May Ipsy Review: Jetsetter

May's Glam Bag theme was "Jetsetter", complete with travel essentials and an adorable bag to keep them in. 

Overall Rating: 4 stars 

Best Product: I really, really want to say Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in "Ozone". But I'd be lying. This month's winner is BelláPierre Cosmetic's Waterproof Miner Gel Eyeliner Pencil in "Ebony". 

Worst Product: Bare Republic Naturals SPF 30 Mineral Face Sunscreen Lotion. 

Most Expensive Product: Pixi by Petra's Beauty Bronzer in "Summertime" (although this may not be totally accurate, as the pricing on their website included a kabuki brush and my sample did not). 

Glam Bag Total Value: ~$52.00

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in "Ozone"; Revolution High-Color Lip Gloss in "Bittersweet" and "Failbait"

First up is this amazing pack of lip products from Urban Decay. I actually cheered out loud when I saw I would be getting this in my glam bag this month. Included in the sample was their 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in "Ozone" and two samples of their Revolution High-Color Lipglosses in the colors "Failbait" and "Bittersweet". 

This translucent lip pencil is meant to be used as a lip primer. You can use it to line your lips to prevent bleeding of lip colors, you can use it all over your lips to make your lip color last longer, you can even use it to correct mistakes and fill in fine lines! It's a really cool product that goes on smooth and it doesn't feel like you have anything on your lips while wearing it. 

Revolution High-Color Lipgloss in "Bittersweet" 

The glosses were equally amazing, and I'd definitely be interested in picking up some full-sizes in the future. It is super pigmented, and really glossy. It didn't feel at all sticky. The color "Failbait" was especially beautiful and feminine, and definitely more wearable than it's edgy "Bittersweet" counterpart. 

The glosses are available in 14 shades and retail for $22. The lip pencil comes in both a thin and thick barrel option in prices ranging from $16-$20. I'd give both 5 stars. 

BelláPierre Cosmetics Gel Eye Liner in "Ebony"

As much as I wanted the UD products to be my favorite this month, this eyeliner just really hit all the right notes. Super black, it glides on buttery smooth, can be blended out for a sexy smokey eye, and does NOT budge until you decide to take it off. I was really impressed with the product, especially since it is from a brand I've never used or heard of before. I got a full-sized version, which retails for $14.99. 5 stars!

NUXE Rêve de miel Face Cleansing and Make-Up Removing Gel

I definitely had some mixed feelings about this Facial Cleansing and Make-Up Removing Gel by NUXE. On one hand, I felt like my face wasn't being cleaned while I used it. There were no suds to speak of. But when I stepped out of the shower, my eye-makeup was TOTALLY removed, which definitely impressed me. However, the smell of it made me feel like a hippie all day. I will finish the sample, but I wouldn't likely buy it again. This retails for $19, but my sample was worth $1.41. 3 stars. 

Pixi by Petra Beauty Bronzer in "Summertime"

This bronzer is just wonderful. When I first saw it, I wasn't to keen on the fact it had shimmer in it. Usually, I use bronzer just for contouring. But I decided to give bronzing my whole face a try with this product, and it was perfection! The shimmer is very subtle and adds a beautiful glow. The color of the bronzer itself isn't too dramatic or dark against my fair skin. It gave my whole face a gorgeous bronze glow, perfect for days when you don't want to fuss around with contouring or get tired of blush. This retails for $18 on pixi's website, but that price also includes a kabuki brush. 5 stars. 

This was another confusing product for me. The texture of it is... Strange. It says it doesn't leave your face oily, but the product itself feels really oily. Almost slimy, even. After putting it on, it is true that it did not make my face greasy, but I just wasn't digging the formula on this. Again, I'll probably use up the sample while poolside in the summer, but I don't anticipate using it again. A full size bottle retails for $15, but my sample was worth $4.41. 2 stars. 

I had a couple duds in my bag this month, but the winners truly made up for it. I already can hear my wallet crying from the inevitable purchase of those UD products! 

Want to try Ipsy for yourself? For just $10 a month you can get in on the fun of getting makeup products delivered to your door! Use this link to sign up: http://www.ipsy.com/r/c16l?sid=ipsypoints&cid=email

November Ipsy Review

The This month, Ipsy went right after my own heart with their theme: "Girl Meets Glitter". Many of the features glam bag items were sparkly, including the bag itself! 

I received only 2 sparkly items, and this month I was actually shorted a product! I contacted customer care and they are sending me one, but this will be an abbreviated review as a result. 

