Ipsy Glam Bag - April 2013

Yesterday was a great mail day for me, as I woke up to both my Ipsy and my Birchbox! I already shared my BB with you, so now it's Ipsy's turn.

Ipsy's theme this month is Pretty in Pink. I love pink, so I was really excited to get this! This month, they actually offered different color/product options for everything in the bag...and I got exactly what I would have chosen! Here's what I got:

• healthy sexy hair - soy renewal. This is a styling treatment that contains argan oil, and helps to tame frizz, protect hair, and enhance shine. I love products like this and use them daily, so I was really happy to get it. The other option for this product was a volumizing powder.
• Be A Bombshell blush in sweet cheeks - This is a pretty, medium rose pink blush with shimmer. It is super pretty and a great color for me! It is quite pigmented. The other option for this one was a matte, darker pink.
• micaBeauty Shimmer Powder in earth - This is a pretty mineral eyeshadow in a beautiful pink color. It is so shimmery and pretty, great for an everyday color for me! The other option here was a shadow duo by two cosmetics.
• Sation Nail Lacquer in Of Corset I'll Call You - this is a baby pink creme polish. It is very sheer, but with a few coats it is gorgeous and shiny.

Here are swatches of the blush (top) and shimmer powder (bottom)...so pretty.

This is one of my favorite bags to date! I'm happy with all the products and they will all be used often. As always, I'm impressed with the sizes of the products offered by Ipsy and the amount of makeup they send!

What do you think of this month's bag?

Ipsy Glam Bag - March 2013

I was happy to find my Ipsy bag in my mailbox this morning! Nothing brightens a Monday morning better than mail!

This month has a theme of "The Great Escape" and includes some goodies that are great for travel - perfect for spring break season!

The bag itself is SO CUTE this month! It's white and navy, made out of a soft nylon-ish material. I love the nautical print! This one will be going right into my purse! Inside of the adorable bag, we got 5 products (or, 4, with 2 variations on one!)

GlamRX mini Freestyle Palette - This is a cute little magnetic palette! It's sturdy cardboard with a really nice mirror. I am really excited to have this - I have several loose shadow pans that needed a home, but have never picked up an empty palette. I think this is a great item for Ipsy to have included!

yaby eyeshadow refills in so vein and sand dune - We received two shadow pans from yaby! The colors I received are a lovely teal and a sand color (they also sent out a brown and a light beigey color). The colors I got are so pretty! They can be used wet or dry and I'm excited to play with them.

La Fresh Travel Lite Makeup Remover wipes - This is a pack of 8 wipes. I love things like this, it is a perfect little size to keep in my makeup bag, and I love La Fresh's products.

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist - This mist tones, hydrates, and refreshes your face and hair. I've never used a mist, so I am excited to try it out. I don't care for the smell (reminds me a bit of potpourri?) but really curious how I'm going to like this. I generally love juice beauty!

I am happy with this month's bag! The bag itself is one of my favorites they have sent, and all of the products inside will be used. I'm hoping that the empty palette means they will be sending us more shadows this year!

What do you think of these products? What are your favorite travel friendly items?

Ipsy Glam Bag - February 2013

Much to my surprise, my Ipsy bag showed up this morning! I think this is the earliest I've ever gotten it, and I hadn't even gotten a shipping notice yet so it was a nice surprise.

This month's theme is "Get Red Carpet Ready" and the bag seems to focus mostly on the eyes. The bag itself is a faux patent leather this month! Super shiny. The lining is a bright red. Cute! And here's what was inside:

Lash Cards - These are little mascara shields you can use to prevent smearing mascara around your eyes. You can also use them as a shadow shield. These are individually wrapped and I believe there are two in the pack. I won't be opening these because I have a reusable lash guard, so I will be trading these. They're a cool product, though!

MicaBeauty Cosmetics gel liner in black. This is a deep dark black gel liner. I love gel liners, so this is a welcome addition for me! 

POP Beauty Lash Kapow mascara in Smoky Black - Mascara samples are one of my favorite items to get. I love the small size, as I can use them up before they dry out. This one is in cute packaging and promises sultry smokey eyes.  I'm excited to try it out and see what it does for me.

pixi Flawless & Poreless primer - This is a face primer. I love pixi so I am cool with getting it. I am a little overloaded with primers, but I am going to at least try to try this one out soon. I love pore minimizing products.

Coastal Scents shadow quad in In the Spotlight - They sent out two different quads this month. I was kind of hoping for the silvery greys they sent out, but instead I got the golds. That's okay, they're still pretty!  Colors are: Dark Goldenrod, Sunbeam, Golden Globe, and Dark Golden Olive.

A little warm for me, but I'll wear 'em.  I think this is a pretty decent bag. I love eye makeup, so I'm always excited to receive more. I love the idea of a sexy smokey eye for Valentine's day! It's definitely a step up from last February's bag, which was so awful I unsubscribed!

