April Ipsy Bag Review

Hello Lovelies!

This month's Ipsy theme is called "Pretty in Pink", I am not sure exactly why they decided to go with pink this month I would have much preferred a more spring inspired theme. Overall the products were okay, but this month was not as impressive as other months have been, although we did receive a couple full size products. I would really like to see some new brands in the near future, possibly some fragrance, and more hair products.

I was really excited when Ipsy finally gave us a printed bag last month, but it looks like they are back to the boring old plain bags, at least for this month. I absolutely hate the concept of a white makeup bag, if I actually used this I would have to wash it so often because I would always be leaving little stains, it's inevitable. 

This peachy pink shade of polish is called Love at First Byte, and I wasn't impressed at all. I decided I wanted to create a look using this polish but as I applied it I realized it was very sheer, it took me FIVE coats to really achieve a color payoff. I did read many comments on the Ipsy website of people saying it quickly peeled, but mine has lasted a week so far with minimal chipping, below is the nail look I am wearing right now using the polish and Kiss nail stickers.

I absolutely adore Be a... Bombshell Cosmetics , but this blush in a shade called Sweet Cheeks is definitely too heavy and bright for my pale skin. I think it would look lovely on someone with darker skin though, and it does blend out quite well. 

Another product from Big Sexy Hair, although I do love the products they offer I wish we would get more hair products from various companies. I naturally have volume to my hair, but occasionally I need a little help creating a good pompadour "poof", especially when my hair is freshly washed and this volumizing powder is the best I have came across. I have tried the volumizing powder from Got2B, but that makes my hair feel sticky and hard to style, this powder from Big Sexy Hair is easy to style and works well.

In the past couple months I have been stocking up on mineral eye shadows, I especially love the shadows from an Etsy shop called RoseMarie Shadows, check out my review on them here. I love this shimmery pink shade by Mica Beauty called Earth. Some people may be thrown off by the fact that it's pink, but it is very subtle.




This month I chose to skip my Beauty Army, because they weren't offering anything new for me to choose, so hopefully I will have a Beauty Army Box to show you next month.

Netflix or Hulu Plus, which one is better?

Hello Lovelies!

 

I know this isn't my typical post, but I found myself wondering this just a couple nights ago, and I felt the need to share my thoughts.

 

Now I have been a Netflix subscriber for a couple months now, and we watch at least one thing, be it a movie or show, on there everyday. I also just recently subscribed to Hulu Plus because I found out I could catch up on missed episodes of Glee, and Bones.(guilty pleasures) At first I found myself wondering which streaming service I should keep, because I really don't want to use two different services, but after doing a little more checking into Hulu I feel I can make a good decision on which one to keep, and possibly steer you in the direction of which one of the two is best for you.

 

 

Netflix

• $7.99 a month for streaming service
• Great selection of shows and movies for children
• Great selection of classic movies
• Decent "newer" movie selection.
• Decent show collection, but not up to date. (If the episodes you are looking for are not on dvd yet then you will not find them on there.)
• Neat layout, selections are easy to find.
• Good rating system that helps to find things you would like.
• You can search by genre, title, actor/actress.

Hulu Plus  

• $7.99 a month for streaming service.
• Great selection of up to date shows.
• Terrible movie selection, unless you enjoy TONS of old movies and foreign flicks.
• Messy layout.

 

 

 

 

 Overall, I started with the 7-day free trial to catch up on missed episodes and I plan on cancelling on HuluPlus before the trial ends so I don't have to pay for a full month. If you live to watch tv shows nonstop Hulu is the choice for you, but if you crave a good selection definitely go with Netflix. Also, if you decide to go with Netflix and would like a little more access to stuff that's newer you could pay an extra $7.99 a month and get movies mailed to you.

 

February Ipsy Bag and Beauty Army Box

Hello Lovelies!

