Ipsy Glam Bag December 2014 Review

Well...another month...another Ipsy review starting with a rant. Sigh.  I've been a subscriber for 1.5 years and EVERY time I get a nude lip product I rate it "not for me" and EVERY time I get a bold or bright lip product I rate it "love it".  Yet out of the 4 shades of NYX Butter Balms, which do I get? Take a guess....the nude.   I am so pissed.  My mom who doesn't even like bright lip colors got the hot pink. Customization, yeah freaking right Ipsy. I'm pretty disappointed this month. Nevertheless...here we go....

As you can see I switched out my gross Marshmallow nude balm for Parfait with my mom.

The bag this month is super adorable. It a black pouch with a pink zipper and heart keychain. I will definitely be reusing!

1. Beauty Without Cruelty Facial Cleanser

"Beauty Without Cruelty 3% A.H.A. Facial Cleanser is a lightly-foaming, soap-free cleanser that removes dead surface skin cells, daily impurities, and excess oil without over-cleaning your skin. Nature's own alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) gently and deeply clean and actively clarify your skin without disturbing it's natural balance. Pure premium Oshadhi aroma-therapeutic essential oils tone, condition, and calm, leaving your skin clean, clear, and refreshed."

3/5

First the good:  It cleanses? So that's a plus I suppose. The smell is also ok, not wonderful, just ok.  It smells like some sort of herbal thing, I can't really tell.

The bad: The big one is that its for normal to oily skin and my skin is insanely dry.  Both times I used this even my moisturizer couldn't fend off the nasty dry flakes.  Maybe I'll store this away until summer and try again then, it just isn't good for winter time.  Its also pretty runny, as you can see from my swatch it wouldn't stay put long enough for a picture.

Where to buy: Amazon, Drugstores, Vitamin Shops

Price:  $12 ($2.82)

2. Cailyn Cosmetics Just Mineral Eye Polish in Orchid

"Made with 100% raw mineral powder, this highly pigmented satiny powder not only colors your eyes with shimmery, gorgeous hues, but is also safe to wear long hours. "

4/5

I love everything about this product except the color.  I wish Ipsy would have a nude and a bright option for every eye shadow and lipstick color.  Anyway this is a similar color to the Be a Bombshell eye base thing from last month but the formula and application is miles better.  It applies very easily and opaque with the little applicator and has a foiled finish.  You just dip the brush in and give it a shake to replenish the  color.  This stayed on all day.  I would definitely buy this in a different color if it wasn't so expensive.

Where to buy: cailyncosmetics.com

Price: $15

3. NYX Butter Balm in Parfait (switched for Marshmallow)

"Dip your lips in a sheer wash of color with NYX Butter Lip Balm. One swipe leaves dry lips feeling supple and hydrated."

4/5

This probably would have gotten a 2/5 if I wouldn't have been able to switch with my mom but because I really like the new color I'm rating it high.  Besides it being a very nice shade, it is also very moisturizing, comfortable on the lips, and long lasting for a balm.  The only con would be the chubby stick makes precision application difficult.

Where to buy: NYXcosmetics.com, Ulta, Drugstores

Price: $4

4. StyleSexyHair 450 Blow Out Spray

"Protect those tresses! Sexy Hair’s 450° Blow Out Heat Defense Blow Dry Spray protects hair from heat damage up to 450°F. In addition to outstanding thermal protection, it also conditions for smooth, sleek styles, detangles for improved manageability and strengthens hair. Helps to decrease blow dry time and adds weightless shine."

I can't rate this because I can't use it.....

I don't blow dry my hair and I haven't straightened it since getting my pixie 2 years ago. I don't even own a hair dryer.  I tried spraying it in my hair before styling normally but it did nothing.  Guess this one is going to my mom or a friend who uses a blow drier.....:/

Where to buy: Sexyhair.com, Ulta

Price: $19 ($7.69)

5. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara

"Like a pushup bra for your lashes, tarte’s best-selling mascara lengthens, curls, volumizes and conditions to deliver a 330% increase in lash volume instantly. The high-performance formula is also infused with naturally-derived olive esters to help nourish and protect lashes. "

4/5

I don't really have any complaints here...it isn't too wet, it isn't too dry.  It lengthens and adds volume.  It loses a point because for me Urban Decay's Perversion is my 5/5 mascara and it isn't quite as good. Otherwise its a pretty solid mascara!

Where to buy: Sephora, Ulta, tartecosmetics.com

Price: $20 ($8.33)

Total price of this month's bag comes to $37.84, a bit lower than usual but still over 3x what you pay.  Kinda sucks that I can't use one of the products though. I hate when that happens but I guess its just the luck of the draw.  

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.

Click here if you'd like to start your Ipsy adventure for only $10 a month!

NCLA Los Angeles Accent Nail Wraps in House Of Hollywood Nº 1

Quite a few months ago I got these nail stickers in a beauty subscription box.  I don't remember which one it was from because we have since canceled them all except for Ipsy. If I had to guess I would say Birchbox.

Anyway I had never used nail stickers before and decided to document my first attempt for all of you.

