May Ipsy Bag!!

Okay!  At least I am in the correct month now!  Ipsy really wowed me this month.  I have enjoyed getting their bags, but this one is my favorite of the two!  Want to know why??

Barefoot Exfoliating Body Polish ???

I admit, I haven't yet tried this, but I will tomorrow.  We are getting ready for a family reunion by a lake, and I need to put on some self tanner so my legs are not light beacons for fish.  And before I dare put the self tanner on, I need to exfoliate.  That being said, I have used (and still do, actually) Barefoot products, and for a drugstore brand, they are at the top of my list!  They even included a $2 off coupon with one of the samples.  I have not seen this product in store before, and I am hoping the $2 coupon is not a premonition of this being expensive.  Stay tuned, though...I will add a PS in my June review for how this worked out.

Hang Ten 50 Natural Sunscreen ★★★★

I really don't know much about this company, but I did try their sun screen.  It seems to do the trick!  An SPF of 50 is great for redheads like myself (and everyone else...skin cancer is bad, mmmkay?  Protect your skin!!) AND as a bonus, it smells good AND is non-greasy!!  The back label also claims Oxybenzone free, Paraben Free, Retinyl Palmitate free, and synthetic fragrance free.  I would definitely buy this brand again!

Pacifica Eye Shadow - Duo 2 ★★★

I don't know much about this brand either, and to be honest, I haven't really even given this eye shadow a try.  I don't wear "colors", per se.  I am a more neutrals kind of girl, so the purple will not work for me.  I suppose the white might make a good eyebrow highlight, but I honestly haven't tried it.  This will probably go to the 10 year old.  However, I do love the fact they are 100% vegan, Cruelty Free, free of FD&C  coloring, and free of parabens and petroleum.  So, it is "clean" and that makes you feel good.  Also, a portion (I don't know how much) of every sale from this company goes "to support clean water".  I haven't done my research so I am not sure what that means...but it sounds good!

Purlisse Pur-Moist Hydra Balance Moisturizer ★★★★★

I was happy to see this included!!  I was introduced to this exact product from another subscription box last month and I LOVE it!  I use it everyday.  I was so thrilled to see this in Ipsy this month!!  Makes my supply last a little longer, and hopefully, for anyone else that hadn't known about it before, they will try it and fall in love like I did!

LuLu Blossom Dreamsicle Body Balm ★★★★★

As much as I love Purlisse (and I DO!!), this little tin was the front runner for Ipsy this month.  Purlisse is great, but having already been exposed to it before, it takes a second seat to this gem.  This body balm is Amazing!  The tin is only 2 oz, but it's great for on the go!  A little goes a long way and it smells heavenly.  Just.  Heavenly. Use it on your cuticles, or elbows or knees or even your feet.  Or use it on pulse points and drive your sweet-tooth having guy a little crazy.  *wink*

Ipsy did a great job with this month's bag, and I am so looking forward to next month's!

Until next time,
XOXO
Sam

April BoxyCharm!!

April's BoxyCharm was the belle of the ball for me this month for two reasons...But, because I am a mysterious, mischievous minx, you will have to read each review to find out why.

I forgot to snag pictures, and it;s been several weeks, so I am just putting the titles of the products here.

1.) ModelCo Blush Cheek Powder in Peach Bellini ★★★

Don't get me wrong, I love ModelCo!  BoxyCharm introduced me to their products in March and I reaaalllyyy like it!!  But, my blush literally fell out in a full powdery mess when I first opened it.  I am assuming it's supposed to be more solid, but..it fell out in the top drawer of my vanity, and since it was all in one pile, there was no real way to try it because WAY to much clung to my blush brush.  I am assuming here this is neither ModelCo's fault, nor BoxyCharms but just what happens sometimes in shipping.  All in all, I was unable to use the Peach Bellini Blush in any form, so I can't tell you whether it's good or not.

2.) Ofra Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in “Hollywood” ★★★

If you look this up, do not be shocked by the color.  It looks BRIGHT PINK...but it isn't that pink when you put it on.  The color is pretty good, but...I found it to be a bit drying and...not to my liking.  I will give this one to my 10 year old who is just learning to experiment with make up.

