Ipsy (My Glam) Review- March 2014

Hello my lovelies!  I’m so happy you stopped by to visit today, because I have lots of fun things to share with you!  I received my March Ipsy bag, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Not familiar with Ipsy?  Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service, and for $10 a month (plus tax in a couple of states, $14.95 in Canada) they send out 4-5 full sized items or deluxe samples in a cute makeup bag.  If you would like to subscribe, and want to send some love my way, HERE is my referral link.

pink envelope

While pink isn’t my favorite color, this IS my favorite site to see in my post box each month.  Seriously, these shiny pink envelopes invoke an excitement rarely seen in my boring, grown up life!

first peek

Here’s the first peek inside the pink envelope of goodness.  I spy something fabulous!

the bag

This month, Ipsy has enlisted an artist in San Francisco to design the bag.  I love the texture of this bag- plastic waterproof feeling- and the pattern is fun.  It’s a representation of a street map of San Fran- a place I very much would love to visit!  Artist Klari Reis did an amazing job and I’m loving how Ipsy is branching out and giving a talented artist some exposure!  

bag interior

The inside liner is a pretty blue- and has Klari’s name above the Ipsy label.  Love it!

insert card

This month’s theme is Destination Beauty.  I love the resort scene on the card- many of you know that in the summer I’m a beach bum- living 10 minutes from a premier beach resort has it’s perks! 

reverse of card

The back of the card has the monthly facebook/instagram contest, and lists all the awesome brands that Ipsy has partnered with this month.

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Get Ready, deluxe sample size (1.5 g/0.05 oz), retail value $7.50.  Full size is 3.5 ml/0.12 fl oz and retails for $18.00; available HERE.  Discount code included is a unique code so I can’t share; it gives a free Lash Domination volumizing mascara sample and free shipping on a purchase, until 4/30/14.

I love lipstick, and bareMinerals.  This pint size sample packs a big punch!  The shade Get Ready isn’t red (like you would gather by the name) but a pretty dusty rose that is quite flattering on me.

swatch of Get Ready lipstick from bareMinerals

I gave this lipstick a try, and it applies smoothly and is long lasting.  While I have tried bareMinerals’ lip gloss, this is my first experience with the lipstick, and I’ll definitely be checking them out very soon!
GRADE: 5/5

Pixi Beauty Flawless Beauty Primer, deluxe sample size (12 ml/0.4 fl oz), retail value $8.80; full size is 30 ml/1.01 fl oz, and retails for $22.00; available HERE.   Discount code FlawlessPixi gets you 25% off any purchase, until 4/15/14, free shipping on orders over $50.

I occasionally use face primers under my foundation, and like the results I tend to get from them.  Pixi’s Poreless and Flawless primer caused me to break out a bit, so I’ve been very cautious about using this Flawless Beauty primer.  This primer has a darkish hugh when first squeezed out of the tube, but blends to a lighter shade, with a dewy finish.

swatch of Pixi Beauty Flawless Beauty Primer- left is blended, right is unblended

I tried this under my Urban Decay foundation, and didn’t really see a big difference in my skin tone, or longevity of my makeup application. Perhaps when the weather warms up, I might try this on its own, without foundation, but as of right now, I’m not overly impressed.  I currently am experiencing a small breakout, and I'm pretty sure it's from this primer.  

GRADE: 2/5

Be A Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad in Bora Bora, full size (4.8 g/0.17 oz), retails for $16.00, available HERE.  Discount code IPSY40 will get you 40% off any purchase and a FREE Fuchsia Lip Crayon, until 4/15/14, can’t be combined with other offers, free item automatically added to shipment, US only, $2 flat shipping fee.

I have a serious eye shadow addiction.  I’m always excited to receive new eye shadows and see how well they work for me.  Be A Bombshell’s eye shadow quads have four cutely divided sections, and the Bora Bora set contains the shades Starlet (a rich, chocolate brown), Bora Bora (gorgeous teal), Risky Business (sandy golden brown) and Rock Bottom (metallic copper).

swatches of Bora Bora eyeshadow quad from Be A Bombshell

I have never had the chance to try out Be A Bombshell’s eye shadows before, and I am pleasantly surprised with my experience.  The pigmentation is acceptable, they blended easily, and lasted all day, on top of my eyeshadow primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion in Greed).  I love teal (and color!), and this quad is a perfect match for me.