The stickers I will be reviewing today are NCLA Los Angeles Accent Nail Wraps in purple, gold, and pink patterns.

It comes with twelve stickers.  I think there are 2 for each finger except for the ring finger, which gets four.  I think.  Its hard to tell the size difference of the middle ones.  Honestly I'm not thrilled with the look of these, they just aren't my style.  I don't wear gold anything so I probably won't wear these very often. My favorite is the mostly purple and pink pattern so I will be saving those for a special occasion.  The first thing my boyfriend said when I showed him my accent nail was "looks neat, but it's not really you."

Here are the instructions.  Simple enough and easy to follow.

Well right off the bat I mess up somehow.  The sticker would peel cleanly off the paper.  A thin layer of paper came with it.  Luckily there was a small air gap so I was able to carefully peel the detached nail sticker off the paper and get it on my nail. I hope the rest don't come off so difficultly. 

Here it is right after sticking it on.  Looks kind of hillarious :P

After some bending and filing this was the result.  I think it looks cute but for my first attempt I had two air bubbles and it was also unevenly placed on my nail.  Luckily its not noticeable from far away but the little imperfections kind of bother me.

Here is my nail up against the rest of the stickers showing the difference between on the paper and on the nail.

Overall I do like the concept and would definitely buy more stickers but in a style more close to my tastes. 

Where to buy: shopncla.com

Price: 26 wraps for $16

If you are using them for every single nail the price is pretty hefty.  $16 for two and a half manicures....However if you use them one or two nails at a time then I think the price is a bit more plausible.

<3__)~

MAC Matchmaster Foundation SPF 15 in 1.0 Review

So I started using liquid foundation in addition to my usual powder about a year and a half ago.  I started with Revlon Whipped foundation in Ivory 1 and while I definitely love it I really wanted to try a high end foundation once I finished it!  I decided on choosing a MAC foundation as I love their lipsticks.  I went in to the MAC store and got matched by a very nice lady.  I think she did a great job....I was pretty nervous after some horror stories I've read on r/makeupaddiction.  In store she threw a thick layer of powder on over top making me look horrid, but I bought the foundation anyway because I was able to get a good look at my face before she suffocated me in powder.

Overall, I really like how this foundation melts into my skin and matches perfectly.  

When I walked into the store I asked for a pale as possible medium coverage liquid foundation with SPF and a matte finish.  I got my wish with the MAC Matchmaster Foundation in 1.0

Its the lightest shade available in this line and it has a little twist closure that keeps it from pumping down while in a makeup bag, which is nice.

So here is me with no makeup on in all my red faced glory!

I usually squirt some foundation onto my finger and then dot it onto my face before rubbing it in evenly with my fingers

As long as I'm keeping up with my skincare routine it blends just find with my fingers but even so I usually go over my face with a stippling brush just to make sure everything is nice and blendy.

And here we go! I usually only do one small layer.  It is buildable but I follow liquid with a sweep of powder so I tend now to use too much liquid. I tried to do a close up shot so you could see that it doesn't even look like there is foundation on my face! It melts right in and feels like I'm wearing nothing. If I have any pimples and am too lazy to grab my concealer I just dab a bit of extra foundation on the spot and blend with my finger as I did with that nasty thing by my lip.

Here is a side by side before and after.  I love this foundation and unless I like the little sample of the lightest shade of Kat Von D's foundation better I could definitely see myself getting this again.

Where to buy: maccosmetics.com or a MAC store

Price: $35

<3__)~

Urban Decay Electric Palette

AAAAH! I've waited so long to finally have this and I love it so much <3

Unfortunately my appendix decided it wanted to explode the next day so I barely got any time to play with it.  However it is the only palette I brought with me to Istanbul so expect lots and lots of fun colorful eye shadow looks.  I've already done a bit of experimenting since getting to Turkey :D

So here is the top, very colorful and pretty.  My favorite thing about this palette? It has a magnetic closure! My mom has the Shattered Face Case and has a heck of a time getting it open.

So why do I love this palette?  Well first of all I always love the palettes that Urban Decay releases such as Vice 2.  I wanted it so bad, but it contained so many neutrals that I know I would never use that I just could not justify spending that kind of money on it.  BUT THIS! This is all colors, no neutrals, I have no problem spending $50 on a palette filled of colors that I know I will use almost daily.

Here are the colors! The brush is really nice too, and the purple bristles are like icing on the cake!

I instantly swatched the colors on my arm over both NYX Milk and UDPP. I think Fringe and Urban are my favorite colors so far.

And here is the very first look I did with my new palette.  This look was done using only UDPP, no NYX Milk because I wanted a slightly more subdued color payoff. I put Thrash on my lid, Chaos in my crease, Fringe on my bottom waterline, and Revolt on the inner corner and along the bottom lashline.  I finished the look with a black winged liner. I don't remember what I put on my lips because I suck.

Here is the outfit I wore it with, a super cute baggy Star Wars shirt I got from Think Geek tucked into a flowy black skirt.

