Category: Makeup
September 2021 Ipsy Bag – Back To
September’s theme is “Back to”, as in Back to School, Back to Work, Back to Life. I know they mean well, but I cannot help but roll my eyes at seeing that trope yet again. Businesses desperately want everything to go back to normal…
My product choice this month was Grace & Stella Hydrating Rose Facial Spray. I tried it out and my face just felt…wet. It dried quickly, but it didn’t seem to do much. My skin didn’t feel moisturized and it did not leave a scent. I don’t exactly understand this product.
Also in this month’s bag: Bioclarity Barefaced Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser (this has a strong veggie smell); BRTC Vitamin B5 Velvet Mask & Vitamin A Velvet Mask; Tarte Sugar Rush Lash Smoothie Volumizing Hemp Mascara (they are putting hemp in EVERYTHING these days); and Verso Skincare Night Cream (I am not kidding when I say that this smells and FEELS like Elmer’s Glue – I kind of like it).
My daughter was eyeing the bag – she said it was giving her Hufflepuff vibes. (Of course, she’s never seen Clueless and doesn’t get the 90s yellow plaid vibe.) I was a kind mommy and promised her the bag.
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $12/month and Glam Bag X for an extra $43/quarterly. If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
U Got the Look
Urban Decay released their Prince Collaboration back in May…but I patiently waited for the sale that I knew would come…
I don’t need new brushes or more eyeliner…but you know I’m always down for more eye shadow. I picked up the Urban Decay Cosmetics Prince U Got the Look Palette for 50% off ($27.50, down from $55). There are just 10 shadows, which is not many for $55…but not so crazy at half the price. There’s a nice mix of neutrals and purples and the quality is on par with other Urban Decay palettes. I’ve been enjoying using it this week. There is also a Let’s Go Crazy Palette, with more purple, but Ulta is sold old. Sephora has it, but since it is just purples – as one would expect – I’m skipping it for now.
I added a few other items to my order – a full size Megababe Rosy Pits Daily Deodorant ($14) and Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Balm ($8.99).
Even with the $3.50 coupon, my order qualified for a free Platinum & Diamond exclusive 13 piece gift with Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels; Philosophy Nature in a Jar; CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser; Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair (love getting this serum); Clinique High Impact Mascara; MAC Fix+; Smashbox Photo Finish Primer; It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product; Perricone MD High Potency Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Serum; Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer; La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum; Sunday Riley CEO Brightening Serum; and Good Molecules Clarify & Cleanse Bar. Lots of good stuff for my skin!
Just $352 to Diamond in 2021!. I also have $262 in Ulta Points saved up…dare I splurge on a Dyson Air Wrap???
August 2021 Ipsy Glam Bag X – Halsey
Soooo…since Ipsy is my last subscription box standing, I decided to splurge and upgrade to Glam Bag X. Glam Bag X is $55/per quarter, or just an extra $43. I guess I could’ve gone with Fab Fit Fun or Boxycharm, but I’ve had such good luck with ipsy that I felt I should try Glam Bag X first.
August’s Glam Bag X was curated by Halsey. I only know a few Halsey songs, but there is one I really like, “You Should Be Sad.” It’s a top tier break-up song – one of the best I’ve ever heard. There were a lot of possibilities for inclusion in this bag and I really liked being able to pick three products.
My first product choice was Prose Hair Perfume in Corsica. It’s a light jasmine scent and I really like it. I also picked RÓEN Beauty Liquid Lip Balm in “Charlie.” It’s more of a gloss than a balm, but it’s not sticky like a gloss and it has really good staying power. My last product choice was the Slinky Stasher – yes, I actually chose yet another makeup bag. I don’t remember what my other choices were, but they must have been lame for me to choose another makeup bag.
The star of the box is the ĀTHR Beauty Moonlight Crystal Palette – I believe everyone got this one. It’s full of beautiful, vibrant purples and greens. I’ve been using it nonstop since I got it. The shadows are high quality and blend like butter. The close runner up was Volition Beauty Yaupon Tea Glow-Awakening Moisturizer – it’s very similar to my beloved Fresh Rose in texture.
