Friday, April 18, 2014

April 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag: Beauty Rocks! [Updated]

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As usual, I was so stoked to receive my $10 Ipsy Glam Bag this month that I just kind of put everything in my makeup bag and now I'm too lazy to get it all out and photograph it. And why should I, when the websites pay people to take good photos of their products for us to gawk at. Ya'll have seen my pictures. I don't claim to be a good photographer, so I'm cheating this month and I'm using the pictures and descriptions from the Ipsy website itself!

This months Glam bag has a Beauty Rocks! theme, and it contained five products, which are not (all) the products in the official Ipsy photo above... 




Urban Decay
24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil Travel Size in Black Velvet (.03 oz) - $16.50 Value

"A must for smoky-eye fanatics: an ultra-plush version of UD’s creamy, waterproof 24/7 formula. Create perfectly blended-out or rich, precise lines that are blacker-than-black."

Thoughts: One thing I love about purchasing the Glam Bag and writing this blog is that it makes me look at the actual value of a product. For example. The full size is $20 for .04 ounces of product. This "travel size" version of the liner is .03 ounces. Not much of a difference, but you can buy a set of three travel size liners for $19 - and you are getting almost triple the amount of actual product. Just sayin'. I haven't had the opportunity to use this pencil yet but I have Psychedelic Sister and I like it. I'll probably love this! 

[Update below with Pictures (that I actually took!)]



I used the liner this morning and I love it. I did a daytime version of this look from the The Beauty Department. You have to work really quick with it since it's waterproof and it sets fast, but it is just gorgeous. I figured I'd love it and I do! I smudged the Urban Decay liner on my lid, topped with Sidecar from the Urban Decay Naked palette, lined my upper lash line with Sephora liquid eyeliner in black for some more definition. I used Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! on my eyelashes. On the bottom lash line I put sidecar on the outer part of my eye and used gold liner from Kat Von D's tattoo liner line on the bottom inner corner, which I set with Half Baked from the same Urban Decay palette. I love the way it looks! 





I love the way it ended up coming out. Totally appropriate for day time and for work, right?! I dig it. Anyways, back to the beauty products:




Coastal Scents
Medium Shadow Brush - $2.49 Value


"The Coastal Scents Shadow Brush is a medium sized brush made out of natural fibers that is wide in shape and condensed to allow an even distribution of eyeshadow on the lid. This professional cosmetic brush can be used for shading the crease and highlighting the brow bone with complete precision."

Thoughts: I used this to apply the eyeshadow that came with this bag and it definitely did the job and was nice and soft on the sensitive skin. However, it felt a bit... unbalanced in my hand. The end is really light and the brush-side is heavier. Also, this brush does light coats. I would use something a lot firmer to pack eyeshadow onto the eye. I feel like this brush might work really well with loose pigments. Also, due to my hooded eyes, this eyeshadow brush is a bit large for me but I think the same brush in a smaller version would fit perfectly. Overall, it definitely made me want to try out more of Coastal Scents brushes, which is the point, right?


microdermabrasion (7.5 g) - $9.75 value

The dr. brandt® microdermabrasion gently sweeps away dead skin cells and softens skin texture, which enables better absorption of skincare products and helps diminish the appearance of fine lines, acne marks, and skin discolorations. A great at home alternative to professional clinical treatments. Safe to use for all skin types. For best results use with dr. brandt® skincare products. 

Thoughts: I haven't used this yet, but I have heard great things about the dr. brandt brand so I'm excited to give it a shot. Typically, I'm really choosy when it comes to what I put on my face because my skin is so sensitive. I'm going to try it on a small area and make sure it doesn't freak out and I just haven't had time to do it! I'll update when I do though! Full size is $78 for 60 grams (2 oz).



pop! goes the shadow in Champagne (2g/.07oz) - $12.99 

The Elizabeth Mott pop! goes the eyeshadow is the ultimate eyeshadow that's long lasting, easy to apply, and effortlessly blends. Buildable colors will take you from subtle highlights to dramatic smokey eyes. With pop! goes the shadow, eye shadow creasing is a thing of the past. Get ready to try the eye shadow that will change your life! 

Thoughts: This is a really pretty color. When applied with the Coastal scents brush, it went on really sheer, but when I had swatched it with my finger it was nice and pigmented. I'm going to use it again with a different brush to see how it packs on... However, from the initial use, do I think it is work $13? No. It's a gorgeous color. It's smooth. I haven't really put it to the test in regards to how well in blends, but I would say that you kind find a color just like this from any drugstore brand for a lot less. 


Luscious Longwear Lip Pencil in Naked - $12.00

Starlooks' Luscious, Longwear, Matte Lip Liner formula contains a Kiss-Off Resistant polymer that, when worn alone or in combination with a matte lipstick, offers an incredible 8 hour wear - with little no need for touch-up or re-application. Comes in one, brilliant shade of nude for all skin tones! 

Thoughts: During this time of year, I tend to stay away from matte lip products because our weather is crazy. During the day it's warm and at night it is super cold. My lips get really dry from the weather whiplash and you should never wear matte when you're lips are chapped. Ever. It's not a good look. That said, I used this as a base for some lipgloss and I found the formula to be nice and soft. The lipliner was easy to apply and the color was nice. It was really peachy for a naked nude, so beware of that. Honestly, I couldn't find it on the website so I couldn't link to it, but there were some other colors that were nice. As for the price... a bit high. I didn't find it to be particularly long-wearing, honestly. You could probably find something really similar in the drugstore for a lot less money. I really like NYX lip liner.


Cost Breakdown: 
Urban Decay Eye Pencil - $16.50
Coastal Scents Eye Shadow Brush - $2.49
Elizabeth Mott Eyeshadow - $12.99
dr. brandt Microdermabrasion - $9.75
Starlooks Lip Pencil - $12.00
Total: $53.73

Overall, I'm happy with my glam bag, as usual. I love getting to try to new brands without investing a ton of money. For anyone considering signing up for a subscription box, Ipsy is the way to go. It is always worth the $10 and hasn't been disappointing yet. 

I am totally jealous that some bags got a sample of Benefit Lollitint and the Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm. I found out this month that there are Ipsters out there that trade their products when they get something in their bag that they don't want/need. Crazy, right? It's a good idea in theory but I'm not super trusting of people on the internet. What if they never send out the product they are trading? I don't know. Be careful if you trade! 

What did you get in your Ipsy Glam Bag and did you like it? 

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