Ipsy June 2013 Glam Bag review

Hey all! It’s always one of the bright points of my day when I see the hot pink bubble mailer in my mailbox! 😀 This was the first month that my bag simply “appeared” in my mailbox. Tracking stopped updating on June 8th when it had left Hebron, KY, so I was surprised to see it when I got it on the 11th.

I checked the tracking number after the fact and go figure it updated the tracking then. Oh well. 😛 I decided to keep my 2nd bag for one more month, and like last month, I’ll have a list and comments about each of those items in my 2nd bag below my review for my main bag.

Here’s a brief overview of the company.

About Ipsy (formally MyGlam): Each bag feature 4-5 beauty items. All of the items are either deluxe samples or full size.

• There are never any of those foil packets, which is nice because I’d like to have more than 1 use of a product before I decide if I like it or not.

Cost: $10 w/free shipping (USA) | $10 + $4.95 shipping (Canada)

• It’s $110 to subscribe yearly (USA | + $54.45 shipping for Canadian subscribers), which makes each individual bag a little cheaper than with the monthly. If you choose to pay monthly or yearly, you can’t change to the other. You have to cancel your current subscription before you can switch, which if you have they yearly one, I don’t think you can cancel ’til it’s up.

Is there a “skip” option?: No, you can only cancel.

On The Wild Side – Rawr! It’s time to get your look from regular to roaring!

June 2013 Ipsy GlamBag

I. LOVE. THIS. BAG!! I LOVE animal print, so I was super excited when I saw it before the final sneak peek was posted on their Facebook page on Sam Schuerman’s vlog on Youtube. Don’t think she intended on having the bag in the vlog, just coincidence that her daughter was playing with it. In either case when it was confirmed on Facebook with the release of the final sneak peek, I was SUPER, SUPER excited!! 😀

The bag has to have some value on it, but not sure of an exact amount. I’d say $2-3 at most, so I’ll split the difference and value the bag at $2.50.  Here’s what I got in this month’s Glam Bag:

Mosaic Blush in Silk by NYX Cosmetics

Adding a healthy glow to cheeks is effortless with the variety of blush styles and shades available from NYX Cosmetics!

The NYX Mosaic Blush contains five matte and shimmery shades in one compact blend to create a flush of color and dazzling glow! 

Sample received: $7.00

Full price: $7.00 [LINK]

Comments: Originally, when I saw the sneak peek, I didn’t want the mosaic one since it look like a bronzer. However, I got lucky and ended up with one of the pink ones, which looks really pretty. I have nothing like it in my collection.

Rating: 4/5

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Lip Pencil in Bare by Starlooks

Starlooks’ long-lasting, full-coverage Lip Pencil enhances the shape of your lips and gives them perfect definition. This creamy, moisturizing formula glides on softly to smooth lips and ensure lipstick stays in place, while extending its wear. Can also be used as an all-over, highly-pigmented lip color. Comes in several shades and various finishes to pair with any Starlooks Lipstick, Lip Gloss, or Tendergloss! 

Starlooks Makeup Line is entirely Lead Free, and Cruelty Free.

Sample received: $12.00

Full price: $12.00 [LINK]

Comments: I wasn’t too thrilled about getting a lip liner since because I don’t wanna worry about matching liners to the lipstick or lip gloss I’m wearing and instantly thought of trading it.  I use a clear lip liner by Make Up For Ever, which works great for that purpose, so I don’t go out to buy colored lip liners as a result. Also, from the swatches I’ve seen, it’s more of a mauve brown than what I’d expect from a color called “Bare.” I plan on trading this, so I’m giving it my neutral score of “3” as a result.

Rating: 3/5

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Sparking Cream Palette by J.Cat Beauty

Everyone loves a little sparkle! Add a healthy dosage of sparkle in your life with the cream palette that comes in a variety of complementing colors. The creamy texture allows the sparkle to be applied easily with an applicator onto your face.

Sample received: $4.49

Full price: $4.49 [LINK]

Comments: I actually don’t like glittery makeup all that much, so I didn’t think it’d work for me since I never do any dramatic eye looks (like for photoshoots or for costumes). I hoped that I could use it as a glitter eyeliner, which is what I use my Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Zodiac (yes, I did end up trading Moonspoon for it) for and it’s really pretty. 🙂  However, when I saw it in person, the glitter looked rather chunky, unlike the finer glitter in the Urban Decay eyeshadow I got last month.

I was worried that this product would be like the NYX Glitter Cream Palettes I found, which the reviews were pretty bad overall. The glitter’s one thing, but that product was essentially Vaseline mixed with glitter. O.o; Unfortunately, thanks to swatches I found, that confirmed my fears of this product.

It’s EXACTLY like the NYX Glitter Cream Palette, which sucks since the glitter looked pretty in the pan, minus the fact it’s on the chunkier side and not finely milled, so it’s a bit of a hazard to put near the eyes. Turns out it’s not even supposed to be for eyes, but rather for body art/glitter, which is really deceiving since it’s packaged like an eyeshadow palette and also includes sponge applicators.

I have no use for it and personally think it’s the absolute WORST product I’ve gotten from ipsy, and I HATED the LA Fresh makeup remover wipes too (least I can use them to clean off swatches). I’m not sure who thought it was a good idea to include it in this bag, especially since it doesn’t seem like anyone thought it through. Definitely GlitterGate 2013 has happened this month. 😛 I’m gonna attempt to trade this, but if no one wants it, I think I’m going to scrape out the glitter and make a DIY palette.

Rating: 1/5

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Like in May’s bag, there are multiple items in a sneak peek. This time, there are 5 items and everyone would get 2 out of the 5.

★ Cailyn Cosmetics Black & Purple Gel Eyeliners (top and right)
★ J.Cat Beauty False Eyelashes with Glue (bottom left)
★ Pssst! The TRUE Original Dry Shampoo (top left)
★ Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil (middle)
★ False Eyelashes with Glue by J.Cat Beauty (bottom left)

Below are the two items that I got in my main bag.

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Eyelashes in EL46 & Eyelash Glue by J.Cat Beauty

Chella’s Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil is a fresh and pretty neutral pencil that will brighten and visibly lift your eyes when lightly applied on the brow bone, dark circles, blemishes and red spots. Draw a line under the brow with this creamy pencil and then pat gently into place using your ring finger. May be used above the brow for additional highlighting, as well as anywhere you would use a concealer.

Sample received: $18.00

Full price: $18.00 [LINK]

Comments: This isn’t one of those shimmery highlighters, but rather a matte one. At least for me, it nearly matches my skin tone, so it doesn’t really highlight all that much. It’s creamy though, so I can definitely use it for an eyeshadow base or even concealer. I forgot who suggested it on the MUT forums, but someone mentioned that they used it to line their waterline. While I already have a nude eyeliner for the waterline, it’s a good idea to make even better use of this item.

Rating: 4/5

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Eyelashes in EL46 & Eyelash Glue by J.Cat Beauty

Create some drama with these voluminous faux eyelashes! Available in 30 different styles that you won’t be able to resist. Each includes an individual eyelash adhesive to last you all day long!

Sample received: $3.99

Full price: $3.99 [LINK]

Comments: I’ve never worn fake eyelashes before, so I have no idea how to wear them. Luckily, they’re not one of the crazier styles so I will definitely try these out at some point. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy lashes, mainly since it’s not something I honestly NEED in my makeup collection.

Rating: 3.5/5

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This month, I got a referral bonus, which was between an Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow and BaubleBar O-Ring Stud Wrap. I ended up getting the BaubleBar O-Ring Stud Wrap, which, at first, I honestly wasn’t thrilled about since it looked tacky and cheap to me.  I was really hoping to get another Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow, but oh well.

There were two color schemes:
– Coral/Gold (which can be seen above)
– White/Gold

But, I’ve noticed that it seems like everyone (thus far anyway) this month has gotten the bracelet for their referrals, whereas last month it seemed like everyone got the eyeshadow. When I got the bracelet in person, I’ll admit that it looks a LOT better than the pictures I’ve seen. However, when I tried it, it’s just not my style or color. I got the coral/orange and gold one, and I’m more of a silver gal. I’m trading this as well, but at least it’ll get a nice home since I’d never use it.

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Results:

• Box Score: 3.1/5 (does not include bracelet and since at least 1 item wasn’t tested because it’s going to the trade list, my score’s not entirely accurate)
• Total Value: $47.98 (not including bracelet) || $65.98 (with bracelet)

Final Thoughts: After last month’s bag, I felt like this month was a let down. I wasn’t as excited with most of the items as I was last month. Even though I’m gonna trade the stuff I don’t want, there’s nothing else I want to trade for… least from this bag anyway. I wanted to try the dry shampoo and eyeliner, which I got in my 2nd bag.

I wonder how they factor in the “style quiz,” since one of the things I put down that I liked was eyeliner, and I didn’t get it in this bag. Not sure how I ended up with lashes either, but now that I have them, I’ll give them a chance.

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Since I got a second bag, here’s a pic of what I got and brief comments about what I thought of each item. I don’t plan on keeping this one long term, but I was really interested in a bunch of the items, so I was hoping for a variety. In fact, this is my last month for the 2nd bag for a while.

June 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag – Secondary account

Name of Product:	Sample Received:	Full Price:	Comments:
Rouge Cream Blush in Boho Chic by NYX Cosmetics	$6.00	$6.00 [LINK]	While I do like the color of this blush, it looks similar to other blushes I own. On top of that, because I don’t wear makeup on an everyday basis, I thought it’d be better to have powder products since they have a longer shelf life.
Lip Liner in Tipsy by Starlooks	$12.00	$12.00  [LINK]	Oddly enough, I actually would have kept this, despite the fact it’s SOOOO bright, but realistically, I wouldn’t use it enough to justify keeping it.
Sparking Cream Palette in Suzie by J.Cat Beauty	$4.49	$4.49 [LINK]	Of the two palettes offered this month, this one is the lesser of two evils. I still have completely no use for it, so I’m hoping to trade it. If I can’t get anyone to trade with, I’ll just scoop out the product and make a DIY palette out of it.
Line-Fix Gel Eyeliner with Brush Built-In in Iron by Cailyn Cosmetics	$21.00	$21.00 [LINK]	I was really hoping for the purple one, but luckily jac a from MUT wanted to trade for it. Besides that, the color itself doesn’t look bad and I would have kept it… that is if the swatches I saw didn’t look similar to my Urban Decay 24/7 eye liner in Uzi.
Psssst! The TRUE Original Dry Shampoo by Freeman Beauty	$2.99 [LINK]	$6.99 [LINK]	So THAT’S what the infamous white blob was! XD Definitely not as interesting as some of the things the ladies over at MUT came up with. Anywho, I’ve never tried a dried shampoo before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was rather surprised by how well it worked and I didn’t have any residue in my black hair. Only thing I don’t like about it is the amount of fragrance in it.

