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.

Ipsy (My Glam) November 2013 Review

Hello lovelies!

Ipsy is my favorite thing to blog about, because who doesn't love getting a big ol' bag of surprise makeup items in the mail, for only $10?!

For those of you NOT familiar with Ipsy, Ipsy is a makeup subscription program that sends out 4-5 full size or deluxe sample size items out to subscribers, plus a cute cosmetics bag, each month for just $10 (plus $5 shipping if you are in Canada, and tax in NY, NC, and CA).  Bags have different values, but I've never had one that disappointed- I love my Ipsy subscription!  If you would like to try Ipsy out, please consider using my referral link- I get point towards goodies and you get good karma (and then your own link to share)!  I also wrote a fun post HERE, that shows what 10 months and $100 of Ipsy subscriptions has brought me, what I used, gave away, and don't use.

Ok, enough chit chat- on to the goodies!

Pretty Pink Mailer

I seriously love seeing these pink envelopes in the mailbox.  I stalk my tacking numbers like a sparkly teenage vampire, and love love love that flash of pink!

First Peek

I know, I'm SUCH a tease!  Here's a first look inside my November Ipsy bag- I spy gold...

The Insert Card

This month's theme is "Glam It Up".  Bring it on, Ipsy- November is my birthday month, and I want to glam it up with lots and lots of color!

The Brands

I love getting lots of discount codes from Ipsy each month, and then sharing them with you all!  Looks like there's potential for lots of great deals this month!  Plus, a contest to win a year's subscription to Ipsy?!  I'm totally in for that!

EM Cosmetics insert card

I think that it's sweet that Michelle Phan included a little thank you note in the bags this month, that explains that Ipsy subscribers are the first to receive full size products as a trial (I'm assuming the first to receive them in a subscription service, because big YouTubers and Bloggers have been given products for review purposes).

The Bag

Ipsy bags have come in many shapes and sizes, and this one is unique.  A gold wristlet?  Hmm.  Not quite my style, but this will be added to someone's Christmas package, and make a friend a happy girl.  Or make them question my taste.  Really, that could go either way.


This month, I was EXTRA excited to receive my bag, because of the usual 4-5 items, we are getting SIX!!  I'll start with items that everyone is slated to receive, and then move on to the "variables".

Be A Bombshell Lip Crayon in Hot Damn, full size (2.5g/0.09 oz), $14 retail, available HERE.  Discount code IPSY40 will get you 40% off any purchase, plus a free Coco Delight Lip Gloss, until 12/15/13, US only, can't be combined with other offers.

I gotta hand it to Be A Bombshell Cosmetics- I look at this shade and I say, "Hot Damn" is most definitely an appropriate name! This bright red lip crayon is super creamy and glides on with perfection. Ipsy sent out this lip crayon to all subscribers, in both this shade and the color Shameless.

Swatch of Hot Damn

This looks like it would be a true red in the tube, but swatches more like an orange-red.  I don't usually wear lip products this bright, but in the fall and winter months, I am sure I can find several occasions to rock a red lip!  I gave this a try, and it applies very nicely, twists up (as apposed to needing to be sharpened), and is very long lasting.  All good things, right?  The only thing I don't like about this pencil is the shade.  This particular shade of orangey red makes my lips look really small.  I'm going to try layering another color over or under it so that I can make it work, because the formula is seriously great!

GRADE: 4/5 (The only thing I don't like is...the color!)

Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in Caviar Cocktail, full size (15ml/0.5 fl oz), $13 retail, available HERE.  Discount code ipsy4glam will get you 50% off plus a free eyeliner, your purchase of $25 or more, until 12/31/13, US only, can't be combined with other offers.

I love me some nail polish, and I find that the Nailtini brand is very long lasting (as well it should be, at $13 a bottle!).  The shade I received is Caviar Cocktail, which is a gunmetal grey, sort of a pewter color.  There is minimal shimmer and no glitter, which is unusual, in my experience, in a silvery shade.

Swatch of Caviar Cocktail

I used this shade as an accent color on a pretty blue mani, and I absolutely love it! I don't think I would ever wear this shade alone, but I don't have anything similar to it in my collection.  I'm happy to try it out!
GRADE: 5/5

Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Sunkissed, deluxe sample size  (3.2g/0.11 0z), $4.88 approx. retail value; full size is 10.21g/0.36 oz and includes a kabuki brush, retails for $18, available HERE.  Discount code BronzePixi will get you 25% off any purchase, until 12/15/13, US only.

My favorite thing about Pixi is the adorable packaging.  I love this pale green, the flowering vines and the Pixi logo.  It was difficult to figure out the retail value for this item, because the full size comes with a kabuki brush (only in my dreams, Ipsy doesn't seem to think I want/need brushes!), so the price above is my best guess- I took $2 off the full size price to account for the brush.  I received the shade Subtly Sunkissed, and I have to say that it is aptly named.

