April Glambag Review

Hello lovelies!! It is that time again! As always, if you would like a Glambag of your very own please, please use my referral link:  http://www.ipsy.com/r/1bhk  !

This month's theme is beauty rocks. Since it is my birthday month (where are all of my fellow April babies at? April 30 for me!) I was so excited to get a theme like this. Rockstar beauty is basically my style. I am heavily influenced by my favorite rock/metal/alternative bands.

I love the bag for this month, it is so cute! I will definitely find a use for it. Now on to what I got in it:

                         Cover FX Mattifying Primer with Anti Acne Treatment (Travel Size)

I was a little confused when Ipsy gave me this product. In my introduction survey, I put my skin type as dry. My skin does, however change to combination during a certain time of month and during the summer months so I can find a use for this.

I happened to have a little breakout when I got my bag this month so it was as good a time as ever to try it.
The tube I got is a travel sized tube, the smallest one (.5 oz) available on the Sephora website. It is a pretty good size for travel sized. This primer is a clear silicone based one. It glides on nicely and absorbs quickly. It didn't feel drying at first, but after a few hours of wear it started to feel dry. It also started flaking off towards the end of the day. It did keep my skin matte.

As for the anti acne aspect, this primer contains willowbark extract, ancient African tree bark extract, and Vitamins F, C and E. This primer claims to be able to help heal acne, soothe inflammation and protect the skin. I personally felt none of these benefits, but you probably need to continue using this primer every day for a certain amount of time for it to work.

                                       Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide On Pencil (Travel Size)

Although travel sized, this is about 3/4 the size of the full sized pencil. The shade is called Black Velvet. As with any other UD eyeliner I've tried it glides on like butter. I really loved the velvet like, more matte finish. The color is very black! It is the blackest I've ever worn. It stays on all day even on my waterline. I would definitely buy the full sized.

City Color White Gold Shadow and Highlight mousse (Full Sized)

                                                    (Inner cap to keep product protected from air)

I was really excited for this product, but personally it was a bit of a let down. This can be used as a highlighter or a cream eyeshadow. The amount of product isn't much, but a little goes a very, very long way. It is very pigmented, but for me anyway too pigmented to use as a highlighter. This also is a messy product to work with. You need to dip your finger into the little jar to use and the product can get everywhere. It may work out better for those of you reading this, but personally it didn't work great.

Demeter Jasmine Perfume Oil Roll On (Roll On - Basically Travel Size)

I'm normally not a huge fan of floral perfumes. I favor sweet and fruity scents. However, I surprisingly loved this! It smells like fresh cut flowers, a perfect spring scent. The scent lasts all day and isn't over powering. The fact that this is an oil is a big part of that, as oil tends to stay on skin better. I would love to try the spray version to compare.

Mary Kay At Play Jelly Lip Gloaa in Teddy Bear (Full Size)

I'll be blunt: I really did not like this product. For starters, I'm not much of a lip gloss person. It has to be a really good lip gloss for me to use it. This is not one of them. It was pretty horrible: very sticky and thick. The color is sheer, but it felt heavy. The shade, Teddy Bear is a nude color. I didn't test wearability because I couldn't stand the stickiness of the product.

Overall, I was kind of disappointed with this bag. I didn't get any of the products that I really wanted (The Lollitint, the Rainbow Honey nail polish and the Acid Pink Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm) but I luckily found some products I did like.

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!

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.

ELF Mineral Infused Face Primer Review

If you've been following this blog from the very beginning you will know that I absolutely love Elf. It (next to Nyx) is my favorite drugstore brand.

If you don't know about Elf (eyes lips face), they are this great brand that has just about any type of product you can think of at low prices. Most of their products are in a $1-$3 range. They have three different lines: the essential, the studio and the mineral. Yes...mineral. They have mineral eye shadows at just $3! Most of their products are great quality and many are comparable to higher end products.

When I went to  cosmetology school I learned about so many different products that I didn't have and I wanted everything! I didn't have a lot of money to build up my personal kit but luckily I found Elf! Any time I have introduced a client to a new product (such as primer) or even to makeup in general I refer them to start with elf. It is a great brand to start with and if they don't use the product much or at all they didn't blow a lot of money.

Now, onto the review. Elf Mineral Infused  Face Primer is the only face primer that Elf makes. It comes in 4 varieties: clear, tone adjusting green, brightening lavender and radiant glow. This review will be on the clear one.

(Please ignore the scratches on the cap, these pictures are from the opened bottle that I keep in my train case, not a brand new one)

This primer comes in a convenient pump bottle. I like it, but it can be difficult to tell how much product you have which sucks when you're running low. The pump does screw off though which does make it easier. The plastic cap could use some improvement, it doesn't always stay on.  When I used to store my every day makeup in a makeup bag the cap would always fall off. Sometimes it still continues to in my train case.

The actual product is clear as described and not very thick. It is a silicone based primer. Some people will apply it with their hands, I like to apply it with a cosmetic wedge. It is more sanitary, you have more control and less mess.

This primer does go on smoothly and for the most part it feels great but it is a bit on the greasy side. For me this issue goes away once I apply my foundation. It does definitely make application smoother, it makes my foundation last longer and it makes my foundation look better.

This is the sole face primer that I use on myself. I have heard it is comparable to Smashbox's primer, I have a sample size of Smashbox's primer so I will definitely be comparing the two.

In all, I love this primer and I think for the price ($6) it is phenomenal. If you want a good face primer without splurging, this is your product.

 Your best chance of getting this product would be to buy it from Elf's website (eyeslipsface.com) but you can also find it at Target stores.