November Ipsy Bag: Girl Meets Glitter

Be Delectable Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream in Coconut & Cream

The first product in my bag was be Delectable's Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream. The lotion itself is thick but not greasy. It didn't make my hands incredibly soft like some other lotions I have tried, but it's nice enough. The scent is coconut & cream; while I usually like coconut scented stuff, this particular coconut smell was definitely not sophisticated. It smells like a lotion I might have worn in the 5th grade. It's not enough to keep me from using it, but this isn't necessarily a product I would buy again. This retails for $5.50 for 2 oz. 

GlamGlow Powermud Dualcleanse Treatment

Remember the GlamGlow Youthmud mask I received a few months back? This is the brand's facial cleanser. It contains a blend of oils, purifiers, and clays to get your skin extra clean and soft.  The product smelled great; I put it on and left it for 10 minutes, by which time it was completely dry like any other mask. But what was cool was when I went to rinse it off, it turns INTO an oil treatment! It immediately turned into an oil upon wetting and after massaging it into my skin and rinsing, my face felt SO incredibly soft. I loved this treatment! It retails for $69 for 1.7 oz., but my sample size was worth $20.29. 

Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Ultra Orchid

This was the first sparkly item in my bag. It's a beautiful, purple eyeliner with silver glitter within. It glides on pretty effortlessly. My only complaint is that it is so soft, it clumps up a bit at the base of my lashes. I used it to line my waterline for this purple shadow look I did today...

It's pretty, but not over the top. This pencil retails for $17. 

J. Cat Beauty Wonder Lip Paint in Mad Splatter

This is my first ever lip paint/tar and the second "sparkly" item in my bag. The formula itself is... Interesting. It is super glossy, but it smells a bit funky and it definitely stains! However, the color is a really beautiful magenta with a gorgeous subtle blue shimmer (check out the swatch on my hand to see it!). I wore it for my Christmas cards and I'm sure I will wear it again. It would also probably look beautiful over another lipstick shade. This retails for $4.99 for .33 oz. 

Even though this bag has a pretty high value (over $47 worth of product, even with one product missing, for $10), it was a pretty lackluster bag in my opinion. When I saw the theme was going to be Girl Meets Glitter I was stoked! However, I feel like they really fell flat and could have done so much more product wise with the theme. I know I will definitely use the cleanser and lip paint, but am pretty underwhelmed with the other two products. I guess not every month can be a smash hit, but I'm hoping for a really exciting December bag next month! 

July Ipsy Bag Review!

My July Ipsy bag arrived and I could not be more excited. I wonder if that feeling will ever go away? Probably not. 

This month's theme was "Sensationally Sunkissed" and the products I received this month definitely fit the bill. Let's get started. 

The bag this month was cute; I like the design on last month's better, but I like the scalloped edges on this one. I was kind of hoping when I saw the sneak peak pictures that it would be made out of neoprene (SCUBA dork) but I like how it reminds me of a little pink ravioli. 

This month I received the following:

Befine food skin care daily moisturizer with SPF 15

I notice a lot of Ipsters complain about getting skin care products, but I was actually quite happy to receive this moisturizer in my bag. On a daily basis I wear Clinique's moisturizer but it doesn't have a SPF in it. I also don't like using regular sunscreen on my face because I am seriously prone to breakouts, so this summer I've been on the beach a lot with no sun protection on my face which is a HUGE BEAUTY NO-NO. 

This product is quite nice. It is allergen, fragrance, and paraben free which is great news for my sensitive skin. The formula itself is on the lighter side, and a little goes a long way. It does have a sunscreen smell to it, which is to be expected with an SPF. 

I used it a couple times and it does not appear to cause me breakouts, and it does a fine job as a sunscreen. 

As an added bonus, this can also be used to moisturize and protect your hands from sun exposure, which is especially important if you want youthful hands for years to come! 

This product retails for $24 for a 1.70 oz tube. 

Bare Minerals 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow

When I saw this in my bag I didn't quite know what to make of it. "BB"; does that make it a primer? But it says "eyeshadow". Upon further inspection, this product does it all: primes your lids, brightens dull eye skin, smooths lines and wrinkles, protects with SPF 15, and provides 12-hour color. It comes in 10 shades and can be worn alone or under other eyeshadows. I received the color "Divine Wine". 

My initial impression was that it seemed incredibly dark to me. And then I had to remind myself that it wasn't a concealer or a foundation; it's an eyeshadow. Still, I figured for my first time around I would use it as an eyeshadow base for a makeup look. 

Without 5 in 1 BB Shadow

With 5 in 1 BB Shadow

The color is a lot more delicate on the lid than on the hand. The wand makes application precise and easy; I could get the product on just my lid no problem, and it was easy to blend out the edges with my finger. It dries matte and has some pretty, subtle gold sparkle in it. 

