March Ipsy

I feel like I keep bouncing around from beauty box to beauty box. I'm sure you've read about my ex, Topbox. Then I had a little fling with Glossybox, followed by a one-night stand with LipFactory. Now I'm taking Ipsy out for a spin.

So far, the exterior is cute, almost attractive really. The interior can use some adjustments. Here's my beau for March.

Ipsy's theme was "The Great Escape". I can see the resemblance with the items and the theme, but it still left me with wanting more.

The bag is made of what I believe to be Nylon and features a cute nautical design of rope & anchor. Keeping with the theme and images, it is a navy blue with an extremely light blue. I was hoping for a nice white, but this was almost a shade or two off from white. Still cute & usable non-the less. (Besides, we can't judge a man beauty bag, by it's outside.. can we?)

First item pulled out was the LA Fresh Travel Lite Makeup Remover Wipes. I see that this is the type of bag that wants to make sure I don't go walking around with streaky foundation or raccoon eyes from the beach (don't worry, I wear waterproof or nothing at all!) I haven't tried anything by this company yet, but I am looking forward to trying these out.

Next 2 items I pulled out were mini eyeshadows from Yaby. While I call them mini (a little smaller than a dime), these are considered full size. Received were Sand Dune (a yellowy-brown) and So Vein (green based teal). Ok, so this bag also wants me to have a little bit of fun with colour and if I don't like it I can remove it with the above mentioned wipes.

GlamRX was in the bag as well. It's like a Z-Palette but with a mirror (I don't own a Z-Palette). It's roughly the size of a credit card. It'll fit about 8 Yaby shadows (remember, a tad smaller than dimes!) or 2 Urban Decay Shadows (with a few Yabys) or 2 Tarte shadows (with a few Yabys) or 4 Kat Von D shadows. The magnet in this seems cheap. It's not very strong at all. I put on some metal stickers that I had gotten from Yaby and I feel a bit of a better magnetic attraction, but not too much. You can easily remove the shadows you put in (which is good, but I'm not sure about traveling with this). I'll admit, I have my Yaby Freestyle Palette and love it! I guess I got used to something bigger, stronger and more powerful that this little pocket-size palette.

Last item is a hydrating mist by Juice Beauty. The name sounds wonderful, does it not? It smells floral to me. It's supposed to be a refreshing blend of rosehip and ylang ylang (and a few more), but I think these are the key notes, and I'm not a fan. I don't want to smell this on my face!

It's hard to stay with someone something that smells, but I am willing to go on another date. Hopefully without any odors.

*hugz*

-Sam

February Empties

So I decided to jump on the band wagon and do monthly "empties" posts. Well, actually, I just thought it was a good way to keep track of stuff that I've actually used up. Honestly, right now I have so much stuff that it almost gets depressing thinking about trying to use it all. I know. That may sound a little weird. I just want to try everything - but I want to finish stuff before moving onto something new.

So, here are February's empties. Since it was the first month, it was a little hard at first to remember to not through something out immediately. So I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be an extra item or two in there.

Miss Korea BB Cream was pretty good.  Only downfall was that it was pretty light for me. - Probably wouldn't purchase though.
Dr. Brandt's Collagen Eye Serum pilled with my moisturizer. Both day & night. I'll test it out in March with different moisturizers. Didn't see any difference. - Would not purchase.
L'Oréal  Youth Code BB Cream was almost a perfect match. Went on smoothly and blended nicely. Would possibly purchase.
BareMinerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer was so-so. Nothing really stood out. Wasn't a big fan of the smell. - Wouldn't purchase.

Dove Revive Body Wash was alright. Smelled great, I felt fresh & clean. Found you needed quite a bit of water for a good lather. It was very creamy in texture. - Would possibly re-purchase
The Body Shop Body Butter in Vitamin E took me forever to finish, but it is my favorite thing to use on my legs after shaving. - Already working on my second one!

So there you have it! I already have a few of my full size products close to being done this month so I know I'll have much more to show you for March's empties!

*hugz*

-Sam

Glossybox Italy & Poland

I recently won two international boxes from Glossybox by participating (and winning) their Pinterest contest for their 1-year anniversary. There were 3 winners for this contest. Glossybox just announced them yesterday on their Facebook page.

I'll be honest, Italy and Poland are not my first choices, however since this was the prize, I can't complain! I received my boxes within a week of being contacted, and here's what I got: 

Italy Box

Product card - front & back

Product Ingredient card

Swatched on bare skin & primer

This box is from May 2012. Almost a year old! I'm a little disappointed that it's not a more recent box, but whatever I guess. There is definitely no lack of product in this box! Upon opening the box, there was a smell that at first pleased my nostrils then quickly became too much.

