October Ipsy Bag Reveal!!

I've got my favorite candle of the moment burning (Gardenia Lily!) and I'm ready to do one of my favorite posts of the month... My Ipsy bag reveal!!

the bag: Ipsy

cost: $10/ month

contents: full size/ deluxe size makeup products

I'll have a referral link down below if you're interested in checking it out :)

First product- the Doll 10 H2Glo Highlighter in the color Champagne (Full Size $30, received just under a half size for a value of $13.50): I'm So excited to have a cream highlighter!!! Ever since I've fallen back in love with cream blush, I've felt it's about time to hop on that cream highlighter bandwagon, so imagine my joy at receiving this product in my bag this month! The packaging is so sleek and classy, and the product just looks gorgeous inside. Pray that I love this, because I was looking online and they have this product in a rose gold shade, and I'm not sure I can imagine something more gorgeous!!

Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths (Full size for $15, received 1/3 size for a value of ~$5): Face wipes are a basic necessity in life. I can tell these are going to have a really crisp, clean kind of scent to them, and the travel size is going to be perfect for when I head to Philly in November. Definitely no complaints here!!!

City Color Be Matte Lipstick in the shade Cappuccino ($5): When they say matte, they aren't kidding! No shimmer or sparkle to be found here. Still, the lipstick is a very pretty, dusty rose kind of color :) My mom's eyes practically bugged out when she saw it, it's so pretty. She (very cutely, I might add) asked if she could have it, and so, of course, I handed it over. This woman gave me life! My mom is the kind of person that really loves a product to death, too, like the Nars lipstick I gave her back in June is VERY well loved, so I know this lipstick is going to find a nice home in her makeup collection!

Figs & Rouge Mango & Mandarin Shea Butter Hand Cream ($6.56): This stuff smells absolutely amazing!!!! It literally smells like a mango popsicle or like a mango smoothie from Jack in the Box. SO GOOD. The packaging is so cute and bright, and it's the perfect size to throw in a purse or backpack for after washing your hands. And around this time of year, my hands are always dry, so I can tell this product is going to be a godsend for me!!

Volumeyes Extreme Black Mascara ($20): This may potentially be a full size product, I just can't be sure. But let me just say this: I. AM. A. MASCARA. JUNKIE!!!! If I received a new mascara in every Ipsy bag, I'd be a happy camper. I've yet to receive a bad one, so we'll see how I like this one :) The brush shape looks very promising, and I'm definitely here for that jet black.

NYX Bronze Smokey Look Kit ($12): I received this extra in my Ipsy bag this month as I had accumulated 1000 points. You get points for reviewing products and the such :) I think this is going to be the perfect little palette for traveling, it's got 9 gorgeous neutrals in (a mixture of matte and shimmery shadows) and then two lip glosses. I'm really not too crazy about the bronze lip gloss, but the consistency is creamy enough it could work well for a base while traveling, so in that case I'll still get a lot of use out of it! And really, can't get enough of that NYX packaging. 

And lastly, the bag itself this month was a very cute teal, quilted pattern, which I will also be giving to my mother so she can carry her makeup around in it :) Went along well with this month's theme of beautycandy. 

So this month's approximate value comes out to be $50.06, without the NYX kit. Can you believe that? I paid 1/5 of that price!!! Do you get ipsy? How'd you like your bag this month? :)

And here's a referral link if you're interested in checking out Ipsy!! 

Nail Polish faves!

It's always nice when you have a minute to sit down and paint your nails. I think when you have your nails together, people are more inclined to think you have your life together, haha. :) Anyway, here are the colors I've been loving recently, I just repainted my nails these colors and I practically never do that. What are your go-to colors for fall?

- Odette by Zoya ($9)

- It's Genius by Essie ($8.50)

September Favorites!!