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Finally, with each bag, there are coupon codes, which I’ve listed below:

NYX Cosmetics (Blush)

• IPSY15 – Recieve 15% off entire site. Promo is valid for a total of 2000 uses. Redeemable only on http://www.nyxcosmetics.com. Discounts/offers cannot be combined with any other offers.
• IPSYCHEEKS – 40% off Tango with Bronzing Powder. Offer valid thru 7/10/13. Redeemable only on http://www.nyxcosmetics.com. Discounts/offers cannot be combined with any other offers.

Starlooks (Lip Liner)

• IPSY – Recieve 35% off any order. Offer valid thru 7/15/13. Valid for unlimited purchases. Valid Worldwide.

J.Cat Beauty (Sparkling Cream Palette)

• LOVEIPSY – 25% off your purchase. Offer valid till 7/15/13. Coupon code cannot be combined with other promotions. To attain discount properly, enter the code in all caps during checkout. U.S. Only.

Chella (Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil)

• GLAMBAG – Receive 20% off any order. Offer valid thru 6/30/13. One time use only. Offer available to US and Canada. Canada does not qualify for free shipping on orders over $50 and must check a box releasing Chella of any responsibility for customs and taxes on the Canadian side.

Cailyn Cosmetics (Line-Fix Gel Eyeliner with Brush Built-In)

• ipsy30 – Receive 30% off any order. Offer valid thru 7/10/13. Cannot be combined with any other offers.

Freeman Beauty (Psssst!® The TRUE Original Dry Shampoo)

• IPSY33 – Recieve the Super Hero Hair Duo set with bonus for $13.98. Bonus set includes: 1 full-size Psssst! Instant Dry Shampoo, 1 new Psssst! Volumizing Boost and 1 FREE Psssst! Clarify & Shine Scalp Treatment ($6.99 value!). Available to U.S. residents only. Offer valid through 8/31/13. All Super Hero Hair Duos ship free with offer. Only authorized orders will be processed and shipped. Offers cannot be combined, only one offer allowed per order. We reserve the right to cancel any order due to unauthorized, altered or ineligible use of offer and to modify or cancel any promotion due to system error or unforeseen problems. Code valid only at freemanbeauty.com.

Are you subscribed to ipsy? What are your thoughts on this month’s Glam Bag? If you’re interested in subscribing and would like to use my referral link, click hereto subscribe.

NOTD: Triangles & Studs

Image: Indoors, indirect sunlight, no flash

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a “Nail of the Day” (NOTD for short). I haven’t wanted to do nail art for months now, mainly since I didn’t have the patience to spend a lot of time on my nails. As such, I wanted to do something different and use some of my polishes that haven’t gotten much love.

I had this mani done before I went to Cape Cod for Memorial Day weekend with my boyfriend and a few friends. It’s a lil belated since I’m no longer sporting this mani as of this post. Back to naked nails for the time being until I paint them again. 😛

I had also submitted this mani as a look for ipsy’s “Pastel Perfect with Zoya” contest, which I used a pic where I was holding the Zoya polish I got in May’s GlamBag. Sadly, I wasn’t one of the winners, but I had fun creating this mani. Below are the polishes that I used for this mani.

Left to right: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat, Zoya Gei Gei, essie Good as Gold, Zoya Zuza, and essie Rock Solid
Not pictured: So Easy Stripe Rite in Black

On the bottom, was Zoya Zuza. Initially, I planned on just painting my nails with just that. After painting two coats of it, I thought that I could spice it up by adding another color, which I thought of using Zoya Gei Gei since I had just gotten it in my May ipsy GlamBag as it’d be a perfect time to test it out.

I actually ended up getting two bottles of Gei Gei between my two May ipsy GlamBags, which I wasn’t too happy about. However, despite my disliking of pink, I have nothing like it in my collection, and I thought it’d be good for nail art. Using some painter’s tape, I taped a triangle onto my nails and painted Gei Gei on top.

As a result, since Gei Gei is so much lighter than Zuza, it took 3 coats for it to be completely covered. If I had gone the other way, I probably would have ended up with much crisper lines. I’ll admit that I got lazy when I did my right hand and just freehanded the tips. Though, not gonna lie, it was so much faster and it actually came out better. Go figure.

Image: Indoors, incandescent light, no flash

Because I didn’t have crisp lines, that’s where the the black striping polish came in to fill in those rough edges. Though, even if I did have crisp lines, I didn’t like how Zuza and Gei Gei looked together. I felt like something was missing and the mani would be incomplete without it.

The black definitely helped to make it look better, but it still felt incomplete to me, so that’s where the “studs” come in. For that I used essie Good as Gold with a dotting tool to put two dots on each nail. Once I did that, the mani was finally complete and I was satisfied with the result.

I’ve gotten a bunch of compliments on these nails, which makes me happy since it took me a while for me to get this mani to the point where I actually love it. If I were to do this mani again, I would use Gei Gei on the bottom since it took more than 3 coats to get it opaque when I put in on top of Zuza.

It was a spur of the moment, kind of mani, so I pretty much just went with the flow essentially. As a result, common sense in this case, went out the window. XD It’s always easier to go from light to dark, than from dark to light. I’m very happy how this came out and more will come in the future. 🙂 And I’ll end this post with a final picture of this mani.

Tried to go a more “artsy-ish” route… Not sure how it turned out though. 😛 It looks fine, but yeah…

Ipsy May 2013 Glam Bag Review

Whoo! Finally back on track with my subscription box reviews! 🙂 Now that everything’s back to normal, like I said in my Goodies Co. February 2013 box, as I’m only subscribed to ipsy, these kinds of reviews will only be once a month. Now, onto the review! 😀

I ended up breaking down and getting a second bag since I loved the sneak peeks so much. With that said, I don’t plan on keeping it and only using that account if I like the sneak peeks enough to get second one. I don’t plan on doing a whole separate review on it, but I’ll have a list and brief comments about what I got in that bag.

Here’s a brief overview of the company.

About Ipsy (formally MyGlam): Each bag feature 4-5 beauty items. All of the items are either deluxe samples or full size.

• There are never any of those foil packets, which is nice because I’d like to have more than 1 use of a product before I decide if I like it or not.

Cost: $10 w/free shipping (USA) | $10 + $4.95 shipping (Canada)

• It’s $110 to subscribe yearly (USA | + $54.45 shipping for Canadian subscribers), which makes each individual bag a little cheaper than with the monthly. If you choose to pay monthly or yearly, you can’t change to the other. You have to cancel your current subscription before you can switch, which if you have they yearly one, I don’t think you can cancel ’til it’s up.

Is there a “skip” option?: No, you can only cancel.

Spring Fling – Get ready for your most memorable fling this spring with this month’s Glam Bag.

Ipsy May 2013 Glam Bag
Theme: Spring Fling

I was very excited for this bag when I saw the sneak peeks, so much so I ended up getting a second bag to get more variety of items. Even though I love the bag’s design, I was expecting a floral bag because all of the flowers they were posting along with the sneak peeks.

Oh well, it’s still a fun pattern, great for the summer time. The material seems similar to March’s bag, but is sturdier.  It’s interior is a bright teal, which is a change from the patterned interiors in the last two bag. The bag has to have some value on it, but not sure of an exact amount. I’d say $2-3 at most, so I’ll split the difference and value the bag at $2.50.

Here’s what I got in this month’s Glam Bag:

Nail Polish in GeiGei by Zoya
Image taken with diffused flash to get a more accurate representation of what it looks like in real life.

Zoya Nail Polish and Treatments puts beauty, fashion and style into every bottle with innovative custom color creations and fashion trend adaptation resulting in a truly luxury cosmetic experience. Created with the finest quality pigments and finishes, each bottle of Zoya is as special and unique as the woman who created it and whose name graces every bottle – Zoya herself! The award-winning, ultra long-wearing Zoya formula is also vegan friendly and Big5Free*. 
*Formulation contains no formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, dibutyl phthalate or camphor.

Sample received: $8 [LINK]	Full price: $8 [LINK]
	$48 for the whole collection [LINK]

Comments: Whoo! Zoya! 🙂 First nail polish brand that ipsy’s featured that I actually have heard of and own some other polishes from them. All of the colors were from their Spring 2013: Lovely collection, which is pictured below.

Back row (left to right): Julie, Neely, Jacqueline, GeiGei, Piaf
Front row: Blu

There are 6 colors in the collection and everyone got one of the six. Three of them are metallics, while the other three are creams. Other than Blu, all of the other colors were originally custom colors for fashion designers Zang Zoi and Peter Som for the NY Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2013 show.

I got GeiGei, which is a light pink metallic. Below is the description for the color from Zoya’s site:

A full-coverage, blushing cherry blossom pink metallic. A shimmery light shade for an always-appropriate natural pink nail look. Originally created as a custom runway shade for fashion designer Zang Toi. Has a metallic finish.

I wasn’t too happy that I got this since besides the fact I don’t really like pink, it’s a pastel pink. It looks like a nice color for the spring and I don’t have anything like it in my collection. I ended up getting two of these, so I traded one. I got Julie in a trade on MUT (thanks tinapickles!!). I ended up keeping the 2nd one since I didn’t like any of the other colors in the Lovely collection worth trading for at the moment.

I’ll do a full review on this in the next few weeks, but here are my first impressions. Like all my Zoya polishes I’ve tried thus far, the formula’s great and had no issues with pigmentation. Though I don’t like pink, I have nothing like it in my collection, so it’d be a great color for nail art.

