Tag: it Cosmetics
August 2020 Ipsy Bag – The Future is Yours
August’s ipsy bag contains futuristic products in a futuristic holographic bag.
My product choice this month was It Cosmetics Confidence in Your Beauty Sleep Night Cream. I didn’t read the description when I picked it – I wouldn’t have picked it if I had realized that it is lavender-scented. Lavender usually gives me an immediate headache, but this product was fine. I’ve been wearing it to bed with no ill effects!
Also is my cool little holographic bag: Araceli Beauty Jalisco Eyes Single in “Sombrero” (a good neutral base color – it applies like butter); Hey Honey Take Away the Drama Youth Boosting Honey & Copper Peel Off Mask; Jersey Shore Cosmetics Moisture Rich Hydrating Lip Balm in Watermelon; and MOTD Cosmetics Pigment Packer Small Shader Brush.
I also splurged on a $5 nail polish duo add-on with Cuccio Colour “Mercury Rising” and Color Club “Ghosted”. The add-ons are SUPPOSED to be shipped with your ipsy bag, but they arrived separately, about a week before my bag. What’s the point of that???
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. I am starting to get tempted to subscribe to the yearly plan…
Back to Back Ulta Hauls
I know I just ordered, but June 1st was Diamond Day, with a whole load of Diamond Exclusive Offers…
I shopped so long that I missed a Special Diamond Gift Bag and Nail Purchase Bag – they were both sold out by the time I placed my order – well, shit. I did still get the Makeup Revolution “Fierce Mind” Eyeshadow Palette for free with $25 makeup purchase. It’s got 4 huge pans of neutral shimmer shades that can easily be used as blush, too. The makeup I picked to get it was a mix of new products. I wanted to try Colourpop Ultra Blotted Liquid Lip ($7) in “Cypress Chill”, a bricky red. It is a matte liquid lipstick, but with a muted finish – it does appear to be blotted down and soft focus. I want more shades! I also tried the new NYX Dip Shape Go Longwear Brow Pomade in “Dark Brown” (usually $11, but all NYX was 40% off, so it was $6.60). This is similar to Julep’s Don’t Leave Your Brows at Home, but in a pomade form. If I’m gonna use a pomade, I’d prefer this all in one form, instead of the brush and pot being separate. That being said, this product did give me fuller brows, but I did have to finish them off with a slim pencil for definition. This product is not one and done.
Coincidentally, I did buy a back-up of my favorite brow pencil – the Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($10) – it counted as makeup towards the free eyeshadow AND towards an Ulta 4 piece gift, with $19.50 purchase. The gift contained a HUGE clear tote bag, a small palm tree patterned makeup bag, Ulta Watermelon Makeup Remover Facial Towelettes, and Ulta Watermelon Waves Juicy Gloss. Oh, the other purchase was Ulta Brush Cleaning Solid Soap ($10). I am devastated that Ulta no longer carries the Japonesque Solid Soap, but I’m holding in my tears and trying another brand.
I went all in on stocking up on skincare to get ANOTHER Skincare gift with purchase. My son has been breaking out lately, so I got him Garnier SkinActive Clean+ Blackhead Eliminating Scrub ($8.49) and Biore T-Zone Targeted Deep Cleansing Pore Strips ($9.99). I was all excited when I showed him, but he said he felt personally attacked. Rude!
For myself, I got Sagely Naturals Relief & Recovery CBD Cream ($9, but I swear it was $28 when I looked at it a few weeks ago). I’d gotten this sample a few times, and although CBD seems to be a bullshit ingredient, the tingly menthol in this moisturizer is not bullshit – it feels AMAZING on my face. I also got Freeman CBD Balance Jelly Mask + Scrub ($9.99) and Dr. Organic Rose Restoring Face Scrub ($15.99). Both are bit more pricey than I usually get, but I am a sucker for scrubs and roses.
The “Be Your Own Sunshine” Sample Bag includes Ulta Beauty Makeup Remover Facial Towelettes, Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Waterproof; Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream (more eye cream!); proactivMD Deep Cleansing Face Wash; it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream; Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate; Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum; and Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel. That’s a lot of skincare!
The only coupon available was $3.50 off – but hey, better than nothing. I’m now $784 to Diamond Status and I have accrued $50 in points!
Ulta Breakout & Chill
I’d been saving The Sign Tribe’s Remove and Chill Nail Enamel Remover ($14.99, $11.99 after 20% off coupon) in my cart for a quite a while, waiting for a good gift with purchase or coupon. I had both, so I ordered!
