Ipsy Vol. 5

It’s been a long month and that mean’s I’ve had more than enough time to try out the products sent to me in the “Fresh Picks” Ipsy bag.  May is the beginning of summer is right around the corner which translates to the Ipsy team as the season of skin care apparently as that was the ultimate theme of this bag.  Funny how the month following a full makeup bag they give us a bag devoted to taking it all off.  To say that I was kind of let down by ipsy this month was a bit of an understatement, in truth my love of this company took an arrow to the knee.  I understand that its sample based but they insist on sending me things that in all reality mean very little to me no matter how many times I retake the survey, at this rate I may switch to birch box next year.  To help you understand let me dissect what I got this month.

First out of the bag was yet another exfoliator scrub.  This month I received the derma e microdermabrasion scrub.   When I first opened the scrub I got all kinds of excited because it had the wonderful scent of lemon but as I pulled it closer the scent turned sour and over powering.  Oh my god, who in their right mind wants to scrub their face with sour lemons?!  As for the scrub itself, for a micro scrub the beads were pretty macro and the texture was so thick on my face that it made me long for the scrub they had sent me previously!  Once it was removed I saw the harsh truth, it had done nothing at all.  Nothing, except make my skin red and patchy… This was a onetime use item… get it away!

After that fiasco I pulled out the “Hey honey” take it off peel mask.  This was a tiny sample with instructions to go online for instructions.  Okay I was already pissed off at that point.  Then I read that it takes like 15 min and I have to moisturize before and after?!  Aint nobody got time for that!  As for the results, getting the damn mask was a pain in the butt, but I did it and to my surprise, after all that waiting the results were far from amazing.  Ugh… Next!

Next out of the bag was the Eva NYC Therapy Session hair mask.  This is probably the only product that I actually liked, even if it was remotely.  It’s no secret that I have been looking for ways to revitalize my hair and condition the ends.  This seemed to at least awaken the dream of moister and for that I’m grateful, but I just can’t see myself using it very often.

Then it was time for a product greasier than the name of the company it was made by, ladies and gents, the Jersey Shore Sun companies “Sans Tan.”  Oh my god, there is not even words to describe the putrid smell that came from the tube.  Fighting the smell is the oily finish that it leaves… Is that why you sent me all the exfoliation garbage?!

There was some makeup though, in the form of an eye shadow duo by Pacifica.  It was a nice neutral color in a soft brown and white combo but, in true Ipsy fashion, they sent the matte girl a shimmer.  Wow Ipsy.  So I did go ahead and try these anyway and they do not stay well at all.  The color was gone within an hour and I was left with a betrayed feeling as it took forever just to get them to make a proper look.  Yeah, my 4 year old niece will love them. 

In short the best part of this bag was the bag itself.  While the insides where crummy the bag was a wonderful canvas which has become a keeper of essentials in my purse.  So I guess, thanks for the tampon bag ipsy…  

The Tea Diary: Box 1

In an effort to reduce soda and sugary drinks I’ve taken to trying to drink tea at the office.  So, in my efforts I tripped down the tea isle of my local target and realized, there are just way too many options.  I figured let’s just start with Green Tea, that’s supposed to help you lose weight right?

The first box down was Celestial Seasonings Green Tea with honey and ginseng.  One of the great things about this selection is that they mix in white tea so that the pungent bite of green tea.  It tends to relax you into this warm cup until you hit the lemony citrus that jolts you just a smidge.  Between the ginseng and the honey there is a smooth sweetness that seems to skip hand in and with the brightness of the lemon and strength of the green tea.

The thing that made this box a little different was that the bags have no strings.  Now that carries some real pros and cons.  With no string, tag, staple or wrapper, the natural fiber tea bag keeps 3-5 million pounds of waste out of landfills, this is according to the box.  While I am all for protecting the environment, everyone has to pitch in right?  The stingless design threw me.  I can’t help it, it’s the way I was trained I suppose.  At first I thought it was a little gross as I picked the bag out of my cup, but after a while I actually got to a system of prep that made everything pretty effortless.  Do I miss the string… kind of but the flavor of this box made up for it. 

