Ipsy - July 2013

BEACH BEAUTY

I feel a tad silly having so many beach-themed subs this Summer and I haven't been to the beach at all! I guess it's a beach party at home! ::lays out towel, mixes a cocktail, plops on humongous floppy hat:: Much better....

Here was this month's Sneak Peek post if you missed it! -

The Charming Cheshire: July REVEAL - Ipsy

I seem to say this all the time nowadays, but YES, this sub was sent to me super late this month as well BUT it's still July! Thank goodness! I just might be able to write all of my July beauty sub reviews IN July it looks like, which I'll be very pleased about. At least I hope so! 

So this is not only a Beach theme Glam Bag, but it's about Beauty BEAUTY....so let's take a look at what products are going to keep me glam and gorgeous with a beachy flare...

 A see-through Glam Bag! How fun is that? It's the perfect hot and fun in the summer sun beach bag, especially if there's gonna be some splashin'! I also received a beach wave hair spray, liquid tint, lip crayon, eyeshadows and sunscreen.

If you checked out my July REVEAL post you will have seen that the eyeshadow set was given in every Glam Bag variation. The lip crayon came in three different possible shades, the hair product and sunscreen both had two variations, and the liquid tint was one of four completely different (brand, type) variation items. The bag that I received is in fact what they call their "Core" bag for this month. So all of the new subscribers who began late in the month would have received these variation selections as well as some previous Ipsy subscribers, which I guess I happened to be!

Here's my review of my products:

HEALTHY SEXY HAIR

SOY RENEWAL BEACH SPRAY

"SOY RENEWAL BEACH SPRAY creates undone texture that looks and feels like you've spent a day by the sea. Helps nourish, protect and heal hair damage with the power of Argan oil. Cures winter blues by giving your hair the look and feel of a day at the beach." - from sexyhair.com

 Confession time...the moment I saw that I received this option instead of the secondary Big Sexy Hair Weather Proof Humidity Spray I though....oh good grief (yes, Charlie Brown style)...ANOTHER beach spray. Then I tried it....WOWZA. Speechless.....I.....oh for goodness sake, just look at the picture....

 Beachy waves!!! Volume!!! SEXY!

I love this stuff! By far, the BEST beach spray I've ever tried. I really should have known, I'm such a huge Big Sexy Hair Corp. fan, I've tried so much of their products and use them so often. I've only found maybe two of their gazillion products that didn't work for me, but this stuff is fantastic. It contains sea salt, which of course gives your hair that beachy texture and feel, but what everyone might also appreciate is that it also contains Benzophenone-4 which gives you UV protection. For all of the color-treated hair gals out there, like me, make a note that this product DOES contain magnesium sulfate, so it can strip out the color from your hair but I find that as long as you don't use this type of product every day, it won't have that much of an effect on it. Also, to note, it has a 12 month shelf life which I thought was very reasonable, although you'd be cutting it close to make it last 2 summers. To achieve the look I did in my picture, I started with my typical routine....shampooed my hair with a volumizing shampoo (no conditioner), sprayed some of the beach spray on while it's still damp and scrunched it with my hands, let it air-dry 80% of the way, then blow-dried on low the remaining 20%. After blow-drying it seriously added some volume! It plumped up the roots and strands like nobody's business. It did dry it out a little bit, so I just added some light conditioning spray to soften it up a bit. Then I sprayed more of the beach spray in and scrunched and taaadaaaa...here we are! Previous sprays that I've used have given me similar waves but no where near as much oomf in volume, especially at the roots, which I love. It just gave me terrific definition, didn't frizz up my hair and the style lasted for hours. Love it!

COOLA MINERAL SUNSCREEN

FACE SPF 20 UNSCENTED

"Keep the sun and environment at bay with this SPF 20 broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen; a clear, Titanium Dioxide based formula (for those who are Zinc sensitive) made with 98% natural ingredients. Organic Acai Oil - high in Omegas-3/6/9, Vitamins B1/2/3, plus antioxidant Vitamins C and E - delivers a powerful defense against aging. Organic Sunflower Seed Extract promotes elasticity while organic Linseed Oil, containing Alpha-Linolenic Acids, reduces redness and irritation. The phyto-protector Plankton Extract rejuvenates, as organic Cucumber Extract calms skin." - from coolasuncare.com

This particular sunscreen is a physical sunscreen (compared to a chemical one) and if you're not entirely sure what the difference is between physical sunscreens and chemical sunscreens...here's a basic breakdown:

CHEMICAL:

• Works by absorbing the sun's rays. Some chemical filters can scatter sun rays, but still mostly just absorb them. 
• Tend to be more irritating to the skin and can sting your eyes when wet
• Tend to offer more protection than physical sunscreens (depending on SPF)
• Has a short waiting period before it's most effective as sun protection (about 20 min)
• Colorless, tends to be runny 
• UV filters that can be found in formula: 4-MBC, Avobenzone, Helioplex, Homosalate, Mexoryl SX and XL, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Octylcrylene, Oxybenzone, Tinosorb S and M, Uvinul T 150, Uvinul A Plus 

