June Ipsy Bag Review and Swatches

Hello Lovelies! 

 I came home today to find my package from Ipsy stashed in my mailbox and after opening I knew I needed to get the review and swatches done asap, so here we go!

This month's theme is "On the Wild Side" and features a lovely animal printed bag that I happen to love, and some products from brands I have never heard of before.  

To start off my review I am going to begin with the product I was most curious about, the Sparkling Cream Palette from J.Cat Beauty. I had never heard of J.Cat before seeing this product, and I don't have much glitter in my collection so I was eager to test it out and swatch it. At first glance I expected this glitter to be an eye shadow, but it is actually not safe to use around your eye so it is definitely not for everyone, but I know it will come in handy for me when I am working on more creative makeup pieces. Although it is described as cream the top layer of the glitter is just like regular loose glitter, but as I rubbed the brush in a little bit I could tell it did have a slight creamy texture, but nothing like I expected it to be. Overall I feel these palette would be awesome for someone who does a lot of creative types of makeup, or body painting, because they are quite cheap ($4.49ea.) and they come in a variety of different shades.

BONUS TIP: For my lovely readers who received this in their Ipsy Bag and don't see yourself using body glitter, you could always mix it in with some nail polish to create a lovely glittery shade of polish.

Although I think the body glitter was a bad choice to add into the Ipsy bags I do find myself still curious about the J.Cat brand so I was excited when I realized the fake lashes in my bag were also from J.Cat. At first glance these lashes are perfect to add some drama to any look, and they are a great choice for my favorite styles of makeup. Although I didn't like the lash glue that came along with these lashes I think they are a pretty good pair of cheap lashes ($3.99ea.), but you can also find the same quality lashes around the same price at drugstores.

If you have read any of my previous posts you would know that I absolutely love NYX Cosmetics and am always excited when I receive a new product from them, this time I received a blush named angel. Angel is a soft matte pink shade that looks nearly nude on my pale skin tone, and I absolutely love it. This blush is perfect to add just a little emphasis to the cheeks, but not go over the top with color. I absolutely love NYX products because they are high-quality, and affordable, these powder blushes are only $5.

I am not sure how I have never heard of Starlooks before, because if the rest of the products they offer are anything like the lip liner I received, they are definitely quality. The liner I received was in a shade called Tipsy which is a lovely shade of coral that I would more than likely never choose for myself, but I absolutely love. When I tested the liner I realized that is quite smudge-proof, and long-lasting, which is something that's very important to me. These liners are a little pricier compared to some lip liners, but at $12 I think they are still pretty worth it. I would love to test more products from this company, and hopefully will be making an order in the near future.

Last, but not least, there is the gel eyeliner from Cailyn Cosmetics, another company I have never heard of, so thank you Ipsy for introducing me to a bunch of new things this time around. Before I get to reviewing this product I must tell you that these sell for $21 each, so if this doesn't make you want to subscribe to Ipsy, I don't know what will. I received the eye liner in purple, which is an odd shade for me, but it will be wonderful when I am working on more creative looks. I love gel liners because they are easier to work with when trying to create a precise line if you use the right brush, I believe the brush that is paired with this liner is a little thick, but it will get the job done if you don't own an eye liner brush already. This liner is definitely long-lasting, smudge-proof, and waterproof, which makes it harder to take off, but if you are in the search for a good resistant eyeliner this is the one for you.

If anyone is interested in joining Ipsy, sign up here . I absolutely love Ipsy and would never cancel my subscription, the products are amazing and definitely worth the small price a month. If you have any reservations about joining just remember that most months you receive $30+ worth of products and adorable makeup bags, and you also get to try new things. :)

March Ipsy Bag Review

Hello Lovelies!

I was super surprised to see my package from Ipsy in the mail on Friday, especially considering that I had received the tracking code about ten minutes before checking the mail. I tested the products out later on Friday and just had to get the review out to you guys as soon as possible. 

This month's theme is "the great escape" which seems a little more like we are welcoming summer instead of spring, but it's still nice to see something different. I do love the nautical printed bag, I am so happy that they finally agreed to do some prints, and I am hoping next month's in something more "springy" and possibly floral. Overall this month doesn't include much, this has to be the smallest amount of samples I have received yet, but the products we did receive are quite nice.

LA Fresh Travel.Lite Makeup Remover Wipes $1.99 for 8 wipes 

Wipes such as these ones are a necessity for makeup bags, and traveling, although I do find these a bit expensive for such a small pack. These wipes do work well to remove makeup quickly, but they are a tad bit too greasy for my skin, and the scent makes me think of baby wipes. 

