January 2015 Ipsy Review

My January Ipsy FINALLY showed up in my mailbox today after being delayed at a Distribution Center for a week!  Yay!  The products that I received in this month's Ipsy include: BellaPierre Shimmer Powder, Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush, MALIN+GOETZ Mojito Lip Balm, Nourish Organic Renewing Eye Cream, and Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eyeshadow.

I was most excited to try the Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush because I have received other Elizabeth Mott products in previous Ipsy bags and I have LOVED all of them.  This brush was no exception, the bristles are very soft and plush and they pick up so much pigment.  I will definitely be using this brush on a daily basis.

The Malin+Goetz Mojito Lip Balm is very creamy and long-lasting and doesn't have much of a taste or a smell, which is a plus for me. 

Typically, there is at least one item per bag that I am totally bummed about receiving.  This month, that item was the BellaPierre Shimmer Powder, but I gave it a try and I really, really like it.  The powder was much more pigmented than I expected it to be. 

Another item from my bag that I am loving is the Nourish Organic Renewing Eye Cream.  I am just starting to experiment with Eye Creams and the only time I apply them is at night because the creams I have tried are very thick and take a while to absorb.  This is not the case with this Eye Cream, it is very light and absorbs quickly.  I think the Nourish Organic Renewing Eye Cream will be perfect for daytime wear under my makeup. 

The last item in my bag is the Pacifica Natural Mineral Eye Shadow in the shade Treasure.  I have received other eyeshadows by Pacifica is previous bags and I am not really a fan of this brand, the formula is chalky and their shadow is not very pigmented.  Besides that, the shade that Ipsy sent is not really a match for my Fair skin.  This item will be going in my box of items to trade or donate. 

At $10 per month, Ipsy is a great way to experiment with different brands and add to your makeup collection.  There is usually always one full-size item per month and I have found lots of affordable items and brands that I love through Ipsy.  If you are interested in signing up for Ipsy please click on my referral link below.

http://www.ipsy.com/r/45tt?sid=ipsypoints&cid=general


 

January 2014 Ipsy Glambag Reveal and Review

The contents of my January 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag 

My January Ipsy Glam Bag arrived earlier this week and I was super excited for this bag when I saw all the previews that Ipsy was posting because they included so many skin care items.  I received the following items in my bag:

• Proactiv+ Mark Fading Pads
• Yaby Natural Finish Liquid Foundation in Buff (all subscribers who received this product received Buff).
• Briogeo "Don't Despair, Repair" Deep Conditioning Mask
• MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm in Natural
• Épicé Purifying Exfoliant
  

 

 

This month's bag

Let me start by saying that the bag that January's items came in is my favorite bag so far (even though it really did stink like mothballs when I first opened it-I know you all know what I am talking about!).  I think it is totally cute and perfect for travel and I can't wait to use it the next time I go on a trip. I also really loved the actual contents of the bag, I think I received a good mix of products (make-up, skin care, and hair care) and I had lots of fun trying out all of my products this week.

Proactiv+ Mark Fading Pads: I was really hoping to receive this product in my bag so I decided to do some research and I was totally bummed when I started reading terrible reviews of the product.  I still decided to give it a try, even after reading all of the negative ("it dried out my skin", "it doesn't work", "it made my acne worse", etc...), and I must tell you...I LOVED it!  I initially read that it took about 5 uses to see any results from this product but I saw noticeable results after only 1 use, my acne scars/blemishes appeared lighter and my skin was smoother.  I was sure to use a really good moisturizer after using the wipes (since I had read that they could dry out my skin) and I had no problems with drying.  Overall, I would definitely recommend this product to anyone trying to get rid of acne, whether it be active acne or acne scars or blemishes, and I will definitely be looking in to purchasing the full-size product.

Yaby Natural Finish Liquid Foundation:  I was excited to try a new foundation since I just recently started using liquid foundations again, but, for me, this product wasn't spectacular.  It didn't cover any imperfections, which is what I am looking for in a foundation, so I wasn't impressed.  However, I would recommend this product to someone who likes a sheer coverage foundation.  

