Ipsy - May 2013 Glam Bag - Swatches & Review

Ipsy - May 2013 Glam Bag

Click to Enlarge

Zoya Nail Polish - Blu

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge - Excuse the gross polish job!

-Zoya is sold at many online stores and averages at about $8.00 US per bottle.
-A great place to get a good deal is Beauty Lounge which sells them for about $6.50 US
-If you are an Ipsy member they are currently having buy 2 get 1 50% off deal.

I am a huge fan of Zoya nail polishes! They use a non toxic forumla (5free - free of toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthlatates) and camphor) They have a great color selection and the application always goes on so nice and buttery smooth with little to no streaking. While I love the product I can't say that I am crazy about the shade that was sent to me (opaque powder blue) although I would love it as a wall color. The good thing about me is that my taste in polish colors change constantly so there is a huge chance I will wear it at some point in time :-)

Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss - Pink

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge 

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

-Juice Beauty is also sold in many online stores - Ulta, Dermstore, Amazon, etc.
-Price is $15.00 US for 0.28 oz
-Ipsy Deal - Receive 20% off any purchase of $30 or more at juicebeauty.com/ipsy

Juice Beauty is another brand that I really like for it's eco-friendliness and great variety of products. Alicia Silverstone is a contributor which is another huge bonus for me because I absolutely adore her! I am really looking forward to trying out her makeup line - check it out here.

As for the gloss, I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth the formula was. It made my lips buttery soft smooth without feeling filmy and sticky. The color is very sheer for my pigmented lips but I do not get the impression that it is supposed to be a heavily pigmented item. Overall I really like the gloss but I would only re-purchase it if I had a discount.

Pacifica - Coconut Crushed Pearl - Luminizing Body Butter

Click to Enlarge

-Pacifica products are sold in Sephora, Amazon, Target, Drugstore.com, etc.

-Price is $7.00 US for 2 oz. tube

-Ipsy Deal - Receive 20% off any purchase at pacifcaperfume.com with the code Beauty20.

I am not very familiar with the Pacifica brand but I can safely say that I really like what was given to me in this month's bag. 

This cream has a wonderful beachy scent and it makes my skin feel very fresh and smooth. The shimmer is slight and tasteful but I would prefer my lotions to be shimmer free. I would definitely re-purchase when I run out although I can't say that this is going to become a staple item. Not yet at least! :)

Pacifica - Island Vanilla & Tahitian Gardenia - Perfume Roll-On

Click to Enlarge

-Pacifica products are sold in Sephora, Amazon, Target, Drugstore.com, etc.

-Price is $12.00 US for .33 oz

-Ipsy Deal - Receive 20% off any purchase at pacifcaperfume.com with the code Beauty20.

I really like this scent. It's slightly sweet and very summery without being completely overpowering. Definitely a great roll-on perfume to slip into my bag. Not sure if I would re-purchase just yet but I can safely say that I will have my eye on Pacifica products going forward. 

Yaby Concealer in Buff

Click to Enlarge 

Click to Enlarge - BUT BE WARNED! 

-Yaby Cosmetics are sold at http://www.yabycosmetics.com/ & camerareadycosmetics.com
-Price is - Palettes range from $12 - $21.99 US - Concealer Refills are $5.06
-Ipsy Deal - Receive 20% off your purchase with code ipsyluvsyabycc20

I have no experience what-so-ever with Yaby cosmetics but I have heard great things about the line. Stage makeup products are usually great.

As for the concealer, it really didn't do much for me but keep in mind that my under eye circles are VERY severe and puffy so this would probably work out well for a person with light - moderate discoloration issues. The texture was okay...a bit too cakey for me but I also have very crepey eyes.

Overall

I found this bag to be an 8 out of 10 in excitement value. I was very underwhelmed by my first few Ipsy bags but lately they have been quite amazing! 

A 7 out of 10 for providing products that I typically want to try out.

How did you like this month's Glambag? Which items did you receive?

My Favorite Fall/Winter Plummy Shades

As the end of winter begins to draw near *yay!* I wanted to pay homage to my favorite fall/winter plummy shades that I absolutely wore out this season.

Blush

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Velvet Plum - Beautifully rich plummy tone which when applied lightly gives my cheeks a wonderful yet deep wintry flush. Great product for all skin tones when used with the right tool. Nice for lips as well but can be a bit drying without a gloss on top.

NARS Sin - On my medium/light skin tone Sin comes across as a mauvey yet slightly plummy shade. There is some shimmer to this product yet it is slight and not overdone at all. As is the case with all of the NARS blushes that I own, I love how Sin perks up my complexion and makes my skin look alive and fresh. LOVE LOVE LOVE

*Please note that the swatches in the pic below appear a bit darker as they are layered on my skin*

Eye Shadow

MAC Handwritten - Beautiful dark brown/purple color which is perfect for a smokey eye and/or outer v. Fantastic Matte2 consistency which makes this shadow blend like a dream with amazing pigmentation.

NYX Eggplant - Shimmery purple color with a slight grey undertone. One of the few NYX purple shades that I could pull off.

Lips

Club Monaco Lipstick in Glaze - I find this lip color to be similar to Clinique's black honey except it is a bit richer in color. Applies beautifully and gives that perfect amount of plum color to the lips without looking like something that walked out of a 90's ad (btw I was guilty of rocking the dark browns in the 90's :) This lipstick was given to me by a very good friend who informed me that Monica Lewinski wore this in an interview hence making the product super popular. I believe it is now discontinued....much like Monica :)

Laura Mercier Plumping Lip Gloss Wildberry - Very pretty sheer berry tone. Very wearable alone or on top of lipstick. I believe this is discontinued too..what a shame.

NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss - Swatches & Product Photos

Some of my favorite items from NYX are their Mega Shine Lipglosses. These glosses come in a wide variety of different shades, textures, finishes, and you get alot of product for the money (0.53 fl.oz.)

They retail for $4.99 @ Ulta and they regularly have sales (Every month you can always find a $3.50 off or 20% off coupon too!) If you do not have an Ulta near you, or if your store does not offer a wide variety of NYX, cherryculture.com is a great alternative as they have a wide amount of inventory and they also offer great sale prices periodically throughout the year.

See below for some product photos and swatches.
I chose the ones below to show the variety of different colors and finishes.
(Click on the pics for close-ups)