Since we are right in the middle of "So New September", I decided to make our Ipsy bag review, a regular on First Impression Fridays, a part of this new tradition. Don't forget, you can join ipsy too or get more info here Be an ipster (I've also put it at the bottom of this post) So let's discuss. First of all, I will say this months edition of the bag is a VAST improvement from last months bag. Please do not take that as a spoiler because the last ipsy bag was...bad. First let's start with this months theme. Let's be clear, although it is SO NEW SEPTEMBER , let's be very clear, this is the August Ipsy Glam Bag - You guys understand that by the time, I get the bag, review it, film it. edit it and FINALLY put it up, it's close to the next month, if not the next month all together BUT, as a little sneak peek, I can tell you that September's bag does seem pretty promising. (I've received it but, haven't tested anything yet.) But, let's stay where we are and talk about August- back to the theme... The theme for August was “Confidence Level: Selfie Without a Filter”. I personally find that to be a cute way to take on some pretty serious topics. So- let’s break it down. In a digital age of filters, having a the confidence to do anything without one, takes a lot! I myself prefer Snapchat dms to Facetiming specifically because I can use the adorable filters. August is also the month that kids go back to school (at least in this part of the country) so- I think it’s an extremely appropriate time to up kids confidence. That being said, the actual bag itself left a lot to be desired. In a word, it’s lazy. It’s simple. It seems like the message was thoroughly thought out, the products in the bags were thoroughly thought out but, the glam bag itself looked like an afterthought. It’s Orange cloth with Yellow Trim...that’s it. Oh! And there is a tassel zipper.Yeah...that’s it. No pattern, no design, no graphics...no nothing. But, it is a bright Summer color...I guess. The products though...I was so excited when I saw this list. Of course, I take the preview when offered. This months bag featured, face wash, moisturizers and few cute cosmetics so...let’s check it out. Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating cleanser Ok, the first thing, I tried out was this cleanser. Cleansers are such an odd thing to review for a few reasons. First off, it’s not usually something to get super excited about but, it’s literally the FIRST STEP to your beauty routine so it’s pretty important. Over this year and last year, I’ve gotten so many different cleansers (a lot of them from ipsy). I’ve had the clay to foam, the one that cools, the one that has truffle oil in it, the one that works with oxygen - all types of crap and when it works it’s great, when it doesn’t, it’s just makeup remover. Exfoliating cleansers are always a good idea when done right. When they have large exfoliants, they can remove too much stuff and dry you out or irritate the skin - save the shells, large gravel size exfoliators, and acids for a weekly cleanser, mask, or resurfacer (my favorite is the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask). When it’s a sandy texture, they go a little deeper to clean out pores and they also remove dead skin cells to give you a fresh healthy glow. Murad has been in a game for quite some time and has a reputation for being at the forefront of skin care. NOT BEAUTY, skin care. I personally like everyone to stay in their lanes. I like to get my skin care items from skin care lines. It’s evident by the fine balance of moisture and exfoliator that Murad knows what they are doing. I really did enjoy this cleanser. From the texture, to the scent. It was really good! My only issue with it, is that I can’t see it removing makeup but, taking off the pollution, sweat, and just stress of the day...it’s a win and when I run out of my current cleanser (GlamGlow PowerCleanse)- I will be replacing it with this one. Now, it’s a little bit pricey coming in at 39 bucks for a full-sized bottle but, again - cleansers are the most important part of daily skin care and if your skin looks like crap - no amount makeup can fix it. They are also offering a free sample cleanser with a 65 dollar purchase and free shipping! You can get it yourself here. 111Skin Cryo Activating Hydra Gel Let me state now, that I had never heard of this brand before. Just from looking at the packaging, I felt that it was probably a pretty fancy company. I never just start slathering anything on my face, I do a little research first. When I looked these guys up...I was right. 