GRADE: 4/5

Nicole by OPI Roughles polish in On What Grounds?, full size (15 ml/0.5 fl oz), will retail for approx. $7.99; store list HERE (not sure it’s in stores yet!).  No discount code available this time, sorry!  This photo isn't best for color correctness- the swatch picture below is much better.

I used to be a total nail polish addict, and kicked the habit.  Ipsy has helped re-enable my former addiction, and my polish collection has grown by leaps and bounds in the last year!  I have tried (and love!) several shades of Nicole by OPI, and was excited to received this turquoise textured polish this month.  I’m a huge fan of Zoya’s Pixie Dust polishes, and thought that this would be similar.  Roughles (pronounced “ruffles”) polish has a sand-like texture, with flecks of color mixed in.

Swatch of On What Grounds?, Nicole by OPI Roughles collection; 2 coats, no top or base coat.

Turquoise is a favorite color of mine, and this polish is the perfect shade  Textured polish doesn’t require a top coat, and it makes for a fast and easy manicure.  I really love how the textured polish makes it harder to flub up your nails when you paint them (it is quite forgiving), and the texture and shade of the polish.  I used a base coat and the polish chipped very quickly.  I tried this again with no base, and it stayed for several days.  I’m going to add some specks of pastel colors to create Easter Egg nails for my Easter look. 

GRADE: 4/5

That’s all of the items that I received in my March Ipsy bag- 4 nice sized items this month.  BUT- because of lovely readers like you (thank you!), I was able to cash in some ipsyPoints for a referral gift! 

Benefit Cosmetics High Beam, full size (13.0 ml/0.45 fl oz), retails for $26.00, available HERE.  No discount code available this time, sorry!

Benefit is one of my very favorite makeup brands.  I’ve tried Benefit’s High Beam before, and absolutely loved it, so I was excited that I could cash my points in for a full sized bottle!

swatch of Benefit Cosmetics High Beam

High Beam is a beautiful liquid highlighter that bathes your cheekbones in moonlight.  Ok, not really, but it’s pretty amazing.  I love the formula- just dot a bit on, and blend it in.  Benefit has highlighters down to a T- between this and their Watt’s Up!, I’ll never shop for highlighters again!

GRADE: 5/5

And that, my friends is everything that I received this month from Ipsy.  Ipsy sent out a large variety of items this month, though, so here are the items that I didn’t receive but YOU might have:

NYX Cosmetics Love In Rio Eye Shadow palette (variety of shades), full size (0.105 oz/3 g), retails for $6.00 (currently on sale for $4.20), available HERE.  Discount code IPSYBB will get you 25% off NYX Butter Lip Balm, until 4/15/14, cannot be combined with other offers, valid in US only, free shipping on orders over $25.

Pacifica Body Butter in Indian Coconut Nectar, travel size (2.5 fl oz/73 ml), retails for $7.00, available HERE.  Discount code ipsygirl will get you 20% off any purchase, until 4/16/14, one time use only, can’t be combined with other offers, valid only in continental US and Canada, free shipping on orders over $50.

BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Rebel, deluxe sample size (2.25 mL/0.7 fl oz), retail value $9.00.  Full size is 4.5 mL/0.15 fl oz, and retails for $18.00, available HERE.  Discount code included is a unique code so I can’t share; it gives a free Lash Domination volumizing mascara sample and free shipping on a purchase, until 4/30/14.

Chella Eyeliner in Indigo Blue, full size (1 ml), retails for $24.00, available HERE.  Discount code EYELINER will get you 25% off any purchase, until 4/15/14, free shipping on orders over $50, valid in US and Canada only.

Klorane smoothing and relaxing patches with soothing cornflower, deluxe sample size (2 pairs), retail value $5.14.  Full size is 7 pairs, retails for $18.00, and is available HERE.  Discount code IPSY will get you 15% off any Klorane purchase until 4/30/15, US only.

Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream with SPF 42, deluxe sample size (10 ml), retail value $4.40.  Full size is 50 ml/1.69 oz., retails for $22.00, and is available HERE.  Discount code IPSY will get you a free gift with purchase until 4/15/14, one time use only, valid only in US, gift is a free M Boomer 10 mL with any purchase, subject to change without notice.

Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan Lotion, deluxe sample size (20 ml/0.67 fl oz), retail value $7.20.  Full size is 150 ml/5.07 fl oz, retails for $54.00, and is available HERE.  Discount code IPSY gets you 3 free gifts and free shipping when you purchase the pHenominal 2-3 Week Tan lotion, until 4/30/14, free gifts include travel size pHenominal 2-3 Week Tan mousse, travel size tanning mitt, and full size tanning mitt, gifts automatically added to order, valid in US only.

March 2014 Ipsy Bag

Here is my awesome March Ipsy bag- Destination Beauty.  I’m seriously loving the theme this month, and the fun pops of color!


If you would like to see my real time, first impressions of my March Ipsy bag, here is my Unboxing video. I always post these to my youTube channel first (since I have to test the products before I write a post!), so if you are dying to see what I think of my Ipsy bag right away, feel free to subscribe to my channel :)

 

My March 2014 Ipsy Look

And here is the look that I created with my March Ipsy bag.  I’m loving the eyeshadow quad- these are perfect colors for me!  The lipstick and highlighter are amazing too- the only thing I’m not crazy about is the primer.  Guess you can’t win them all!

Here’s the part of the post where I list the financial breakdown. We all know that cost and value are two different things- if you love something it has much more value than something you hate, no matter how much it costs.  First, I’ll recap the retail values of everything that Ipsy sent this month:

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Get Ready (deluxe sample), $7.50

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Rebel (deluxe sample), $9.00

Pixi Beauty Flawless Beauty Primer (deluxe sample) $8.80

Pacifica Body Butter in Indian Coconut Nectar (travel size) $7.00

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream with SPF 42 (deluxe sample size), $4.40

Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan Lotion (deluxe sample size), $7.20

Be A Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad in Bora Bora (full size), $16.00

NYX Cosmetics Love in Rio Eyeshadow Trio (full size), $6.00 (on sale for $4.50)

Nicole by OPI Roughles polish in On What Grounds?, (full size), $7.99

Chella Eyeliner in Indigo Blue (full size), $24.00

Klorane Smoothing and Relaxing patches (deluxe sample size), $5.14

Benefit Cosmetics High Beam (full size) $26.00 (referral gift)

Total retail value of my bag (approx.): $66.29  (without referral gift, $40.29) All in all, I think this was a great month for Ipsy, even if they only sent out 4 items.  I think we have all been spoiled with bigger 5 item bags for so long, it was a shock to only receive 4 (well, I received 5 because of my referral gift-thanks again- but you know what I mean).  I can’t wait to see what NEXT month holds for Ipsy!
So, tell me- what did YOU receive in your March Ipsy bag?

Until next time, my lovelies- stay Average!

DISCLAIMER: This post contains products that I purchased with my own my husband’s money.  I was not asked nor requested by any company to review/unbox these items, and all opinions are true and my own.  No links are referral or paid links, except the Ipsy link.  I totally want the Ipsy points. 

Influenster J'Adore Vox Box First Impressions

Hello my lovelies, I am so glad you stopped by my little corner of the internet today!  I recently receive a VoxBox from Influenster, and I can't wait to share my first impressions with you!  

Not familiar with Influenster?  Influenster is a product review site, where members can ask questions or review pretty much any product or service out there!  Influenster also works with brands and sends out products in VoxBoxes, for testing purposes to members, based on the member's survey answers and ranking, and a little random luck.  If you are interested in joining Influenster, you can go HERE and sign up. Membership is free, and so are the VoxBoxes of testing products, should you be lucky enough to score one!

Ok, on to the goodies now :) 

The VoxBox

I love seeing these boxes in my mailbox- mine typically arrive before the shipping email, so it's a complete surprise!  

First Peek

The box I qualified is the J'Adore Vox Box- a box full of favorite brands, for my family to test and put through the ringer!  J'Adore the J'Adore VoxBox!

