Ipsy June 2015

          My ipsy bag for June finally arrived, I feel like the last couple have been later than normal. I am not over the moon about every thing in my bag but there are a couple things I am happy about.

BioRepublic Fiber Masks in Aloe Rescue, Cucumber Breeze, and Green Tea Detox approx. $30

          I am probably most excited for these three items. I love face masks and skin care products. I  am glad they included three different kinds so no matter your skin type you can benefit from getting these. I will likely benefit most from the Green Tea Detox and the soothing Cucumber Breeze. The aloe would be great after a long day in the sun.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer $9

           This would normally be a product that I would love to receive but I have tried this before and hate it. My makeup just slides right off my face. It works for my sister so I am just going to hand it off to her. 

tre'StiQue Mini Shadow Crayon in Kona Coffee Full Size $26 sample: lets say $7

           I am looking forward to trying this out tomorrow, I have been using the same three eye shadows because of my project pan. This crayon will go well with them so it is a way to mix things up but while still using items from the project. My crayon is usable but it did come a little smooshed so I am getting a replacement product. 

Ofra Cosmetics Eye Liner in Turquoise  $13

             I am always happy to receive eyeliner but I doubt I can pull off turquoise, I don't think I will be getting much use out of this. 

J. Cat Beauty Liptitude Hydrating Lip Stain in Blow Your Mind $5.99

           This is probably the product I love the most. It is so pigmented and goes on so creamy and smooth, with the mintyness it almost feels like a thick balm. It stays put and once it wears away a natural looking stain is left behind. Love, love, love.

Swatches for J. Cat Lip Stain, tre'sTiQue eye shadow and Ofra eyeliner

            I also redeemed some points for a couple items again this month. I am looking forward to trying these out.

Noyah Mini Lipstick in Deeply in Mauve

          I wish all my lipsticks were in mini form, I have never actually finished a lipstick or gloss. Plus they would fit better in your purse or pocket. This more of a fall colour but being about as pale as they get I can pull of reds and berry colours comfortably and will be pulling this out again after summer.

ClariSEA Deep Pore Detox Activated Charcoal Exfoliating Mask

          So how about that name though? Anything with that much of a name has to be packing a punch. You take a little of the powder and mix it with water to form a paste that you use as a mask. I am all about deep clean and charcoal right now so this is right up my alley. I got another ClariSEA exfoliate as a points item last month and I love it so I have high hopes for this.

Swatch of Noyah lipstick in Deeply in Mauve

           Overall I am happy with my bag, a couple items I wont use but the ones I will use I am in love with so it balances out. I do not care for the actual bag though, it is handy to a plain black makeup bag I suppose.

Total value: $64.99

Thanks for reading!

A.

@dirty_cupcake

Check out last month's Ipsy Bag

Project Ten Pan Summer 2015

          I am jumping on the Project Pan band wagon. I have so much makeup that I am using regularly and I really need to use up some of my collection because it is getting seriously out of control. I have selected 16 items which seems a little ambitious for my first attempt now that I am actually typing it out  but I have already taken all the photos so it is happening. If I use up 10 products I am calling it a success. I may or may not replace products as I use them up and if I do I will do so with a like product (lotion with lotion, eyeliner with another eyeliner). I have given myself a loose deadline of two months and if I feel like I need a third I will just keep it going. Not a whole lot more of rules going on here. I will post an update after one month and either a finale or another update after the second month. 

         Now is the point where you go get a beverage, feed the cat and settle in because this in going to be a long one. 

          I tried to pick a mix of products so that they wouldn't take away from each other. Some of these are kind of gimme items and I do feel like I can use quite a few of these up. The note cards are a little crooked in the photos but I marked each product using the bottom of the card to the top of product in the container. I will use the same cards to mark progress in each update. Let's start with hair products, here we go: 

Ecru Acacia Protein BB Cream 

          I got this in an Ipsy bag quite some time ago, it is one of those leave in products that you put on damp hair before you start to style.  It is a decent product but I do not find it does anything amazing for me but I would use it again if I got it in another subscription. There isn't much left to use up but a little goes a long way. I do feel this will be rather easy to use up. 