Swatch of Subtly Sunkissed

This bronzer has just a touch of color- perfect for those that are very fair, or who are just beginning to bronze. I'm totally in love with my Hoola bronzer, but I'm always open to trying new things.  I gave this a try, and it is a little too light for my current skin tone.  Give me another month of no sun, and this will work nicely for me.  It is very natural looking, and applied nicely for me.  This shade does have a hint of shimmer, as you can see in the photo above, so if you only like matte bronzers, then this is not for you.
GRADE: 4/5 (I wish it were just a hair darker, and maybe less shimmery.)

Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Topaz, full size (2.4g), $14 retail, available HERE.  Discount code IPSY will get you 40% off any purchase, until 12/15/13, valid worldwide, unlimited usage.

I've receive an eye pencil from Starlooks before, and it was just okay for me.  Ipsy sent the Gem Eye Pencil out in two shades this month, Topaz and Amethyst.  While I would have liked to try amethyst (I heart purples!), I was happy to receive Topaz because it's my birthstone!

Swatch of Topaz Gem Eye Pencil

I was very surprised when I swatched this pencil- when I think "topaz", I think of a gorgeous golden brown shade.  This pencil swatched metallic silver, with a faint blue tint to it.  I would almost call this straight up silver. That being said, I don't have an eyeliner in this shade, so I'm happy to add this to my collection, just was surprised by the name!  I gave this eyeliner a try, and I absolutely loved it on my face!  I had a hint of glitter fallout during the day, but as I used a light hand, it was not very noticeable.  I received several compliments while wearing this, so it will definitely make it to my train case.
GRADE: 4.5/5

Each subscribe also received an item from the new cosmetic line, em Cosmetics.  Subscribers could receive either a Waterliner intense color eyeliner ($20 retail value); Lash Gallery mascara in either lengthening, clean volume, dramatic volume or waterproof dramatic volume ($20 retail value), Pillow Plush cushiony lip balm ($15 retail value), or Lip Gallery Creamy Color lipstick in either classic or sheer ($16.50 retail value), and all items sent out are full size. I received the lengthening mascara.

EM Lash Gallery lengthening mascara in black, full size (7ml/0.236 fl oz), retails for $20, available HERE.  Discount code ipsy30 will get you 30% off your order, until 11/30/13, can't be combined with other offers, US only.

I'm excited to try out more of Michelle Phan's line (I picked some up as part of my birthday haul), but honestly I am swimming in mascara. EM offers 4 different types of mascara, and all four were sent to subscribers to test: lash gallery clean volume, lash gallery dramatic volume, lash gallery dramatic volume waterproof, and lash gallery lengthening mascaras.  If I HAD to receive mascara, I think I received the one I would have liked the most: lengthening, as my lashes are stubby and nearly invisible.  The little blurb on the box reads: "inspired by the girl who loves to tease with her eyes.  create instant lash extensions with built in micro-fibers, extend, without clumps, remove easily with warm water."  Most of the mascaras I've been loving have HUGE wands- this is much smaller, and has a gentle curve.  I gave this a try, and it really does add amazing length to my lashes.  However, it adds zero volume, and that is something that I need as well.  I had no flaking, no raccoon eyes, and it applied virtually clump free.  It's a very nice mascara.  How does it compare to Benefit's They're Real! and Rimmel London's Retroglam?  I like them both better- but that only has to do with the fact that they both add a little volume, in addition to length.  If you have full lashes that need length- this is definitely something to check out- my lashes got crazy long with just two or three coats!  I'll be adding this to my mascara rotation!
GRADE: 5/5

Subscribers also received one item, from an assortment.  I received the BH Cosmetics Galaxy Chic Eyeshadow single.  Items other subscribers received are: GlamGlow YouthMud (deluxe sample), Cailyn mineral eyeshadow with built-in sponge tip applicator (full size), HSI Professional Argan Oil (deluxe sample), Kiss EverEZlashes double pack (full size), and Tresemme Tres Two Extra Hold Hairspray (travel size).

bhCosmetics baked eyeshadow single, from the Galaxy Chic collection, in Asteroid, deluxe sample (1 full size appearing pan), retail value $0.83 (or if you go off the regular price, $1.28); full size palette contains 18 pans (couldn't find a size), and is currently on sale for $14.95 (regularly $22.95, but bh always has sales), available HERE.  Discount code IPSY20 will get you 20% off the full Galaxy Chic palette (which is gorgeous), until 12/31/13, can't be combined with any other offers, valid internationally (yay!).

First and foremost, how adorable is this packaging?  Seriously, this is so cute!

