Saturday, July 27, 2013

July 2013 Ipsy Bag

Last month, I received my first Ipsy bag (see my post HERE). While the bag included five full size makeup products, none of the items impressed me and I was not able to use any of them. Unfortunately, the exact same thing happened with this month’s July bag. I have been debating whether I should cancel my Ipsy subscription right away or give it another month or two.

Despite the fact that I will not be using any items from July’s Ipsy bag, I will admit that the items were much better and more age appropriate (for me) than last month.

First, let’s talk about the bag…

As a former subscriber of Glymm, I have accumulated many of these mini makeup bags over the past few years. Therefore, I will only keep new ones if I love the pattern. Sadly, much like last month, I really dislike the design of this month’s Ipsy bag.  It’s a sticky pink see-through plastic that feels cheap and very 90s in my opinion. However, I know that a lot of people love this shade of pink so I will send the prizes from one of my giveaways in this bag.

Now onto the makeup items…

1. POP Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon: This product is one of the better items that came in this month’s bag. It is also the only full size item that was sent this month.  I really do like lip crayons and this one is meant to be very hydrating and long lasting. My issue with this product is the shade (I received Rose Romance). While the name sounds pretty, the product has a brown base so I will not be trying it since colours of this nature often turn orange on me. I would have preferred one of the other shades sent in Ipsy bags this month.

2. BH Cosmetics California Collection Eyeshadow Sample: The colours in this palette (purple, bronze, gold) are inspired by San Francisco, California. I decided not to remove the packaging from this product because the colours do not interest me so I thought I would save it to give away. I also do not wear a lot of colourful eyeshadow so I thought it would be a better idea to pass it along to someone who does.

3. Benefit Benetint: Almost everyone has encountered one of these little Benetint samples at some point, either from Sephora, Ulta, a Benefit kit, or one of the other sample subscription services. Since I love Benetint and use it often, I have a full size bottle that I bought two years ago. It’s still over 90% full so I can’t see myself ever needing to open this little sample. I will save it to give away as well.

4. Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray: I’ve said many times before that I really do not enjoy receiving skincare or haircare samples. I like my fine hair to look very fresh and clean so a texturizing spray is not something that I will ever use. I know that a lot of people really love that beachy look in the summer though so I’m sure that this sample will be welcomed by a lot of Ipsy subscribers.

5. Coola Mineral Sunscreen SPF 20: I have heard nice things about this brand but I’m pretty happy with the La Roche Posay sunscreens that I use and I know that they won’t irritate my very sensitive skin. I don’t like skincare samples because I’m not interested in straying from the products that I currently use. Hopefully Ipsy will personalize my future bags now that I have filled out reviews for products from the past two months.

Overall, I cannot really see myself using any of these samples. They are just not a good fit for me and it makes me wonder if Ipsy  actually took my beauty profile/survey into consideration when selecting my items. I have not decided if I will subscribe to Ipsy for much longer. I will wait until next month to see how I feel. I think that the price is right at $10 but I don’t like paying $4.95 for shipping. This additional fee makes the bag more expensive than Topbox which sends items that are more appropriate for my preferences.

What are your thoughts on Ipsy?

Friday, July 26, 2013

Giveaway & Review: Incoco Nail Polish Strips

Over the last month I have reviewed Incoco Nail Polish Strips in Very Rosy and Sweet Spots. Today I’m going to review Tickle Pink, a rosy shade with a pretty, satin finish, and also give away a set of strips (you choose the colour or design) to one of my lucky followers! Enter at the bottom of this post.

Read on for the review and giveaway.



While I normally gravitate toward cream finish polishes, I absolutely love the shimmery sheen on these nail strips. They are very iridescent and remind me of mother of pearl seashells. For this reason, I think it’s accurate to describe Tickle Pink as a seashell pink.



Like Sweet Spots and Very Rosy, Tickle Pink came with sixteen double-ended strips that last on the nails for up to 14 days. The strips also came with a little nail file, an orange stick, and application instructions. I found that these specific strips were a little thicker than the patterned ones and were even easier to apply. I wore the strips for a full two weeks before easily removing them with a cotton pad and regular nail polish remover. After two weeks the strips looked almost exactly the same as they did the day that I applied them.



