Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Ipsy: Making Waves June 2020 Glam Bag Review



Each month I receive two Ipsy Glam Bags and I thought it would be fun to start posting what I receive in them each month.

For those who don’t know, Ipsy Glam Bag is a $12 monthly beauty subscription where you receive 5 deluxe-sized—occasionally full-size—beauty products plus a makeup bag (more info can be found at the bottom of the bottom of the page). Each bag also comes with a card telling you about the product and the full size MSRP.

My ‘Regular’ Bag matches my real profile: brown hair, brown eyes, fair skin, dry, sensitive skin. I’m comfortable with makeup and like all shades of lipstick/eyeshadow/blushers. My ‘Adventurous’ Bag still has my same skin and complexion profile but I say my eyes are violet, my hair is other, and I prefer all the adventurous/bright/bold shades; no neutrals for me.


Do they get it right? Sometimes, but having two different profiles usually means I receive two different sets of beauty products.
 Now onto my Glam Bags for June…
 
June’s Theme: Making Waves


June’s bag definitely gives off Summer in the Sun vibes and would be great to throw in a beach bag.
 
 
Here’s what I received this month…
 
Ipsy Making Waves—Regular Bag
 

DewyTree The Clean Lab AC Dew Foam—I have used this brand in the past and loved it so I’m eager to try out the cleanser.
First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Pores Be Gone Matte Primer—while I like FAB, I’m not sure about this primer since it’s matte and I have dry skin. I’ll give this a go then update this to let you know my thoughts.
Nanette Lepore Body Lotion in Colors of Nanette—I love getting lotion in my bags. Instead of using it as body lotion, I use it as hand lotion. This one is hydrating without being greasy, and it has a lovely fruity-floral scent.
House of Makeup Nail Lacquer in Frozen—I’m normally not one for pastel nail polishes but this one’s not too bad. It is a bit streaky at first but if you keep it in the fridge, it goes on like a charm.
Ofra Cosmetics “Soho” Highlighter (my pick)—this is such a stunning champagne peach highlighter. While it’s popping as a highlighter, it’s also an amazing blush topper when applied lightly with a fluffy blush brush.
 
My thoughts about my regular bag: I’m excited about 4 out of 5 products. I’m not too sure about the FAB Matte Primer but I will give it a go and see how it works with my skin type.
 
Ipsy Making Waves—Adventurous Bag
 

Maëlle Clearly Brilliant Tinted Lips in Nectar—this is a lovely sheer lip tip that will be perfect for subtle summer looks. 
Papa Recipe Eggplant Clearing Mud Cream Mask—I haven’t used this yet but I’m always up for receiving face masks.
DewyTree The Clean Lab AC Dew Foam
First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Pores Be Gone Matte Primer
Ofra Cosmetics “Covent Garden” Highlighter (My Pick)—normally I wouldn’t have picked a champagne rose highlighter but this one is such a lovely shade that works well on my skin tone.
 
My thoughts on my adventurous bag: while I liked the bag, the only ‘adventurous’ bit of makeup was the Ofra highlighter, which was my pick. The lip tint crayon, while a lovely shade, is still a neutral color.
 
Overall, both bags were heavy on the skincare products and I didn’t mind that. I received the DewyTree Cleanser and FAB Matte Primer in both bags. Both bags had the same feel to them so I don’t really feel that they went by the different profiles this month but I still liked both of my June bags.


Ipsy Glam Bag is a monthly beauty subscription that includes 5 deluxe-sized samples (sometimes full-sized products) and a makeup bag valued at $50+ for just $12 a month. The products are a mix of makeup products, haircare products, skincare products and the occasional beauty tool that have been selected based on an in-depth beauty quiz each subscriber takes. Each month you’ll be able to choose one product in your bag as your Choice option.
 
Other perks include:

1-Earning points when reviewing your Glam Bag Products that can be used to redeem extra products.

2-Purchasing add-ons at a discount price

3-Shopping Ipsy Offers at Member Prices

Price:
Monthly: $12  (plus tax where applicable)
Yearly: $132 (plus tax where applicable)
Shipping is free in the U.S. and  $2.95 for Canada.
 
You can join HERE 


Monday, June 29, 2020

June 2020 Empties


Hello Lovelies!


I bring a ton of beauty/skincare/makeup products in each month from subscription boxes, purchases, gifts, and review items so I thought I would start sharing my monthly empties. Not only will it be a place for me to share what I liked and didn’t like/what worked and what didn’t I thought it would hold me accountable to actually using up the mountain of products I received.

