Ipsy - July 2015

          When I first saw my Glam Room I was not excited for my bag, there were a couple things I would get some use out of but nothing had me stalking the mail man. Luckily so since it shipped later than usual again. I'm not sure why it has been shipping so late the last few months, maybe when you redeem for points items it takes longer to process. Once I tried a couple items I completely changed my mind, I love the eyeshadow and bronzer. Let's get into it:

Shea Moisture Lip Crayon in Sarah $9.99 Full Sized Product

          This is an item I redeemed my points for, I am always looking for more lip products. This one is not my favourite and at first I was quite disappointed by it but I noticed that once it wore off it left a really nice stain that looked great under a pink gloss. I do not like it by itself mostly because I'm not a fan of the iridescent quality. Swatched below. 

Crown Brush Professional Tweezers $10.50 or $6.99 on sale Full Sized Product 

          I would not replace my current tweezers with this as I prefer to have ones that are a little bit longer but these are excellent. I do not have any in my purse makeup bag so these are going right in there. 

Jor'el Parker Eau to Parfume in Classico $21 Full Sized Product 

          I love receiving perfumes even though I am rarely able to wear them. The description says "Indulge in the spicy seduction of Indian Tuberose, the striking and sweet sensation of Turkish Cyclamen and the purifying calm of Spanish Mandarin." Now, I do not know what most of those things are but it sounds very exotic and smells so as well. It has a very energizing or awakening scent. 

Jersey Shore Cosmetics Mongongo Vanilla Coconut Cream Lip Conditioner $10 Full Sized Product 

          This is a 100% natural and USDA certified Organic with UV protection as well as being cruelty free. It is a lip balm, not exciting but always useful. I would not pay $10 for it but I will use it for sure.

Nicka K New York Eye Shadow Quad in NY075 Sierra $4.99 Full a Sized Product

          I was surprised this quad was so inexpensive, I love these shadows. This product completely changed my opinion of this month's bag. They are so soft, pigmented and blend together perfectly. The colours are perfect for brown eyes and I am glad I did not get the other option which I think would be best for green eyes. With these four colours you can create a nice, everyday neutral look or a more dramatic smokey eye. If I was to go on a trip I would just grab this little quad and leave my other palettes at home. See swatches below. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave. Princess $10.31 Sample Value $20.31 Full Size

          I am not skilled in the art of contouring or much of a bronzer user. I already have a hard time finding foundation that is pale enough so added bronzer just makes me look dirty or like I can't shade match. This one is perfect for pale girls like me, with a light hand it added some warmth to my face without being too dark to work with my skin tone. Easily blendable, smooth application and hours of budge proof wear make this a beautiful product and also turned my opinion of the bag. 

Swatches for Shea Moisture Lip Crayon, Nicka K New York Eye Shadow, and Tarte Bronzer along the top.

          While still not my favourite bag I ended up liking it more than I originally thought I would. The bag itself is super cute and certainly one of my favourites. Overall I ended up liking this bag and the value is pretty decent. 

Total value of bag: $56.80

Thanks for reading!

A. 

Try Ipsy for yourself! 

June Ipsy Review 

Birchbox Canada July 2015

          This month Birchbox partnered with Best Health and along with the usual product card we got a subscription offer for a discounted price. If nothing else the box is pretty and will make nice storage for something or other.

          I am very happy with my box this month and there isn't anything I wont use. I enjoy getting a mix of items, I have a couple hair items, a couple skin care and a makeup item.

Gilchrist & Soames Spa Therapy Body Lotion    Full size $18   Sample value $3

Rich in marine extracts, this paraben-free moisturizer leaves skin smooth, soft and calm.

          I so love getting moisturizers and this one is no different. I have received lotion from this brand before and loved that one as well. Apparently it contains "relaxing sea fennel" That does not mean much to me but it does smell fresh and light. 

Vasanti Cosmetics BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator   Full size $34  Sample value $5.67

This customer fave mimics the effects of microdermabrasion for glowing smooth skin.

          The best products I have ever discovered from beauty subscription boxes are microdernabrasion scrubs. That is until I received this little guy. I massage a small amount in a circular motion to get the microdermabrasion effects and then when I add water it lathers up like a face wash. I will be using Birchbox points to get this in a few months, if I can wait that long. Love this.

