Glossybox - Limited Edition Holiday Box 2013

LIMITED EDITION
2013 HOLIDAY GOLD BOX

How absolutely STUNNING is this box! There's just something special about all of the boxes, bags, etc. for the holidays that frankly....makes me say: "Gimme, gimme, gimme!". Haha, I swear, I will control the little five year old Cookie inside of me who's super excited about the Holiday Season.

 Every so often, Glossybox features a special Limited Edition box with a special theme. These LE boxes are purchased separately from your monthly subscription and do cost a bit more, HOWEVER, they're also FILLED with more goodies! Well who was I to turn down a golden box? Take a look!....

   

Sparkly ribbon bow? YES PLEASE! I usually give the Glossybox ribbon that comes inside each box to my kitties since they love to play with ribbons....but this glittery ribbon was too darn pretty! I have hidden it away from sneaky little paws.

The elegance of the box is absolutely gorgeous, and as you might be able to see, the way it opens is different as well. Instead of just a lid that pops right off, it's a magnetic flap that opens up. The sad thing is, the glue lost it's tackiness on my box and it fell apart after I opened it. ::tear:: I can probably glue the pretty thing back together though! Heaven knows I must!

Here's what I received in this little golden box of wonder!....

A body scrub, a body wash, a face mask, a lip liner, a nail polish, a highlighter and a lipgloss

As you can see, quite a lot! Everyone who ordered this box received the same body scrub, the same face mask, the same luminizer and the same lip liner, but a variation in color for the nail polish and lip gloss. 

On to the review!...

NUXE

FONDANT BODY SCRUB

   

"With 100% plant exfoliants in various grain sizes, this creamy fondant scrub is your key to soft, smooth skin." - from 2013 Holiday Gold Box card

What's funny is I'm currently reviewing two products from the Nuxe brand without ever having tried it before and ohhhhhhhhhh my goodness....j'adore! The quality of the brand is fantastic from the two that I'm using. I won't spoil the surprise of the 2nd product, so I'll just stick to the current...

   

I just love having a good exfoliating body scrub and this one is fantastic. Notice the size of the different grains and how packed they are! Listen to how delicious and fabulous this sounds...the active ingredients:

100% plant exfoliants (Orange, Lychee and Walnut Extracts), and Almond and Orange Flower Petals in a rich cream for smooth, soft skin. - from us.nuxe.com

Couldn't you just die? It smells SO good to me. Very light, fragrant but natural with a softly sweet aroma. I think this is the perfect mix for those people who love natural earthy scents and those that love floral. 

For use, it works great with a loofah, but I do prefer just using my hands since I get fully control the exfoliation in circular motions. It isn't rough on the skin, even with the grains, the richness of the cream helps moisturize and soften the skin during exfoliation. On warmer days you may not even need to moisturize with lotion after you finish showering (which I typically recommend after heavy exfoliating) but on colder days a light moisturizer would work fine since this body scrub doesn't irritate the skin. As far as the product lasting, as with most exfoliators that have grains or beads in them, you do end up going through the product a tad faster than usual since you need more grains/beads to scrub with, but this still seems to be lasting me quite some time! I still have most of the bottle left after a few weeks of use.

I HIGHLY recommend trying this product out if you need a good exfoliator! It's probably one of the best I've ever tried.

PHILLIP B

BODY WASH

in Chocolate Milk

  

"A warming, energizing body wash that revives your senses and leaves skin silky and glowing." - from 2013 Holiday Gold Box card

THIS RIGHT HERE was pretty much the whole reason I wanted this box. What? You didn't know I am a chocoholic? Psh....let me put it this way...if a dessert isn't at least 78% chocolate, I won't eat it. My that sounds so snobby ::giggle:: but it's quite true. That also goes for chocolate smells! I love, love, LOVE the smell of chocolate. I'm super excited to say that Philip B got it absolutely right! I've smelled chocolate scents/fragrances before that don't smell like chocolate at all, but the moment I smelled this body wash I was taken back to my childhood. My sweet Mom used to bring me a glass of chocolate milk every morning when she woke me up (a tradition I will definitely be carrying on when I have a little girl of my own) and it smells JUST like the chocolate milk Mom used to make. If I remember correctly it was milk and Hersheys syrup but she mixed it JUST right so it wasn't overly sweet but it was good and chocolatey. 

The body wash is scrumptious! It's that perfect mix of sweet chocolate with a light milky air. It's not overly lathery, but it gives great body coverage when washing with a loofah, towel or hands and although the smell doesn't linger as long as I'd like it too, it gives me just enough yummy goodness throughout the shower and a little after. It's infused with  pure chocolate and vanilla extracts that give it that tasty fragrance and also has milk proteins, cocoa butter and aloe to keep your skin soft and smooth.

You'd better believe I'm going to be buying more of this when I run out! It's the most realistic chocolate scented beauty product I've ever smelled!

BODYOGRAPHY

LIP LINER

in Crimson

   

"Create the perfect pout for any holiday party with this amazing lip liner. It contains chamomile oil for effortless application and ultra smooth texture." - from 2013 Holiday Gold Box card

This girl apparently can't get away from red lip products. I know, I know, it's the Holidays, I should have expected a rid lippy or two...but a girl can dream, right? 

