Category

Ipsy

Category

March Ipsy Glam Bag Reveal 2015 and Why I Unsubscribed

18 Comments
SELF PURCHASED / AFFILIATE LINKS

 

Looking back at the calendar, I have been with Ipsy for almost 5 years (just under 5) and I have seen Ipsy in all its glory.  Having been with them for so long, I figured it was time to move on since I wasn’t quite getting the same experience out of my monthly bags as I once used to.  So, today I bring you my March Ipsy Glam Bag Reveal and my reasoning for unsubscribing.

March Ipsy Glam Bag 2015March’s Glam Bag – themed Floral Fantasy was based around gearing us all up for Spring.  For just $10 a month, Ipsy sends out a monthly subscription that includes everything from Indie and Drugstore brands to samples of highend cosmetics.  This month, my bag included a combination of all and I received two full sized products.

“Wake up your imagination with a crazy beautiful explosion of flowers.  Vivid shades and inviting textures collide this March.  Let the blooms begin.”

The bag itself is cute, though I would have loved to see more pink in the mix of the bag.  I had been seeing images from Ipsy Photoshoots including some of their brand ambassadors and would have loved to receive a bag with similar floral creations.  I wished the bag had included bolder floral pattern as those in the backdrops for the photoshoots, but nonetheless, this bag is still cute and I’m sure I’ll get use out of it.

Check out the video below for all the details 😀 Click here to watch directly on YouTube.

Included in my bag this month – I received:

Coolway Glow Oil Treatment – a sample size

NYX Butter Lipstick in Hunk – I failed to find this in my video so I didn’t mention it.  I have a swatch of this on my blog already – so you can check that out here.  This was a full sized product.  I have seen others get different shades, though I would have liked to see a color that looked a little bit more pink and on the Spring-like side.  I use this lippy for Fall, so I felt it was too dark for a spring look… just my opinion, though it can be used for spring months.

Marykay at Play teal me more eye crayon

MaryKay at Play Eye Crayon in Teal Me More – This product is full sized and I love the color.  It’s a little too creamy and will need to be set with a powder for longevity purposes but I enjoy it.

Marykay at Play teal me more eye crayon

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels – I love the brand Skyn Iceland and was introduced to this brand through Ipsy.  I haven’t used these eye gels yet, but I’m very excited to try them out and I wish there were more than just 2 pairs in our Ipsy bag.  Being a Skyn fan, I’m sure I’ll be getting these in the future.

Laneige BB Cushion SPF 50 – I just recently seen these at my local Target.  Ipsy provided four samples, though I probably could only use one since they are all based on my skintone and provided in color range.  I haven’t tested this product before, but still found it interesting it made it into my bag considering I had marked foundation, concealers and BB’s, etc. as “Not For Me” at least a handful of times.

Overall I know I’ll get some use out of the products I got in my March Ipsy bag.  Since I already have the Hunk lippy I’ll be giving that to someone or putting in a future giveaway.  Should I test out the products, I’ll be sure to talk about them here in a future update.  Having been with Ipsy for so long, I think my subscription has run its course.  The monthly cost is just $10 – a total steal considering you will usually get over $30 worth of products each month.  But, after so many years, I think I found that a lot of the products I used to enjoy, I’m no longer wearing and some of the brands and I are not compatible.  Should Ipsy change in the future, I will definitely look into signing up again, but for now – I think I am happy that I have unsubscribed… no more samples that I need to find homes for.  Shipping for Ipsy took its toll as well.  At one time, I received my Ipsy bag on time and over the last year, I was getting it six to eight weeks after it was shipped.  While it wasn’t issues from Ipsy – I had noticed that anytime I received a bag with nail polish, perfume or aerosol, it slowed the shipment down as it needed to be sent parcel (by barge).  It was a challenge to ensure I was no longer getting these items and sometimes I just didn’t want to deal with it.  As mentioned before, I learned about a lot of brands I enjoy because of this subscription service – Skyn Iceland, Healthy Sexy Hair and many others were brands I tried for the first time because of Ipsy – so I’m glad I was a part of it while I was.

