Ipsy Unbagging and Review for June 2015

If you saw my Ipsy post for last month you know that there isn’t supposed to be an Ipsy post for this month because I cancelled the service. However, as I mention in the beginning of the following unbagging video, there was a mix-up and I hadn’t really cancelled. So let’s call this one a bonus (that I unfortunately had to pay for)! Check out the video:

Although i was annoyed that the cancellation system tripped me up and didn’t cancel properly, I’m actually happy that I got this last bag because there’s some pretty awesome stuff in it. Shall we look at the breakdown?

Vitamin C Facial Serum from ‘Jules and Ester’
In the video I mentioned that I actually have another facial serum that I haven’t tried yet, but I’m thinking I’ll try this one first because it’s supposed to be excellent for dry skin, which I have in spades while working out in the Alberta oil sands. The full-sized bottle is 1.7 oz and retails for $36, making my 0.5 oz bottle worth about $10.50.

Photo Finish Foundation Primer by ‘Smashbox Cosmetics’
This clear primer is said to diffuse the light that hits your skin to blur imperfections, thus making you “picture perfect” for photos. I haven’t tried it yet so I can’t tell you if it lives up to the hype or not, but I’ll definitely give it a fair trial. 1 fluid oz of this product retails for $36, therefore my 0.25 fluid oz sample is worth $9.

Sheet Mask Trio from ‘BioRepublic SkinCare’
I love face makes of both the sheet and spread varieties, and these masks are no exception. I used one a few nights ago and it was heavenly – it felt so clean and refreshing, and was an excellent way to help relax after a long day of work. These masks also added quite a value to the bag; they usually go for approximately $5.25 each, and Ipsy gave us three, making the value $15.75.

Power Source nail color by ‘Formula X’
Nowhere on the packaging did it say what this shade of nail color is, and it was nowhere on the Ipsy site either, but I can tell you that it’s a very cute shade. On the nail it is almost a hot pink with peachy undertones – a perfect shade for summer. A full-sized bottle of Formula X goes for $16 per 0.4 oz, making my 0.13 oz worth about $5.20.

Mini Shadow Crayon by ‘tre’StiQue’ in “venitian gold”
This is my first ever shadow crayon, and I’m happy to report to you that I rather enjoy it. The formula goes on smooth and creamy, stays for quite a long time, and the color is soft and beautiful. A set of three of these mini’s retails for $32, therefore my single one is worth about $10.60.

Total approximate value of bag: $51
Total cost to me: $15

So of course the first thing I have to mention is that this is the highest value Glam Bag I’ve ever gotten, by a wide margin. Usually the average value for a bag is about $32, but June’s bag tacks on an extra almost $20, which is pretty amazing and makes me sad that I won’t be getting this service anymore. I absolutely love the masks and the shadow crayon, and although I think the nail color is overpriced I can’t really argue with the beautiful color. I haven’t tried the facial serum or the foundation primer yet, but I have high hopes for them since they both have excellent reviews. And everything came in a super-cute bag that may actually be my favorite Glam Bag yet.

All in all, I’m very happy with this, my last Glam Bag. It was full of fun, high-quality items, and at a total value that blows previous bags out of the water. Plus this bag introduced me to one of my new favorite things – the BioRepublic masks – which are totally worth the pricing after a stressful day.

What did you think? Did you receive an Ipsy Glam Bag for the month of June? What was in yours? What was  your favorite item? Have you tried everything out yet? Please share!

Ipsy Glam Bag Unbagging and Review for May 2015

Ipsy is the last subscription post for this month (because stupid Loot Crate didn’t come in time again), which is actually fitting since it’s also my last Glam Bag.

Now I don’t want anyone to think that I cancelled this service because I didn’t like it. On the contrary; I really enjoy Ipsy. But the thing is, I’m not a full-face every-single-day makeup user, so between all the stuff I’ve already gotten from Ipsy, plus that big order I put in with e.l.f., I’m full-up on cosmetics for quite a while. So to save a bit of money I thought I’d put this one aside, at least until I’ve had a chance to work my way through the backlog of stuff I’ve already gotten.

