My First Ipsy Bag! October Ipsy Unbagging

After what seemed like forever since signing up, I finally got my first Ipsy bag in the mail on Friday! I think it's too early to tell if I'm a huge fan of the subscription, but I did like what I received in this month's bag. 

The bag itself is so-so. It doesn't feel cheap, but it definitely isn't something I'll use. I do like the added touch of having a bag, unlike a box like Birchbox. I didn't see a card that told me what anything was, which is what I like about getting Birchbox. Birchbox lists everything you get on a card and how much a full size costs. 

Starlooks Lip Gloss - I'm not a fan of pigmented lip glosses only because I don't wear them. If I'm wearing a gloss I tend to not really wear a color because the gloss is in place of lipstick. So if I'm going to wear color, I'm wearing a lipstick.

Albertini Warm Love Exfoliating Pumpkin Mask - I've tried this already and I do like it. This smells like pumpkin and the exfoliate isn't over the top. This might be my stand out product and I wish it were just a bit bigger.

Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser - I have a problem with cleansers, meaning I have too many. I like that it's a gel because sometimes thick foaming cleansers are drying. I also like that this is small because I've used up most of my travel sized cleansers. I'll probably use this to try it out and then save it for my next trip to NH for the holidays.

Figs & Rouge Rose Berry Hand Cream - I also have a problem with hand creams and I need to use some up. This is a little watery in consistency so it might just get saved for my purse or the summer when I don't need much moisture. I was bummed that I didn't get the mango scent when I was watching Coffee Break With Dani, until she described hers as smelling like an ugly mango. Mine smells quite nice.

Skone Tattooed Waterproof Eyeliner - I'm not jazzed about this only because I can't even remember the last time I even used eyeliner on my top lid. I've been strictly a waterliner for quite some time now. Maybe that means I need to try it. It's a felt tip pen and I'm not used to those anymore so I might just wear it around the house to test the wear.

All in all, the bag was okay. I don't really have anything to compare it to since it was my first one, but I guess I'll see how I feel about it next month!

October Birchbox Unboxing!

This is only my second Birchbox, but I definitely look forward to getting it every month. I wasn't as impressed with this month's box as I was the last, but it was the anniversary box, so I'm sure that has something to do with it. 

I wish there was more skincare in this box. The reason I wasn't as impressed was just that I feel like I won't use some of these things. The standout for this month would be the hand cream, followed by the leave in conditioner.

Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle: I've never used a leave in conditioner, mainly because I'm afraid that it would make my hair oily. I also tend to use a deep conditioner in the shower so I never felt the need to use one. I guess I'm somewhat excited to try this out.

Coastal Scents Revealed Eyeshade Palette Set: This is a four color sampler of eyeshadows that I will probably never use. I just don't wear eyeshadow anymore so I don't have a use for this. I guess it would be nice to travel with if I used shadow. I might just pass this on to Jessica if she's interested.

LuMESH Hydratig Lip Gloss: This is in the color Sadie and is a super tiny size. Is never pay $24 for a full size of it, but this is nice. It has a tingly minty feel and the color is pretty sheer.

suki exfoliate foaming cleanser: I'm going to try this out tonight. I thought it was a pretty measly size for a body scrub until I noticed it was for the face. It's too expensive for me as a full size, but it's worth a try regardless.

TOCCA Crema de Mano, Bianca: I actually really like this. The scent is light, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It does feel decently moisturizing, although I think I do prefer my Crabtree & Evelyn cream over this still. 

Again, I'm still more impressed with last month's box, but I'm still rearing to try some of these items. Now starts the waiting process for my November box. All I want is more skincare, no eyeshadow, and more importantly, no perfume! I've been lucky on the perfume front so far, but I know I'm bound to get some eventually.

Kat Von D Studded Lipsticks Holiday Set Swatches!

Even though the Kat Von D lipstick set wasn't what I set out to purchase from Sephora, I was extremely happy with them. Despite the fact that they're small, you get a lot of product for $39, especially considering that one lipstick costs $21.

As I've mentioned, these are small. This is the tube lined up to my finger, which is a little longer than the lipstick.

I don't have a regular KVD studded tube to compare the lipstick to, but you can pretty much tell how little the bullet is just against my hand. It still rolls up with enough product, but it is miniature. 