I definitely do like this lip liner, though! As far as lip liners go, it's very creamy, glides on super smooth and doesn't pull or tug the skin at all.

It's a typical lip liner pencil that needs a beauty pencil sharpener to get to a fine point. The shade Crimson is a slightly pink-toned red so it's not quite as vivid and rich as a true red is.

   

The color is lovely and very vibrant. Because of it's creaminess, it doesn't make a very crisp, thin single line, but I'd rather have that than have a pencil that pulls and tugs the skin. As you can see from the swirly line it glides so easily. 

I wore this liner under a red lipstick for a day and it did help with no feathering but because it's so soft, it did smudge a TEENSY bit after a few hours. However, it didn't dry my lips out like some liners tend to do and the color stayed nice and vibrant for at least 4 hours before needing major touch-ups.

I will be continuing use of this liner since I do think the color is lovely if I don't want a heavy rich red and I love the softness of the formula. I have another red lip liner that's somewhat similar in color, but it's formula is a bit harder and dries out my lips somewhat. 

KORA ORGANICS

CLAY PURIFYING MASK

   

"A purifying and cleansing mask especially formulated to gently detox, purify and refine the texture of the skin." - from 2013 Holiday Gold Box card

A face mask! This box is just full of all sorts of happiness for me. I can NEVER get enough face masks. Be it charcoal, pumpkin, mud, clay, chocolate, snail slime, you name it...I want to try it! 

The KORA Organics line states it's dedication to using only the highest quality certified organic and natural ingredients. This mask itself is listed as being free from sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrance, synthetic colours, T.E.A., D.E.A., glycols, silicones, PEGS, ethoxylate and formaldehyde.

The formula contains lavender and noni extracts - which is great for anti-aging. It also contains aloe vera, kaolin (a white clay used in some skincare for exfoliating dead skin cells and dirt from the surface and cleansing the skin), cetearyl alcohol, glyceryl oleate, glyceryl stearate (emulsifiers typically), sunflower oil, silica, glycerine (a great emollient) natural vitamin E, avocado oil, lemon myrtle oil, bergamot oil and rose hip oil,  just to name a few.

The product itself is a teensy bit on the watery side for a clay mask, but not messy at all once applied to the face. You just have to be a bit careful when squeezing it from the bottle into your hands. It doesn't completely become opaque on the skin once spread, but it does give full coverage that is visible. The tube suggests a 5 minute waiting period before rinsing off for sensitive skin and up to 10 minutes for normal skin. I do have rosacea, but I usually don't have to worry about a product irritating my skin. With a 10 minute waiting period, it does sliiiiiightly sting, but really it's not much at all. It's not even to the point of tingling, you can just feel the alcohol. I would recommend trying this on the back of your hand, though, if you tend to have sensitive skin, then test a small amount on a small spot on your jawline before doing a full face mask.

It has a very light natural clay aroma, nothing too overpowering, though, really once it's all over your face and you let it dry, you can hardly smell it. It does begin to dry fairly quickly after application and it rinses off very easily with tepid water. It did very lightly aggravate my rosacea as my cheeks were a bit pink after I rinsed it off, but it quickly subsided. If you can take the time, you can easily use a wet hand towel to light dab off the mask if you have severe rosacea that becomes easily inflamed. 

For results, I must say, looking at my skin after I removed the mask was awesome. My skin had that taunt, squeaky-clean look to it that a good cleansing can provide. It was smooth, tight and bright. I'm not entirely sure how much assistance this product provided, but I will say this, I used it again last night and I noticed that I had a pimple forming on my chin so after I used the mask I applied a hot damp towel to the area and the next morning the pimple had come to a perfect head! Mine typically never come to a head that fast. It could be that the clay mask assisting in drawing the impurities out and helped speed up the healing process. Hard to say, but as I said, that rarely happens so quickly for me. 

The mask, in my opinion, gives great results. It's not entirely moisturizing so you will need a good moisturizer after use, but the great clean feeling after use is worth it and from what I've seen, it does a fabulous job of pulling impurities out and getting deep into the epidermis. I would definitely recommend trying this out if you have oily to normal skin! If you have slightly sensitive skin you may want to see if you can try a sample of it first as it is not cheap. 

BUTTER LONDON

NAIL LACQUER

in Henley Regatta

   

"Long lasting and rich in color, this high-performing nail polish leaves a smooth and glossy finish. It will be the perfect glamorous accessory on your fingertips this holiday season." - from 2013 Holiday Gold Box card

Hooray, nail polish! and what a GORGEOUS one at that! I seriously have nothing in my stash that looks like this, it's so darling. The name absolutely cracks me up (as most Butter London names do) as it's name is referring to a rowing event held annually on the River Thames in England. Haha, it puts a WHOLE different perspective on the polish, doesn't it? Before you were thinking: "Oh! What an absolutely lovely Christmas polish! So glittery green and festive!" and now..."Oh yes, indeed, that IS reminiscent of a river, how unusual and adorable!". Isn't is fantastic what a naming of a polish can do?

