Ipsy Glam Bag November 2014 Review

I hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving, whether you're spending it with your family or working to make that sweet holiday pay. :)

So anyway I have to say, this is probably my least favorite bag in quite a while.  Mini rant time.  I sometimes wonder if the review actually does anything.  I keep saying I hate browns, bronzes, highlighters, and bronzers, but yet they still come and I just keep hating them. Sigh. Don't get me wrong, I love Ipsy but it's definitely a bummer opening a bag and receiving a 5th brown eye shadow that will never get used.

Anyway onto the review!

This month's theme is Girl Meets Glitter, which is definitely an adorable theme, however I sort of thought this would have been more fitting for December when houses are lit up with lights and tinsel decorates the trees. Regardless, the bag is super cute and will make a perfect bag for a Christmas gift!

1. Be a Bombshell Cosmetics Eye Base in Submissive

"This eye base is a highly pigmented, long-lasting product that can be used as a single cream color or used as an eye base to build color. "

2/5

The only reason this is getting a two is because the bronzy color is actually kind of nice when paired with olive...otherwise I dislike everything about this.....The staying power is pretty weak, it was creasing and fading after only an hour or two and I even wore it over eye shadow primer. It's definitely worthless as an eye shadow base which is kind of a shame considering that's its purpose.  I am pretty sad considering I usually like Be a Bombshell products...

Here it is on my eye lid.  I have to admit I don't hate the color. The bronze isn't too overpowering and it adds a nice subtle pretty shine to my lid. However, it made my crease shadow harder to blend.  When and if I use this again I will only be putting it on my eyelid to avoid it ruining everything. Please excuse the random dot, I had trouble with the liquid liner...as you'll soon learn.

Where to buy: Beabombshellcosmetics.com

Price: $14

2. Elizabeth Mott You're so FINE Eyeliner

"It’s not just any liquid eyeliner. With you’re so FINE’s micro-tipped brush, you can control your strokes to create dramatic, and sharp cat eyes! This brush is so control friendly that creating precise, symmetrical lines is ridiculously easy, so it’s perfect for first time liquid eyeliner users too."

2/5

I LOVE liquid liner.  I use it every single day.  Even thought I prefer marker style pens I still use some of the lid and brush kind.  However this stuff would just cooperate.  The brush isn't very thin so its hard to get a small line and a sharp point, the sparkles barely show up on the eye, its goes on streaky, it takes forever to dry, and gets all over my crease.  It gets a 2 because I can still use this as a travel emergency liner.

As you can see my wing is crappy compared to what I'm usually able to achieve with my Jesse's Girl liner, which is less than half the price.  I also had to put it on super thick because I could not get a thin line to save my soul.  If you look super closely you should also be able to see the weird streakiness.  It's not as noticeable from far away but when I was applying it, it drove me crazy!

Where to buy: Elizabthmott.com

Price: $18

3. J-Cat Beauty Wonder Lip Paint in Red Potion

"For invincible color and impeccable wear, the Wonder Lip Paint serves justice! With the twofold blend of endurance and delivery of intense pigmentation, this will become your heroine of lip colors. Paint your lips to perfection for your day and nighttime adventures! "

5/5

On to something good! Hands down this was my favorite product this month.  I'm obsessed and I will be buying more of these! Pigmentation, staying power, non drying...it has everything, including an affordable price.

Since these are obviously made to be drugstore versions of OCC's Lip Tar, I thought I'd do a quick tube comparison.  As you can see the packaging is almost identical except J Cat 's is a bit longer while OCC is fatter and shorter. Both contain 10ml of product.

Here it is on my lips.  I love love love love when Ipsy puts fun lip colors in the bags, it's why I keep my subscription and why I canceled with Birchbox.  These offer everything Lip Tars do except for a quarter of the price.  They last hours and through meals, they fade evenly, they go on easily with a lip brush (which was not included), and they offer great pigmentation with only a small drop of product.  I am just absolutely enamored with this product. <3

Where to buy: jcatbeauty.com

Price: $5

4. Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Hairspray

"Get extra volume, shine and hold with this dual purpose hairspray; nourishing and styling in one! This argan oil, keratin and grape seed oil infused hairspray gives you strong and flexible hold plus deep nourishment, strengthening and conditioning as you style. 

"

5/5

I literally have no complaints with this product.  The packaging is bright and attractive, it smells amazing, for me it reminds me of pineapples...however I have read that some people hate the scent so my love is not universal apparently,  it has great hold, and an aerosol dispenser.  Basically its everything I look for in a hairspray. <3

I will definitely be buying a full size of this when my current spray runs out.

Where to buy: Ulta, Walgreens, marcanthony.com

Price: $9 ($3)

5. Temptu S/B Highlighter in Pink Pearl

"A cult favorite of makeup artists around the globe, TEMPTU S/B Highlighter is the perfect product that goes on sheer for an overall illuminating and contouring effect. Light-reflecting and transfer resistant, S/B Highlighter glides on effortlessly for a brilliant complexion boost that contours to highlight your best features."