Agatha, Lovecraft, Sexer, Adora

From bottom: Agatha, Lovecraft, Sexer, Adora

Wonderchilde, Motorhead, Bachelorette, Hexagram, Countess.

From bottom: Wonderchild, Motorhead, Bachelorette, Hexagram, Countess.

Unlike a favorite lipsticks post, I can't comment on these at all. At the time of swatching, this was a first impression. At present posting time, I've worn only Sexer. I can say that these are pretty dry when swatched. Obviously, you can tell which ones drag because it was really difficult to make my swatches look nice and smooth. I also didn't want to make large swatch boxes because of the small amount of product.

These will probably perform like a MAC matte, which are on the drier side. I've read multiple reviews saying that the colors apply patchy, but I haven't been able to try any of these more matte shades on my lips. I will have more to say about these in my monthly lip post because I do plan on wearing some of these shades.

I wanted to buy this set because I liked eight of the nine colors. I'm sure you can tell that Agatha, the lightest nude, is not my cup of tea. It's possible that I'll try it, but I can't say when I would wear it.

I think my favorites are going to be: Sexer, Adora, Bachelorette, Hexagram, and Countess. I'm excluding Motorhead because it looks super patchy and reviews say that it translates like that to the lips. Wonderchilde appears sheer and patchy. Agatha and Lovecraft are not really my style.

All in all, I think I would rate this set about a B+ because most of the colors are nice and there is a variety of finish. I do with there were a couple different color combinations available, but I'm happy with the colors I have. I think the set is a solid value because it is $39 and I would never purchase a $21 lipstick, which is why I typically stick with MAC and lower end brands.

The packaging on the other hand, I would rate as a C- for this reason alone...

The top of the lipstick sticks out of the bullet, which makes putting the cap back on an instant hassle. In one moment, you could decapitate your lipstick.

I also noticed that these actually come out of the bullet quite easily. I don't know if this has anything to do with the fact that they're sample sized, but the lipstick came right out. I didn't even need to put much effort into it. I know for a fact that my MAC lipsticks don't do this unless there's a dramatic change in temperature. I'm obviously not going to be pulling my lipsticks out of the bullets, but I thought this was something that I should shine some light on just in case.

My First Haul: NYX Butter Lipsticks (First Impression/Swatches/Etc)

From Left to Right: Taffy, Sweet Tart, Fizzies, Little Susie, Fireball, Mary Janes, and Pops.

After reading Reggie's favorite lipsticks post, she convinced me to get some NYX butter lipsticks on sale at Ulta. I got 7 of them, and let me tell you, swatching them was like a rite of passage. I got NERVOUS over it. There's something about a brand new lipstick that looks pretty and like, "oh, so this is what my money was spent on" rather than, "oh, here's a tiny nub of red stuff that I've used." So, I sucked it up and swatched.

L-R: Taffy, Sweet Tart, Fizzies, Little Susie

L-R: Fireball, Mary Janes, and Pops

I can say right off that these aren't drying or icky feeling. Some lip products I use are just gunky and feel weird. But I was impressed with these. I like that they're glossy rather than matte (I'll eventually try some mattes, but for right now, I'm just venturing into colors other than nudes), and I like the color variety I ended up getting.

My favorites so far are Mary Janes, Fireball, and Sweet Tart. Well, I basically LOVE every one except Pops and Taffy. Taffy ended up being too pink for me. It looks almost bubblegum-y, and I'm not a fan of that type of color. Pops is pretty, and I don't hate it. It's not as dark/pigmented as I expected, I think, but it definitely isn't BROWN like the package indicates. I was nervous about that when I saw it, and was pleasantly surprised when I swatched it.

These are bold but safe colors to try out in order to venture into the world of "lipsticks that aren't nude". I'll be excited to try some! I work tomorrow morning, so I'll give either Mary Janes or Sweet Tart a try, and then I'll see if they have staying power. For the price, though, I'm really pleased and pleasantly surprised. No one goes through lipsticks in a crazy-fast timeframe, and this was a great way to "start" my collection and see what I truly will and won't use.

Subscription Addiction: My First Birchbox!

Last week, I got my first Birchbox and I wanted to share my first impressions. This is more of a first impressions post than an unboxing, but I did take my initial first pictures before I opened everything.