In the box was a trio of items from Blumarine (perfume, bath gel and body lotion) and all 3 are the same scent - Innamorata. My nose is a little sensitive to perfumes so I had to take it out of the box and put it somewhere else so that it wouldn't bother me. Both the bath gel and body lotion are decent sizes at 30ml each. Also received 30ml of shampoo and I believe conditioner. The shampoo is scented, but not horrible. The conditioner smells a bit strong for my liking. A bit like baby powder (I don't like the smell of baby powder at all!).  Forgive me if I offend anyone, but do Italians really like/wear so many heavily scented things? I guess I know where the saying "Italian Shower"comes from ;)

The Eucerine product is a SPF 25 face cream (which is now expired) and the last two items are Kryolan's Satin Powder. The colours are very similar. One is a little more coral and the other a little more dusty rose. I would have liked to see colours that are not so similar, but I understand  that this is probably Kryolan's decision and not Glossy's.

 Overall, I'm quite disappointed with this box. A few heavily scented products that make my eyes water and nose itch so I wont be able to use those, an expired product (Sept/2012) so that leaves me with two eyeshadows that are similar in colour. At least the shadows are by Kryolan and not the dollar store.

Poland Box

Product card - front & back

Yoskine Sapphire Anti-Wrinkle Peeling

There may be only 5 products in this box compared to the Italy box, however this box is from September 2012 and contains more products that I would use. A little better, if I do say so myself. First thing I noticed was the Bath & Body Works body lotion in Pink Chiffon. I liked and debated about getting this one once so I'm happy that I now have it.

I'm not familiar with Yoskine, however I read online about it and it's supposed to have pulverized sapphire in it. Oh la la! It's a Sapphire Anti-Wrinkle Peeling. It's really an exfoliator. Light scent, nothing in particular. I look forward to trying this out.

Nuxe 24hrs Soothing and Moisturizing Rich Cream isn't something that I'll be using. I have so many face creams and what not that I really don't need another. These things seem to last me forever. I have heard good thing about this brand though.

Phyto Express Conditioner for colour treated hair. Is it just me, or does anyone else find it slightly weird that they'll send a conditioner but not a matching shampoo? My hair hasn't been color treated in nearly 2 years. I haven't decided if I'll hold onto this one or not.

Last item is Figs& Rouge Balm. It's made with peppermint & tea tree (two of my favorite things!) but it can be used on your lips, face and body. I think this a little strange. I tried it on my lips (which would be my intended use) and I quite enjoyed it.

Overall Thoughts

I honestly thought that I'd like Italy's box better, but that's not the case. Italy's box just had way too much smells going on and an expired product.

Both product cards were the same size, double sided, single language. Also the cardstock was not as thick or glossy. I understand that Canada is bilingual which is why ours are both French & English (therefore using twice as much), but I don't think we need it to be as glossy as it is or as big. Maybe this would cut down a little bit on the cost and help with slightly better products?

I did like that Italy had included an additional card (paper really) with the product ingredients. This is a good idea for those that like knowing what ingredients are in each products (those that prefer vegan or have allergies), but I do think that for the most part, we're good without it. If someone really wants to know, they can usually find it using trusty Google.

Now if you noticed, on the Italy product card it also mentioned 2 other products that were not in this box. I had researched online for reviews when this box originally came out, but it seems that no one had ever received the rose oil or jelly kiss. Strange. I think those two items would have made the box!

So overall, I can't complain about my winnings. The odds/chances of an Amazing & Spectacular box overseas is about the same as ours.

If you had a choice, which country's Glossybox would you like to try?

*hugz*
-Sam

The Final 5: February's 5 Lip Products

I would love to say "Can you believe that I'm already done going through all those lip products?", but in reality, it was really hard. Imagine only having the choice of 5 shirts - and you didn't like them all. Ok, maybe a little dramatic there, but you get the point. The beginning wasn't too bad, but as time went on, there were just other lip glosses or lipsticks that I wanted to wear. That one item that I just knew would complete my look. But, I was limited. Alas, the time has come. The 5 final products have been tested and graded. In the next coming weeks, I plan on having a general overview of all the products I tested.

Bare lips for reference if you'd like:

Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Fireberry

The only way I could get the true colours to show up right

- Dark Berry with finely milled gold glitter - but it applies fairly sheer with not much of a gold hint
- A little thick makes it slightly tacky
- Doe-foot applicator
- No smell

Price:  $19 

Verdict: It's nice when I need something thick (dry lips) that doesn't show too much, but I wouldn't buy again

Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Sparkling

- Smells like Vanilla, but doesn't taste like anything
- Doe foot applicator
- Very nice consistency (not thick, but not runny)
- Adds a nice touch of frosted colour

Price: $27

Verdict: This was a GWP and I really like it, however for the price, I'm sure I can find an equivalent for less.

