May 2016 Ipsy Bag: Destination Chic

Hey guys! It's time again for another post on what I got in this month's Ipsy bag. The theme this month is called Destination Chic, which makes it sound like the products are good for travel. 

The bag everything comes in is cute with the print of all different parts of the world, but it's a very cheap vinyl feel. The snap closure is a nice change from the zippered bags they usually provide. 

The first product I got is from Pacifica, and it's their Natural Mineral Coconut Eyeshadow Trio, and it comes with the shades Skinny Dip, Crush and Lovely. I have yet to swatch these shadows, but if they're like other Pacifica shadows I've tried in the past, then I won't really care for them. The shades themselves are very pretty though, but very Fall-like. 

Next up is the Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure Skin-Clarifying Mud Mask. This is a brand I've seen at Ulta and have been curious about for a while, but never had the chance to try. You all know my love for face masks, so I was thrilled to have received this. It's been a whie since Ipsy has sent a face mask in my bag! There are a few ingredients in this that I need to research, because I'm staying away from certain ones right now, but if this gets the go-ahead to use, then I'll be using it!

I can't tell you how excited I was when I finally stopped receiving nail polishes in my Ipsy bags. I'd purposely give them bad reviews, and specifically have stated that I do not want nail polish. Well imagine my surprise when I saw I would be getting the Aurora Gel Effect Nail Polish in the shade Old School Pink. I can't say I hate the color, because I love hot pink, but I'm very disappointed in getting this when I know it's just going to sit around and collect dust. 

You all know how much I'm obsessed with lip balms. I was ecstatic to see that I would be receiving the Hanalei Lip Treatment, even though I have never heard of the brand, until I looked at the ingredients. The very first ingredient is Lanolin. If you saw my most recent empties post, you know I got rid of the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask due to an allergic reaction to the Lanolin in the product. I don't know now whether I should try this and see what it does to me, or just give it away to a friend. Either way, I'm sad I most likely will not be able to use this.

The last product I received is the Smashbox X-Rated Mascara. I feel like this is a newer mascara for the brand, but I've never tried it. To be honest, I have so many small samples, as well as full sized mascaras to use up, that I probably won't be using this for quite a while. Mascara is one of my favorite makeup products to use, so I'm sure it'll get used eventually. 

That's everything I got in this month's bag, and unfortunately, I've also decided that this will be my last Ipsy bag. I haven't been blown away by an Ipsy bag in a very long time, and with all the different products I have in my stash, it just doesn't seem worth it to me anymore. I loved my time with Ipsy, and I might even go back in the future, but I feel that now is a good time to cancel. Sorry to all of you who enjoyed reading my Ipsy posts!

December 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hello everyone! It's time for me to share my last Ipsy bag of the year with you guys, and this one is pretty darn good. 

The style of the bag isn't my favorite honestly. I like that it's red, but that's it. I do actually appreciate though that the zipper of the bag is on the very top. Most Ipsy bag zippers aren't like that, and it can be annoying. The products are what impressed me most!

First up is a Pacifica Power of Love Natural Lipstick in the shade Nudie Red. I don't see much red in this though, more of a nude/mauve color. I've never been really happy with the Pacifica products I've tried, but I'm pretty excited to try this. I've gotten more into lipsticks lately, so I'm in the mood to try them all.

Next up is the Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Eye Shadow Primer. I love me a good eye shadow primer, and I've never tried this brand's before. I've been fairly impressed with other products I've tried from this line before. 

Then we have a ModelCo Lip Enhancer Illusion Lip Liner in a universal shade. Despite the packaging making me think it was going to be hot pink, it's a very natural looking nude/pink. I'm also delving into the lip liner world, so this is a good start for me!

I'm all about taking care of my super dry hair lately, so the Marc Anthony Coconut Oil & Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Treatment will get love from me. Ever since trying out the Keranique that I had reviewed previously, my hair is taking quite a bit to get back to normal.

I received a deluxe sample of the Clark's Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask. I'm so excited to use this because I love using moisturizing masks after a detoxifying mask in the Winter time, to help combat dry skin. I'm trying to use the GlamGlow hydrating mask sparingly because of how expensive it is, and I can get a good 2-3 uses out of this little jar. 

I'm not sure if everyone got this in their bag, but I also ended up receiving an Em Cosmetics Shade Play Artistic Eye Color Palette called Casablanca Neutrals. This is right up my alley color wise, and I've wanted to try this line for quite a while now, but it's pretty darn expensive. This was a nice little extra to see in my bag!

