January Ipsy Review

Hello again!

 Just when I thought I wanted to switch from Ipsy to Birchbox, I changed my mind for the time being. Ipsy is great but I miss the idea of more higher end products that Birchbox offers, along with the amount of higher end skin care you can try. I also miss spending my Birchbox points on things on the site. I got some pretty good stuff for free from the site I bought with my points a while back. Maybe I'll switch next month.

This month's Ipsy was really good. I have been using almost everything on a daily basis from this months bag. Today I filmed some b-roll of my new Ipsy items for an upcoming tutorial I am going to film {it will be my first makeup tutorial!}. So soon you will get a chance to see everything in action. For now, let's talk about everything.

Mica Beauty

Tinted Lip Balm #6 Fiesta

I have received a loose eye shadow from Mica Beauty before in a previous Ipsy bag and it is still one of my favorite shadows to use. This tinted lip balm is also really great. I absolutely love the color! It's a cool toned mauve pink and I most likely would have never bought for my own self. That is the beauty of subscription boxes. It's a great way to branch out and surprise yourself. I am fair skinned and this comes off as a much deeper color and it works great for these colder months. I have been loving deeper toned lip colors lately. Aside from the color, the formula is very thin but extremely pigmented - not really lip balmy. A little goes a long way. Because of it's thin consistency, I tend to go over board and apply too much which it can accentuate the lines and cracks in my lips. The down side is the packaging.  I can't bring it with me and apply it just anywhere. I apply it with my fingers and because of that, it can get a little messy. It will last on my lips for a couple hours but will eventually fade away. 

Elizabeth Mott

Smooth Shadow Creamy Eye Pencil

Penny

This is another brand that I only of from Ipsy. This is a really pretty shimmery copper eye liner and I have been applying it underneath my bottom lash line and in my inner corner as well as on my upper lash line right above darker eye liner to brighten and accentuate my eyes. It seems to brighten or bring attention really well used this way. I can see myself also using this right on the balls of my lids to brighten that way too, like you would an eye shadow. It doesn't do very well at all in the water line. No pigment will really transfer. It isn't the best, most pigmented, most long wearing eye liner I have ever tried. Also not the worst. Then again, I am not even sure if it is supposed to be used as an eye liner. The name and format do not match each other.

Healthy Sexy Hair

Leave in Conditioner

I am not big on leave in conditioner- with one exception from Paul Mitchell . I am, however, partial to anything that can restore health to my otherwise over processed blonde hair.  Since I use so many products, it's important to me that my hair doesn't feel like I do or filmy. This doesn't leave any kind of film and I was really surprised at how much I loved this. It acts as a moisturizer {or conditioner} and really made my hair soft. Now I don't feel so bad about using up PM Forever Blonde Dramatic Repair - this can replace it. I read that this also has a mild protein in it and protein is really good for over processed hair. It has a very spa type of scent to it. It almost reminds me of the Aveda products. This stuff is really great. 

Absolute

Make-Up Cleansing Tissues

My absolute favorite eye makeup remover is from Avon. But to be honest, I never use a face makeup remover. I usually just wash my face or will use a toner to take off my makeup. These were really nice for taking off my whole face at the end of the day. They are really soft too. I really like using them. I think I need to buy some makeup wipes for the days when I am too lazy to wash my face.

3 in 1 

Revolution

I was excited to see this in my bag because I have been missing trying skin care from Birchbox. This is a toner, serum, and moisturizer. I am not really sure how that is supposed to work. I can understand the serum and moisturizer part. As for the toner.....? I wouldn't say this product is anything like a toner. It does have the consistency of a serum and moisturizer mixed. It feels a little oily on my skin and that isn't necessarily a bad thing but is much better to be used at night to repair your skin because of that. Adding foundation on top this may not work so well. As far as a serum goes, you pretty much have to keep on using it to see any changes but I have no clue what this is supposed to be a serum of or for. It didn't come with any explanation. I will keep using it and review it once it's gone but for now, it's not doing anything bad or good. Except for leaving an oily residue. But it doesn't break me out. It's nothing special. Maybe if you have extremely dry skin it might be good for you but I am not standing by that statement. It's just a thought.

here's the swatches of the tinted lip balm and the eye pencil.

thank you for reading!

xoxo

Erica

July Ipsy Bag Review

This is the second month that I have gotten the Ipsy bag. Last year, I was using Birchbox. I wrote a review every month about it. I loved Birchbox for the simple fact that you could build up points to buy really expensive products with them. For every review, you got 10 points. 100 points = $10 towards your purchase. Every 2 months I would end up with $10 worth of points. Almost like I got the sample boxes for free. I bought a ton of stuff with my points. I got some really awesome stuff from Birchbox: Laura Gellar Baked Blush n Brighten, and a Stila shadow single to name a couple. But I love Ipsy because your not paying the $10 a month for a toss up between samples and maybe some full size items. Your getting around 5 products every month. Most of which are full sized. And all makeup and hair. Let's take a look at the things I got this month:

BH Cosmetics

California Collection

Eyeshadow Trio

It says that these are eyeshadow samples but as you can see, your getting a good amount of product. I love California so naturally, I loved this palette. I have never tried BH cosmetics and I have heard they are pretty good. Once I swatched these, I noticed the swatches weren't all that great. The colors itself are gorgeous but I have tried better eye shadow in my days. Even at the drugstore. So yeah 1 out of 5, im giving this a 2.5.

so as you can see they aren't crazy pigmented.