 I have heard a lot about the Glam RX Touch Up Palette but have never really wanted to purchase it for myself, and this is kind of a mini of that. The real touch up palette consists of concealer, lip balm, shine erase powder, black eyeliner, mirror, and magnetic bottom level that can hold your personal makeup that comes in a metal tray (They are $17). This Glam RX thing that we received with out Ipsy bag does not include any of the makeup, it's simply the mirror and magnetic bottom level. Considering most of my eye shadows are in palettes this wont really be of any use for me, except to hold my little sample trays I have received from Yaby, Coastal Scents etc. If you are the type of person who uses a lot of single eye shadows this palette may work nicely for you depending on how you like to organize you makeup, and if you feel like "de-potting" some of your shadows. 

 These small shadow samples are from Yaby Cosmetics, shadow in top picture is called "Sand Dune", and bottom is called "So Vein". "Sand Dune" is almost a perfect match to my skin color and works well for a nude natural eye, and I absolutely adore "So Vein" and it's bright shade of teal. (I am using the Glam RX palette to store these.)  Both of these shadows blend well and are highly pigmented, they especially pop when paired with a eye primer/base. You can purchase these trays in a 3 gram size for $3.15 each.  

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist  $22 for a 6.75 oz bottle. 

This hydrating mist is made from organic ingredients and is said to be great for all skin types. The first thing I noticed when spritzing this upon my face is that not only does it feel refreshing, but it also smells refreshing. My skin instantly appeared brighter and it made me feel more awake and ready to go. As a hint on the products website they say to refrigerate this product in the summer months for an even more refreshing sensation, and I can not wait till it's warm enough to test that theory. This product in itself has me browsing through Juice Beauty's website and wanting to make a little order of my own, so stay tuned. 

Overall this month's bag seems to be disappointing people because of the small amount of products, but I have decided I will just look at the positives. 

1. I have never tested anything from any of these companies before, and they all turned out quite well. 

2. We finally received a printed bag after asking for months, and I love nautical prints. 

3. Ipsy attempted to compile a bag that would leave us happy in hopes that we were planning a spring getaway. 

Ulta Haul

Hello Lovelies!

 

On Friday night I got a little break from my regular schedule and got the chance to go get some dinner with my love at Buffalo Wild Wings. After our dinner I decided that I wanted to head to Ulta for the first time, I have shopped around online but before Friday I have never stepped foot in the actual store, which I like to call heaven. Now, I wasn't sure what to expect but if you have never been there and you have a fondness for hair and makeup you definitely need to make the trip. Before today I thought of Sephora as heaven, but Ulta has quickly became my favorite.

 

Before I get into sharing the items that I purchased from Ulta I must explain my hauls are going to be a bit different from a lot of beauty gurus. Now I follow a fair share of beauty gurus on Youtube and on here and a lot of them really go all out when they do hauls, and they spend quite a chunk of money, but I can't do that. Now, I am not going to give you some sob story of how difficult my life is because there is a lot of people in this world who don't even have what I do, but basically I am a young mother working to take care of my two children that has an immense passion for fashion and beauty. I am hoping some day I will be able to share my gift and passion with more people, but for now this blog, my Youtube channel, and my Polyvore account (it's almost like a dress up for adults)  is my way to do that.

 

Anyways, now onto the couple of products I decided I couldn't go without today.

 



I am a huge fan of a lot of products from Urban Decay and I have made many small purchases from them, and I have received samples, but I have always lusted after the Naked palettes, so today I finally brought myself to purchase one. Now it took me a little bit of wandering before I finally settled on getting Naked 2, I honestly want both, but I DEFINITELY can not afford that. I do love all of the different shades that both palettes offer, but I went for Naked 2 because of the shades called Blackout and Pistol.

I fell in love with Benefit Cosmetics  because of there amazing graphics and artwork and then I got the chance to try a couple products from them and that solidified my love for the company. Not only does Benefit offer wonderful makeup, but they have a spectacular like of skincare products for pretty much everyone. One of the first products I was able to test was the foamingly clean facial wash, and I have never came across a better face wash, so I decided I had to purchase a full size bottle of it. The Foamingly Clean Face Wash cleanses skin, removes makeup and impurities with a soft, gentle lather. I also love the Refined Finish Facial Polish, but I will leave purchasing that for another day.