The box was really nicely packaged. I think I might be able to use these to help organize my things, so I'm going to keep these little patterned boxes that I get each month.

I received six different product samples, one of which included a two sample pouches of the same thing. The majority of my box was skincare, but I don't mind because I enjoy trying out new skincare products.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum: Damn, this stuff is expensive. There isn't even that much in the little sample tube, so I can't imagine this is going to last that long. I guess it's okay. I've only used it a couple times, but not enough to make a difference. Even if I do like this serum, I would definitely not purchase a full size because of the price!

dr. brandt pores no more vacuum cleaner: This sample is probably three times the size of the Caudalie, which is great because I like it three times better. There's a possibility that I would repurchase this even though it's also expensive at $45. If this ends up working as well as it claims, I will end up doing a review on it.

Juara Candlenut Body Creme: This confused me at first. I though this was a lotion, not a cleanser. I have to say that it's really inconvenient sample packaging for the shower. Once I dropped it, I knew there was no going back as the water absorbs into the cardboard like package. It's also a weird texture for the shower. I definitely felt like I was washing myself with body butter and it didn't actually lather. There's also no way to reseal this and it's expensive.

Noir Cosmetics Long-Wear Eyeliner: If Birchbox sent me just this eyeliner and nothing else in the box, I would have been confused but happy. Within one use of this, I was in love. This eyeliner has completely replaced my Urban Decay liner in my makeup bag because it actually lasts all day. I will definitely be doing a review on this.

Whish Shave Crave - Acai Grapefruit: Hot damn. Jessica was telling me how much she liked her sample of this from last month's box but I didn't understand why she was lusting over a shaving cream. I actually really like this and it's much better than my cans of lathering shaving cream. I think my only downside to this product is that I couldn't tell where I had shaved because it's like spreading lotion on your legs...and it's $20 but I'm planning to use my Birchbox points on the full size.

ChapStick Hydration Lock Day & Night: This was another stand out in my first Birchbox, which is funny because I can't remember the last time I actually used an actual ChapStick. This was a Birchbox find, which is an additional sample. The day side has SPF 12 and the reason I love it is because the texture is similar to my MAC Prep+Prime lip primer which I'm almost out of. I've been using this as my lip primer and it's been working great. The night side isn't as moisturizing as I would like it to be, but I don't hate it and the day side more than makes up for it.

All in all, I'm really happy with my first Birchbox and I can't wait to get my next one! I'm going to try to get out some reviews on the products that really stood out to me and I think at least one, if not more, products will make it into my next favorites post.

My referral link if anyone else wants to try Birchbox!

#TBT/OOTD/First Impression Extravaganza: We Can Do It!

This week is homecoming week at the high school where I work. Today was Throwback Thursday, a day where you can dress according to a decade. It was supposed to be from the '50s-'90s, but I cheated a little. This look is the Rosie The Riveter inspired look, and let me tell you, it was an absolute PITA to accomplish.

I have to say up front that I work at a low income school where gang activity is the norm. So bandannas or other possible gang symbols are out. I had some red tulle from a Robin Sparkles costume a few years back, and attempted the hair with that on Monday night.

The hair was a complete disaster, obviously. It wouldn't poof, and the tulle was definitely way too thick for my hair. So, I hopped over to Michael's and found some polka dotted red ribbon to put in my hair. I also knew that my deepest, brightest red lipstick wasn't sufficient:

I went to CVS and I bought some Wet n' Wild lip gloss in Red My Mind and some black liquid eyeliner. Why I decided to do that, when I have my precious Noir eyeliner, I'll never know. I guess I figured I would be able to get a more precise cat eye with it? But I was sorely mistaken.

I woke up at 6:00 AM, and things started off fabulously. My hair poof was poofing in all the right places. The ribbon was working wonders. The borrowed denim shirt fit perfectly. 

I tried to apply the liquid eyeliner first, and it was a total nightmare. I will never, ever try liquid eyeliner again. Thankfully, I only spent like $3 on it, but ugh. It was so tough to get a precise wing. It didn't blend well, being a waterproof liquid eyeliner, and the result was crappy. But by the time I realized I should have gone with the Noir, I would have been late to work. So I made do.

And let me tell you, that BRIGHT RED lipstick was a shock for me. I'm so neutral in my colors, especially on my lips, that it was almost like I was putting on clown makeup.

