Ipsy - January 2014

19 REASONS

     

First Ipsy post of the year! And Ipsy wants to start us off right with some fab reasons why this year is going to be amazing....their reasons as well as ours! Their 19 reasons are the awesome 19 brands that were featured in this month's Glam Bags (although they sneaked in a 20th brand) and we could write in some reasons of our own! My reasons as to why this year is going to be awesome:

• Going to be Healthy - Reach my weight loss goals and get fit
• My 5th Anniversary - Married to my awesome Hubby! Mwuah!
• Big, Wonderful Changes - Building a new house, maybe start growing a family ::wink wink::
• 1st Year Blogging Anniversary - this March will be one year!
• A WHOLE NEW year of Ipsy - Excitement! I wonder what goodies are in store for us this year!

I'd say those are some wooooonderful reasons to be excited about 2014! Speaking of wonderful things....here's what I received in my Glam Bag this month!....

I received: face pads, eyeshadow stick, lip balm, face scrub and hair conditioner

Everyone received a lip product, either an eyeshadow stick or foundation, and the other three products were some of many variation items.

Can we just take a moment to say how RIDICULOUSLY cute this bag is? I seriously love it. I love to use my Glam Bags for keeping sample foils in. I use one for hair samples, one for makeup samples (like bb cremes, foundations, etc), one for face lotions, and so on. I think this is a PERFECT bag for sample foils! I'm going to have to do some rearranging, cause this little baby is just too darn cute! I'm even playing around with the idea of putting some same jewels on, like some red rhinestones on the lipstick part of the lipstick, some white rhinestones on the cap of a bottle, some purple rhinestones on the bottle part of the a bottle, etc. Not on all the outlines, but on a few would be adorable in my opinion!

Now that I've gushed over the bag....let's take a closer look at what was inside!....

PROACTIV+

MARK FADING PADS
    

 

    

"A few quick swipes are all it takes to give yourself a smoother, brighter, more radiant complexion. Each convenient no-rinse pad contains professional-strength (5%) glycolic acid to exfoliate layers of pigmented dead skin cells, plus maximum-strength (2%) salicylic acid acne medicine to help keep pores clear and looking smaller." - from proactiv.com

So this was a bit of a controversial variation product in this month's bag, since so many people seem to either love or hate Proactiv. Personally, I loved these wipes! I used to use Proactiv when I was about 19 or so. I had typical teenage acne for many years along with rosacea so I was constantly battling keeping my skin clear. I purchased the starter set with the Cleanser, Toner and Lotion and ohhhh my goodness, it did WONDERS within just 24 hours! My redness started to fade, the inflammation went down and within a week my pimples started subsiding and I was able to control breakouts. Luckily, even though I have rosacea, my skin isn't too sensitive, so I'm easily able to use a wide range of skincare with little to no problems. The only problem I have with skincare is that my skin adjusts relatively quickly to them and they're not as effective. I haven't used Proactiv in quite some time so I was very excited to try it again, especially now that it's Proactiv+!

As I said, I loved the wipes! I used them every night after I washed my face. It did sting slightly, but it wasn't severe at all for me. It also did flare up my rosacea ever so slightly but it subsided quickly. By the end of the four days I did notice that my blemish inflammation did lessen some, and they did start to fade a bit. I had one particular blemish that I was having a hard time getting rid of, even with regular cleansing and it's slowly starting to go away now! Now that's what I'm talkin' about! It also doesn't have any detectable fragrance, which I'm sure is a plus for many people.

This definitely is not the best choice for those that have very sensitive skin, but if you've tried Proactiv before or don't have sensitive skin issues, I'd recommend checking these wipes out, as I was quite impressed by them! HOWEVER, the bad thing is, that these wipes cannot be purchased individual, you have to purchase a Proactiv kit including other products such as their Skin Smoothing Exfoliator, Pore Targeting Treatment and Complexion Perfecting Hydrator. Such a shame, since I really do like the wipes!