This product is a game change for anyone who cannot stand the smell of nail polish remover. It’s a cream that you put on your fingernails that melts off the nail polish remover. There’s no chemical scent, it’s just like a super moisturizing cuticle cream. I’ll be honest, it takes a loooong time to dissolve the polish, and it takes a double application because of the thick top coat that I use. I’ve used it twice (on Sinful Colors “I Ain’t Jambalayan” and Sally Hansen “Berry Blue”) and it’s removed all the polish both times, but neither of those are glitters, so I’ll reserve my full judgement until I try it on a glitter and on my toenails. It’s also quite expensive, even compared to my $10 Zoya Remove+.
The other part of my purchase was the Kate Somerville Breakout Fighters Kit ($55). This kit is kind of bullshit, but it’s my own damn fault, because I should’ve checked the sizes it contained. The main reason I bought it was for the 1 oz EradiKate Acne Treatment ($26 alone), because I was close to running out. This smelly sulfur elixir is the only thing that tames the acne on my chest. The kit also contains a 1 oz EradiKate Daily Cleanser Foaming Cleanser Acne Treatment – but I thought it was the 4 oz size, which is normally $38. That means the 1 oz is worth $9.50. The kit also contains EradiKate Salicylic Acid Treatment (0.33 oz) – the full 1 oz size is $58, so I guess this tiny sample is supposed to be worth $19.33. The Kate Somerville Oil Free Moisturizer (which is very, very nice on my face) is $65 for 1.7 oz, so that makes the .5 oz size about $19.12. I still don’t feel like I got that great of a deal, even if it is all worth $73.95 together…boo.
The Skinfatuation gift with purchase was also disappointing – but AGAIN, my own damn fault. I didn’t realize that it was exclusively eye creams, which I barely use and have a shit ton of. The gift includes Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels; it Cosmetics Confidence in an Eye Cream (I love the moisturizer, so I bet this one is good, too); StriVectin Intensive Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles; Dr. Brandt Needles No More No More Baggage Eye De-Puffing Gel; La Roche-Posay Toleriance Ultra Eyes Soothing Repair Moisturizer; and CeraVe Eye Repair Cream.
$874 to go until Diamond in 2021.
February 2020 Ipsy Bag – Feel the Love
As soon as I saw the velvety quilted bag, I snatched it and rubbed it against my cheek – it is so soft and smooth!
For this month’s product choice, I selected PUR Love Your Selfie Foundation in LN2 Fair Ivory. I’ve been pleased with the PUR powder foundation I selected in last month’s ipsy bag, so I figured I’d try the liquid, too. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, though.
Also in this month’s “Feel the Love” bag: MURAD Renewing Eye Cream (even though I use eye cream almost every day to clean up eye shadow fallout, I have more than I’ll probably ever use); IBY Beauty Headliner Eyeshadow (I tried it out and it’s so-so – it didn’t apply completely smoothly without primer, so I’ll have to try it again with primer); TULA The Cult Classic Purifying Face Cleanser (I’ve been using this one as well – the smell reminds me of a swimming pool, a slightly chemical smell…but not in an off putting way); and It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Primer + Oil Free (I usually like It products, so looking forward to trying this one).
A pretty good bag, although heavy on the face products.
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.
Naked Honey Diamond
I did it!
What did I do?
Well…I did several things. I bought the Urban Decay Naked Honey Palette ($49), even though I said I wasn’t going to buy it yet. But I had a good reason! I got my hair cut at Ulta the day after Xmas and it put me SO close to Diamond status – only $52 away…so…
Admittedly, the colors are somewhat similar to the Naked 2 palette, but with a bunch of gold shades added. Even so, it’s a good palette. The colors are creamy and blendable, even more blendable that usual! I also like the brush that came with the palette – it’s great for packing color.
Ulta was having a deal offering any it Brushes for Ulta for $5 (regularly $14) with a palette purchase. I got the Airbrush Blending Crease Brush #105. Since it comes with a cap, I’ll through it in my travel bag for Vegas.
I also threw in a few stock-up items – a L’Oreal Colorista Bleach Highlights Kit ($10.99) and a few packs of Exfoliating Cotton Pads ($3.49). Even though I used a $3.50 off $15 coupon, I qualified for the FREE 23 Piece Sparkler Beauty Bag with $70 purchase.