If at first you dont succeed wash, wash again!: L'Oreal Volume Fill hair care system

One of the biggest problems that I have with my hair is that it is that it completely lacks any semblance of volume.  Some women are blessed with bounce in their tresses; I unfortunately was born with a lifeless mop.  Therefore, when I received a sample of L’Oreal Paris Volume Filler system of shampoo, conditioner, and densifying gelee I was pretty excited.  The problem is that it states it is for fine or thin hair and although it is lifeless, my hair is pretty thick already.

The shampoo had a soft floral sent that was pretty nice and lathered really well, still it’s very hard for me to appreciate most foil samples because of the length of my hair.  As soon as I rinsed it out, it just felt thick and tacky but also very dry.  It’s as if every hair on my head had become stiff as straw but had the thickness of pasta noodles.

The conditioner had less sent which I loved; I have this weird thing with hair care products and smell.  Most of the fragrances in conditioners make me feel tired and ill.   What I didn’t love is that the sample size barely made a small dent in softening my hair.  Now mind you, I usually have to double the recommended amount of conditioner, but this was pretty sad.  I really wanted to like this but it just didn’t pack as much moisture as my locks require.

There was a bright spot though, the gelee.  It had a brilliant lemon smell that was delightful and a texture that wasn’t overly sticky.  I was able to thread it through my hair from roots to tip evenly without pulling through a serious tangle.  Using a large round brush and a low set hair dryer I was able to pull more lift out of my hair than it has seen in years!  I can’t say much for the shampoo or conditioner but the gelee was totally worth it and at around 4 to 5 dollars it is something I will totally buy again!

Tipsy on Ipsy bag #3!

It's that time again, hurray to my present to me... The Ipsy bag!  This is my third bag and I have to say even though it's a tad hit and min the hits are amazing.  Not to mention the Christmas like effects of getting a bag of goodies!  It's actually quiet delicious!

This months bag was bag based on traveling to a sunny spring break beach.  With only 4 samples the expectations were pretty high and with 2 full size and 2 deluxe size samples... I was already way excited!

First out of the bag was the Pacifica Indian coconut nectar body butter.  As soon as I popped the cap I was grazed with a sweet and comforting aroma of coconut.  Most coconut smell come off as fake or sadly generically warm, this is light and sweet, totally want a full size!  The butter itself, is silky and smooth as it drips with hydrating quality.

Next was the Be a Bombshell Bora Bora quad.  Now I do not techniqually wear shimmery eyeshadow, but this quad has more of a bold metallic quality that blends beautifully.  I'm going to work with this for a little with a sponge applicators to take advantage of  the bold colors.  Not the best with brushes...

Then we get to the Nicole OPI nail roughles nail polish in on what grounds.  It's an egg shell blue, think robins egg, which is beautiful.  What isn't is the texture in the polish... Not a fan of sand paper nails... Get a good top coat!

Finally it was the Bare Minnerals Marvolous Moxie in get ready.  I want to love the lippy because color works for my simply natural looks.  However, it fades and disperses to a nun even finish... Boo... Maybe a good under?

Overall another delightful little bag!

Free samples? Not always a good idea....

Some time ago I came across an add for fragrance samples from a company called Pinrose, https://www.pinrose.com/, all you had to do was take a small test and they would match you with 3 fragrances based on the personality questions.  I can honestly say I never turn down beauty samples, let alone ones that give me a fun little quiz.  So as I clicked away I started to notice that the answers were as stereotypical as they were broad or vague.  Not to worry the samples are completely free so I’ll excuse it.  What I think is somewhat patronizing is that the whole process of getting the three samples takes so long I had nearly forgotten that I had placed an order at all.

Still when the envelope came I had a spring of glee and optimism.  Truth be told, I really just love getting free samples in the mail.  The packaging is quite lovely actually, each sample wipe was sealed and pressed in pouches with the information about each sent and they even gave a little journal to record your thoughts about the samples you received.