The Insert Card

I love this cute insert card- it's all sparkly and girly.

The Brands

On the back of the card, Influenster lists the products included in this box, and their approximate retail costs and values.

Boots Botanics The Power of Plants Ionic Clay Mask Shine Away, full size (100g/3.5 oz0, retails for $9.39,available HERE.

I seriously love face masks, and am very excited to give the Boots brand a try!  My first thought about this mask is that is is quite wet, but was happy on how it dried on my skin.  The mask washed off very easily with a wet washcloth, and left my skin feeling very clean. 

Very green mask, on my face.  Aren't I beautiful?!

I have sensitive skin, and this did not cause me to experience any redness.  A little of this mask goes a long way, so I will get several uses out of this tube, making this a very nice value.  Plus who doesn't want to look like an alien/Monster High doll for a few minutes each week?

GRADE: 5/5

Hershey’s Kisses Bag (18.5 oz/524 g), retails for $5.29, available at grocery and drug everywhere.

Hershey's Kisses.  What is there to say about these classic gems that hasn't already been said?  Hershey's Kisses are an amazing treat, fun to craft with, and make pretty much everyone smile.  We've been enjoying these treats a little at a time- my favorite use is to melt one in my morning coffee.  Hey, don't knock it 'till you try it!  What an awesome treat to put in the J'Adore VoxBox- they sent a family sized bag, so we have plenty to share!  That doesn't seem to stop the kids from fighting over them, but I guess you can't blame Influenster for that. :)  I lived outside of Hershey for a while, while I was growing up, so I definitely have a soft spot for the brand, but Hershey's Kisses are an awesome treat in their own right- creamy and smooth chocolate, perfectly sized to melt in your mouth.

 GRADE: 5/5

Vaseline Men Spray Lotion, full size (6.5 oz/184 g), retails for $5.99, available HERE.

Not all recipients of the VoxBox received this product in their boxes, but both the Hubster and I are glad that we were chosen!   Vaseline Men Spray Lotion has a very masculine, musky scent, sprays on easily, and is not greasy.  My husband tried this lotion out, and was very impressed at how it brightened up his tattoos!  The scent of the lotion is a bit too masculine for me to use, so this one is all for him.  I love the way it smells, and so does the Hubster.

GRADE: 4/5

John Frieda Frizz Ease 3 Day Straight Flat Iron Spray, travel size (1 fl oz/29 ml), retails for $2.99; full size is 3.5 fl oz/103 ml and retails for $9.99, available HERE.

If you have read my blog or watched our daily vlogs, you know that I have crazy, kinky, frizzy hair.  I am very excited to give this flat iron spray a try- I rarely straighten my hair because of the hassle, and perhaps this spray will change that!  I gave this a try, and my hair remained straight for 4 days, with light touch ups each morning.  

"Before" picture

The most impressive thing I found with this spray is, that after washing out my straight hair, and returning to my natural curly state, my hair is silky soft and non-frizzy.  I seriously love this spray, and am SO thankful to have found this treatment!  I color my hair, and typically it is dry as straw, but not now!  I'm seriously in love!

 "After" Picture.  Each day looked basically like this, and just needed a 5 minute touch up with my flat iron.

To use this product, first wash your hair, and then towel dry.  While your hair is still damp, spritz the Flat Iron Spray onto your hair, and then blow dry.  After blow drying, straighten your hair using a flat iron.  I tried this procedure and had excellent results.  I had to use a bit more spray than the packaging suggested, but my hair absolutely was straight and mostly frizz-free after use.  I received so many compliments on my hair, I'm planning to do it again very soon!

GRADE: 4/5

Kiss Looks So Natural False Lashes in Shy, retails for $3.99, available in WalMart stores, HERE. 

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I LOVE false lashes.  Mother Nature did not choose to bless me with the long luscious lashes of my dreams, so I need a little a lot of help.  I was very excited to try these lashes out because they look very natural and light. 

