IPSY Unboxing - March 2014

It's that time of the month again! It's IPSY unbagging time! The theme for this month was "Destination Beauty" and I can't say I was disappointed with the items! Watch my video unboxing below:

My bag contained:
1. bareMinerals - Marvelous Moxie lipstick - Get Ready - small deluxe sample - value $7.50
2. Chella - Eyeliner pen - Indigo blue - full size - value $24.00
3. Pixi - Flawless beauty primer - value $9.00
4. NYX - Love in Rio eyeshadow trio - Moonlit skinny dip - full size - value $6.00

I paid $10 for this bag with shipping included in that price and the total value of my bag was $46.50

To join IPSY - http://www.ipsy.com/r/1lfc
To join BIRCHBOX - https://www.birchbox.com/invite/jmzfg

To join Glossybox - http://www.glossybox.com/subscribe

How to Get a Dewy Complexion

1. Exfoliate - make sure you wash your face with a gentle exfoliater with microbeads (as these tend to be the most effective) or use your cleanser with a soft silicon exfoliating pad. These should be done about 3 times a week for ideal results. I don't recommend doing extreme chemical peels as these can sometimes cause harsh skin reactions and may remove even healthy skin layers. The ideal exfoliation practice removes only the oldest, dead skin cells on the outermost surface of the skin and reveals the healthy, glowing layer underneath. Sugar scrubs, salt crystals, pumice, loofahs, sponges and microfiber cloths all can achieve the same results. Getting rid of dead skin cells and build-up naturally means that your makeup will go on smoother and you will avoid nasty clumps.

2. Moisturize - you'll want to use an emollient to make the outer layers of your skin more pliable and soft, this increases the skin's hydration level (or water content). Usually moisturizers tend to be a little bit fatty and may have a greasy feeling on the skin, but these lubricants really do make an enormous difference to the way your makeup (specifically foundation) will apply and last on your skin. If you have dry skin, it is extremely important to use a heavier moisturizer or even a dry oil - this will reduce your makeup's patchiness if used well in advance of application.




3. Use a liquid highlighter and a moisturizing foundation - Some women prefer to use their highlighter over top of their foundation, however I have found that for the most natural looking results and to blend your highlighter seamlessly into your foundation, you will want to mix the highlighter you are using (in my case this is the Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid (Shade 03 - Rose Gold)) with a moisturizing foundation of your choice (my favorite is The Body Shop Moisture Foundation in Shade 04). I use equal parts and mix them on the back of my hand with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush.

Equal parts liquid highlighter (Stila All Over Shimmer)
and foundation (The Body Shop Moisturizing Foundation)

Mixed together on the back of my hand with Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

4. Highlight and contour your face - For a maximized dewy complexion, apply a powder highlighter (such as Stila's Kitten Highlighter) to the areas on your face which should reflect light and a bronzer (such as Wet n Wild Coloricon Bronzer - Ticket to Brazil ) to the areas on your face you would like to recede to the background. Here's a handy infographic on highlighter/bronzer placement.

Liquid Cream Shadow Formulas

From left to right: Almay Intense I-Color liquid shadow (054 for green eyes), Too Faced Glitter Glaze (Silver Spark & Goldie Rocks), EyeTini Shadow Tint (Ambrosia & Violette), Jane Cream Shadow (Lilac & Gold) 

Lately, I've discovered a new-found love of liquid formula cream eyeshadows. I find that the pigments usually have great color payoff and the application is so simple with a doe-foot or wand applicator (as opposed to having to use my fingers as with my beloved Maybelline Color Tattoos). I have a variety of different shades and types so I figured a quick review of them could be helpful for those of you looking for an easy application of wearable color.

I do want to say that these colors are all somewhat shimmery or reflective, they are not matte at all but I actually prefer this look on the eye, rather than an all-matte look. You can, however, always layer them with any finish of eyeshadow you want for a more potent color and extra dimensions.

Swatch Reference Photos:

Swatches Photographed with Flash - From left to right: Almay Intense I-Color liquid shadow (054 for green eyes), Too Faced Glitter Glaze (Silver Spark & Goldie Rocks), EyeTini Shadow Tint (Ambrosia & Violette), Jane Cream Shadow (Lilac & Gold) 

Swatches Photographed in Natural Light - From left to right: Almay Intense I-Color liquid shadow (054 for green eyes), Too Faced Glitter Glaze (Silver Spark & Goldie Rocks), EyeTini Shadow Tint (Ambrosia & Violette), Jane Cream Shadow (Lilac & Gold) 

The beginning of this fascination with cream shadows began with the Too Faced Glitter Glazes which are absolutely breath-taking (they are the 2nd and 3rd swatches from the left). I believe these are currently on sale at TooFaced.com for $9 each (that's an ABSOLUTE steal) because they're limited edition (original price was $21)!!! These function either as a stand-alone eyeshadow or a glittery-tinted top-coat for your eyeshadows.