Also in the bag: About-Face Light Lock Highlight Fluid in “Fight or Flight” (I haven’t sampled – who needs highlighters during a hot Texas summer?); Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Volume, Lift & Curl Mascara in “Cuz I’m Black” (this is a GREAT mascara – I’ve been using it daily); and Herbivore Botanicals Emerald Deep Moisture Glow Oil (I tried this before bed and my face stuck to my pillow – no thanks).
So far, I am very pleased with Glam Bag X – this is definitely worth $55, although I am skeptical that it is worth the $270 ipsy says it is.
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $12/month and Glam Bag X for an extra $43/quarterly. If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
July 2021 Ipsy Bag – Stay Golden
I got an email today that August’s glam bag X shipped, so I better get on July! (Yes, I upgraded to Glam Bag X – more on that later.)
July’s bag design seemed plain and boring – until the zipper pull caught my eyes – it’s a gorgeous gold sun, with a vibrant blue (probably plastic) crystal.
I’ll be honest – I’ve only had a chance to try one of the products in this month’s bag and it was my product choice this month – Purlisse Beauty WATERMELON + CHARCOAL Purifying Cleanser. I really do enjoy Purlisse products – maybe I’ll actually buy some some day.
Also in this month’s “Stay Golden” bag: Dermedicine Advanced Skincare Retinol Detox High Potency Mask; OUAI Scalp & Body Scrub; Realher Dreams So Big Eyeshadow Duo in “Imagine” & “Ambition”; and Tarte Sea Quench Hydrating Primer.
Not a bad little bag this month…
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $12/month. If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Hairy Ulta Haul
Sometimes, you just gotta stock up on a few things. The price went up on NatureLab.Tokyo Perfect Smooth Conditioner Refills ($23, was $22)! I also used up an Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($10), which freaked me out, so I ordered 2.
My Shhhowercap is on its last legs, so I’m auditioning replacements that are not $43. This Kitsch Striped Luxe Shower Cap ($24) is working out so far – it doesn’t have the rubber strip like the Shhhowercap, but it’s keeping things dry so far. Fingers crossed. I also threw a set of Kitsch Large Dome Claw Clips ($10) in my cart – I have SO much hair right now.
A few impulse sale buys – KVD Beauty Studded Kiss Creme Lipstick in “OG Lolita” ($10, down from $20). I’ve been wanting to try this shade…but imagine my shock that the packaging was the old Kat Von D Beauty labelling. How old is this lipstick? At least a year and a half old…ugh. It did not smell and wore just find, but still annoying. I also snagged a 75% off Pacifica Plant Magic Polish in “Buena Fortuna” ($2.50, down from $10).
There were a lot of gifts with purchase in this order., even with my $5 off $40 coupon. I got a Free MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation deluxe sample with my $25 makeup purchase, as well as a Kylie Cosmetics Concealer. I’ll probably never use either. I also got free 18 piece Day Tripper bag with my $85 purchase, which came with Kenra Volume Spray; Patchology Chill Mode Soothing Cannabis Seed Oil-Infused Eye Gels (I used a different set of Patchology Eye Gels this morning – I cannot tell for sure, but I think they helped…but not sure); Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Cream; Exuviance Overnight Transformation Complex; MAC Studio Fix+; Vichy Mineral 89 Booster Quotidien Fortifiant; Benefit The POREfessional (I have SO much of this stuff – but I use it, so it’s okay); Korres Nourishing Probiotic Gel-Cream (I hope it does not make me poop); Bliss Drench & Quench Cream-to-Water Hydrator; Clinique My Happy; Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara in “Very Black”; Hanksin Hyaluron exfoliating AHA Treatment; Rusk Puremix Native Fig Replenishing Shampoo & Conditioner (I just got this in the last sample bag); Clinique Almost Lipstick in “Black Honey” (I love this balm – I just found an old one in my lipstick and trashed it because it smelled funny); Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Booster Serum; Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm; and Philosophy Nature in a Jar Cica Complex Recovery Moisturizer. There’s some good stuff in here!
This is it for Ulta hauls…I think. Just $457 to Diamond.