Bain de Terre Argan Oil Passion Flower Color Therapy Styling Oil   Full size $14.65  Sample value $2.25

A lightweight blend of essential oils that nourishes hair and adds megawatt shine.

          This is a hair oil meant for colour treated hair, apparently you can also add 10-15 drops to your hair dye to make it extra brilliant. I typically use foam hair dye but if it is interesting that you could add this to a liquid mix. 

Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Mascara  Full size $29  Sample value $9.67

Formula with all-day wear for lashes so long and thick, you may be accused of fakery.

          Of course I have heard people rave about this mascara but never tried it. I love it, it really does give me amazing length and volume. The brush really grabs all your lashes and the little spikes on the end help to get all the lashes in the corner as long as you do not poke your eye out. Certainly in my top five mascaras, my only complaint is that it is a bitch to get off at the end of the day.

Fekkai Technician Color Care Shampoo  Full size $28  Sample value $7

Hydrating cleanser that uses plant proteins to keep color-treated hair looking true-to-hue. 

          I have heard people complain that Canadians always get shampoo but that really works for me. It gives me a chance to try new shampoos without buying full sized ones and filling my shower. This brand however is not my favorite, I have tried other products from Fekkai and have never been impressed. This shampoo is alright, it did not amaze me but I am always willing to use shampoo specifically made for colour treated hair.

          Like I said I am happy with my box this month, not a huge value but it is all products I will get lots of use out of.

Total value: $27.59

Thanks for reading!

A.

Check out last months Birchbox

Project Ten Pan Summer 2015 1st Update

          The first month of my Project Pan is close to an end. If you have not read the first post click here to get caught up. I will wait. 

         At times it was rather boring using only these products but once a week I substituted other items in to give myself a break and stop myself from getting frustrated and giving up. Let's start with the products I used up completely. 

Marc Anthony Repairing Macadamia Oil Shampoo

          I'm so glad I've used up one of the million bottles in my shower, I didn't have a hard time using this up and did like it while I had it. 

True Blue Spa Nourishing Yogurt Smoothie in Pineapple Papaya

          This smelled amazing but I was not in love with it. It was so thick and creamy that while it did moisturize well it didn't really exfoliate even though it had little bits in it. I have another scent that I will likely use in my next Project Pan but for now I'm glad to move on to something else. 

Julep Bare Faced Cleansing Oil

            This is a product that I really loved then lost interest in and now that I've used it all up I miss it. In fact I bought another cleansing oil because I find it is just the easiest, most gentle way to remove makeup before cleansing my face. I think next time I decide to get a Maven box I will check to see if this is one of the available add-ons.

Dr. Brandt Pores No More anti-aging Mattifying Lotion

          This was an alright lotion, it didn't do much for me in the Mattifying department but it helped slightly. I wouldn't but this but I would use it if I got it in another subscription box. There was not a lot left so I used it up,pretty quickly. The sample did last a fair amount of time for its size since a little goes a long way. 

Julep Blank Canvas Primer 

          I did not mind using this everyday and would recommend it to someone if they were a Maven and weren't on a strict budget as Julep products can be on the pricey side. However I feel like there are better primers out there for my oily skin so I will not repurchase. 

Bio Idoine Night Cream

          i also used up this little tub of night cream but lost the container. I t was alright but nothing amazing.

  

        There were also a couple products I just gave up on. 

Too Faced Lip Insurance Lip Primer 

          When I first picked this I thought there was barely anything left but I was so wrong. I used it a couple times but then it started to smell a little off so I decided to toss it. I have had it for a while and would rather not put something on my lips that may have gone bad. 

Macbeth Collection body Cream in Peony Pomegranate Blush 

          I used this all of once. I hate it, it leaves a sticky residue and is just too runny. It was not expensive so I am just going to toss it unless someone I know wants it. 

          And here are the rest of the products and a few I substituted in.

Clean and Clear Blackhead Eraser Cleansing Mask

          I have not made a lot of progress on this but I have used it quite a few times. I am still confident I can finish this before my final update. 