     

ELIZABETH MOTT

SMOOTH SHADOW CREAMY EYE PENCIL

in Pearl
     

     
"Not your ordinary eyeliner. You heard it correctly! We've created the the ultimate gel pencil that's smooth like butter and lasts ALL DAY without smudging. These velvety pencils glide on with ease, and contain just enough shimmer. Smooth Shadow pencils are also waterproof and perfect for taking your look from day to night. A must have for all color lovers!" - from elizabethmott.com

  

I think this little pencil is just too darn cute. Because of it's creamy formula with awesome staying power you can use it as an eyeliner or an allover shadow by itself or patted over a colored shadow!

  

The design threw me off for a bit, but this pencil IS made to be sharpened, it is not a twist up. I absolutely love the shade, it's a gorgeous pearl-nude shimmer!

I was actually very pleasantly surprised at how well it shows up! The formula does glide on so smoothly (it's like that's why they totally named it Smooth Shadow....smaaaart thinking, teehee!) and when they say it stays, it STAYS. It lasted so many hours over a primer and with a setting spray! I'd say about 7-8 hours without any fading. It also layers beautifully for a richer, shimmery shade. This particular color is a gorgeous inner eye brightener, and for the waterline. LOVE IT!

MICA BEAUTY

TINTED LIP BALM

in #5 Natural

"MicaBeauty's 24 hour Tinted Lip Balm conditions your lips without smudge while delivering sophisticated finish. Infused with Vitamin E, MicaBeauty's Tinted Lip Balm helps keep your lips soft, smooth and protected. For a sheer wash of color, one swipe is all you need. Do you want even bolder pout? Simply apply another swipe and this lip balm will create lips every woman covets. Kiss-Proof! Smudge-Proof!" - from micabeauty.com

I'm no stranger to MicaBeauty, so I was very excited to try out another one of their products. The full-size MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm is about twice the size of this jar, as well as having a built in brush in the cap, which I was somewhat sad not to receive, but it will be much easier to store without it. I was so pleased to see how very pigmented it is!

It looks very blush-nude in the jar before I swatched it, but once I wiped my fingertip in it, I noticed it was a bit more pink under the top layer and looks VERY pink on my skin! So surprising! The formula is very creamy, smooth and you can seriously barely feel it if applying with your fingers. It spreads evenly and eveeeeer so slightly stains a bit, but not much. The color is very buildable as you can see by the photo above but you can wear it pretty sheer for just the softest tint. 

I REALLY love how it looks on, it's like a slightly more pigmented version of my own lips....the name suits it! - Natural. It's a tad bit drying after it's applied to the lips, but it's not too bad, in fact, I like that about it, so it doesn't just rub right off. It had strong color for about 3-4 hours after application and a soft tint for about 5-6. This is with eating and drinking. I'd be very curious to try some more of their other shades!

EPICE

PURIFYING EXFOLIANT

"A unique exfoliant which removes excess dirt and dead skin cells all while activating collagen production and hydrating your skin. This moisture rich formula utilizes mild, non-irritating and anti-bacterial cleansers with micro-fine polyspheres which enhances skin texture and clarity for a clean, fresh appearance. Purifying Exfoliant is also great to use on the entire body and after just a few uses, you will begin to see improvement in the look and feel of your skin." - from epiceinternational.com

I seriously love a good exfoliant! It's been absolutely wonderful for my poor weather beaten skin lately. My ridiculous city loves to jump from hot to cold so quickly. One day it's 80 degrees, a few days later it's 30! Haha, a girls gotta stay on top of her skin care routine! A good exfoliant is a fantastic thing to have during this time.

The formula is fairly creamy with quite a bit of fine polyspheres to scrub the skin, along with emollients and humectants to hydrate the skin. The polyspheres are a little rough, and did slightly irritate my rosacea, so if you have sensitive skin or rosacea as I do then I recommend working it in the skin lightly and using a good rich moisturizer afterwards, especially with calming agents such as aloe, chamomile or green tea. 

I've used this exfoliant about three times since I've received it (since it's only recommended to use twice a week) and I did notice that it did work off a small layer of dry skin and left my skin smoother, a bit brighter and looking healthier! If you're having a hard time with dry, winter skin, then I'd definitely recommend checking this product out! I'll certainly be using all of mine up.