So – what subscription services do you have?  I find that because I live in Hawaii, shipping is always a challenge and in some cases, many of them do not send boxes to me.  But, I’m always interested in checking them out.  Leave you favorites below so I can see if they’re a match.

Signature Honey

 

Disclaimer:  I purchased the products discussed in this post, however – I do have affiliate links through out.

 

Keep Reading
By

Beauty Candy – Ipsy Glam Bag October 2014

32 Comments

It seems like forever since I posted about my Ipsy Glam Bags on my blog or even did a video about it – so I decided I would talk about this month’s bag.  I have been an Ipsy subscriber now since December 2011 but it seems like this year I experienced many challenges with shipping and I’m sad to say that I will ride it out till the end of the year and probably cancel.  Here are the goodies in my Ipsy Glam Bag October 2014.

Ipsy Glam Bag - October 2014

 

REFERRAL LINKS

Ipsy is a $10 a month subscription and includes a variety of beauty products from skincare, makeup, nail polish and nail care and hair goodies.  This months theme: Beauty Candy included a variety of brands, some of which we have received in our bags before and some new.

This month I received the following products:

Ecru New York Acacia Protein BB Cream Beauty Balm for Hair – I received another beauty balm (bb cream) for hair in last months bag and never used it.  Honestly, I don’t know that I would be using this product so I’ll be putting it on the side.  Full size is 1.0 fl oz and retails for $12.00.  The full size product was sent in this month’s bag.

Figs & Rouge Shea Butter Limited Edition Hand cream – we all know I’m a lotion addict and I am looking forward to tossing this in my bag and adding it to my lotion stash.  I received a sample size (maybe deluxe sample) tube of the product.  Full size product is 20ml / 0.67 fl oz and retails for $6.56.  Full size product was sent in this month’s bag.

Jesse’s Girl Mineralized Baked Powder Shadow – this shadow color is really nice and I guess you can never have enough eye shadow.  The full sized product was included in this month’s bag and retails for $3.99

Starlook’s Lip Gloss – this nude toned gloss is really nice and not sticky which I enjoy.  This would be great for travel because it is really tiny.  A Sample sized was received in this month’s box of Guilty Pleasure.  This gloss retails for $12.00 full sized – I’m unsure of the amount included in full size or sample.

Skyn Iceland Mini Glazier Cleansing Cloths – I haven’t used these yet but I’m always a bit leery when it comes to makeup remover wipes or cleansing cloths because of my sensitive skin.  I’ll be sure to do a mini review if I test them out.  These clothes retail for $15.00 for a full sized packet that includes 30 wipes.  The sample included in this month’s bag includes 10 cloths and would retail for approximately $5.00.

Total retail value for the products received in the October 2014 Ipsy bag = $30.00.  This is an estimated value as there is one or two items that I needed to guess the actual amount due to the sample size.  Overall you are getting your money’s worth from the bag, but this bag’s retail value for products included is probably one of the cheapest I have had in the last year.

Ipsy Glam Bag - October 2014

Overall at $10 a month it’s still a pretty good deal considering the number of products you receive.  I haven’t been at all excited for my bags lately because they really haven’t showcased the “wow” factor for me.  While I’m sure I’ll get use out of this month’s contents – especially the makeup bag, I wish there were more items that I could utilize this fall.  I would have loved to see a bronze or brown shadow in the mix.  If you are interested in signing up for Ipsy – it is $10 a month or you can decide to sign up for a full year and get a discount.  You can sign up here: http://www.ipsy.com/r/1o41?sid=ipsypoints&cid=general

Stop on by my Lip Monthly post mentioned in the video and check out what I got in my Lip Monthly subscription – click here.

Have you tried the Ipsy subscription service?  What do you think of it?  I know I didn’t get into a lot of detail with regard to the bag… but as I use the products (if I use them), I’ll be sure to post about them.

