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!

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 Glam Bag Unbagging and Review for January 2015

Continuing on with all the first unboxings of 2015, today I’ve got an Ipsy Glam Bag for you. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying trying out all the different things that Ipsy has been sending me, so I was definitely excited to see what they chose for the first Glam Bag of the year. Roll the video!

Not too shabby, am I right? Time for the breakdown:

Liquid Eyeliner in “Jet” by Coastal Scents: As mentioned in the video I’m a bit terrified to try out this product because I’m so very bad at applying eyeliner, but I’ll definitely be testing it out sometime in the future because it looks awesome. This is a full-sized product that usually goes for about $3.
Exfoliating Honey Peel-Off Mask by Hey Honey: I haven’t had a chance to try out this mask yet, but it smells awesome, so I’m planning to use it after a hard day of work. I’ve got high hopes. Normally this mask comes in a 50 ml bottle for $35, which makes my 10 ml sample worth about $3.50
Foundation Primer by Laura Mercier: I’ve tried this primer a handful of times so far, but I’m not yet really sure how I feel about it so I can’t give a good review yet. All I know for sure is that a small blob goes a pretty long way, and it smooths into the skin pretty nicely. This line of primers come in 1.7 oz bottles at a cost of about $45, so that makes my 0.5 oz sample worth $13…not bad.
Mojito Lip Balm by (Malin+Goetz): This little lip balm is pretty delicious, and I can see me using it up pretty quickly. It’s got a lovely smell and is plenty hydrating. It’s also a full-sized product that goes for $12!
Natural Mineral Coconut Eyeshadow by Pacifica: Last but not least we have this lovely shimery eyeshadow by Pacifica, which is actually very similar to my skin color, but still gives my lids a healthy glow. Unfortunately I couldn’t find this particular shadow on the Pacifica website (what’s up with that?) so I’m estimating the price based on other shadows and saying that it has a value of about $4.

Total approximate value of bag: $35.50
Total cost to me: $15

So, as usual, the bag is worth over twice what I paid for it, which is really a pretty damn good deal. This month’s bag had three full-sized items and another item that is apparently quite high-quality, so I really can’t complain about anything. Whereas previous bags have all had at least one item that I ended up not liking, so far I’m pretty happy with everything in this bag. But then, I haven’t built up the courage to try the liquid eyeliner yet, so I’ll have to get back to you on that one. ^_~

As always, if you’re interested in trying out Ipsy, please click on this referral link to help me out a ton and make me love you. 🙂 Also, if you’re thinking about purchasing any of the above items for yourself, check out the description box of the video above for discount codes for money off at the checkout!

Do you subscribe to Ipsy? What did you get in January’s bag? Are you loving or hating your items? Please share!

Ipsy Glam Bag Unbagging and Review for December 2014

It’s the last day of the year and I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to finish off 2014 with some beauty products! I received five Ipsy Glam Bags this year, and though I didn’t love every single item, each bag was actually pretty awesome. Check out my unbagging video for December of 2014:

I’ll be honest, I was expecting a little bit more for December’s Glam Bag, since every other subscription box seemed to go a little bit above and beyond for the holidays, but when you look at the breakdown you realize that this stuff was not exactly cheap:

“CoolWay” Boost Repair Treatment: This salon-scented shampoo treatment is a really small sample size that will only be good for maybe two uses, but since the 8 oz regular size product goes for $30, that means that my 1.3 oz sample is actually worth almost $5.
“Crown Brush” Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush: It’s hard for me to fathom because I would never pay so much for a single brush myself, but this is actually a really nice, really soft brush that goes for a retail of $17.50.
“NYX Cosmetics” Butter Lip Balm: This full-sized lip balm has a surprisingly bold color for a balm, and goes for a pretty reasonable price of $4.
“Pixi by Petra” Fairy Dust: According to the website, this product is mean to highlight eyes and cheeks for a “soft focus glow”, and it definitely does just that. The product comes from the UK, and the price works out to the equivalent of about $14 Canadian.
“Tarte” Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara: I’d heard a lot about this mascara and I was hoping for a full-sized product when I heard it was coming in my Glam Bag, but I understand now why they didn’t include it that way. The full sized product of 0.24 fl oz goes for $24, making my 0.10 oz sample worth $10.
Ipsy Heart Makeup Bag: As usual I’ll assign the cute little makeup bag a value of about $2.

Total approximate value of bag: $52.50
Total cost to me: $15

So as you can see, the value is MORE than there! My previous bags had an approximate value of somewhere in the range of $32, so this particular bag is actually pretty amazing. My favorite item, surprisingly, is the brush; it’s my first good makeup brush, and I’ve been using it steady as I learn to properly apply eyeshadow (at 30 years old…ha ha ha…). After that I definitely have to go with the Tarte mascara, which is so beautiful and smooth that I would actually consider paying the full price for it.

