June Glam Bag

Finally after a few weeks of playing with the products, here is my overview of the June Ipsy Glam Bag. If you decide to subscribe to Glam Bags, please please please use my referral code ( http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h051r3lzwoa89xn)! This month's theme was on the wild side.

I absolutely love the bag itsself this month! Anyone that consistently reads this blog can probably tell that I'm a huge animal print lover. In this bag there were 5 products: Psssst! Dry Shampoo, Starlooks Lip Pencil, Nyx Rouge Cream blush, J.Cat Sparkling Cream Palette and Cailyn Line-Fix Gel Liner with Brush in Iron.

                                                          Psssst! Dry Shampoo

(Please ignore the rock in the background, I had to take the pictures for this post outside.) At first I was a little disappointed that I received this instead of the false eyelashes others received in their Glam Bags. But, as soon as I tried this, I was extremely happy that I did. This is an awesome dry shampoo! I used it after sleeping over a friend's house. The day before were extremely hot and humid, we had spent the day shopping and doing some errands. Then we got caught in the rain. Needless to say, my hair was gross the next day. I used this dry shampoo and it was as if none of that ever happened. It made my hair clean, soft and shiny. It also added some volume. I don't use dry shampoo often, but whenever I run out of this I definitely plan to repurchase. I should also mention the size is perfect for on the go.

                                                              Starlooks Lip Pencil

I received this lip liner in Tipsy, which is a coral/melon color. I don't have any lipsticks that would match this, so I wore it alone as a lipstick, instead of just a liner.  It is very creamy and went on very smoothly.  It is very pigmented and stayed on well until I ate. The color is also very bright! I actually really did like this lip liner, I just wish I had gotten it in a pink or red shade so I could get more use out of it.

                                                            Nyx Rouge Cream Blush

For about a month now I have been looking for a good cream blush. I had actually been looking at Nyx's Stick Blush, but I was so excited to see that I got this particular blush in my Glam Bag. The shade is Boho Chic, which is the absolute perfect shade for me! It is a nice natural looking pink, which is the type of color I really need. I have a fair complexion, if I wear any bright blushes I tend to look like a hooker. This blush is perfect for me. It is super creamy and blends extremely well. It can be worn sheerly (which is exactly what I've been looking for in a cream blush) or you can build it up. It is lightweight and I feel like it lasted all day. I would love to get more of these, they are great!

                                                          J. Cat Sparkling Cream Palette

 I received this palette in Suzie. I really, really wanted to love this product. I love glitter and when I saw this beautiful glitter palette I was excited to play around with it. Unfortunately, it wasn't as great as I hoped. I tried using this as a glitter eyeliner above black eyeliner on my lid and it just would not go on or stay. This product is like Vaseline packed with glitter. Even worse, I found out that this is not eye safe, yet there aren't any warning labels on the packaging. It is meant for use on the body. I don't really use body glitter, but I'm sure I could find a use for this as nail glitter. I was very disappointed with this product.

                                                     Cailyn Line-Fix Gel Eyeliner with Brush

I received this is Iron, which is a gunmetal color. I was hoping to get the purple colored one, but I'll probably get more use out of this one. I really really like this liner! It is so cool that the brush is included and it is a pretty good brush. Also very convenient for traveling, you won't lose your brush. The eyeliner is very creamy and glides on. It is pigmented, though it is a bit sheer on the first layer. I had to apply 2 layers to make it fully opaque. The lasting power is awesome! It lasted all day through heat and humidity. I would totally try out more colors! If you're just starting to use gel eyeliner, this is a great product to start with.

I really liked this bag, it would have been perfect if the J.Cat palette were better. This was my second Glam Bag and Ipsy continues to impress me. I can't wait to see what will be in next month's bag!

Weekly Beauty Tip #50: Easy way to remove product buildup in hair

To remove product buildup in your hair, mix a little baking soda in with your shampoo when washing your hair.

Smashbox Try It Kit Review and Primer Comparison

When I saw this kit at Sephora, I had to buy it. I had never tried any products from Smashbox. I love little try it kits like this so of course I was so happy to get it.

This kit costs $19 and contains deluxe sample sizes of 5 products.

Photofinish Lid Primer: 

(Please ignore the background of some of these pictures, I had to take them outside)

This is a great primer. Every time I have worn it, my eyeshadow has lasted all day. The color is darker than the primers I'm used to using ( Elf Essential eyeshadow primer, Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original and Eden) I wish it was lighter like these primers. It has a doe foot applicator (show above) and is very easy to apply.