Since I absolutely love cosmetics I have heard of  Too Faced many times, but because I am just recently starting to really expand my collection I have never purchased anything from them before. I know they are a good company and they have high quality products, but I decided to try this little sample set of five products. Included in this set is Lashgasm Mascara, Shadow Insurance, Glamour Gloss in Sheer Lilac, Lip Insurance, and Primed & Poreless. The Lashgasm works wonders at making your lashes look longer and it doesn't clump up, I wish it would make my lashes look a bit thicker though. I personally feel that an eye shadow primer is a necessary to create a sleek "flawless" look and I believe the Shadow Insurance works very well, my shadow lasted longer and I had no issues with creasing or smudging of my shadow or my eyeliner. I am not a huge fan of the shade of Glamour Gloss that was included in this set because I am so pale it didn't work well with my skin color, but the gloss lasted long, wasn't sticky, and had a pleasant minty sensation. Before I applied the lip gloss I used the Lip Insurance that was included in the set which helps create a smooth application that lasts longer and provides a good base for color. I feel the same about skin primer that I do about eye shadow primer, so of course I loved the Primer & Poreless which helps minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines. Overall this set is a good beginner set, sample set, or even a gift, that almost every makeup lover could easily enjoy.



 I mentioned in my last tutorial that I somehow managed to lose my last brush for teasing and shaping so I picked up this simple and cheap one here. I use it to help tease when creating either pompadours (poofs), victory rolls, and when I am lusting after a more voluminous look.



After we left Ulta we decided to stop at our local Walmart and wander around for a bit because I had a couple simple things to pickup, and since I work at Walmart I get a little discount. Typically, when I am just wandering aimlessly through the store I tend to thoroughly check out the makeup department and I always stumble upon something I must purchase. This little palette here is from Hard Candy, and it's the Top Ten Eye Shadow Palette in neutral shades. All of the shades are shimmery and so far I have loved it. Hard Candy is definitely a cheaper alternative that has some decent makeup, I use the Glamouflauge concealer almost on a daily basis.

 

 

 

A little look I created with my purchases.....  (Check out the Marvel t-shirt!!)





January Beauty Army Box and Ipsy Bag

Hello Lovelies!

This month seems to be going by very quickly and it is time to review my monthly subscriptions and give you guys an update on what's going on at the moment and what will be coming next. Before I begin my little review I would like to share some information with everyone. Lately I have been working on revamping my blog to make it more appealing for everyone, and hopefully within the month I should have some wonderful new custom graphics. If you have any suggestions at all feel free to comment or email me at briannagrim@gmail.com.

 

Do you like the hairstyles pictured above? If so then you will love the tutorials I am about to begin filming, I will be working on a couple different hairstyle tutorials all including a lovely victory roll so stay tuned.

Ipsy Bag

This month's theme was "Super Star" and was filled with quite the variety of products. The bag itself is a dark blue with a star print on the inside of the bag, it's nice, but I am getting quite bored with getting plain bags, I'm ready for a lovely print. (I am crossing my fingers for something vintage inspired.)

When I opened the package my first thought was, Yay! another makeup brush from SOHO! I received a SoHo Smudge Brush back in September 2012 from Ipsy and absolutely love it and use it on nearly a daily basis, so to add an eyeliner brush from them to my collection is quite exciting. This brush's shape includes a wonderful grip for klutzy women like me whom happen to drop their brushes a lot.

I myself feel that the right hairspray can make or break a hairstyle, and Big Sexy Hair's hairspray is wonderful, a little pricey for my taste considering I go through hairspray very quickly but it works very well. It is quite easy to go overboard with this spray and make your hair very stiff, so remember just a little goes a long way.

Since I am a "pin up girl" red lipstick and red nail polish are staples in my signature look and I am always on the lookout for better products to test and this month I received a lovely red nail polish from Tini Beauty called Bloody Mary. Now, the last polish I received from Tini Beauty that I reviewed I was not a fan of, it was a glittery polish in green and gold, but this one is wonderful. This polish only requires one application for a solid red color, and it dries quickly. I typically use a top coat when doing my nails but I wanted to test it's durability without one and it lasted three days with no chips. This nail polish definitely improves my outlook on Tini Beauty.

Like most people at this point I am definitely ready for spring and summer to come, and this Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter from Pacifica makes me even more impatient. Typically I am not a fan of orange scented items, but I absolutely adore the scent of this lotion, it has notes of orange which is offset with scents of strawberry and raspberry. I am very picky when it comes to lotions because I do have sensitive skin but my skin had no issue with this lotion and it doesn't leave that nasty greasy feeling some scented lotions leave behind.

 

Obviously, oils such as this argan oil from Josie Maran Cosmetics have been trending in the past year or so and I have received a lot of them with my subscriptions. This argan oil has many different uses which include skin moisturizer, skin treatment, split end treatment, and cuticle softener. I have yet to test all of it's uses but I did test it on my freshly dyed Ruby Rush hair and it did make my hair very soft yet a little greasy. I have yet to notice any difference in my split ends but I do like how soft this oil makes it and that my hair is a little less frizzy on its bad days.