It's now officially October, and so I thought I would just share a couple of the makeup things that I've really loved this past month of September. More than likely, quite a few of these will move into my fall beauty regime with me, but I still thought I'd give them a shoutout :)

So first things first, a good concealer is actually a must for anyone in college. It's like, the rules of feminism. Just kidding. But really, it's a lifesaver when you just have a couple spots and you've already overslept for your 8 AM, or if you want to look awake after staying up all night to finish that paper. My savior this month has definitely been the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer ($4.47). It's such good coverage and it's the absolute perfect color for me. The only downside is I don't think there's a huge surplus of colors. Mine is in the shade 430, Medium.

My next product is the Topshop Cream Blush in the color Head Over Heels ($12). So, when I first started wearing makeup, when I knew even less about it than I do now, I use to take this very blush on a stippling brush, and I thought it looked great. One of my friends then proceeded to tell me you can't use a stippling brush to put on blush (which is, of course, absurd), so I stopped. Well, this month I got back into it, and let me tell you it is literally GORGEOUS. This blush is so absolutely beautiful and I'm so sorry I ever stopped using you. (Shoutout to Topshop, I can't wait to start there!!) I know the color looks a little intimidating, but good lord, is it beautiful on the skin. And the adorable Topshop packaging doesn't hurt one bit either!

If you're anything like me, you struggle with your eyebrows not for lack of trying, but because somehow, the harder you try the worse they look. That's where this next product comes into your life. And yes, I know that it's no secret that the Benefit Gimme Brow ($22) is a beauty blogger fave, but seriously, if you are interested in fast, easy, natural looking brows, give this gel a shot. It's like two minutes and you're out the door. Incredible!! So lovely and simple to use. :) Mine is in the color Medium/Deep.

 

The next product actually came in my September ipsy bag, and has quickly become one of my favorite parts of applying my eyeshadow. It's the NYX Hot Singles Eye Shadow ($4.50), and mine is in the color Chandelier, which is described as a "cool frosty beige" on the website. I love using this color as an inner corner highlight, it just makes my eyes seem so much brighter and makes me look on the whole more awake. The thing that I love most about this eyeshadow, though, is it's staying power. If I happen to look in the mirror like, let's say 6 hours after applying it, I can still see it sparkling there in my inner corners, livening me up, which is always an incredible feeling. Ipsy is this really cool makeup delivery service which sends full and deluxe sizes of products out once a month for $10 :) I'll leave a link below if any of you are interested!

My last product I actually picked up a while ago and then forgot about, and recently rediscovered. It's the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (on sale for $5.69) in the color 001 Honey! It's just the loveliest transitional color for the fall. It's very much a your-lips-but-better kind of color, and even better, it's a stain! Moisture and color in one package, what more could you ask for? 

What products have you been loving this month? What are you maybe hoping to try out this month? Let me know :) I've been thinking about picking up one or two of the Simply Vamp Lip Creams by NYX, but we'll see! 

And lastly, if you're interested in checking out Ipsy, here's a link for that!

September 2014 Ipsy Bag Review!!!

I was super happy with all the picks I got this month in my ipsy bag!! For those of you who don't know, Ipsy is a subscription bag that sends you 5 deluxe/ full size beauty products in the mail once a month for $10. Each of the picks in your bag is supposed to be specialized for you based off of your beauty preferences.

This month I felt that all of the picks I got were so usable and perfect for this time of the year, and I'm definitely very excited to incorporate these products into my beauty routine :)

If you're at all interested in Ipsy, you can sign up here! http://www.ipsy.com/home

Also, I apologize for the iphone quality pictures, hopefully I get my hands on a quality camera soon!!

the bag: Ipsy

cost: $10/ month

contents: full size/ deluxe size makeup products

The Bag: The bag this month was a super cute silver faux leather makeup bag, to go along with the "Street Style" theme. I have to say, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the Ipsy makeup bags. As cute as they are every month (and look at this studded one, so cute!!! So punk rock!!!) they often just end up cluttering my room. However, a handful of them have found practical uses; for instance, I have two that I'm using in my school bag. I really like this one though, so perhaps I'll put some essentials in it and bring it to concerts!!! 