Kiss Looks So Natural Lashes in Shy, on my baby blues

I tried these out, and was very happy.  One thing that sets these lashes apart, is that the ends of the lashes are tapered.  This creates a more natural look.  The adhesive that came with the lashes didn't perform well for me, so I used the tube I had picked up at the Dollar Tree (which works amazing, by the way, and I'm pretty sure it's latex free).  These lashes lasted a full 14 hours on my eyes, with no lifting or discomfort.  I honestly forgot that I was wearing the lashes- that's how comfortable they are.  I've since scoped out my local Rite Aid, and they carry this specific style, and I plan on stocking up very, very soon.

GRADE: 5/5

Red Rose Simply Indulgent tea bags, sample size (4 tea bags), retail value $0.90; full size (20 bags) retails for $4.49, available in grocery stores everywhere.

I'm a tea drinker, when I want to be.  I much prefer hot coffee and cold sweet tea, but upon occasion, I find myself craving a nice hot cup of tea.  I'm excited to try Red Rose Simply Indulgent tea out- I was sent 3 Creme Caramel teabags and 1 lemon chiffon.  

Tea used to be in this cup.  Really.  I promise.

My friend Jen (read her blog- it's awesome) and I tested out both flavors, and we both liked both teas.  The Lemon Chiffon flavor was decaffinated, Creme Caramel was regular; Jen preferred the Lemon Chiffon and I preferred the Creme Caramel (seriously, is anyone surprised at that?).  I think the Caramel tasted like regular tea, but drunk while wearing caramel flavored lip gloss. Overall I think the tea tastes like regular tea, but with a hint of additional flavor.  It was nice, but I'm not sure I would plan a purchase for them, without a coupon.  All of you die hard tea drinkers out there, please don't send me hate mail.  
GRADE: 3/5

J'Adore VoxBox

The total retail value of my box is $28.55, and I've definitely found some new favorites.

So, tell my my friends- what product would you like to try the most?  Are any of these items that you adore?  Leave a comment, and let me know!



Until next time, my lovelies- stay Average!

Disclaimer: I received these items compliments of Influenster, for review purposes.  All links in this post are NOT referral links (except the clearly marked one at the end of the post).  I strive for honesty.

Rimmel London and Kiss Prize Packs from Influenster

Hello my lovelies!

One of the coolest things about being a member of Influesnter, is that upon occasion, you receive a brand challenge with a guaranteed prize. With my last VoxBox I received TWO guaranteed prizes- one from KISS products and the other from Rimmel London.  

Not familiar with Influenster?  Head on over HERE to my blog post about the Rose VoxBox that they send me for reviewing purposes.  It won't take long.  It's cool- I'll wait.

Back now?  Awesome. On to the fun stuff.

Prize pack from the Influenster Kiss Product challenge

The first prize pack that I received was the Kiss Products prize pack.  I received a set of imPRESS Press on Manicure nails from Broadway Nails and a Kiss Nail Artist kit.

Broadway Nails imPRESS Press on Manicure Kit, in Homewrecker, 24 nails, retails for $6.79 at drugstores nationwide. 

I have tried press on nails in the past, and have had a "hit or miss" kind of luck with them.  I gave these a try, and was quite surprised at how well they stayed on my nails.  I keep my nails very short, as a rule, and have long nail beds and wide nails.  The largest size nail was just shy of being big enough for my nails, but I was able to use the kit.  

These nails have a sticker back, that adheres the artificial nail to your natural nail.  A prep pad is included in the kit to get your nails completely clean and ready.  All you need to do is match up the size, peel off the plastic that covers the sticky, and press the nail firmly onto your nail.  

Broadway Nails imPRESS nails in Homewrecker

I gave these a try, and these nails lasted about 5 days on my nails with heavy use.  Because they didn't quite fit my nails properly, I kept getting a hair caught in the nails, when brushing my hair, or pulling it up in a pony tail.  It wasn't enough to pull the nails off, but it was a bit annoying.  I would say that anyone who has slimmer nails than I do, would have great luck with these nails. I may pick up some cute patterns for special events, and save myself the nail art work!

Kiss Nail Artist Kit, in Beach Bash, retails for $6.99 available at most drug stores.