 
Supplements/Wellness Items
 

Equate Black Elderberry Liquid—my allergist suggested I take Elderberry, not only for immune health, but also for allergy/hive relief. In the past, the Sambucol brand seemed to work for allergy and hive relief. I picked up this brand (the Equate brand) because it was the only one left at Wal-Mart and it doesn’t seem to do much for allergy relief but it did help to cut down my hive outbreaks. I also found this brand to be rather bitter. While I will continue to use Elderberry syrup, I won’t be picking up the Equate brand again.
 
Twinings of London White Hibiscus Immune Support Tea—during my last Twinings order, I picked up a few of the teas from their Wellness line (a post of this line will be up in the near future) and this one has come in handy. It’s Summer in Ohio, meaning allergy season is in full-swing and this tea has really helped with my sneezing an sniffles. It has a nice lime and ginger flavor with a hint of spice. I have bought more of this.  
 
Hand Sanitizer
 

Bath and Body Works Hand Sanitizer—I’ve went through ten of these this month. I always have one hanging on my handbag, in my car, and on my end table. I always stock up on these when I go to BBW, which was probably good seeing as they’re in-demand, so I have a mixture of fragrances from different seasons. These are my favorites simple because they don’t dry my hands out.
 
Germ-X—this wasn’t my favorite. It was a little drying but it was okay to keep on my desk.
 

Body Wash/Bubble Bath
 

Lovescript Orange Blossom Body Wash by Lauren Frances—this came in my Spring FabFitFun box and I loved it. Not only was it hydrating, it had this lovely orange vanilla scent. I’ve been thinking about purchasing this but it’s a little pricey for body wash at just under $30 for 6 FL OZ. 
 
Dr. Teal’s Shea Butter & Almond Oil Body Wash—Dr. Teal’s is one of my ‘go-to’ brands but this is the first time that I’ve tried their body wash and I loved it. It was hydrating and left my skin feeling soft. The pump is also a plus.  I’ve already placed an order for more.
 
Dr Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution: Balance & Calm with Matcha Green Tea (not pictured)—this is a brand that I’ve used for a while so when they brought out their Matcha green tea, citrus, and chamomile blend I was eager to try it as I usually like body care products that have tea in them. While I liked the citrusy green tea scent, this dried my skin out. It also leaves a green film (from the matcha) in the tub. While I like the brand, I won’t be using this blend again.
 
Dr Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution: Glow & Radiance with Vitamin C & Citrus Essential Oils (not pictured)—this was also a new blend they recently released and it’s one of my favorites. It’s gentle on my skin hydrating, and has a lovely citrus scent. I ordered several more bags of this from ULTA as well as the bubble bath and body wash.
 
Dr Teal’s Pure Epsom Foam Bath: Glow & Radiance with Vitamin C & Citrus Essential Oils—the bubble bath is just as amazing as the salts above.
 
Spongellé Coconut Verbena Body Wash Infused Buffer—I wasn’t sure about this but I received it in my FabFitFun box, decided to give it a go, and ended up loving it. Not only does it smell amazing, it offers just the right amount of exfoliation without being abrasive to my skin. It also lasts longer than I was expecting. I’ve ordered several more.
 
Body Spray
 

Bath and Body Works French Lavender and Honey—this was a nice light lavender scent with just a hint of honey. I picked up several of these before they retired the fragrance.
 
Bath and Body Works Wild Rose & Apple—this is one of my favorites and I don’t think they offer it anymore (I’m hoping they’ll bring it back for their retired fragrance event). It hasa wonderful, natural rose scent with just a slight hint of apple. It was an easy scent to wear and I received many compliments on it. I have one more set of lotion and body spray left.
 
Haircare
 

Marc Anthony Strengthening Grow Long Shampoo and Conditioner—I received this for review and disliked it. I didn’t notice my hair growing faster with this and I didn’t notice it strengthening my hair. I did notice that it left a lot of buildup in my hair and my hair felt like it was loaded with product. I did finish this just to see if it would lengthen and strengthen, but I will not buy this product.
 

Biolage SmoothProof Pack Deep Treatment—I received this for review and there’s several ways to use this. I ended up using it as an in-shower hair mask. It was an okay hair mask, but the packaging made it a bit hard to use, and I didn’t really see as much frizz control as I was expecting. I won’t be buying this.
 
Found Marumuru Balm-to-Oil Hair Mask—this is my ‘go-to’ hair mask. It hydrates, tames, and smells amazing. I only used one this month because I was trying to finish the Biolage (see above). I have several packets left so I don’t need to repurchase yet.
 
Marrakesh Oil Hair Styling Elixer—this is a product (and brand) that is a ‘must have’ for me. Even though it is oil, it’s very lightweight and doesn’t feel like an oil once it’s on my hair. It hydrates, smooths, and tames my hair without leaving product buildup. This is an auto-buy for me.
 