I'm sure it's obvious, but I'm so happy with the products this month! I was on the verge of cancelling, but now I'm going to keep my subscription going and see what the new year brings. If you're not already subscribed to Ipsy, you can do so here! It's only $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get typically 5 deluxe sized samples, sometimes full sized products, sent to you in a little makeup bag every month.  

If you're already subscribed to Ipsy, what did you get in your bag?

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January 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hello everyone! I know this post is overdue, as I received my Ipsy bag sometime last week. I just didn't get a chance to write it up, so forgive me! Anyways, this is the first Ipsy bag of the year and the theme this month is called Fresh Start. 

The bag everything comes in feels like plastic/vinyl and one side is white, while the other side is blue, and it has a orange zipper. It's kinda cute, but I don't really see myself using it honestly. 

I was so excited for the products this month! The first product I got is the BellaPierre Shimmer Powder in the color Whesek, which looks like a dark gray/black color with a hint of dark blue. Looking at the description of the product, depending on the color you get, these can be used as an eyeshadow or highlighter. I obviously can only use this as an eyeshadow, but it's so dark and I don't know if it will look good with my fair skin. I'll give it a try since I am a fan of mineral products. 

The next product I have is the Jouer Essential Lip Enhancer. I have tried this product before that I got in an old Birchbox, and I absolutely loved it! It made my lips look and feel so hydrated and plump. This tube I have now is about twice the size of the one I had before, which makes me really happy. I have strongly considered purchasing a full size of this, but I already have a ton of lip balms and treatments to use up. 

Next up, we have the Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eyeshadow in the shade Ethereal. I have already tried this, and it's not bad, but it's not fantastic either. The pigment is alright, but the staying power isn't that great, even with a primer. A gripe I have with this product is that the container was stuck inside the box so bad, and there's still glue in the back that's been a pain to remove, and it sticks to everything. I'll probably continue using this as a highlight shade, but Pacifica makeup is not very good. Their body products are really nice though!

The next product I received is the La Fresh Eco-Beauty Good Day. Day Moisturizer. I love me some good skincare, so I'm looking forward to trying this out. Even though this comes in a glorified foil packet, it seems like there's a decent amount of product to try. I'm also reading that this stuff smells bad, but I honestly can't tell because my nose is stuffed up right now. 

The last product I got is the Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush. I also love me some good brushes, so I was happy to have received this! I used this as well already, and I do like it. It deposits color nicely on the lids, it's soft, it's easy to clean, and it's a good size too. Plus, it's pink! Who can resist an adorable pink brush?!

That's everything I got! If you want to sign up for Ipsy, you can do so here! It only costs $10 a month, plush shipping for some and you get 4-5 samples. I am definitely impressed this month, but some months are a miss for me. I highly recommend this bag if you want to try out new brands for a good price!

If you're already signed up to Ipsy, what did you get in your bag?

September 2014 Ipsy Bag!

Hey everyone! It's a dreary, rainy day here in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm off work but my husband wasn't so I was by myself all day. I got a little happier when I checked my mail and saw my Ipsy bag had arrived! The tracking info I got said it wouldn't be here til next week sometime, so it was definitely a surprise seeing it! The theme this month is called Street Style, so lets see what I got!

This bag is super cute to me! I love silver and it's very rocker chic with the studs. I can see myself carrying this in my bag. Onto the products!

The first product I received is the Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush. I've purchased brushes by Crown Brush on Hautelook before and I'm impressed with them, so I was excited to see this double-ended brush in my bag. It's really soft too so I think I'm gonna like it!

Next up is the Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream. Apparently this is made with matured essential oils over in Kent, England which makes it sound all posh. However, I don't really smell anything at all but then again, my nose is a bit stuffy right now. I always like a good hand cream, so I'm happy to try it out!

Then we have the Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in the color Love Affair. This is such a beautiful burgundy shade that'll be great for Fall! It's fairly pigmented as well, which you'll see in a swatch in a bit.

Next product is the Pacifica Natural Water-Proof Eye Pencil in the color Gun Metal. It's a pretty silvery color that to me has a hint of green to it. The swatch I did on my hand was a bit hard to do so I'm a bit wary of putting it near my eyes. maybe if I warm it up a bit first then it'll be okay. I really like the color too, but it's not an everyday color.