1/5

This gets a one because there is not a single thing I liked about this....first of all I do not use any highlighters that aren't  matte white eye shadows.  I hate my skin being shimmery or sparkly or anything, it makes me look sweaty and I feel disgusting, I've told Ipsy this via reviews time and time again.

The product actually looks kinda neat on the skin, its a pink pearly substance.  however it is very runny and annoying to work with.

You can see my disdain for this product reflected in my face.....it turned my skin red as soon as I started applying it, I also had a difficult time blending it into my foundation because of how wet and liquidy it is....I just can't. I have no idea what to do with this.

Where to buy: Temptu.com

Price: $27.50 for 1 oz ($2.75)

I only really liked two out of the five items this month which is way lower than usual, however those two items I liked I absolutely loved, so I guess there's that! They were also the two cheapest, which shows that price does not always equal quality.

This bag came out to about $43 which is the usual.

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July 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag Review

Elizabeth Mott Tints & Sass Lip and Cheek Stain in Cherry

Even though this doesn't stay as long as I'd like it goes on a lot nicer than The Balm stain I have and for me that's pretty important.  It also smells delicious, just like cherries!! I am quite pleased with this product and I even unexpectedly like how it look on my cheeks.  While I do not think I would rebuy it because of the price I will definitely be using this often!

Where to buy: Elizabethmott.com

Price: $23

Model's Own Nail Polish in Red Sea

I was super excited about this nail polish but unfortunately it did not meet all my expectations.  The good: it is a very pretty orangish, reddish, pinkish color and the flecks of holographicness add an interesting texture.  Also even though it is a wash it can be built up to full opacity in about 3 coats. The bad: it doesn't last very long at all and chips within a day. The little holographic bits like to not lay flat and poke up slightly and catch on random things and get ripped off. I've found that I think I like this nail polish best used as a wash over another color.  This way the crappy staying power is balanced out with another nail polish with a good staying time.  

Where to buy: modelsownit.com

Price: $6.70

BareMinerals 5 in 1 BB Cream in Divine Wine

So this was a product I was a bit excited for until I realized what color it was.  I seriously wish I'd have gotten the more nude one instead of this dark brown.  Its so dark I just don't see myself ever wearing it. Here it is swatched full opacity and then again blended out.

I decided to give it a try anyway and threw on Revolt and Jilted from the Electric palette. The top eye is just the bb cream blended out.  I think it makes my eyes look muddy and tired..  I usually prefer grays and blacks over browns. The eye shadow applied over it well and didn't crease for the night that I wore it.  However once again it gives it an overall brown feel which just isn't my style.  Overall this is a really great product it just unfortunately is not in a shade that I can work with. I would love to own this in the pink shade if the price wasn't so high.  This will be going to one of my friends for sure.

Where to buy: bareescentuals.com, Ulta, Sephora

Price: $18 for .1fl oz ($5.40 for .03 fl oz)

Clear Clinic Laboratories Vanished Spot Treatment

I rather like this product.  The sample size is nice and small  so its great for travel and the doe foot applicator makes it easy to apply to specific spots.  The smell is pretty strong but as long as it works that doesn't bother me too much.  My favorite part? See that pimple on its way out? I just put the product on it a few seconds ago and the shininess is already gone! This means I can easily wear it under makeup. :)

Where to buy: clearcliniclabs.com

Price: $35 for 7.5 ml ($9.33 for 2 ml)

Pur-lisse Protect Moisturizer

I am super pleased with this product.  I've been using it every morning since Ive gotten it and my face has felt nice and moisturized. Plus I haven't had some sort of crazy bad reaction too it which is always nice.  I also love the high spf and the anti aging benefits.  The only thing I don't love about this product is that the flowery smell it has is perhaps a bit too strong. I could see myself buying this in the future.

Where to buy: shop.purlisse.com

Price: $50 for 1.7 oz ($16.17 for .5 oz)

Overall I'm happy with this bag.  It had some winners, some duds, and some just so-so's.  The total price of this bag was....whoa I'm adding in at $60! Usually they are about $40 but the $23 lip tint really pushed this one over the edge.

Also I redeemed my Ipsy points and will be getting a BareMinerals Lipstick in my next bag!! Yay!!

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<3__)~

Ipsy Glam Room July 2014

Now that Glam Rooms are live and I should be getting my bag very very soon I thought I'd do a short post to go over the products I will be getting and to share my initial opinions.

1. BareMinerals 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow Broad Spectrum SPF 15

Well that's quite the mouthful...

Ipsy says: "Meet the next generation in eyeshadow: creamy, long-wearing color meets exceptional skincare benefits and broad spectrum SPF protection"

I wish I could be a bit more excited about this....but its only available in nudes....ugh.  I suppose this could potentially be a nice eye shadow base for days when I'm spending a lot of time in the sun but otherwise I'm not sure when I'd use this.

2. Clear Clinic Laboratories Vanished Clear Spot Treatment

Oooh I think this is my first acne treatment I've ever gotten through Ipsy!  

Ipsy says: "An on-the-go clear spot treatment specially formulated with menthol, glycolic and salicylic acids. Apply this potent spot treatment to quickly clear spots in record time. Thanks to its clear formulation, you can use Vanished during the day, under and over makeup. Its compact bottle makes it easy to take with you wherever you go."

