Here it is! My ipsy bag for July has arrived and here’s the video of me opening it up and checking everything out! Will I like it? Will I love it? Will I be disappointed? You’ll have to watch the video to find out…
As usual, I will be writing up a post (probably next week) that will go over the products from my bag in detail and let you know what I think of them, after having tried them each a few times.
If you are interested in checking out ipsy for yourself, you can do so by clicking HERE!
So, I know I’ve had my June ipsy bag for almost a month now, but due to wanting to get to try out the products a few times before writing up a review and going on a week and a half long vacation and all that good stuff, I’m just now getting around to telling you about how I feel about the products that came in my June bag. So, here we go…
First up is the LAVANILA Pure Vanilla Body Butter. I really like the smell and feel of this lotion. Would I say it’s some incredible lotion that has won me over to spending $19.00 for a bottle of lotion? Um, no. It’s perfectly nice, but to me it’s not worth the price. The full size is 6.7 oz and retails for $19.00
Next is Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. I have to say that I LOVE this product. My skin looked so smooth and about as flawless as it could when I used this product. I was incredibly impressed with the performance of this product. When I wore it, my sister commented on how good my makeup looked. It helped keep my skin from looking so oily, because that’s something I definitely have issues with. While it’s definitely more pricey than what I would normally be willing to spend, I truthfully think this product is worth it. The 1 oz full size retails for $36.00.
The Formula X Nail Color in Power Source is a really great color. I’ve used it twice on my toes now and it seems to hold up well. I am happy with how it performed, but would never buy it because it’s way too pricey for nail color in my mind at $10.50 for a .4 oz size.
I received a FULL SIZE eyeliner from OFRA in Turquoise. I have worn it a few times now and have really liked it. It doesn’t smudge or run and I’ve worn it when I was sweating a lot, so that’s a good sign. I like that it has a slight bit of shimmer to it without looking 80s fab (and by that, I mean tacky and horrendous). The most I have ever spent on eyeliner is $9.00, so this seems like a lot to me and I probably wouldn’t spend that for a color like turquoise again because I don’t wear that color very often, but I am happy with the product and would be willing to spend it for one in a dark brown. This product retails for $13.00
The last product I received was this tre’stique Mini Shadow Crayon in Kona Coffee. A pack of 3 of these mini crayons retails for $32.00, making mine worth about $10.67. To me, that’s a little pricey. Beyond it seeming a little pricey to me though, I just didn’t like it. It sort of goes on like a gel shadow and I have never been a big fan of those. I found it hard to blend out and it seemed to crease pretty bad. I definitely prefer a powder shadow. So, while I like the idea of it and think the packaging is cute, I wasn’t super thrilled. It’s pretty dark too, so I’m thinking I may have liked a different color, but the gel quality still wouldn’t have been my favorite.
My overall review of these products? I really liked 4 of the 5. I loved the Smashbox Primer and was a fan of the eyeliner for sure. I was perfectly happy with the lotion and the nail color too. While the eye shadow crayon was kind of disappointing, I’ll still use it. So, do I think the June bag was worth my $10.00? DEFINITELY. I really love the actual bag too.
I am super excited to see what my July bag brings and judging by the sneak peeks they are giving on facebook, there is little chance I won’t be happy with it because pretty much everything I’ve seen is something I would love to have!
Are you interested in giving ipsy a try for yourself? For just $10.00 a month you can have a bag shipped to you with some awesome new beauty products to try out and sometimes there are full-sized products too! I have not been disappointed yet and I don’t think you will be either. If you would like to check it out for yourself, you can do so through THIS LINK. If you get it and don’t like it, you can cancel at any time so there’s no risk. Let me know if you decide to try it out and what you think of it when you do!
I found this cute idea for a way to switch up your short hairstyle a little (obviously works for long hair too). I LOVE having short hair, but sometimes want to be able to create some different looks with it and I think this is a perfect way to add a little interest.
The gorgeous Kilee at One Little Momma has an awesome pixie bob and she does some really cute things with it, and I like to look at her blog for hair inspiration.
So, check out her tutorial HERE and if you try out this style, let me know how it goes. I plan on trying it out very soon…perhaps I’ll even post a picture. Well, if I can get it to turn out anyway.