Where to buy: Ulta, Sephora, Urbandecay.com

Price: $50

I bought it from Ulta while Ebates was having a 10% cash back deal, so technically I got it for $45 :P

I <3 Ebates.

<3__)~

Laneige BB Cushion

I came across this BB Cushion sample in the latest Beauty Army box. I had heard about it and have been very curious to try it out.

Here is the cover, as you can see you push on the cushion and out comes the bb cream.

So this sample came with 4 different shades and I'm using the lightest (Light).

Here is the sponge after pushing down on the BB cream.

I then proceeded to pat this stuff all over my face. Also this picture is so unflattering oh my gosh.

As you can kind of see in this picture the lightest shade is a bit too yellow for me.  Nothing new here, I don't think I've ever received a foundation sample that was the right shade :/

So here are the claims made by the product, I'll go through each one and say whether or not I feel it lived up to this piece of cardboard.

Here is my BB Cushioned face in all its yellowish glory.  I do have to say it blends quite nicely, it just wasn't the right shade. However I had to use a ton of product to get this amount of coverage that I get from less than a single pump of my Skin 79 BB Cream.

1. Brightens- Ok, yeah I'll give it that my face definitely seems even and bright.

2.  Protects- It contains spf 50+, I went outside the day I wore this and got a sunburn on the back of my neck but not my face so yay!

3. Cools and Moisturizes- It did feel nice and cool when I put it on, but I use a moisturizer day and night so I can't really say whether or not the moisturizer in this product really did anything or not.

4. Prevents Shine-  This is where I think it contradicts itself a bit....it created shine! OH GOD SO MUCH SHINE.  I was a scary shiny mess after putting this on.  The second after I snapped this picture I covered it with a matte powder. I also do not have oily skin so I can't say whether or not it stopped my skin from getting oily.

5. Perfects Long Lasting Coverage- I can't really comment on this considering I covered my face in powder after this to try and hide the shiny finish and how yellow it made me.

Would I buy this? Maybe...but only if they made it in a less yellow shade and also removed the shininess.

Where to buy: Target, Laneige.com

Price: $34

Ok, nevermind, after finding out the price, even if they did have it in my shade it is 3x more expensive than my Skin 79 BB cream that matches me perfectly and smells better.  So, no I would not buy this.

<3__)~ 

Flareon Inspired Eye Makeup

Now for the next installment of my Pokemon Eeveelution eye shadow series, Flareon! This look was a lot more involvd than the last one. This was my first time doing a triple wing and boy was it nerve wracking.  The tiniest little mistake and whoops gotta start over. Luckily no such mistake occurred! :D

Also drawing the little Flareon was super fun and I love how it came out.

To do this look I used Aphrodite from BH Cosmetic's Galaxy Chic palette and Honey  from Urban Decays Deluxe palette. Aphrodite is on the lid, Honey is under the eye and they are both blended together to make an orange smokey look in the crease. I lined my eyes with Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Liner in black and then did the little black wing with Zero from the same Urban Decay Palette. On my lips is Wet n Wild's lipstick in Coral-ine.

Hope you like my flaming Flareon eye!

<3__)~

Mary Kay Concealer in Ivory 2

The number one reason this has become my favorite concealer is simply because its the first one I've used that isn't yellow.  I spent years going into drug stores and buying the lightest concealer possible and being disappointed when they were always too yellow.  You can image my delight when I finally found one made for cool undertones.  The following is Mary Kay's concealer in Ivory 2.  If you have a more yellow undertone then I would suggest trying out Ivory 1. This concealer is available in 7 shades.

Here it is dotted on my hand and then also blended in a bit.

This is a before picture of my nasty red healing pimple.

And this is my not near as nasty after picture.  This is after only one application with my finger, it can be built up to offer even more coverage. A little goes a LONG way.  I usually use this after my BB cream and before my mineral powder.

Where to buy: Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant

Price: $10

Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation in Ivory 1

I've been a Bare Minerals girl all my life but once I hit college my mom stopped buying my foundation and I just could not keep affording it. Therefore I decided to switch to Mary Kay's mineral foundation.  While I do not believe that it adds as much coverage as Bareminerals does I still like it for what I use it for.  I do not just wear powder, instead I usually do BB cream and then powder or if I want extra coverage I slip a liquid foundation in there.  I primary use it to add a bit of extra coverage, even out my skin tone, and provide a matte finish.  If you are looking for a mineral foundation with heavy coverage this is not for you, but if you use it as a finishing touch and want an affordable alternative to Bareminerals this might be your solution. For anyone interested I used to use Baremineral's Matte Mineral Foundation in Fair.

I have it in Ivory 1. There is a lighter shade available in Ivory .5 and there are a total of 12 shades to choose from.

It has a sealable sifter top so that the powder doesn't get everywhere while traveling.

I dispense the powder into the lid and then apply it with a brush from there. 

Here is my cheek with no powder applied.

And here is my cheek with powder.  As you can see it reduces my reddness as well as evens out and softens my skin.

All over matte amazingness.  On my lips I'm wearing a Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya.

Where to buy: Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant

Price: $18