3.) ModelCo Eye Pencil in Black ★★★★★

I. Love. This. Eye. Pencil!  Seriously, I use it almost everyday.  The lid has a handy built in sharpener,  so a quick 1/4 turn gives you a nice sharp point for a thinner line.  It glides on smooth, and actually attaches to the tear line of the lower lid (my experience has been that eye liner pencils don't attach well.)  First run along the tear line, and it's there, and the BEST PART, is that the eye liner tends to stay!  I love in the desert, and it can get sweltering out here, and often if I wear eyeliner on a hot day, I end up looking like a raccoon by 3 PM.  Even if I powder underneath, which I don't like to do, because the powder often settles into the wrinkles I am starting to develop.  (I am 36...it happens)  Not with this eye liner...nope.  It's awesome!  Will definitely buy!!

4.) bellapierre Nail Polish in Lavender ★★★★

Cute nail polish.  I wore it on my toes, and it was great!  

5.) Coolway Glow Finishing Oil ★★★★

I loved this stuff, too.  ESPECIALLY with my hair texture and humidity induced frizziness.  Now, as with all hair finishing oils, "a little dab'll do ya", and one, maybe two sprays should be more than enough.  More than that, and your hair may end up feeling greasy.  That's the nature of finishing oils, though...not a mark against the product.



And there you have it!!  For me, front runners were the ModelCo eye liner (HIGHLY recommend) and the CoolWay Glow.  Sorry about the no pictures thing, but I figured for this instance, you could Google it if you are curious.

Until next time,
XOXO
Sam

April Birchbox!!

Okay, I know I am SUPER late with this.  I believe I mentioned in a previous blog that I just started a new business, and, as much as I love it, it is totally taking up 90% of my time, with the remaining 10% equally spread out to eating, sleeping, hygiene and family time.  

I know, excuses, excuses...right?  Who needs to shave their legs when they have blogs to write? Yeah, I know.    However, my husband appreciates the leg shaving...so...ya know....

Anyway, without further ado, let's get this party started since I have 6 boxes to blog about!!

Kind Healthy Grains Bar - Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt ★★★★

Birchbox, have you been reading my mind??  This bar was scrumptious!  In fact, I ate it pretty quick and uhhhh didn't save the wrapper so I can't tell you the nutrition content.  But, salty+sweet+natural nutrition?  And yummy!!  WINNING!!

N4 Lumiere d'Hiver Reconstructing Masque ★★★

Don't let the French fool you...I didn't think this was particularly special.  That being said, maybe my hair was just too far gone?  I hadn't had a haircut in over a year and, as I straighten my naturally crazy hair, it was pretty damaged.  A years worth of damage.  It was better than normal conditioning, but it isn't anything I am going to run out and get.  I will stick with my Redken, I believe.

N4 Lumiere d'Hiver Clarifying Shampoo★★★

Same as above, this was okay, in my experience, but maybe it's an unfair judgment as I had ALOT of hair (thick and long) that was severely damaged.  Still not much to write home about...for me.

Yogini perfume★★★★

I loved this little sample.  I am normally attracted to sweeter smelling scents and this one is a bit more woodsy/earthy but it smells good.  Sophisticated without pretension.  However, I think those of us in our late 20s/30s will appreciate it more than a teenager...which if fine by me.  ;)  Nothing worse than a 30-something year old woman smelling like a 17 year old.  (Okay, there are worse things...disregard the snark.)

Color Club Nail Lacquer ★★★

This nail polish was okay...okay for summer, maybe?  I actually like a little (a lot) more color, and stand out nails.  I will for sure check this out in other shades, though!

Sumita Eye Pencil★★★★★

I was starting to think this box was a little ho-hum and nearly ignored this little gem.  SOOOO glad I gave it a chance!!  Sumita eye liner is smooth and velvety and GREAT for a smokey eye.  I don't know much about this company but I definitely will use this entire pencil, and would likely buy another one!

And that's it!!  I know this is short and sweet, but like I said, I have 5 more to do, AND, in all fairness, when I reviewed these, it was actually in April.  The Sumita eyeliner was a stand out though, and I still use it!  If you purchase one thing from these items, my money would be on Sumita eye liner.

Until next time, 

XOXO

Sam

April Ipsy Bag!

 April's Ipsy bag got here, and the first thing that popped out was the packaging.  I actually love it!  This is my first Ipsy bag, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I love the mailer.  I even looked up where to buy them, so I could use them for my jewelry biz.  Too cute and fun! Makes a statement, and is memorable.

