March Glambag Review

It's that time! For those of you not familiar, a glambag is a monthly beauty subscription service that sends you 4-5 products (full sized and deluxe sample sized. No packets here) in a makeup bag for just $10 a month! If you want one of your own, please be amazing and use my referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/1bhk .If you use it, you'll get a thank you shoutout on the blog (both here and tumblr).

Normally each month there are 5 products, but this month everyone recieved only 4. The theme was destination beauty. I personally don't like the bag print. This print was done by a local artist for Ipsy (the company that sells glambags). Even though I don't like it, someone put a lot of time and effort into it.

Here are the products that I received this month and my thoughts on each:

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Get Ready (deluxe sample)

I have wanted to try Bare Minerals for a while but none of their products jumped out at me or justified me splurging to try something. I was so excited to try this lipstick. First off, how cute is this little lipstick? It is a beautiful sort of rosey pink color. I feel that this color would work on everyone. I normally like wearing bold and bright lip colors, so this isn't a color I would have picked on my own. I love it though, it is a beautiful color. It goes on nicely and it is creamy. The color lasted a few hours.

Nyx Love In Rio palette (full sized)

I love Nyx eyeshadows and know them well. I have loved everything I have ever tried from Nyx. As expected, this little palette is great! It contains 3 neutral shades. Each one is very pigmented and lasts. Nyx makes probably the best affordable eyshadows I have ever used.

Chella Indigo Eyeliner (full sized)

At first, I wasn't too crazy about this eyeliner. I have blue eyes, so I don't wear blue eye products. This eyeliner is an eyeliner pen. It has a felt-marker like tip instead of a brush. This I really like, it makes it easy and quick to apply the liner. The blue of this liner is a deeper shade, so it is wearable and did look good with my blue eyes. It does last all day. I just hope it doesn't dry out as quickly as eyeliner pens like this in my experience have. I'm not sure if Chella makes eyeliner like this in other colors, if so and if it doesn't dry out fast I would for sure buy one. 

Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer (deulxe sample)

To be honest, I didn't expect much from this product at first. I was completely wrong, it is amazing! The tube I was given is a really good size. It retails on pixi's website for $9, the full size is $22. You don't need a ton of product with this primer. It is the consistency of a lotion. I applied it under BB cream. It made my skin look beautiful. I had a gorgeous glow that I have always wanted to get. It gave me a glow without making me look like a glitter ball. My makeup stayed all day with this. I definitely want the full sized. For now though, I bought another tube of the sample sized online

Overall I really liked this bag. I can't wait for the April (my birthday month!) Bag.

Weekly Beauty Tip #77: Trick for lasting lipstick.

Valentines day is tomorrow, ladies! To keep your lipstick on (and not on that special someone) Try these little tips:

1. Apply a lip primer before your lipstick. This will make a big difference.

2. Apply lipstick then blot with a tissue.

3. Lightly pat on some translucent powder

4. Apply another coat of lipstick and you're good to go!

Lime Crime Velvetines Review

I have been excited about this product ever since it was first announced. I missed out on getting it the first time it was released. When the second wave of Velvetines was released I jumped at the chance and bought them. I have had these since April, but I really wanted to test these out well before I reviewed them.

Velvetines are liquid matte lipsticks. They come in three; Suedeberry (a retro red, kind of strawberry coral red.), Pink velvet (a bright pink) and Red Velvet (a beautiful rich red color). Featured in this review are Suedeberry and Red Velvet.

The box that Suedeberry and Red Velvet come in looks like this:

If you open the box all the way, it folds out to reveal instructions and tips on applying. I'm not sure if Pink Velvet will have this, from what I've seen the look of it is pretty different.

I love the packaging, although I expected these to be bigger than they are. It comes in a tube like a lip gloss and has a doe foot applicator. I really like the applicator, it makes it easy to apply.

