Ipsy Bag | June 2013

Contents:

◆ Starlooks Lip Pencil in "Bare" 

(Full Size - $12)

This lip pencil worked surprisingly well and was a good shade for my skin. I'm glad that I got a neutral color because some people were getting some very bright colors. It went on really smoothly and blended great!

◆ NYX Cream Blush in "Tickled" 

(Full Size - $6)

I loved this blush! It's a very light, almost coral pink and it goes on really smooth. It blends in really well and is not too overpowering on my cheeks.

◆ J. Cat Beauty Sparkling Cream Palette in "SPC106 Volta" 

(Full Size - $4.49)

I have mixed opinions on this product. When I first saw it, I thought it was definitely interesting because it's really shiny. However, when I put it on, it was more like glitter than a sparkle cream palette.  It also got everywhere and I had to scrub it off! Not too happy about that. I've heard that you are supposed to use it with neutral eye shadows, but I'm not sure if that would make it apply any better. I might give it another shot, but for right now, I'm not pleased with this product.

◆ Cailyn Cosmetics Gel Eyeliner w/ Brush in "Iron" 

(Full Size - $21)

I'm not a big eyeliner user because I don't like the way I look when I wear it. I feel like I'm trying too hard when I apply black eyeliner, so I try to stay away from the black colors. However, this product was very easy to apply and I might try to use it every once in a while. Since I received it in an "iron" color, it's not too dark, so I don't feel overwhelmed by it.

◆ Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil 

(Full Size - $18)

I gave this product a quick test and it seems like it works pretty well. It's definitely different from any other highlighter I've used. It's not white or pearly, it's more of a light, pinkish skin tone. It's said you can use it anywhere to highlight, such as on the brow bone, around the eyes, etc and to cover up blemishes and dark spots. I gave it a try around my eyes and liked the appearance. I'm going to have to give it a try for blemishes as well!

If I'm correct, I believe that all of these were full size products this month, so that is pretty awesome. It brings my bag value to be over $60 :) I'm really happy with this bag!

Birchbox | May 2013

Contents:

◆ COOLA Classic Face SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face

(Sample Size - $4.33) (Full Size - $32)

This moisturizer smells so good! I've always been a fan of cucumber type smells so this was right up my alley. It rubs in very nicely and doesn't leave me feeling sticky.

◆ DevaCurl 3-Step System

(Sample Size - $5) (Full Size - $19 each)

When I received this, I had high hopes. I have naturally wavy/curly hair and I am always trying to find better products. I used the shampoo, conditioner, and gel all together and wasn't too impressed. Each product has a strange smell and I felt like it didn't give enough life to my curls. I also couldn't get rid of that smell for a couple of days even after using other products. It really reminded me of the way an incense section of a store smells :/ I feel like my Garnier products do a much better job at giving my curls volume and hydration.

◆ Marvis Classic Mint Toothpaste

(Sample Size - $1.40) (Full Size - $6 - 10.50)

This toothpaste had a very nice, refreshing minty taste. It left my teeth feeling very clean as well. I'm just a little disappointed that one of my samples was wasted on toothpaste. I have a toothpaste that I use regularly and I'm pretty much never going to change from the brands that I know.

◆ Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner

(Sample Size - $5.25) (Full Size - $21)

I received this in a gray color. Not very color contrasting, lol. The funny part is the other colors in the collection are all shades of green...not sure about that. I thought that the eyeliner worked very well. As I've mentioned before, I don't really use eyeliner, so I really don't know what to look for.

◆ Pilot Corporation of America Acroball PureWhite® pen in teal

(Full Size - $2.25)

I find it kind of ridiculous to include a pen in a beauty subscription box, especially when you already included another item that isn't beauty related. It is a nice pen in a nice color, but really!? I went and changed some of my settings around in my account, so maybe I'll get less "home" finds.

Box Value comes to $18.23. This box wasn't too bad but I definitely had hoped for more beauty products.  

Ipsy Bag | May 2013

I forgot to do this post in May, so you'll be seeing two of these this month :)

Contents:

◆ yaby concealer refill

(Full Size - $5.06)

This concealer has pretty good coverage. It works well under my eyes and it's a nice shade. It's also very creamy and goes on smooth.

◆ Zoya nail polish in "Piaf"

(Full Size - $8)

I received this in a pale yellow pastel color. I'm not a huge fan of yellow, but this isn't too bad. It goes on pretty well and has good coverage with just one coat. Very impressed with that.

◆ Juice Beauty reflecting gloss in "Fig"

(Full Size - $15) (Sample Size - $7.50)

I love this lip gloss! It's the perfect shade and it's very unique. It has just a little bit of reflection in it to make it shiny, but not too shiny. It also smells wonderful!