So with that explaination out of the way, why not check out my last Ipsy unbagging video:

Well, we went out with a bang, because I’ve been playing around with some of these items and I’m really enjoying them so far. Let’s go to the breakdown:

Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray from Briogeo: It was good timing for this item because I’d just run out of the conditioner that I keep on hand when I’m working out West, so I threw this little bottle in my luggage and took it out with me. So far I’m loving it. The air is super-dry out here in Northern Alberta, and this super-easy leave-in spray is helping to keep my hair moisturized while I’m working amongst all the dust and dirt. A full-sized bottle of 5.1 oz retails for $25, making my 1 oz sample bottle worth about $5.

24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil + BONUS Revolution High Color Lip Gloss from Urban Decay: This is the only item I haven’t tried yet, mostly because I’ve been lazy, but I swear I’m going to get to it. The lip pencil comes in a clear color that’s meant to coat your lips and keep color from bleeding, and the two glosses are in very bright, bold colors that should look super-cute. The full-sized pencil is 1.2 g and costs $20, so my 0.8 g pencil is worth about $13. There’s no info on how much of the two glosses is actually included, but since they’re only small samples that will last a use or two, I’m just going to go ahead and add $1 to the cost of the pencil and say the set is worth $14.

Smoothing and Relaxing Patches from Klorane: I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from these patches, but I decided to try a set on last night while I was straightening my hair, and I have to admit that I really like them. I don’t know about “smoothing”, but they’re certainly relaxing. They have this beautiful cool feel to them that was just amazing, especially since I’d just come from a run and a shower. There were lots of discrepancies about the price online, but I was able to find boxes of 7 sets for $21, so we’ll say that my 2 sets would be about $6.

Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF50+ from IT Cosmetics: I haven’t gotten around to trying this one yet either, but I have high hopes because I loved the “Bye Bye Under Eye” from IT so much. They definitely chose the right color for my skin tone, so as soon as I stop being so lazy I’ll defintely give it a go and see what it’s all about. A full 12 ml tube costs $15, so my 4 ml tube would be about $5.

Pretty Eyes automatic eyeliner from Skone Cosmetics: I gave this one a quick test the other night, just to see what it looks like, and woah mama, is it bold. I’m so used to only ever wearing black eyeliner that the very-very-blue definitely caught me off guard, but I think with a nice blue or purple eyeshadow it could look really nice. I’ll give it a better test when I’ve got time to really make my eyes up well. This is a full-sized product, and it retails in at $15.

Total approximate value of bag: $45
Total cost to me: $15

Well, we went out with a bang, because this was one of my highest-value bags from Ipsy, even considering that I used the lowest price I could find online for the Klorane patches. On top of that I really like the three products I’ve tried, and I have high hopes for the other two. I can’t really say much more than I already did, but all in all I’m just very happy with this bag. It makes me a little sad that I decided to cancel Ipsy, but as I said, it just seems like a waste of money until I’m able to actually work my way through some of the giant pile of stuff I’ve ended up with.

So there you have it. My last Ipsy Glam bag was a definite success, and I’ll miss it for sure.

What did you think? Are you a subscriber to Ipsy? What did you get in your May bag? Any items similar to mine? Which one was your favorite? Least favorite? Please share!

Big Ol’ ELF Haul

You all know that I’m a total nerd, a bit of a stress-a-holic, and that, given the choice, I love to be curled up on the couch reading, writing, or watching an awesome show. But if you follow my YouTube videos and my review posts, you know that there’s also a little tiny bit of femininity hiding amongst all the geekiness and laziness. It’s not a big part of me, but it’s still there on occasion.