Applying the strips was a very easy task. First, I buffed my nails gently using the nail file in the kit. Next, I prepped my nails by wiping away traces of oil with a polish remover. After selecting a strip to fit my nail, I peeled away the plastic on both sides of the strip and placed the strip as close as I could to my cuticle without allowing it to touch the skin. I then smoothed down the trip with my finger and ran the orange stick from the kit around the edges to smooth out any uneven spots. To remove any excess, I folded the strip over to meet the tip of my finger and gently separated the strip from my nail with the file. Application time for all ten nails took less than ten minutes.



One thing that I really love about the strips is that they are made of real nail polish that is 3-free, so the polish does not contain any harmful dbp, toluene, or formaldehyde. Being made of real nail polish also allows the strips to last much longer than nail stickers made of other materials. Another great aspect of these strips is that they are not tested on animals and are cruelty free.



Over the last year I have tried many different types of nail strips, and I would say that the Incoco strips are most comparable to those from Sally Hansen in terms of application and wear time. I do find that Incoco has more unique design and colour options than Sally Hansen, as well as a lower price tag.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the nail strips from Incoco and I will definitely purchase from this company in the future.  I really like using nail strips because there is no drying time and, in my opinion, they last so much longer than liquid nail polish on my nails. They also don’t make my house smell like nail polish and there is nothing to clean up after application.

The Incoco nail strips can be purchased from http://www.incoco.com. The website also includes a store locator.

GIVEAWAY:
Incoco was generous enough to offer a set of nail strips to one of my lucky followers. The winner will get to choose a set of strips in the design/colour of his/her choice. The contest is open to residents of the USA and Canada. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. The giveaway begins today and ends on Friday, August 16. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, July 21, 2013

NOTD: Essie No Baggage Please

Of the four polishes that were released with Essie’s 2013 wedding collection, No Baggage Please was the shade that most appealed to me. I’m always drawn to pastel baby pink shades and this one is rather unique.

First off, the formula is less of a stark creme like other polishes of its kind, and leans more toward a jelly-like formula. The colour itself has neutral to warm undertones that give my skin a healthy, rosy hue.

While it’s a bit difficult to see in the photos, this polish contains very fine particles of silver micro glitter that are most visible in direct sun light. The shimmers mix well into the formula and they do not make the polish feel rough in any way.

As for application, I was a bit surprised by this polish. Aside from Fiji, many of Essie’s light pink shades are quite sheer. However, No Baggage Please covered most of the nail with just one coat. That said, this polish was somewhat streaky and still looked uneven in spots after three coats. In spite of this, the polish looked smooth for the most part and would complement a white wedding dress.

Overall, I believe that I will get a lot of use out of No Baggage Please. It’s perfect for everyday wear and it makes the nails look neat and clean.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

July 2013 Topbox (Regular Topbox)


I opted for the regular Topbox again this month. The prive box brands have yet to impress me since the Benefit Cosmetics box.
I was very impressed with last month’s Topbox but I can’t quite say the same about the July box. Four items were sent (one full size), and no makeup items were included (unless nail polish is considered makeup). While there was nothing really wrong with the items, they did not seem very exciting to me. I don’t enjoy receiving hair or skincare samples and they made up more than half the box this time. That said, I think that many people will enjoy the July box since it includes a nice variety of products and a full size nail polish.
For those of you who do not know what Topbox is, it is a service similar to Loose Button, Birchbox, Glossybox, Ipsy, etc., which offers monthly boxes of deluxe size product samples. Topbox currently offers its services across Canada. For more information check out topbox.ca

What did you receive from Topbox this month?

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Julep Maven Intro Box (Boho Glam)

I finally subscribed to Julep Maven! As a nail polish lover, I’m not sure why I waited so long to sign up.

After taking the Julep Maven quiz, I was sorted into the Boho Glam group. The Boho Glam intro box includes two polishes and a cuticle oil.

I got my first box for free by using the code FREEMAVEN at checkout. You can sign up for Julep HERE and get started on your quiz to see which category you fall into. If you don’t like what is offered in that category, you can opt for another.

What I really like about this service is that you can skip boxes and send boxes to a friend. Since I already have a decent collection of nail polish, I will likely skip months until I find a box that is very unique.

Here is what I received in my first box:



Julep Nail Polish in Clara (opaque peach crème), Julep Nail Polish in Gabrielle (smoky mulberry crème), Julep Essential Cuticle Oil, and a sample of Julep Rock Star Hand Crème
The Boho Glam box was ideal for me because I prefer polishes with cream finishes and I was in need for a new cuticle oil.

I’m looking forward to see what the selections will be next month.

What did you receive from Julep in July?