The Almay Intense I-Color liquid shadow (first swatch from the left) is probably the one that impressed me least, I think the formula is a lot more sheer (although it is buildable) and dries more quickly than all of the others. This sort of forces you to work quickly when putting it on your eyes. I do think the colors are quite beautiful and neutral, however, so if I can find any more of these on clearance or sale, I will pick them up.

My February IPSY Glam Bag rekindling my love for liquid shadow formulas when they included EyeTini Shadow Tint in Ambrosia (4th swatch from the left) and I loved the full coverage so much and intense pigmentation that I absolutely had to order Violette (5th swatch from the left) off eBay. These are the absolute perfect formula, it's not too thick but also not too thin, they don't bunch up, don't crease, and are super easy to blend with powdered eyeshadows as well. I'm not a huge fan of the Tini brand, but this product is definitely giving me a much more positive outlook on them.

And finally, a brand that has seen a recent revival (specifically at Ulta) is Jane (the last 2 swatches from the left). I hadn't picked anything up until I saw these cream shadows even though I saw many glowing reviews of the brand on YouTube from fellow beauty bloggers. These shadows are very reasonably priced (around $8) and they have a very wide selection of colors. The only difference between these and the EyeTini shadows is that these tend to reflect a little bit metallic. Try not to deposit too much product because it can bunch up and create flakes (I find this happens sometimes with MAC Paint Pots in vivid colors as well). These are a great buy and I've really enjoyed using them alone and as a base coat for other eyeshadows!

Let me know if there are others you guys prefer in the liquid formula - I'd love to get my hands on some more and continue experimenting!

Maybelline Color Tattoo Limited Edition Collection "Dare To Go Nude" Swatches

Maybelline Dare To Go Nude Color Tattoo Collection. Credit: nouveaucheap.blogspot.com

The beloved Color Tattoos by Maybelline are getting new shades! For a limited time only, these exclusive shades from the "Dare To Go Nude" Collection will be available at Walgreens, Duane Reade, and CVS (I can only confirm these retail locations for now).

I checked out the shade range and was expecting to see some new colors, I was a little bit disappointed because I only thought the shades "Caramel Cool" and "Stroke of Midnight" were unique from the line-up. Swatches of the entire line-up can be seen below:

Maybelline Dare To Go Nude Color Tattoo Collection Swatches. Credit: nouveaucheap.blogspot.com

I was so excited about this collection in its entirety until I saw it in my local Duane Reade. When I compared the first two lightest shades ("Pure Nude" and "Beige-ing Beauty") they looked so incredibly similar to "Barely Branded" from the premanent Metal collection. I already have the whole Metal collection so there was no reason for me to pick up 2 more colors which looked identical to the naked eye (especially once they're blended out or used as a base). The next colors, "Nude Complement" and "Sleek & Spice" were very close to "Tough as Taupe" and "Bad to the Bronze", respectively. I'm just not thrilled about those shades so I didn't pick them up, either. That really, unfortunately, only left me with "Caramel Cool" and "Stroke of Midnight" by default!

Maybelline Dare To Go Nude Color Tattoo Collection - Caramel Cool and Stroke of Midnight

 I was most excited by "Caramel Cool" as it is an absolutely beautiful crease and transition color, especially for fair skin. "Stroke of Midnight" is a little bit patchy, as you can see from the swatches below, but it is definitely workable and I would only consider using it as a base to make colorful eyeshadows pop and transform shades.

Caramel Cool and Stroke of Midnight -  Natural Light

Caramel Cool and Stroke of Midnight - with Flash

 Maybelline releases at least a few Limited Edition collections a year and with my already absurd stash of these, I reserved myself to buying only the ones which were unique to my collection. There's a good amount of product inside of these pots so unless you exclusively use these (and you know I sure don't with my vast collection of makeup!). Let me know if you guys picked any up and what you think of the collection!

Retailer Review: All Cosmetics Wholesale (ACW.com)

Order from http://allcosmeticswholesale.com/

UPDATE 7/21/2014

Since this is a very popular post on my blog, I felt obligated to tell you guys new information I have discovered. On various forums I have read complaints that numerous consumers have received fake cosmetics from the ACW website. Now I don't know if this is true but I encourage everyone to double check their batch numbers received (this is a code that must be printed on all cosmetics either via a label or stamp) by using this website: http://checkcosmetic.net/. Your safety is more important than any deal, even if you got something on massive discount, if it was not manufactured and stamped/labeled properly then it is a liability and unsafe to use. Cosmetics expire, if you use them past their expiry date they can have adverse effects on your skin and eyes.

