November IPSY 2014 Review

Yeah I know its December 13th...I'm a tad bit late on November's IPSY review.  But better late than never!

November's bag them was "Girl Meets Glitter."

 When I first opened my bag I was kind of "Eh" about it all and didn't dive right in to try/swatch all the products.  Glitter isn't usually my go-to.  But the products ended up not being so bad.

Marc Anthony (You know, Jennifer Lopez's ex for all my fellow E! Online lovers)  Oil of Morocco Argan Oil:


I have a hard time finding a good hairspray that doesn't cost $20+ so I was eager to see if this one worked well.  I want a hairspray that has good hold for when I curl my  hair but doesn't make my hair feel like I loved it to be in 1990.  Ahem ...(Cement-hard Aqua Net). This hairspray was just OK.  It didn't make my hair stiff but it didn't have much of a hold and did not add any volume to my hair.

  I wonder if JLo likes it.

 Be a Bombshell Cosmetics Eye Base:

This is a cream eye shadow that can be use on its own as an eye color or it can be used as a base for powder eye shadows.  I like this product.  It reminds me so much of the Maybelline Color Tattoos which are one of my favorite drugstore products.   The bronze-y color is perfect for any neutral shade lover.  This lasted all day on my lids without any creasing. 

Here's a swatch.  The shade is called Submissive.

Elizabeth Mott you're so FINE Eyeliner:

It took me a long time for me to want to try this.  Mainly due to the name of the shade--"Glitterati."  I wasn't excited to wear a glitterific eye liner, let's be honest here.  So on a day off from work (there was no way I was going to test out a disco ball winged eye at work) I decided to test er' out...and I was pleasantly surprised! This mainly looks like a black liquid eye liner.  It has a tiny bit of silver sparkle in it but it's barely noticeable.  It is waterproof so it stayed put all day.  This is a great eye liner for the holidays.

Here's a swatch.  It sent on super smoothly.

 J. Cat Beauty Wonder Lip Paint:

This was my least favorite product in the bag.  First off, the color isn't right for me.  It is SO liquid-y and very hard to apply.  It applied super patchy and uneven.  It felt like it would just run off my lips...which it did, it didn't last long at all. 

Unless you want some runny grape jelly for your lips, I do not recommend this product. 

TEMPTU S/B Highlighter:

This is a horrible out-of-focus photo, sorry.  This was an ok highlighter.  I, personally, am not a fan of liquid highlighters because I apply a cheek highlight after I've already use powder on my face.  This would be a better option if you were highlighting/contouring with cream products.  In this case it would be a great subtle highlighter to tap lightly just above the cheekbones.  This could also be used on eye lids.

Here's an intense swatch!  I used a little too much here, and it's coming off as very shiny/shimmery. It's a very pretty iridescent champagne shade. A little goes a long way. 

Overall, this IPSY glam back was alright, it was much better than I thought it would be!

If you're interested in trying out IPSY, here's a link to sign up!

http://www.ipsy.com/r/1qiv?sid=ipsypoints&cid=general

October 2014 IPSY Review

I am an IPSY subscriber.  IPSY is a monthly beauty subscription where you receive beauty samples-many of which are full-sized products and all included in a cute makeup bag.  It's $10 a month and you definitely get way more than $10 worth.  I've had it for a little over a year and I enjoy it.  I love trying out new products and it's so fun to open a small gift every month!  There are definitely months that are better than others.  This month's glam bag was just ok in my opinion.  Here's what I got...

1. Epice Purifying Exfoliant: This is a great facial exfoliant.  The texture reminds me of a microdermabrasion scrub.  It claims to remove excess dirt and dead skin cells while also activating collagen production.  My skin felt noticeably smoother after using this as my skin does after using any sort of scrub.  I do love how fine the scrub is.  This is great to use a couple times a week for fresh, smooth skin. I liked this product.

2. ECRU New York Acacia Protein BB Cream for hair: a beauty balm for the hair that moisturizes, repairs, smooths, adds body and shine.  All these claims sound wonderful, but I didn't notice anything different after using this product.  Not a fan.

3. Jesse's Girl Mineralized Baked Shadow Powder:  First off...this is what happened when I first opened this product:

Not a good impression right?

The formula of the shadow is alright.  It had great pigment.  The color is not for me.  Way too shimmery and purple.  I did however, use it on my daughter for her witch halloween makeup.  :)  I did not like this product for me.

4.Figs and Rouge Hand Cream:  There was nothing special about this hand cream. I'm not the type of person that needs or uses a separate lotion for my hands.  Whatever I have on hand (pun-intended) at home is what I will use.  I will say that it's convenient to keep in my purse but I could definitely live without this product.   

5. City Color Be Matte Lipstick: The matte lip trend that's happening right now is something that I actually really love.  The problem with a lot of matte lip products is that they are very drying and uncomfortable on the lips.  This one wasn't too bad, not overly drying and creamy.  The color was pretty good, a tad too peachy for my skin tone, but definitely a product that I will put to use.  I liked this product.

You can earn what's called "IPSY points" by referring people to IPSY, reviewing your products that you received, sharing your glam bag on social media, etc.  I finally found something that I wanted to use all my hard-earned IPSY points on.  These Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Trio.  I love bronzy, neutral shadows so these will be put to good use.  They are very pigmented and blendable.  I'm a big fan of Milani products.  I think it's a drugstore brand that has a lot of products that are high-end comparable.  

If you are interested in trying out IPSY, click this link and join!