The formula and thin consistency reminds me of OCC lip tars. These dry completely matte. They can feel a little drying, so put a little bit of lip balm on before applying. The colors are very pigmented, one swipe and you have full opacity. They smell wonderful, like vanilla cupcakes.

The lasting power is amazing as long as you don't eat anything greasy. If you eat anything with oils or greasiness then it will come off. But whenever I just drank or ate non-greasy foods the Velvetines stayed wonderfully! Sometimes I feel like they have even better staying power than OCC lip tars (and those have some great staying power).

I did a few things to test out lasting power and I have a timeline as well. One day I went on a trip with a friend to a large mall that was about an hour away. I applied some Too Faced lip Insurance primer with a velvetine on top around 8:30 am. About 9:30-10:00 I had a muffin, even wiped my mouth with a napkin a few times and it did not budge. I drank water throughout the day and it still didn't budge. Around 12:30 we stopped for lunch. I had something greasy, which wiped off most of the Velvetine. From there I just completely cleaned off the primer and Velvetine.

After lunch (about 1:30ish) I reapplied the Velvetine WITHOUT primer. I drank water throughout the day and it did not budge. I didn't do any touch ups. By the time I got home around 7:30 pm it still looked perfect! It even lasted through my dinner and did not budge until I washed it off myself with a makeup remover wipe (probably around 8:30 or 9:00 pm). I really hope that this shows just how well these last! I should also add that I at points had forgotten that I was even wearing anything on my lips. It is very light weight. It wasn't overly drying to me at all.

I absolutely love Lime Crime's velvetines. They're worthy of the hype for sure! I can't wait to get Pink Velvet!

You can buy (when they are in stock that is) velvetines from Lime Crime (www.limecrime.com)  for $20 plus shipping, unless you spend $50 then shipping is free. They used to be $18, but Lime Crime had a price increase in November 2013. I buy my velvetines from amazon from an amazing seller that gets their products directly from Lime Crime.

November Glambag Review

Finally it is time to talk about this month's Glambag! This month's bag was a very special one. It is Ipsy's birthday month, so we got 6 products (normally it is only 5) including a full sized Em Cosmetics (Ipsy founder, Michelle Phan's makeup company) product. The theme was "Glam It Up", which is perfect with the holidays just around the corner.

I liked the bag for this month, it is a super cute little gold bag that doubles as a wristlet. I was a little surprised at how thin the material it was made out of was though.

If you would like your own monthly Glambag, please be awesome and use my referral link ( http://www.ipsy.com/r/1bhk )!

Here are the products I received:

                                  Em Cosmetics Waterliner intense color eyeliner in Teal Tease

Everyone received one Em Cosmetics product. This was the one product I had really hoped to get. I had heard so much buzz in the Ipsy community that I was extremely curious. I'm so happy that I was given the chance to try this.

The color I got was Teal Tease, a beautiful teal color. These eyeliners are automatic (twist up, no sharpening needed). It also does have a little sponge to smudge. It is very pigmented and glides on nicely. What really surprised me: it actually stayed on my waterline! For years, no matter what I have tried, nothing will stay on my waterline. This stayed on all day without budging. I definitely plan on buying more of these. I would love to try the rose gold one.

                                                  Be a Bombshell lip crayon in Hot Damn

I really love lip crayons, but I personally was a tiny bit disappointed in what I got. I received this lip pencil in Hot Damn, a bright red. Ipsy has sent me a few red lip products before and at this point I have more than enough reds. I wish I had gotten the pink color that some people had gotten.

As disappointed by the color that I was, it is not a reflection of the product. This actually is a good product. This was easy to apply, being in pencil form but a little more difficult than other lip pencils i have tried due to the shape.

It is well pigmented. Goes on smoothly. This particular color was matte. It wasn't drying at all and it is  very light weight. I nearly forgot that I was wearing it. After the product was on for 20-30 minutes I drank some water and there was 0 transfer, it stayed put. Although I didn't get the color I preferred, this is still a great product.