In this package I received:

Sugar Bandit:  “Dish out toothaches and heartaches.  Vanilla, cedar wood, and white chocolate create the perfect combination of sweet and sexy.”  Crafted by “Master perfumer,” Harry Fremont, this sample smacked me right in the face with a sent that I could only describe as “soap-a-chino.”  The vanilla and white chocolate came on very strong but the cedar mixed in to have a weird finish that smelled of some kind of strange soap.  It reminded me of a pistachio body wash.  Thankfully they only linger around two hours, unfortunately the smell gets worse before it dissipates and in the end there is a wisp of sandalwood.  I love sandalwood as incense, not as a perfume.

Moonlight Gypsy:  “What do you wear to a party in the forest?  Create some mystery with the enchanting notes of cardamom, orange blossom and patchouli.”  Crafted by perfumer, Ilias  Ermenidis this sent was completely disgusting.  I put it on and immediately felt like a dirty hippie.  Within 5 minutes I was desperate to scrub it off; unfortunately for the beautiful lunch I was trying to enjoy the smell clouded the whole experience.  Bleh!

Pillowtalk Poet:  “Nothing to wear is the perfect excuse for spending all day in bed.  Slip into this fresh laundry mix of powder, ambergris, and musk.”  Crafted by “Master perfumer,” Vito Lenoci, this is probably the only sent that I could stand wearing.  Why? Because it smells like my fabric softener, floor deodorizer powder and air fresheners… I’m kind of a fan of fresh linen.

In the end, Pinrose, you were a lot of wait for nothing… I’m glad that’s all I paid. 

Ipsy! Feb Glam is here!

So yesterday, my mailbox was graced by the only thing that I really look forward to receiving every month, that’s right it’s Ipsy day!  Ten dollars, one bag, five beauty samples… What else could make my little heart flutter so brilliantly?

Right off the bat I have to say thank you Ipsy!  The bag didn’t reek of vinyl.  The sad panda moment came in when I opened it and realized that it was way prettier on the inside than the outside.  No Bueno!  Luckily my sister took it off my hands; see the gift that keeps on giving.  I am considering using the one from last month that has the product design as a hair tie and pin holder to try to make it less confusing in the stack of crap.

So now for the contents of the bag:

POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini:  First item out of the bag was this pout plumping mini in peony petal.  I’m totally a fan of all things lip related so of course I was more than eager to bust this sample open.  Unlike other plumpers, this one wasn’t tingly or heavily mentholated.  In fact I call bullshit on the name “plump pout.”  The color was a nice mixture of purple and pink that wasn’t too bright, while still making me wish it had picked a side.  As far as the texture, gloss got issues.  On my hand it was thick, sticky, and tacky.  On my lips it glided very smoothly, but unfortunately it glided off very quickly.  I have to give it 3 out of 5, it was nice and I’ll hold on to the sample as an in the purse back up gloss but it’s definitely not go to.

Zoya Nail Polish:  Next came the product that I instantly thought I wouldn’t like.  The Zoya Nail Polish in Odette was a bottle of darkened, pastel purple which to me screamed Easter not valentine’s day.  As far as a nail lacquer goes, it went on beautifully and the coverage was decent if not better than most of the nail polishes I’ve worked with in the past.  My niece surrendered her paws for this round; on a little girl… it was pretty cute.  As far as dry time I will so that it takes a little while so I recommend the ice water trick unless you are home spa-ing it.

City Color Be Matte Blush:  My third little surprise was the far from little.  It was a full sized blush in Fresh Melon.  At first I was like, really Ipsy? You are seriously sending me an orangey blush?  And yes they are seriously pigmented!  But, I do have to say when applied lightly the warmth it brought my face was amazing in contrast to my contour foundation this morning.  Seriously go out and buy this one, so very worth it as far as blushes goes.

Photo C Velvet Gel:  This product was a bit of a mystery and I had to look it up first, it’s an anti-aging serum.  Fun fact, my mother who knows very little about most of the stuff I get knew exactly what it was and how to use it.  To be honest I tried a bit of it this morning and let me tell ya, I did notice a bit more softness but I get more priming with Porefessional by Benefit.