Big Sexy Hair

Weather Proof

Humidity Resistant Spray

This is another deluxe sized sample. I have curly hair. I have a ton of hair. My hair is prone to frizziness. When I used this the couple times I did, I can't say I noticed a difference in my hair. It's not that it weighs my hair down either, it just doesn't do anything. It smells really nice but I know of better products to combat frizziness. Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum or John Frieda Frizz-Ease are the best for that problem. Im giving this product a 2 out of 5. It smells good, but other than that I don't see a point to it.

Pop Beauty

Pouty Pop Crayon

Rose Romance

This is a full sized lip crayon. It has a faint mint scent and is a gorgeous rosy, mauve, nude color. If your looking for a pink based nude that borders more on the nude side, this is the crayon for you. I would describe this as a hydrating lip cream. It doesn't feel sticky or dry. It feels nice on the lips and has great pigmentation. I am giving this baby a 5 out of 5. I really like this.

Benefit

Benetint

This is a sample. I'll call it deluxe because you can get more than one use out of it for sure. However the full size product is .42 oz. This sample is .08 oz. I have never tried anything from Benefit! Isn't that crazy? As an intro to the brand, I am impressed. This has a rosy scent to it and you can use it on your cheeks or your lips. I have tried Stainiac from The Balm and you had to work quick with it. It didn't blend into a pretty rosy tint like Benetint does. Benetint is so easy to use and blends out beautifully. I am giving this a 5 out of 5 because of that.

Coola

Mineral Sunscreen

Tinted Moisturizer

I know this brand is expensive! This is absolutely a sample. I will probably be able to get 5 or 6 uses out of it. It has a strange scent and that scent isn't sunscreen. I can get past that though. It is a normal tinted moisturizer as far as im concerned. Light coverage. It more or less blurs imperfections. It doesn't feel as oily or greasy as other tinted moisturizers I have used. SPF 20. Im giving this a 4 out of 5 because. It is the best tinted moisturizer I have used due to the consistency and the finish it gives my face but I just don't love tinted moisturizers. I haven't found one that just wows me.

thanks for viewing!

xoxo

Erica

Mind Body Beauty for Elle See's // Favorite Curly Hair Products

Eeeek! I am really exited to have my blog post on Elle See's, right now. That's right! I am a guest blogger over there for the day! Elle is seriously amazing. If you haven't checked out her blog and love beauty blogs, what are you waiting for? I really mean that- When she announced she was looking for guest blogger's, I was all over it. I feel humbled - haha! Elle, I can't thank you enough!

Elle's Blog
 Here's my blog post

Ok so when I get out of the shower, I do not towel dry my hair {thank you to Elle for that tip} I dry my body, then wrap a towel around my shoulders after I wring my hair out of it's excess water. As soon as I do that, I use John Frieda's Frizz Ease Serum. I also really love Paul Mitchell's Skinny Serum, but Frizz-Ease is targeted towards extra frizzy hair/curly hair. Works like a charm to really tame any frizz you might have. It starts the foundation for sleek, soft hair.

Directly after that, I take a good amount of Miss Jessie's Quick Curl's Curl Cream. I got this in my Birchbox awhile back and at first, I hated it. It made my hair so sticky! It's because I wasn't using it right. The trick is to use it while your hair is really, really wet. Don't waste any time letting your hair dry. I use a tablespoon amount {or 2} and scrunch it through my wet hair. This is when waves start to turn into curls. The curl cream is sticky, but don't let that throw you off. If you apply it to wet hair, your hair won't feel gross once it dries. Did I say apply it to wet hair yet? (:

Big Sexy Hair Root Pump is my next step. I may or may not use this. It's really 50/50. I do think that the mousse's I use after really help to give my hair volume, but if I am feeling I want a little more lift, I apply this directly to my roots and scrunch my hair upwards. I don't like to use this in my hair when I am not blow drying it. It makes for some serious product build up and does nothing for my hair if I do not blow dry.

Paul Mitchell's Round Trip is my favorite of this bunch. When my hair wasn't bleached blonde, it worked even better than it does today. It gives me really pretty, defined spiral's. It isn't sticky like Miss Jessie's Quick Curl's Curl Cream either. It's pretty awesome. I actually use a bunch of this stuff. I don't think there is any limit. The more, the better. Again, I scrunch it through my hair.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Thickening Mousse. Anything that says thickening on it, I am sold. This mousse really helps to hold to curls in place and also builds a ton of volume. I use 1-2 palm fulls of it and start at the roots. Really work it in! Then start working it down my hair shaft in a scrunching motion.

Suave Mousse Extra Hold: I have been using this forever. Since the 8th grade for this hair style. Even though this hair style has changed dramatically over the years, I never do my hair like this without this mousse. I use 1-2 palm fulls and scrunch it through my hair.

Now I blow dry my hair upside down. But I don't blow dry all the way. I do it until it is 3/4 of the way dry. If you saw me at this point, you would think I did this all on vain. Then another half hour or so passes, and you see that my hair has actually gotten more voluminous and it dries to really nice tousled curls.

Here's some examples:

2nd or 3rd day hair:

Let me know if your inclined to try this out! I love it because it is easy, fast and fuss free. In the summer, I don't want to mess with hot irons only for my hair to get damp/wet or just fall from the humidity and heat. I never have to worry about my hair becoming flat or looking awful mid-day. I can even take it into a few days without washing it. After a while, you wont have to work as hard for tighter curls. It's the beginning of the summer {the start of when I do this hair style} and by the end of the summer, by curls will be even more defined. After months of styling my hair like this my hair starts to know what it is supposed to do, and will look better the each time I do it. I swear you can train your hair.

Thank you so much Elle for letting me take over for a blog post! Elle See's is one of my favorites yah no!
xoxo
Erica