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