August Glambag review

It's the end of August, know what that means? Time for my review of the Ipsy August Glam Bag! For those of you that still may not know, Ipsy is this great beauty subscription service that sends 4-5 products (a mixture of full and deluxe sample sized) for just $10 a month. This is my fourth bag and by now I can for sure say these bags are worth it! They are great if you want to try new products. If you decide to sign up, please use my refferal link ( http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h051r3lzwoa89xn ). If you do, I'll be sure to thank you in a post on the blog.

Here are the products that I got in my bag this month: 

Smashbox Photofinish foundation primer

 

Size: Deluxe sample

This is one of my favorite primers, I was very happy to get this in my bag. I have already reviewed it in my Smashbox Try it kit review. If you would like to check it out, you can read it here.

                                   Pixie Beauty Lash Booster mascara in Blackest Black

Size: Deluxe sample

This mascara didn't do much for me. I naturally have very long lashes that usually need a bit of volume. This mascara lengthens, defines and even curls a bit. The extra bit of curling I got from it was nice. I wear glasses and often have a problem with my eyelashes hitting the lenses if not curled enough. If you have shorter lashes, this would probably great for you. It is indeed waterproof as promised. It survived through rain and some emotional moments. I personally wouldn't buy this mascara, as it doesn't have the one crucial benefit I need.

                                                  Micabeauty Eyeshadow in Bronze

                                                                                                                                                                                                         
 

Size: Full

This is a great eyeshadow. It is a beautiful bronze shade which looks great paired with my blue eyes. Although I have a few similar colored ones, I still really liked this.  It is a loose eyeshadow. Many people don't like loose shadows simply because they don't know how to work with them or think they're too messy. I personally love working with them. The packaging is simple and good for a loose shadow. It has a two holed sifter rather than a four holed one which I have seen a lot in loose powder products. I like it, as it doesn't allow too much product out. The eyeshadow its self is really pigmented. It blends very easily and has a great texture. I never apply eyeshadow without primer, it lasted well with it. I didn't notice any fallout.

                                                   Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in 69

 To clarify, I am pale, but not that pale! I had to take this picture on my phone and it just happened to make me paler.

Size: Deluxe sample

I was really excited that I got this. Urban Decay is one of my favorite brands. When I saw this new lipstick line, I was over the moon! I was a bit disappointed at the size, but I am just happy I had the chance to try it at all. The shade I received is 69. In the tube it looks like a classic bright red. When applied it has a pink undertone. It is a pretty unique shade of red. On me, the pink undertone is more obvious. In the swatch picture above, the pink undertone was captured a little too much. The actual product is a bit redder, but this is a great representation of what shade of undertone there is. This is a very pigmented lipstick! One layer contains full opacity, which is nice. It goes on smooth and creamily. You may want to wear a lip primer with this lipstick though and you may need touch it up a few times as it transferred easily. It did feel a tad dry after a while but for me that isn't a problem. I absolutely loved this lipstick. I am a queen of red lipstick, I have a lot. I always say I have too many and won't get more...but then I find another shade that I have to have. This is one of those. I will for sure eventually be purchasing the full size and it will be a great addition to my lipstick collection.

                                    Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient Rich Facial Mask

 Size: Deluxe sample

This is another product I was excited for. I love face masks. I have been looking for one to have around to use when I run out of my beloved Lush ones and can't get to Lush to buy more. This is deluxe sample/travel sized which turned out to be a pretty decent size. This mask claims to be nutrient rich and provide anti wrinkle as well as softness benefits. It also says it is suitable to all but sensitive skin types. Although I'm not old enough to have wrinkles, it made my skin feel amazing. My face definitely felt full of nutrients. Very soft and notably smoother. The texture is good, it isn't heavy and you only need a thin layer. To me, it looks like pumpkin baby food. The pumpkin scent is nice but strong. Perfect for pumpkin lovers. The only issue I had was that this mask burned for about the first 5 minutes of wear. It is definitely not for super sensitive skin. I didn't particularly enjoy the burning but I didn't mind it. This face mask won't replace my Lush ones, but I did like it. If you don't have sensitive skin and love pumpkin, try it!

In all, I really liked this bag. My favorite item being the UD lipstick. The bag its self this month was super cute! It is purple with a gold crest print all over it. The crest has little makeup pictures in it. It is a sturdy material. I really want to use it as my purse makeup bag. The theme was Glamour Academy which I think fits well with the products in it. Great for beauty beginners with some basics and some new products to try. I would have loved to try the cheek stain that some people got, but I am very satisfied with what I did get.

I can't wait to see what  I will be getting next month!

Weekly Beauty Tip #59: Exfoliate

Exfoliating is a very important step in skincare. It will help remove old, dead skin and allow new glowing skin cells to come through. It is important to do this at least once a week.

Helpful hint: I have (finally!) gotten my mother to listen to my skincare advice, she now exfoliates. Since she started, her skin has gotten so much softer and a much better appearance.

Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask review

I had been hooked on the Cupcake Fresh Face mask for a while. Lush has so many other face masks that I decided to try some of their other masks (also because Cupcake would be super drying to me at times). Among my favorites are Oatifix (which I will be reviewing soon) and Catastrophe Cosmetic. I had gotten a sample while in the store one day and fell in love at first use. I absolutely had to buy it! Sadly, it took me about four trips to my local Lush to finally buy it. Why? Every time I went it was completely sold out! People either loved it as much as I do or I came on the day before a new shipment came.

Anyway, onto this product and why I love it.

Lush's Fresh Face masks are made with fresh and natural ingredients. They have a short shelf life and they have to be kept in the fridge. Because of that, they can only be bought in store. I keep mine in the freezer and they actually last much longer.

 (It looks weird in the pot, this is because of how the product settled in my bag before I was able to get home and pop it in the fridge)

Some of the ingredients in Catastrophe Cosmetic are fresh blueberries, calamine powder, Irish moss and almond oil. It smells amazing, like a mixture of the blueberries and calamine. To me, it is a calming scent. This mask has antioxidants which are great for your skin. This mask cleanses your pores very well. The calamine in it leaves a calming effect, which is great for those with redness in their face like myself. It is a blue-grey color with little flakes of blueberry throughout. The consistency isn't too thick, so you use a little less product than you would if you were to use Oatifix.

After using, my face always feels very soft and clean. My face smells really good and my redness is calmed down. If you would like a redness calming product or a product that will help clean our your pores after wearing a lot of makeup, you should try this. And if you love face masks, definitely give this one a try!

Weekly Beauty Tip #58: Use a face mask

Use a face mask at least once weekly to relax and get some extra skincare benefits that your cleanser or moisturizer may not give you.

Olay Fresh Effects: Long Live Moisture Satin Finish Lotion review

The product I am reviewing today is one of the ones I showed a while back that I won from Olay through an Influenster brand challenge. Long Live Moisture is a gel moisturizer. It Is oil free and will not clog your pores. It comes in a tall pump bottle. I really love the packaging, the Fresh Effects designing is cute and the pump is very convenient and sanitary. 

You don’t need too much product, even a little bit is very moisturizing.  Yes, this is a very moisturizing moisturizer.  If you have oily skin, I would not use this. It isn’t heavy at all, like a lot of rich moisturizers can be. It is extremely light weight , which is great for wearing during the day under your makeup. The finish is a great satin finish, it won’t leave your face shiny. The moisture really does last! It also feels great on your skin.

My mother who is in her late 40s decided to give this a try.  Her skin can get very dry. She has used it every night since I received the Fresh Effects prize pack. Since using this, she has noticed a huge difference in her skin. It is much softer and it stays moisturized. She absolutely loves this moisturizer, which although marketed towards younger girls/women you more mature ladies could use this too. 

Over all this is a great moisturizer! The only problem I have is the amount you get for the price. The price depends on where you buy it, but it can be a little expensive.If you compare it to some higher end moisturizers, the price isn’t bad for what you get. Long Live Moisture is definitely worth the money. My mother and I both intend to purchase when we run out.

Weekly Beauty Tip #57: Protect your hair from heat

Before styling your hair with heat you should always apply some sort of heat protection product, such as a heat protection spray. It will protect your hair from being fried and damaged. In a way, it is like how you protect your skin with sunscreen.

Weekly Beauty Tip# 56: Fill eyebrows with powder

Fill your eyebrows with powder, rather than a brow liner. It is less harsh and easier to blend.

Weekly Beauty Tip #55: Fill and define your brows

Fill and define your eyebrows, they frame your face. If you fill and define them right, they will pull your makeup look together and make it look even better.

theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer Review

I won this product in a twitter giveaway from theBalm  (https://twitter.com/thebalm) a while back. Mary Lou-Manizer is a powdered, golden luminizer (or highlighter).

This is the box that the product comes in. I love it, it is very cute. It is one of those packagings that I can't bear to throw away! 

The product its self comes in a good sized and convenient compact with a mirror. I love this packaging so much. It opens and closes easily, it won't come open in your bag. The compact is very sturdy, although I haven't  dropped it yet (and I really hope not to!). The retro design that theBalm is known for is super cute and fun. The name is also very clever. This is a compact I would be proud to pull out in public.

  

I tried very hard to capture a good swatch of this product for this review, but it refused to photograph.

Mary Lou-Manizer does as it is supposed to, adds a great glow and a highlight. You can build the coverage of it making it sheer or more opaque. It can also be used as an eyeshadow. It is finely milled so my face never looks like a glitter ball. It feels very silky, glides on nicely and blends very well. It lasts very well too.

This is a great luminizer, I would say it works with any skin color, especially a tan one. I have a fair complexion and it works well for me.

If you prefer working with powder over a typical liquid luminizer, this is definitely for you and absolutely worth the investment.