Hyperlash Mascara:

This is my new favorite mascara, it is literally the best I have ever used. It separates, volumizes and lengthens. With my already long lashes, this mascara makes them look like false lashes. I also love the brush on this mascara. It has a kind of comb on it and it works wonderfully. Whenever all of the mascara samples I have from various sampler kits run out, I definitely want to buy this.

Limitless Eyeliner:

At first, I loved this eyeliner. It is a great shade of black, it's creamy and it glides on smoothly. But it didn't last long and it runs.


Photofinish Foundation Primer:

I have wanted to try this primer for so long. So many people rave about it. I have been using Elf Mineral Face Primer, which people claim is a dupe for this Smashbox primer. But how do they compare?

The Smashbox Photofinish foundation primer is clear, like the Elf primer. The Smashbox primer is thicker than the Elf primer, it also doesn't feel oily like Elf's primer can. I think the Smashbox primer is better than Elf's. Elf's primer is still a good primer, though.

I love the Photofinish primer. It keeps my foundation on all day and it eases application. This is now my favorite primer. I definitely want to buy the full size, but this is a really expensive primer.

Lip Enhancing Gloss in Illume:

This is an alright lip gloss. It is pretty and in a universally flattering color. It is very shimmery. It isn't as good as some other high end glosses that I've tried (Urban Decay Lip Junkie and Too Faced Glamour Gloss). It is a tad bit sticky, while the other glosses aren't. I feel that someone who absolutely loves lip gloss would really like this. I'm not a lip gloss junkie, so I am very picky with lip gloss when I decide to wear it.

Overall this is a good kit if you want to try some Smashbox products, I'm so glad that I bought it.

Weekly Beauty Tip #49: Mascara guard

To  prevent mascara from getting all over your face when applying and messing up your makeup, try using a mascara guard. A plastic spoon makes a great, cheap one. To use it, just place it behind your lashes when applying mascara.

Weekly Beauty Tip #48: Baby powder

If you don't have the time to wash your hair and you don't have any dry shampoo, use some baby powder. Baby powder can be used as a cheap woman's (or man's) dry shampoo and it will dry up any oil in your hair.

UPDATED Review: Broadway Nails Impress Press-On Manicure

Disclaimer: All products discussed in this review were given to me complimentary from Influenster.

I know I have reviewed this product before. Since Influenster sent me another set of these, I thought I would write an updated review. This review is based upon my second time ever using Impress nails.

The design in this review is called Holla. It is such a beautiful design. A friend who also gets VoxBoxes received this design in her College VoxBox, I loved it when she wore it and I eventually planned on getting it. I was extremely happy when I not only saw a set of these in my VoxBox, but this exact design made me ecstatic.

How to apply: First select and then lay out the correct sized nail for each nail. Next, use the included alcohol prep pad to clean you nails, this helps the nails adhere better. Then begin to apply nails, just peel the plastic backing, stick and press. There you go! Remember to save the thumb nails for last.

Impress nails are a very cool product, they aren't your typical press on nails. They have beautiful colors and/or designs making it easy to have a good manicure. They are so easy to use, there isn't any dry time and best of all, they actually stay. The very first time I used these they lasted me a week, they would've lasted longer but I was ready to take them off. This time they started falling off around the one week mark.


I can't handle long nails, I just go a little crazy when my nails reach a certain length. Needless to say I was going a tad bit out of my mind when I first put this set on, so I cut them shorter. I applied these at night and waited until the next day to cut them, to make sure that they had a good amount of time to adhere to my nails. You can cut them just like your natural nails and you can file them to shape them as well. To me it is extremely important that this is possible, if I had to wear Impress nails at the length they started at I'm sure they wouldn't last as long and I would hate them. I also throughout the night continuously to firmly press down on the nails, which I think helped them adhere better. Here are the Impress nails after I cut them:

I really love these so much. They're perfect for when I don't feel like painting my nails. I wish these were around when I was in high school, they would've made the perfect manicure for my senior prom. I love these Impress press-on Manicure so much, that I actually bought a few pairs and I definitely plan on getting more in the future.