That’s why I recently put in an order from ELF – or ‘Eyes Lips Face’. They were having a huge sale on their already-very-affordable items, and I thought I’d stock up (by which I mean this haul will probably be the last of any kind of cosmetics I purchase for quite a while). And because I do so enjoy making these YouTube videos, I thought I’d share that haul with you all. Check it out!

What did you think? Do you ever purchase anything from ELF? What is your favorite product? Least favorite? Are there other companies you prefer? I’d love to hear from you!

Ipsy Unbagging and Review for April 2015

Moving from nerdy to beauty today, it’s time to talk about my Ipsy Glam Bag for April.

Let’s go right to the unbagging video:

Ipsy Unbagging for April 2015: https://youtu.be/Hy3dq8QMjPc

Wasn’t that a cute little bag? It’s really not quite my style, but I can definitely appreciate it’s cuteness.

Time for the breakdown!

“Pink Carnation” blush from Pandora’s Makeup Box: This is a very classic, pretty color for a blush, and since I’m pretty sure pink is my color when it comes to blush, I’m happy that this is the shade I got. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, because I’m still playing with the blush I got in a previous bag, but I suspect I will like it a lot. A full-sized version of this blush is 0.35 oz and retails for $14, making my 0.14 oz sample worth about $5.60.

“NUDE Dude” eyeshadow single in “Fit” by theBalm Cosmetics: These eyeshadows are funny, I have to admit that, and they come in some lovely tones. I haven’t tried this one yet either, but after browsing the other possibilities, I’m glad that I wound up with this nice, chocolatey hue. The entire pallette of 12 eyeshadows retails for $36, making my little single worth about $3.

“Lash Princess” mascara by Essence Cosmetics: Now here is one I have tried, and let me tell you, I’m loving it. If you’re looking for big, super-thick, super-black eyelashes, this is not the mascara for you, but if you’re looking for length and a bit of definition, look no further. I’ve been using this every day since I first tried it because it makes my lashes long and just black enough, without leaving any clumps or sticking my lashes together. I’m absolutely loving it, and it’s totally affordable too; this is a full-sized product that retails for about $5.

“Goat’s Milk Day Cream” by Ziaja: Other than the little dab I put on my hand during the video, I haven’t tried this stuff out yet either, but I appreciate that the smell is totally doable, since some of the other lotions I’ve gotten in these bags have been rather unpleasant, in my opinion. I’ll give it a good trial when I get home from this shift, and I suspect I’ll have mostly good things to say. A full jar of 1.7 fluid oz goes for $13, so my 0.35 fluid oz jar would be about $2.70.

“Femina” fragrance by Jor’el Parker: Right off the bat I have to admit that this doesn’t hold a whole lot of appeal for me because I don’t normally wear much (if any) fragrance. Second I have to admit that I haven’t really gotten a chance to smell it yet, since my sinuses were completely clogged from the time I did the video until I’d left for my shift out West. So there’s not really much I can say about this product right now, except for the fact that a full 50 ml bottle costs $55, making my sample size of 8.8 ml worth about $9.70

Total approximate value of bag: $26
Total cost to me: $15

So right off the bat, you can see that this bag was actually the lowest value one that I’ve gotten yet, and the only reason that it’s as high as it is, is because they included a fragrance, and smelly water always costs a fortune for some reason (call me a philistine, I don’t care). So that’s a little bit concerning, because one likes to feel that she got her money’s worth.

That said, even though the value is down for the month of April, I’m not terribly disappointed in the items I got. The mascara is awesome, at least in my opinion, and the eyeshadow and blush are lovely shades that I’m sure will look beautiful when I get a chance to try them out. The goat’s milk cream will probably be nice too, although I have no particular opinion on it right at this moment. Humorously, the only item I don’t really like is the most expensive one, the fragrance, but that’s not because it’s not nice, it’s just because I don’t wear them, so I’ll probably end up giving it away.