111SKin Harley St. London is a Luxury Skin Care brand...Major emphasis on LUXURY. For me- the little girl who grew up in Lafayette, LA but, whose mother literally made me believe that "Gucci" was nothing more than a nickname for a purse, I'm of coarse drawn to affordable luxury and not-so affordable luxuries - (let's not bring my credit cards into this, it's simply uncalled for). This brand was created by surgeons and skin care professionals to give luxurious spa-like treatments at home. I will warn you now - it is an expensive little ditty, this moisturizer (200 little ditties a bottle to be exact) but, hear me out. As soon as I opened the box and slid out the tube, it reeks of luxury and decadence. Applying it to the fingertips added to this feeling. It smelled fresh, it feels velvety yet lightweight. It made my skin feel amazingly soft. I honestly, can't say if I've ever had anything make my face feel the way this moisturizer did. You can see in the video that I legit couldn't stop touching it. It was super smooth and even in one application I personally felt a change in my skin. It felt so hydrated, it's like I could feel lit plumping my skin from the inside out, I'm assuming that's the "filling spheres" at work. Work my little babies. WERK!!! Again let me remind you, that was ONE APPLICATION. I LOVE IT! I mentioned earlier that cleansers are the start to your makeup routine. Moisturizers are just as important. This is one of my favorites, if not my absolute favorite moisturizers that I've ever used. It feels like a moisture mask but, it's supposed to be used daily. I am in a word - obsessed. If you have the extra coins, check out this amazing moisturizer here. They are offering a Complimentary Single Sub-Zero Eye Mask with every order. They also offer complimentary shipping to the good 'ol US of A. Billion Dollar Brows Mini Universal Brow Pencil By now, we've had a long enough relationship where you guys now know my brow struggle. I'm not sure why I have so many issues with locating the right product but, its always a struggle for me. My ipsy subscription has definitely, attempted to right this wrong multiple times. Often times, they come close but never quite hit the target. This product unfortunately is another example of this. The packaging was cute. Simple, elegant, cute. I did like that the tip of the pencil was small and the pencil itself was pretty small. The smaller the tip, the easier it is to control. It comes in ONE Universal Shade, which works supposedly for most skin tones. Now, you may believe that THAT is my issue with this little dude but, no. One of my favorite brow pencils of all time, the iT Cosmetics Brow Pencil, came in Universal Taupe and I LOVED that thing. I just ordered the Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow and it took me longer to pick a shade than some people take to pick a husband. I like a limited shade range, it makes things a lot easier. The formula is very good too, it sticks enough to not budge but, is slippery enough to be manipulated with a spoolie to create a very natural looking fade at the start of the brow. For the most part, it's a pretty good, on the run, everyday eyebrow pencil. My favorite type of brow products are a wax, dipbrow, or pomade but, in a rush, those are just not practical so, I'm always down for a pencil. Honestly, this Universal brow pencil is one of the better ones that I've used from ipsy. Here's the issue and I'm thinking more and more that it has to be a problem with me and not the product. This is probably the third pencil I've used that leaves my brows with a gray tint to it. I know that sounds crazy but, it aggravates the crap out of me. Especially where my brows are a little more sparse, it leaves a gray tint and I'm sure you're thinking ,"Does she not understand that most Universal tones have that in order to keep it universal?" And I do smartass. But, the issue I have is that the more I go over it, it seems like it's almost picking the pigment back up instead of making it darker. This has happened with dark tinted brow pencils as well. Another issue that I have with it is that it didn't come with a spoolie attached but, looking at their website the full-sized version does have one. I personally find it a little pricey at 18 bucks but, if this was your one and only brow pencil, it isn't that unreasonable, I wouldn't go over 10 for it but, that's just me. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. See it for yourself right here - Billion Dollar Brows. Free Shipping on orders over 30 dollars. Ciate London Glow-to highlighter in moondustIf Brow products from ipsy are almost a constant let-down, Ciate London is the polar opposite. From nail polish to eye liners this brand hasn't disappointed me thus far. This brand is like a dupe for another high-end brand except that it's not. It's just really good. All of this being said though, I was slightly skeptical of a face product since I had never used one of theirs before. This highlighter might have been an exception to the rule but...of coarse it wasn't. (See how I tried to set you guys up.)- Let me give you a little backstory on me and highlighters. Blinding highlighters at one point in my life seemed so irrelevant and useless but, now they have become my latest obsession. I've been collecting them left and right. It all started with the OFRA Cosmetics Rodeo Drive highlighter, Too Faced Diamond Fire Highlighter and the latest the Anastasia Beverly Hills Original Glow Kit. I feel like the best ones have been unexpected, like the Becca cream highlighters and a few others. Highlighters have been a very easy stride for ipsy and I. However, now that I've been out into the world of highlighters, it is a little more difficult to impress me. Of course, just like every other time...this wowed me! If you watch the video (posted up above), there was a moment when, I went to move a fan brush that accidentally tapped into the highlighter and it left a beautiful sparkle, without me even trying. When I did apply it, it was an amazing buttery blendable blinding highlighter. It's beautiful, I love it. Another good collaboration between ipsy and Ciate London. Looking at their website, this compact costs 29 bucks. That may seem a little bit steep for a highlighter but, the compact itself is gorgeous. I only received a little pan sample from ipsy however, from the picture on their website it looks heavy and it comes with a good amount of product. If you do want to check it out - Ciate London