Rating: 4/5

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Reflecting Lip Gloss in Champagne by Juice Beauty

This exclusive, pre-launch of the Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss will give your lips brilliant shine while keeping them healthy and nourished. A combination of antioxidant-rich acai and goji berries, natural minerals and sweet agave nectar that will give your lips radiant color! Made with certified organic ingredients.

Sample received: $7.50 for 0.14 oz tube

Full price: $15 for 0.28oz tube [LINK]

Comments: It’s been a while since a lip product has been featured in the bag, not since December’s bag. There were two possible choices – a lip stick or a lip gloss. Personally, I wanted the lipstick since I haven’t gotten one from ipsy and I wanted to branch my color selection since my lipstick collection is tiny! 😛

So, go figure that I get lip gloss instead of a lipstick. For the lip gloss, people would have gotten one of the three shades – Champagne, Pink, and Fig. And of those three, I get the most boring shade — Champagne. I hope I can trade this for either one of the other shades or something else. From what I’ve found about this shade, it’s apparently shows up clear on the skin with some shimmer, which is good since when you look at the bottle, it’s orange.

However, what’s the point of it being clear, when I can get that with any lip balm, minus the shimmer and gloss? It’s not the worse thing I could have gotten, but I like my lip gloss to have some color to it. I got lucky enough that someone wanted to trade for this, so I’m happy I can get rid of this and get the Mirabella Color Sheer Lipstick in Posy. As such, I won’t be testing it and thus is getting a “3” as a result.

Note: I ended up getting the lip gloss in Pink though a trade on MUT (thanks JamieO!!). I can say that it smells like oranges or a creamcicle  and unlike every other lip gloss I’ve tried thus far, it’s not sticky. Apparently, from other reviews on Champagne and Fig I’ve read about, they said the same thing regard scent and stickiness.

I love the lip gloss and I would definitely consider buying more in the future. The fact that it’s organic is a bonus. 🙂 The color is sheer, which is great for layering with lipsticks. The only thing I don’t like about it, is that it doesn’t seem to have longevity on the lips. Then again, most lip glosses don’t. While I don’t plan on updating the score for Champagne (as I never tested mine before trading it), I’ll give Pink a solid 4/5.

Rating: 3/5

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Concealer in Vanilla by yaby

yaby concealers have a creamy texture and are extremely easy to apply. They are highly pigmented to correct any imperfection on the face and body, are creamy and gentle for around the eyes and are tear proof! Vegan friendly and contains no animal byproducts. 
The heavy duty metal reusable pans are designed to be sturdy and not easily warped – sanitize empty pans with alcohol and keep some for other special beauty mixing needs!

Sample received: $4.85

Full price: $4.85 for a 3.5oz pan [LINK]

Comments: This concealer came in 4 different shades and everyone got one of the four shades. Like the yaby eyeshadows from March’s bag, these are also magnetic and can fit into the GlamRX Palette or into any other magnetic palette. I wasn’t too happy with the shadows in the March bag, so I wasn’t sure what to think  about these, especially since I wondered how they’d match everyone.

I somehow got the lightest shade, Vanilla, when I had “Medium” as my skin tone. I wished I had gotten the next shade, Buff, but I think I can make it work as an eyeshadow base. Since so many people have gotten mismatched, I may get that shade in my second bag. If I get Vanilla again, I’ll see if I can trade it. (Ended up getting Buff in my 2nd bag) Its saving grace from me giving it a lower score is that it’s actually a decent product. It’s creamy and gives good coverage.

Rating: 4/5

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For the next two items, there were eight different items available, and the two items that each subscriber would get would be based on their style quiz. This was the first month that Ipsy has had so many item variations in a single bag, not just different colors. Below is a picture of the 4th sneak peek Ipsy posted on their Facebook page and on their site:

From left to right:
★ Pacifica Island Vanilla Perfume Roll-on
★ NuMe Finishing Serum
★ St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Tanning Lotion
★ Pacifica Coconut Crushed Pearl Luminizing Body Butter
★ Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia Perfume Roll-on
★ Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment
★ Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Eyebrow Gel
★ Pacifica Coconut Crushed Pearl Bronzing Body Butter

Besides the items below, there were also some other items that were given out, there were several other possible items given out that weren’t in the sneak peeks: lip liner, lip gloss, or perfecting powder – all of which were by Mirabella.

Below are the two that I got in my bag. 🙂

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Roll-On Perfume in Tahitian Gardenia by Pacifica

Summer and Shimmer Are Truly Endless With Beautiful Body Products from Pacifica. 

Tahitian Gardenia: This heady, vintage-inspired blend showcases the sacred Gardenia bloom, a symbol of love, unity, grace and strength. It’s sweet, smooth and slightly citrusy aroma is reminiscent of Jasmine, Sweet Orange and Tea Leaves.

Sample received: $12

Full price: $12 for 0.33 fl oz bottle [LINK]

Comments: If people got the roll-on perfume, they could have gotten one of two scents — Island Vanilla or Tahitian Gardenia, which is the one I got. While I do like floral scents, I’m on the fence for this one. It’s definitely a sweet floral, though I don’t really seem to smell the Gardenia as much as the latter three scents. I don’t hate it or love it. I ended up getting a second one, which I ended up trading for the Island Vanilla (thanks tinapickles!!) one since I didn’t like scent of this one enough to keep an additional one.

Rating: 3.5/5

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Healing Oil Treatment by Macadamia Oil

Macadamia Hair’s light weight Healing Oil Treatment instantly absorbs into the hair to provides intense nourishment. It contains Omega 7 fatty acids, which is an essential component of skin and hair health. The Healing Oil penetrates the hair and scalp to improve strength, eliminates frizz, reduces blow drying time, and extends the life of color treatments. Instant absorption, light-weight and has a non-greasy feel. Natural UV protection. 

Apply to clean, damp hair or dry hair. Let air dry or blow-dry. Add 1 pump of Healing Oil Treatment to 1.5 oz of any permanent color line to enhance vibrancy,dimension and lock in color. Avoid applying to root area for extra volume.

Sample received: $13.50 for 1 fl oz bottle [LINK]	Full price: $39.95 for 4.2 fl oz bottle [LINK]
	$6.50 for 0.35 fl oz bottle [LINK]
	$75.00 for 10 fl oz bottle [LINK]

Comments: I was surprised that I got this since I didn’t have hair products as something I loved to use/try. If I didn’t get a hair treatment last month, I probably would test this one thoroughly, as this seems more useful to me than the NuMe Finishing Serum.

However, since I did and I wanna phase out my hair products that have sulfates and silicones so I can use more natural hair products, this one’s going on the trading block. It’s a shame though since I’ve heard great things about this brand. I may try out their hair treatment mask, but I’ll have to do more research. It’s the only reason it’s getting a “3,” otherwise, I’m pretty sure I’d give it a higher score.

Rating: 3/5

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Moondust Eyeshadow in Moonspoon by Urban Decay
Left: with flash || Right: without flash

This month, ipsy had bonus items which some subscribers got one of those items. The last time they did that was in December 2012, with a sample of the Urban Decay BB Cream. As they now have a referral link system, if two people signed up using your code, you could have gotten a full size Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow or Baublebar O-Ring Stud Wrap while supplies last.

If they signed up by May 1st, you’d get the item in this bag, otherwise, you wouldn’t get it ’til June. There were two other ways people could have gotten the eyeshadow was by being 1 of the 200 winners of the giveaway ipsy had on their Facebook page or by being an active member.

I didn’t get the bonus last time, but I got lucky this time and I was able to get the UD eyeshadow for being a “great content creator and active member of the ipsy community”. I was super excited and surprised when I found out since I honestly didn’t think I’d get one. For the eyeshadows, people could have gotten 1 of the 7 shadows from the line, which can be shown below.

Top Row: Moonspoon, Diamond Dog, Interglactic, Space Cowbody
Bottom Row: Glitter Rock, Zodiac, Stargazer

I got the shade Moonspoon, which Urban Decay describes as a “medium gray w/bright silver sparkle.” While it’s a pretty color, I decided to trade it for Zodiac (thanks Julie!!), as it was the color I wanted the most of the whole line.  The other color I wanted if I couldn’t get Zodiac was Intergalactic.

I did get a chance to go to Sephora and swatch the whole collection. I found the whole collection to be very glittery, this one to be no exception. With this one in particular, didn’t seem to be as bold as it was in the pan. To get the best color payoff, apply it wet, which applies to the whole collection. I also found that as I was removing the shadows from my arm, it left a glittery residue behind, which like the MicaBeauty loose eyeshadow I got last month, reminded me of the sparkly vampires in Twilight.

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Results:

• Box Score: 3.5/5 (scoring this time around is a little skewed since more than 1 items I didn’t test since I was planning to trade them and as such, I wanted to keep the items unopened; also does not include the UD eyeshadow since it was a bonus item that only some subscribers got)
• Total Value: $48.35 (not including UD eyeshadow) || $68.35 (w/UD eyeshadow)

Final Thoughts: Even though I didn’t love my whole bag, it was still decent. I also have a note of why my score this time isn’t truly accurate. The lip gloss was the only item I REALLY HATED getting, mainly because of the color. Everything else was alright, but decided to trade some things this time since there were some other things that I didn’t get, that I wanted to try. There were so many different items given out this month, which in turn had numerous combinations.

I’m curious if in future months if they’ll continue with having more varying items. This was also the first month where they used the updated style quiz, so that’ll be interesting in how that comes to play in the future. I personally am all for the variations, especially if they actually pay attention to our style quiz results. This time around was disappointing, but hopefully, the matches will be better next month.

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Since I got a second bag, here’s a pic of what I got and brief comments about what I thought of each item. I don’t plan on keeping this one long term, but I was really interested in a bunch of the items, so I was hoping for a variety.

