products that Ipsy is sending out over the past few months.  My bags used to come packed with around 3 full sized items, and now it’s usually just one.  Not the end of the world, but we tend to have certain expectations after a while….

So anyway, those are the reasons that I’m cancelling.  As I said, it’s still a good and FUN subscription to have, it’s just no longer a great fit for me, personally.

** 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. **

I thought this month’s bag was pretty cute.  A round pencil bag style with adorable orange polka-dots.  The only thing I don’t care for is the plastic-y material.  If they had chosen another material, it could have been better.

Goodies received:

 

Dr. Brandt Pores No More Primer

Full size = $45.00

Crap – I totally forgot to add my photo of this primer into this post!  Sorry!

This is a beige, flesh-y colored primer that makes my skin feel really soft and matte.

I’m not sure if it really blurred my fine lines and pores, but I was happy with the overall effects.

I don’t know if I like it quite as much as the Smashbox Photo Op Light primer, but I definitely do like it and will continue to use my sample until it’s gone.

 

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

Full size = $22.00

I get excited every time I see an Urban Decay product in a sub box.  However, I’m usually let down by the product in some way.  And this mascara is no exception. This mascara promises “Bigger, Blacker, Badder” lashes, and I just didn’t feel like it completely delivered.

I didn’t have any problems with flaking or smudging, but I just wasn’t wow’d by the results.  I noticed a bit of lengthen and added fullness, but not nearly enough for me to purchase a full size and pay $22.00 for it.  Just not enough lash drama for my preferences.

It seems that Urban Decay is just not my brand.  😦

 

Lord & Berry Silk Kajal Kohl Eye Pencil in Black

Full size = $16.00

You guys know I love me a black eye liner!  I was really excited to try this one by Lord & Berry, a brand I’ve heard of many times, but never tried before.

The pencil felt very luxurious as it glided across my lash line, and created a nice dark line.  Application was very smooth, but the pencil still had nice grip so I felt completely in control during application.

Sadly, I did have some smudging by mid-day.  The line was still there, but I had black smudges all over my eye lid.  That was pretty disappointing.

 

Absolute Lip Balm, Grape flavor

Full size = $5.99

I was surprised to discover these Absolute lip balm are from the Nicka K brand.  Who knew?

I thought the packaging on this lip balm was nice.  It’s a little tin pot that looks really cute.  But I REALLY don’t like applying lip products, especially balms, from a pot.  It’s just unnecessarily messy.  Especially when the formula is super soft like this one.

I did find this lip balm to be very moisturizing, and it made my lips really glossy.  However, upon closer inspection, I noticed that there was GLITTER in the balm!  WHY?????

And while I don’t care for the grape flavor, the scent wasn’t too strong, thankfully.

For those who might be interested in purchasing this lip balm tin, it’s worthwhile to note that the full size is a two-pack with two different flavors.

 

Coastal Scents Forever Blush Duo in Elegant and Fresh

Full size = $7.95

Coastal Scents is one of those brands that is hit or miss with me.  And I was really happy to discover that these blushes are lovely!

I received Elegant, a soft warm pink with a hint of shimmer (also the color on my cheeks in the photo above) and Fresh, a deep apricot which looks very natural and beach-y when applied.

This blush isn’t super pigmented, so you do need to build it up a bit, but the overall results are lovely.  And at $7.95 for a full size, I would absolutely pick up a few colors.  And even if I didn’t have an Ipsy discount code, Coastal Scent runs promotions all. the. time.

 

Overall, this was a pretty good Ipsy bag.  It had lots of fun items to experiment with, even if they didn’t all work out for me, personally.  Part of me will miss my Ipsy subscription, just because it’s fun, but I think overall, cancelling was the right call for me right now.

Did you get anything awesome in your Ipsy bag this month?

 

 

Ipsy Glam Bag April 2014 Review

It’s Ipsy time!

I thought this month’s bag (valued at approx. $2.00) was pretty cute!  It’s a dark blue light weight square bag with a record/record player on it.  I think it’s kinda groovy, so I’ll be putting it to use!

** 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:

 

Sexy Hair Root Pump Volumizing Spray Mousse

Full size = $17.95, Sample value = $2.87

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw this product.  Sexy Hair products have not been my favorite products of all time, but I’m always willing to try new things.  I don’t use a root lifter in my normal hair routine, although, when I get a haircut, my stylist always insists on using one on me.