Here we have a swatch with two coats of polish and no topcoat. It's made up of very fine teal-green microglitters. It's ALMOST opaque with two coats, but not quite. You may need three or four for full opacity, but really it's quite lovely on it's own even with two. It makes a gorgeous shimmery topper with a single coat over a color. Over a really dark teal it is absolutely STUNNING. Because of the decently packed glitters it applies very easily and spreads nicely. You really don't have to work hard to get the glitter to evenly spread at all, just brush it right on in a few strokes. It's fairly shiny without a topcoat but, of course, I would recommend a nice glossy one to really get this glitter to pop!

SO SUSAN

LUMINIZER

   

"Look radiant for your end of the year soirees with this water-based luminizer - apply on cheekbones, along the brow bone, and above the cupid's bow for a lit-from-within glow." - from 2013 Holiday Gold Box card

I've never been a huge fan of luminizers or highlighters since my face tends to get oily in the day and I'm so ridiculously pale, they never look quite right on me...I just end up looking too dewy and have on occasion blinded someone when I walked past them outside....OK, maybe that part isn't exactly true...but my Hubby would say so, too ::giggles::. 

 HOWEVER, with that in mind, I actually quite like this product! I was very surprised at how pretty it really is.

  

I think what does it for me is the pink tone. The pink tone makes a world of difference on my skin tone. It's just beautifully luminescent. As you can see it spread excellently with use of fingertips, with no smudging or smearing, but I typically prefer to dab on with fingers, then blend with a brush for a more natural finish. 

I've used this product both as a simple highlighter on my cheeks, top of nose, cupid's bow, etc. as well as mixing it with my foundation for a soft all-over glow and I do love both applications. If you're adding this to a foundation it's best to add very little in, blend it on the back of your hand and add more luminizer as needed. It gets glow-y pretty fast, so very little is needed. TIP! - I prefer to lightly pull it down onto the neck and then blend over the collar bone so it's not just your face that's all aglow! 

BEAUTY ADDICTS

LIP ADDICTION

in Tease

   

"A luxurious, high-shine lip glaze that provides intense, opulent color while nourishing lips with vitamins and plumping lips with peptides." - from 2013 Holiday Gold Box card

If there's one thing I don't need any more than a red lippy, it's probably a pink lip gloss, but I absolutely ADORE the design of the tube! It's got a modern 80's vibe to it that I'm totally digging. 

The gloss is in the shade Tease, which as you can see is a slightly muted babydoll pink.

The applicator is a standard flocked wand brush, which isn't usually my favorite, but I do like that the neck of the bottle does catch most of the gloss on the outside of the brush and pulls it off as it's being drawn out, leaving just product on the tip.

  

The formula is a TEENSY bit sticky, but not overly so. It is a little thick but it gets slightly tacky once applied which is nice for longevity. It's also nicely pigmented for a gloss, and even blended (as you can see), it still provides a gorgeous color. On the lips, the color does last quite some time compared to other glosses, about 3-4 hours before needing major touch-ups with color still lasting on the lips. It looks absolutely gorgeous both normally applied for full color opacity or blended out with the fingers. I really didn't feel like the product was too heavy on my lips or was so sticky that my lips stuck together when closed. It was also heavy enough to not get that wet gloss look that rubs off so easily.

Amazingly enough, I'm very tempted to try out their others shades and I really am not a huge fan of lip glosses! Well done Beauty Addicts!

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

1) Nuxe Fondant Body Scrub:

• Full-size (6.7 oz) - $28
• I received a 1.6 oz sample tube - $6.69 

2) Philip B Body Wash in Chocolate Milk:

• Travel Size (2 fl oz) - $8
• I received a travel size!

3) Bodyography Lip Liner in Crimson:

• Full-size (.04 oz) - $13
• I received a full-size!

4) Kora Organics Clay Purifying Mask:

• Full-size (3.38 fl oz) - $53
• I received a 3.30 fl oz sample tube - $51.75

5) Butter London Nail Lacquer in Henley Regatta:

• Full-size (0.4 fl oz) - $15
• I received a full-size! 

6) So Susan Luminizer:

• Full-size (0.53 oz) - $40
• I received a full-size!

7) Beauty Addicts Lip Addiction in Tease:

• Full-size (0.19 oz) - $17
• I received a full-size!

TOTAL PAID FOR BOX:  $30*

TOTAL WORTH OF BOX:  $151.44


WOW! What a high worth Limited Edition box! I'm definitely QUITE pleased with this purchase, especially since 5 items were full-sized (almost 6!) and two of the items each were well worth over what I paid. The normal price for this particular box was $50 but I found a promotion code that took 40% off, making the total $30! I do apologize that I did not share this deal with everyone, at the time I was unable to write any posts, and I may not be able to write full posts for all limited edition boxes but I probably CAN share the deals quickly on The Charming Cheshire Facebook Page, so be sure to follow on that platform! 

FINALE

Not TOO many makeup products in this box, but enough to where I wanted to go ahead and do a look anyhow, I went for a lip showcase. 