What are your favorite smokey eye products? Are you doing anything for Valentine's Day?

Ipsy - October

After last month's great Ipsy bag, I was really excited to see what they would come up with this month! I'm really interested to see how the new more customized bags will work out.

So, I was really excited to find mine in the mail this morning! What did I get?

This month's theme is "Hello Bombshell" and it's full of products to help us have a "bombshell moment". This month's bag contains two full sized products, and four makeup items!

The first thing I am excited about this month is the bag itself! How cute is the chevron pattern and the black, white, and red color combo? On top of that, it is very good quality. It's a durable material, and is also lined in the red. This will be going into my purse immediately! My favorite bag to date. Now, onto the products themselves.

First, we got a deluxe sample of Couture Colour Pequi oil treatment. This treatment promises to make hair stronger, shinier, and smoother after even one use. This is a .5 oz sample, and is a very generous size that should last me a while. I love hair oils...I'm currently trying to pamper my hair as I slowly grow out the haircolor I've been using for years, so anything to help it stay happy and healthy is a welcome addition to my routine. Super excited to try this out!

We also got a deluxe sample size of What's Your Type mascara by theBalm. I received Body Builder,  This is what it sounds like - it promises to add body to your lashes, as well as definition and length. It is free of parabens and also promises to condition. I am a mascara junkie, and I LOVE theBalm, so I am really excited about this one!

Also included was a full sized Be A Bombshell liquid eyeliner in Onyx! This is a chubby marker-type liner that is smudge proof and easy to use. I am always happy to receive a liquid liner, and this one looks nice. Will be great for creating a cat eye look!

The last two products are color makeup products, and they sent out different colors to subscribers. They say that they will be using our preferences and skin tone/coloring to be choosing our products. I was excited to see how they did! My profile states that I am very fair with green eyes and naturally blonde hair (currently dyed brown, but growing out). I'm happy to say that I did receive shades that will work well for me!

The first is a tiny eyeshadow quad by Coastal Scents. They sent out 8 different quads with different colors, ranging from brights to neutrals. Each one has one matte and three satin/shimmers.

I received the number 7 quad, which was my first choice! It contains the following colors: (clockwise from the top left): Antique Lilac, Wisteria, Lemon Chiffon, and Raspberry Tart.

These are great colors for my green eyes. This is my first experience with Coastal Scents, and the shadows seem really nice for the price! They are creamy and pigmented and I can't wait to wear them out. I will definitely be buying more shades or possibly one of the large palettes! Very impressed with the quality for the price.

And finally, a full sized Lip Bomb by Mirenesse.  They sent out three different shades of this one...I got the color Mirror Me, which is a very vibrant darker pink. This looks like another lip gloss, but it actually isn't. It's a Glossy Lacquer Stain. This is crazy pigmented...more so than any gloss OR lipstick I have ever tried! One quick sweep and it is vibrant and fully opaque. It is very smooth and nonsticky and the formula is truly amazing.

This is a quick swipe on my skin, it stayed until I removed it with soap and water!

And finally, one quick very thin coat on the lips! It is glossy but not too glossy and super, super pigmented. I put it on and it has lasted for two hours, so far. The above photo is after about 45 minutes of wear, and that includes eating a cookie and drinking!  Very impressive, as lip colors never last on me.

All in all, I think this is a pretty amazing bag. Four makeup products including two color products, and the two sample sizes are truly deluxe. Awesome! This bag has a retail value in the $70 range and every single item will be used. Happy!

What do you think about Ipsy/myGlam's changes?

Disclaimer: I bought this bag with my own money. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated.

myGlam/Ipsy: September Bag

After almost a year as myGlam, they have decided to change their name to Ipsy and try a new "beauty by you" approach. They promise that this will ensure that we receive appropriate shades/formulas of products for our skin tones and preferences. I have read plenty of people complain that they dislike the name and think it's a bad move...I personally could not care less what they call themselves as long as I consistently get decent products.

As far as the personalization goes, I have mixed feelings. Now, if they truly are tailoring colors/shades and formulas of the products to our needs, that is great. I hope, however, that they don't start having actual true box variations. sending out boxes with completely different products in them. One of the things I like about myGlam is that everyone gets roughly the same thing, and there is no giant variation in box value.  Other subs that do this generally have a lot of dissatisfaction and box envy from those who get the less desirable boxes, and if everyone is paying the same fee every month, I do believe everyone should receive roughly the same items.  Along with this revamp, they also have a new, more social website. I haven't played around on it much, yet.

But, onto the important thing: the products themselves! Here's what I got for September!

I thought it was cute that the info cards were covered with lots of pictures of subscribers! It was a nice touch, and goes well with the "Beauty by You" theme. I love the bag itself this month! It's a little black wristlet, and it feels like decent quality. I really appreciate that they have been sending out lots of different kinds of bags: mesh bags, zip bags, bags that snap...I enjoy variety. This is one of my favorite bags so far...I love that it's simple enough to use on its own as a wristlet.