So off to open it I went.  And, inside the mailer bag, another bag holding (most of) the goodies!  

I am not sure what I will use the little bag for, but as an ultra organizer (albeit with ADD) I will find a use for it to be sure.  Right now, I am thinking it can hold the umpteen billion hair ties I have running around here but can never seem to find.

Inside the bag was this little postcard type thing.  On the back is an invitation to take photos or blog or whatever of your "Glam Bag Goodies" and share them, for a chance to win a year subscription to Ipsy.  I was doing this blogging thing before, so score for winning on something I already do!!  (Not that I won...just...a figure of speech.  Don't want there to be any misunderstanding.)

Okay, now let's get down to business!

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant .25 oz (Value of $9.75) ★★★★

I have to be honest, I haven't had an opportunity yet to actually use this.  Shortly after Ipsy came knocking on my door, my husband and I started renovating the back yard, and Ive had a fairly disagreeable sunburn for days.  BUT I did run a db between my fingers, and am pretty sure I am going to love it.  I looked it up on Sephora, and a 2 oz. bottle costs $78, and the reviews are fairly glowing, much like my skin will be after I use it.  However, it may be a decent week or so before I can, because, seriously...I am pretty badly burned.  I gave it 4 stars because that is my initial score on it, and it may go up or down after actual usage.

Starlooks Luscious Longwear Lip Pencil in "Naked" (full size pencil, $12.99) ★★★★3/4

A brand I am unfamiliar with but I think I will love.  It's creamy without being smeary, and a good color for many of my more nude lipsticks.  It does have a tiny pinky/coral tint to it.  I thought I should mention that because when people think "nude", they tend to think of a more neutral light brown.  This is a bit closer to a nude-but-pink lip.  Great for everyday, for most paler complected ladies.  I am not sure where else to get it though.  Is it a new company or just exclusive?  A quick Google search for "Starlooks Lip Pencil" came up with the Starlooks website, Ipsy and Amazon.  Maybe it is available at other stores and I just didn't dig past the first page.  Due to that, and only that, I knocked off a quarter of a star for not easily found in say, Sephora or Ulta.

Elizabeth Mott's Pop Goes The Shadow in Champagne ($12.99)★★★★

So, I pull out this little box and my first knee jerk reaction/thought was..."oh, dear.  A box of Chiclets??" Perhaps I have been living in the south for too long. Another company I am unfamiliar with, but that's why I am doing this year long beauty box subscription box experiment...to learn more about the smaller and/or up and coming and/or awesome cosmetic companies that I personally don't know about. (I hope no one takes offense to that.  It's me...seriously...not you.)

 Anyway, I pull out the shadow and this is what I see.

Honestly, quite a pretty color.  Again, due to working in the back yard day in and day out for 2 weeks, I haven't had a chance to try it out much, but I did play with it a little bit.  The pigment is good yet buildable. Once it's on (use your eyelid primer, ladies!!  And thank me later!) it stays on.  It compliments my fair skin nicely, but (And only because of my skin tone) I would have to make sure not to build up too much or it may look a little orangey.  Again, though...that is a problem with lots of redheads and cosmetics.  I believe it will blend nicely with my UD Naked 2 palette.  As for long term usage, and buying it myself, that will remain to be seen.  I just need more time with it.

Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide On Eye Pencil in Black Velvet ($15) ★★★★★

If I haven't let this be known already, I love Urban Decay.  Love, Love, LOVE UD.  So, I admit, a squealed like a 12 year old girl when I pulled this out of my glam bag.  I hadn't used THIS product before, so I was anxious to give it a shot.  It absolutely glides on. And it feels like velvet.  It won't pull your eyelid.  It's soft and smooth and not likely to dry out, as long as you keep the lid on it.  You do meed to be careful about application because this is BLACK and once it's on, it's pretty much on.  But, still, totally stoked at THIS item.  UD lists this as $20 for .04 oz, and my pencil was .03 oz, so let's say this is a $15 dollar value.  Will likely buy this again!!  Especially if it came in other colors.

CoastalScents Make Up Brush Medium Shadow Brush ($2.49)

As an add, Ipsy threw in this little make up brush.  I can't tell you much about it as it is still in it's wrapper.  I promise, I or my teenage daughter WILL be using it soon.  Just haven't had a chance.