Ipsy Bag

 February's theme is "Red Carpet Ready"

I really hope that next month Ipsy decides to go with a printed bag, because I am very bored with these plain bags, especially this month's cheap vinyl black bag.

During my last little trip to Ulta I spied this mascara from Pop Beauty  and considered purchasing and I am glad I didn't because this is a nice size sample of it. This mascara does provide volume for the lashes, but I have noticed a bit of clumping, but if you pair it with the Lash Card that was also a sample this month it works wonderfully.

This Pixi Beauty Primer has become my current favorite, it leaves my skin looking smooth and bright. Lately I have been skipping my foundation routine and just wearing this instead. I was a little concerned at first glance because this primer is not a clear one, but it easily blended into my skin tone and was unnoticeable.

I LOVE Coastal Scents Shadows and have received many samples from them in the past. This month's sample set was called "Glitz & Glamour" and had my favorite shimmery white eye shadow called Candlelight included. These shadows are highly pigmented, easy to blend, and beautiful.

Once again it is the Lash Card, it seems this has become a favorite for subscriptions to provide as samples, although Ipsy's sample is the largest pack I have received yet.

Out of all the samples this month I was most excited to test the MICA Beauty Gel Eyeliner. Eyeliner is an essential to my everyday look and I am always on the search for something better. I do not typically use gel liners as much, but they do work wonders. This liner glides on smoothly and is easy to use if you have a proper brush, but I did notice that it is not pigmented enough for my liking.

Beauty Army Box

 Yay! for more Yes To products. I absolutely adore EVERYTHING from this company, and am always excited to get something else to try from them. This body butter is nourishing, non-greasy, moisturizing, long-lasting, and best of all it is 99% natural and paraben free. This company offers something for everyone of all ages, all ethnicities, all skin and hair types, and both men and women.

This happens to be the second Twin Set I have received from Skinn Cosmetics , the first set was the shade of Coral Poppy, and this one is called Pink Tulip. I believe that these shades may be ones specifically offered through Beauty Army because they are not on Skinn's website. Honestly, I think the wet lip gloss end is a waste because it is near impossible to get a decent amount of gloss out of the tube, and it is one of those glosses that leaves your lips feeling quite sticky. At first glance I thought I would never wear the Pink Tulip because it is a bright shade of fuchsia, but I actually like it. I always pair the lipstick with my Too Faced Lip Insurance Lip Primer to make it last a bit longer.

 I don't typically choose products like this Olive Natural Beauty Bar because I do not use bar soap, but I didn't have many new options this month so I decided I would give it a chance. When I first pulled this product out of the box I was pleasantly surprised with the adorable little green package it came in, and also surprised that there is no brand markers what so ever on the soap or the package. This soap is suppose to have a lemon and lavender scent, but I do not smell even a hint of lemon in there and it kind of makes me think of my grandma. The bar itself feels quite slippery and oily and I was very hesitant to use it, but it is definitely moisturizing. If you are a person who likes organic products this is definitely something you want to try.

 I chose these Boo-Boo Covers because they are something completely different from anything else I have ever tried. They are basically little tattoos to cover your flaws, and I actually attempted to use them to cover my small, yet hated, tattoo. The first thing I noticed about this product is that they only make them in light skin colors, there is barely a variety, and they come on sheets like fake tattoos. All of the shades I received looked overly pink and unnatural, but it says to blend with makeup after application. I applied the lightest portion over my small tattoo and once it was on I noticed that you could still fully see my tattoo through it, and even though I am pale the coloring was terrible. I could possibly blend it in with A LOT of makeup and work, but there are so many better products than this to use, such as Kat Von D's Lock-It Tattoo Concealer.

