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. 

Black Friday: Benefit Lip Lotto and Bare Minerals

I know, I know, I know- Black Friday was SO long ago.

December is a crazy month here.  I'm either creating a gift, shopping for a gift, wrapping a gift, or running my kids to a thousand and one events.  I feel bad for not posting as much this time of year, but if you really want to know what I've been up to, feel free to check out my YouTube channel- I upload a daily vlog :)

When I saw the previews of the Black Friday sale at Ulta, I knew that these sets had to be mine.  The colors looked gorgeous, and three Benefit lipsticks for the price of one, and three Bare Minerals products for $10?  I also had a bunch of points, that I cashed in, and got these sets for a song!

Benefit Lip Lotto, Black Friday special at Ulta, $18 and currently sold out.

I'm definitely a BeneBabe.  I love Benefit's cute packaging, and the quality of the products that I have tried.  This said, I've never tried their lipsticks before, so this set seemed like a great way to give them a try!  The packaging is adorable, and I was excited to crack open the tubes and see all the pretty colors!

Benefit Cosmetics Lip Lotto set, in Lady's Choice, Fame Game, and La La Land

Lip Lottos are aptly named, because each set is a bit different.  These sets include 3 full size Full-finish lipsticks, and was priced at $18.  I received Lady's Choice, Fame Game, and La La Land.  These tubes of loveliness twist up nicely, and are all, in my opinion, pretty neutral and wearable.  Because I ordered online (and didn't brave the store!), I didn't get to choose my own shades.  I was surprised by the shades in the box- from the packaging I thought that they would be a little darker, but all in all, these are wearable shades, and, in my opinion, all rather neutral shades.  Fame Game is 3.0g/0.10 oz, and Lady's Choice and La La Land are 3.6g/0.12 oz in size.  Benefit advertises that these are 3.0g, so two tubes I received are actually a bit larger than full size!  These lipsticks are available HERE, if you are looking to make them your very own.

Swatches of Benefit Lip Lotto lipsticks in Lady's Choice, Fame Game, and La La Land

Lady's Choice (left), is a lovely shade, a brown-toned pink (at least in my opinion) that is my absolutely favorite.  This shade is SO flattering on me, I've been wearing this frequently.  The wear time was pretty great, and it applies like a dream.

Fame Game (Middle) is a frosty nude pink.  Now, I love me some pink lipstick (please dear Lord, no more reds for me for a while!), I'm not a fan of this shade because of the frost.  This lipstick is not as creamy as the other two, and while it applies evenly, I don't like the grainy feeling in the tube, and frosty lips just aren't a good look for me.  It's not BAD, per se, it's just not for me.  If you love frosty lips and don't mind the gritty texture of the bullet (it doens't make your lips gritty, it just feels strange going on), go for this one, but for me, it's a miss.

La La Land (right) is the darkest shade in my set, and it a gorgeous mauvey brown.  This looks amazing on me, and is another favorite.  This shade has great wear time, and is super buttery and smooth when applying.  Love, love, love!

The second set I picked up on Black Friday is the Bare Minerals Go for the Glow kit.  This kit includes a full size Marvelous Moxie lip gloss, as well as deluxe size blush, and all over shimmer powder.  I love me some Bare Minerals, and I was excited to try these items- I don't have any of them in my collection (how is that even possible?!)!

Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss in Smooth Talker, blush in exhilarate, and all over face color in clear radiance.
 

Swatches of Marvelous Moxie lip gloss in Smooth talker, blush in Exhilarate, and all over face powder in Clear Radiance.

I love me some lip gloss, and this shade is such a pretty pink!  The Marvelous Moxie gloss in Smooth Talker applies sheer, and smells great- kind of like vanilla mint. This gloss is a tiny bit sticky, but it's not bad enough for me to dislike it. I don't like sticky glosses at all, and this one is just within what I consider "acceptable" on my stickyness scale.  So very pretty! This gloss is a full size product, 4.5ml/0.15 fl oz in size, and on it's own, retails for $18, available HERE.