Megababe Ulta Haul
Get ready for post after post of Ulta Hauls – they keep having great sales on stuff I need!
I was attracted to one of the Wednesday Beauty Breaks a few weeks ago – it was a 4 piece sampler from Megababe with $50 purchase! I’d been dying to try Megababe Rosy Pits Daily Deodorant, but it’s always sold out. I got a deluxe sample of Rosy Pits, as well as Thigh Rescue Anti-Friction Stick, Squeaky Clean Hand Sanitizer, and Space Bar Detoxifying Charcoal Underarm Bar.
Ulta happened to be having some great sales on body products, so I picked up Megababe Chest-o Presto Clarifying Body Acne Mist ($18 – my son has not had overwhelming results with Pacifica Bacne Warrior, so I am trying this one out on myself and so far, it seems to be helping with the breakouts on my chest and back), Ulta Super Soothe Gentle Daily Cleanser ($10 – very cucumber-y scent), and Tweezerman Rose Gold Slant Tweezers ($20.70, down from $23 – my daughter wanted tweezers, so I gave her my old ones) for myself. I got Ulta Sunless Tanner Facing Mousse ($1.29, down from $3.24) for the boy child – I maybe regret buying him the Self Tanner. I got eos Shea Better Shaving Cream ($1.99, down from $3.99) for the girl child. I was able to use the usual $3.50 off $15 coupon.
My order also came with a 27 piece Beauty Sample Bag (free with $35 purchase): Australian Glow Facial Bronzing Mist with Rosewater (although I love rosewater, the boy will be getting this one); wet n wild PrimeFocus Primer Serum (I have one of these on my sink right now); Buxom Wanderlust Primer-Infused Blush Sample Card; Tan-Luxe Super Glow Hyaluronic Self-Tan Serum (again, to the boy); Weleda Skin Food; Crepe Erase Body Smoothing Pre-Treatment (just like the Infomercial!); Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris; Skyn Iceland Arctic Elixir; Urban Decay Primer Potion; Hempz Pink Pomelo & Himalayan Sea Salt Herbal Body Salt Scrub; Hey Honey Sweet Treat Wild Berry & Honey Yogurt Recovery Mask (the tube is jacked up – pretty sure it is empty); it Cosmetics Confidence in an Eye Cream (I think I have two of these already); Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil; Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm (going to the boy); Alterna My Hair My Canvas Cool Hydrations Nourishing Masque; NatureLab.Tokyo Perfect Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner; The Route The Party Peel Golden Illuminizing Peel; John Frieda Frizz Ease Leave-In Conditioner; Nioxin Scalp Relief Cleanser, Conditioner & Soothing Serum; Banila Co Miss Flower & Mr. Honey Propolis Rejuvenating Ampoule; Estee Lauder Beautiful Magnolia (intriguing scent, I have a bottle of the original Beautiful and this one is very similar); NudeStix Lip Glace; Barefoot Scientist High Dive Hydration Cream (I NEED this for my dry ass feet); Lancome Hydra Zen Gel-Creme; Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask; Smashbox Photo Finish Oil & Shine Control Primer; and Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream. What a great batch of samples!
I’ve got three more orders to review after this, so I’ll post my spend to Diamond Status after the last one.
June 2021 Ipsy Bag – Do You
There can be only one…and that one is ipsy!
That’s right, after over seven years of reviews, nearly a dozen different subscriptions and literally thousands of products sampled, I’ve come to the conclusion that ipsy is the absolute BEST beauty subscription service out there. Some subscriptions were better – Sephora Play! – but died an early death. So that’s it – I’m down to one regular subscription…but I’m still keeping my eye out for new ones to try!
June’s bag is an on-trend sticker-themed bag. I cannot wait to put Barbie accessories in this bag!
My product choice this month was an Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick Mini in “Crush”. It’s a dark fall color that I haven’t tried yet…I am easing back into lipstick after a year and a half wearing balms under my mask.