So I guess, all in all, it really a good bag; it’s just the overall value of the included items that is a little disappointing.

What do you think? Did you recieve an Ipsy Glam Bag for the month of April? What was your favorite item? Least favorite? What did you think of the cute little bag? Please share!

Ipsy Glam Bag Unbagging and Review for March 2015

Rounding out the month of March, we have the Ipsy Glam Bag! As usual, let’s start out by going to the video:

Do you like how my daughter was like, “To hell with mommy’s videos, I’m gonna be as loud as possible!” XD

Breakdown time!

Butter Lipstick from NYX Cosmetics: Starting out the products, we have a lovely tinted butter lipstick in the shade, Pops. It is super-creamy and feels great on the lips, though it’s not incredibly pigmented, so keep that in mind when considering what shade you might like. This is a full-sized item, of course, and retails for $6.
pur~delicate Gentle Soymilk Cleanser & Makeup Remover: This is a soap-free, non-foaming facial cleanser that is supposed to be very gentle on the skin. I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet, but I’m looking forward to it. A 5.6 oz bottle of this cleanser retails for $36, making my sample of 1 oz worth about $6.50
Concealer by Evelyn Iona Cosmetics: I’ll be honest, I wasn’t 100% certain what this was when I first took it out of the bag, because all that’s written on the container is Evelyn Iona, and it’s a pretty tiny container so I doubt it will go very far. But I’ll give it a try! A full-sized product costs $18.75, and that makes my sample worth about $4.
Mineral Eyeshadow by Marsk: This little pot of loose eyeshadow comes in the shade, Fifty Shades, which is an absolutely gorgeous silvery grey that I can’t wait to try out. I think it will look absolutely amazing with some super-black liner and mascara. As near as I can figure this is a full-sized product, worth a whopping $22.50
London Collection Body Lotion from Gilchrist & Soames: Containing a mixture of botanicals of red tea, soy, ginkgo biloba, grape seed and milk thistle, this lotion makes a lot of claims. I don’t know if those claims are justified or not yet, but I tried a dab of it on my hands and I have to admit that it was pretty damn creamy and smooth. I’ve got high hopes. A full 8 oz bottle retails for $16, so my 2.5 oz sample is worth about $5.

Total approximate value of bag: $45
Total cost to me: $15

So as you can see, right off the bat, this is one of the best bags I’ve gotten as far as value, mostly because of the eyeshadow, which is super-high-quality and quite expensive as a result. Honestly though, I think my favorite product (thus far, since I haven’t really tested them all out) is the Butter Lipstick, which just feels super-nice when applied and has just enough of a tint to be delicate and lovely.

As a whole, I’m definitely happy with this month’s bag, as I’ve been happy with almost every bag I’ve gotten. Keep up the good work, Ipsy!

Did you receive an Ipsy Glam Bag for March? Were your items similar to mine? What was your favorite item? Least favorite? Please share!

Also, a reminder that I am running a contest throughout the month of March. For each comment you post on my blog throughout the month, you will receive one entry toward a draw for a hard-copy of my zombie apocalypse novel, “Nowhere to Hide”! Please note that in order to accept the prize, I will need you to give me a mailing address where I can have the book sent. If the winner drawn did not intend to enter the contest and/or does not want the book, I will draw another name. Please also note that obvious spam/duplicate comments/etc. will not be counted toward an entry…play fair! And good luck! ❤

Ipsy Unbagging and Review for February 2015

Rounding out my series of super-late subscription box reveals is my Ipsy Glam Bag for February. I always enjoy seeing what new beauty products Ipsy has decided to send me each month, so let’s go right to the video:

I totally almost missed that makeup brush. Whoops! Luckily I noticed it before I’d shut off the camera. Ha ha… Anyway, let’s take a look at the breakdown!