Briogeo "Don't Despair, Repair" Deep Conditioning Mask:  This product smells AMAZING!  It has a very coconutty, tropical smell...almost intoxicating.  I really don't use deep conditioning products because I have an oily scalp and fine hair, plus my hair is already pretty healthy, but I decided to give it a try anyways and I was very impressed.  The product didn't weigh my hair down or make it greasy, which is what I expected it to do, but I am not sure yet whether it actually strengthens the hair and keeps it from breaking because I only used it once.  Overall, I would recommend this product but I am not sure whether I would purchase it or not because this isn't really something that I would use or need on a regular basis.

MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm:  I was least excited about this product because I already have lots of lip balm but I gave it a try so I could give an honest review.  I don't think that this product did anything for me, I expected it to be moisturizing while adding a touch of color but it actually performed more like a lip stain without the long-lasting results.  I will probably throw this product in my makeup bag and forget about it.  Overall, this product was nothing special and I wouldn't recommend it.

Épicé Purifying Exfoliant:  I was happy to receive this in my bag.  I love having exfoliants/scrubs around but I really don't ever buy the high-end/luxury stuff so I can't wait to try this.  I am sure it will perform as expected.

FINAL VERDICT: I am SUPER happy with this month's bag and overall I haven't been disappointed with an Ipsy Glam Bag yet.  I hope they continue to send a good mix of make-up, hair care, and skin care. 

Click here if you are interested in signing up for the Ipsy Glam Bag.

Did you receive this month's bag?  What did you think?

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Review

I have been hearing so much hype about Maybelline's new Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser that I decided to put it to the test.

What it claims to do:

• Instantly blur the look of pores, without clogging them.
• Smooth and refine skin's appearance
• Transparent gel, smooths on clear 
• Non-comedogenic and fragrance-free

I have been using this product for the past week and I am finally ready to share the results...

For the first few days that I used Baby Skin I applied it over a mattifying moisturizer and under my liquid foundation and found that it made my skin appear oilier than normal and amplified the look of my pores.  For the rest of the week I used Baby Skin under Bare Minerals powder foundation and I achieved different results, my foundation went on smoothly and my skin didn't appear as oily as it did when I used Baby Skin under my liquid foundation, but still my pores were very visible.

Final Verdict: Overall, I was unimpressed with the results of Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser.  I really, really wanted to love this product but I don't believe it performed as promised.  After using Baby Skin I still had very visible pores and it made my skin appear oily.  The product did smooth my skin without clogging my pores but I was really hoping that it would make my skin look as flawless as my other pore-minimizing primers and it just didn't deliver.  

Have you tried Baby Skin instant Pore Eraser?  What did you think?

**Leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser!
(Winner will be contacted on facebook on Tuesday January 21)

January 2014 Beautybox 5 Review

My First Beautybox 5 Has Arrived!!

Last month I started a subscription to Beautybox 5 and I received my first box today.  If you are unaware, Beautybox 5 is a beauty subscription box that is shipped once a month (usually sometime around the 5-8th of the month) and contains 5 samples of cosmetic/beauty products (hair care, skin care, nail care, fragrances, etc...).  The cost for a subscription is $12/month for a monthly subscription, $30 for a quarterly subscription, or $99 for a yearly subscription.  The monthly and quarterly subscription come with a $10 soap.com gift card and the yearly subscription includes a $15 soap.com gift card, which comes in the form of an online promo code.  

The contents of this month's box includes:

• H2O Plus Spa Sea Lotus Body Wash (1 fl oz)
• Nubar Cuticle and Nail Oil (.25 fl oz)
• Swissco Bath & Shower Exfoliating Gloves (1 pair)
• Jergens Daily Moisturizer (1 oz)
• Epic Blend Hemp Coconut Lip Balm (One size)
• Bonus Product: "That Awkward Moment" Mirror Compact

The box also includes a detailed product information card (shown above), which I think is really great because it includes the size and price of the full size product, the website for the product, and any promo codes/discounts being offered by each partner brand included in the box.  

Using the information on the card, I determined that the value of January's box is $15.09 (not including the bonus product).  

Overall, I was a little disappointed with my first box.  There are only 2 products in the box that I am interested in trying, the H2O Plus body wash and the Nubar Cuticle Oil.  Don't get me wrong, I think that for $10/month it's a great way to try new products, I guess I am just a little bummed that the value of the box wasn't a little higher.  

If you are interested in subscribing to Beautybox 5, the website is www.beautybox5.com.

Did you receive this month's Beautybox 5 box?  What did you think?