A friend of mine posted a quick little tutorial video for an eye makeup look one day and I thought it looked fairly simple, so I thought I would give it a shot. Now, I have never tried false eyelashes and didn’t have any on hand, so I didn’t do that part. I also toned it down slightly because I was going to a Wedding Shower and a Graduation Party, so I didn’t feel like the completely dramatic look was fitting for the day’s events. I tried to share the video with you, but there was something not right with the link. Boo. Anyway though, here is my result…
Not nearly as dramatic as the tutorial, but I did use some of the techniques and the first thing my sister said to me when she saw me was “Your makeup looks really good today. Your eyes look awesome.” That works for me! I totally want to try it out in the more dramatic fashion though. Maybe I’ll share again when I do that.
Have you tried out any new makeup techniques lately? Please share!
Sorry about my short post yesterday, but hopefully you had the chance to watch my reveal video. If not, you can check it out here.
Now I would like to show you all of the products more up close and give you a little rundown on how much they are worth. You may remember that the theme for the month is Swim into Beauty, so let’s go!
First up is the LAVANILA Pure Vanilla Body Butter. They sent me a .85 oz bottle. The full size is 6.7 oz and retails for $19.00, so the value of the sample they sent me is about $2.41
Next is Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. I was given a .25 oz sample. The 1 oz full size retails for $36.00. That makes the sample they sent me roughly $9.00
The Formula X Nail Color in Power Source was a .13 oz size. The full size is .4 oz and retails for $10.50. That makes my sample worth about $2.97
I received a FULL SIZE eyeliner from OFRA in Turquoise. This product retails for $13.00
The last product I received was this tre’stique Mini Shadow Crayon in Kona Coffee. A pack of 3 of these mini crayons retails for $32.00, making mine worth about $10.67
Don’t forget the super cute bag. No idea what it would retail for.
So, if you’re paying attention, the $10.00 I paid for my June ipsy Bag got me about $38.05 in products, plus the bag!!! That is an AWESOME value!
I look forward to trying everything out and letting you know my reviews of the products. If you’re as impressed with the value of this bag as I am and would like to try ipsy out for yourself, you can sign up to receive your own ipsy bag next month by clicking on this link!
So, what do you think of my goods?!
Wooohooo!!! My new ipsy bag has arrived and I’ve made a new video to share it with you. I wish I could say that I’ve been in as cheerful of a mood as I was in this video when I made it on Monday, but yesterday and today have been really rough for me. I’ve been dealing with some migraine issues and some other health issues that I’m still working on getting figured out and the past two days have been pretty rough. So, today I am just posting the video for you and tomorrow I will post all of the products and their value and all of that good stuff!
If you would like to try ipsy for yourself, you can do so by clicking on this link and signing up!
*ipsy does not compensate me in any way for these reviews, however I do receive credit if you sign up through my link, so thank you so much if you do!
So, I promised I would share with you about what I thought of the products in my ipsy bag, once I had the chance to use them. If you didn’t see the post with my video reveal of the products, you can check it out here. The theme for May was “Jetsetter”, so here ya go…
Oscar Blandi Hair Lift Thickening & Strengthening Mousse (FULL SIZE) – $23.00 at Ulta and Beauty.com
I like the smell of this product and the fact that a little goes a loooong way. The smell is just light and clean. If you don’t like strong scents from your hair products, you would probably like this, because I really couldn’t smell it at all after I dried my hair. I seemed to have forgotten for a minute that I didn’t have long hair the first time I tried this and I used WAY TOO MUCH. It made my hair feel all gummy and horrible. The next time I used it though, I used a much smaller amount and that was a lot better. Now, as far as feeling like my hair had more volume or anything like that, I wouldn’t really say I noticed that. I will use the product, since I have it, but I honestly don’t see myself buying any once this is gone.
Klorane Eye Patches – $21.00 for a box of 7 pairs (I got 2 pairs in my bag, so worth about $6.00)
As I mentioned in the video, I really don’t have a lot of issues with puffiness under my eyes or anything like that, so even though I tried these out to see what they were like, I didn’t really see any difference in the appearance under my eyes. I will save the other set though and if I do have a puffy eye day, I will try them again. I definitely think they are on the pricey side and without having the issues that they are intended for, I don’t see myself purchasing these.
The Balm Nude Dude Eyeshadow Single in Fit – Not for sale in this size. Full pallet of 12 small colors is $36.00
I have to say that I really like this eyeshadow! It is very nicely pigmented and stays looking great all day, with no creasing at all. I have worn it 3 times now and have been very happy with the results. Eyeshadow is typically something I don’t spend much money on, but then I do have issues with creasing, which drives me crazy. This product may just inspire me to go for a nicer quality shadow to eliminate the creasing and keep my eyes looking freshly made up all day! I’m really happy with this product!