I love me some eyeshadow, but you probably all know that.  I was excited to try out the new BH line, because I hadn't had a lot of luck with them in the past (not terribly pigmented). I received the eyeshadow singe in the shade Asteroid, which is a gorgeous brown and blue blend.

Swatch of Asteroid

I gave this a try, and was really impressed!  I own two bh palettes, and received a sample from their California Collection in the summer; and on all of these, I had to work to get decent color payoff.  This shadow is super pigmented, and is absolutely gorgeous.  I trying to talk myself out of wanting the full palette right now, but only because I KNOW what my BFF bought me for Christmas (UD's BOS IV Redux and Lorac Pro Palette)...If I see an amazing deal on this, I might have a weak moment and purchase it.  Should I get this, or the Urban Decay Naked 3???  Hmm..decisions, decisions...
GRADE: 5/5

Other items from the assortment that I didn't receive, but you might have:

Glamglow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment, deluxe sample size (0.5 oz); retail value $20.29, available HERE.  Full size is 1.7 fl oz/50g and retails for $69. Discount code IPSY will get you 30% off any purchase, until 12/13/13; not valid on samples, US only.

Cailyn Built-in Sponge Tip Mineral Eye Shadow in Champagne, full size (2.5g); retails for $15, available HERE.  Discount code IPSY30 will get you 30% off any purchase, until 12/15/13, can't be combined with other offers, international shipping available (yay!).

HSI Professional Argan Oil, deluxe sample size (5mL); retail value $2.54, available HERE.  Full size is 2 oz/59.15mL (smaller full size) and retails for $29.99.  Discount code IPSY50SS will get you 50% off any purchase, until 12/20/13, valid in the US and Canada.

Kiss EverEzLashes Lash Double Pack (with glue and tweezers), full size, retails for $5.99, available HERE.  Discount code IPSY will get you 30% off any purchase of Kiss or iEnvy lashes, until 12/15/23; can't be combined with other offers, not vaild on clearance or shock prices, US only.

TRESemme Tres Two Extra Hold Hairspray, deluxe sample size (1.5 oz/42.5g), retail value $0.54, available HERE.  Full size is 11 oz, and retails for $3.99.  No discount code this month!

November 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag

Now for the financial breakdown.  As always, value isn't always determined by money- an expensive item that I know I hate has no value at all to me; while an inexpensive, easily found item that is absolutely amazing would be a priceless find!  Here's what's in the bags this month, so you can calculate how much YOUR bag is worth, along with what MINE is worth.
Items sent to subscribers this month:

Be A Bombshell Lip Crayon (full size)- $14
Pixi Bronzer (deluxe sample)- $4.88 (est.)
Nailtini polish (full size)- $13
Starlooks gem eye pencil (full size)- $14

em Lash Gallery mascara in either lengthening, clean volume, dramatic volume
em Waterliner intense color eyeliner (full size)- $20
em Pillow Plush cushiony lip balm (full size)- $15
em Lip Gallery creamy color lipstick in either classic or sheer (full size)- $16.50

bh Cosmetics Galaxy Chic eyeshadow pan (deluxe sample)- $0.83 ($1.28 nonsale price)
Glamglow Youthmud (deluxe sample)- $20.29
Cailyn Mineral Eye Shadow (full size)- $15
HSI Professional Argan oil (deluxe sample)- $2.54
Kiss EverEzLashes double pack (full size)- $5.99
TRESemme Tres Two Extra Hold Hairspray (deluxe sample)- $0.54

Total amount spent: $10, shipping included
Total value of *MY* bag": $66.71 (or if you count the full price value of the bh eyeshadow, $67.16!
My bag had one of the LOWEST possible retail values, and you know what- I don't EVEN care!  A retail value of almost $70 is pretty fanfreakingtastic for a $10 gamble!  Plus, I found a couple of new favorites- this is DEFINTELY worth the $10!

Here's a crappy instagram pic of the look I created with my Ipsy bag, minus the lip pencil (it's just too red, haven't found a way to make it work...yet):

I used both shades of the bh Cosmetics Galaxy Chic Asteroid shadow separately, the Starlooks gem liner in topaz,  em cosmetics lash gallery lengthening mascara, and Pixi bronzer in subtly sunkissed.  The lip pencil from BaB was too dark for this look, so I used Urban Dacay's lip crayon in Glinda.

Here is a video of Missy and me, unbagging our Ipsy bags together :)

 

Until next time, my lovelies- stay Average!

Disclaimer: I paid for these items with my own my husband's money.  The opinions in this post are my true and honest reviews of these items.  No company requested nor required this review.  The links are NOT referral links, except the Ipsy link.  That's totally a referral link because I like free things.