And it was a complete PITA to get off, too. I had to wash my face twice, use a makeup remover wipe, and then eventually resort to a shower to get it all. When I tried to wash it off, I looked like I was Fruit Punch Mouth from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I had red ALL OVER my face/cheeks.

I will say this, though: both of the Wet n' Wild products I used today had awesome staying power. The red lipstick lasted through lunch and four blocks of absolute chaos with ninth graders. The eyeliner did come off with my Just Release Me eye makeup remover by Philosophy, though. It clung at first, as it should, being waterproof, but it did its job.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with my outfit for #TBT. The kids didn't know who I was (again, very low income school, you can do the math), but I was able to explain it to a few of them. My poof stayed poofy until about 1:10. I don't think I've had that much hairspray with those bold shades of makeup since ballet class in the '90s when bright blue eyeshadow, multiple bottles of extra hold hairspray, and red lipstick were part of the everyday routine. It does make me enjoy the performance art sort of thing, if you know what I mean. It's not often as an adult that I can be bold with the colors and go wild with a costume. It was worth getting up an hour before I had to leave, for sure.

Subscription Addiction: August Birchbox Excitement!

So my August Birchbox didn't look just like that, but holy crap, was it awesome! It was my first month of Birchbox, and I was so, so pleased! There were some clear hits, and some clear misses, but overall, it's the best value for my needs right now, and seems to be the most consistent. So, without further commentary, here we go!

Subscription Box: Birchbox

Description: Each month, you'll receive a selection of samples that we’ve tried (and retried) ourselves. We source our samples from both well-known brands and emerging gems. The women’s subscription includes everything from skincare to makeup, as well as fun non-beauty extras. The men’s subscription delivers top-tier grooming products in addition to lifestyle accessories ranging from hip socks to tech accessories.  

Pricing: $10/month.

Referral Link: Here

Product #1: Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris Fragrance
I am not a fragrances gal. The most I do is slather on some Bath & Body Works Moonlight Path after a shower or spray the tiniest bit of knockoff Victoria's Secret perfume before I go out. This fragrance was so... flowery. And not in a light way. It was kind of musky and heavy. Not for me. I traded it on eDivv for some eyeshadow. I'm sure it will work great for someone, just not for me.

Product #2: K6 Skincare Clean Antioxidant Facial Cleanser
This product is vegan, which is always interesting. It had a clean smell to it, but a very light one. There wasn't a lot of lather to this product, which is okay for me. It didn't burn or sting my eyes when I used it. It felt nice on my skin. I needed to use a little extra moisturizer when I got out of the shower because this was a bit drying, but once I used the products from my normal moisturizing routine, it was a little better.

Product #3: LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil | Bees Knees - Coral
I am excited about the color, for sure! It was a beautiful coral color which I was terrified would be too orange. But after consulting with a friend sitting next to me when I opened it, and confirming that it wasn't too orange, I wore it. I love how it applies, and I love that it's not outrageously sticky. However, my lips were dry one day and I looked like I was eating Cheetos. The color stuck to the dry patches on my lips. I'm experimenting a bit with chapstick or lip balm in combination with this, because I like it a lot and would like to use it much more, but my lips happen to be dry on a pretty regular basis.

Product #4: Noir Cosmestics Long-Wear Eyeliner
This stuff is the best. It applies so easily and it doesn't take scraping to get it to glide on to your eyes. It doesn't come off easily, which is the point, but using the right eye makeup remover makes all the difference. It's smooth and it lasts! It's a little darker than I would normally go, but I like the jet black color. It gives me more of a dramatic look when I have my glasses on, which are dark, thick black frames.

Product #5: Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream - Acai Grapefruit
Between this and a product in my September Birchbox, Grapefruit scents are WHERE IT'S AT. God, I loved this shaving cream. It's already gone. It moisturized my legs well, and it smelled incredible. It didn't lather like a Skintimate type shaving cream, but it was so effective when paired with the right razor (not a disposable one). I wish it stuck to my legs just a touch better, but this is definitely my favorite product so far from a subscription box!

This was absolutely worth my $10. I would never buy the $100+ perfume, but the rest of the products were useful and at the very least tailored to my needs, whether I liked them or not. Birchbox did a fantastic job for August!