Marc Anthony Repairing Macadamia Oil Shampoo 

          I bought this when Target was closing because it was severely marked down. It is a good shampoo but I find since it is so moisturizing that using it with a heavy conditioner will make my hair look greasy. While I might use it again I won't be seeking it out, the smell is amazing though. I believe this is another product I won't have a problem using up, it's just a matter of focusing on it. 

Phytorelax Laboratories Argan Oil Treatment 

          I have had this for years and really want to get it used up. I resisted hair oils for a long time but I picked this up at Winners because that's the way I like to try new things. Winners always has great products that I would not necessarily pay full price for but at a much more reasonable price. I like this product and have used it daily in the past and it gives shine and moisture without making my hair greasy. I have put this in my shower so right before I wrap my hair up in a towel I can put it on the ends of my hair. This is a product that I am concerned about using up because I only use two maybe three pumps at a time.

Body

Julep Rock Star Handcream 

          This is a Julep purchase, for a while I was obsessed with this cream. It is just so moisturizing and with the Glycolic Scrub it just makes your hands so smooth and soft. The smell is very strong and to some kind of old ladyish.  There is not a lot left so I do not think it will take long to use up, I won't be able to put it on at work because of the scent but I will put it on my desk at home. 

True Blue Spa Nourishing Yogurt Shower Smoothie in Pineapple Papaya

           Last summer I bought this in a couple different scents at Bath and Body Works and both really smell like a yogurt smoothie you would drink. It is a very thick formula with little scrubby bits, appricote seeds maybe? I think this one will be gone fairly quickly and I have so many others to use after this is gone. 

MacBeth Collection Hand Cream in Peony Pomegranate Blush 

           This is something I just want to use up to get my money's worth out of. It came in a set from Shoppers and it love the smell but can not stand the texture. It goes fine on my legs but on my arms or anywhere else it just feels sticky for a good minute before it absorbs. I will be throwing it out at the end of this product whether I have used it up or not. 

Face 

Julep Bare Face Cleansing Oil

           Another Julep product I was obsessed with. I got one in my Maven box some time ago and used it religiously. It's perfect for removing makeup before you cleanse as it just melts even the most determined goop off your face but is still very gentle. The second bottle has been sitting in various places in my bathroom for probably a year now, time to go. It shouldn't be too hard to use up and it will get me to remove my makeup after work. 

Clean and Clear Blackhead Eraser Cleansing Mask

            Another product I have had for far too long that I want to use up. I don't notice if this really helps blackheads exactly but it does feel like my pores are deep cleaned at least. I get some little bumps on my chin and they come with dry skin, I find this gets rid of that issue immediately. It's a quick mask that at the very least gives you a deep clean. If I don't use this up it will be close to done by the end of this project. 

Dr.  Brandt Pores No More Anti-aging Mattiying Lotion

             Another gimme item, this is a little sample I got from Ipsy. I love getting Dr. Brandt samples since they are always good products and there is no way I will pay the full price for them. Mattiying products are always interesting to me for my oily skin, this one isn't the best thing ever but it makes a little bit of a difference. I will just wear this under my makeup until it is used up. 

Bio Idoine Night Facial Cream

           I tried a Little Life Box a few months ago and loved it, this was one of the products that came in it. I usually fall asleep before I can put in night cream but I do find this makes my skin fill hydrated and firm the next morning without feeling goopy and gross. If I remember to use it I should be able to use this up fairly quickly. 

Make Up 

NYX Love in Rio Eye Shadow Trio

            I have so many eyeshadows from subscription services, this one from Ipsy. My only real goal for this is to hit pan on the center shade, it is a very shimmery taupe colour and I usually use it all over my lid and up to my brow bone. Even if I hit pan on the centre pan I will keep using it until the end of the project. I am not sure if I will keep it after this wraps up or not, it seems a waste to just throw it out.

Julep Blank Canvas Mattifying Primer 

          This is the very first primer I ever tried and I repurchased it a few times, it works pretty well but I feel like there is something better out there. An excellent product but I just want to try new things. 