The last product I received is the Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser. I'm a little wary of trying this as well because I have oily skin and cream cleansers don't go well for me. I think maybe I'll save this for colder months when my skin is less oily.

swatch of eyeliner and lip gloss

Overall, I'm alot happier with this bag than I was with previous bags. I'm happy with pretty much everything, which hasn't happened in quite a while. If you want to sign up for your own Ipsy bag for only $10 a month, plus shipping for some, use my affiliate link here!

May 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hi guys! I received my Ipsy bag in the mail yesterday and I was actually pretty excited to see what I was going to get! I know I've stated before that I haven't been super happy with Ipsy lately, but this bag has redeemed itself a bit, so lets see what goodies I have!

The theme this month is called Beauty's Fresh Picks, and I must say, I'm kinda digging the bag! It's kinda this canvas type material that I can actually see myself using in daily life. 

The first product I received is the Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask. I'm pretty happy I got this because I've been trying to take better care of my hair since I chopped it off. I really like how this smells too. It's like a vanilla latte, or something like that. 

Next up we have the Olive Natural Beauty The Olive Lip Balm. If you know me, you know I can't get enough of lip balms. I like to try any kind, I'm not too picky. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of olive scented things, but this isn't an overbearing scent. 

Then we have the Jersey Shore Sun Sans Tan Anti-aging Sunscreen. I'm a little 'meh' about this product, only because I tend to be picky with my sunscreens. I do love skincare, so I'm definitely willing to try this out and see if I like it. 

I was pretty excited to try out the Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo in the #2 shades, which are Moonbeam and Unicorn, but I'm pretty unimpressed with this. It's not pigmented and feels very chalky when swatched. I don't even think this warrants a review or even a picture of swatches because they're that bad. I still have to try it out on my eyes though and use a good primer to really test it out. 

The last product I received is the Barefoot Spa Professional Exfoliating Polish. These are in foil packet form, which I kinda loathe, but I did get two of them. After the horrible Winter we had here in Pennsylvania, I'm ready to scrub my skin and get it ready for Summer!

Overall, I'm happy this month. Looking at all the products that were given out, I might have preferred getting any of the makeup brushes, the Too Faced Bronzer or the Revlon Matte Balm instead of the sunscreen and eyeshadow I received. I can't complain too much though, because I'm spending only $10 a month when I'm getting some decent products. Lets hope next month is better though! I wanna be wowed man!

If you're interested in Ipsy, sign up here!

If you already receive Ipsy bags, what did you think of yours?!

March 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hey everyone! I decided to take a mental health day from work today because I'm not feeling too well so I wanted to finally get this month's Ipsy bag post up! I'll start out by saying that I'm not too impressed. Anyways, onto the bag!

The theme this month is called Destination Beauty and the print on the bag is from an artist named Klari Reis. Ipsy is apparently doing an Artist Series asking artists to design prints for upcoming Ipsy bags. I think it's a neat idea but I don't like this print to be honest. It's too busy for me. Now lets see what products I received!

The first product is the Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter. I remember getting one of these body butters in the blood orange scent which I did really like. I'm pretty obsessed with coconut and this stuff smells really amazing, so I'll definitely be using it!

Then I received a bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in the color Get Ready. I don't think I've ever tried these lipsticks before but this shade is really pretty, kinda like a my lips but better shade. I'm more of a gloss girl but I'll try this and see if I like it. 

Next up is probably my favorite product in the bag, and it's the Be a Bombshell Eyeshadow quad in Bora Bora. When I saw we were either getting this or a NYX trio, I was secretly hoping for this and I'm so happy I did! The colors are beautiful and they're actually not bad quality pigmentation-wise. I haven't used these on my eyes yet, but I did swatch them and am very pleased with the colors.

Last product I really just wanna throw away. I got ANOTHER damn nail polish, and it's the Nicole by OPI Roughles nail polish in the shade On What Grounds?. I can't say how many times I've retaken the quiz and reviewed any nail polish I've gotten negatively. Even though I just bought some nail polish today, I really gotta be in the mood to do my nails, and today I actually am, but I really don't want anymore polishes in my bags for a long, long time! If I get another nail polish next month, I'm gonna scream. I probably won't even use this because I'm not a huge fan of the textured polishes anyways. 

Swatch of lipstick and Bora Bora quad

Well that's everything! In the scheme of things, this isn't a terrible bag. For only $10, it's actually a pretty good deal. You get good sized samples and most of the time, the bags are pretty nice. If you'd like to sign up for Ipsy, click here! It's only $10 a month, plus shipping for some!

If you're already subscribed to Ipsy, what did you receive?

Also, check out my blog sale!