NYX Hot Singles Eye Shadow in Chandelier ($4.50): I'm always a bit apprehensive about NYX eye shadows, because I feel they're so hit or miss. Sometimes the color pay off is phenomenal, other times it's horrid. I'm still up in the air about this one, to be frank. I was pleased that Ipsy sent me such a neutral color (let's be real, I wasn't about to work those deep purples), however, I feel like this one is really particularly sheer and shimmery. Because of this, I don't know how much I can say for the color payoff, but it really makes a lovely inner corner highlight, so I know I'll get a lot of use out of it!!! And the packaging is cute too, so that can't hurt :) (color swatch below)

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask ($26.00 for a full size of 5.25 oz, received 1 oz for ~$4.95): I've gotta say, I am ALL ABOUT hair masks and treatments. As you would probably expect, seeing as I've bleached half my head. I was particularly interested in this mask, as the Brigeo line is actually going to be launched in Sephora stores in the near future!! And the nice thing about Ipsy is that you actually recieve a good enough size that you can get a few uses out of it, and really get a feel for whether or not you like the product. After washing my hair (on Tuesday) I found that it didn't weigh my hair down at all, and that my hair seemed shinier and more voluminous for days afterward (it's Thursday and I'm still impressed by my hair days!!). I'll keep you posted, but if all go wells this may become a staple in my hair care regiment!

Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in Love Affair ($19): When I first saw this lip gloss in my Ipsy bag, I'll admit to being a bit disappointed that I had been sent the deeper shade, rather than that more natural pinkie tone being offered this month. But as soon as I put it on, it was love at first sight. Coming from someone who really shy's away from vibrant lip colors- this one is absolutely lovely. It's a very pretty wine color, and it's a bit more sheer than it appears in the tube so it's not overwhelming. Despite being a novice when it comes to lip colors, I think that I'll definitely get a lot of use out of this when fall hits southern California, and it's not 100 degrees out!! (swatch below)

Pacifica Natural Water- Proof Eye Pencil in Fringe ($11 for a full size, received a half side for ~ $5.50): Tried this pencil out today, seems very creamy. It went on my waterline like a dream, but it was awful on the tightline. That may just be because I'm very picky about eyeliners I'll put on my tightline though. There was a time where I was very into brown eyeliner on my waterline, so we'll see if this product can rekindle that love in me!! (see swatch below)

Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush ($17.50, on sale for $6.99): I love getting makeup brushes from Ipsy!!! Adore this one. The Shadow/ Crease duo makes it PERFECT for traveling, and if it's sale it's an incredible deal. It's so soft :) Definitely going to get a lot of use out of this, I can never have too many eye shadow brushes! 

This makes the total value of my bag $40.94, which is 4x more than the price of $10 that I paid. The lip gloss alone was almost double the price!! I think it's so worth the price and already know that all of these products will end up being fall beauty favorites for me. What about you? What did you guys get and how did you like your September bags? :)

April Ipsy bag, 2014!

I'm so incredibly happy with my Ipsy bag this month! Every product I pulled out just made me even more excited. Some months are really on point and I've got to say, this is one of them!

I scored a travel size Urban Decay 24/7 velvet glide-on eye pencil in the shade black velvet (retail price: $20 for a full size), which is especially nice because I own the two other shades (Perversion and Zero). These eyeliners are some of my absolute faves, for sure.

I also got a Coastal Scents Medium Shadow Brush (retail price: $2.49) which I can't complain about (who doesn't love eye shadow brushes?). 

I got a lip pencil from Starlooks in the shade Naked (retail price: $14) , and it looks a little bright for a "nude" color, but the wear seems incredible, the swatch on my hand from when I looked at it a few hours back is still visible, despite me trying to rub it off.