Tarts Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation in Ivory 

           This as my first real high end make up purchase a couple years ago and it was my holy grail foundation. It is really thick and lasted all day without budging in the summer no matter how hot it was. Just the past winter I had dryer skin and it wasn't as amazing. I was exited for summer so I could enjoy this again but it's just not the same and I'm heartbroken. I want to use this up and eventually the back up I had already bought before I realized things were never going to be the same. 

Lord and Berry Eyeliner #1001 Black

            I am not a hug fan of this eyeliner, it's nice I guess but it's so soft that it doesn't really stay in place. It is alright for my waterline but not great. I just want to use it until it all fits in the lid, once this project is done I am tossing this. It isn't a bad product I just have other eyeliners I prefer. 

Too Faced Lip Insurance Lip Primer

           I have had this little sample for a while and I really thought it was almost gone until I pulled up the stopper and scraped it all down. I am no longer confident I will be able to use this up but we will see. I find it does make my lipstick go on smoother, I'm not sure about making it last longer though. 

Julep Lip Gloss in Glowing 

             I so desperately need to work through some of my lip products. I picked this because I have had it for a while and being such a sheer colour I can wear it with any number of outfits or makeup looks. I'm a little concerned I won't get through it but I am sure I will make a dent. 

           I am excited to start my very first Project Pan, I want to use up some items and clear out some of the clutter in my makeup collection. It is just so satisfying to use up these things. Hopefully I don't get too bored with what I have picked. In one month I will post about my progress and challenges. I am most concerned about the lip primer and gloss, the sticky lotion and hair oil I'm not sure if those will end up in the empties but a lot of these products should be done and gone by the time I end this project. 

Thanks for reading!

A.

@dirty_cupcake

Julep Maven June 2015

          I honestly meant to skip this month and clearly that didn't work out for me. I had no idea what I was getting, I'd just picked a box and chose three add ons for fun and was going to cancel it but apparently didn't quite get there. So let's just get into it I guess, the photos are terrible because I was too tired to get out of bed for better lighting. 

          As always packed with pretty paper and little paper worms but this time I had a box in a box with only two items from the actual monthly box in the little box. 

          I chose the Modern Beauty Box, I usually do like this box best as it is usually more makeup or skin care and no nail polish. When I first subscribed to Julep it was for the nail polish, it is excellent but I rarely use non gel polishes anymore. I have tried and liked quite a few of their makeup items and enjoy trying everything they come out with. 

Modern Beauty Box

Gel Eye Glider. $16/$12.80 Maven Price in Blackest black and Radient Amethyst 

          "Clinically proven to last for 10+ this easy to use eye pencil delivers the creamy formula and intense colour payoff of a gel eyeliner. The waterproof formula glides on, sets in 30 seconds, and then stays put."

         I was actually really surprised how smooth these went on, no tugging whatsoever. I've only worn the black one on my lower lash line but it did go on so easily and lasted my whole day at the office with minimal smudging. My go to pencil liner is another Juelp pencil, a double ended black and brown so I am sure I will get some use from these. 

Luxe Up Your Lips $24/$19.20 Maven Price in Poppy

          "Enriched with natural ingredients that soothe, hydrate and plump lips, this silky-smooth threatment delivers major moisture with a hint of tint."

          I have gotten the Luxe Lip Treatment in a previous box and really enjoyed it, there are tons of moisturizing ingredients and the metal tip is cooling and soothing on dry and cracked lips. There are eight shades and this Poppy colour is supposed to be one of the ones with more coverage and colour but it goes on very sheer. I will use this but there is no way I would pay $19.2 for it let alone $24.

Add ons

          I had picked three add ons while I was fake shopping, the add ons are a great way to get products that you love but you don't want to pay the full (and sometimes rather high) price. I can not recall the price of these add ons but they are always a good deal. This month if you picked three add ons you got a free gift in with your box. 