                                         Nailtini straight up color nail lacquer in Caviar Cocktail

Many Ipsy subscribers have complained about constantly getting Nailtini nail polishes. I somehow had gone this long without getting one. As this being my first, I am satisfied. The bottle is  nice shape and kind of unique. The Nailtini logo sticker is on the front of the bottle and the color name on the bottle. This is a good sized product. I had a little trouble opening mine at first. The cap on it was weird, possibly screwed on wrong. But I don't think that's the usual.

Caviar Cocktail is a beautiful metallic gunmetal color. It was welcomed, as I don't have any other nail polishes of the same color. It is very pigmented, went on smoothly. The first day I had been wearing this nail polish on 1 nail I had been rearranging some things in my home and I have 0 chips. But a few days later I noticed that the nail polish was completely gone from my nail! So I am unsure of lasting power, I will need to try this polish out again to be sure.

Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Topaz

I love glitter! So I was excited for this. Starlooks Gem Eye pencils are very glittery eyeliners. The particular shade I got is a beautiful bright silver. This pencil is super creamy, glides on and feels amazing. It does stay on. My only complaint is there is some glitter fallout.

Pixi Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched

Lately I have been getting into using bronzers, so I was happy for this product. I'm super picky when it comes to bronzer. I use them just for contouring. I am very fair, so most of the bronzers I have tried are too dark for me and don't blend into my skin as well as I would like. That or they are too orangey or with glitter.

This bronzer is perfect for me. It is matte, which is what I look for in a bronzer. It is a very light color and not super pigmented, actually pretty sheer. The color is a tad bit darker than it appears in the pictures above. The sheerness is great for you pale skinned girls like myself. I am alright using bronzers a bit darker to contour my cheekbones, but if I were to contour my nose everything was too dark. With this bronzer, it is the perfect shade! I can now contour my nose without it looking obvious.

I absolutely love this product. The packaging is great too. It comes in a nice simple screw top package. It doesn't take up much space.

GlamGlow Youthmud tinglexfoliate treatment

This I was super excited to try. I have heard so much about GlamGlow and I have been dying to try one if their products. This was the only non full-sized product I got this month. I was impressed at the size of the tube, as this stuff is very expensive. I used this the night before a job interview, I thought that would be as good a time as any to. The mask reminds me a little bit of Lush's BB seaweed mask. It has these little pieces of what I assume is sea weed throughout. It is this grey mask with that and some little beads to exfoliate. I left the mask on for about 10 minutes. It tingled for a while. It didn't burn, but it was a unique experience. It did tighten, when the mask was on I couldn't really move my face.

As I added water to wash this mask off, it turned into an exfoliating scrub. So this is really 2 products in 1. It left my skin feeling great! Extremely soft and smooth, I didn't feel any of the roughness or little bumps that I will get some time. If not for the very steep price tag ($19 for .5 oz, $69 for 1.7 oz) , I would definitely buy this.

Over all, I absolutely loved this bag. It is probably my favorite so far.

Review: SweetPea and Fay Etui Lip Joule

I have been wanting to try SweetPea and Fay's liquid lipsticks for some time. While browsing online for an out of the box lipstick color for Halloween time I found this Lip Joule in Lottery Bride (a bright blue/teal color)

 

This particular product is part of a limited edition product collection released this summer called Etui for makeup artist Lina Toro. Although limited edition, you can find it on amazon.com, which is where I purchased my Lip Joule.

 

I assume that the Lip Joules are just like or at least similar to the brand's normal liquid lipsticks (which they call J'adore Les Levres). If so, I would definitely buy more.

It comes in a tube with a slanted applicator, the packaging is much like OCC's old packaging for their lip tars. The tube comes in a small sealed bag and little brush, like how OCC lip tars are sold at Sephora. The bag is a thinner plastic, but it is larger than what the lip tars are sold in which I like. It makes it easier to get the contents out. The lip brush isn't so great. It is very flimsy, the head of the brush will come off of the plastic handle. The brush head could be larger and the bristles separate. It is nice to have a little brush with it, even if that brush isn't good quality. The brush quality isn't a huge deal to me, I have other brushes I can apply this product with.

