Ipsy - May 2013 Glam Bag - Swatches & Review

Ipsy - May 2013 Glam Bag

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Zoya Nail Polish - Blu

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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

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-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

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-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

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-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

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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?

Birchbox - May 2013 - Swatches & Review

May 2013 - Birchbox

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Click to Enlarge to read the description & price of all the products below.

Beauty Protector - Protect & Detangle

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I am definitely looking forward to trying out this product as there are already many rave reviews on the Birchbox website. I will make sure to update with my own review! 

COOLA - Classic Face SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face

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A friend of mine was just raving over this sunscreen (she tries to stick to Organic products as much as possible) so I was pleasantly surprised to see it in this month's box. It is way too soon to provide a full review but I can definitely say that the lotion absorbed into my skin immediately! Which is a huge difference from most sunscreen products that I have tried as they tend to be very greasy. I have read several complaints about the odor but I do not mind it at all. The smell kind of reminds me of melons. 

Joie - Folle de Joie eau de parfum

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I found the scent of this perfume parfum very mediocre at best. Most of the time I tend to gravitate towards expensive clothing and accessories but thank goodness that hasn't extended to perfumes. $98 dollars for a full size bottle? Sorry! I will stick to my 2 for $20 Bath & Body Works mists :) 

Sumita - Color Contrast Eyeliner

I am VERY impressed with this eyeliner. The minute I swatched it on my hand and saw how smoothly it glided on (with such strong pigmentation) I immediately though of my UD 24/7 pencil and took a comparison shot. Over 7 hours later the Sumita liner hasn't creased or faded at all and the UD lost some of it's brilliance and left a ring on my crease area (having oily hooded lids is a b**ch!) At $11 per liner I definitely plan on purchasing and I look forward to trying out their other products. Here is a site that sells the brand. 

Yes To Grapefruit - Daily Facial Scrub & Dark Spot Correcting Serum

I have never tried any of the Yesto products so it's pretty nice to have received this as a bonus. I just have to make sure to use it as I find that I don't try out these paper based samples that often. 

Overall

I found this box to be a 7 out of 10 in excitement value only because of the Sumita eyeliner. 

A 5 out of 10 for providing products that I typically want to try out. 

My last rating will come after everything has been sampled. 

How did you like this month's Birchbox? I would love to hear! 

Too Faced - Matte Eye Shadow Collection - Review & Swatch

Too Faced - Matte Eye Shadow Collection 

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Color: 
Neutrals
Price: $36.00 US (ULTA & Sephora) 
*Cruelty Free*

Pros: 
-Versatile color collection
-Very high color payoff
-Decent staying power
-Extremely soft consistecy
-Reasonably priced ($4 a shadow)

Cons: 
-Packaging is cute but doesn't hold up well over time
-Pigmentation isn't extremely strong (which isn't bad as it is build-able)

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These colors were so close to my own skin tone that they were difficult to swatch on my arm/hand.

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Overall: If you are looking for a versatile matte palette this is a great buy! Huge shout-out to my friend Lydia for giving this wonderful palette to me for my birthday!

Amazing & Inexpensive - Essence Silky Touch Blush - Secret It-Girl - Review & Swatch

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Essence Silky Touch Blush in Secret It-Girl

Color: 
Peach w/slight gold shimmer. Price: $2.99 US (ULTA) 
*CRUELTY FREE PRODUCT*

Pros: 
-Extremely inexpensive
-Very high color payoff
-Decent staying power
-Color is flattering for all skin-tones

Cons: 
-Packaging breaks easily
-A lot of fallout when swirling your brush in the product
-Slight (very slight) chalkiness

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Overall: I have to say that this blush is a winner - especially for the price! I have mentioned in a previous post that I have had very bad luck with drugstore blushes (except NYX) and this one was definitely an exception to the rule. In good conscience I can not say that it compares to department store quality but I have paid a lot more for way worse. 

Give it a try and let me know how you like it! 

NYX Round Lipstick - Pumpkin Pie - Review & Swatches

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NYX Round Lipstick in Pumpkin Pie

Color: Pale Peachy pink color with a very slight shimmer.
Price: $3.99 US (ULTA) 
$3.00 US (cherryculture.com) 

Pros: 
-Low price
-Cute packaging - A lot of people hate the plastic packaging but I like the fact that you can see the color on the bottom of the lipstick. 
-Nice color for people who do not have very pigmented lips.
-Soft texture.

Cons: 
-Smooth texture yet settled into fine lines and made my lips appear dry and cracked. Very strange
-Pigmentation was decent when swatched on wrist/arm area yet had very little color payoff on my lips.
-Soft texture yet it can border on greasy. Almost as if it doesn't sink in.