J.Cat Lashes:  The last trinket was the J.Cat lashes in EL05 which is a mix of alternating long and short lashes.  I haven’t ever tried this design so I’ll save them for Valentine’s Day.  I have however worked with this companies lashes before and I can tell you that all lashes require patience and practice.  Oh and liquid eyeliner doesn’t hurt J.

I have to say, two bags in and I love you Ipsy!

Whoosh goes the Friday...

So to say that I'm on my way to changing my life is an understatement.  It's been an adventure every step of the way and it's only been a week... 

Today, as soon as it hit 4 I started and can not say I've really had time to stop till now.  So what happened?  Well first I decided that it was time to kick my weekend off with a shopping spree of sorts and in my typical mom fashion, the doors of target whoosh open.  Am I the only one that finds this mega meca of crap to be way too convenient for its own damn good?  I seriously always find the stuff I don't need like this pinky blush by nyx.

I never wear blush but for some god forsaken reason I reached for it, put it in my basket and now it's staring at me... Mocking me... Unaware of my love and affection.  Now the next item has my obvious affections and that's this little gem from e.l.f., the bristles are like an adorable kitten... Happiness.

 

After target it was time to grab the kids, my niece decided she wanted to go... And head to the mall!  This woman has coupons baby! 

First stop was Bath and Body Works for a free sample of lotion in their new Sky.  Now the bottle says violet lilly, both are dramatically apparent and yet shockingly enough, the lilly seems to come out stronger than the violet.  It is creamy and seems to have some staying power, at first, this is pretty deceptive as in about 2 hours is will be only a hint of floral mishmash upon a soft canvas of human flesh.  Still can't beat the price right?

Next, we made our way to origins where I had an email for 3 samples of whatever.  Now I'm going to put it out there, I've never been to origins before, I've heard of them but I have to say at least the people are polite!  I'm going to have to do more looking into what the lady gave me but from what she said it was a mask with charcoal, a tightener, and an eye brightener... Stay tuned!

After origins, we made a stop at the Disney store where the kids decided to try the split up and split approach to drive me absolutely out of my mind and out of the store!  Not that they really had anything worth getting.  

Next we continued on to Sephora where I acquired some new obsessive compulsive cosmetics lip color in vintage.  If you need a matte brick red in your life, ladies this is it.  It's thick, creamy and bold. Use sparingly!

I'm such a fan of this company.  Their lip tar gets the job done and last through sip and through kiss!  A must have for a lip lover.

After sephora my shopping bug really bit me right square in the butt.  On we marched up the mall to the Forever 21 who was blasting the word SALE.  My favorite word!  And my luck the sale is on clearance!

First up this spicy little number:

Now it doesn't look like much on the hanger but the backs pretty cute and it was 8 bucks...

Next we scooped up:

I just loved this 9 dollarsilhouette... The top is a sheer material and the back buttoning collar makes it charming.

Then this little number called me:

      

Unsure about it but worth the gamble on the peplum skirt.

Melinda found me this little treat:

Who doesn't need a navy pleather jacket?

On the way out we grabbed some makeup wipes:

Cucumber lemon!  Two of my absolute favorites!  I love them, quality not so much but for 2.50 you can't beat the comforting sniff.

Next we head to the playground which is short lived thanks to some inconsiderate and just pathetic parenting.

As it turned out a 9 year old girl took a gumball from my son who began to cry.  My niece is very defensive of my son and went after her.  When I and the girls mother get to the scene my niece is ready to swing... And good for her by the way!  The 9 year old admits to taking candy from the 3 year old but refuses to give it back and her mother decides that she shouldn't have to.  My son is clearly upset, the theif is being told it's okay to steal and instead of correcting her daughter she offers my son half a cookie... No it's okay, you don't want to teach your daughter right from wrong I'll make it right and teach my son to avoid people like you and your disgusting child.  Who knew integrity costs .25 cents? 

After that we were pretty much done until I saw this and had to have it and I'll leave you with this pick:

 These are the mints you are looking for!