Blushes are probably the cosmetic that I own the least of.  I'm not sure why- I guess I just tend to wear a smaller variety of shades of blush than I do lipstick, eyeliner and eyeshadow!  I was excited to try this blush, as it's a bit darker than others in my collection. I apply this with a light hand (and tap the excess off of my brush), and this gives me a beautiful, deep natural looking blush on my cheeks.  Love it!  This is a deluxe sample size product, at 0.57g/0.02 oz.; Bare Minerals full size loose blushes are $19 for 0.85g/0.02 oz. I couldn't find this shade for sale at either Ulta or Bare Minerals directly, but other shades are available HERE.

The final product in this set is one that I see myself saving for special occasions, where I want to look all sparkly like a vampire.  All Over Face Color in Clear Radiance is a pretty pale pink shimmer, and whereas I don't think I'll be applying this all over my face, it does make for a pretty highlight color.  This is a deluxe sample size product as well, at 0.57g/0.02 oz; full size I would assume is the same size as the blush, but I couldn't find it listed on either Ulta's or Bare Minerals' websites.  If you want to make this pretty pink highlighter your very own, it's available HERE.

Samples!

Ulta is always awesome in that they send out 3 samples with each order.  I received good samples this time: I received a foil pack of Benefit's It's Potent! Eye cream, Ahava body butter foil pack, and a deluxe sample of John Frieda's Frizz Ease Finishing Creme. All will be used.

My Ulta Black Friday shopping Haul

So that pretty much sums up my Black Friday Ulta haul.  Did you pick up anything interesting, gorgeous?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Happy Holidays!





Until next time, my lovelies- stay Average!

Disclaimer: I purchased the above items with my own money/credits from Ulta points.  All opinions are my own; I was neither asked nor required to review these products as a condition for me to keep them.  I strive for honestly, and no amount of freebies will ever change that!

My MEGA Birthday Makeup Haul!!!

Hello, my lovelies!  As some of you know, my birthday is early in November, and my daddy sent me a very generous birthday check!  What's an average girl to do with birthday money?  Buy MAKEUP, of course!
Ok, so I had birthday cash and I went a little nuts.  When my mother (hi, mom!) heard me say how much I spent on makeup, she couldn't believe that it was possible to spend that much on cosmetics, but I assure you, it was pretty easy (and really, not all THAT much money).

Here's my birthday haul, and hopefully you will see some awesome deals that you can pick up to treat yourself with for Christmas gifts.

The first order I placed, was with EM Cosmetics.  I purchased the "Get Started with EM" kit, which includes a sampler of The Life Palette, and a full size Waterliner and Lipstick for $27.50, free shipping.kj k7ijuytu yuru6u 46 7tyyy7uyggftgyhhyhnhnhnhxrttr7

Em Cosmetics The Love Life Palette Sampler

EM Cosmetics The Life Palette- Love Life Sampler, look 1- Warm Fuzzies, net weight 2.26g (0.079 oz), available HERE; retails for $10.

The mini Life Palettes are super cute- I received a clear plastic with a card backing sample (the plastic closes to protect the product inside), that contains 3 eye shadow pans and a lip shades.  The front of the sampler reads: "inspired by michelle's favorite things, from looks she always wears to colors she can never live without."  The lack of capitalization honestly makes me cringe.

Swatch of The Life Palette- Love Life Warm Fuzzies sampler

The eye shadows seem to be of acceptable quality, and are moderately pigmented.  The blue shade, specifically, is super silky to the touch.  The shadows swatch nicely on my fingers, but not as nicely to my hand.  The lipstick sample is a very pretty shade with just a touch of shimmer,  has a pleasant taste, and is almost not sticky.  What I don't like about the sampler (and the Life Palettes) is mixing cream and powder products in the same palette- shadow fallout is inevitably going to get into the lip gloss and ruin it.  This palette is cute, the shades are lovely (just had to work to get the look I wanted), but I won't be purchasing the full size palette.  I have had fun playing with this palette- it creates a really pretty, autumn look.  Pictures of it are in my Instagram :)

EM Cosmetics Waterliner in Ro's Gold, full size (280mg/0.01 oz), available HERE, retails for $20.

This eyeliner is the star of the show.  Seriously, this gorgeous rose gold shade is so complimentary, and the formula is superb.  I love that this eyeliner has a smudger in the back, and although it's a twist up pencil, it has a built in sharpener, beneath the smudger.  The side of the packaging reads: "inspired by the die-hard eye liner girl who would take only her favorite eye liner to a deserted island.  a unique, rich pigment eye liner grabs everywhere including your waterline- without budging or smudging."  I think a word is missing there somewhere in that second sentence, but that's just the Grammar Nazi in me rearing its ugly head. 