China Glaze nail lacquer: I haven’t had a chance to try this polish out yet, but oh my god does it look pretty! It’s super sparkly with tons of different colors mixed in, although it is mostly purple. The shade is called ‘Marry a Millionaire’, which is a bit silly but actually kind of captures the effect. This is a full-sized product, of course, and it goes for $7.50
Luxie Beauty, Large Angled Face Brush 504: This is the second brush I’ve received from Ipsy and I’m quite happy with it so far. It’s super-soft, and it deposits blush quite nicely. I haven’t used it a ton yet, but if you need this kind of a brush in your collection I definitely think it’s worth the $16 price tag.
Creamy Lip Stain from City Color Cosmetics: The shade I got for this lip stain is called ‘Flirtini’, and that just about covers it. It’s very, very pink. I haven’t had it on yet, but it’s another full-sized product, which is pretty awesome. Each tube retails for $5.
GlamGlow’s BRIGHTMUD Eye Treatment: I’ve been saving this treatment for some night when I’m having a nice, relaxing bath, but I really can’t wait to try it since it claims to treat things like dark circles and “tired” eyes. A 12-pack of these treatments costs about $70, which makes the two packs that Ipsy gave me value at about $12.
Model Co’s BLUSH Cheek Powder: I was a bit iffy when I first saw this blush in ‘Peach Bellini’ because it is very pigmented and I am very pale. However, it turns out that it blends out very nicely, so even on my pale skin I was able to work it across my cheekbones in a way that looks natural. A full-sized compact of this product goes for $22 for 0.28 oz, making my 0.12 oz sample worth about $9.50.

Total approximate value of bag: $50
Total cost to me: $19

Now, I have to mention that the cost of the Glam Bag has gone up a bit for me because of the lowered Canadian dollar, but I also have to point out that the value of this bag was amazing. I didn’t even include a value for the makeup bag itself (which is super-cute, by the way), and it’s still the best value I’ve gotten out of a Glam Bag yet, by a significant amount. I haven’t tried all of the products yet, but I’m quite happy with the ones I have tried, so when you combine that with the heightened value this was a pretty amazing bag, in my opinion!

Did you receive the Ipsy Glam Bag for February? What did you think of it? What was your favorite item? Was your bag very different from mine? Please share!

Also, a reminder that I am running a contest throughout the month of March. For each comment you post on my blog throughout the month, you will receive one entry toward a draw for a hard-copy of my zombie apocalypse novel, “Nowhere to Hide”! Please note that in order to accept the prize, I will need you to give me a mailing address where I can have the book sent. If the winner drawn did not intend to enter the contest and/or does not want the book, I will draw another name. Please also note that obvious spam/duplicate comments/etc. will not be counted toward an entry…play fair! And good luck! ❤

Ipsy Unbagging and Review for November 2014

It’s my fourth Ipsy Glam Bag, and it’s full of all kinds of new stuff for me to try out! Let’s check out the unbagging video, shall we?

Not too shabby at all, am I right? Let’s check out the breakdown!

SeaRX SkinCare: There were two options that I could have gotten in this Glam Bag, and I got the Birch Sap Moisturizing Lotion. A full bottle of the lotion is 4 oz and goes at a cost of $32, making my 0.3 oz sample worth about $2.50
Bye Bye Under Eye concealer: This interesting product from IT Cosmetics usually comes in a 0.28 fl oz tube for $24. My “travel size” tube is 0.11 fl oz, which makes it worth about $9.50. It seems like a lot for the size of the tube, but I’ve already tried this product out so I can tell you that you only need the tiniest dab for each eye. I used what I thought was a miniscule amount and I actually had to wipe some off, so yeah, the amount is definitely worth the cost.
J. Cat’s Wonder Lip Paint: This is a full-sized product, and goes for about $5 in a variety of colors. I have to admit, though, so far I’m not feeling this product. I only tried it once so far but it was so watery that I couldn’t get it to cover my lips properly. If anyone has any tips on this particular item, please let me know!
Oil of Morocco Hairspray: At first I genuinely thought that this product from Marc Anthony was a full-sized product because it’s actually pretty large, but as it turns out it’s only a fraction of the full-size. The full product is 9 oz for a little under $9, making my 1.5 oz worth just over $1.
Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil: This full-sized eye pencil goes for $17, and as near as I can figure (the website doesn’t say what the physical size is) it is a full size product. Not too shabby, although I have to admit that I’ve been having issues with it crumbling so far. Again, hints? Suggestions? I made a bit of a mess of myself last night when a rather large chunk of it broke off in my eyelashes.
“Girl Meets Glitter” bag: As always, I’m just spitballing that the little handbag is probably worth about $2