Click to enlarge - You have been warned.

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Top is layered twice and bottom is swiped once.

Overall: This lipstick was definitely not for me but I wouldn't say it is the worst product in the world. Once again I think it is best suited for people with lightly pigmented lips. The drying/greasy effect I can not explain but it doesn't seem to happen to everyone. 

Amazing & Inexpensive - mark Good Glowing Powder Blush

*stock photo*

When it comes to blush I have never had much luck with low end brands. I have tried many and honestly I find them to be a waste of money as they tend to lack in pigmentation and they usually have a very poor chalky texture. Of course there are always the exceptions to the rule - and for me mark blushes is one of them.

The review below is for my favorite shade called Cameo Glo. The other shade that I adore is called After Glo however I gave it to a friend of mine who fell in love with it therefore I don't have any photos/swatches. I definitely plan on purchasing again so I will update once I receive it.

mark Good Glowing Custom Pick Powder Blush - Cameo Glo

Color: Peachy/Pink Nude Tone. The type of color that gives a very natural flush.

Pigmentation: Pigmentation is perfect - it's pigmented enough to go on in one swipe (depending on skin tone of course) yet build-able.

Texture: Although it has some slight shimmery particles in the blush the texture is Matte without being chalky.

Packaging: The only con that I have with this product is the packaging. It comes in a very generic plastic case which can be a bit annoying to open. You have an option to buy a palette for $8.00 which you can snap your blushes into but I really don't think it's that worth it.

Price: $7.00 US per blush but there are always coupons floating around as mark is a brand that is sold out of Avon and Avon always seems to have some kind of deal going on. http://shop.meetmark.com/shop/default.aspx

*Review* Lush Products

This past year I caught the LUSH bug. Here is a review on the some of the items that I purchased and how I feel about LUSH in general after the bug went loose.

1. Honey I Washed The Kids Soap - As I mentioned in my previous review, I adore the way this soap smells and out of all of the LUSH soaps that I have tried this scent seemed to linger on my skin the longest amount of time. It also had the best lather but the staying power (amount of time it takes to melt) was mediocre and the honey comb top was totally useless.

2. Rock Star Soap - This was another scent that I fell in love with. The best way I can describe the smell is bubble gum meets cotton candy meets vanilla. Now, normally I am not a fan of candy scented anything but this one is an exception to the rule. Good scent aside, this soap melted away very quickly although the lather was pretty decent.

3. A Ring of Roses Buttercream - Now, this is the description of buttercreams according to the LUSH website. A Buttercream is what soap hopes to become in its next life if it behaves very well in this one. At LUSH we minimize the 'soap' part of our soaps so that we can fill them up with lots of other lovely things. Most soaps are 99% soap and 1% fragrance; 2% for a really posh one. Buttercreams are 20% soap to clean your body and 80% butters, oils, infusions and other fabulous things to get your skin looking and feeling lovely. Sounds good doesn't it? well it didn't work for me at all! This product had the best staying power but other then that it did nothing else. It barely lathered unless you rubbed it with a loofah, the scent was barely there, and with all of the butters, oils, and infusions that they add to it - it actually made my skin feel dry. Very pointless product.

4. Up You Gets Emotibomb - Emotibombs are basically bath bombs which are supposed to unleash a scent while you shower and provoke a certain "emotion" much like aromatherapy. Now, the whole emotion thing I take with a grain of salt although lavender does tend to calm me down when I am anxious but I digress...this was another product which did absolutely nothing for me at all. In the bag I was able to smell the emotibomb but once in the shower it lost it scent completely and I tried all different ways to get it to work. Nope..nada..nothing...another pointless product. Unless I purchased a bum bomb lol bum bomb :P

5. Therapy Massage Bar - Made out of shea butter, cocoa butter, and various oils; this bar was definitely very moisturizing to say the least. I had the hubster use it on my back and in turn I used it on him and it felt very nice for both of us - although it created an incredible greasy mess. After using it that one time I stored the rest of the bar away in my fridge believing that I would use it again until both my husband and I received a wonderful gift of a horrendous break-out on both of our backs. You know the kind of pimples that are painful and huge?? Yep, that's what we got. Needless to say Therapy went buh bye although really I should have known better. Maybe we used too much for one sitting?? *shrug*

6. Honey I Washed The Kids Solid Perfume - I saved the best for last. There isn't much to explain - this solid perfume is Honey I Washed the kids in solid form - packaged in a small container - perfect for rubbing on to the wrists and sides of the neck. There ya go! The perfect way to carry a great scent around on your skin. And the best part about it? I received it as an extra in a swap from a very lovely MUA member. I am still in awe of her generosity! This is by far the best product that I have had the pleasure of owning from LUSH. Why? Because it lasts and you actually get what you pay for.