Although some previously stated, here are some tips to help your Impress manicure last:

- Absolutely be sure to use the alcohol prep pad and make sure there aren't any sort of oils left on nails
- Press firmly down on the nail once you put it on, and continue to do it throughout the day/night to help it adhere better.
- Cut nails shorter rather than keeping them long, shorter cut nails will last longer.
- They cut and file like normal nails

Weekly Beauty Tip #47: SPF is important!

SPF is very important! Be sure to wear sunscreen under your makeup or a foundation/tinted moisturizer/BB cream with SPF in it. Even on the cloudiest days, those harmful rays can still reach you.

Secret Outlast Clear Gel Antipersperant/Deodorant Review

Disclaimer: The smaller size of the product  mentioned in this review was given to me complimentary by Influenster.

Not going to lie, I was excited when I saw this in my VoxBox. I will admit that I needed a new deodorant. I really wanted to purchase the Secret Stress Response that I reviewed from the last VoxBox (http://lipstickxzombie.blogspot.com/2013/03/secret-clinical-strength-stress.html) but it is expensive. So I have been looking for a good alternative...and here it is!

Secret Outlast Clear Gel as the name entails is a clear gel deodorant. It goes on and stays clear, so there are zero white marks. It is incredibly great that a deodorant like this exists because I've been getting tired of white marks on my clothing.

As I did last time, I used this deodorant at many different times to give it a fair test. I used is before bed, in the morning, on comfortable temperature days and very hot days. Every time, my underarms remained dry. The packing claims that it has 48 hour wetness and odor protection. I don't feel that it lasts for 48 hours, but it definitely lasts a long amount of time.

This deodorant smells great. The scent doesn't last as long as I would like, but it protects from odor very well.  Compared to Secret Stress Response this is a steal. I actually bought this after trying and I'm so glad I did, at $4.59 this is a steal!

Here is the deodorant Influenster gave me and the one that I bought. The store I purchased this at didn't have the completely clean scent so I had to settle for protecting powder.

NYC (New York Color) Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm

Disclaimer: Everything in this review was given to me complimentary by Influenster

When I initially saw this in my VoxBox I thought "Awesome, more lipstick!", I am quite the lipstick junkie. Upon closer inspection I realized that I had gotten a tinted lip balm. Even better! I have many lipsticks but very few tinted lip balms.

I opened the lip balm and the first thing that hit me was the amazingly yummy apple scent. I actually still find myself wanting to use this just because it smells so good!

The shade I am discussing today is Big Apple Red. It is a beautiful red color. This tinted balm is sheer but buildable. It contains shea butter, vitamin E, avocado oil and jajoba oil, which explains why it is as moisturizing as it it. It feels very nice and glides on just as nicely. It is very light weight and there is a glossy
 finish.

 On the right is the product applied with a few layers, on the left is the product applied sheerly:

There is a little apple imprinted in the middle of the lip balm, it is so cute. It almost made me not want to start using it because I didn't want to ruin the little apple. The packaging is great, just a simple twist tube and a cap. The tube is the color of the balm which is great if you just toss it in a bag, the color will be easy to find.

I really love this product, it is perfect. It is a great product to keep in your purse. It is quick to apply and you could wear it for any event or place. I have many friends in college that this would be perfect for. I actually really wish this product existed while I was in high school, I would've worn it so much.

The Applelicious balm has to be the best tinted lip balm I have ever tried and even better it isn't expensive at all! I would love to get this in more colors.

Tastykake Kandy Bar Kakes

Disclaimer: All products in this review were given to me complimentary by Influenster

No, that is not a typo, I will be discussing Tastykake Kandy Bar Kakes in Peanut Butter today.

The Peanut Butter Kandy Bar Kake is a rectangular shaped snack cake imitating the shape of a candy bar. It has chocolate cake layers with peanut butter in between covered in a chocolate kind of frosting.

By the time I was able to eat mine, one of my cats had knocked it around a bit so it doesn't look as perfect as it would've when I had first gotten it. It tasted just as good though!

The cake was soft and the peanut butter creamy.  I really enjoyed it. If I were to see it in a store I  would definitely buy it. Kandy Bar Kakes are available in s'mores, peanut butter and peppermint varieties. I would love to try the S'mores.

Spring Fever VoxBox

Disclaimer: All products featured in this post were given to me complimentary of Influenster


This post is a little late, but I received the Spring Fever VoxBox. Throughout this week and into next week, I will be posting reviews of all of the products in the box. Here's a little preview of everything I got, I can't wait to share my thoughts on everything!