I am pretty pumped for this.  I have two annoying pimples right now that are just refusing to go away.  Maybe this will be my salvation!

3. Elizabeth Mott Tints & Sass

Another red tint...

Ipsy says: "All day color that will kick some SASS! That’s right, we said it. Tints & Sass is the only head turning lip and cheek stain that gives you fail proof color every time! The non-drying formula lasts all day, even after a power lunch and yoga session, and was created to accommodate every second of a gal's busy schedule. "

Well I wasn't too excited about this because I received a sample of The Balm's Stainiac a little while ago and wasn't too impressed with the uneven and difficult application.  The claim that it will last through lunch and yoga is impressive so who knows maybe I'll end up loving this!

4. Pur~lisse pur~protect essential daily moisturizer spf 30

Not sure what's up  with the name of this product but yay spf!!

Ipsy says: "Stay protected with pure flower power. Pur~lisse's unique peptide complex, Lotus Lupine 5, and Hydra-Shield Complex, offers superior full-spectrum sun protection in a light weight nourishing moisturizer. Skin is pampered and protected against premature aging caused by the day's rays."

I have a ton of moisturizer samples but not any that are anti aging and contain spf! I'm pretty stoked about this especially for summer time.  I can't wait to put this on my face every morning!

5. Models Own Nail Polish in Red Sea

Yeah! I love me some nail polish!

Ipsy says: "The Models Own SPLASH collection dives straight into summer. Revitalize your entire polish collection; wear alone for a wash effect, or over your favorite color polish for a glistening top coat. Inspired by the sea and distant shores, this pretty collection will have you dreaming of summer haze and tropical sun. "

I haven't gotten a nail polish in an Ipsy bag in a little while so I'm quite pleased to see this here. I am so freaking glad its not a gross brownish nude or a yellow/orange color. I'm very excited to try this sparkly reddish pink!.

Overall I'm excited for this bag. It has the potential to be amazing and I can't wait to try all these things! Stay tuned for my full review with swatches of all these products!

Are you happy with your glam room this month? 

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<3__)~

April 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag Product Reviews

Alright! So I've spent some time trying out and wearing these products so now I'm going to let you know what I think of them! Before I begin I want to make it clear that I did like every single one of these products but unfortunately most of them just do not work for me so they will probably be going to my mom.

First up is Sexy Hair Root Plump Volumizing Spray Mousse.  I'm not quite sure how I feel about this.  In all honesty I don't feel like it does very much for my hair.  Then again this may be for two reason, first my hair is really short so it may be tailored more towards those with long hair.  Second the instructions say to apply it to damp hair and unfortunately I almost always get a shower at night to save time in the morning so I've been applying it to dry hair.  Final verdict, I'm probably going to give this to my mom and continue using my molding creme.

Next is Elizabeth Mott's Pop! Goes the Shadow.  I really like this formula.  It is easy to apply and feels very soft and velvety.  However I'm not a huge fan of the color because it has a very warm undertone to it.  It also doesn't show up very well on my eyes. It is too dark to be a highlight but too light to add any noticeable pigmentation.

Here it is swatched next to Urban Decay's Sin.  As you can see Sin has a more pinky tone to it which is why it suits my skin tone so well.  Unfortunately  I just don't see myself reaching for this before Sin so it will probably also go to my mom.

Next, Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion! I was really excited to try this against my Mary Kay Microdermabrasion to see if I liked it better.  Alas, I did not.  It is not because it performs any worse however, it is entirely because of the smell.  I prefer my skincare products to not have strong odors and unfortunately this smells very very strong of citrus.  I don't hate citrus but I'd definitely prefer it to be scent free. Another one for my mom!

I was pretty excited to get this and I definitely love everything about it.  It is super super black which is awesome, I definitely prefer it to my UD 24/7 liner in zero.  However as you can see when I rubbed my wrist it was the one that came up the most.  I also then continued to wear these swatches on my wrist for 24 hours and it was the one that faded fastest.  This doesn't bother me too much however as I love how dark it is and how easily it applies.  I think I'll be keeping this one and will throw UD zero into my travel bag and give the Cynthia Rowley eyeliner from Birchbox to my mother.

And last but definitely not least the Starlooks Lip Pencil in Naked.  This was by far my favorite product from my bag and I will be keeping this.  Prior to this bag I only owned lip liners in clear, beige, red, and plum.  Therefore this nice pink was a much needed addition to my collection.  Not only does it work well under my neutral pink lipsticks it also looks very nice on its own.  It applies very creamy and easily and has wonderful pigmentation! 

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<3__)~

April 2014 Ipsy Bag Unboxing Video!

Yay! So this is my very first unboxing video! I know it is a big rough around the edges but I hope you enjoy it. I'm still learning how to video, haha!

What I got:

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion

Starlooks Luscious Longwear Lip Pencil in Naked

Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Spray Mousse

Elizabeth Mott Pop! Goes the Shadow in Champagne

Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide on Eye Pencil in Black Velvet

What did you get in your Ipsy bag?

<3__)~