I’ve been trying to wear my hair down a little more lately.  I feel like I’ve been extra rough on my hair lately, and pulling it back into a wet bun every day is not good for my hair.  So I’m trying to give it some freedom.

Anyway, I sprayed the mousse onto my roots and massaged it in.  It’s not like a regular mousse that expands like a huge cloud in your hand, it’s much thinner, but does foam up just a little.  Then I flipped my head upside down and diffused my hair.

I think a used just a tiny bit too much product, as my hair felt heavy and slightly crunchy at the roots, and that’s not what you want.  But I think my hair was a little more lifted at the roots than normal, so I guess it ultimately did it’s job.

 

Elizabeth Mott Pop! Goes the Shadow in Champagne

Full size = $12.99 (received full size)

I’m not sure how I feel about this eye shadow.  As a general rule, I don’t think shimmery eye shadow looks good on me.  However, once applied, this shade didn’t really look too shimmery.  It looked more brightening than anything else, which is nice.

I wasn’t terribly impressed with the texture of the shadow.  It seemed a little dry.  On the other hand, had it been more buttery and velvety, it might have looked more shimmery, which probably would have made me like it less.  Apparently, I just can’t be pleased!  😉

I didn’t really have any problems with the shadow creasing, but fading was definitely an issue.  I would use a primer in the future.

All this too say, I don’t hate it.  And I’ll probably continue to wear it, particularly on days when I’m feeling and looking tired and need my eye area brightened up.

  

 

Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil in Black Velvet

Full size = $20.00, Sample value = $13.33

I love black eye liner.  I love it almost as much as I love mascara (which is A LOT).  I’ve heard a lot of hype about various Urban Decay eye liners, so I was curious to see how this one performed.

First, I loved the texture of the pencil.  Not too soft (so many eye liners are getting ridiculously soft) and not too dry.  Just how I like it.  And really, really dark black.  Check, check!

However, while it claims to be waterproof, I had no problems washing it off with just soap and water.  If a product is water proof, I would expect to have to use makeup remover to get it off.

Also, I had a problem with it flaking.  I noticed lots of black flecks along my under eye area.  And I don’t believe it was my mascara as I was using the same Almay mascara I’ve been using for years.

Flaking aside, I liked this eye liner a lot.

  

 

Mary Kay at Play Jelly Lip Gloss in Teddy Bare

Full size = $10.00 (received full size)

You know, I thought with all the advances we’ve had in makeup technology, I thought we were past the days of super sticky lip gloss.  Even drug store brands like Rimmel, Maybelline, and Revlon have super smooth and balmy textures.

But I have to say that this is probably the STICKIEST lip gloss I have ever used.  I know some people say stickiness in lip gloss is what allows it to last longer, but this is unreasonably bad.

I can’t tell you how long this lip gloss lasted, as I wiped it off shortly after taking my photos.  I expect so much more from a $10.00 lip gloss.

The color that I was sent is another corpse-y nude color.  I thought Ipsy was finally starting to regularly send out lovely rosy lip colors, but I am disappointed once more.

  

 

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion

Full size = $78.00, Sample value = $9.75

Whew – this stuff was intense!  But very awesome.  And it should be.  Did you see the full price?  And that’s just for two ounces, by the way.

When I hear the term “microdermabrasion”, I expect serious results.  And I think I got it with this product.

It was slightly painful to use, by my skin was mighty, might smooth after using it.  Much more so than just using your average facial scrub.  I actually told my boyfriend he needs to use this as well.

I can’t afford to repurchase this product, but if you have the available funds, you might want to check it out!

 

This is me wearing the Elizabeth Mott eye shadow, Urban Decay eye liner, and Mary Kay lip gloss.  I also applied some cream blush to my cheeks because without it, I was completely washed out.  And I am actually wearing the Sexy Hair spray mousse as well, but I, obviously, have my hair pulled back so it’s hard to tell.

 

Overall, this was a good bag, but not a great bag.  And it certainly had a great value.  I paid $10, and the total box value was $50.94!

I think the microdermabrasion was my favorite item in the bag, followed by the Urban Decay eye liner.

Did you receive an Ipsy bag this month?  How was it?

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