◆ Macadamia healing oil treatment

(Full Size - $13.50)

I haven't tried this yet but I'm a bit skeptical when it comes to using oil treatments. The couple of oil treatments that I have used has left my hair feeling strange and looking flat. It says you can use it in a masque or leave in conditioner, so I might use it when I want to give my hair "new life".

◆ St. Tropez body lotion

(Full Size - $18) (Sample Size - ?)

So, funny story about this sample. When I received it, I didn't read the huge brand name on the side of the bottle and just thought it was body lotion. I decided I wanted to try it right away because I pretty much never get lotion samples. Well, once I opened it and looked at my hands, I realized that it was a tanning lotion! I had to run and wash my hands to make sure it didn't stick. After that, I realized that it was too dark for my fair skin and I would look quite hilarious trying to get it even on every inch of my body. I'm probably going to give it to a friend who tans.

In this bag, I received 3 full size products and 2 sample size products. Overall, my bag was okay this month. It was valued over $35, which is a great deal since I only paid $10 for the month. Plus, I can always use more nail polish and lip gloss, hehe. I'm just over oil treatments and have no use for tanning lotion. Oh well, it could have been a lot worse.

Treasury Thursday: Are You a Beauty Guru

Are You a Beauty Guru? by COSDesign

These items are awesome for the beauty guru in all of us!

Cake Lip Gloss Vega... CRUSHCOSMETICS $9.75	Mineral Bronzer annyasatelier $7.5	Rose Petal - Minera... SummerScentSat... $1.35	All Natural Blemish... OhSudz $14.95
Mineral Eyeshadow 3... EskimoKissez $6	BLACK WATERPROOF Ve... herbanluxe $11.75	VICI FLUSH BLUSH ma... PerformanceCol... $7	All Natural Liquid ... OhSudz $12.95
Blush Mineral Makeu... MadisonStreetB... $8.99	4 Ounce Facial Mois... JuniperseedMer... $10	60% Off MOTHERS DAY... MadisonStreetB... $16.76	Lipstick Holder Lip... lessandmore $86
Medium Foundation w... pinkquartzmine... $32	Vegan Liquid Concea... theallnaturalf... $5	All Natural Lip Bal... EBProducts $2.5	Mineral Foundation ... ColorfulDesign... $21.99

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Beautify Through Etsy

I recently had a little bit of extra money to spend, so I decided to buy some handmade things on Etsy. I mostly went with beauty products (makeup, lip balm, perfumes). Here is an overview of my purchases and the fantastic sellers I bought from.

The first shop I purchased from was Soothing Naturals.
























They offer all natural lip balms in all kinds of scents for only $1.49! I couldn't pass up that price, so I purchased the All Natural Lip Balm Strawberry Splash. I love the way strawberry smells so I figured this would be a good choice to go with. The item arrived really fast and smells fantastic! Not only does it smell delicious it feels wonderful. I usually have issues with lip products but I think this is one of the best lip balms I've used in a while. It's really smooth and lasts a lot longer than some I've used in the past. The transaction was smooth and I'd definitely recommend this shop if you'd like to try a new and nicely priced lip balm.


The second shop I purchased from was The All Natural Face.






















I mostly came across this shop when I searched for eye shadow. I couldn't believe the prices and variety that was offered, so I decided to try out some of the eye shadow they offered. I found a sweet deal of 3 Five Gram Jars of Vegan Eyeshadow For $6. I thought this was an excellent price and also a really nice way of testing out colors. I went with Pink Ice Storm, OliveU, and Oh So Metal Antiqued Copper. I tried them out and they all work perfectly! I especially love the Pink Ice Storm because it's a very feminine and chic pink that anyone can pull off. Plus, they gave me samples of a ton of other colors with my order and two little applicator brushes free! I'll probably order some more in the future because the colors are awesome. I definitely recommend this seller if you are looking for reasonably priced eyeshadow or makeup.


The third shop I purchased from was Scented Luxuries.


















I actually saw this shop featured on someone else's blog. I can't remember the exact blog but they mentioned the perfume oil that was sold in this shop and I was interested in checking it out. They have a ton of scents to choose from and offer 1/6 oz or 1/3 oz bottles of the roll on perfume and 2 oz bottles of the body mist. The prices are really good and there is a lot to offer - perfume oils, soap, lotions, candles, etc. I bought the Choose Your Fragrance - Concentrated Roll On Perfume Oil - Mini 1/6 oz Bottle and went with Very Vanilla as my scent. It smells really good...almost like a vanilla cake hehe. I'd definitely recommend this seller if you're looking for some really nice smelling perfume oil.

That's a wrap up of my experience buying beauty products on etsy. I'd never thought about buying them handmade before but after comparing the prices to what you'd pay at a department store or even somewhere like Wal-Mart or Target, these are a steal and probably a lot better for you to wear than the typical name brands. I'll probably buy handmade from now on and hope you look into it too :)