May 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag – Secondary account
From left to right: See table below

Name of Product:	Sample Received:	Full Price:	Comments:
Zoya Nail Polish in Gei Gei	$8.00	$8.00 [LINK]	Gah! Got a second one! Even though I don’t like pink, I’m think I’ll keep keep this since I have nothing like it in my collection and none of the other colors, besides Julie since I traded for it, in the Lovely collection were interesting enough for me to trade for.
Yaby Concealer in Buff	$4.85	$4.85 [LINK]	Since so many people have gotten mismatched with the concealers, a shame since it’s actually decent, I was hoping that I’d get a darker concealer with “Fair” skintone. And, go figure, I was right and I’m happy to have my actual color now, even though I was expecting it to be the other way around — Getting Buff originally and Vanilla in this bag.
Mirabella Colour Sheer Lipstick in Daydream	$22.00	$22.00 [LINK]	I honestly wanted to trade this when I first saw it because I don’t go for really light lipstick. But, after seeing swatches, I plan on keeping it. It’s like “your nude lips, but better,” kind of thing, with a hint of pink, and I’m loving it! 😀 Needed a lip stick like that. Apparently 6 shades were shipped out —  Posy (sheer bright berry), Daydream (sheer soft rosy pink), Pixie (sheer coral), Charmed (sheer pink), Bellarina (sheer pale pink), Bloom (sheer light pink)
Pacifica Roll-On Perfume in Tahitian Gardenia	$12.00	$12.00  [LINK]	I was on the fence about this scent in my first bag, so getting it again was a little disappointing. I don’t like it enough to keep a second one, so I’m trading it for the Island Vanilla one.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel	$6.68	$22.00 [LINK]	Even though I’ve heard great things about their brow products (I wanna try the brow powder duo at some point), I don’t use brow gel, so wasn’t too happy to get this. Will be going on the trading block. If I don’t get a trade for it, I try to find a use for it. Any suggestions?

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Finally, with each bag, there are coupon codes, which I’ve listed below:

Zoya (Nail Polishes from the Spring 2013 Lovely collection)

• IPSYZ – Buy 2 polishes & get one free, free 1oz Remove+, and $5 shipping. Available online at http://www.zoya.com only. Continental USA only. Offer valid thru 5/31/13. Offer applies to all Zoya Nail Polish Color, including PixieDust. Not valid in conjunction with other coupons, codes or promotions. Returns or exchanges of promotional items not permitted. Art of Beauty is not responsible for incorrect addresses, credit card entry errors or errors associated with declined credit cards . No code necessary, discount applied at checkout. In the event of larger than expected volume of orders, please allow up to 4 weeks for shipping.

Mirabella (Color Sheer Lipstick, Glimmer Gloss, Lip Liner, or Powder)

• IPSY50 – 50% off Color Sheer Lipsticks
• IPSY30 – 30% off all other products
  • For both codes: Offer valid thru 5/31/13. Unlimited uses. US only. Only ONE code can be used per purchase. Coupons cannot be combined.
• Glimmer Gloss currently on sale for $16, regular price: $24

Juice Beauty (Reflecting Lipgloss)

• IPSY20 – 20% off your purchase of $30 or more. Offer valid thru 6/15/13. Valid in US and Canada. Enjoy free standard shipping on US orders of $50 or more. Cannot be combined with other offers or applied to past orders.

Pacifica (Roll On Perfume in Island Vanilla or Tahitian Gardenia Perfume, Coconut Crushed Bronzing Body Butter or Coconut Pearl Luminizing Body Butter)

• Beauty20 – 20% off your purchase. Offer valid thru 5/31/13. US Only. One time use, not valid towards shipping. US and Canada only.

Anastasia Beverly Hills (Clear Eyebrow Gel)

• No discount code available.

Macadamia Natural Oil (Healing Oil Treatment)

• IPSY30 – 30% off a 4.2 oz bottle of Healing Oil Treatment. Offer valid thru 7/31/13. US only.

Yaby (Concealer)

• ipsyluvsyabycc20 – Offer valid thru 6/10/13. One time use. Valid only on yaby products. Free shipping on orders over $60. Please visit site for shipping details.
  • Code’s valid on Camera Ready

St. Tropez (One Night Instant – One Night Only Instant Glow)

• Ipsy20 – 20% off your purchase. Offer valid thru 6/30. Valid only in the US. Offer is valid one time per customer.

NuMe (Healing Serum)

• ipsy60 – 60% off any single product. Offer valid thru 10/31/13. Limit one per person, one time use only, one per transaction. Cannot be combined with any other offer, deal, or promotion. Can be applied towards products with special sale prices. Cannot be used towards shipping and taxes, shipping and taxes (for CA and Canadian orders) are not included. Coupon is case sensitive.

Are you subscribed to ipsy? What are your thoughts on this month’s Glam Bag? If you’re interested in subscribing and would like to use my referral link, click here to subscribe.

Ipsy April 2013 Glam Bag Review

Here’s my slightly belated review of my April 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag. Least it’s not a month or more late, like some of my other reviews… 😛 I got my tracking number for my May Ipsy bag a lil earlier today, so that review should be in the next week or so. Anywho, onto the review.

Here’s a brief overview of the company.

About Ipsy (formally MyGlam): Each bag feature 4-5 beauty items. All of the items are either deluxe samples or full size.

• There are never any of those foil packets, which is nice because I’d like to have more than 1 use of a product before I decide if I like it or not.

Cost: $10 w/free shipping (USA) | $10 + $4.95 shipping (Canada)

• It’s $110 to subscribe yearly (USA | + $54.45 shipping for Canadian subscribers), which makes each individual bag a little cheaper than with the monthly. If you choose to pay monthly or yearly, you can’t change to the other. You have to cancel your current subscription before you can switch, which if you have they yearly one, I don’t think you can cancel ’til it’s up.

Is there a “skip” option?: No, you can only cancel.

Pretty In Pink – This April, pinks have never looked so pretty! We have a bouquet of amazing beauty products waiting just for you. Create a Look and blend them with your favorite pastels and bright hues for an original and exquisite start to your very own version of spring beauty! 

Ipsy April 2013 Glam Bag
Theme: Pretty In Pink

Quite honestly, when I heard that the theme was pink based, I got quite worried since I was worried they’d send a bunch of pink products I’d never use, besides blush, since I don’t like pink much. To my surprise, it wasn’t as overly pink as I had speculated, with the exception of one item.

I was also surprised that the bag was surprising not all that pink, least on the outside. I figured that the bag would have some kind of pink pattern or something, not just a pink trim, so the white threw me off. The inside was a pink and white stripe pattern, so thought that should have been on the outside.

inside pic here

The bag has to have some value on it, but not sure of an exact amount. I’d say $2-3 at most, so I’ll split the difference and value the bag at $2.50.  Here’s what I got in this month’s Glam Bag:

Mineral Eyeshadow in Earth by MicaBeauty

MicaBeauty Mineral Eyeshadows are extremely gentle, free of preservatives, chemicals, dyes, talc, oils, and other fillers. With this unique formula, the eyeshadows will look ultra smooth and stay put for hours without creasing or pulling the delicate eye area. Can be mixed with clear lip-gloss, clear mascara, and clear nail polish to add pigment to lips, eyelashes and nails! 

Glam Bag subscribers who receive this product will receive Earth, a light shimmery pink.

Sample received: $11.96 for 2.0g

Full price: $14.95 for 2.5g [LINK]

Comments: This was an “OR” product. Subscribers could have gotten either a Duo Eyeshadow by Two Cosmetics or Mineral Eyeshadow by MicaBeauty, which is what I got. I’ve never used loose eyeshadows since they tend to be very messy, in comparison to pressed shadows. Even the NYX one I got in my December 2012 bag has still been unopened since I eventually want to press it. Anywho, unlike the NYX one, the packaging is better and thanks to the  holes in the clear plastic, you can limit (to a degree) how much product comes out.

I got the shade in Earth, which a light shimmery pink. In the sneak peek, it looked more champagney, and thought it could be a highlight, but instead is actually an eye shadow. Because of color, a light wash barely shows up on my skin. Below is a picture of it blended into my skin.

I’m a sparkly vampire! XD

As you can see, the color pretty much vanishes, but leaves the glitter behind. It’s very apparent on my skin and quite honestly, I’m thinking of the sparkly vampires from Twilight (*shudder*). As such, I could possibly get away with using it as a highlight, but it’s a little to sparkly for my liking for that.

If I want it to be more visible on my skin, I have to pack in the shadow more, like in the image below.

All that shimmer!

Overall, it’s a nice color that’s great for neutral looks. I just wished that it had slightly better pigmentation and wasn’t as glittery  I do like how versatile it is since it can be use in more ways than just eye shadow.

Rating: 4/5

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Soy Renewal by Sexy Hair

Sexy Hair Soy Renewal is the nourishing styling treatment with multiple benefits! Speeds up blow drying time, nourishes and protects hair, and enhances shine. Made with Moroccan Argan Oil, Soy Renewal addresses moisture, frizz, smoothness, elasticity and shine concerns, while protecting against heat and environmental stresses.

Sample received: $4.44 for 0.85fl oz bottle

Full price: $21.95 for a 4.2fl oz bottle [LINK]

Comments: This was another “OR” product. Subscribers could have gotten either the Powder Play or Soy Renewal by Sexy Hair. I got the Soy Renewal, which was funny since I actually wanted the Powder Play as I thought it was a dry shampoo. Turns out that product was a volumizing product, which I don’t need anymore volume in my hair, so I’m actually happy that I got the Soy Renewal, which is a hair treatment.

Out of all of the items in this bag, this was the only one that wasn’t related to the “Pretty in Pink” theme. This hair treatment has Argan Oil in it, which is nourishing for the hair, and I actually use Argan Oil in my daily skincare routine. The product can be used with both damp and dry hair. With damp hair, it’ll act like a leave-in conditioner and will help your hair dry faster when blow drying it. With dry hair, it’ll help…

You don’t need to use a lot of the product to make use of it. A little goes a long way. I use 6 drops max with my thick, straight, medium length Asian hair. If you have thinner hair, I would use less than I did. It has a light scent that isn’t overpowering at all and I found that it did help my hair dry faster when I blow dried it. It also made my hair feel quite soft and nourishing as well.

I loved this product, but the one thing I didn’t like about it, was the packaging. The bottle it came in was nearly impossible to squeeze, and almost resorted to unscrewing the cap off the bottle. Luckily, it didn’t come to that since after a lil bit of waiting, it came out of the bottle. I don’t know if the full size is like that, but I’m hoping it’s not. 😛

I don’t know if I’ll purchase the full size since I find Argan Oil on its own works just as well. I’ll keep in mind though. As Sexy Hair doesn’t sell their products on their website, the links for the sample and full price versions are through Ulta.