Beauty Army Box

As you can see from this picture this month was Beauty Army's birthday so they included an extra choice this month and I decided to go with the Mark scanda-lash mascara in brown. I rarely purchase brown mascara, but I do like it for more natural looks so I decided to go with brown this time. This mascara separates the lashes wonderfully and is perfect for a more subtle natural look.

Apparently products from Mark have been a favorite for Beauty Army, last month I received this red Mark glow baby glow gloss and this month I not only received the mascara but this pink gloss called Honey, which nicely hook together. This gloss is another product great for a subtle natural look or a colorful eye and nude lip combination. Just like the red glow baby glow this gloss is wonderfully pigmented, non-sticky and quite long lasting.

The past couple months have been quite hectic in my household and honestly I do not make enough money to really have a true spa day so products like these firming eye gels from Skyn Iceland  are very welcomed as samples. Now I did find these soothing for about a total of ten minutes and my eyes felt a little refreshed after, but they are definitely not worth $30 for only eight in a pack. They are suppose to tone de-puff under eye skin within ten minutes, but honestly I didn't even notice a physical difference.

Like I have stated many of times in my posts I am not a fan of small foil samples such as this serum and moisturizer from Enspri Skincare because there is not enough in them to really make a judgement on the product. I did test them but within one application I seen no difference between them and any other average serums and moisturizers.

As you can probably see from my other posts I am a HUGE fan of the Yes to...   products, so I was excited to be able to try something new from them. Now once again back to the foil packet issue, but I did feel refreshed after using this eye treatment and noticed a slight difference, and I have full faith in all of the products from their arsenal. This company is known for their wonderful, hard working, natural products that have rave reviews from customers.

Simple enough this Lash Card  is meant to prevent clumping and smudging of mascara and it is nice to have on hand, but I honestly do not see the point of wasting money on the product unless you absolutely can not apply mascara without causing a disaster.

Yet another small sample of Whip Hand Cosmetics  Camo Collection eyeshadow, this shadow is a beige shade called Air Force. Like explained before this shadow blends well and works well for natural looks, but I really would like a better selection of makeup products then what Beauty Army has been offering lately.

Now, this picture is of a simple subtle two minute look I created using the Mark Scanda-Lash Brown Mascara, the Air Force shadow from Whip Hand Cosmetics, and the Mark Glow Baby Glow Lipgloss in the shade of  Honey.

December Ipsy Bag and Beauty Army Box

This month has not only been very busy for me, but it has passed by very quickly and I haven't had much time to dedicate to anything I need to get done such as my December Ipsy and Beauty Army review, but I have finally found a bit of time to finish it up and give you my full review. As I said last month I cancelled my subscription to Birchbox, so until I find another monthly subscription service that I love I will just be sticking to Ipsy and Beauty Army. I have been doing a little research into a couple other companies, but so far I haven't chosen one so if you have any suggestions feel free to comment. Also, before I get into my review I would like to share with you my plan for the new year, during 2013 my goal for this blog is to not only post more frequently, but to also make more tutorials and share more tips, and dabble more into my love for the rockabilly/pin-up beauty scene.

 

 

 

Ipsy Bag

The theme for this month's bag was simply focused on the holidays once again and titled "Haute Holiday".

 

 

For the past couple months Ipsy has been sticking with simple one shade makeup bags and I have been loving them, this month's was silver.

A woman can never have enough primer... I have tested many different kinds of primers in the past year and so far I really haven't been able to pin down a favorite but I do love this Mirabella Prime. I do not use it on my eyes because I use the NYX Cosmetics Eye Shadow Base, but it works wonders for fine lines and helps provide a smoother finish. As I am a HUGE fan of the rockabilly, pin-up, old Hollywood glamour scene making my skin appear flawless is very key to my everyday look and using a primer helps create this for me. 

 

There couldn't have been a more perfect time for me to receive this NYX Loose Pearl Eyeshadow  in Charcoal (darker than it appears in picture), I have been looking for a good shimmery eyeshadow that blended out well and came in a good variety of colors, and for only $3 a piece I definitely want one of these in each color. The color is highly pigmented and a little goes a long way especially when paired with eyeshadow base.

 

 

When we receive products like this 24/7 Eye Pencil from Urban Decay it makes the $10 I spend on my subscription seem so worth it because these bad boys are more expensive to purchase on there own, it also shows that Ipsy is definitely dedicated to us getting quality products. In my makeup bag/storage you could already find one of these pencils in white, but having a black one is definitely a nice addition. I love that these pencils are long lasting, and provide a very smooth application.