PHYSICAL:

• Works by protecting your skin from the sun by blocking or deflecting sun rays
• Also known as Sunblock
• May not be the best sunscreen for people who break out from mineral makeup use
• Tends to be better for sensitive skin
• Works effectively immediately upon application
• Thick, opaque and tends to leave a white sometimes streaky tint on skin
• Rubs off more easily, usually needs to be reapplied more often
• UV filters that can be found in formula: Titanium Dioxide (TiO2), Zinc Oxide (ZnO)

As I said, this COOLA product is a physical sunscreen, with the active ingredient Titanium Dioxide (4.2%). It's also paraben-free, hypoallergenic, water resistant (up to 40 minutes), anti-aging, vegan friendly, cruelty free, travel friendly, recycle friendly, green friendly, reef friendly...and just plain friendly looking, in my opinion! 

 As you can see, it will give you a very very light pale white sheen, but I didn't think it was too bad. Now, granted, I'm already ghostly white as it is! On someone with a darker skin-tone, this may appear much whiter when applied. Keep in mind, this mineral sunscreen is for the face, so you may need to adjust your makeup routine to account for the coloration change upon applying this. After application you can definitely feel the product working as you skim your fingers across it and compare it to the skin that isn't covered. You can feel that barrier built up! However, you can't feel it at all when you're moving around, it doesn't sit heavy on the skin, or pull it in any way. The faint aroma that it has is very nice, it's fresh and clean. I can smell a hint of cucumber even though it's not cucumber scented. It's actually Unscented, but you really have to put your nose directly onto the skin to smell anything. ::goofy visual of Cookie with her nose on her hand for minutes trying to identify the smell...your welcome:: It has a shelf life of 18 months, which is great so it'll last at least 2 summers. All in all, out of the majority of sunscreens I've tried, I've been pretty impressed with COOLA!





BENEFIT BENETINT

"Our original rose-tinted stain is kiss-proof, see-through color for lips & cheeks that lasts for hours. Naturally sheer & sexy on all complexions...it's innocent yet provocative. Originally created for an exotic dancer in the 1970s, benetint has soared to cult fave status. It's loved by celebs, makeup artists and gals around the world. It's the sexiest flush you can get from a bottle!" - from benefitcosmetics.com

Ooo, lala, created for an exotic dancer back in the 70's! How scandalously fabulous! I absolutely adore multi-tasking products and have been positively dying to try out this little beauty as I've heard so darn much about it. 

Here is the cute and handy little diagram that was included for application:

 How precious is this? So the picture shows a somewhat smearing technique for cheeks, but I've found that dabbing works so much better. I just lightly place a few small dots, then quickly begin dabbing and blending with my fingertips. It will begin to stain IMMEDIATELY, so it's best to work super fast and add more as needed after. I work about three dots at a time. I also found that placing them on the lower part of the apples of your cheeks give it a more natural flush appearance.

The thin layer is still a bit on the too-flushed side for me, and I believe I added about 5-6 dots for it. The double application is exactly what it sounds like, I did the exact same thing as the thin layer, let it dry, then added more on top. I think the double application (or more!) is positively gorgeous on the lips! Benefit Benetint has a shelf life of 12 months.





POP BEAUTY POUTY POP CRAYON
in Fuschia Flirt

"These extra-nourishing balms gently bounce onto lips, creating a plumped & pillowy pout and leaving them with luscious, long-lashing colour in a super smooth texture" - from popbeauty.co.uk

This fat little lip crayon is ridiculously adorable. I positively love it! It's a twist-tube so there's no need to use a sharpener, which I love and it fared well in the hot, ridiculous weather during delivery so I feel confident about keeping it in my purse with no melting issues! 

Such a gorgeous color. It looks a tad more bright rose-pink (hello barbie!) than fuschia to me, but I still love it. You can also see how easily blendable it is for a lighter softer color application or you can build it up for brighter pigmentation! It glides on very smoothly, no wrinkles or creasing and the waxes in the ingredients give it a buttery soft formula. It does very very slightly dry out on the lips after a while from application, but the color did not fade for a few hours (with no eating or drinking). This crayon also comes in 5 other colors: 

• Rose Romance - a nude pink 
• Petal Passion - very pale light pink 
• Apricot Adore - pink/coral 
• Coral Crush - hot pink/coral 
• Barely Bitten - a peachy nude  

Unfortunately, these crayons are not available for individual purchase at this time, but instead come in a whole set of 6, which I'm a bit sad about because I am DYING to get Coral Crush and Barely Bitten...oh well...guess I'll have to just get the set I suppose ::wink wink:: Pop Beauty's Pouty Pop Lip Crayons have a shelf life of 12 months. 