Rating: 4.5/5

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Sation Nail Lacquer in Love At First Byte by Miss Professional Nail

Sation Nail Lacquer is a contemporary beauty company, infusing a creative direction in nail care through a blend of lifestyle aesthetics. The collection features 120 colors from its seasonal & limited collections.

Glam Bag subscribers will receive Of Corset I’ll Call You, a romantic lavender-rose OR Love At First Byte, a light peachy pink.

Sample received: $5.00

Full price: $5.00 for a .5fl oz bottle [LINK]

Comments: Subscribers could have received one of two colors — Love At First Byte or Of Corset I’ll Call you. Both colors are from the Sation line and are part of the Miss Antoinette limited edition collection. I got Love At First Byte, which is a light peachy pink color and was the one I wanted since it seemed like the lesser of two evils as it wasn’t as pink. XP

I will do a longer review on this color in the future, but here are my first impressions of the polish. It’s a very sheer polish and lacks in the pigmentation department, just like the Nailini Frappe polish I got back in February, so it takes 3+ coats to become opaque. For someone who isn’t doesn’t like to spend a lot of time doing their nails, this polish isn’t for you.

I don’t mind spending some time doing my nails, but for just plain nails, I prefer 3 coats max for it to become opaque. Anymore, it’s a little outrageous.  The sheer color would work fine for a French manicure or for layering, but on it’s own, I’d recommend a light pink or white base coat first, than painting this on top if you want to make it work.

Rating: 3/5

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Blush in Beach Please by Be a Bombshell Cosmetics
Image taken indoors with diffused flash to get a more accurate representation of the color

A highly pigmented pressed powder blush that highlights the complexion and provides long lasting color. Can be used both as a blush or a bronzer. 

Glam Bag subscribers will receive Beach Please, a bright matte pink OR Sweet Cheeks, a medium rose pink with shimmer.

Sample received: $16.00 [LINK]

Full price: $16.00 [LINK]

Comments: There were two colors of this full-size blush that subscribers could get — Beach Please and Sweet Cheeks. I got Beach Please, which is a matte bright pink. I’ll admit that when I first saw this, I was terrified of how bright it looked in the pan. I’ve never used any blush that bright, so I was worried of how it would look on me.

Beach Please swatch with a single swipe across the pan
Look how pigmented it is! 🙂

When I swatched it, I found that it was both smooth and quite pigmented, so a little goes a long way on your cheeks. Best way to apply this is the tap your brush lightly on the blush (literally, I only tapped it once and I had a lot of color on it), tap off then excess, then apply. A light hand is best when using this product since it’s easy to over do it and end up looking clown-like.

I enjoyed this product and I’m happy I gave it a chance, instead of trading it, since I heard that Sweet Cheeks wasn’t as good as this one, in terms of pigmentation and quality. The only thing I’m not too fond of was its packaging. It’s rather bulky, so I plan on depot it in the future.

Rating: 5/5

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Results:

• Box Score: 4.13/5
• Total Value: $37.40

Final Thoughts: I’m happy to say that this bag is a definite improvement from March’s bag, in both content and value. Considering the theme, it ended up working out well and I enjoyed everything I got. It made up for March’s disappointing bag.

Finally, with each bag, there are coupon codes, but since I posted this review a lil late, some of the codes have expired. 😦 I’ve listed the codes that haven’t expired below:

Sexy Hair (Soy Renewal)

• 108888 – Recieve $5 off your purchase of $25 or more of Sexy Hair products at Ulta.com or in store. Offer valid thru 5/10/13. Valid on Sexy Hair products purchased in all ULTA store locations and on ulta.com. This offer cannot be combined with any other ULTA coupon offer. Cannot be redeemed for cash or gift cards. Not valid on prior purchases. Limit one per customer. See in-store or online for any exclusions.

Miss Professional Nail (Nail Polish in Love At First Byte)

• IPSY30 – Save 20% with purchase. Offer valid thru 5/31. Valid only in the US. Promo code is case sensitive.

Two Cosmetics (Dual Eyeshadow in Heartache)

• IPSTER – Save 25% with purchase. All ipsy orders will recieve FREE lip gloss with order (no minimum, while supples last) Offer valid thru 5/20/13. One time use. Cannot be combined with any other offers. FREE shipping to Contiguous US. Bonus item will be automatically included in your order and will not show up in your shopping cart.

Are you subscribed to ipsy? What are your thoughts on this month’s Glam Bag? If you’re interested in subscribing and would like to use my referral link, click here to subscribe.

Ipsy March 2013 Glam Bag review

Hey all! Here’s my belated review of my March 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag. Will be posting my belated April review at some point tomorrow and I’ll finally be up to date with my sub reviews. 🙂

Here’s a brief overview of the company.

About Ipsy (formally MyGlam): Each bag feature 4-5 beauty items. All of the items are either deluxe samples or full size.

• There are never any of those foil packets, which is nice because I’d like to have more than 1 use of a product before I decide if I like it or not.

Cost: $10 w/free shipping (USA) | $10 + $4.95 shipping (Canada)

• It’s $110 to subscribe yearly (USA | + $54.45 shipping for Canadian subscribers), which makes each individual bag a little cheaper than with the monthly. If you choose to pay monthly or yearly, you can’t change to the other. You have to cancel your current subscription before you can switch, which if you have they yearly one, I don’t think you can cancel ’til it’s up.

Is there a “skip” option?: No, you can only cancel.

The Great Escape– We hope that you were able to have a fun beauty break with our March “The Great Escape” Glam Bag. Whether you jet-setted or road tripped with your March products, show us the amazing Looks you created using your March goodies that were perfect for getting gorgeous on-the-go! 

Ipsy March 2013 Glam Bag
Theme: The Great Escape

I love the nautical pattern on this bag! It’s my favorite bag in this aspect. However, I didn’t like the material itself as much since it seemed a lil flimsy. Mine actually came with a snag mark going across the whole bag, which I was worried was going to affect its longevity.

It’s not shown in the pictures since I took the pics using the nice side. That, and the mark doesn’t show up that well unless I use the flash. I contacted ipsycare regarding that, as well sending them photos, and they quickly got back to me and got a new bag sent to me.

The bag has to have some value on it, but not sure of an exact amount. I’d say $2-3 at most, so I’ll split the difference and value the bag at $2.50.

 Here’s what I got in this month’s Glam Bag:

Mini Freestyle Palette by GlamRX

Mini Freestyle Palette open to see mirror and magnetic bottom

The GlamRX Mini Freestyle Palette was made exclusively for ipsy Glam Bag subscribers. The magnetic base is the perfect spot to store pan-only eyeshadows (2 of which are included in this Glam Bag!), blushes & bronzers, or whatever you need for perfect for quick touch ups on the go! Whether you are headed off to spring break or just need a cute & clever way to store products in your bag, you can create the perfect makeup look and take it with you with your exclusive GlamRX Mini Freestyle Palette. 

And if you’re looking for even more cool on-the-go beauty, check out the Touch Up Palette from GlamRX. It is a unique, practical, pocket-sized palette that has what you really need on-the-go: brightening concealer, flattering tinted lipbalm, shine erase powder, black eyeliner, mirror. Includes eyeshadow/eyeliner applicator and a blush brush. The unique bottom level is the same magnetic palette that is included in the March Glam Bag. The GlamRX Touch Up Palette is available for purchase, just click the Buy It button! 

Dimensions: About the same size as a credit card, except thicker. 3.5″ x 2.5″ x 0.75″

Sample received: $8.25

Full price: $16.50 [LINK]

Comments: I loved this item and was the winner of this bag. Essentially, it’s like a mini Z-Palette, where you can store pans of eyeshadows, blush, etc. With the addition of the mirror, definitely great for on the go. I have mine in my purse and it’s been quite handy.

If you don’t have magnetic pans, you can always glue on a magnet or a metal washer that’s ferromagnetic, like steel. And, if you don’t plan on putting makeup in there, you can always use it to store bobby pins, safety pins or what not. I couldn’t find this on their site, as this palette was made exclusively for ipsy subscribers, which is why the full size doesn’t match the sample size. As a result, I estimated the price of the palette.

Rating: 5/5

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Hydrating Mist by Juice Beauty

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist tones, hydrates, and refreshes your face and hair while on the go, anytime of the day. Hydrate with the refreshing blends of organic juices for a fresh, radiant complexion.

Sample received: $3.26 for 1oz bottle

Full price: $22.00 for 6.75oz bottle [LINK]

Comments: Just on smell alone, I wouldn’t buy the full size version of this. It reminded me of a mature woman because of the rosebuds and the combination of scents in this product. The smell really bothered me to the point where I couldn’t use this during the day.

I can only use it at night as my toner, and I’m reluctant to do that even because of the smell. I’ll finish though, so I can reuse the bottle for future use as it’s a great size for travel. As a toner, it didn’t seem any better than my usual toner, witch hazel. Even if I liked the product completely, I can find good toners for much cheaper.

Rating: 2/5

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Travel Lite Makeup Remover 8ct Pouch by La Fresh

La Fresh® Travel Lite® portable towlette wipes are perfect for jetsetters, go-getters, outdoor enthusiasts and multi-taskers everywhere. Towlette packets are small in size, designed for practicality and are easy to apply discreetly. Each item is carry-on friendly and slim enough to slip into a pocket, purse or wallet. Perfectly portable, La Fresh® makes beauty a breeze when you’re on-the-go. For a refreshing getaway, grab any Travel Lite® and Live. Life. La Fresh.™ 

Travel Lite™ personal amenities are made in sunny Southern California with clean renewable solar energy! These makeup remover wipes feature biodegradable and compostable materials.

Sample received: $1.99

Full price: $1.99 [LINK]

Comments: I’ve never used makeup wipes, since I normally use makeup remover. Since it’s in a convenient pack, it’s great for travel. I figured it be great for when I went to my sorority formal a couple weeks back. When I used it, while it does remove the makeup without too much difficulty, my face got really irritated, to the point where it felt like my face was on fire.