Sea Salt Texture Spray $22/$17.60

           "This paraben-free spray uses sea salt water infused with a combination of marine botanicals that provide intense moisture and essential nourishment. The two punch combo protects hair from sun damage while creating ocean-kissed, tousled waves" 

           My go to summer hair styling process is a few sprays of some sort of texture or curling spray and an elastic on my wrist. I just ran out and this was in the add on section, I feel like it was probably about $10 so I picked it up. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, I used it once on dry hair and I enjoy that it didn't make my hair crunchy or hard but it smells awful. Like a cheap old lady Kmart perfume, luckily the smell doesn't linger. I also like that it protect my hair against sun damage, the jury is out overall but I'm sure I will use it up. 

Cuticle Pusher $14/$11.20 Maven Price

            This is a double ended cuticle pusher. It's black. Not much else to say about that. I wouldn't pay the full price or Maven price for this but as a cheaper add on I picked it up since I don't have one. 

Nail Decal- small Turquoise Chevrons $6

          How cute are these? I think they were $3 or $4. I have some lilac coloured nail polish that these will go great with. 

Marcy - Bombshell $14/$11.20 in Prosecco Silk (semi matte opalescent)

            Breakthrough Oxygen Technology powers this fast drying, long-lasting nail polish to get nails healthy and more beautiful at the same time" 

           This was a free gift because I choose three add ons. I don't usually wear regular nail polish on my fingernails but this will be a nice colour for my toenails. It's a terrible photo but if you scroll back up to the photo of the lip gloss there is one coat on my thumbnail. It is a "silk finish" and I don't really know what that means but it is matte and looks almost sparkly but there isn't any sparkles in it. Marcy is a very shimmery, white colour and to me it almost looks bridal. I love that it is also good for your nails and dries so fast but I would not purchase this. 

Cost of box and add ons: $40.63

Value: $96/$78

Thanks for reading!

A.

Check out some other posts:

Julep Haul

Julep Maven March 2015

Sign up for your own Julep Maven Box

Haul - Hautelook, drugstore, and Winners June 2015

          I am trying to curb my spending on beauty products with mild success at best, here are a few things I have picked up here and there.

Walmart

Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Hydrating Sulfate Free Body Wash  $4.98

          To say I like the Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco line would be a huge understatement. Every time I wash  my hair I wish I had a body wash in the same scent. I was walking through Wal-mart when I saw this and it literally stopped me in my tracks. Besides argan oil it has a lot of moisturizing and soothing ingredients like shea butter, aloe vera, and vitamin E. You can also add it to running water for "an invigorating spa bath soak". I am way too excited over the body wash; unfortunately I have so many body washes that I am forcing myself to put it away until I use up some of my stash. I will be attempting my very first project pan and this will be my motivation and reward.

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation in Classic Ivory  $16.96

          I am still on a mission to try every foundation there is, starting at the drugstore brands and working my way up, until I find my perfect match. This is a demi-matte, 24 hour, medium coverage foundation and my oily skin defeated it within six hours. Based on the description online "The micro-sponge technology absorbs excess oil and shine to create a dimensional matte finish without the need for a heavy or caked-on look" I thought this would be a good place to continue my quest but no such luck. It does go on very nicely for a smooth and natural skin finish but it did nothing to absorb oil or shine. I will continue to use this but only on days that are not very hot, with a setting spray and keep powder close. I will not repurchase.

L'Oreal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray $14.96

          I had been walking past this in Wal-mart for some time and finally caved. I normally use Model in a Bottle from Made You Blush which may be a local company but I am not sure. Model in a Bottle works wonderfully,I could go to war and emerge from my hiding spot with minimal makeup damage, my only complaint is that it has a very strong smell somewhere between perfume and medical alcohol. The L'Oreal spray is much lighter, without much of a scent and just feels like you are spraying a fine mist of water on your face. Unfortunately it is so much less effective than Model in a Bottle. It is like Model in a Bottle is for special events while L'Oreal is more of an everyday setting spray. I will use it up but I likely will not be repurchasing it. 