MUFE Lab Shine in D16

- I can admit, I like the slightly sweet smell. Still not sure what the smell is
- Mostly sheer, but leaves a bit of sparkle/glitter on the lips
- Not sticky, but hair will get caught

Price: $21

Verdict: I'm sure I can find something very similar for a lower price, so no, I would not buy this exact product again.

Philosophy Lip Gloss in Berry Christmas

- I don't remember the smell, but it did smell good
- Shortly after application, it made my lips incredibly itchy

Price: $10-13

Verdict: So far, two Philosophy glosses that I've tried and haven't liked either of them. I wasn't able to test this one any further due to the itchy feeling. It went into the garbage the first day of February. Will not be purchasing Philisophy lip products in the future. 

Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw

forgot to take an individual lip pic

 - Dries matte, but also very drying on the lips
- Formula and the bold red leave no room for error
- Lasted about 4-5 hours before wearing off
- No smell
- A gloss on top makes it look a little better.

Price: $23

Verdict:I wouldn't purchase again, and while All the others are being put up for new homes, this one will stay here. Unless I have a better bright red hanging around somewhere (you never know when a girl's going to need a good red lipstick!)


January's 5 Lip Products
December's 5 Lip Products
November's 5 Lip Products
October's 5 Lip Products
September's 5 Lip Products
August's 5 Lip Products

*hug*

-Sam

First Lip Factory Box

There are so many beauty boxes out there that offer a variety of items. Many boxes focus on just about anything beauty related and provide a sampling of different items. There are a few boxes out there that are more geared for makeup only. Enter Lip Factory Inc.

While the name of the box makes one believe that is going to be entirely lip products, that's not the case. They did have one box, in November, that was entirely lip products, but all of their other boxes have had other aspects of the makeup realm. You can actually view some of the past boxes on their website. November, December, January.

At the time of subscribing, Lip Factory was I think $22. Mid February, they announced that due to USPS greatly increasing their prices for shipping to Canada, Lip Factory will now have to charge an additional $4 for shipping.

If you've read reviews and seen pictures online, the size of the box looks large. This is actually quite deceiving. The box is actually small. It's actually smaller than a Glossybox product card. As you can see below, it fits perfectly in my hand. There's only a little tissue paper in there, and the box isn't a sturdy box like Glossybox's, but I believe this allows them to put the money towards the products. Of course, it does get shipped in another box.

First thing that I seen was this sampler card that had a few samples of skin product samples from 29 Cosmetics. They are single use and Lip Factory's website gives this a value of $2

Next items received was 3 colours from LA Splash. These are beautiful loose eye shadows packaged in such a way that you can stack them all together. The colours are Oyster Shell (light pink), Hula Hula (bright magenta pink with some iridescent glitter) and Black Sea (black with iridescent glitter)

I would highly suggest using a primer for these shadows as it helps pigmentation. A primer that helps glitter stick (such as Too Faced Glitter Glue) for the Black Sea and Hula Hula. You can use them wet and you can really see the colour and glitter pop! These are full size and $6.99 each

Row 1 alone, Row 2 applied wet, Row 3 over UD Primer

Up next is the 29 Cosmetics Preserves Hint of Honey Grape Seed Age Protecting Lip Treatment. It's super smooth (no gritty texture) smells a bit like honey (the real stuff, not like Burt's Bees which I think smells like baby powder) and shows just a hint of the glitter in it. I'm in love with this stuff! While it says Tester on the package, this is a full size (un-used!) item. Value: $24

Another 29 Cosmetics product! So this next item is the 29 Cosmetics Grape Seed Age Protecting Moisturizing Lipstick in Stompin' Grapes (What a suiting name!) This colour is gorgeous! Applies well and it actually is moisturizing. Full Size. Value: $25

And of course, a lip liner to go with the lipstick. This is by Nabi, another line that I'm not familiar with. The colour goes well with the lipstick we received and seems to have nice colour payoff. Full size. Value: $1

Nabi Lip Liner, 29 Cosmetics Stompin' Grapes, 29 Cosmetics Hint of Honey Lip Treatment

We also received a Key to Beauty Faux Chocolate Brown Leather Keychain. The name kinda says it all. It's a little faux leather keychain to hold your lipstick. It even has a little mirror on the inside. It's cute, but useless for me. Value: $15



Last item received was an "extra" item. Just a mini kabuki brush. I'm good for kabuki brushes. I'll be giving this away. As it's a bonus item, they didn't put a value for it.