I received an Elizabeth Mott pop! goes the shadow eye shadow in the color Champagne (retail price: $12.99) which I'm really happy about, because I've been looking for a good everyday champagne color for a while and I'm excited to give this one a shot.

Lastly I got a sample size of a skin exfoliant from Dr. Brandt, called the microdermabrasion (retail price: $78 for a full size), which looks super promising. I'm all about exfoliating my skin!

I'm super happy with my bag and I LOVE getting these in the mail! Did anyone else get something they're excited about? :)

Mini Fall Fashion Haul!!

Or rather, a mini Forever 21 haul, haha. We're breaking out our winter floor set pretty soon, in honor of the holidays, so I just thought I'd pick up a few bits and pieces for when it starts to get a bit more autumn like here in California!

Military Jacket- Forever 21 ($34.80)

Now, I tried so hard to not buy a military jacket, but honestly, they just look so freaking cute I had to have one in my possession. I particularly like this one because the leather sleeves are just so flattering. It's a bit over sized too, so it's really comfortable, and I think it's so super versatile, like you could wear it over a dress or just with a pair of leggings and a sweater. I think I'll get a lot of wear out of it and it's actually pretty warm, so it'll be perfect for what we call "fall" here in socal- when it gets to be about 65 degrees.

Sweater- Forever 21 ($24.80)

The second thing I picked up was this sweater covered in buffaloes. I know a lot of people probably won't like this print, but I think things with animal silhouettes on them are so adorable. It's also just really comfy and cozy and perfect for lazier days, I can just wear this with a pair of leggings and I'm good to go. It'll also be perfect for days when I'm sitting around at home, chillin and like having a cup of tea or something. And everyone needs to have that one "ugly" sweater, right? It's like a sweater weather essential!!

Beanie- Forever 21 ($2.80)

The last thing I actually bought for a DIY project I'm gonna do soon- but straight up if you're looking for beanies don't waste your time, just go to Forever 21. They're only $2.80!!! I know I'm going to be stocking up on more of these. They're actually pretty good quality and they're really comfy. There's a variety of colors too which is really nice :) 

The last thing I bought was a pair of earrings ($4.80) and I mostly bought these to wear to work. In the fall, when I start to wear more sweaters and scarfs and jackets and such, I really like to have huge studs to just dress my outfit a bit. Anything with pearls, roses, or that's just kind of gaudy somehow ends up in my jewelry box this time of year. 

So that's the end of my little fashion haul, if you guys have bought anything recently that you're really loving I'd love to hear about it! I'm always looking for new places to shop :)

Makeup Monday!

So I hate to be negative or critical of things but the time has come in life where I need to be. Well not really, but something has really kind of irked me enough for me to need to be. So today is going to be a product I regret buying :(

I saw these in Target and had heard really good things about the "yes to... whatever" brand so I figured I'd try it, since the travel pack was only like $2.99. 

I just.

The very first thing that I noticed the first time I used these wipes were that they felt really dry coming out of the packaging. And maybe this is just a placebo effect, like maybe they can be dry and still effectively remove makeup; but to me, it really just felt like I was rubbing a dryer sheet on my face. Well, it wasn't quite THAT bad but really. The Sahara.

I suppose they smell alright. They smell like cucumbers and freshness, as wonderfully accurate as that is. It's very much what it says on the packaging, nothing overly aromatic or sweet or fantastic. It kind of just is what it is.

But the worst part is that they actually don't seem to do all that good of a job removing makeup. I mean, it'll take my eyeshadow off alright, but my mascara and especially my eyeliner kind of just end up all over my face, and by that I mean smudged under my eyes.

I just feel like when it comes to facial wipes these really aren't worth the money (not even the $2.99) because in all honesty, a kleenex and some mosturizer would probably remove your makeup better and feel nicer on your skin then these do.

I dunno, has anyone else had a better experience with these?