I ended up using ice cubes to cool my face off, then used my usual makeup remover to remove any leftover reside. At most, I expected a slight tingle… not the reaction I ended up getting… >.< I’m not sure if I had an allergic reaction since even after looking at the ingredients, I have no idea what could have affected my face.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the rest of the wipes since I’m kinda scared to try using them again… They work, but I don’t want to have my face on fire again…

Rating: 1/5

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Eyeshadow Refills by yabi

Whether you want to make a dramatic statement or just add a veil of color to your eyes, the yaby eyeshadow refills are extremely easy to work with. Can be used wet or dry and the smooth texture allows blending with ease. All shadows are vegan friendly and the pans are reusable for mixing. Glam Bag subscribers receive two of 80 fabulous shades.

Sample received: $6.30 for the two eyeshadows	Full price: $3.15 [LINK] Yaby Cosmetics
	$3.29 [LINK] Camera Ready Cosmetics

Comments: There were four different colors that people could have gotten. Of the four, everyone got two. From what I’ve noticed, there have only been two combinations. I got Azalea Petal & Seashell. The other possible combo was So Vein (a matte teal) & Sand Dune (a matte beige/tan). It was clever that ipsy included eyeshadows that can be placed into the magnetic palette that was also in this bag.

The colors looked nice in the pan, but swatching them, was a pain. It took some effort to get a decent swatch from Azalea Petal in particular, which didn’t show up all that well on my hand with a single swipe. The other, had slightly better pigmentation, so it didn’t take as much effect to swatch. Below is a picture of the colors swatched on my wrist.

All of the swatches are on bare skin, so they’ll be a little brighter with primer

The colors don’t look bad when probably swatched and I can always use more neutral colors to balance out the wacky colors I have. However, the quality isn’t as good as the Coastal Scent ones I got in February’s bag, or with other eyeshadows in my collection. They also seemed a lil chalky as well. Also, I dunno if it’s just my eyeshadow pans, but mine don’t seem to adhere to the magnetic bottom in the GlamRX Palette all that well since they can be easily moved with a slight nudge.

With the two links, it’s much cheaper to buy from Camera Ready Cosmetics if you don’t plan on buying a lot of the eyeshadows since shipping through yaby is rather expensive otherwise.

Rating: 3/5

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Results:

• Box Score: 2.75/5
• Total Value: $19.80

Final Thoughts: This was a very disappointing bag, worst one I’ve gotten since I’ve joined — In both content and value. The only item I enjoyed was the palette, which has gotten a lot of use. I’m hoping next month’s bag is better and that this was a 1-time thing. Ipsy won’t be on the chopping block for now since every other bag up to this point has been great. If this streak continues however, it will be.

On a separate note, since I’ve seen magnetic palettes before (such as the Z-Palette), I knew that it could be used to hold makeup pans. But, I can definitely understand those who didn’t know what it was at first, especially since ipsy doesn’t include product descriptions on their card, which is something that I wished that they would do in the future. I know it’s not hard to go onto their website to find out what the products are, but it’d be more convenient if that information was on hand when you open your bag.

Finally, with each bag, there are coupon codes, which since I posted this review late, some of the codes have expired. Whatever hasn’t, I have posted below:

La Fresh (Travel Lite Makeup Remover 8ct Pouch)

• Ipsy13 – Recieve 30% off beauty wipes. Offer valid thru 5/31/13. One time use only and cannot be combined with other offers or coupons. All orders above $50 receive free shipping. Valid only in continental US.

Are you subscribed to ipsy? What are your thoughts on this month’s Glam Bag? If you’re interested in subscribing and would like to use my referral link, click here to subscribe.

Goodies Co. February 2013 Box review

Whoo, just two more sub reviews for my ipsy March and April bags, I’ll be up to date with my sub reviews and can get back to nail polish reviews! 🙂 Sorry for the lack of nail related posts. Once I’m done with these, ipsy is my only sub now, so there won’t be as many box reviews and more nail stuff. Now, onto my belated Goodies Co. February 2013 box review. I actually wrote this in February when I got the box, but I didn’t get a chance to edit the pics ’til now.

I finally got my invite code mid-January and I was super excited to finally be getting a box since I’ve heard good things about Goodies Co. I was supposed to get this box by the 20th, but it came on Saturday while I was away, so it was a great surprise to see the box waiting for me. Below is information on the company.

About Goodies Co.: This subscription box was created by Walmart. Every month you’ll receive 5-8 food samples, ranging from 5-8 food items, from healthy, organic, artisan, and international items. Each box has a theme that relates to the items that are within the box. You can review the items for points that’ll go towards free boxes.

Since they are still in the beta phase, you need to request an invite to join. I don’t know how quickly you’d get the code, since I completely forgot I had signed up until I got my invite code. I think I was on the wait list for a month, but it’s possible to get the code sooner, depending on when you requested the invite.

Cost: $7

• They’re still in the beta test phase, so I don’t know if the price will go up once it’s no longer in the test phase.

Is there a “skip” option?: Yes, up to three consecutive months at any given time.

Better Together –  Romeo and Juliet. Rhett and Scarlet. Ross and Rachel. Some pairs were just meant to be… And that’s true in the food world too. Goodies plays matchmaker this month with a tasty assortment of food combinations that prove some things are just better together. Featuring classic flavor combos, as well as unexpected pairings, it’s sure to be love at first bite!

Goodies Co. February 2013 Box
Theme: Better Together

There were 9 different boxes this month and I got Taster Box 9. As this month features various combinations, some of them are familar ones, while others are unusual. Let’s see if it was worth the wait! 😀

Dark Chocolate Dreams and Smooth Operator by Peanut Butter & Co

Whether it’s the dream team combo of chocolate and PB or something wilder, this sweet, nutty butter is the way to go. See the Goodies store for more flavors!

Sample received: $0.71 for the two samples

Full price: $4.99 for 16 oz. jar

Comments: The peanut butter is very smooth and very easy to spread. Though, I wonder if it’s a little thicker in the jar since while not runny, it’s definitely a lil bit thinner than some of the other peanut butters I’ve had in the past. I like the fact that it’s all natural and doesn’t contain hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. Smooth Operator is your classic smooth peanut butter.

Like Smooth Operator, Dark Chocolate Dreams is just as smooth and easy to spread. Despite the fact that it has dark chocolate in it, its flavor was mild. I could still taste the peanut flavor very distinctly

Rating: 5/5

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Fruit & Nut Bar by Wai Lana

Sweet and chewy with crunchy bits of nut, this gluten-free bar showcases the natural union of fruits and nuts. Who knew healthy could taste this good? 

Sample received: $1.99 for one 2 oz. bar

Full price: $3.98 for pack of two 2 oz. bars

Comments: There were four flavors that you could have gotten and I got Tropical Macadamia. Below is the description of it —

Get a delicious taste of the tropics with macadamia nuts, sweet mango and pineapple, and noni fruit, Hawaii’s ancient and beauty tonic.

I admit that to me, the bar itself doesn’t look all that appetizing, especially since I rather eat the actual food itself, not mixed together in bar form. I do like the fact that it’s pretty much made up of the fruit and nuts, since it’s doesn’t have any artificial ingredients.

Despite its appearance, it’s actually decent and I liked it. The flavors went together quite well. I have no idea what noni fruit’s supposed to taste like, but I did taste both mango and pineapple. For some reason I didn’t taste the macadamia nuts, even when I picked one out and ate it on its own. I guess the fruit completely mellowed out the nut’s flavor.

Rating: 4/5

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Chips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip with Reese’s by Nabisco

You love them solo. Now experience the magical combination of Reese’s peanut cups baked into deliciously chewy Chips Ahoy cookies. Double yum.

Sample received: $0.85 for a 2.3 oz. bag (2 cookies)

Full price: $3.49 for 9.5 oz. bag

Comments: I actually hate Chips Ahoy cookies since I find them too sweet and crunchy (which I prefer soft cookies), so I didn’t have high hopes for this. I do love Reese’s though, and I’ve baked with them before, so I was hoping that it would be either redeem these cookies, or… make them even more overly sweet.

Luckily, the chocolate and Reese’s don’t over power it, and I do like the combo, but despite that, I hated the cookie overall. Just something about the cookie itself just tastes… well… off to me. It’s soft, but it’s also just as sweet as their regular cookies, which made it hard for me to eat. I was able to finish one, but no way I want to eat the other one. I definitely wouldn’t repurchase this.

Rating: 1/5

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Plentils Crunchy Lentil Chips by Enjoy Life

Lentils and chips? That’s not a combo you see everyday. But you’ll be smitten with these boldly seasoned, protein-packed, better-for-you lentil crisps.

Sample received: $1.29 for a 0.8 oz. bag

Full price: $5.16 for a pack of four 8 oz. bags

Comments: There were four flavors that were sent out and I ended up getting Dill & Sour Cream. I was intrigued with these chips since I’ve never heard of chips made of lentils. I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of taste. As for the chip itself, if I didn’t already know, I would have thought that these were just regular chips.

I would’ve figured that it wasn’t potato, but wouldn’t know what it was really made of. I didn’t really taste the sour cream flavor as I found the dill flavor to be more prominent. It’s not overpowering, but it’s strong enough that it’s hard to miss.

Rating: 4/5

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Yogurt Pretzels by SnackWells

Enjoy this classic sweet-salty combo in moderation with a 100-calorie pack of salted pretzel rings coated in sweet, tangy yogurt.

Sample received: $0.48 for a 0.78 oz bag

Full price: $2.99 for a 4.86 oz. box

Comments: These aren’t anything new to me since I’ve had yogurt pretzels before. Only difference that these are portioned out and in colorful packaging. I love yogurt covered things, so this was something I was looking forward to eating. I also love the sweet-salty combo, even though it’s something I’m already familiar with.

Rating: 4/5

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Bacon Pop by J & D’s

Bacon makes everything better doesn’t it? The unexpected hit of smoky bacon flavor in this light and fluffy vegetarian popcorn makes quite for quite a delicious duo.

Sample received: $1.33

Full price: $3.99 for a 9 oz. box (3 bags)

Comments: The concept just bothered me since I never understood how it’s possible to get bacon flavored things and be vegetarian and vegan friendly. It just doesn’t make sense. >.< Once I finally tried it, the taste was completely fake to me. It was utter crap and threw the rest out.