Swatch of Waterliner in Ro's Gold (sorry for the crappy pic- it was a rainy day)

Rose gold is the hot trend this fall, and in all honesty, I cannot believe how amazing this color looks on my eyes!  This waterliner doesn't budge from my eyes, and I looked as amazing when I was ready for bed, as I did when I first applied my makeup.  I absolutely recommend this eyeliner- the only drawback for me is the price- $20 is a bit much for a 0.01 eyeliner for this budget conscious beauty, but hey, if you can justify it, go for it!

EM Cosmetics Lip Gallery Creamy Color Classic Lipstick in Be Mine, full size (3.5g/0.123 oz), available HERE, retails for $16.50

I'm not a HUGE fan of lipstick, but I am trying to wear it more.  I picked out this shade based on the swatches on EM's site, but when it arrived, it doesn't match the picture.  This isn't actually a problem for me, though, in this case- the shade this lippie arrived in, is exactly the shade I was originally looking for!  Seriously, this lipstick is gorgeous!

Swatch of Creamy Color Classic Lipstick in Be Mine

I think this might be my favorite fall lipstick shade.  I'm not crazy about the packaging on this- the words behind the "em" logo is a bit juvenile for me, but I will definitely be using this because I love the shade.  The side of the packaging reads; "inspired by the girl who loves to draw attention.  this rich, creamy lipcolor is infused with conditioning oils.  em tip: lipcolor adds extra wow to your face-pick your perfect shade for a special pop!"  Um, duh.  I already know lipstick adds some color to my face.  That's why I wear it, EM.  

My order also arrived with a cute insert card, with a thank you message from Michelle Phan herself. I thought this was a nice touch, as was the pink tissue paper that everything was wrapped in.

TOTAL PURCHASE: $27.50, free shipping

My second order comes from my favorite company, Urban Decay.  UD creates amazing products, and I'm never disappointed with what they have on sale on their website!

Glinda Palette, full size (includes 6 full size eyeshadows, each 1.5g/0.05 oz, 24/7 glide-on eye pencil, 0.8g/0.03 oz, and a super-saturated lip pencil, 2.8g/0.1 oz), available HERE; sale price is $24.

Tiny Love is OBSESSED with Oz the Great and Powerful right now, and while her favorite is the China Doll, my favorite is Glinda.  Seriously, her light and beautiful look is absolute perfection.  This palette is a no-brainer.

Get the look :)

Included in the palette is an insert card (with "get the look" directions on the back), a super saturated lip crayon in Glinda, a 24/7 glide on eye pencil in Rockstar, and six full size eye shadows: Tornado, Aura (pink and purple pastels, split pan), Magic, Illusion, Oz (silver and gold metallic, split pan), and South.

Left to right, top to bottom: Tornado, Aura (duo shadow), Magic, Illusion, Oz (duo shadow) and South.

 I love this palette- and the coolest part is, once a shadow is used up, I can replace it with another UD shadow single!

Swatches of Tornado, Aura and Magic

Swatches of Illusion, Oz and South

This is seriously my new favorite look!  I love love love the eyeshadows shades- they are absolute pretty perfection!  I tend to want to wear dramatic eye makeup, and this palette takes me away from that, and offers a beautiful, bright and light look that is amazing.

UD 24/7 Glide on Eye pencil in Rockstar, from the Glinda palette

Swatch of Rockstar

I love this dark purple eyeliner with my blue eyes.  The 24/7 formula is a favorite of mine, and I'm so excited to grab this sweet deal!

UD Super Saturated lip crayon in Glinda

Swatch of Glinda

This lip pencil is soft, and glides on smoothly, leaving lips beautifully tinted and just a touch glossy.  The shade Glinda looks fab on my lips- it's just a shade darker than my natural color- this is an awesome "nude lip" look for me!

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Greed, full size (11ml/0.37 fl oz), available HERE; sale price is $10

 Like most beauty junkies, I love me some UDPP.  I've only ever tried the original formula, though, so I was excited to see that the Greed shade was on sale.