Signature Honey

 

Keep Reading
By

Aloha from Hawaii – Hawaii Inspired Spring Summer Makeup Tutorial

36 Comments

Aloha from Hawaii Makeup tutorial

When I think of Teal and Turquoise colors, Hawaii’s beaches always come to mind.  I was very excited to get the Bora Bora Quad from Be A Bombshell in my March Ipsy Glam Bag.  The colors in the palette remind me of Hawaii and the beach and the summers I spent as a child and teen surfing the waves.  Blues also remind me very much of the Island sunsets that I have experienced in my life… and I wanted to do a fun look utilizing the colors in the palette that incorporated all of these awesome memories.  Since it’s been a bit on the chilly side here, I wanted to do a look that reminded me of Spring and Summer and this is what I came up with.  I hope you all enjoy this Hawaii Inspired Spring Summer Look.

Hawaii Inspired Makeup

Styling this look was fun and of course – since I live in Hawaii, it was easy to do.  I added a little twist to it however… instead of using a traditional Hawaiian flower in my haku (head lei in Hawaiian), I opted to utilize one of my fun floral crowns that I got from Claire’s.  It gave it a nice twist on the look and added a gorgeous pop of yellow against the blues that I applied to my eyes.  My strapless tube dress is in black and from Jeans Warehouse (a local boutique).

Check out my video tutorial embedded below.  If you are unable to watch directly – click here to watch it on YouTube.

If you enjoyed my video – please don’t forget to Subscribe, Comment & Like. 
Aloha from Hawaii - Inspired Makeup Tutorial

Products used:

Primer – Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Eyeshadow Base – Jordana’s 12 Hour Made to last Eyeshadow Pencil in Continuous Almond
Eye shadows-

  • Transition shade – Smashbox Full Exposure Palette, soft brown matte shade
  • Crease shade – Rock Bottom (Be A Bombshell Bora Bora Quad)
  • Inner corner and inner lower lash line- Risky Business (Be A Bombshell Bora Bora Quad)
  • Middle lid – Bora Bora (Be A Bombshell Bora Bora Quad)
  • Outer V to deepen the outer corner – Starlet (Be A Bombshell Bora Bora Quad)
  • Outer corner and outer part of lower lash line – Seine (Sigma Paris Palette)
  • Lower lash line (teal) – Louvre (Sigma Paris Palette)
  • Browbone Highlight – Smashbox Full Exposure Palette, cream matte shade

Eyeshadow Pencil on lower lash – Jordana 12 Hour Made to Last eyeshadow pencil in Aqua last

Lips – Milani Colorstatement lip liner in Nude, lipstick in bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Get Ready and topped with Laura Mercier lip gloss in Bare Naked

Contour, Blush, Highlight –

  • MAC Sunbasque blush for light contour and blush
  • Laura Geller Balance & Brighten Bronzer in Tan to add warmth to the face
  • Laura Geller Bronze-n-brighten color correcting bronzer in medium to add an inner glow to the upper cheekbones
  • Laura Geller Baked Highlighter Duo in French Vannila / Golden Rose to highlight

Eye liner – Mally Evercolor Starlight liner in Midnight (waterline / tightline), Kat Von D Tattoo Waterproof Liner in Trooper (winged liner and upper lash line)

Lashes – Perfekt Beauty Lash Perfection Gel (mascara), KISS Lashes in 03 and Duo Glue in Clear

Brows – Cailyn Brow in Cocoa, set with Milani Brow Gel

Hawaiian Inspired Makeup

I hope you enjoyed this Hawaii Spring/Summer Inspired look.  Creating this reminded me of all the years I danced hula as a little girl and really made me think of my childhood.  I’m not going to lie… while sometimes I wish that I lived elsewhere, Hawaii will always be my home.  I really wanted to take photos of this look while I was at the beach, but the weather has been so funky here lately that I was just thankful that I could go outside to get a few photos of the look 😉  Thank you so much for reading & watching!  “Aloha from Hawaii!”

blog signature honey copy

Keep Reading
By