Ipsy January 2016

           The theme for the bag this month is "All Eyes on You" The print on the bag fits it well with cute, retro glasses wearing faces all over it. As you would expect all my products were for the eyes so lets dive in.

Peek Beauty Natural Stain Brow Powder Full Size $22 Sample Value $11
           First, how cute is this little tin? I love the packaging. Second, this is a great product. This is in the colour Espresso and is a pretty universal brown shade, it gives a natural look and if you are going for a darker or more intense brow look you can layer it without it looking cakey. Swatch below.
          
theBalm Mr. Write (Now) Eyeliner in Jac Full size $17
           I love the Balm products and was very happy to see everyone got an eyeliner from the Balm in their bag this month. I just got rid of most of my eyeliners since many of them were getting old. This is sort of a muddy bronze and since natural shadows are my jam this will go with most of my makeup looks. It goes on smoothly enough and has great staying power. Swatch below.

Klorane Floral Water Makeup Remover with Soothing Cornflower Full size $24 Sample Value $1.50
           At first I was not overly excited about makeup remover as I have a couple samples from Clinique to use up but this is a wonderful product. It effortlessly removes every bit of waterproof makeup without stinging my eyes or making them red. If I can find this in a store I will be buying this when I use up all my samples of eye makeup remover.

Hikari Cosmetics Cream Metallic Pigment Shadow in Mink $13
          I have said before that I am over getting single shadows but this one is a beautiful colour, it is a shimmery, metallic shadow but not so dramatic that I can't pull it off for a daytime look. Swatch below.

Hey Honey Skin Care Open Your Eyes Contour Lifting Fluid Full Size $28  Sample Value ~$15

             This is meant to firm skin, reduce fine lines, hydrate and reduce puffiness. I am nearing thirty so I think I will start looking into anti-aging and firming products. as a result I have that checked as one of my concerns in my profile. I have only used this a couple times so I can not really speak to its effectiveness but I did notice some firming and depuffing the couple times it did try it.

Peek Brow Powder, Hikari Shadow and theBalm eyeliner

           I also got a bonus item with my points this month:

Nude ProGenious Treatment Oil Full Size $97 Sample Value $16
           Honestly I only got this becasue I thought it was going to come in a cute little dropper bottle like the Jouer oil I had gotten before. According to Sephora this oil will: 

"Transform your skin with this signature treatment oil of 10 carefully-selected, nutritious plant oils. These replenishing oils—including apricot, meadowfoam, camelina, and macadamia nut—are rich in omegas 3, 6, 7, and 9, and provide essential building blocks for youthful, healthy-looking skin. This precisely balanced formula of nutrients quickly absorbs to provide 24 hours of moisture, improve the appearance of fine lines, and reveal a smoother complexion. Use daily to increase your skin’s natural radiance."

           So that doesn't sound like a bad thing.

           Even without the bonus sample item the total of my bag come to $80 which even with the awful exchange rate is pretty great. I will use all the items and repurchase at least one of them. 

Thanks for reading,

A

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Ipsy - May 2015

          Let's not waste any time and get right into my May 2015 Ipsy bag.

           There were different bag options this month, all similar but with different sayings and different coloured linings. I like my bag, it is one of the larger ones we have gotten so that is handy and it immediately became my purse makeup bag. I have included the value of each item but keep in mind these are approximations and I am bad at math. Just leave it alone, okay? Moving on:

Sorry for the shitty photo, I could not wait to use it

but I did not have the ipad for the photo.

Urban Decay Ozone 24/7 Glide on Lip Pencil   Full size 0.10oz $16     Sample 0.03oz $5

          This is a clear lip pencil which is just an amazing idea. I got one from Julep a while ago but I just do not really use lip liner, I usually forget. I am glad I got this and will start using both as they are pretty similar in formula. This is a perfect product for someone who does not use lip liner as a rule, you only have to own the one and it is clear therefore easy to put on. 

           This also came with two of the Revolution High-Color Lipgloss peel back type samples. I thought this was a fun little bonus, get to try out two fun colours, see if you like the formula, coverage, staying power etc. Some others had fits and were mad about the sample size or colour choice. People it was a bonus that didn't need to be there, gear down. The purple one did not work for me, the pink was super cute. I am currently not allowing myself to buy any more lip colours but these are interesting. They are not sticky but very glossy and pigmented, I will look for them on Hautelook or the next Sephora VIB sale. 

Bare Republic Natural Mineral Sunscreen, Face SPF30     Full size 1.7oz $14.99                                                                                                              Sample 0.34 $3

          Sunscreen is never a very exciting product, some people really hate getting it but I hate to buy sunscreen and the little bottles are perfect for purses or a beach bag. I am way more likely to use these samples than a full sized bottle. The sunscreens I have gotten in the past have been larger but this is specifically for your face so I suppose it is a pretty good size. I also like that it is 100% natural, chemical free, cruelty free, and reef friendly. I've never heard of that last one but this little sunscreen guy is going hella out of his way not to upset anyone. 

Klorane Smoothing and Relaxing Patches   Sample 2 pairs $5 * I could not find these online but I had read these were worth about $5 for the two pairs. 

          I have only tried the Skynn Iceland patches before and I preferred the Klorane ones much more. They are very thin and soft so it feels less uncomfortable to have something stuck on your face under your eyes. I felt they were quite relaxing, they are to be left on for twenty minutes and I had to set an alarm because I knew I was going to fall asleep with them on. I used the first set before I even took photos of my bag and I am hesitant to use the other set because I do not want them to be gone. I would pick these up if I saw them in store and I never thought I would enjoy this type of product. 

Chella Eyebrow Colour in Tantalizing Taupe   Received full size(I think)  0.09g $18

        I have gotten a highlighter pencil from Chella before and love it. I like getting products from this brand because they are so expensive and even though I love them I will not pay that much for them. I have long been struggling with my eyebrows, I hate them. Lately we have reconciled and I have been using a Coastal Scents brow quad to fill them in and match the colour to my current hair dye. This is the perfect colour and since it is so fine it looks very natural and does not make my eyebrows look like cartoons. Not a look I can pull off. 

Luxie Beauty 205 Tapered Blending Brush    $12

         I  received the 504 Large Angled Brush in a previous bag and I love it, it is the perfect brush for applying blush. I was very excited to receive another even though I just bought a brush set off Hautelook this one will still match it so it will make it into my frequently used jar. These brushes are just so soft and well made.

          I also used my points and got another item. I am glad Ipsy has stepped up their game in terms of available items for various amounts of points. 

Clarissa Sea Salt Solutiond Instant Glow Powder Exfoliant    1oz 500 points (or maybe 250 idk)

          I love exfoliating so this was a must when it became available. You can add it to any face wash you have to make it an exfoliant. Amazing, I have never used a powdered exfoliant before and now I know what I am missing. Even just adding this to water smooths your skin and leaves your face soft and free of dead skin. Love this. 

Total value of bag: $43 dollars

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Ipsy May 2015

Thanks for reading! 

A. 

@dirty_cupboards