Final Analysis - It goes without saying that my obsession with LUSH products has ended. I was happy to have tried all of these products out, painful pimples and all, as I am an experimental type of person by nature. However, I can't seem to scrub away the overwhelming feeling that I was being robbed without a gun for a bunch of overpriced gimmicky products that just don't cut the cake. Toilet meet money *flush* Now, having said that, it doesn't mean that this store isn't fun for an occasional indulgence or perhaps there are tons of items that are fantastic for other people but just didn't work for me....after all I haven't tried out the majority of stuff they have to offer so perhaps this review is even more juvenile then LUSH itself! Or maybe I am just bitter that I have to suffer through buyer's remorse - an emotion which makeupalley.com has cured since I can swap away my cosmetic mistakes and with LUSH it melted away before I got the chance to.

Whatever the case is...I saw...I tried...and I went :)

Anyway, let me get off of my soap box!

Bye!

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.

*Review* Chanel Bronze Universal

*PICS BELOW*

Pros:

Consistency - Very unique! Creamy mousse like consistency which quickly dries to a matte finish with amazing staying power. Can be worn over or under foundation and as a base for darker skin tones.

Color - Extremely natural sun kissed tone (I am NC 30-35). The most natural bronzer that I have tried so far. Gives my skin a very nice glow without looking muddy or overly dewy.

Packaging - Comes in a large round glass jar. Very solid and elegant as is the case with all Chanel products. I have to check my package to see what the weight is but you get an enormous amount of product.

Application - Build-able! Very easy to go from light to dark as it doesn't apply heavily at all. I use a mini MAC 187 brush to softly stipple on the product and then I buff it into my skin with the same brush or a mini kabuki depending on how much blending needs to be done.

Price - $48.00 US - Now, this is definitely a con to me and I am sure a lot of people out there as $48.00 is a pretty penny to pay for a beauty product which doesn't vanish wrinkles :) However, as I mentioned above, you get a ton of product for your money and a fantastically unique product which actually works. Overall I say it's worth the investment.







*I will upload a pic of me wearing this bronzer after I give birth and the puffiness of my face calms down a bit. The swatches really don't do the product justice!*

Barbie Loves Stila - Swatches, Review, & Product Photos

I decided to create a post about this wonderful set since it is now available at the Stila website for $20.00 - a true steal in my opinion. I am also going to add in the Foxy Barbie set, however, I do not see it on the Stila website anymore. It is available for a great price on ebay though :)

Barbie Loves Stila - 1959 #1 Ponytail Doll









Barbie Loves Stila - Foxy Doll











Review: 1959 #1 Ponytail Doll

Packaging: I admit that I am a total sucker for pretty packaging. However, what makes this packaging a bonus is the adorable paint can which can be used as a cosmetic brush holder, hair brush holder, etc

Eyeshadows: Both shadows are wonderfully pigmented and are a breeze to blend. The dark blue one has a shimmer to it which isn't overpowering and the black shadow has a matte consistency which can also be used as a liner.

Blush: Light coral color with illumining properties. I would say that the shade will probably be very flattering on most skin tones.

Lipstick: Cherry red color with a matte consistency. I would say this is the item I liked the least out of the bunch. The color is very pretty but it does not feel pleasant on my lips at all. I think it's way too drying - even for a matte.

Eyeliner: Decent liquid liner (black) which goes on smoothly. Not the best and not the worst I have tried. I found the color to be a bit of a dull black - almost a dark grey if I had to describe it.

Review: Foxy Doll

Packaging: See above.

Eyeshadows: As I mentioned in the review above, both shadows are highly pigmented and are a breeze to blend. In this set the 2 colors are in the metallic family and both do a fantastic job at brightening the eye area without an obnoxious amount of shimmer. They are truly gorgeous neutral shadows.

Blush: Another very nice coral shade except this one is darker with a matte consistency. Almost a mauvey coral color if that makes sense.

Lip Glaze: Sheer apricot lip gloss. I like the color alot but was underwhelmed at the complete sheerness of the product.

Mascara: I really didn't expect this mascara to be any good but I actually like it! I wouldn't say I love it enough to run out and purchase it but I will certainly use it until it dries out. Not a bad product at all and it's full size!

Overall - If anybody gets the opportunity to purchase these sets on sale I would say grab them. If nothing else just for the shadows alone.