GlamGlow ThirstyCleanse Daily Hydrating Cleanser – $39.00 for full size 5oz. (My sample was 1oz. so roughly worth $7.80)
This cleanser smells sooooo good! It has almost a coconut scent that is amazing. I like the texture and the way you use it and my skin felt nice and clean afterward, but I have to be honest…it’s cleanser. I don’t get real excited about facial cleanser. My face honestly feels pretty much the same when I just use a washcloth and warm water to wash it, so I would NEVER pay $39.00 for 5oz. of cleanser. So, while I think the product is fine, it’s not worth that kind of money to me.
it Cosmetics CC+ Color Correcting Full Coverage Cream in Medium – $38.00 for 1.08oz. (My sample was .135oz. so roughly worth $4.88)
I’m overall pretty happy with this product. I feel like it does a nice job of being a full coverage cream, without feeling heavy. I don’t love the scent (kind of medicine-like, reminds me of putting Bengay on my face). It’s not horrible though and I don’t smell it once I get it all applied. My oily skin still makes my face look like an oil-slick when I wear it, but it’s not like it promised to take that problem away or anything, so I can’t really fault it for that. Again, I think it’s pretty pricey for the amount you get and even though a little goes a long way, I just don’t see myself paying that for it. It does cover nicely without feeling greasy or heavy on my face though, so I am really happy with that.
I think the little cosmetic bag is adorable and I will definitely get a lot of use out of it, so I’m super happy about that!
So, in conclusion, it was fun to try these different products that I have never tried before, but I pretty much am only thrilled about the bag and the eyeshadow sample (which I actually think will last me a good while, since it’s pigmented so well). I did go in and take my beauty quiz again and took off a couple of things, in hopes of getting more actual makeup in my next bag, because that’s what I’m really interested in. So, I really hope to see some more eye makeup (shadow, liner or mascara) and/or some lip color in my next bag. I’m happy with this first experience and getting to try out some new things. For $10.00, I think it was beyond worth it. ALL of the products I received will definitely get used, so it was totally worth it to me.
If you would like to try out ipsy for yourself, you can check it out and sign up right through this link! I’d love to hear if you do sign up and what you get when your bag arrives next month!
Every girl needs to switch it up every once in a while, so I decided to try out a new lip color for date night. Now, I have NEVER worn red lipstick before (except for one year with a Halloween costume, but that doesn’t really count). I got this NARS lip color from Sephora as a free gift for my birthday, so I figured I’d bust that baby out and give it a try. Here is the result…
At first I was a little freaked out and wondering if I could pull it off without looking like a weirdo, but as I wore it around the house for a couple hours and caught myself in the mirror a few times, I kind of liked it. I decided to go with it and even decided to wear red shoes to perk up my outfit a little.
Here’s the best part. You know what our date night consisted of? We went to Tim Horton’s and had coffee and a donut, went to Goodwill to look for some shorts (Yup, I bought myself two pair. I told you I was going to wear shorts this summer.), and went grocery shopping. One heck of a date night, right?! So, maybe I got a little overdressed for what we were doing, but if you remember my post about the importance of dating your husband, I think it’s totally worth it. I think HE is totally worth it. He kept staring at me like it was the first time he’d ever seen me, so that made me feel even more confident.
There was something really empowering about wearing red lipstick. It made me feel bold and confident and it was just a fun change. I enjoyed our time alone together and getting dressed up for my amazing husband. I recommend trying something new the next time you go out for date night…even if it’s just to the grocery store.
I am super excited to share with all of you about something new I decided to try. Check out my video and then I’ll give more detailed info below that. If you could hear me, I’m saying this with a squeal of excitement!
So, I realize that in the video I thought you guys would be seeing things backwards because I was seeing things mirrored. What a dork. Obvious first-timer, huh? But I really had fun doing this video and look forward to when my next ipsy bag comes and I can share that with you too! With that being said, let me share a little more detailed info about what ipsy is…
ipsy is a subscription service for beauty products. This includes makeup, skin care, hair products, beauty tools, nail polish, etc. You sign up on their website and pay only $10.00 a month to have 4-5 products shipped to you in a cute cosmetic bag. Each month has a new theme, so that means a different style bag and different products. The really cool part is that when you sign up, you do a little quiz that has you tell your hair color, skin color, eye color and the types of products you are most interested in. You also tell them whether you want to play it safe, are willing to try some new things or are up for anything! So, if you aren’t too adventurous, no worries, they will customize your products to your comfort level. Something else that is awesome is that you earn points when you review the products from your bag, share a sneak peek at your bag, have someone sign up through your direct link (here is mine), etc. You can use those points to “purchase” items! How great is that?!