Also in this month’s “DO YOU” bag: CLIV Max Hyaluronic Propolis Foaming Cleanser; Glamglow Supermud Instant Clearing Treatment Mask (good stuff); Glow on 5th Gua Sha (I have no idea how to properly use a gua sha – I’ve googled a few things, but still intimidated…hit me up with hints); and IBY Beauty Carry on 2 Face Palette Blush in “Sunkissed”.
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $12/month. If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Gorgeous Hair, Perfect Repair
I just barely caught the end of May’s Gorgeous Hair Event. I was all hyped to get 50% off NatureLab. Tokyo…but of course, all of the big refill bags of Perfect Smooth were out of stock…so I settled for trying out regular sizes of NatureLab. Tokyo Perfect Repair Shampoo and Conditioner. $7.50 is still better than $15.
I also took advantage of a BOGO 40% off order on Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Cleanser. The Cadillac of Acne Cleansers is $11.99 regular price! One for me and one for the kids. Oh, and also a Biore T-Zone Targeted Deep Cleansing Pore Strips ($7.99, down from $9.99).
I was disappointed by the 50% off Lipstick Queen Mini in “Route 66” ($6, down from $12). The description promised green lipstick that creates tangerine lips, but they were the same shade of pink as my Frog Prince lipstick. Arghhhhh.
I know it’s basically just a Sharpie, but my daughter really liked the BIC BodyMark Temporary Tattoo Marker ($3.99, down from $4.99).
My order qualified me for a Living Proof. Beauty Break, which came with 5 Deluxe Samples: Perfect hair Day Dry Shampoo, Perfect hair Day Weightless Mask, Perfect hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment, plus Perfect hair Day Shampoo and Conditioner.
(Is adding a superfluous period to your branding a thing? Looking at you, NatureLab. Tokyo & Living Proof. .)
$734 to Diamond…
Malibu Barbie x Colourpop
A Malibu Barbie Makeup Set? Add. To. Cart.
I held off as long as I could. I kept hitting up Ulta’s website to see if it would show up – you know how I am about those points. No dice. I watched Trixie Mattel’s review video and I was itching for it. I finally took the plunge when the Malibu Barbie x Colourpop Full Collection Set was $79, down from $99.
The centerpiece of the set is the 15 pan Malibu Barbie Shadow Palette. The colors are amazing and vibrant. These shadows last all day and spread like butter. I’ve done a blue look and a pink look, but there are neutral colors, too. I feel like this palette is better quality than my other Colourpop Palette. Why would they do that?
I was shocked by the Beach Party Super Shock Highlighter. The first time I used it, I applied with a fan brush and it was pretty average. The second time I used it, I applied with my finger…it’s a motherfucking cream, ya’ll! I’ll never use another highlighter again – this is “the one.”
The set included three lux lipstick kits: a bullet lipstick and matching lip liner. “Golden Beach” is a pinkish nude, a bit too light for me. “Malibu Sunset” is a vibrant hot pink, perfect for me. Full disclosure – it stained my lips. I haven’t tried “Dreamhouse” yet – it’s a medium pink.
Even though they’re adorable, I feel like I won’t get much use out of the heart shaped Barbie Hand Mirror or the Doll Lashes. Maybe for Halloween?
The Malibu Barbie x Colourpop Full Collection Set is currently 30% off – just $69.30! I am so mad…I thought I was getting a good deal snagging it for $79 + free shipping and a free pack of Daily Do-Over Makeup Removing Wipes.
May 2021 Ipsy Bag – Flower Power
Ooooh…May’s ipsy bag is a pretty peony pattern! Peony is one of my favorite scents.
My product choice this month was Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. I tried it out yesterday and my skin LOVED it.
Also in May’s “Flower Power” bag: Context Skin Nail Lacquer in “Body Talk” (is this mauve?); Formula 10.0.6 One Smooth Operator Pore Clearing Face Scrub (I used a few nights ago – I feel like it took FOREVER to rinse off); Saint Luxe Lip Liner Duo in “Moscato” and “Vino”; and Skin&Co Roma Citrus Amaro Hand Cream.
Now that I’m down to just ONE beauty subscription – Ipsy – I signed up for Glam Bag X, which is a quarterly, curated box for $55…we’ll see if it’s any good in August.
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $12/month. If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.