Julep Rock Star Hand Cream 

          I could be doing better on this one, it's a lovely cream but it is just too heavily scented to use at work or around anyone who is sensitive to such things. I can use the rest of this up in a weekend if I focus on it. 

Phytorelax Laboratories Argan Oil Treatment

           I have very little of this left so I'm not concerned about using it up. I had really bad razor burn consistently for a couple weeks so I used this before shaving and it really helped both use it up and avoid razor burn. 

ECRU New York Protein BB Cream 

           This is just as a matter of putting it somewhere I see it before I do my hair, I'm sure I will use this up. 

NYX Love in Rio Eyeshadow Trio

         My only goal for this trio was to hit pan on the beige and pink shadows and I hit pan on all three. I will keep using it until the project is over but it have hit my goal. I will likely toss this when the project is done as it will be nearly done and I have so many other palettes with these colours. I do like these shadows for a soft everyday look but I want to go though all my single shadows and trios since I have so many.

Julep Lip Gloss in Glowing

           I have been using this like it is my only job and I really thought I had made more progress. Also pretty much immediately after I took this photo I lost the lip gloss. I have looked in every purse, coat and pair of pants I've worn and it's just gone. If I find it I will start using it again. I am not impressed because this was the one item I was determined to use up. 

Lord and Berry Kohl Liner in Black

          I was not fond of this eyeliner when I started, now I can't stand it. I am sharpening it more often than I would normally for any other pencil so I am sure I will finish it. Even if I do not I am tossing it. It goes on beautifully but just does not set and smudges all day. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation

          I am using this three times a week or so, I could have used it up by now if I was using it everyday but I am not worried about using it up. 

          I added three more items since I just gave up on two of the original ones. 

Marc Anthony Bye Bye Frizz Conditioner

          This is a decent conditioner, it's a little heavy for my hair but is great if I use a clarifying shampoo. 

Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturizer 

           I don't really like this and I can not thing of one single reason why. I thought since I am so bad at moisturizing this would be ideal. Nope. I just don't use it, it's a fine lotion but it does not make me moisturize any more frequently. I have no idea how much is left and I am certain I won't be using it all up, even with attacking Beast with it. I just want to get some use out of it before I go on a decluttering spree and get rid of it. 

Épicé Therapeutic Moisturizer

           I get so many moisturizer samples so I want to try using them up. I do like trying new face products but I just don't use one up before I get another. This one is a nice light moisturizer, great for summer. 

Thanks for reading!

A.

My first Project Ten Pan post

Little Life Box - July 2015

           This is the second time I have gotten this box and I just love it. For $22.95 a single box or $19.95 a box for a monthly subscription you get an assortment of beauty, lifestyle, nutrition, and food samples that you can feel good about using. They are organic, fair trade, non GMO or natural products packaged and shipped in Canada for $4.95. I plan on signing up for a subscription to support this great Canadian subscription box started by a mother and daughter.  

           I already loved it when I saw the nautical tissue paper, how cute is that? These always come so well packed. 

          After peeling back the tissue these are all sitting on top, three huge items.

Ester-C Energy Boost in Pomegranate - Açai   $16.99

          Emails were sent out saying that every July box was getting a box of these multi vitamin and mineral supplement individual drink mixes. I was looking for an excuse to get another box and it worked out so well. These are actually pretty good, it's a decent multivitamin and gives you a little energy boost. 

Deep River Rosemary and Olive Oil Kettle Cooked Potato Chips   $2.25

           I am not usually partial to kettle cooked chips but these were amazing. If I saw these in a store I would pick some up for sure. I find a lot of more natural or organic foods have sassy little descriptions, cute stories or like these chips information on a great cause. 

Mrs. Crimble's Yogurt Coated Rice Cakes    $3.11

            These gluten free cakes come in two packages of three and are actually pretty good. I really do not like big rice cakes like these but the yogurt makes them have a little more flavour and less dry. 

           Under all the big items are tones of little samples. 

Bounce Energy Ball - Cacao Mint Protein Bomb   $2.34

           I have tried many, many protein and energy bars; some good, other less so. This tastes like a candy bar and it has nine grams of protein which isn't too bad. 