I love me some nail art, so I was very excited to receive this kit in my prize pack!  In my kit, there were 3 bottles of nail art polish, in neon orange, beach yellow and purple glitter.  Each bottle is7.5 ml/0.25 fl oz, and has a skinny nail art brush.   Included in this kit are 30 stencils for nail art, that stick onto the nails.

Swatches of neon orange, beach yellow and purple glitter polishes

I tried this kit out and found it to work very nicely for nail art.  I will definitely be using them to create some nifty nail looks!  For me and my particular skill set, I didn't find the stencils easy to use.  I'm sure people with more artistic abilities would be able to do more with this kit than I can, but I'm always happy to add more nail art supplies to my collection!

My Rimmel London prize pack arrived a couple weeks after this one, and this prize pack really knocked my socks off!

Rimmel London Prize Pack

In my prize pack, I received 2 Scandaleyes eyeliners, both in black- one is the Thick and Thin eyeliner, the other the Precision Micro eyeliner; Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara, and 2 Show Off Lip Lacquers, in the shades Celestial and Big Bang.  I've never really given a fair try to Rimmel London, before, and that is something that I definitely will change!

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Thick & Thin Eyeliner,Shade 001 Black, Waterproof, Slanted 2 in 1 Felt-tip, full size (0.04 fl oz/1.1 ml), priced at $5.99 available HERE.

This lovely liner has a calligraphy pen-style tip, so it's like getting two liners for the price of one!  Hold the liner one way, and a thick line is achieved; hold it the other and you have a perfect skinny line.  I gave this liner a try and it did a very nice job, for a drugstore liner.  I didn't find this as long wearing as some of my "prestige brand" liners, but it defintely got the job done, and I'm so happy to have been able to give it a try.  I think the 2 in 1 style tip is a great idea, and something I hope to see in more colors than black- I love my teal and purple liners!

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Precision Micro Eyeliner,Shade 001 Black, Waterproof, Ultra Fine Felt-tip, full size (0.04 fl oz/1.1 ml), priced at $5.99 available HERE.

The second eyeliner in my prize pack is an ultra fine felt tip liner, also in black.  This liner is awesome for achieving a super skinny line, and lasted an acceptable amount of time, on me.  While I prefer the Lorac Front of the Line Pro eyeliner (I'll be writing about this gem in a post soon, I promise!) this is a very nice drugstore liner, and is very easy to use.  I didn't find this liner to be the blackest black I've ever used, but it is definitely black, and is a perfectly nice eyeliner.

Swatch of the Thick and Thin eyeliner on top; swatch of Precision Mirco Eyeliner on the bottom.

Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara with Grow-Lash Complex,Shade 001 Black, Clump-free micro-fiber formula, full size (0.33 fl oz/10 mL), priced at $8.99, available HERE.

I have a pretty large stash of mascara in my makeup box, but that doesn't mean I'm ever NOT excited to try a new one!  While my current favorite drugstore mascara is the Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retroglam Mascara (the black one with the white bulls eyes on the packaging), I'm always excited to try out another one!  I gave this a try, and while it applies very nicely, I unfortunately have raccoon eyes when I wear it.  I've been testing it anyways to see if I can testify on whether or not it has made my lashes actually grow, and I'll let you all know when and if I see some results.

Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer in 101 Celestial, full size (0.18 fl oz/5.5 ml), priced at $4.79, available HERE.

Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer in 400 Big Bang, full size (0.18 fl oz/5.5 ml), priced at $4.79, available HERE.

I seriously love lip products, and was very excited to see these in my prize pack!  These Lip Lacquers come in a nice array of colors, and apply using a doe foot applicator. The shades that I was sent are very flattering on my skin tone, and applied very smoothly.  Seriously I am in LOVE with the Celestial shade!  

Swatches of Big Bang (top), and Celestial (bottom)

All in all, I am so happy to have received these prize packs!  My favorite item in them is, hands down, the Lip Lacquer in Celestial.  I will certainly be picking more of these up in the near future, and the Rimmel London brand will be getting more of my attention in the future!

Until next time, my lovelies- stay Average!

Disclaimer: These products were sent to me, as a prize for completing a brand challenge through Influenster.  I was neither requested nor required to review these items, and all links in this post are NOT referral links.  I strive for honesty.