After makeup application

I'll be frank: I hated this product. I've done this very same eyeshadow look before with stunning results using Urban Decay's Primer Potion as a primer and NYX's White Eye Shadow Base as a base. This wasn't good to use as a shadow base, and it was difficult to blend with powder shadows. 

I will throw Bare Minerals a bone in that I don't use cream shadows. I never really have, and I don't plan on starting now. I use powders all the time. So I don't really know how to use this, or in what application I could combine it with powders to get a look that isn't terrible. I will probably try to trade this product for a nail polish or something else on the Ipsy boards with another Ipster. I'm just flat out not feeling it. 

The Bare Minerals 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow retails for $18 for .10 oz. 

Pop Beauty Sunkissed Bronzer in "Secret Sunshine"

Next up is a bronzer, which is something always good to have in your makeup bag during the summer months. Despite my not using sunscreen on my face, it is still in that weird in-between color where it isn't pale, but also isn't as dark as the rest of my body. Bronzer helps here. 

I really liked the packaging on this. Pop Beauty is another new brand for me so I had no expectations with this product. 

Upon swatching, I was pleased. The color isn't too dark and it has a beautiful golden shimmer throughout. The pigments are also smooth. I used it the first time as a contour and it worked beautifully. The color is lightly pigmented so it's not too much when you first apply the countour, but it is buildable. It's also not so shimmery that you can't use it as a contour. Additionally, I used it as an all over bronzer and found that I really like it in this capacity. It adds a beautiful glow without being too dark or over the top. 

I am happy that I got this product and I am confident that I'll be using it a lot for the rest of the summer. Pop Beauty Sunkissed Bronzer retails for $10 for .25 oz. 

Elizabeth Mott's Tints & Sass Fabulous Lip + Cheek Stain in "Cherry"

I'm a relative novice when it comes to stains; my one friend gave me a Benefit Cha-Cha Tint that she had an extra of but I haven't gotten a chance to really use it. I was excited to get this in the color I did because I think it'll be an easy color to experiment with. I can do most anything on the lips, but liquid cheek color intimidates me! 

I'm definitely a fan of the color and formula; it reminds me of a melted Popsicle! It also smells lovely. 

Before lip stain

1 coat of lip stain 

2 coats of lip stain

I love it as a lip stain! It goes on a little patchy but it smooths out easily, almost on its own. And you can build the color intensity, which is nice. It definitely gives you a beautiful rosiness to your lips, just like you've been eating a cherry popsicle. Lovely! It the stain stays true to its name; I used a makeup remover wipe to take the swatch off my hand, and I still had to put some elbow grease into removing it. It also lasted though an entire dinner and it doesn't kiss off! 

Before cheek stain 

1 application of cheek stain

I'll admit it, I was sweating it before I applied this as a cheek stain. Like I said, I've never used cheek stains before and I was nervous! I didn't want it to ruin the makeup I already had on or have it make me look like a clown. But to my delight I had no issues with this product. The result is subtle, so you may not be able to tell in the photos above, but it gives a simply gorgeous, natural looking flush to your cheeks. I dabbed it on the apples of my cheeks and blended it up toward my temples. It was so easy and it is beautiful!

What a great new product to discover thanks to Ipsy. So thankful I got to try this. Elizabeth Mott's Tints & Sass Fabulous Lip + Cheek Stains retail for $22.99 for .35 oz. 

Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil SPF 08

This was the last product I received in my bag, and I was looking forward to trying it! I've never really used tanning oils before. My skin is strange... I'm relatively fair skinned thanks to my British, Irish, German and Polish nationalities, so I can burn sort of easy... However, I'm also Italian, so when I do burn it tends to be after a couple of hours without adequate sun protection, and it tends to fade into a tan quickly. To be on the safe side I almost always use an SPF 30 on my body and reapply a few times if I'm spending a long day at the beach. SPF 08 is foreign to me. 

I used this all over my body and laid out in my backyard. I don't have anything to compare the formula to, but it was easy enough to apply and absorbed for the most part. I was delighted to find that after only one application and several hours of sun exposure, the tanning oil did  bring me a shade darker and a lovely glow, with NO burn! I was truly surprised. When I run out, I may be interested in picking up more to see how nice it works in the long-run. 

Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil retails for $11.99 for 8 oz. 

After calculating the cost to size ratio for each product, my little $10 was worth $61.06! The only product that I was completely displeased with, the Bare Minerals BB Shadow, was also the one with the least value (only $1.50 worth of product), so there was no love lost there. 

So far I'm really digging my Glam Bag subscription. A lot of this stuff is not necessarily stuff I would have picked up on my own, but that's exactly what makes trying it all so fun!

Interested in trying out Ipsy for yourself? Follow my link! 

http://www.ipsy.com/r/c16l