There you have it.  My $10 a month subscription to Ipsy got me a tidy $40ish or more in product.  Nice!!  I don't know if Ipsy is always this awesome, or if I just lucked out with my first bag.  Time will tell!!

XOXO, Sam

April BeautyBox5

Finally back to subscription reviews!  I opened and photographed THREE subscription boxes a while ago!  And today's review is for the April edition of BeautyBox5.

(The others will come in the coming days.)

I wasn't exactly thrilled with the size of this box.  It seemed almost the size of the box that my business cards came in.  And it was light.  Perhaps this wasn't exactly fair to BB5, as I had gotten Birchbox and Boxycharm a couple of weeks ago, and their boxes a very generous in comparison.  Plus, it seemed on the light side as far as weight is concerned, and everything was rattling around on the inside.  Still I was willing to give it a chance.

Now the other two boxes I received before were packaged rather well, yet BB5 seemed to just throw things in there.  Still, perhaps this is just an off month.  I always try to keep these things in mind, and give the benefit of the doubt.

Blum Naturals All Purpose Cleansing Wipes ★★1/2 $6.99

Not exactly what I expected in a beauty box, but okay.  These are okay...and the travel sized container is nice for your purse.  I didn't see, feel or smell anything special about them.  Perhaps these are good in a pinch or on a plane?  The wipe sizes are quite small and dainty, and as a mother of 4, that does me no good.  Still, I suppose if you were childless and travelled a bit, these might be okay.  I have no use for them, nor would I, in a million years, spend $6.99 on something like this.

Jergens Natural Glow 3 pack, Medium to Tan ★★★★

I've used Jergens Natural Glow before.  Too much sun is a no-no for anyone, but as a redhead "too much sun" can be 15 minutes without any sunscreen on.  Plus, we redheads tend to come in either alabaster white or lobster red...nothing in between...which can be blindingly obvious when it comes to summer and shorts season.  So, I use Jergens Naturals to give me a little bit of color.  Like any other sunless tanner, you have to be sure that you put it on evenly, and exfoliate before your first application.  Unfortunately for me, this pack is for "medium to tan" which will turn me a burnt orange color.  This will end up going to my daughter or my sister.  "A" for effort, though.

bh Cosmetics California Collection  ★★★1/2 

This cutesy little compact eyeshadow has nice packaging, but the colors were a bit shocking when I first opened them.

These didn't photograph that well, but Hollywood is a deep yet bright shimmer purple...San Francisco is a shimmery nude and Malibu is...shimmery golden yellow?  Alrighty then.  These do not appear to be too highly pigmented, but the color is build able.  I can see myself using SF and maybe Hollywood but the Malibu is not for me.  Again, though, it might just be my skin coloring...and not everyone is paler than milk.  It might be nice on a darker skin tone.  I am not sure how much BB5 wants me to believe this is worth, but it has to be super cheap when a 26 color palette on Amazon is $16.99.

Bonne Belle Lip Definer in Ash Rose $1.99 ★★★★

Who doesn't have experience with Bonne Belle?  It's rather on the low end of the price line at any department or drug store, and most of us cut our cosmetic teeth on Bonne Bell lip glosses.  The pencil is nice enough, and the color almost exactly matches most of my more subdued lipsticks.  I usually prefer a creme pencil, but this one will do the trick just fine.

NickAK New York Lipstick in Concerto - $4.99 ★★★

I had never heard of NickAk New York before, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  At $4.99, this is...well...a cheap lipstick.  The color is great for me, and it pairs perfectly with the Bonne Belle Lip Definer listed above.  It's especially pretty with a rose or nude lip gloss over it. I don't know that I would go out of my way to get this lipstick again...but this will get plenty of use.  Who knows, though?  Maybe I will fall in love with it.  I don't discount anything.

And there you have it.  Yup, that's it.  I can't feel but a little gypped with this box.  At $10 a month, I don't think I got $10 worth out of it.  Personally, I feel like subscription boxes should make you feel like you are getting a great deal, if not your money's worth.  I am holding out that maybe this is just an off month for them? Surely not every box is this...cheap?  

Maybe BB5 will surprise me next month.  

My first look at Ipsy in a few days!  Stay tuned!

Xoxo,

Sam