Rating: 1/5

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Results:

• Box Score: 3.16/5
• Total Value: $6.65

Final Thoughts: This wasn’t a great box, just alright. I didn’t get my money’s worth in terms of value, but the content itself wasn’t bad. It’s a bit disappointing since I loved the earlier boxes. I decided to suspend my sub for two months to see if things would improve. I wasn’t thrilled with the contents that I saw through other people’s blogs and on Makeuptalk.com.

In the end, I decided to just cancel altogether and someone else could take my spot. It was a real let down since the company started out great, but in recent months, has been going down hill. Maybe down the road I might try it again, but as of now, I wouldn’t.

Love With Food February 2013 Box review

Here’s my belated review of my Love With Food February 2013 box.

About Love With Food: Every month you’ll receive 8+ gourmet foods samples. Each box has a theme, usually relating to the current season. For each box bought, the company will donate a meal to a hungry child. You can earn points for reviewing products which can be used towards redeeming items in their shop.

Cost: $10/month + $2 shipping

• Exceptions are for the 6 month and yearly subscriptions, which are $1 or free respectively for shipping.

Is there a “skip” option?: No, you can only cancel.

This month’s theme is Sweet and Spicy Valentine’s Day.

Sweet and Spicy Valentine’s Day – Like a matchmaker for your tastebuds, the recipe for romance calls for a bit of sugar and a dash of spice! This Valentine’s Day, we also thank you for sharing the love by donating a meal to a child in need.

Love With Food – February 2013 Box
Theme: Sweet and Spicy Valentine’s Day

Here’s what I received in this month’s box:

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Piglet by Hagensborg Chocolates

Bring sweetness to your day with a tidbit of All Natural European chocolate.

Sample received: $2.00 for the two pieces	Full price: $1.00 for a 0.40 oz. piece [LINK] Peanut Butter
	$3.50 for a 1.76 oz. bar [LINK] Peanut butter

Comments: The chocolate pieces were definitely a size improvement from the January’s box, since those chocolates were about the tiniest samples of chocolate ever. As for these chocolates, the milk chocolate on both was of good quality and melted smoothly in my mouth.

For the peanut butter one, it reminded me of a higher quality Reeses. I also noticed that the chocolate flavor is much more prominent than the peanut butter is.

Rating: 4/5

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Naturally Flavored Cranberries by Funny Face

This fun and healthy treat for kids of all ages, is low in sugar, and naturally fat free.

Sample received: $0.51 0.75 oz. bag

Full price: $19.99 for a box of 6 bags [LINK]

Comments: This comes in a few flavors – cherry, grape, raspberry, and strawberry. The flavor that I got was strawberry. I’ve had dried cranberries before, which I like the sweet and tart flavor, but never flavored ones, so thought be interesting to try.

Not sure how I feel about this one. I don’t love it… or hate it. It’s one of those things that I might like more over time, but as of now, it’s just alright. The strawberry flavor isn’t pronounced, but is still noticeable.

Rating: 3.5/5

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Pico de Gallo Bean & Rice Chips by Beanfields

Long grain rice, navy and pinto beans join forces for a gluten-free chip with miles of zesty flavor and 1/3 less fat than other tortilla chips.

Sample received: $1.25	Full price: $40 for 12 6oz. bags [LINK]
	$30 for 24 1.5oz. bags [LINK]

Comments: These chips had a grainy texture comparing to regular tortilla chips and tasted like BBQ chips. If I didn’t already know there was rice in these chips, I wouldn’t be able to to tell since the bean flavor is very prominent. I actually didn’t mind them at first, but as I was eating them, I began to like them less and less. It eventually got to the point that I couldn’t eat anymore since the flavors were leaving an unappetizing taste in my mouth.

Rating: 3/5

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Original Nuts by bobbysue’s nuts!

A salty-sweet trifecta of dry roasted almonds, cashews, and pecans coated with a delicate meringue and warm blend of spices.

Sample received: $1.86 for 1 oz. bag	Full price: $3.75 for 2 oz. jar [LINK]
	$10 for 8 oz. jar
	$36 for 32 oz. jar
	$3.49 for 2.5 oz. bag

Comments: It doesn’t taste bad, but the spices completely take over to the point where I couldn’t taste the actual nut. I couldn’t even get through even half of the bag before I got sick of it. It’s great for people who don’t normally like nuts since you can’t even taste the various nuts that are in this mix.

Rating: 2/5

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Tomato Basil Sipping Broth by Millie’s Savory Teas

This first-of-its-kind sipping broth is a blend of savory herbs and spices infused with loose leaf green tea.

Sample received: $0.86

Full price: $12.95 for 15 tea bags [LINK]

Comments: This is an interesting concept since it’s like a soup, but it’s infused into tea. I love green tea, though I’m not expecting the flavor to be prominent with all of the other herbs and spices mixed with it. When I tried it, like I though, I can’t taste the green tea aspect of this at all. The savory flavors add an interesting touch, and while not overly terrible, I don’t love it either. The broth seems a bit watered down that I might as well make some soup.

Rating: 2/5

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Nektar Honey Crystals by Nektar Naturals

Enjoy the sweetness of all natural honey anytime, any place, without the sticky mess.

Sample received: $0.40 for 2 packets

Full price: $14.95 for 80 packets [LINK]

Comments: I loved the concept of these crystals since I love honey but I hate how messy it can be. Because of the portable packaging, I can enjoy honey anywhere. 🙂 I based the price from the retail price ($16.00) in Love With Food’s shop since the company doesn’t sell the product on their website.

Rating: 5/5

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Milk Chocolate Caramel Truffle Piglet by Hagensborg Chocolates

Almost too cute to eat, frolic in absolute truffle heaven with All Natural chocolate bliss.

Sample received: $1.00

Full price: $1.00 for 0.4 oz. piece [LINK]

Comments: Yay! Caramel! 😀 The chocolate pieces were definitely a size improvement from the January’s box, since those chocolates were about the tiniest samples of chocolate ever. As for these chocolates, the milk chocolate on both was of good quality and melted smoothly in my mouth.

For the caramel, as much as I love caramel, I didn’t like the caramel in this all that much. To me, it tasted a bit more smoky than other caramel I’ve had in the past.

Rating: 3.5/5

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Chocolate Madeleine by Donsuemor

Creamy, moist French tea cakes with a distinctively whimsical shell shape.

Sample received: $0.58	Full price: $15.00 for 26 madeleines [LINK]
	$30.00 for 60 madeleines [LINK]

Comments: This is a pastry I’ve heard of, but have never eaten, so I’m excited to try this. The fact that it’s chocolate’s a bonus. 😛 It reminded me of a brownie. The outside is a bit firmer than the outside, but is still moist. It wasn’t dry or overly sweet. I struggled to not devour it in a single bite (or two), which I easily could have done. Definitely a delight to have.

Rating: 4.5/5

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Original Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter by Jer’s Squares

Savor premium chocolate with all-natural Valencia peanut butter.

Sample received: $0.90	Full price: $8.00 for 4 oz. box [LINK]
	$40 for six 4 oz. boxes [LINK]

Comments: It reminds me of a Crunch bar as this has the same crunchy aspect of the rice. This has the added bonus of peanut butter as well. The chocolate was of good quality and melted slowly in my mouth, so I enjoyed this.

Rating: 5/5

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Results:

• Box Score: 3.61/5
• Total Value: $8.36

Final Thoughts: I get the feeling that you never get your money’s worth with this box since this is the 2nd month in a row where you don’t get what you paid for if you paid full price. Granted I did, since I had a free box, and only had to pay $2 for shipping. While not a terrible box, it was overly impressive either.

This one will probably be my last LWL review for a while since I don’t plan on getting more boxes in the future since I don’t want to pay full price. If they have free box codes for a particular month, I may get one, but otherwise, I wouldn’t subscribe.

Are you subscribed to Love With Food? What are your thoughts on this month’s box? If you’re interested in subscribing, click here for more information: LINK

Ipsy February 2013 GlamBag review

Sorry for the lack of posts in general. Been busy here, so I haven’t had time to do any reviews in general. Over the net few days, I’ll be posting all of my subscription posts for the last few months. Since I have a lil more free time, least for now, I’m hoping to get some more nail polish reviews done, since I’ve been itching to do more, especially since the weather’s warmed up. 🙂

I actually had this review more or less done for a while, but never got a chance to post it. That, and I somehow lost the original pics so i had to retake them. At that point, I couldn’t find the card that comes with it, so it’s sadly not in any of the pics. No biggie though.

Here’s a brief overview of the company.

About Ipsy (formally MyGlam): Each bag feature 4-5 beauty items. All of the items are either deluxe samples or full size.

• There are never any of those foil packets, which is nice because I’d like to have more than 1 use of a product before I decide if I like it or not.

Cost: $10 w/free shipping (USA) | $10 + $4.95 shipping (Canada)

• It’s $110 to subscribe yearly (USA | + $54.45 shipping for Canadian subscribers), which makes each individual bag a little cheaper than with the monthly. If you choose to pay monthly or yearly, you can’t change to the other. You have to cancel your current subscription before you can switch, which if you have they yearly one, I don’t think you can cancel ’til it’s up.

Is there a “skip” option?: No, you can only cancel.

Red Carpet Ready– Glitz and glam! It’s all about the glorious red carpet with ipsy this month. February’s “Red Carpet Ready” Glam Bag has nothing but winners! Whether you have your “thank you” speech prepared or not, we are here to help you get ready for all the lights, camera, and action.

This month, it’s time to get “Red Carpet Ready” with your February Glam Bag. Channel your inner celebrity with star-worthy products from Coastal Scents, MicaBeauty, Lash Card, Pixi, and POP. Show us your glam and gorgeous Look for the red carpet for your chance to win an amazing prize!

So… another plain bag…?! It’s a black vinyl or patent leather bag, and has a plastic smell to it, which kinda bothers my nose. Hopefully, over time, the smell will go away. Unlike the last few bags, this one seems cheap looking… to be honest. It’s the 4th straight month of having plain bags, so I really hope next bag has some kind of pattern on it.

The bag has to have some value on it, but not sure of an exact amount. I’d say $2-3 at most, so I’ll split the difference and value the bag at $2.50.