Now, let me give you a little rundown of what came in my bag this month and about how I like each of them…
Oscar Blandi Hair Lift Thickening & Strengthening Mousse (FULL SIZE) – $23.00 at Ulta and Beauty.com
Klorane Eye Patches – $21.00 for a box of 7 pairs (I got 2 pairs in my bag, so worth about $6.00)
The Balm Nude Dude Eyeshadow Single in Fit – Not for sale in this size. Full pallet of 12 small colors is $36.00
GlamGlow ThirstyCleanse Daily Hydrating Cleanser – $39.00 for full size 5oz. (My sample was 1oz. so roughly worth $7.80)
it Cosmetics CC+ Color Correcting Full Coverage Cream in Medium – $38.00 for 1.08oz. (My sample was .135oz. so roughly worth $4.88)
That grand total comes to $41.68 and that isn’t counting the eyeshadow sample or the cosmetic bag. So over $40.00 worth of products for $10.00!!! Pretty dang good, right?!
I will do a blog post after I have tried everything, to let you know what I thought of the products, so a little review of sorts. I always like to know if someone finds a really awesome product, so I figure some of you might too.
So, overall I was super thrilled with my ipsy bag this month and can’t wait for next month’s! I am hoping to get a lip color, eyeliner or mascara in my next bag, so we’ll see!
Sound interesting and fun to you? You can check it out here to see more and if you sign up, I’d love to hear how you like yours when it arrives next month!
So, if you know me at all, you know that I like to change up my hair. Cut, color, whatever. I get bored and I like something new. Well, I got my latest style and color last Friday, but decided the next day that I wanted it a little shorter, so I went back yesterday and my amazing stylist hooked me up!
Now, before I show you my latest look, I thought it might be fun to look through some of the styles/colors from my past. Of course, right before I went to get this latest chop, Riley told me he really liked my hair when it was long. Isn’t that just how it works? Thing is though, my hair is fairly thin and when it gets long, it just gets stringy. I had short hair for years and then let it grow out for a couple of years and I finally couldn’t take it anymore and cut it off last Fall. I’ve gradually been going shorter. I LOVE having short hair. It’s so much faster to do and so much sassier. I am so glad I finally made the cut to short again. But I digress. Here are some of the looks from over the past 8 years or so…
As you can see, I’m definitely not afraid of color or of chopping my hair all off. It’s just hair! It grows back! You can change the color! It’s such an easy way to make a change and to give yourself a little pick-me-up.
That first picture up there was one of my absolute favorite hairstyles. It was soooo easy and I always felt cute. Thus the reason I decided to go shorter again. Now, I’m not quite to the point of going that short, but you never know. When I made the initial chop (which you can see in the side by side picture of me in the coral top) my friend (and stylist) told me she knew I would end up going back to shorter hair eventually and that she loves my hair short. When I called her to tell her I wanted to go shorter again, about a month and a half later, she said “I knew that wouldn’t be short enough for you and that you’d be back to go shorter.” I think she knows me pretty well. She wasn’t surprised at all when I sent her pictures for inspiration for this latest cut and a few months down the road, if I decide to go shorter, I bet she won’t be surprised then either.
That’s just the way it is for hairstyle junkies like myself. I love it! I can’t get enough of it! I feel like a new person when I go get my hair done. It makes me excited to do my hair and makeup. I even get more excited about putting outfits together, imagining what they will look like with my new ‘do. A new style makes your accessories look different too.
So, you’re probably wondering when I’m going to show you my newest cut and color. I’ve blabbed long enough. So, here it is…
What do you think? I love the versatility of it. I can make it big and sassy, tuck it behind my ears for a more casual look, twist my bangs back, etc. It’s fun to be able to make it look different depending on my outfit and my mood.
Here’s a little example of what the cut from Friday was like and how I got it spruced up to be more to my liking.
See, much better. It even made the color look better!
So, are you inspired to get a new style of your own? There are a million pictures on pinterest to give you ideas. Do consider your face shape and your stylist should be able to help you with that too. There are some cuts that just don’t flatter certain face shapes and so you obviously wouldn’t want to get something that wouldn’t compliment your features. You can even search for cuts that look good with your face shape. Maybe you’re not ready for a whole new style, but some highlights for summer would be a fun change! There are so many possibilities.
If you’ve been feeling in a rut and like you just need a refresher, I highly recommend that you consider a hair change. If you’re afraid of committing to a style, just remember that it’s not permanent. It grows back! And who knows, you might just discover a new look is exactly what you’ve been needing!
If this post inspires you to make a hair change, I would love to see your before and after photos, so please be sure to share!
Finally Finding Me 