Hautelook

Skyn Iceland White Cloud Spot Corrector with Pigment Lightening Complex 

Regular Price: $45.00

Hautelook Price: $19.00

           First of all what a deal! I love Hautelook, if you don't know it is a flash sale website and you can get amazing discounts on everything from home items, makeup, or men's and women's clothing. I got a $600 watch set for Beast and paid about $60 for it. I had been looking into products to reduce redness and acne scars, I have not had a lot of issues with acne but since I am so fair skinned I mark up easily and they do not go away for some time. This comes out as a medium thickness white lotion that is supposed to fight dark patches, age spots, acne scares and uneaven skin tone in about six weeks. You are meant to use this morning and night after cleansing and before moisturizing.  I was noticing some slight differences but not going to lie I sort of forgot to use it for a couple days/weeks so I will not swear by the results I may have seen but I will get back into the habit of using it. I would pick it up if I saw it on Hautelook again but I would not pay full price for it. 

Skyn Iceland Anti-Blemish Gel with Willow Bark

Regular Price: $15.00

Hautelook Price: $7.00

          Another good deal from Hautelook. There is not a lot to say about zit cream but this stuff does seem to work. I have a hard time judging if this type of product is working on myself but Beast had a beast sized blemish and after the first application it was reduced to half its size, after three it was all but gone. I will repurchase this again when it runs out and I would pay full price for it. Luckily Ipsy frequently send out Skyn Iceland products and that usually means a discount code of some sort.

Hautelook

BH Cosmetics 11 Pcs Pink-A-Dot Brush Set

Regular Price: $28.95

Hautelook Price: $19.00

Sale on BH Cosmetics as of June 4th 2015: $14

          How cute are these brushes? I am not even mad that I just found them for a better price. I have been looking at buying a couple brushes but it is just so expensive to buy even just the specific brushes not to mention a decent set. I have tried makeup from BH cosmetics before and liked it so I decided to add these to my Hautelook order. If nothing else they are super cute, happily I have ended up really liking these brushes. The brushes are extremely soft and have not shed a single bristle since I opened them. The set includes a deluxe fan brush, powder brush, angled blush brush, classic foundation brush, tapered shadow blending brush, classic shadow brush, angled shadow brush, small smudge brush, tapered eye liner brush, and a lip brush all in a snap closure hard shell travel case. I use both the top and bottom of the case to store brushes on my desk.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer in Ivory to Fair $17.99

          I picked this up at the Superstore only because it was 50% off and ended up really liking it. This is 100% free of harsh chemicals, parabens and preservatives and 100% natural origin. Being a tinted moisturizer there is not much in the way of coverage but combined with my usual powder, Maybelline Dream Wonder, it gives enough coverage for a casual day. I would consider purchasing this again. It does smell kind of like celery which is a little strange but the smell does not stay long after application.

Winners

Ever notice that you can only ever find anything at Winners if you either have no money or at least should not be spending money? Every time.

Marcelle Soothing Cleansing Water

Regular Price: $17.95

Winners Price: $7.99

          Now, I had convinced myself that I did not need fancy water to cleanse my face but as I was setting it back down Princess said that she has it and loves it. I will admit here on the internet for everyone to read that my sister was right. This is so gentle but removes makeup better than any other makeup remover I have tried. Even after a face oil and cleanser it still picked up foundation when I thought my face was perfectly clean. This product is paraben, oil, alcohol and perfume free. It also works to tone your skin and removes even my strongest waterproof makeup but afterwards there is no irritation or residue. I think this will become my new makeup remover.

Lise Watier Lip Kiss Crayon Gloss in Pink Jelly

Regular Price: $18.00

Winners Price: $7.99

          I need another lip product like I need a hole in my head but there was no passing this up. I have wanted to try Lise Watier products for sometime but was avoiding splurging, I was missing out. This goes on as almost a light dusty rose but as it fades it leaves behind a bright pink stain. It it truly a moisturizing gloss and I am in love, it is not sticky, does not feather and has serious lasting power. My only complaint is that it has to be sharpened. I have not yet had to do so but hopefully it sharpens without any trouble.

Lise Watier Lip Kiss Crayon Gloss in Pink Jelly

Thanks for reading!

A.

@dirty_cupcake.

Looking to go down the rabbit hole? Here is another haul post.