I know ombre has begun to go soooooo out of Vogue, but since I've never really done one for my Finales, I decided to go for it! I used the lip liner in Crimson and drew in from the outer corners of my mouth (both top and bottom) and faded it just below the edge of where my cupid's bow begins. I then brushed Beauty Addicts Tease over the entire lip focusing it more heavily on the center of my lips where I had no lip liner. I also used the Luminizer on my upper cheekbones, nose and center of my bottom lip. I SWEAR I used the Luminizer. Upon reviewing these photos and selecting which to use I really could not SEE the Luminizer as I'm sure neither can you. If you had seen my face in real life you would have definitely seen it! I really could not have added any more since I was going out that day and I didn't want to look like the goddess of the glowing sun (in a really, really bad way, not a gorgeous way). You can see it on my nose more than my cheeks, but at least you can see it there!

After adding these photos I realized...I totally could have done a Gold look to go with the gold box! I was actually on my way to pick up my Hubby from the airport so I went for a more girly, romantic daytime look. Let me know if ya'll would prefer to see a golden holiday look and I can add it in!

Happy Makeuping and Happy Holidays!

     

Ipsy - December 2013

CELEBRATION!
   
   

Holiday season is ALWAYS a time to celebrate! Ending of the year with good cheer and the fresh start to a whole new chapter. Time to start writing resolutions and ::ahem:: sticking to them....am I right? ::wink, wink:: This month Ipsy decided to provide some fabulous products that will not only be amazing for Christmas, but also be useful for a fabulous and fresh New Years look! If you missed my Sneak Peaks and Previews for this month's Ipsy, don't worry, you actually didn't miss it...I didn't get a chance to write one for this month. Oh the sadness! I know, I'm sorry. HOWEVER, we should be getting some Ipsy Sneak Peeks for January starting next week and I'd like to jump on those right away as soon as they come out!

So let's start celebrating and jump into this review of my Ipsy Glam Bag!....

 I received: a nail polish, cosmetic stick, lip pencil, eyeshadow trio and false eyelashes

Everyone received one of two color combos of the Pop Beauty eyeshadow trio (brown/nudes or grey/silvers), a Be a Bombshell One Stick (in different shades), a lippy (either J Cat Beauty lip pencil or NYX lipstick) and the nail polish and falsies were some of many variation items. 

I love, love, LOVE this month's actual bag! It's a classy somewhat textured quilted pattern made from a soft plastic, however, I one that doesn't feel cheap, in my opinion. It has a side zipper as you can see, which I think makes it a bit snazzier and a crimson inner lining. Haha, I almost feel as though the February and June 2013 Glam Bags got together and had this baby! The February bag was a black fake patent leather bag with a red inside as well and the June bag was leapard print with a size zipper (same design)! 
 

STARRILY

NAIL POLISH

in Bzzz Bzzz

"This nail polish is seriously all the buzz." - from etsy.com/shop/Starrily

This is SUCH an adorable glitter polish! First of all, the bottle is their mini-sized, which I find irresistibly cute, and I just have such a fondness for black and single colored glitter. It's so festive and party-ish! I also have way too much fun saying the name....Bzzz Bzzz. Because I don't pronounce it as Buzz Buzz, oh no, it's Bzzz Bzzz. Go on, you say it.....see what I mean? ::grin:: 

As you can see it's a mixed pattern glitter with square, hexagon and dot yellow-gold glitter as well as square, dot, hexagon and bar black glitter. The yellow-gold dot glitters appear to be a bit shinier while the rest of the glitters are more satin. The black glitters are matte. Here we have a swatch of two coats (no top coat). It spreads out nicely, the glitter doesn't clump in any space. Two coats is absolutely perfect for even glitter distribution without completely covering the nail so this could easily be paired with a color underneath. 

I think it'd look gorgeous over white or grey for a more toned down party nail, or you could go full throttle and brush it over a purple for a bright complimentary colors effect, or even pink for a girly bright funky look! I'd even wear it over a bare nail as an accent finger with maybe black or yellow polish on the other fingers. Definitely a fun and exciting product that I'm more than pleased with!

 

BE A BOMBSHELL

THE ONE STICK
in Sunset

"An all-in-one multiple stick with a smooth texture. Apply to eyelids, cheeks or lips for the perfect pop of color anywhere!" - from beabombshellcosmetics.com

I always love experimenting with a multi-use product. I must say, this one did NOT disappoint! 

The design is a twist-up stick and I'm so happy that there IS actually quite a bit of product inside if you twist it up all the way. It's almost as long as the small cylinder on top that it's encased in. I've tried twist-up products before that don't even reach half way down the upper cylinder. What a cheat, right?! Not The One Stick, though!

How GORGEOUS is this? The formula is super creamy, and look how beautifully it blends, with no patchiness at all. What's great about it is how extremely pigmented it can be if you want it to, but it easily blends out into a very natural shade. Sunset is listed on Be a Bombshell's website as a deep coral with a light shimmer. They have six other sticks ranging in a shimmering white, pinks, coral, plum and copper. I personally think Sunset is a very flattering shade that would like nice on a range of skintones. 

