This Ipsy bag from last year was one of my all-time favorites. I loved the bag and loved the contents even more. Of course, like a few of the other posts, I took pictures and then forgot to post about them. So I’m backlogging and clearing all my drafts to stay up-to-date. Also, you get some more beauty reviews!
This product is lovely. I used almost all of it up. When I went to Sephora for a makeover they used this product on my face as a moisturizer. It was a little heavy for me but I love it on my hands. They feel so soft! I like carrying it in my purse. It also doesn’t have a strong scent so that’s good if you have more expensive perfume on and don’t want another scent messing it up.
NYX Eyeshadow Trio for Ipsy
Ipsy collaborated with NYX for this little eyeshadow palette. The shades were more neutral. I liked the dark matte and have used it for smokey eyes. It was a great addition and I like the quality of NYX’s eyeshadows!
Formula X Nail Polish
This itty bitty nail polish was only good for one to two uses. The color was nice and the brush helped it go on thick. An all around good polish!
Liquid Freud Hand Lotion
The play on “Freud” and emotions is super cute in this lotion! I really liked the smell but it wasn’t very hydrating. Bummer. I wouldn’t buy this.
There was also a pencil of sorts included but I can’t remember if it was for lips or eyes. Oops Well, this has been almost a year ago. Feels good to get it up finally! I no longer subscribe to Ipsy. This was one of the better bags but the others seemed like repeats and it wasn’t worth it for me.
Hello darlings! Believe it or not, I have actually taken pictures of my past Birchboxes (you know, the ones I planned on writing about) and never got around to writing about them. I had a strange feeling that this may happen when I began writing on here, but no worries because I’m getting all caught up! So, as most of you know, I’m a subscriber to Birchbox and I heart it to death. For only $10 a month you get some fabulous samples and I really love their different collaborations.
For June, the guest box collaborator was The Tig. I hadn’t heard of The Tig before, but after receiving this fabulous box and loving the style, I researched who it was. I found out that The Tig is actually a blog that’s designed for those “with a discerning palate.” You’ll find travel posts, recipes, and style on this fun blog. How fun! So, here is what was curated in the June box.
The first thing I noticed was this little fragrance sample. I’ll be honest, I usually hate little fragrance vials. I feel like I can pick them up for free at Sephora…BUT this one seemed a little bit different. The brand is called Oribe and seems super faannccyyy. I guess less than two ounces is $85. Yikes! Well, I liked the perfume a lot. It’s based off their hair products. Other reviewers said it was fresh, clean, and energizing. I’d have to agree. I won’t be purchasing this because I feel like it should smell stronger for $85, but I won’t complain about the sample since it is a more high-end brand.
I’m a sucker for luxurious bath products. When I saw this cute little bottle, I was determined to fall in love with it. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work like I would’ve liked. The smell was OK, kind of like a beach. The liquid didn’t lather well and it didn’t seem to work well in my hair at all. Instead of cleaning my locks, it felt as if it was just adding stuff in my hair. Since I didn’t really like it, I tried to use it as bubble bath. I should’ve known it wouldn’t have created bubbles. Overall this product kind of sucked. Points for cute packaging though!
This body cream is infused with the popular Harvey Prince Hello perfume. The little sample was super cute and I loved the bright yellow theme. The cream itself was nice. I left it by my nightstand and used it for my dry hands. The scent reminded me of citrus. According to the description, the cream has Sicilian lemon, shea butter, and Spanish mandarin botanicals. The product absorbed well. I have other scents I like better, but this was a really great addition to the box.
One of the main reasons I subscribe to Birchbox (and other beauty boxes) is because of products like Real Chemistry! I would never in a million years drop money on a chemical peel on my own. BUT after trying this sample in my box, I was hooked. I even requested another one in my next box! (I hardly ever want two samples of the same thing!) The Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel worked great with my acne-prone skin and helped take away all the yucky dead skin cells. It doesn’t hurt and is very gentle. Once I was done using it in the bath, I added some moisturizer. I received compliments on my skin the next day! What? I hardly ever do! This stuff is good. Buy some.
Overall
I liked this box. It wasn’t love-at-first-sight, but it was good. I felt for $10 I got some great products and it was worth it to try the great Real Chemistry Peel. If you want to try Birchbox, feel free to sign up using my link!
Disclosure: I pay for my own Birchbox subscription. There are referral links in this post and also Amazon referrals. I receive points if you sign up using my link. Thanks!
I about peed my pants when I found out I was selected to try the latest makeup line from Yves Saint Laurent! For those that don’t know, the brand is pretty pricey and is offered from the world-famous luxury brand. Personally, I’ve tried a handful of samples from YSL, but I’ve never tried any full sized items.