 

 

Once again this is one of those products that I am just too pale to give an honest review for, but I do love the concept of these highlighter papers by Mai Couture . They do work very well and provide a wonderful shimmery highlight for wherever you would like to apply, and you can blend them out with a brush if needed.

Honestly the name of this company in itself has made me instantly fall in love with them,  Be a...Bombshell Cosmetics , but they also have wonderful products. Since I have been a subscriber to Ipsy I have had the privilege to test not only this lip gloss but their eyeliner and have loved both products. The lip gloss I received is the shade of "Hot Mess", which is the perfect red hue for any true bombshell. My favorite way to wear this is over a red lip liner for a little extra pop.

 

 

 

Last, but definitely not least, this month Ipsy gave some subscribers, including me, a chance to test a product that hasn't even hit shelves yet called Naked Skin by Urban Decay.  This lightweight beauty balm is oil-free and instantly leaves the skin looking better and also works to better your skin within 8 weeks. Now, I have not been using it for 8 weeks and can not tell you in full detail how much this balm could do in that amount of time, but I do know that it does make an instant difference. This multitasking formula evens out skin tone, minimizes pores, lines, wrinkles and redness, protects with SPF 20, firms skin and improves elasticity, primes the skin for makeup application, and it also hydrates the skin. It works wonderfully and if you would like to try it out yourself it will be released exclusively to the general public on Urban Decay's website on January 8th.

 

 

 Beauty Army

  

 

Another red lip gloss!!! (I can never get enough.) This gloss is long lasting and a wonderful shade of red. I am very picky when it comes to lip glosses because I can not stand a sticky gloss, but this Glow Baby Glow lip gloss in the shade of Blow Kisses from Mark smoothly applies with very little stick.

 

 

I learned about this brand this summer when many women were searching for an easy way to create that textured beachy waves look and I stumbled upon the Not Your Mother's  Beach Babe, which works wonders. So, when I seen that I could test one that is made to help create volume I was excited especially considering a lot of my rockabilly hairstyles take quite a bit of teasing and volume. This hairspray is AMAZING to use when teasing, it took a lot less teasing for me to create perfect volume and it helped make my style last all day, but I barely could get past the disgusting scent. This hairspray is infused with Apple Blossom and Bamboo, but to me (and my boyfriend) it smelled terrible. I basically have to hold my breath when spraying and after I finish my hair I top it off with a spray of my regular good smelling hairspray to mask the scent a bit.

 

These products from Macadamia  quickly have found a place in my heart because I do love having healthy and shiny hair, but I also love being an unnatural redhead which takes A LOT of work. This deep repair masque left my hair smelling good, soft, shiny, and less frizzy. I also use their Healing Oil Treatment near daily and would recommend this brand to anyone.

 

This is one of those products that leaves me slightly puzzled, and I wonder why they would include this in samples, but I chose it anyways just to see what the hubbub was about. Now I have heard many controversial conversations about attempting to fade skin color, I even seen an episode dedicated to this on Tyra once were a women used harmful bleach on her skin in an attempt to lighten her skin color. This fade cream is from Dermisa which is sold in stores such as Walgreens and Target, and it is designed to erase age spots, sun spots, and dark spots, but makes me wonder what it would do for someone who has none of those like myself. I did apply this once but realized quickly that it does not work well with my sensitive skin, I became red and itchy very soon and learned that it contains Hydroquinone and can be harsh on people with sensitive skin.

Another small sample of eyeshadow from Whip Hand Cosmetics that is part of their Limited Edition Camo Collection. This eyeshadow is an almost olive green shade that blends out well but is mess to get out of the container. Whip Hand has wonderful highly pigmented, statement making shades, but I absolutely detest these little bottles that they package them in. 

 

Now I have heard of the Gatsby Salon somewhere at some point but never have heard of their products before I received this Ooh La La Volume Shampoo from them.  Apparently after doing some research into the products they sell a whole line dedicated to creating more volume for the hair, everything from shampoo to hairspray. Now, I do not know how long these products have been around but this particular product on their website has only 6 Facebook likes which leaves me kind of feeling like either no one is using Facebook these days or that a lot of people had the same experience with this product as I did..... nothing changed. I used this shampoo and my hair didn't seem even the slight bit different, no more volume to my hair than normal, and it actually was even duller looking when it dried. 

 

 

Alright, on and ending note I was pretty happy with all of my products from my subscriptions this month and in about a week I will have a post about some wonderful products from Urban Decay I am adding to my makeup collection and I will have full reviews for those and possibly even a lovely makeup tutorial.