For application on the cheeks, this product is perfect, you just lightly dab or swipe it on where you're wanting color and you can either blend with your fingers (which I found very easy) or with a fluffy cheek blending brush. Along with a face primer and setting spray the color lasted 10+ hours with minimal fading. What's awesome, though, is the stick is very convenient to just pop on into your purse if you feel you might need touch-ups later or if you want to deepen the color for a richer nighttime look!

For application on the lips, it's a bit trickier to handle and most people may not like it. The color payoff is great, you can still build it up or wear it more natural, however, it's very drying and has an almost powdery finish feeling when you press your lips together. This is partially good for the color lasting but it may be slightly uncomfortable. I preferred to lightly dab on a lip balm with my finger on top of the color so my lips didn't feel quite as dry (which incidentally causes you to lick your lips, which in turn causes the product color to fade). I still do recommend using this as a lip shade, though, it's really lovely and when used properly, can last a good 3-4 hours before needing major touch-ups.

Application on the eyes was the only application I wasn't as fond of. The color does go on nicely and it's also buildable but because my eyes tend to get a bit oily during the day, the color began to crease since it IS creamy. I believe once the creamy product begins drying on a dry skin surface, it changes to a slightly drying/powdery finish so it lasts, but if you apply it to an oilier surface, it won't finish as nicely. If you don't have any problems with oily eyelids, though, this may work for you! I did use it over an eye primer and with a setting spray, as well and I had about 3-4 hours of decent color before it started fading and creasing. 

All in all, I did like The One Stick, especially as a blush! I think if my eyelids wouldn't get quite so oily, it'd be absolutely perfect for all uses!

POP BEAUTY

BRIGHT UP YOUR LIFE

EYESHADOW SAMPLE TRIO

in Naturally Bare

"This palette of bare pigments adds definition & intensity to lids, creating a broad range of shadow looks that complement all eye colours....these hues blend smoothly onto the lid, adding a veil of silky luster that will outlive the day or night!" - from popbeauty.co.uk (describing entire palette)

There were two eyeshadow trios that went out, this one which is called Naturally Bare, and a trio of black, grey and silver, called Smoking Hot. Pop Beauty doesn't sell these trios exactly, but these three shades are three of ten shadows that are part of actual eyeshadow palettes called Naturally Bare and Smoking Hot. Basically these are three sample colors from those palettes. 

I was superdupes excited to see I received the brown/nude shades, as I thought those looked absolutely gorgeous...and to my surprise I find out they're not exactly nude...they're shimmery with gold! LOVE IT!

As you can see, three swipes dry wasn't too bad. This is with no primer, whatsoever, and I must admit I was fairly impressed with the formula and color payoff. They're not patchy at all, and blend beautifully. They're also very buildable if you want more pigmentation.

Over NYX's Jumbo Pencil in Milk, the brown deepens significantly and has a bit of a rust undertone, the coppery gold looks richer and the champagne yellow-gold shows up a bit better and is more even in color across the area.

I preferred using eyeshadow brushes for the coppery gold and brown, but then just using my fingertip for the light gold. I find using the fingertips for a very shimmery light shade gives me a better pigmentation because I can pack it on easier with little to no blending. 

Along with primer and a setting spray the colors lasted a good 10 hours before needing major touch-ups! I've been wearing them quite a bit over the Holiday season as they're SO fabulous for parties or even just a bright daytime Holiday look. I may even go ahead and purchase the ten shade palette that these colors are from. It comes with this list of colors:

 white, faded taupe, eggshell, bare nude, pinky taupe, faded charcoal, bright bronze, toasted taupe, cinnamon, deep brown. 

J CAT BEAUTY

THE BIG LIP PENCIL

in Caramel Mocha

   

"The Big Lip Pencil is another staple in our bigger and better collection! Versatile as a hydrating and vibrant lipstick as well as a sculpting lip liner.  It’s destined to be in your makeup collection!" - from jcatbeauty.com

Can I take a moment please? HALLELUIAH! I DIDN'T RECEIVE A RED LIP PRODUCT! Ohhhhh my goodness. When I saw that they were sending out a red shade in this pencil as well I was terrified I would receive it. I don't know what is up with beauty subs loving to send out red lip products, but I'm seriously good with red lippies for...oh...I dunno.....years....decades possibly. ::giggles::

This Big Lip Pencil was quite a happy surprise! I was a tad bit hesistant when I saw how very caramel it looked, but once I swatched it, I was in love...

How beautiful is THAT!? It leans to just the right amount of pink in a stunning mocha shade. It's nicely pigmented and can be either lightly applied and blended on with fingers or applied straight from the pencil for a deeper, full coverage color.

The formula is awesome, it dries just enough to lock onto your lips but not to where it makes your lips feel dehydrated and dry. Just to note, though, if you have very pink lips such as me, you WILL need to apply some foundation, concealer or BB Cream over your lips before applying the pencil as the color will change. It was the funniest thing. Without lightening the color of my lips first, the lip pencil went on pretty much pink! Even here in the picture above which I put on my BB Cream over my lips to cancel the pink tone of them, it still goes on more of a pink than a nude caramel. I think it's gorgeous though! It's like a super pigmented version of my natural lip color. So pretty!