So, how did I receive this crazy nice makeup swag? Well, I’ve been a member of Influenster for about three years now. This program is online and allows different people to try new products and give feedback. Now, it helps that I have a lot of Facebook friends and have my own beauty blog. I think that’s why they send me more makeup than others. The program is completely free and I’m not paid to say anything in particular about the brands. In the past I’ve tried razors, makeup items, and even vitamins! This package is by far the highest valued item I’ve been sent and it made my day! I plan on writing a post later about how to become an Influenster and what to do to get sent some of the higher value items to sample. In the meantime, if you’re curious, just click here and begin working on your profile and connecting your social media to the site.
Before I received this box, I received an email with a set of questions to answer. I answered that I loved makeup and was a Very Important Beauty Insider at Sephora (I send $350+ per year there). Once I finished the set of questions, I received a confirmation email that I was receiving the box. It came a few days later and looked like this.
When I opened the packaging I swear I had hearts in my eyes. The compact is beautiful and very luxurious to hold. The packaging is a pale pink with the iconic YSL logo in gold. Once you open the rectangular compact, there is a mirror and then the product. So, what in the world is this pink formula supposed to do?
According to Sephora, the product is a blur perfector. This means that the formula will help matte-ify your skin, blur overlarge pores, and give you a warm glow. The exact description says
“This portable perfector is Yves Saint Laurent’s first ever blur perfector encased within a compact. It transforms from a balm to a powder upon application to soften the skin’s imperfections—creating a transparent yet subtle, rosy-glow effect. Use it alone as an allover complexion perfector, to set makeup, or as a mattifying touch up to sweep away shine and hide imperfections. Featuring one universal shade that complements all skin types, it instantly minimizes the look of pores so that skin feels smoother and the complexion appears more even. ”
So, what did I think? Even though the packaging was beautiful…I didn’t like it. As soon as I opened it, I applied it on top of my Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo foundation. The formula from YSL didn’t mix well and basically made my makeup come off. I noticed the liquid makeup separated and drew even more attention to my large pores (sigh).
I thought maybe it was how it mixed with my foundation. I tried another day by wearing it alone. I didn’t notice a big difference, but my husband said my pores around my nose did seem smaller.
You use a sponge to apply the cream which then turns into a powder. The formula feels great going on and seems to eliminate oil. Unfortunately, I wear liquid makeup almost everyday. This type of product doesn’t work well with my go-to foundation so I won’t have a need for it. Along with trying it all over on top of my foundation, I also used it under and it did the same thing. Another time I only used it near my oily t-zone and again, it didn’t deliver. It was super disappointing for such an expensive and beautiful product. On Sephora, a lot of beauty lovers are saying they’re addicted to it. Perhaps it works better with other foundations? I may try to mix it with my Clinique Almost Powder Makeup on a day when I’m not doing a full face of makeup.
YSL Touch Eclat Blue Perfector cam be purchased at Sephora for $55. If you didn’t get the hint already, I won’t be purchasing it. I feel as if there isn’t a need for this in my day-to-day makeup routine.
Yves Saint Laurent Touch Eclat Blur Primer
I think I’ve found my new favorite primer! After the disappointment of the compact, I was beginning to think Yves Saint Laurent products weren’t as great as I thought they were supposed to be. Thankfully, the primer proved me wrong. I received the primer from Influenster and it was a small sample size. The container has a gold top and has small flecks of gold suspended in the liquid. You apply it with a small sponge applicator. Overall, the product is supposed to help your makeup go on smooth, blur complexion imperfections, and give you a healthy glow. Sephora says,
“Touche Elcat Blur Primer preps skin for foundation application, creating an improved, refined appearance: pores seem to be minimized, skin texture feels smoother, and skintone is more even. It’s enriched with four nourishing oils—corn oil, apricot kernel oil, passiflora oil, and rice bran oil—to leave skin feeling incredibly soft without a greasy residue. Packed with blur technology, this universal primer provides a subtle, golden shimmer for ultimate luminosity. ”
Boy, did this help my makeup stay put! It worked beautifully under my Kat Von D foundation (unlike the compact version) and made my skin look flawless. I even received a few compliments on my skin when wearing it. The gold flecks are interesting. I didn’t see them on my skin. I suppose they blend in? The formula is very silky. I felt like I needed a lot to cover my entire face. It absorbs quickly and helps acne stars look less noticeable. I’ve purchased Lancomes’ LA BASE PRO for $42 in the past. I would say the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Blur Primer works a tad bit better. It seemed to keep my makeup on just as long and go on just as smooth. The difference is that the YSL product helped my skin have a healthy glow. The Lancome primer didn’t.
Touche Eclat Blur Primer is $52 for one ounce of product. It’s a little bit larger than Lancome’s (.2 ounces more). I think trying this through Influenster has definitely won me over. I saw a promotion at Sephora to receive a deluxe sample of the primer. I spent some money just to get another container of it! Now, can I get myself to invest in a $36 YSL lipstick? 😉
I received both products FREE through Influenster for testing purposes. My opinions are, of course, my own. If I like something, I’ll let you know. If I think it’s a waste of a dollar…I’ll let you know that, too.