Total approximate value of bag: $37
Total cost to me: $15

So, following suit with previous months, the value of the bag is definitely there. I haven’t had a chance yet to give everything in the bag a fair trial, but I’m definitely thinking that the Bye Bye Under Eye concealer is going to be the gem of the bag. You need such a tiny amount that it would last quite a while, and it does a pretty good job of lightening up the dark circles that are perpetually under my eyes. Hopefully I’ll be able to combine that look with the gem eye pencil at some point, if I can keep it from constantly crumbling on me.

All in all, another great bag from Ipsy, and I’m still so glad that I signed up. Thanks Ipsy!

Ipsy Glam Bag Unbagging and Review for September 2014

My friends…I totally received and unbagged this Glam Bag when it was still September. Honest. So let’s just ignore the fact that it is now October, and pretend like I’m posting this video and review immediately after having recorded. Got your pretending hat on? Okay, good, let’s get on with it. 🙂

Ipsy did not disappoint this month, so let’s do a little breakdown, shall we?

Hikari lipstick in “Cabernet” shade: This is a full-sized product in a very nice shade that I’m definitely impressed with. To buy this in stores it would cost about $13, which is almost the entire cost to me of the Glam Bag, so that’s pretty damn awesome!
Pacifica nail polish in “Red Red Wine” shade: This is a second full-sized item (Ipsy…you’re awesome) in a shade that closely resembles the lipstick. It goes for about $9, so now with only two of the items we are well over the cost of the bag.
Nourish Organic’s Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser: When purchased in stores, this product comes in a 6 oz tube for $14. The sample that I received is 1 oz, so that makes it worth a little more than $2.
Mitchell and Peach’s Luxury Hand Cream: A full-sized tube of this lotion is 60 ml at a cost of 17 euros, which is approximately $24 Canadian (which, personally, I think is outrageous because it feels just like any other hand cream to me). Since the trial size we got is 30 ml, that makes it worth about $12. Just want to point out here that even though it’s decent hand cream, I would never in a million years pay this price for it.
Be a Bombshell’s “Smooth Criminal” Powder: I was actually shocked to find out that this is a full-sized product as well. Being that it’s a product that I wouldn’t normally use, I just assumed that the small container had to be a sample, but no! This is the third full-sized product in my bag! Awesome, Ipsy! Oh, and the little container goes for $12

Total approximate value of bag: $48
Total cost to me: $15

I mean…come on. That’s value right there. Admittedly two of the items are things that I wouldn’t have purchased for myself, but I’ll definitely use them up anyway, and the lipstick and nail polish are awesome. Ipsy really did a great job with September’s bag; I’m totally satisfied with my purchase. Honestly, how can you beat $15 for three full-sized products, plus a couple of trials? And they are nice products too, not cheap, generic stuff. I can’t wait to try them all and do my product review video. Look forward to it!

August Ipsy Glam Bag Review

During my unboxing/unbagging video of my first Ipsy Glam Bag, I said that I was going to try the items and let you all know what they were like. Well, instead of doing a written review of the products I thought I’d record another video and just talk about them! Enjoy!

Do you subscribe to Ipsy? What kinds of items did you receive in your August bag? Did you enjoy trying them out? Let me know!