ARDELL

FASHION LASHES

in 120 Demi Black

"Ardell Natural Lashes are popular lashes because women love that they're lightweight, reusable, easy-to-apply and give the desired, natural look of full, beautiful lashes." - from ardelllashes.com

Alas, the one item in my Ipsy Glam Bag I was not excited about....false lashes. I simply just...don't wear them. I know HOW to, I was trained since I was 12 how to apply falsies since I took ballet but I have the type of eyes that just really don't like them. I always have to trim my falsies because my eyes are smaller, and I have to finagle the direction of the lashes while applying since my eyes and eyelashes slant down so much. They never look quite right on me, even when I apply them correctly, so I prefer not to wear them. 

I'm sorry to say I don't have a photo of them on for you. I had a ballet recital at my studio before Christmas so I brought them to the show and gifted them to one of my students to wear for the performance. I applied them on her, and they really are lovely lashes (yes, yes I forgot take a photo ::slaps wrist::). The curve on the outer edge does a fantastic job of lifting the eye and giving it a bit of a cat-eye flair. The spacing of the lashes makes it appear very natural as well. The only thing I did not like about this set of lashes was the adhesive. It came in a foil-like packet that has to be ripped open on the top so it's not going to last long at all before drying out. I'd much rather have seen a twist top tube. It didn't dry completely clear, as well. My absolute favorite lash glue I've ever used was a black glue believe it or not. It was slightly harder to see when applying, especially when making sure if I covered the edges enough, but when the lashes were on it looked absolutely seamless! 
 

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

1) Starrily Nail Polish in Bzzz Bzzz:

• Mini Bottle (5 ml) - $5

 

2) Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Sunset:

•  Full-size (7.3 g) - $16
• I received a full-size!

3) Pop Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eyeshadow Sample Trio in Naturally Bare:

• Full-size (palette of 10 shades) - $24
• Sample Trio (3 shades) - $8

4) J Cat Beauty The Big Lip Pencil is Caramel Mocha:

• Full-size (5 g) - $3.99
• I received a full-size!

5) Ardell Fashion Lashes in 120 Demi Black:

• Full-size (1 set) - $3.99
• I received a full-size!

 

Total Paid for Bag:  $10

 

Total Worth of Bag:  $36.98

 

 

Not quite the lowest worth Glam Bag I've received, but definitely on the lower end. Not that I'm complaining, it's still almost four times what I paid, and I didn't even account for the bag itself! I'm really happy with the price of each individual item as well! 

 

FINALE
   
Holiday makeup finale! I went for a natural daytime look that could easily be darkened for a night look as well. I just wanted fresh, bright, and glowy.

NOW you can see what I mean about the Lip Pencil looking pink without a foundation, concealer or BB Cream on the lips....I didn't put some on underneath that day so the color looked quite pink! Very natural looking though, in my opinion!

For this look I started with a primer, then BB Cream all over my face. I used concealer where needed (under eyes, chin, nose), then a matte setting powder all over. I then used an eye primer along with blending NYX's Jumbo Pencil in Milk all over the eyelid. I blended the lighter gold eyeshadow on my entire eyelid first, stopping just outside of the outer edge of my eyelid, then softly blended the coppery gold towards the outer edge and finishing with the darker brown on the outside. I then patted some of the light gold with my fingertip on the inner part of the eyelid both on top and on the bottom to highlight the inner corners of my eyes. I used a red-tinted brown eyeliner for the wing of the cat-eye and a gold eyeliner for the inner part of liner towards the inner corners of my eyes. I finished the look up with light contouring with a bronzer, lightly darkening my eyebrows with a brown eyeshadow and setting gel, blending on The One Stick for my blush and applying the Lip Pencil on my lips! I finished it all up with a setting spray. 

I felt like it added just the right amount of shimmer and glow for a Holiday look! LOVE the eyeshadow trio and shades!


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 Holidays and Happy Makeuping! 

   

Glossybox - November 2013

HOLIDAY ROMANCE
     
Oh my goodness, helloooooooooo there! How ARE all of ya'll?! Are you absolutely shocked to see a new post? Hahaha, the past few weeks have been ridiculously busy, both at home and at work. We had a performance at the studio I work at that had me there till past midnight most nights to prepare. My apologies! This month is going to be just simple beauty subscription reviews with no extra posts. I realize I'm very VERY behind with the 30 Manis Marathon, but I still have every intention to finish. I may not be able to start it back up until January, though. Nevertheless, I want to go back to normal posting in January!

And yes, yes, I realize it's December and I debated a bit about posting this but I have to say I LOOOOVED November's Glossybox! So I knew I just had to post it, even if it's over 2 weeks late. I haven't received my December Glossybox yet, so I don't feel quite as bad about it ::grin::

Here's my reveal post for the month....