This S.M.A.R.T Skin Perfecting Mask from Grand Central Beauty was another product I was quite excited to receive. This mask is suppose to smooth, moisturize, detoxify skin, reduce redness, and tone your facial skin. After you go through the process of mixing everything together you apply the mixture to the skin and wait 15 minutes for it to dry, then all you do is gently peel it off. I read many wonderful reviews on this product before testing it, but I am not sure what the hype is about. When I first mixed up this pink concoction I noticed that it doesn't smell that pleasant and once I put it on my face I could barely stand it, to me it had a slight scent of fish. During the whole fifteen minutes I had an itchy sensation on my forehead, underneath my eyes, and all over my cheeks, and I was so exited when it was time to take it off, until I realized how difficult it was to take off. While peeling off the mask it only came off in decent sized chunks around my cheeks and forehead, everywhere else I had to pick at it for what felt like forever, and when I was finally finished my face was red and itchy. I did notice that my skin was much softer and moisturized though. The night I tested this I went to bed not long after getting the mask all washed off and when I woke up in the morning my skin was terrible, it appeared oily, and I had mini breakouts all over. I know everyone is different, but after my little trial with this product I couldn't recommend it to anyone.

 Yes, it is yet another eye shadow from Whip Hand Cosmetics. This eye shadow is called Medal of Honor and it is a shimmery gold shade. Like I have said in the past I still absolutely hate these little containers because it makes a mess and I end up unintentionally wasting it. The shadow itself is highly pigmented and easily blendable, but the container makes me reach for it less often.

Just Fab Review

 

Shoe and Accessory Heaven

 

 

A couple months ago I joined Just Fab on a whim, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I had a coupon for my first order that would get me two pairs of shoes for the price of one and just could not pass that up considering I am a shoe lover. After creating a profile and learning a little about how Just Fab works I made my first order, and as of now I am very happy that I didn't pass up the chance. First off if after the end of this you are interested in Just Fab please use this link HERE to reach there website, not only does it direct you to the website, but for every person that uses this link when joining I receive credits, which I definitely would appreciate.

 

How Just Fab Works:

 

1. You take a short style quiz that helps the stylists get to know you better.

2. You receive a personalized boutique of handbags, jewelry and shoes every month.

3. Go Shopping! All of the styles are $39.95 and they offer free shipping and returns.

 

Just Fab is free to join and you have no obligation to purchase every month. The one catch is that if you do not want to purchase in the month you must skip it by the fifth or they will charge you and place a credit on your account which you can use for whatever item you would like. Another bonus that Just Fab offers is hassle free customer service, they are open 24/7 and you can either reach them on the phone, via email, or via live chat, and so far I have add very positive encounters with them.

 

One thing that I have noticed confuses some people is that even though a stylist does select some items they think you would like according to your style quiz, you have the freedom to roam the whole website and choose whatever styles you would like, not just what is in your boutique.

 

Now normally I have a huge difficulty purchasing shoes, and I NEVER have purchased shoes online before this because of the fact that I have larger calves and wide feet which makes it difficult to find a good comfortable fitting shoe. I have complete confidence in purchasing shoes from Just Fab, they carry sizes 5.5 to 11 on a regular basis and they offer simple and free returns/exchanges.

 

Now onto what I have added to my closet since I joined Just Fab, and I might just have to show you a couple items on my wish list to purchase sometime in the next couple months. If you have any questions about Just Fab feel free to comment and I will gladly answer anything for you.

 

 

Just Fab calls this adorable shoe Cher. Yes, they name there whole shoe collection with adorable names. I absolutely loved this shoe, but unfortunately I had to return it because it was too narrow for my wide feet. :(

This lovely boot is named Dharia. The heels are a little high compared to what I am use to, but surprisingly enough they are quite comfortable. These are a perfect addition to my fall collection.

 

This little gem is called Gemma. They offer these in this lovely shade of brown, or in black, before these I didn't own any brown boots so I had to add them to my fall collection. They are a wonderful fit and absolutely adorable. The shade of brown is slightly darker than what is pictured but I actually like them even more because of that.

 

This little doll is called Jillian, and it is part of Just Fab's holiday collection. They also offers these in a vibrant shade of blue and black. I would love to add these to my shoe collection in the near future.