Swatch of Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Greed

This golden tinted primer seriously locks in shadows all day long, and goes on silky smooth.  If you love the original formula, and are looking for something with a tad more glam, pick this up.  You won't be disappointed.

Urban Decay Lip Envy in Envious, full size (8.5 ml/0.29 fl oz), available HERE; sale price is $4.

I love love love the packaging of this lip product- it's almost like an alchemist's bottle!  This deep red stain smells like vanilla, and adds a bit of color to your lips.  You can layer the color to get a darker shade, but for me and my pale self, I love it with just one sheer layer.  

Swatch of Lip Envy in Envious

This is a product similar to Benefit's Benetint- it pulls double duty as a cheek stain, too!  Lip Envy is just a tad bit sticky until it dries, and then there is no stick at all.  I found this to be just a bit dry, so I added lip balm on top, and my lips are absolutely gorgeous!

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray, deluxe sample size (15ml/0.5 fl oz), retail value $3.63 , full size (118ml/4.0 fl oz) is available HERE; retails for $29

This setting spray was a free gift with my order.  I love how UD sends me a deluxe sized sample with all of my orders- it's such a nice touch!  I've tried the de-slick mattifying spray, and loved it- I'm sure that I will love this spray, too!

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm foil pack sample, no retail value, as no size is listed.  Full size (35 ml/1.18 fl oz) is available HERE, and retails for $34.

I received a deluxe sample of UD's beauty balm in January, and I absolutely loved it.  I can't justify purchasing the full size of this, but I will definitely be using this sample.  I absolutely love it!

Total purchase price (including a second Glinda palette that I purchased for Tween Angel's Christmas gift): $62, free shipping ($38 for just my birthday haul).

Next, I cruised on over to BH Cosmetics. I received an email that their 36 brush set (in a case) was on a special sale!  I've been wanting new brushes, so you know I snapped these up!

BH Cosmetics Ultimate Brush Steal- 36 brushes plus storage case, $29, plus $7.95 shipping, currently on sale for $39.95, available HERE.

Seriously, this thing is HUGE!

I couldn't fit the whole thing in a picture!

I pulled on bristles, and twisted the brush heads, and these appear to be of very good quality.  I haven't put them all through the wringer yet, but I definitely will very soon!

bh Cosmetics 36 Ultimate Brush Set

Brushes 1-6, left to right: eyebrow, spoolie, small fan, shadow sponge, eyeliner smudger, bent eyeliner

Brushes 7-12, left to right: rounded liner, eyeliner, angled liner, small smudger, lip brush, small angled liner

Brushes 13-18, left to right: small rounded liner, round angled smudge, flat liner, small concealer, small smudge, angled shadow

Brushes 19-24, left to right: concealer, crease, eyeshadow, round flat shader,  short shadow, short smudger

Brushes 25-30, left to right: smudge, flat shadow, blending, angled blending, large shadow, foundation

Brushes 31-36, left to right: small blush, large angled blush, highlight & contour, duo fiber stippling, powder, large fan

Total cost of this haul, including shipping: $36.95, which works out to be about $1.03 per brush!

I used to be really into nail polish, and lately I've become more conscientious of how my nails look.  Zoya polish has some amazing shades to offer, and with the special offer from Ipsy (buy 2 get 1 free), I was able to score an amazing deal!  Zoya polishes are big 5 free, which I seriously love!

Zoya catalog

This color catalog is pretty handy- I can check off the shades I have, and what I have dupes for, so that I don't rebuy the same shades again and again!

Zoya Pixiedust in Carter, full size (0.5 fl oz/15ml), retails for $9; available HERE.

I received this polish in a prize pack that I won on a blog, and gave it to my BFF T, because she loves purple, and the Ravens.  I loved this shade, and the pixiedust finish, that I HAD to repurchase this!

Swatch of Zoya's Carter

Isn't this absolutely gorgeous??  This is the perfect autumn/winter purple, and the matte finish with sparkles is absolutely fabulous.

Zoya Pixiedust in Miranda, full size (0.5 fl oz/15ml), retails for $9; available HERE.

Since I already knew that I loved the pixiedust collection, it was hard to NOT buy every single shade.  I settled on this pretty deep rose shade, at least for now.