Foot Masks
 

AvryBeauty Shea Butter Socks—these came in a pack I ordered during the Spring Edit Sale from FabFitFun and I didn’t care for them. They are super thin and ended up tearing apart before I removed them. I don’t feel that they offered any hydration. They were more of a nuisance. I have two pairs of socks left from the pack and I will not be buying these again.
 
Aveeno Repairing Cica Foot Mask (two packs)—I’m addicted to these. I put them on, pick up a book or pop in a movie, and just let my feet chill for a few hours. I find using these twice of month keep my feet hydrated. I have repurchased these and will do so again.
 
Face Masks
 

Tony Moly Nourishing Honey Mask Sheet—if it’s Tony Moly, I usually love it and this mask was no exception. It was hydrating, soothing, and it calmed my redness. I will be buying more of these.
 
Earth to Skin Super Fruits Watermelon Sheet Mask—I picked up a set of these from Wal-Mart way back in December and finally gave one a go. Not only did it smell like watermelon it was so hydrating and gave my skin a nice glow. I will be buying more of these.
 

Found 60-Second Green Tea Morning Sheet Mask—I completely ignore the 60-second rule and leave this on while I check my emails in the morning. It offers a lovely dose of hydration and wakes up my skin. If I use this on a day when I’m going to be wearing makeup, I use the essence in this one as my face serum and jump right into moisturizer, primer, then makeup. I’ve used a few of these and I’m, going to be picking up a few more. These are great for sensitive skin.
 
Earth to Skin Manuka Honey Skeet Mask—this is a new-to-me brand that I found at Wal-Mart. Manuka honey is great for calming skin and this one did seem to tone down some redness but it was not as moisturizing as some of the other honey masks I’ve used. I’m a bit on the fence about this one. I have a few more from this set to try before I decide. I will say this one smells amazing like fresh honey.
 
Tony Moly I’m Lavender Hydrating Sheet Mask—Tony Moly is my go to brand for face masks. They’re just a great brand. This one not only hydrates, but the lavender relaxes me. It’s the perfect sheet mask to use in the evening when you’re winding down. I use these all the time; this is actually an auto-purchase of mine.
 
Farmacy Hydrating Coconut Gel Sheet Mask—this is one of my favorite brands. They’re products are amazing and this face mask was so hydrating and it brightened my face. This is on my list of things to reorder.
 
Soo AE Acai Berry Revitalizing Sleep Mask (not pictured)—this is a liquid sleep mask that came in my Wal-Mart box and I didn’t love it. It’s a restorative sleep mask, so I was assuming it was going to hydrate. It did the opposite and I woke up with the worst case of dry skin patches I’ve had for a while. It took about a week to get the moisture back in my skin. I’m not going to buy this.
 
Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks—a set of these came in my BoxyCharm and I love them. I keep these in my fridge and they are the perfect pick me up in the morning. I usually do my skincare routine, pop these on, then put on my eyeshadow. Not only do they hydrate my under eyes, they also catch any eyeshadow fallout. I have a ton of these but I will reorder when I run out.
 
Skincare/Makeup
 

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil—I loved this serum. It’s on the pricier side so I’m waiting for a sale before repurchasing it.
 
Red Earth Brightening Oil with Kakadu Plum—I received this in an Ipsy bag and it’s one of my favorite oils. It sinks into my skin and gives it a healthy dose of hydration. I do plan to order this when it’s back in stock.
 
L'Oréal Lash Paradise Mascara—this is my favorite mascara. It’s lengthens and gives volume to my lashes without looking clumpy. I will be buying this again.
 
Face Wash
 

Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser—I finally used this bottle of Neutrogena face cleanser. I bought it to travel with and forgot about it in my suitcase. It’s a nice drugstore cleaner that adds moisture to my skin. I’ve added it to my list of cleansers to look for when I run out.
 
Tula Probiotic Skincare: Purifying Face Cleanser (not pictured)—another product I received in my FabFitFun box and ended up loving. Probiotics in skincare is something I’ve recently been learning about and trying out. From what I’ve discovered thus far, they seem gentler on my skin and have noticeable benefits, such as adding moisture to my skin and toning down the redness. This is my favorite face cleanser. It’s gentle on my skin, has a clean scent without added fragrance, and offers the moisture I need. I have repurchased this one.
 
Face Cleansing Wipes

 
Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Wipes—I liked their old formula better. These ones tend to make my face a bit red. I won’t be buying them again.
 
Nicole Miller Rosehip Facial Cleansing Wipes—I picked these up before Christmas at TJ Maxx and they worked to remove my makeup without drying out my face. While these were nice, I’m trying to move away from buying disposable makeup wipes.