Showing posts with label july 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label july 2013. Show all posts

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?

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?