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ORIGINAL POST 2/26/2014

About a month or so ago I placed an order with All Cosmetics Wholesale (or http://allcosmeticswholesale.com/) and the order total was $23. The breakdown is that all of these products were on discount for a total of $15 but then shipping was a whopping $7 and the rest was taxes. I also used the coupon code SALE30 for 30% off all sale items.

I had some issues with my order because the United States Postal Service did not forward it to my new address and it got re-sent to ACW. Unfortunately, since they're an online-only company they have strict policies and no customer support help line. So my only other option was to pay the shipping fee AGAIN (which this time ended up being $7.50 EXTRA) or to pay a re-stocking fee to get *some* of my money refunded. Long story short, my whole order was definitely over $30 with having to pay shipping twice. The customer service was kind of a nightmare.

That being said, I went to this website because I wanted to get the limited edition, discontinued Maybelline Color Tattoos from Summer 2013 (I got Lavish Lavender and Seashore Frosts) and this was the only place I found them at a reasonable cost (I believe they were $3.49 each). These showed up sealed and they were creamy and in perfect condition - they did not look tampered with at all.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Seashore Frosts and Lavish Lavender

 I also purchased the Pixi Energy Blush in Pretty Petal #1 - this showed up without the brush it's supposed to arrive with in the pull out drawer underneath and it also wasn't sealed. It did not appear swatched but on the bottom it is clearly labelled to be a tester (so if you're buying from this website to give items as presents, beware that items are not listed as testers on the website but what you are receiving may actually be a tester). I was disappointed with how powdery and cakey this product from Pixi was and I was sure glad I didn't pay more than a dollar or two for this - it really can only be used as a highlighter as it is very poorly pigmented (the swatches on my hand were about a dozen passes through). This is a discontinued item.

Pixi Energy Blush in Pretty Petal #1

 I've never really given L'Oreal products a try since I was never drawn to them but I decided to give them a shot by purchasing this L'Oreal Blush Delice All Over Glow Illuminateur in Shimmer of Hope. I really liked the color payoff on this quad and it can be used as a blush, contour and highlight so it really is an all-in-one product. This product has been discontinued for at least a couple of seasons and is not part of their regular product line.

I also purchased this  L'Oreal Illuminating Blush in Luminous Peach and this is definitely not the softest or most buttery product. These colors are nice and easy to work with, especially on a lighter complexion but they do require some building up and some warming up with your brush.  I think this one had much worse color payoff than the Shimmer of Hope quad. Similarly, it is also discontinued.

The Stila Eye Shadow Duo in Fandango was on sale for $0.99 and 30% off so this was a great deal. It's the real product and it came packaged well. The color payoff is what you would expect from Stila and I have others of these so I can definitely confirm these were legitimate but again, they are a discontinued product that you can no longer find on Stila's website.

Stila Eye Shadow Duo in Fandango

If you're looking for powder products and you live in the US, I would give this website a shot but I would never spend a large sum of money here. I can guarantee that the items *I received* were authentic but I assume they get their products from eBay lots and wherever else they may find them on extreme sale. I have more courage purchasing items from eBay as, if something goes wrong with your order, you can always get your money back, but I have found that other websites do not have this star quality customer service. You should also expect that these items will most likely be testers and all will probably be discontinued. It's a good way to try out products you wouldn't want to spend a lot of money on, but I really do think the shipping costs were excessive, even though it arrived in 2 days and was well packed.

 

Glossybox February 2014 Unboxing

Hot right out of the postman's hands - here is the newest Glossybox for February and the theme this month is "the month of LOVE". I've been looking for spoilers online relentlessly and I could only find out information about 2 of the 5 products so I squealed in excitement when I got to open this box! I'll let you know the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to this box. If you'd like to sign up for this $21.00/month beauty subscription click here.

Anatomicals - Puffy the eye bag slayer wake-up under eye patches - Retail value $11.00 for 3 patches (full size received) - I was actually just praising this company to some friends a few days ago and I mentioned that Glossybox introduced me to Anatomicals and I will always be thankful for that and they surprised me yet again by sending me another delightful product. I'm so glad they sent a full sized item rather than just one set of under eye patches! Through the package they feel wet and gel-like, I'm definitely expecting a cooling sensation.