 Here’s what I got in this month’s Glam Bag:

Eye Shadow Palette Sample by Coastal Scents
From left to right, top to bottom: Dark Goldenrod, Sunbeam, Golden Globe, and Dark Golden Olive

Coastal Scents Shadow Palette Samples are an ideal way to try these highly pigmented, stunning shadows. These miniature-sized samples contain four hand-selected shades by ipsy, making it easy to create a variety of looks. Wear these pressed powders dry or wet for a more intense, dramatic look. Each palette’s colors are labeled with the corresponding Hot Pot name, making it easy to repurchase your favorite shades individually, or in a palette collection like the 252 Ultimate Eye Shadow Palette.

Sample received: $3.98 for 2g/0.07 oz.	Full price: $11.91 (breakdown below)
	Dark Goldenrod – $1.99 for 1.3g/0.04 oz. pot [LINK]
	Sunbeam – $1.99 for 1.3g/0.04 oz. pot [LINK]
	Golden Globe – $1.99 for 1.3g/0.04 oz. pot [LINK]
	Dark Golden Olive – $1.99 for 1.3g/0.04 oz. pot [LINK]
	4 Piece Empty Magnetic Palette – $3.95 [LINK]

Comments: Back in October 2012’s bag, they also had sample quads from this brand, but since I wasn’t subscribed then, this is my first time getting samples from the company. I’ve heard good things about the company and the shadows are overall great in quality and inexpensive.

There were two different sample sets that you could have gotten — In The Spotlight and Glitz & Glamour. I got In The Spotlight. This sample includes two satin (Dark Goldenrod & Golden Globe), one shimmer (Dark Golden Olive), and one matte shadows (Sunbeam).

An official full-size palette doesn’t exist, so if you wanted to replicate it, you’d have to buy each pot separately, as well as the empty magnetic palette, which adds up to what I got for the full price value. I did a break down of each component that makes up the final price.

I overall enjoyed these colors. They went on smoothly with little fallout. My least favorite of the bunch was Sunbeam, the yellow matte of the bunch, since it didn’t really show up too well on my skintone.

Rating: 5/5

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Flawless & Poreless Primer by Pixi

The Pixi Flawless & Poreless primer creates a beautiful no-shine finish for flawless, long-lasting makeup application. This shine controlling, oil-free primer smooths out fine lines and hydrates while making pores instantly disappear. It is the perfect skin primer for all complexions and all skin types. 

Beneficial Ingredients and what they do: 
• Willow Bark gives natural shine control
• Salicylic Acid clears and unblocks pores
• Shea Butter to nourish the skin
• Titanium Dioxide protects the skin’s surface
• Enantia Chlorantha bark is medicinal & anti-viral 

Sample received: $14.5 15mL/0.5 fl. oz. tube

Full price: $29.00 for 30mL/1.01 fl .oz. tube [LINK]

Comments: Always like trying new primers and don’t think I’d have to buy any for quite some time thanks to ipsy. 🙂 As  for this primer, it goes on with a beige-pinky tone, but once you blend it in, you can’t see it. I actually like this primer more than the Mirabella one I got back in December 2012’s bag since this one has less of an odor. It seems to keep my makeup in place all day, so I’m happy with it.

Rating: 5/5

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Caption: Smokey Lash Kapow Mascara in Smoky Black by POP Beauty

This lash-POP-ing mascara makes lashes plump, long and lusciously flirty! Smudge proof formula adds volume while curling lashes up and out for a look that truly POPs your peepers! 

POP your skills:
1. Curl lashes as close to the root as possible.
2. Jiggle the wand from the root to the middle of the lash.
3. Repeat twice, wait a few seconds in-between, letting each layer dry.
4. Jiggle 3rd layer all the way to the tip of the lashes.
5. To reach small and stray lashes – turn the brush vertically and apply.

Sample received: $12.60 [LINK]	Full price: £10.50 (approx $16.32) [LINK]
	$18.50 (through Ulta) [LINK]

Comments: I probably won’t be trying this any time soon, only since I wanna finish my Benefit mascara sample I got in my first GlamBag, back in November. The discount code only works on the company’s website, so keep that in mind if you wanted to buy this product elsewhere.

As a result, this is getting a “3” from me until I finish the rest of the mascaras I have.

Rating: 3/5

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Gel Eyeliner in Black by MicaBeauty

Define eyes and apply eyeliner like a pro with the MicaBeauty Gel Eyeliner! This smooth, highly pigmented gel eyeliner glides over the lid evenly and dries quickly for a long-wearing, smudge-proof finish. Comes in 5 other highly pigmented shades.

Sample received: $35.00

Full price: $35.00 [LINK]

Comments: This was my favorite item in this month’s GlamBag, since I’ve never used a gel eyeliner before, so I can’t wait to try it. There were 6 different colors that you could get in this month’s bag and I got the black one. The other colors are blue, bronze, brown, green, and purple. As much as I would have liked some of the other colors, this one was the one that everyone got.

This item is full-size, though unlike the one on MicaBeauty’s site, doesn’t include an eyeliner brush, so you have to have your own brush. Not a huge deal since I can use my angled eyeliner brush for it. Since I’ve never tried other gel liners before, I didn’t have anything to compare it to. It went on easily, though it seemed more a cream than a gel, so wasn’t sure if other gel liners have a similar consistency.

I probably wouldn’t repurchase since I do prefer my Urban Decay pencil liners, and I’d like to try other gel liners as well.

Rating: 4/5

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The Lash Card by Lash Card

Apply your mascara perfectly with the Lash Card! Say goodbye to smudging, clumping, and messy mascara application. The Lash Card has two curves on each side that fit a variety of eye shapes, making it easy to get those hard-to-reach lashes. Each Lash Card is individually wrapped for on-the-go application. 

Application:
Open the package and find the curve that best fits your eye shape. Curl your lashes. Hold the Lash Card behind the lashes and lift your lashes onto the card. Apply mascara normally, making sure to firmly brush the lashes against the card.

Sample received: $2.80 for 4 cards

Full price: $6.99 for a 10-pack [LINK]

Comments: I get the concept of these cards and it’ll definitely be helpful with getting mascara on my lower lashes as I’ve yet to master it. However, it’s definitely not something I’d buy.

I do like that they’re individually wrapped though, which makes them great for travel. Despite that, I wished that it was made out plastic, which would make it environmentally friendly, and you’d have the ability to wash it. I haven’t tried the business card trick yet, so I don’t know how it compares to these cards.

Rating: 3/5

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Results:

• Box Score: 4/5
• Total Value: $68.88

Final Thoughts: I always get my money’s worth with ipsy and this month hasn’t failed me yet.  This month’s bag was primarily focused on eyes as 4/5 items were for them. Another great bag from ipsy and can’t wait for next month’s bag (which that’ll review will be coming up soon! :D)

Finally, with each bag, there are coupon codes, which since it took me so long to post this review, have sadly already expired. 😦

Are you subscribed to ipsy? What are your thoughts on this month’s Glam Bag? If you’re interested in subscribing, click here for more information: LINK

Serum No.5 – Happy Special Day review

Brand: Serum No.5
Color: Happy Special Day
Collection: Holiday 2012
Finish: Glitter

“It’s a Happy Special Day with white and multi colored confetti!” – description from Serum No.5’s shop

I recently got a bunch of Serum No.5 polishes, including the entire Holiday 2012 collection, so I’ll be reviewing all of them at some point. All of these use the old bottles as the new ones are square and are slightly larger. Today’s review is on Happy Special Day. This polish is a colorful mix of bar, hex (in various sizes), and square glitters in a clear base.

The glitter is dense but isn’t too thick or goopy. It also has some holo glitter, which adds a nice touch to the polish. A great polish for a party and this reminds me of my multi-color glitter heels I have. 🙂 While it can be worn on its own, I find that it looks a lot better on top of another color. Below are my swatch pics and close ups.

Swatch: 1 coat Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Mint Spirit, 2 coats of Serum No.5 Happy Special Day, direct sunlight (overcast), indoors, no flash

Same settings as the pic above

I had some issues trying to get a close up shot of the bottle since every time I tried to zoom in, the glitter got blurry. Grrr. >.< It’s times like this I wished I had one of those fancy cameras, instead of my point-and-shoot camera. Below was my best attempt to get a good close up of the bottle. I had a little more luck on my nail.

Grr… them closeups… >.< Still doesn’t look as sharp as it could be…
Image: natural light (overcast), indoors, no flash

Nail close up. Note that when I took this, the mani was already a few days old, so there’s some minor chipping.

I found application to be simple, though I had to fish for the larger glitters, which was a little annoying. I found that I needed 2 coats since  that using 1 coat made the glitter somewhat sparse on some nails. When the glitter was dabbed onto my nails for my birthday mani, it was more effective in distributing the glitters, especially the larger ones, so I only needed 1 coat.

The glitter has a reflective curve to it, which made me initially use two layers of top coat. However, using one coat seems to work just fine.

If you’re interested in purchasing this polish, you can find it on Serum No.5′s etsy shop. It’s $12 USD for a full size (16.7mL) and $7 for a mini (9mL). Shipping is $3 in the United States, $9 to Canada, and $10 International. All of their polishes are 3 free and every month, 20% of all sales are donated to charity.

Pros:

• Application wasn’t difficult, though I sometimes had to fish for the larger glitters.
• Glitters weren’t overly raised, so using a single coat of top coat was sufficient.

Cons:

• Larger glitters tend to settle to the bottom over time, so make sure you swirl the bottle to evenly distribute them as evenly as possible
• Like the majority of glitter polishes, it can be a pain to remove. Using the foil method or peel off base coat will simplify the removal process. (refer to this page for more info)

Overall Score: 4.5/5

• After thought: It’s a fun polish to have and looks good on a lot of different polishes. Great for the holidays or for any time you want to add that touch of glitter. Despite the amount of white glitter in the bottle, some of which seems to never move, no matter how much I roll or shake the bottle, it doesn’t dominate the other glitters on the nail.

Zoya Lovely Collection Giveaway

Zoya’s having a giveaway for their upcoming Spring 2013 Lovely Collection. Below is information I got from their Facebook page.

Love is in the Air! With Valentine’s Day right around the corner and the Spring season on the horizon, Zoya Nail Polish is giving you a chance to win something super sweet… the entire Spring 2013 Lovely Collection! Enter the Zoya Spring 2013 Sweepstakes NOW – 11:59pm EST, 02/13/13 here: http://ow.ly/hrUeq