November REVEAL - Glossybox

So it seems that they changed the name of the box from Modern Romance to Holiday Romance, which does seem more fitting. A modern romance box does sound really pretty, though! Here's what I received -

    

  Hair oil, eyeliner, eyeshadow, face cleanser and a makeup brush

Here's what Glossybox has to say about this month's box:

"It's only November but the streets are already teeming with black coats and gloves and scarves, and some days the chill creeps through the air and seeps through our sweaters. While we love our leather and cashmere, we're equally enamored by flowing silk and delicate black lace. This month, we're inspired by holiday romance - think gorgeous matte skin paired with bold and dramatic shades on the eyes and lips. After all, it's okay to indulge and be a little girly sometimes."

Stay glossy,

The GLOSSYBOX Team

How very....romantic sounding! A girls gotta look purdy during the Holiday season! ::flutters lashes:: Let's move on to the review!....

MASTEY

COLOR PROTECTION

COLOR PROTECTING LEAVE-IN OIL TREATMENT

"This leave-in oil treatment is a combination of certified argan oil from Morocco, olive oil, and grape seed extract. These three ingredients in combination with Mastey's vegetable based natural moisturizing factor, rice amino acids (rice proteins) for reconstruction, and Vitamins E and B5, make it the perfect solution for damaged or color treated hair." - from Glossybox November 2013 card

I have being going through this bottle! I absolutely adore it! I love using hair oils in place of conditioners since they tend to weigh my hair down too much. I shampoo my hair, then pat it dry, put some oil in my hands and work it in while my hair is still damp. It really doesn't take much. My hair is fairly long, and layered and I add about a nickle to quarter-sized amount for the entire head, focusing more product on the ends of my hair. 

It has an absolutely lovely scent: a very, very soft grape juice fragrance. It does have olive oil and grape seed extract, so that is probably where the scent is coming from. It's very refreshing and natural smelling. Like I said, though, it's a very soft fragrance, so it's not overwhelming, and it doesn't smell like wine, definitely more of a light grape juice. 

My hair has been feeling and looking so good even though I have ::GASP:: been having to put the heater on because it is COOOOOLD. I seriously NEVER put the heater on because of multiple reasons....A) I am ridiculously heat intolerant.....2) It dries out my hair and makes it frizzy.....and Third) It dries out my skin something terrible. Buuuuuut, my hair has been staying soft, my blond highlights have stayed shiny and it hasn't been getting frizzy at all! Hoorah, fabulous oil treatment that are awesome for color treated hair!

VINCENT LONGO

DUO EYE PENCIL

in Lime & Forest

"This eye pencil features combined complimentary shades for maximum creativity. Achieve intense, smouldering eyes with it's smudge-resistant and long-wearing formula, which glides on and prevents any tugging of the delicate eye area." - from Glossybox November 2013 card

Typically I absolutely adore any eyeliners, any colors at all...love them...unfortunately, this duo pencil turned out to be a bit of a dud for me. ::tear:: Not that I don't love the colors, I do, but they just don't show up well on the eye at all! In fact, even though the Glossybox card says of them that they glide on preventing any tugging on the eye, I found that to be quite the opposite. I had to use quite a bit of force to get any to show up at all. It was very uncomfortable applying it and had very little color payoff on the eye. Applying to hand was a bit easier to see, but still not as smooth as other eyeliners I have used.

Eyeliner shade in Forest

Forest is a very VERY dark green, almost a black with a green tint.

Although it SEEMS like it has good color payoff with the single and thick lines, my secret to seeing how creamy and smooth an eyeliner will apply is making the squiggle line and dots. Notice on the squiggle line there is a big of tugging and the line isn't solid throughout the curve. It's thick on some spots and lighter on others. Also, the dots BARELY show up, you can hardly see them at all! Imagine the force you'd need to use to make it show up on your eyelids, which has MUCH thinner skin than your hand. You really don't want to have to use much pressure at all for color payoff. 

Eyeliner shade in Lime

I was SO excited to see that I had received this shade! Lime is so unusual and pretty and it looked very promising. Alas, it's still not what I hoped....

Again, the thin and thick lines ALMOST look good, but you can BARELY see the squiggle line and dots. Even my Hubby commented: "There are dots there?". It is SUCH a beautiful color, why oh WHY couldn't it show up more?! It was a bit softer upon application than Forest, but still, tugged quite a bit. 

All in all, this was the only disappointing item in the box, and if the formula was only a bit softer, I'd probably have 5 out of 5 loves this month! The colors are gorgeous, the design in beautiful, I love practically everything...except the formula. Which incidentally, can be a very big part of the whole experience...::sigh:: I've kept it around though, I'd like to experiment more with it. Hopefully I can find a way to use it that works better!

NICKA K

NEW YORK PROFESSIONAL EYESHADOW BRUSH

"Effortlessly apply your eyeshadow with this ergonomically designed brush. Each lightweight brush is specially crafted with quality pony hair and designed with easy handling in mind, resulting in precise and flawless application of makeup." - from Glossybox November 2013 card

Eyeshadow brush! Eyeshadow brush! ::happy dance:: LOVE IT! If there's one thing I can always use more of, it's eyeshadow brushes. 

The bristles, are made from pony hair and are super soft. This particular type of brush (Eyeshadow medium round type) is fantastic for the way I like to apply shadow, which is typically very pigmented. The bristles are dense enough to pack shadow on, but still loose enough to blend easily. I'm pretty impressed with the quality as well. I washed it before my first use and there was no bristle fall-out at all. I could also easily apply as little or as much eyeshadow as I want with it! THANK YOOOOU Glossybox!