Pureology Serious Colour Care Colour Fanatic - Multi-Tasking Hair Beautifier for Color-Treated Hair - Full size retail value: $24.00; deluxe sample size value: $3.58. This product seems to be a leave-in hair treatment for use either before or after you wash your hair (or I guess when it's feeling particularly dry as well). I think this is the product I was least excited for in the bag but it does smell soothing and it reminds me of the smell in a beauty salon. 

Skin and Co Roma Truffle Therapy Serum - Full size retail value: $75, deluxe sample size value: $12.75. Although this product is a small sample size, the value is very high considering the actual product retails for an absolute fortune. I definitely wouldn't purchase this on my own but getting to try a nice luxury brand from Italy is a great perk Glossybox has to offer. I was excited when I saw the word "truffle" and I hope that this serum is very hydrating as it says that it reduces fine lines and wrinkles.

Lauren B. Beauty Nail Polish - City of Angels - Retail value: $18.00. I like this baby pink colored nail polish, it's definitely an expected item to receive in a Valentine's Day themed beauty box and I would be more excited if I hadn't received the same color in my IPSY Glam Bag this month. This nail polish is natural and 5-free just like Zoya so I'm excited to try it out and see how it glides on my nails, the consistency seems smooth and not too runny or too clumpy.

Sumita Beauty Kala Color Intense Pencil - Retail value: $15.00. This is a gel pencil that is meant to be easy to work with until it sets and then will set to a completely dry budge-free finish that can be used on the outer corner of the eye as well as the waterline. A girl can never have too many black eyeliners so I always welcome these even though it's not the most exciting of products - it just means I won't have to go out and re-purchase one anytime soon.

Glossybox February Box Value: $60.33
What I paid for Glossybox: $21.00

You can see that you definitely get your money's worth, especially when they send beauty staples such as black eyeliner, pink nail polish, serum and under-eye masks. These are all things I use on a regular basis so I'm happy with this box.

Let me know what you thought about this month and to sign up, click here.

IPSY February 2014 Unboxing & Review - Valentine's Day Box!

I hope everyone had an awesome Valentine's Day with their hubby! The IPSY Glam Bag arrived and I wanted to share the contents of mine. I think IPSY really stepped up their game this month compared to January and I'm absolutely thrilled with what came inside my bag - it suited me perfectly.

If you're interested in signing up for IPSY, click here.

Eyetini - Eye Cordial Cream Shadow Tint and Base - retail value $18, full size - Can I just say wow? I'm way more impressed with Tini Beauty's cream shadow than I am with their nail polishes (which I found to be just average). The Ambrosia shadow stains and lasts and lasts all day - I wish I had all of the colors now (especially Violette which is supposedly an IPSY exclusive - I might hunt this down on eBay soon!). The shadow goes on creamy smooth (way creamier than the Maybelline Color Tattoos) and isn't patchy at all, drying to a complete powdery finish. I also didn't notice any creasing. This color is very pigmented so you can use it on its own or as a base for other similar colored shadows. I have already repurchased this item in Violette from eBay!

Zoya Nail Polish .5 fl oz, Shade: Dot - retail value $9, full size - IPSY first introduced me to Zoya and I've probably received 2 other nail polishes from the brand sinze and I absolutely LOVE them. They are naturally formulated and don't tend to chip on my nails - I would have preferred the color Odette (purple) but I received Dot (ballerina pink).

City Color - Be Matte Blush in Fresh Melon - retail value $2.99, full size - This blush is phenomenal! For the extremely low price point I was thrilled! It is very finely milled and it's a very generous size, this is definitely going to last me a long time (especially since I have so many other blushes in my current rotation). I'm going to look in local drugstores for this brand now!

POP Beauty - Plump Pout - Peony Petal - retail value $16.00, deluxe sample size value: $7.53 - love the color of this gloss in Peony Petal, this is definitely the color I was hoping for! It smells like a burnt rubber but it should smell like vanilla cupcake and glides smoothly onto my hand - I wasn't able to try it on my lips because of the scent. I received replacements from IPSY and POP Beauty - the full size of this product is made in the USA and smells like vanilla cupcakes and has a pleasant plumping sensation, the mini replacement I received from IPSY is made in Taiwan and still has a strong chemical/burnt rubber/gasoline smell

IPKN Moist & Firm Beauty Balm Cream #02 (Light) - retail value $35.00, deluxe sample size value: $1.35 - I like this item, it has a nice consistency to it, unfortunately the color is a little dark, this may be my fault though because I probably should have written in my beauty quiz that I'm "fair" (I'm changing that immediately!)

Total value of my IPSY February Bag: $38.87

This bag only cost me $10 and since I liked everything in my bag, I effectively quadrupled the value of my money and received a cute curved pink bag to boot!

To sign up, click here.