Glamour Dolls: Sweet Treats Lip Gloss in Peach The last product we have is a lip gloss from Glamour Dolls. This isn't just any lip gloss though, it's a lip gloss that is shaped like a popsicle! I know that seems a little childish to be that excited about that but, the shape will come back into a play a little later. Lets talk about the brand for a minute. Glamour Dolls is a fun and whimsical makeup brand that also comes across as, what I call, "cute rock and roll". What I mean by that is that they are slightly edgy without looking dangerous or trying too hard, which happens a lot in rock and roll (I'm looking directly at you "Hot Topic"). It's like Urban Decay that I'd be cool giving to my cousin Adrianna, who is going to high school next year. They feature out-of-the-box collaborations, for example, last year they launched a collection with school supply ALL-STAR Lisa Frank. I thought that was so cool considering that I am so sick of "Beauty influencer" collabs. They have fun themes and shapes, like this popsicle lip gloss, or the adorable "Glamour Dolls Bakery" Donut themed lip gloss line, which even comes in a pastry box. With all of that being said, it could be too childish for a lady in her thirties, such as myself. This is the first actual product that I've gotten from them but, my brushes are amazing. After looking at their super fun, girly website - it seems like their products could easily cross the generation gap and work for myself, my cousin, and maybe even my mom. The "Mattenetic" lipstick line, their powders, it seems they have something for everyone. Also, their price points are pretty low. I don't care if it's shaped like a baby bottle, if I can find a matte lipstick that is pigmented and not drying for under 10 bucks...I'm in. This particular product was lukewarm for me. Nothing really bad. It's a run of the mill nude peach color with little glitter flakes in it. I had a bit of an issue with that only because I find sometimes glitter gives a white tint which makes your teeth look slightly off-white. It was also pretty sticky. As far as lip glosses go, they don't have to be sticky. Now- you will pay for a non-sticky gloss - one of my favorites is Anastasia Beverly Hills lip glosses but, they retail at more than three times the price of this little Summer treat. Another issue for me...it comes in literally ONE SHADE - just one little shade named "Peach". Now for you guys who have seen this channel or read this blog...Ya'll know that I just do not like Peaches, I hate the smell and the taste of them. However, if a product is good enough (Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette) I can get over it. I know this review is sounding pretty dismal right now but, it's not all gray skies. Here's surprisingly what I like about it. The shape of the bottle. No, not because I'm obsessed with Popsicles but, the shape of the wand. I don't think that Glamour Dolls did this on purpose, I'm pretty sure that, they just wanted it to look like a Popsicle stick, however the paddle shape was easier for me to control and hold in my hand as applied it. Also, the bottle had an extra rim where you removed the stick to remove excess product from the wand! Yaaassss! Even my favorite lip products push WAY too much product out and that is so annoying. Ok so this is the end of my rant. If you want to check it out here's the link Sweet Treats Lip Gloss Free Shipping with a 25 dollar purchase- Use code "SHIPMENOW" The Verdict Ipsy did much much better this month than they had been doing. There was nothing in this months bag that I hated an a few products that I might even dare say that I loved. Keep it up ipsy. This is what I needed from you. So, guys don't forget- if you want to sign up for ipsy, you can do so here - Become and ipster. You get five products a month, some full sized and you can cancel at anytime. Only 10 bucks a month. I've been a member for over 2 years and I paused my account at the end of last year, because I just had WAY too much make-up, and picked it back up in April! It works out well. Hope you join up and thanks for reading.
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So, I know that after the ULTA haul (50% off clearance)pt.2. I was supposed to stop shopping but, I get my hair done there and it just happens that my last appointment was the last day of this sale. Which is good because I would have a terrible day had I not at least found those. But, the fact that I spent 200 bucks and my hair looks nothing like I wanted it to is a tale for another time. So, the first haul was mostly prestigue products, then the second one was mostly brushes- the third one was almost exclusively hair. I've already used a few and they are well worth the money, especially being that they were mostly a fourth of their original prices. Check out my final haul.
Total (tax not included) 96.48 35.68 Total savings: 60.80 - not too shabby |
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