 The product its self is thicker and creamier than OCC lip tars. It isn't runny. The thicker consistency makes it slightly easier to work with. It also isn't as drying as some lip tars may be. A little bit goes a long way, so I wouldn't recommend applying directly from the applicator. It is very pigmented. Feels very lightweight. Once dried, it will last all day unless eating. When I drank there was little to no transfer, but while eating and using a napkin the product indeed did come off.

There is a good amount of product, the tube is completely filled. The ingredients are clearly listed on the back of the tube. The color name and the fact that this product wasn't tested on animals is also printed.

One thing I also feel the need to inform anyone reading this is not to buy this product directly from SweetPea and Fay's website.  I have heard so many things about people having trouble with their orders through them. Amazon does have many of their products at very reasonable prices, I highly suggest buying through there. I also know of a great seller to buy these products from on amazon. If you would like the seller name, just leave a comment or email me.

Overall, I love this product. It is great quality and reasonably priced. I would definitely buy more.

To see more of SweetPea and Fay's products (including more liquid lipstick colors), go to  http://www.sweetpeaandfay.com/ .

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 #46: Neater and more precise way of applying lipstick

When applying lipstick, instead of putting the tube directly to your lips try dipping a small angled brush in the lipstick then line your lips with it. After lining, use a lip brush to fill in the rest of the color. This is a neater way to apply product and you also tend to use less this way.

May Glam Bag

This month I subscribed to Ipsy and got my very first Glam Bag!

Ipsy is a beauty subscription service that will send you 4-5 products in a makeup bag each month. They always include a mixture of full sized and deluxe sample sized products all for just $10 a month! It is definitely worth the money, the total value of products you receive most of the time (if not all the time) is worth more than what you pay. The Mirabella lipstick I received alone is a $22 lipstick.

You don't personally get to pick your products, but that's part of the fun! This is a great way to try new products. There is, however a quiz you take when you sign up that will heavily influence the products and shades you get.

If you like what you see and want to get a Glam Bag, please use my referral link:
http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h051r3lzwoa89xn

If you do sign up and use my refferal link, please let me know. I can at least post something thanking you.


The featured brands this month are: Nume, Macadamia, St. Tropez, Zoya, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Pacifica, Juice Beauty, Mirabella and Yaby.

I received all of these products, the makeup bag and a gift certificate/coupon to Nume.

 Zoya Gie Gie Nail Polish (full sized)

                                                  Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia roll on perfume

                                            Mirabella Colour Sheers in Daydream (full sized)

                                                 Yaby concealer pan in cc008, Buff

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel (deluxe sample size)

My thoughts:

I am extremely happy with this bag, it was a great introduction to Glam Bags.

The Zoya nail polish: I already loved Zoya before getting this bag. It is actually what drew me into subscribing after kicking around the idea for a while. Gie Gie is a beautiful cute ballet slippers - like shimmery pastel pink. A very nice color for spring.

The Pacifica perfume: It smelled pretty good to me, but it just doesn't suit me so I gave it to my mom. 

The Yaby concealer: I actually really liked this concealer, although I only have had a chance to use it once. It goes on and blends very nicely. The coverage is good, it would cover everything except a  red spot or two. 

The Mirabella lipstick: When I first saw this lipstick, I can't lie I was a little disappointed. I saw pictures on instagram of girls getting this really pretty bright pink shade in their Glam Bags...and then I got this. To me it looked like a color that  a much older woman would wear. But, once I tried it on, I really liked it. It is actually a very beautiful color. It is sheer and buildable. Very moisturizing and light. 

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel: This is great! I have heard so many great things about their brow products and I'm so glad I was finally able to try one. This tamed my eyebrows really well without the stiff feeling that my normal brow gel gives me. 

As I said above, if you want to get a Glam Bag, please use my referral link. It is such a great and cheap way to try new products.