BH COSMETICS CALIFORNIA COLLECTION

EYESHADOW TRIO SAMPLER

Hollywood Palette: "Have you always wanted to look like an A-list celebrity? BH's Hollywood palette has you covered with red-carpet reds to limelight greens that are sure to take your look from ordinary to extraordinary! This makeup palette includes 16 eyeshadows and 4 blushes and comes in a compact magnetic paper palette. Now you can create celebrity looks at home or on-the-go!"

San Francisco: "The San Francisco palette was inspired by the classic California city and style of San Francisco! This new magnetic paper palette brings together a beautiful mix of coppery golds and skyline blues reminiscent of the bridges and bay breeze. With 16 eyeshadows and 4 blushes, the San Francisco palette will transform you into a sophisticated bay-area girl, every time."

Malibu: "Be a beach babe year-round with BH Cosmetic's Malibu makeup palette. Get that sun-kissed glow with these 16 warm and cool-toned eyeshadows and 4 blushes, inspired by the hot summers on the Malibu coast. Select from deep blue and aqua to sandy browns and sunset oranges. Plus this magnetic palette comes with a foldable mirror making it perfect for when you are on the go!" - three quotes from bhcosmetics.com

I love this idea, a single eyeshadow sample from each palette and how peeeerfectly do they go together? Beautiful! From the Hollywood palette we have a bright royal purple, from the San Francisco, a rich brown and from Malibu, a bright shimmering gold.

On the top without primer, I swiped each shadow about 3-4 times. You can see the purple is fairly thin, but still decently pigmented. The brown is also very visible and the gold just shimmers like crazy! WITH a primer, I used NYX's Jumbo Pencil in Milk and wooooooo, look at that purple! It is FABULOUS! The brown is definitely darker but it certainly isn't as big of a difference as the purple. The gold just became thicker and more tightly packed. 

I've heard a lot of people say they've had issues with the pigmentation of these three shadows, personally I didn't have any trouble with them, especially when using them over the NYX jumbo pencil as a primer. The purple is probably the trickiest as it's not a shimmer (they tend to be more pigmented), and it also CAN err on the side of being a little splotchy/streaky if not applied well with a brush and blended properly, but as long as you show it a little love I think it's positively gorgeous! I've seen them swatched over other primers, but the NYX jumbo pencil is by far the one that gives the most color payoff and vividness! 

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray: *Priced at ulta.com

• Full-size (5.1 fl oz) - $19.95
• I received a 1.7 fl oz sample - $6.65

COOLA Mineral Sunscreen Face SPF 20 Unscented:

• Full-size (1.7 fl oz) - $36
• I received a 0.23 fl oz sample - $4.87

Benefit Benetint:

• Full-size (0.40 fl oz) - $30
• I received a 0.08 fl oz sample - $6

Pop Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in Fuschia Flirt:

• Full-size (set of 6 crayons) - $25
• I received 1 crayon - around $4.17 

BH Cosmetics California Collection Eyeshadow Trio Sampler:

• This one was very difficult to calculate as there are no individual eyeshadows sold in this size on the website! So the way I worked it out was, I took the average cost per shadow in their 88 and 120 eyeshadow palettes which came out to be around $0.26. (Full-price, not using discounts or sale prices and did not include packaging)
• 3 Eyeshadows at $0.26 each - $0.78

  

Total Paid for Glam Bag: $10

 

Total Worth of Glam Bag:  $22.47 

 

One of the lower end worth bags I've received but still over twice of what I paid, I'm very pleased with this month's bag! I think the sample sizes are great, even the little Benetint should last me forever, and the Pouty Pop Crayon is full-size!

FINALE

How excited was I to do an eyeshadow finale? Oh BEYOND myself excited, my darlings...I ADORE EYESHADOWS! It seriously took me almost an hour to figure out what style, blending and mix I wanted to do and here is what I decided on! -

Doesn't that purple just pop out at you! With the NYX pencil underneath it seriously glows with vividness!

So I swiped on the brown in my crease, then the purple from the middle to the outer edge of my eye into a cat-eye shape. I blended it into the brown as well. I left the inner 1/3 of my free so I could place the gold there and it would really stand out, but I also tapped it over the middle of my eye on the purple so it would present a highlighting shimmer that changes color and tone when I move. If you look at the first picture you can see a lot of purple from that angle, but if you look at the 2nd youc an see more of the gold hue covering and highlighting over the purple in the middle. 

I am also wearing the Fuschia Flirt lip crayon on my lips, as well as the Benetint on the bottom part of the apples of my cheeks, but I also put a light layer of the Benetint over the Fuschia Flirt so it would tone down the brightness a bit since this look features the eyes pretty heavily. 

Well that's it for this month's Ipsy Glam Bag! There should be Sneak Peeks for August coming soon and of course, I'll be keeping you updated so stick around! 

 

If you haven't tried Ipsy yet and are interested in giving it a go, feel free to use my referral code provided in this link: 

JOIN IPSY! 

 

For $10 a month you can receive 4-5 deluxe or full-sized beauty items as well as a cute handy dandy little Glam Bag that's different each month!

Thanks!

     

Happy Makeuping my Beachy Beauties!

Love, Cookie