29 Cosmetics Sample Card: $2
29 Cosmetics Lip Treatment: $24
29 Cosmetics Lipstick: $25
LA Splash Eyeshadow: $6.99 x3
Nabi Liner: $1
Keychain: $15
Total: $87.97

Must say, for paying about $22, the value is definitely there! However, because of the price increase, I'm not going to stay subscribed. The value's there, it's just not within my monthly allowance ($20, but I made a minor exception for $2).

Seems like January was the first month that they included the product prices on the website. January's was about $43.50. I may just have lucked out with February's box.


*hugz*
-Sam

February GlossyBox - Anniversary Box

February was Glossybox Canada's 1 Year Anniversary. Of course, being the anniversary box, everyone had high hopes (despite the previous month's flops). They let out a little teaser video letting us know one of the items in the box: Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment. In that same video, they posted that there would be a mini contest: The Glossies with the most Glossy Dots would receive a deluxe sample of the Givenchy Gloss Interdit.  I have 120 pts with another 140 pts in surveys to take. So let's what was in my box!

This month, instead of the usual dusty pink box, the box was black with bright pink accents. I didn't take a picture of the exterior, but I love this combination! (I tend to gravitate towards dark colours...)

First up are these cupcake liners with toothpick things. I get that they're celebrating their 1 year anniversary, but we're beauty fanatics, not bakers. Ok, maybe some of us are bakers. A branded mirror compact would have been a little more fitting.

I noticed that my box had a bit of a smell and that's when I noticed that the cap on this shower gel wasn't completely closed! Luckily it didn't seem to leak everywhere. Just a little in the cap. It smells like roses, it was kinda nice at first, but I got tired, annoyed and slightly sneezy after a while of having the open Glossbox beside me. This is a full size product. Value: $3  (sorry about these pictures, my camera would not pick up the pink properly)

Next is the Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment. If you've followed my blog, you know that I've been trying some of the products from this line. I love the Repair Masque and I was a little disappointed with the Flawless and while I am in the process of trying a few other of their products, I'm super excited to have this! I haven't had the chance to try it yet, but I can tell you that it smells lovely! You can expect a review on this in the future! While this may only be 30ml, this probably will last quite some time. This size is actually sold on the Macadamia website (it's their 2nd smallest), so I will call this a full size. Value: $13.50

Another item that I'm looking forward to trying is this Biore Acne Clearing Scrub. It has little beads in it and is supposed to improve your skin's complexion without disturbing its natural moisture. This is another Full Size item. Value: $9.99

Another full size item! I've actually picked up two items from Essence recently, but not their shadows (I'm waiting for their spring collection to come out). So getting this was a little nice so that I can give it a try. I'll be throwing in a review of this when I do the other two items so I wont say much about here, but the colours are nice. Out of the 4 sets of colours that I've seen, this one probably would have been my 3rd choice. Full Size: $3.99

I immediately noticed that I had received the Givenchy Gloss Interdit! I was quite surprised at this as I was pretty sure I did not have enough Glossy Dots. The only explanation that I can think about is the fact that they were supposed to send me a replacement item for the December items that were expired. The colour that we received was Coral Frenzy and I have to say, I think I love it! It'll be perfect for the summer. It's a mini brush which while not my favourite, it's ok. It also has a bit of a smell to it. It reminds me of smelling my mom's lipsticks when I was younger. Received 3.5ml Value: $17.50  (full size is 6ml for $30!)

We also received a few foil samples. These are just extras so I didn't bother calculating the worth.

 So we got 4 full size items out of 5 + 2 foils and the cupcake thingy.

Anatomicals: $3.00
Macadamia Natural Oil: $13.50
Biore: $9.99
Essence: $3.99
Givenchy: $17.50
Total:  $47.98


So the value of what was received vs what was paid was worth it. I probably would have picked up the Macadamia oil in the future anyways so it was worth it. If it wasn't for that product (and the givenchy), I don't think I would have liked the box much. The only thing that I probably wont be using is the shower gel and the foil packets.


*hugz*
-Sam

Nail It! - A New Nail Magazine

Just a quick post to hold you guys off while I attempt to write the other posts (my brain's just not functioning right tonight!)

I found this magazine last night while browsing through Chapters.

I think this is great for nail polish lovers. For someone of quite advanced talent, they may not find it that great. It concentrates on nails with a little hint of makeup and beauty, showing a mani that'll go with a certain outfit, a few small tutorials and talking to some mani professionals!  $5.99US/CAN. I'll leave you with a little sneak peek in the current issue.

*hugz*

-Sam