EMITE MAKEUP

MICRONIZED EYE SHADOW 

in Dams

"Create the ultimate smokey eye with this highly pigmented eyeshadow. The micronized formula ensures a fine, smooth, and even application and avoids grainy results for a stunning, romantic look. Can be used both wet and dry." - from Glossybox November 2013 card

What better to go with an eyeshadow brush than eyeshadow?! This little compact eyeshadow is superdupes adorable. It's sleek, chic and sexy! Finding a good, pigmented black is hard to do, and although this one is a perfect A+, it's still a nice black to work with!

Applied dry was actually not too bad! It was fairly pigmented and could easily be layered for a darker, solid black shade. Over NYX's Jumbo Pencil in Milk it's completely blackened! Blended it's not the beeeest, but it's not entirely patchy like other blacks have been that I've tried, so it is workable. With the micronized formula, the powder is SO soft. Not really creamy, but seriously, you can BARELY feel it when you swipe it because it's so ridiculously fine. I've actually JUST purchased NYX's Jumbo Pencil in Black Bean so I'm very curious to see if it'll show up even darker and more solid with a black primer! 

Because of the fine particles, it's actually terrific to use wet, especially as a soft eyeliner. Or just smudged over an eyeliner. I do apologize, I should have taken photos, I just tried it on a whim earlier yesterday and loved it. It's a very versatile black, which is great to have on hand.

THE ALOE SOURCE

JOJOBA RADIANCE CLEANSING POLISH

"This multi-tasking, sulfate-free cleanser effectively removes makeup, oil, and impurities. It gently exfoliates with a combination of jojoba microbeads and alpha and beta hydroxy acids, while nourishing aloe vera soothes skin for a healthy, radient glow. Suitable for all skin types." - from Glossybox November 2013 card

I have COMPLETELY used this product up, it is GONE. Well, I take that back...my HUBBY and I have completely used this product up! Hahaha! I suggested that he try it out one day because I absolutely fell in love with it and next thing I know, he was using it every day! 

I has very smooth jojoba microbeads that very gently exfoliate. I had absolutely no problems with any skin sensitivity or redness from the exfoliation and the aloe vera made my skin feel super soft afterwards. I hardly needed moisturizer! I actually took to keeping it in the shower with me and just washing my face before I get out. So refreshing! It really doesn't foam much that you can see, but that's somewhat typical for an exfoliating product.

It has a fantastic light citrus scent, almost like fresh lemons. It does have grapefruit peel oil in it, so that may be the main source of the scent. It's not overpowering at all, in fact, you really don't smell it too much when applying, only if you smell the product straight from your hands. 

I've noticed that my face has seemed a bit smoother, and definitely more moisturized during the dry, cold winter days after daily use. I prefer to use it for my daytime cleanser because it gives my face a little brightness boost by lightly working off a layer of dead skin and buffing up the new skin underneath! I'm so sad to see a little empty bottle sitting there now, haha, I need to go order a new one.....I think I'll do that right now....oh wait, no, I'll finish the review first. ::blushes::
 

   

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

1) Mastey Color Protection Color Protecting Leave-in Oil Treatment:

• Full-size (2 oz) - $25
• I received a full-size!

2) Vincent Longo Duo Eye Pencil:

• Full-size (1 duo-ended pencil) - $26
• I received a full-size!

3) Nicka K New York Professional Eyeshadow Brush:

• Full-size (1 brush) - $5
• I received a full-size!

 

4) Emite Makeup Micronized Eye Shadow in Dams:

• Full-size (0.05 oz) - $27
• I received a full-size! 

5) The Aloe Source Jojoba Radiance Cleansing Polish:

• Full-size (6.7 fl oz) - $30
• I received a 1 fl oz sample bottle -  $4.48

Total Paid for Box:  $21

Total Worth of Box:  $87.48


Another great worth this month from Glossybox! Hooray! I only paid a fourth of what the box is actually worth and not only that, four of the products are full-sized! Once again, Glossybox provides some fab worth and purchase ::highfives Glossybox::

FINALE

Makup finaleeeeee! Are you excited? I'm excited! So for this month, given the theme, I went for some modern glam with a romantic edge. Great for a nighttime Holiday party that would look stunning with a LBD, but frankly, I wore this to work the day I took these pics ::wink, wink:: Cause I roll like that! 

I used the eyeshadow Dams all over my eyelid and blended it up it a soft cat-eye and under the eye as well. It is SOOOOO hard to see but I did use the Vincent Longo eyeliner pencil in Lime towards the inner corners of my eyes both on the top and bottom of my eye. It just gave the SLIGHTEST tint of pale almost minty green, definitely not lime-ish, though. See what I mean? It just doesn't show well and it did tug quite a bit on the skin.

   

    
All in all, I am SO pleased with this month's box, the only little erm-ish is the Vincent Longo pencil, but I absolutely looooooove everything else and have already finished practically two products! Fantastic month!


   

Happy Makeuping!