August 2013 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! I was so happy when I went to my parent's house yesterday and saw my Ipsy bag there! I hadn't even gotten a tracking code or anything until today and I saw that it was actually delivered on the 10th! I don't think I've ever gotten an Ipsy bag so early in the month before. Anyways, this month's theme is Glamour Academy. I'm guessing they named it that because it's almost back to school time. I'm incredibly happy with this month's bag, so lets see what I got!

The bag everything came in is cute, but I'm not the biggest fan of the crest. I love the purple with gold together though. It's a decent size too for traveling purposes.

Now for the actual products! When I found out we were getting a Michael Todd product, I was over the moon! I've been wanting to try Michael Todd products for a while now, and I received the Pumpkin Nutrient-Rich Facial Mask. We could've also received the Jojoba Charcoal Gentle Exfoliating Facial Scrub. I would've been happy with either one, but I love masks a little more personally. 

The next product I received is a Noya Lip Balm in a Cherry flavor. The other product I could've received is an Urban Decay Lipstick. Honestly, I much prefer lip balms over lipsticks anyway, so I'm very happy.

The next product is the Pixi Beauty Lash Booster Mascara in Blackest Black. I'm a bit tired of mascara samples now, but I'm still going to try this and see how I like it.

Next up is the MicaBeauty Eyeshadow in Bronze. I think this is such a beautiful color and it's super pigmented. I can't wait to try this over the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze. I think that's gonna look gorgeous!

The last product I received is the Pacifica Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream. I was excited about this until I read some reviews. I read that it was shimmery, looks orange and doesn't blend well. Now I'm on the fence about this product. I'm not sure if this product was an either/or product, but looking at what else I could've received, I wish I got the NYX blush instead. 

Overall, I'm very pleased with this bag. Ipsy continues to be my favorite subscription service (and only subscription service I get!) and I don't see myself cancelling anytime soon! If you would like to sign up for Ipsy, feel free to use my referral link here. I don't get paid through this link, just an extra product in next month's bag if I get two people to sign up! :)

Also, please check out my giveaway for my one year blogiversary! It's running for 23 more days, so there's plenty of time to enter! It is for US residents only, so I apologize to my readers overseas :(

January 2013 Ipsy Bag

Hey everyone! Today's post will be about what I received in my Ipsy Bag for January. So sorry this post is so late too. Better late than never though, right? I gotta admit, before I got it in the mail, I read that other people were getting their bags but the nail polish broke or the body butter split, so the products basically ruined the bag. I was so nervous my bag was going to be destroyed or I was going to get the colors I didn't want, but now that I have my bag, I'm happier than I thought I'd be, but not overjoyed.

I am in love with how the actual bag looks. I know it looks a little funny in the picture but it's this pretty slate gray with a bit of a blue tinge to it. Inside, the bag is a dark blue color with white dots and stars. It's super cute and to me, this is a perfect bag to carry makeup in. 

Onto the products. First up is the Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter. I'm actually pretty excited to use this. My skin is so dry lately and I'm desperately trying to find something moisturizing enough. Plus I love the smell of anything orange, so to me, this smells amazing!

Next, I got the Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hair Spray. I gotta be honest, I hate hair sprays or gels of any kind, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this. Seriously, I was never a fan of putting anything in my hair aside from leave-in conditioner, so this stuff doesn't really appeal to me.

Next, I got the Nailtini Nail Lacquer in the color Frappe. Ipsy subscribers got either this color or Bloody Mary, which to me looked like a bright red. I have some reds in my nail polish collection, so I was really hoping for this Frappe color and I'm glad I got it.

Then I got the Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil. I've never used this before and I actually do have another little jar of this, but I've heard so many good things so I may try this on my face to help hydrate my skin a little more.

Lastly, I got the Soho Crease Brush. Again, subscribers either got this, a concealer brush, or eyeliner brush. I'm happy I got the crease brush, because I don't use concealer brushes and I have enough eyeliner brushes.

Overall, I'm fairly happy with what I received. For a $10 a month beauty subscription bag, it's not terrible, but I wish they had a bag with some more skincare items. I can't remember which bag it was, but I think I got it in the summer, there were like three skincare items in the bag, which I really loved. Don't get me wrong, I love makeup, but I think Ipsy needs to change it up a bit. And enough with the nail polish already! Sheesh! I'm thinking about giving Ipsy one more shot, and if I'm not happy with my next bag, I might cancel and try another beauty subscription service that's not terribly expensive.

Does anyone subscribe to Ipsy? Did you like the products you received?