All in all, an excellent way to end off the year with Ipsy. I’ve been more than happy with every Glam Bag I’ve received so far and look forward to seeing what they send me in the new year!

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 October 2014

I’ve been a subscriber to Ipsy’s Glam Bag service for three months now, and I have to say that I haven’t been disappointed yet. Let’s take a look at this month’s video, shall we?

As you can see, this month’s bag was just as value-packed as the last two months. Let’s check out the breakdown:

Ayres “Patagonia” Body Butter: Normally you would purchase a 6.75 oz tub of this body butter at a cost of $28. That makes my 1 oz sample worth a little more than $4.
Epice’s Purifying Exfoliant: This pricy cleanser goes for the price of $32 for 3.3 oz. My sample is 1 oz, making it worth almost $10.
“Nicole by O.P.I” nail lacquer: I was able to find this full-sized product on sale on several sites, but the regular price is about $7.
“Big Bold Curl” mascara by New York Color: I was actually surprised that this full-sized product isn’t nearly as expensive as I thought it was. It goes for $5.
Star Looks lipgloss: A full-sized lip gloss is $12. Unfortunately the website doesn’t seem to show the size, but I estimate that the sample I received is about a third of the full-size, so we’ll say it’s worth about $4.

Total approximate value of bag: $33 (estimating the makeup bag to be worth about $3)
Total cost to me: $15

So, as with the first two bags I received, the value is more than twice the cost to me, which is pretty awesome if I do say so myself.  I haven’t had a chance to really try out anything yet (except for the mascara, which, by the way, is great), but all in all it was a pretty great bag. So far every bag I’ve gotten has had at least two full-sized products, which alone make the bag worth buying, and so far there haven’t been very many items that I genuinely disliked. So, as always, I highly recommend this service! And if you’re going to check it out, please click on my referral link to be one of my favorite people ever! 😀

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!

Accountability Wednesdays: Week 37

Well, I’m a week into my shift, and believe me when I say that I’m ready to go home. No offense, Alberta, but your bone dry air and ridiculous temperature swings are getting on my nerves, just a little bit. I’m longing for the salty East-coast air and the not-quite-as-unreliable weather patterns. Also, I’m dying for a garlic fingers. Man, am I dying for a garlic fingers.

Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. Let’s get on with it.

Goal #1: Lose ten pounds and become healthier overall.

As per usual I can’t really comment on anything this week because I don’t have a scale. I can tell you that I’ve been pretty good this week for a lot of things. I’m still drinking lots of water (although I caved twice, but I don’t think two cans of pop in a full week is really so bad, do you) and I’ve been eating fairly healthy considering that I have to deal with camp food all day every day. I haven’t been able to get any exercise, because, you know…ridiculously unfit work hours…but I’ve been trying to move and stretch a lot throughout my shift instead of sitting on my backside all day every day. So there’s that, right?

Goal #2: Be more active on social media and work hard on my author platform.

It hasn’t been too bad of a week for this one either. I posted an extra video on YouTube to review the contents of my first Ipsy Glam Bag, and I’ve been trying to make sure that I tweet at least once a day. Facebook has been a little slow, but I’m okay with that because I’ve been noticing a slow-but-steady increase in followers and interactions via the other platforms. Long story short, thumbs up for this week.

Goal #3: COMPLETE my zombie apocalypse novel, Nowhere to Hide.

Guys…guys…guys…I’m getting super excited. My beta-reader recently got back to me and she had only a short list of minor issues that she thought could use addressing. I’m now in the process of compiling those issues and doing a last run-through of the manuscript to make sure there are no hidden typos. By this time next week I will be fixing those last issues/typos in the main manuscript file, resubmitting to CreateSpace, and from there it will be only 24 hours before I am able to order my proof copies. Those will take five business days to come, and assuming that they look okay, I will then be able to flip the switch, so to speak, and make the book available for purchase. You have no idea how pumped I am. In two weeks my first book could be for sale. I may never sell more than a handful of copies, but you have no idea how fulfilled I will be just to have my book actually be a book. AHHHH!!!!

Goal #4: Write 500,000 words.

Unfortunately as I am writing this I realize that I forgot to go through and keep track of what I wrote this week, so I’ll have to do that later, but I can tell you that it’s probably somewhere in the range of 2000. I’ve been taking it a little easy this week partly because I think I deserve it and partly because I know that once Nowhere to Hide is set up for sale I’ll be putting my nose to the grindstone and working hard on my next venture. So with that said, look forward to the future! There are great things on the horizon!

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!