HEALTHY SEXY HAIR

SOY TRI-WHEAT LEAVE IN CONDITIONER

"The powerful combination of Soy and Cocoa work synergistically to perfectly care for your hair! A conditioner that is both a nourishing moisturizer and mild protein reconstructor and safe to use on color-treated hair. This truly amazing conditioner reconstructs, moisturizes and combats environmental stress on all types of hair." - from sexyhair.com

Give this girl some Sexy Hair! I've tried so much of Big Sexy Hair, quite a few of Style Sexy Hair and am an absolute lover of Curly Sexy Hair, but I've only tried one of two products from the Healthy Sexy Hair line. I absolutely love this stuff! I'm big on leave-in conditioners since I don't condition my hair that often, I much prefer leave-in conditioners and serums to keep my hair healthy and soft. Conditioners tend to be too heavy for my hair most of the time. 

This conditioner is fabulous! It's a bit on the heavier side for a leave-in conditioner spray, but it detangles so well, and completely softens the hair. Because it's a bit heavier, I don't like to spray it all over if I'm planning to go out, instead, I'll concentrate it on the ends of my hair to keep it soft and shiny. I'll spritz it while my hair is still damp, then let the ends air-dry, just concentrating the blow dryer from the mid-point of my hair and up to my roots. It's made the ends of my hair look smoother, and they curl a bit so much nicer with much less frizziness. Plus, what's great is that it doesn't leave any sort of sticky residue!

It has a wonderful sweet scent that reminds me a bit of honeysuckle with a tropical twist. It's not terribly strong, but very fragrant when you first spray it, but it isn't overwhelming and does fade off over time. I'll definitely be repurchasing this once I"m done with my sample!

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

1) Proactiv+ Mark Fading Pads:

• Full-size (5 wipes) - $?
• I received 4 wipes - $0.50 per wipe = $2*

2) Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow Creamy Eye Pencil in Pearl:

• Full-size (1.5 g) - $14.99
• I received a 0.7 gram travel-size pencil - $7

3) MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm in Natural:

• Full-size (4 g) - $30
• I received a 2.5 gram sample jar - $18.75
• Minus the price of the lip brush - $5* = $13.75

4) Epice Purifying Exfoliant:

• Full-size (3.3 oz) - $32
• I received a 1 oz sample tube - $9.70

5) Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner:

• Travel-size (1.7 oz) - $6
• I received the travel-size

Total Paid for Glam Bag:  $10

Total Worth of Glam Bag:  $38.45


I'm very happy with the worth of this month's Glam Bag! Nearly four times the price of what I paid. I'm also quite happy with the size of my samples. I still have plenty left of the Healthy Sexy Hair, Epice, MicaBeauty and Elizabeth Mott! Plus I feel like 4 wipes for the Proactiv+ was enough to get an idea on whether or not I liked them. There is no listed price for the wipes so I had to take an educated guess on their worth. I based it on several brands of similar products, and their prices, broken down by the number of wipes. The average was around $0.50 per wipe. I also took a guess on the price of the lip brush included in the full-size lip balm based off of other similar sized brushes and on the average price of MicaBeauty brushes.

FINALE

So this month felt very fresh, bright and natural, so I wanted a fresh, bright and more natural look! Using my Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner, Elizabeth Mott eye pencil in Pearl, and MicaBeauty's Tinted Lip Balm in Natural....

I used a nude-tan eyeshadow on my eyelids and slightly above the crease EXCEPT on the very center of my eyelid. There I blended on about four layers of the Elizabeth Mott eye pencil in Pearl for a bright, glowy and fake highlighting gloss effect.

When the eyes are open it almost looks like a light is hitting some glossy shadow! The pretty pearlescent finish isn't quite as apparent in these photos but in person it was quite lovely. I also used it on my waterline and inner corners of my eyes. I finished the look with simple contouring, nude blush for some soft shading and brown mascara with light brown eyeliner. 

Like I said, very fresh-faced, bright and clean!

    

 Well that's it for this month's Ipsy Glam Bag review, I hope you enjoyed! I can't wait to see what's in store for us for next month! Did you receive a Glam Bag this month? What products did you love?  Thinking of joining Ipsy? Please feel free to use my referral code to sign up! Click HERE to start to subscription sign-up process!

Happy Fresh-faced Makeuping!