Swatch of Zoya's Miranda

I love this polish!  The pixiedust polish isn't the longest wearing polish that I have ever worn, but this is definitely my new favorite!  I can't wait for the next Zoya sale, so that I can get more pixiedust!

Zoya polish in Dream, full size (0.5 fl oz/15ml), retails for $8, available HERE.

I've been lusting over holographic polish for a while now, but this is the first time I've found it for sale, at least in my random searchings.  This gorgeous blue simply dances in the light- perfection in a bottle.

Swatch of Zoya's Dream

In all seriousness, if I could only choose one polish to wear the rest of my life, it would be this shade.  I think I'm in love!

Zoya polish in Payton, full size (0.5 fl oz/15ml), retails for $8, available HERE.

Another holo polish, Payton is a dark cranberry shade, and perfect for the winter months.

Swatch of Payton

This polish takes a grown up reddish purple, and adds a touch of elegance with the holographic glitter.  Love, love, love!  I couldn't be happier with my new Zoyas!

Zoya Remove +, deluxe sample (1 fl oz/15ml), retail value $1.25.  Full size is available HERE, and retails for $9.99, 8 oz container, with spill-proof lid.

I received the Zoya color lock system with the prize I recieved earlier this month, and I absolutely love it!  This polish remover is step one of the set, and I love that I have a little more to fill my large bottle with, or to throw in my travel case!

Total cost from Zoya: $31, including shipping.  I can't believe I spent that much money on nail polish, but I'm so happy with what I received, I think it was money well spent.

You all know that I'm an Ulta kind of girl.  I love that store and recently made Platinum status.  I don't have a brick and mortar Sephora in my area, and I really do prefer to do shopping in person, so I have never ordered from them before.  One of my Instagram friends posted an extra code for 20% off anything, and I snatched that code up- it was like it was meant to be!  Here's what I ordered for the first time with Sephora:

Obsessive Complusive Cosmetics Lip Tar All Star Mini set with brush, each 0.08 oz, contains the shades Memento, NSFW, Anime, and Black Dahlia, set retails for $20 (advertised as a $34 value), available HERE.

Ok, my beauty obsessed friends.  I have to have words with you.  First off, I thought y'all were my FRIENDS.  I share tips with you, you share tips with me.  WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME ABOUT THESE??!!  

In all seriousness, these lip tints are amazing!  The name "lip tar" is very misleading- I expected thick, sticky gloss.  These liquid lipsticks are none of the above!

Swatch of  OCC's lip tars: left to right: Memento, NSFW, Anime and Black Dahlia

These are amazing, and the assortment of shades in this set is fantastic.  I love that the set included a mini lip brush- that is vital for application of these lippies!  One thing I will say- only the tiniest drop is needed for application- these are super pigmented!  On my lips, these lippies lasted for hours- a rarity for me; but they bled a bit unless I used a lip liner.  The fact that they are vegan and cruelty free is just one more nail in the coffin that seals my newfound love for OCC!

Bare Minerals Original SPF 15 Foundation in Light (W15), full size (8g/0.28 oz), retails for $27, available HERE.

I love Bare Minerals foundation, and have used every last bit of what I have here at the house!  I typically purchase samples, but I think ounce for ounce, it's a better value to buy the larger container, especially since this is a product I use every day.  I love how flawless this makes my skin look, and the added bonus is that my skin isn't sensitive to this formulation.  I'm one happy customer :)

Samples!!

Sephora advertises that each order ships with three free samples.  They must be happy to have me as a customer, because I received FOUR!  I'm sending some of these on to a good friend :)

Sephora offers a birthday gift to all of their Beauty Insider customers.  Joining the Beauty Insider program is free, so I signed myself up months ago.  I was super excited to receive a birthday email, letting me know that I could pick out my gift!

Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Mascara, deluxe sample size (3.0g/0.1 oz), retails for $10 (via Benefit Cosmetics), full size is 0.3 oz, retails for $23 and is available HERE.  Benefit Cosmetics Watt's Up!, deluxe sample size (25g/0.08 oz), retails for $8 (via Benefit Cosmetics); full size is 0.33 oz , retails for $30 and is available HERE. (Side note: the deluxe sample size is cheaper, ounce for ounce than the full size.  If you are looking for this, I suggest the deluxe size, because it's a better price!)