Inside the Sparkler Beauty Bag: Joico Defy Damage Foilpacks with Shampoo, Conditioner, Protective Masque and Protective Shield; NARS Climax Mascara (I’m using it right now – I like it, it’s not clumpy); Rituals The Rituals of Sakura Sensational Foaming Shower Gel; NEST Fragrances Bamboo & Jasmine; Urban Decay Subversion Volumizing Lash Primer; Giorgio Armani Si Passione; Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male; Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in “Dark Brown” (so tiny!); Too Cool for School Rules of Mastic IX Enhancer (you cannot tell by the name, but this is a skin serum); Vichy Mineral 89 Skin Fortifying Daily Booster; Mamonde Lip Sleeping Mask in “Plum Blossom”; Peter Thomas Roth Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Serum; First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream; StriVectin anti-wrinkle SD advanced plus Intensive Moisturizing Concentrate; boscia Luminizing Black Mask; Kenneth Cole Mankind Legacy; Grown Alchemist Hydra-Repair Day Cream; Living proof. Perfect hair Day 5-in-1 styling treatment; Phyto Detox Clarifying Detox Shampoo (no matching conditioner – boo); it cosmetics Confidence in a Cream; NYX Retractable Eye Liner in “White”; Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipstick in “Out Loud”; and Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil in 4.5 (another so tiny!). The bag it came in was a glittery blue velvet one, and quite roomy. It might be coming to Vegas with me, too.
So yeah, I’m Ulta Diamond for 2020 – that will give me x1.5 Ulta points and free shipping (over $25)…I’m excited to see what kind of points I can rack up.
Ulta Cyber Monday 2019
Ulta offered a HUGE Wintry Wonders 24 piece Beauty Bag with $80 purchase on Cyber Monday. Of course, I still had some gift shopping left to do…
Obviously, I’m not going to ruin Xmas by showing all the gifts I bought – but I can show the few things I picked up for myself. I’d been wanting to try It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Rosy Tone Moisturizer for a bit, but the price ($48) was putting me off. 30% off though – you have my attention. I’ve been using it for nearly a week and it’s too soon to tell if there’s a dramatic change in the tone of my skin – but the texture of my skin is amazing right now. It’s dewy and clear – no breakouts, which is a good sign. I’ll continue to use it, but I’m not sure if I’d buy it again at full price.
I also picked up a sale Makeup Revolution Good Vibes Lip Balm with Cannabis Sativa ($4.90, down from $7). There’s no tint, no fragrance and no taste to this lip balm – I mean, it works as a lip balm, but I think slapping Cannabis on the label is just a selling ploy – there’s nothing a special about this lip balm – disappointing.
So, inside the Wintry Wonders bag: MAC Lipstick Sample Card, with “Velvet Teddy”, “Mocha”, and “Hug Me”; Becca Sample Card with First Light Prioming Filter and Backlight Priming Filter; Tom Ford Metallique (why do all Tom Ford scents smell so old lady?); Rusk Pro Restore01 Leave-In Conditioner; Ralph Lauren Romance; NARS Climax Mascara; Ahava Extreme Minerals Extreme Firming Eye Cream; Sagely Naturals CBD Cream; 18.21 Man-Made Wash in “Sweet Tobacco” (GROSS); Philosophy Purity Made Simple Moisturizer; Clinique Beyond Perfecting Super Concealer Camouflage + 24-Hour Wear Sample Card; Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Flawless Serum Foundation Sample Card (I’ll put it on my Jade Egg); Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel; Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion; Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer; Marc Jacobs Daisy; Unwined by Hask Red Wine Inspired Repairing Shampoo & Conditioner (very interested in trying this – even though I’m allergic to red wine – it should be okay, as long as I don’t drink it); Marvis Classic Strong Mint Toothpaste; Mario Badescu Botanical Exfoliating Scrub; Too Cool for School Pumpkin Sleeping Pack; Hempz Blushing Grapefruit & Raspberry Creme Daily Herbal Color Preserving Conditioner (but no shampoo???); Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Gel in “Dark Brown” (Yasssss…cannot wait to try it); Giorgio Armani Light di Gioia (surprisingly, it’s not horrible – reminds me of sunflowers); and Living proof. restore Perfecting Spray. This is a really nice bag, full of brand new products for the most part.
In addition to the gift with purchase, I was able to use a $10 off coupon on my order. $157 to Diamond…so close!
October 2019 Ipsy Bag – Flaunt It
Holy moly ipsy – this Betty Boop bag is beautiful! If you flip it over, the back is black sequins. This might be the most luxe bag that ipsy has sent out.
The centerpiece of this month’s bag is the Betty Boop x Ipsy That’s So Betty Eyeshadow in “Flip Your Lid”. In the pan, it looks like a dark burgundy shimmer, but it isn’t very pigmented AT ALL. I’ve worn it a few times and it actually works well swiping on my eyes alone, a lazy day shadow.
Also in this month’s “Flaunt It” bag: First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads; Pretty Woman Nail Polish in “Don’t Be Jelly”; It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ in Fair (my product selection this month); and KVOSSNYC Lip Treatment in “Raspberry” (I put this on before bedroom and apparently drooled it across my face – I woke up with a pink stain across my cheek!).
$10 for years, the basic level of ipsy that I get is now $12/month. If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.