Mini Jimmy Bar in Peanut butter Clutter   $1.37 

            This is a "clean snack bar" the only ingredients are dates, peanut butter, crisp brown rice, peanuts, almonds and honey. That's it. No chemicals or things that are nearly impossible to pronounce. It is very similar in texture and taste to an Eatmore bar, just with bigger pieces of peanuts. The back of the bar has a cute little blurb:

Glee Gum in Bubble Gum, Peppermint, and Cinnamon   $0.50 for all four 

           This is a gum made with natural ingredients including chicle which is a tree sap they harvested sustainably from sapodilla trees in the rain forests of Central America. It is great tasting but the flavour does not last as long as "normal" gum. 

Wow Butter   Full size: $4.27, sample value unknown. 

          I was not sure about this at first, I love peanut butter and I am very specific about what kind I will eat so I figured this substitute would not cut it. Delicious. It almost tastes like peanut butter and would be a great substitute for kids who can not take PB in school lunches. 

Téga Organic, Fair Trade Tea in Wild Berry Green Roobios and Choclate Mint Roobios   $0.58 for both

           I always enjoy getting tea in different boxes, the Chocolate Mint one was delicious and I'm sure the Berry one will be as well. 

Mineral Matrix Pure Dehydrated Goat Whey by St. Francis Herb Farm   $4.30 for both

           This was absolutely disgusting. I might as well have gone up to a goat and licked it, might have tasted better. I do not care if it would make me a size four with flawless skin and perfect hair for the rest of my life I will never let this pass my lips again. It looks almost as bad as it tastes. 

Goat Whey

VegEssential All in One Plant Based Daily Foundation in Natural Vanilla   $3.21

          I have seen this protein in supplement stores before as a vegetarian option. There are 27 grams of protein per serving and overall this is a decent protein supplement, especially if you are looking for a plant based, vegetarian option. 

Goddess Garden Organics Sport Sunscreen with Broad Spectrum SPF 30  $1.80  for both

            Sunscreen is always a helpful thing to get in these boxes, especially the travel sized ones to throw in your purse so you always have it on hand. I carry it around at all times since Beast is so fair skinned he needs sunscreen to go get the mail. It is also something that I like having a more natural option for. This particular sunscreen is scent free, reef same, non-nano biodegradable and non GMO. 

Goddess Garden Organics Sunny Body Organic Sunscreen  $3.31

             This is another chemical free sunscreen from the same brand as the other packets, the main difference being that it is only water resistant for 40 minutes where the sport one is for 80 minutes. 

Pure Naturally Clean Biodegradable Products in Laundy Soap and Multipurpose   $0.75 for both 

          The laundry soap is safe for sensitive skin and babies and can also be used as a stain remover before washing. The sample is enough for two loads in a top loading washer, 4 in an HE washer. It has a light, clean scent. I do already use natural multipurpose cleaner and I'm glad to try another, this one is quite a decent sized sample since one cap full is meant to be mixed into 2 litres of water. I haven't used it yet but I'm interested to see how effective it is. 

           This is certainly one of my favourite boxes, while I didn't receive any they do have skin care and hair products as well. In my opinion a product card with prices and descriptions would greatly improve this box. Since these products are not necessarily mainstream products they can be hard to find, the majority of them are on their website with links to their webpages when applicable though. 

Check out my last Little Life Box

Check out their website. 

Thanks for reading! 

A.

Top 5 Favourites - June 2015

          I wasn't sure if I was going to do a monthly favourites for June. I haven't been using a lot of new products since I have been doing my project pan so I took a look at products I use everyday but do not give much thought to. 

Eucalyptus Spearmint Fine Fragrance Mist from Bath and Body Works 

           This is a relatively new addition to my already way too large body spray collection and I use it almost everyday. I love this scent, I`m obsessed with the Stress Relief collection from BBW and this has the same scent. It's just a fresh, clean and uplifting scent. 

Honolulu Sun Gentle Foaming Hand Soap from Bath and Body Works

          BBW hand soaps always smell amazing but this may be my favourite. It smells like a tropical vacation with coconut and pacific palms. I swear you can practically smell the sand and surf. I am on a very low buy and it is taking everything I have not to go buy 17 more. 