I own full sizes of both of these products and use them very frequently.  These mini's will have a happy home in my stash, anxiously awaiting the day when I run out of their full size doppelgangers!  Watt's Up! is a gorgeous highlighter- I love this mini size because it is perfect for the browbone.  They're Real! is my absolute favorite prestige brand of mascara, and always makes me look gorgeous.  What an awesome birthday gift!

I also picked up a little Christmas gift for a friend, to bump me over the free shipping threshold of $50.  Total cost of this order, after my friends and family code, and including the little gift (gift was $5 before the discount), was $46; $42, not including the little gift.

My last purchase (at this point, anyhow), was at Glamour Doll Eyes.  GDE makes amazing pigments in fantastic colors, and I just HAD to add to my collection!

Glamour Doll Eyes offers a "blogger's special", where bloggers get to choose 6 shades at a discounted price.  I snapped up this deal, and am so happy that I did!  I'll post a full review later, but here's swatches of what I received:

Glamour Doll Eyes Tattooed, Mushroom, and Celestial Crow, full size

 These shades are seriously gorgeous.  I plan to use Tattooed as a liner, Mushroom looks like it's going to be the perfect blending shade, and Celestial Crow is simply...midnight goddess perfection.

Swatches of Tattooed, Mushroom, and Celestial Crow

Glamour Doll Eyes What's my Name? Mannequin and Island Chic, full size

I have yet to find a GDE shade that I DON'T like, and these are joining the "I LOVE YOU!" crowd!  Simple perfection.  The key to using these pigments with minimal fallout is to put a tiny bit in the lid, gently dip your brush, and tap off the excess.  I've had a bit of fallout, but not at all what I usually get from loose pigments.

Swatches of What's my Name?, Mannequin and Island Chic

I seriously love these three shades- What's my Name is a beautiful light pink, Mannequin is a great neutral, and Island Chick is a fantastic teal.  
 
GDE always includes two sample baggies in each order- which is very, very cool!
 

The samples I received are for After Prom and Corrode.

I really love these shades- After Prom is a pretty pastel pink, and Corrode is a gorgeous golden shade. 

Swatches of After Prom and Corrode

Sadly, I have misplaced the baggie sample of Corrode after I took swatch pictures, but hopefully it will turn up soon!

Glamour Doll Eyes offers their loose eyeshadows for sale for $6 a jar.  Customers can choose between sifter jars (I don't actually like these, but they can prevent spills) with 1 1/2-2g of product, and no-sifter jars with 2-2 1/2g of product. 

It's hard to choose colors over the internet- everyone's monitor's aren't calibrated the same, and it's sometimes difficult to get makeup to photograph true to life.  Plus, just because something looks awesome in the jar doesn't mean that it will look awesome on your face.  GDE understands this, and offers sample baggies ($1.50 for 0.5g) and sample jars ($2.50 for 1g) for sale.  Samples come with free shipping (to the US), and (here's the best part!) if you choose to order the full size of a sample that you ordered, GDE will deduct the cost of the sample from your purchase of the full size shadow!  Tell me- who else does this because I've never heard of such an awesome perk!

I'm totally in love with my purchase from GDE, and it was very affordable, at $25.81, shipping included- because of the blogger's special, it works out to $4.30 per shadow!

My total cost of my birthday haul: EM Cosmetics: $27.50
Urban Decay: $38
BH Cosmetics: $36.95
Zoya: $31
Sephora: $42
Glamour Doll Eyes: $25.81
Grand total: $201.26
Ok, so I went over my budget by $1.26, but I'm going to say that it doesn't count!  I am so happy with everything I purchased, I can't even begin to tell you.  I don't think I could pick a favorite item if I tried!

My 2013 Birthday mega haul

Until next time, my lovelies- stay Average!

Disclaimer: The items featured in this post were purchased with my birthday money, and not by my husband.  Any free gifts were given as a promotion available to the public and not for PR purposes.  I was not asked nor required by any company to review products, and all opinions are my own.  There are referral links in this post- the Glamour Doll Eyes links are referrals because GDE is awesome and lets bloggers refer people and try to make a buck.  Feed my beauty obsession and yours at the same time- shop at GDE.