Incoco Nail Polish Strips in Very Rosy (Review)



Recently I reviewed the Incoco Nail Polish Strips in Sweet Spots (see the full review HERE). Today I’m reviewing the design Very Rosy which features an orange, red, and pink floral design with green accents and a creamy pinky-white background.



Like Sweet Spots, Very Rosy came with sixteen double-ended strips that last on the nails for up to 14 days. The strips also came with a little nail file, an orange stick, and application instructions. I wore Very Rosy for a full two weeks before easily removing the design with a cotton pad and regular nail polish remover. Aside from some slight wear at the tips of the nails, after two weeks the strips looked almost exactly the same as they did the day that I applied them. Surprisingly, they even lasted through a Saturday afternoon task of pulling down old wallpaper.



One thing that I really love about the strips is that they are made of real nail polish that is 3-free, so the polish does not contain any harmful dbp, toluene, or formaldehyde. Being made of real nail polish also allows the strips to last much longer than nail stickers made of other materials.

Over the last year I have tried many different types of nail strips, and I would say that the Incoco strips are most comparable to those from Sally Hansen in terms of application and wear time. I do find that Incoco has more unique design and colour options than Sally Hansen, as well as a lower price tag.

In terms of application, these strips were easy to apply and they were quite stretchy so I could smooth them over my nails with ease to avoid bubbles or uneven patches. There were a few instances where I didn’t place the strip in the correct spot on the first try; however, it was not a problem since the strips are easy to lift and reposition even though they stick to the nail quite well once they are pressed down firmly and smoothed out.

Since the strips already have a coating of top coat, the design always has a shiny finish and does not need any additional product to keep it shiny or help it last longer. The finish did not become dull with wear and the design did not fade over time.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the nail strips from Incoco and I will definitely purchase from this company in the future.  I really like using nail strips because there is no drying time and, in my opinion, they last so much longer than liquid nail polish on my nails. They also don’t make my house smell like nail polish and there is nothing to clean up after application.

The Incoco nail strips can be purchased from http://www.incoco.com. The website also includes a store locator.

See the other designs that I have reviewed or will be reviewing below.




What are your thoughts on nail strips?

*Although the company sent me these strips to try out, all opinions are honest and are my own*

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Incoco Nail Polish Strips in Sweet Spots (Review)



I’m very excited to review these nail strips from Incoco in the design Sweet Spots. Very appropriately named, the pretty pastel dots on these nail strips remind me of one of my favourite things—candy!



Each package of Incoco nail strips includes sixteen double-ended strips that last on the nails for up to 14 days. After wearing Sweet Spots for a full two weeks, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the strips looked almost exactly the same as they did the day that I applied them. They were only starting to wear a bit on the tips of the nails on my dominant hand. I could have worn them for longer than two weeks but, by that time, my nails had grown quite a bit and I wanted to cut them before they started breaking. The strips were easy to remove with a cotton pad and a regular nail polish remover.
As you can see from the photos below, the strips also came with a little nail file, an orange stick, and application instructions.





One thing that I really love about the strips is that they are made of real nail polish that is 3-free, so the polish does not contain any harmful dbp, toluene, or formaldehyde. Being made of real nail polish also allows the strips to last much longer than nail stickers made of other materials.

Over the last year I have tried many different types of nail strips, and I would say that the Incoco strips are most comparable to those from Sally Hansen in terms of application and wear time. I do find that Incoco has more unique design and colour options than Sally Hansen, as well as a lower price tag.

In terms of application, these strips were easy to apply and they were quite stretchy so I could smooth them over my nails with ease to avoid bubbles or uneven patches. There were a few instances where I didn’t place the strip in the correct spot on the first try; however, it was not a problem since the strips are easy to lift and reposition even though they stick to the nail quite well once they are pressed down firmly and smoothed out.

Since the strips already have a coating of top coat, the design always has a shiny finish and does not need any additional product to keep it shiny or help it last longer. The finish did not become dull with wear and the design did not fade over time.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the nail strips from Incoco and I will definitely purchase from this company in the future.  I really like using nail strips because there is no drying time and, in my opinion, they last so much longer than liquid nail polish on my nails. They also don’t make my house smell like nail polish and there is nothing to clean up after application.

The Incoco nail strips can be purchased from http://www.incoco.com. The website also includes a store locator.

I’m very thankful to have the opportunity to review a couple more Incoco designs over the next few weeks. See the upcoming designs below.



What are your thoughts on nail strips?

*Although the company sent me these strips to try out, all opinions are honest and are my own*