Instant Glow Powder Exfoliant by ClariSEA

          I got this as a points item from Ipsy and it may be the best thing I've ever gotten in one of those pink bubble mailers. I love this because it is a natural salt exfoliant that I can add as much or as little as I need to whatever face wash my skin will benefit from. You do not need a lot to really scrub all that dead skin off and fell fresh faced. I will be buying this when I run out.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 Light

           I've just recently needed a concealer in a bad way and this one is a wonder. It covers any blemishes, redness or dark circles while looking great under any foundation. It works pretty well even on the most oily places on my face. When I went to link my May favourites at the end of this post I realized that this concealer was also a top 5 last month. I am leaving it in because I both love it that much and am too lazy to walk over to my makeup table to pick another item.

Full Exposure Mascara baby Smashbox

          When I first got this little sample I was very underwhelmed, I did not think it did anything for my lashes. So. Wrong. I tried this again just because I wanted to get my money's worth out of it and I'm in love. It is very much a lengthening mascara over my usual preference of a volumizing mascara. It makes my lashes look so long and it just gives my eyes a clean, wide open look. It doesn't flake or smudge at all. I would repurchase this in the unlikely event I every need to actually purchase a full sized mascara.

Check out my May favourites. 

Thanks for reading!

A.

@dirty_cupcake

Birchbox Canada June 2015

          It's a little late but here is my June Birchbox. I am pretty happy with it over all, I want to use up some of my makeup so I am glad I got mostly skin care and hair products. 

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels 1 pair Fulł size: $33 Sample value: $4.13

          What: peptide-packed cooling treatment to hydrate and refresh stressed skin under the eyes.

          I have tried these before and I do not hate that I got them again but I did not find they were all that effective the first time I used them. I find they are quite thick, stiff and rather uncomfortable to wear but I will give them another shot. 

Parlour by Jeff Chastain Moisturizing Sea Salt Spray  Fulł size: $27  Sample value: $5.51

           What: This celeb stylist's new nondrying spray gives you soft, beachy waves- and smells amazing. 

           When I first saw this I was kind of disappointed because I just bought a sea salt spray from Julep but then I realized this would be perfect to keep in my purse to refresh my hair through out the day. It works well, you don't need a lot and it doesn't leave your hair crunchy or greasy as some of these sprays tend to do. The smell is a little much for me, it's just quite perfumey but not to off putting. 

Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo  Full size: $36-$82   Sample value: $4.24

           What: vitamin-rich botanicals gently purify hair while restoring lost moisture and shine. 

           First of all: wow expensive shampoo. Second: it's amazing. It takes some getting used to because apparently it is very concentrated so you have to emulsify it in your hands first and then lather it into your hair. It really does take any and all buildup out of your hair without leaving it feeling terrible and dry. Afterwards my hair felt amazing, had more volume and a light citrus scent. I don't think I would pay full price for this but I would use my Birchbox points to get it. 

Naobay Oxygenating Cream Moisturizer   Full size: $45   Sample value:$18

          What: made with avocado and olive oils, this 98% natural cream nourishes and hydrates skin. 

           I always enjoy getting moisturizers and lotions and this one is no different. I have a hard time using facial moisturizers because my skin is so oily. I read some reviews that said people with combination skin had found that it helped prolong their makeup so I decided to use it as a primer one day. My skin was still oily but my makeup did not separate and really stayed put. I'm going to try using this under a primer and see if that works even better. 

Coastal ascents Revealed 3 Eyeshadow Quad   Full size: $24  Sample value: about $5 

           What: versitile range of satiny-smooth shadows in wear-with-anything hues.

            I've though put about buying some of the revealed pallets but I just feel like I have enough eyeshadow. I do like these colours, not something I would think to pick up but I am excited to try these out after my project pan. They are not extremely pigmented but are easily buildable and go on very smooth. 

Bonus item: Emi-Jay Hair Tie   Set of 5: $13  one: $2.60

          What: We've added in this chic hair tie from Emi Jay for all your summer 'dos. 

           This is a cute little green, ribbon style hair tie. I have a few of these type and they are just something cute to add to your pony. 

Total value of box:  $39.48

          I am happy with my box this month, there isn't anything I won't use and most of the items I will get quite a few uses out of. My favourite is either the shampoo or the moisturizer.

Check out last month's box!

Sign up for your very own.

Thanks for reading! 

A.