The first item I received was too big to fit in the bag - it's a smudge brush by SOHO. This brush is super long! I don't mind that at all. Now, it is intended to be a smudge brush, for softening liner and applying product to the lash line, etc. I personally find that it is more like a crease/blending brush, and that's the purpose I've been using it for! It's synthetic and a cute color. It's not the highest quality brush I own, but it has already seen a decent amount of use and works well enough.

This is Repairing split end sealer by Carol's Daughter. I'm working on growing out dyed, damaged hair, so this is a great product for me to receive. It promises to bind frayed and split ends and prevent further damage, using Monoi oil. I don't know about binding, but I can say that it leaves my ends nice and soft and smooth. It's a nice product! I'd be interested in trying more products by Carol's Daughter.

This is a pan shadow by Mirabella! The shade received is "Semiformal", which is a nice subtle brown with a pearly finish. This is a great neutral for me, not too dark, and it doesn't pull too warm. While I don't find it super pigmented, I don't mind that with shades like this. It is nice and soft and satiny. My only complaint about this product is that I don't have an empty palette to put it in. 

This is a lipgloss in Sparkle Pink by Jane. I remember buying Jane makeup when I was a kid, and apparently they've recently relaunched! This gloss is a bright pink with some subtle sparkle. I find that it's a little thick, but it isn't too sticky. It is decently pigmented for a gloss. I like it well enough, but there is nothing really special about it. I have received about a million glosses in the last couple of months, so I don't know if this will get a lot of use for a while, but it's not a bad product at all.

We also received the final color in the Circus line by Andrea's Choice - Tightrope. It's a nice bright purple (and this color is hard to photograph! It is more purple and less pink than it appears in photos). I love this color! I now have the purple, pink, and orange shades and they are all super bright and fun. I like the formula...while it is slightly streaky, it's easy to get a nice thin coat and I really love the unique matte finish. I'm happy to have gotten these polishes, but I am definitely glad the collection is through so I can start receiving some different things!

In all, this is a pretty decent bag for me. I like the colors and the brush, and I'm interested to see the new direction they are headed in. What do you think?

Disclaimer: I bought this product with my own money. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.

myGlam - August

Well, this is the first one of these I've gotten in a while! I had signed up for myGlam near the beginning, and ended up unsubscribing after the horrendous February bag. I did keep my eye on the bags over the last few months, though, and they'd drastically improved, so I decided to give myGlam another shot. This is my first bag of our reunion.

August's bag has a theme of "Endless Summer" and it consists of 6 items.

I'm glad to see that myGlam still uses these cute pink mailers. I love to save and reuse them.

I really like the bag itself this month. It's an orange mesh bag with pink trim...I love the idea of a mesh bag to keep in my purse, makes it easy to find things.

The first item I pulled out was this sample sized shadow by s.a.l.t.y. These mineral shadows are blended by hand by a very small company...just the kind I like to support! The shade received is "Glama-ZOID" and it is specially made for myGlam! It's lovely - beautiful white in the jar, but it applies with an iridescent pink sheen. I can see myself using this color nearly daily.

This is a perfume roll on by Demeter! myGlam sent out two different scents this month, and I received the "clean skin" scent. It is much like it sounds - a very soft, clean scent. It has notes of bergamot peach, orange, lemon, white rose, and vanilla. This is a great scent for times you want to smell clean, but not noticeably perfumey. Love the rollerball to keep in my bag!

The next two products are both by eclos, which is a skincare company that uses plant stem cells in their formulas. The first item is this Cellular Activator Facial Serum. It promises to revitalize fatigued, stressed skin, and minimize damage and aging. I love serums, so I'm excited to try this out. I love the sample size, too.

Also by eclos, this is the Anti-Aging Regenerative Cream, and it is a moisturizer meant to be used day and night. The texture seems nice, not too light and not too heavy. I'll be trying this and the serum together to see what they do for me.

This is a full sized nail polish by Andrea's Choice. They sent out two different shades from the Circus collection, and I got "Spectacle", which is a truly neon orange. I mean, NEON. I love it, and it's different than anything else I have! I can't wait to try it out and see how the formula works for me.

And finally, the sixth item is a bonus - Glam Gloss. They sent out two different shades, I got 01 which is a light pink. I tried this out and I think it's nice - it smells like bubblegum and the texture is somewhat thick, but not tacky. It leaves a soft tint and light shimmer. I can see myself using this regularly...and the size is great.

In all, I think this is a really great bag! myGlam has really stepped up their game. We got 2 nice sized skincare samples, a good sized fragrance, a full sized gloss and nail polish, and a deluxe sample eyeshadow. I love the variety, and there isn't a single item I won't use. Hooray!

Do you sub to myGlam? What do you think of your bag this month?