Ipsy Subscription - May 2014

The Loot

I originally subscribed to Ipsy last month, and was pretty excited over what I got.  This month was... not as exciting but does exactly what they planned to do: give you some items in a cute little bag to try out. For those of you who don't know about Ipsy, it is a monthly subscription service where you pay $10 each month and receive five products.  Now although it is a mystery of what the products might be, they send out hints of a variety of products that you may receive.

Green Leaf-Printed Canvas Bag

 

Ipsy usually has a theme of the bag, which in the case of May is Fresh Picks.

Now the bag. Everyone received a canvas bag with a green leaf print.  I love the look and feel of the bag, but am disappointed that they only put the pattern on one side.

Eau Thermale Avene Thermal Spring Water

 

Opening up the bag, I was disappointed of the lack of makeup.  Even though I am far more interested in Indie Products, it is always great to get that special product (last month had an Urban Decay eyeliner pencil!)

Starting with our first product, Eau Thermale Avene Thermal Spring Water. 

"Its unique composition is proven to soothe inflammation, itching, redness, general sensitivity and post-medical and aesthetic procedure irritation as it softens, protects and purifies the skin."

Definitely an interesting-sounding product although I can't help but think... isn't it just water? I will probably use this in the summer once it finally gets hot. Western Washington is not exactly known for being a warm place.. we mostly just get rain.

Pacifica Natural Beauty Duo #2 Eyeshadow

The one make-up item in the whole bag: Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo2.

"The Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo are coconut infused mineral eye shadows that are a perfect addition to any makeup collection. Smooth application with gorgeous color pay-off."

Eva-Nyc Therapy Session Hair Mask

 This duo includes Moonbeam and Unicorn (cute!) I would swatch this, but I am actually going to give it as a gift to someone.  This is an actual-sized product as well! 

Looking at our next product, Eva-Nyc Therapy Session Hair Mask. 

"Argan Oil nourishes and revitalizes, while Keravis Protein drastically increases hair’s strength and elasticity. The results are hydrated, soft and manageable hair."

I will definitely use this one! In fact, I already have.  Although I am not huge into products on my hair, anything that can benefit it while in the shower is fantastic!  The sample size is also very fair, in which I can probably get 10-15 uses out of this small bottle.  

Calvin Klein Endless Euphoria

 Let me take a side note here and say I am not big into perfumes at all. You can take an Ipsy test to determine what you do not/want to have, but I am seriously considering retaking it.  Now, the Calvin Klein Endless Euphoria sample, although seems small, contains a glass roller-ball vial.  This.. is awesome! Roller-ball perfumes are an easy way for me to wear it, and the smell is good although I do precaution to not wear too much.  
"Refreshingly light and radiant, endless euphoria Calvin Klein translates the provocative fantasy of the iconic euphoria fragrance into a sunlit daydream filled with cherry blossoms and an air of sheer sensuality."

 The final product in my bag, Jersey Shore Sun Sans Tan Mineral Sunscreen.  

"The Sunscreen contains non-nano, anti-aging, certified organic ingredients, including vitamin E (non-GMO) & vitamin D3 which can be deficient in individuals avoiding the sun."

The sample is about the size of my index finger, which is severely disappointing.  I am willing to try it though, as I am allergic to the main ingredient of most major drug store brands.  

Now overall, this bag was more disappointing than fantastic.  I did notice a 65% off coupon off of Eva-Nyc's line, so that I will consider using.  Ipsy products are often medium-high end, so they add coupons for most of the samples online - even if you did not receive that sample yourself! The bottom line: I do recommend Ipsy.  For $10, you can't beat 5 products, a bag, and ~20 coupons online!

AFK Cosmetics - First Order

Hey everyone! Did my first ever indie purchase (besides a subscription) from AFK cosmetics! A little about the company: They are a mother-daughter team out of Alaska, USA specializing in game-theme vegan and cruelty-free eye shadows. (So no blush or lippies) I ordered on April 29th, it shipped on May 1st, and I received my items on May 7th, so TAT is great especially since there was an issue with the post office. Dena was great, and sent me updates along the way!

Cute little baggies with a card!  (I don't know if Dena has business cards yet, but I would definitely recommend some since I like to keep cards from my purchases.) As I was saying, baggies were much smaller than expected, but they were packed with gorgeous shadows! My order was for five shadows and one freebie. Since samples were $1.50 and shipping was a flat $2.50, I felt it was very reasonable for them. 

So since I'm afraid of just spilling absolutely everything out of baggies, I found this AWESOME pill bottle at the Dollar Store. Seriously, this is amazing. It can hold 21 shadows and each set/day can be separated from the rest and it comes in a case so there is less chance of me spilling!

Now... onto the eye shadows! From left to right, we have:
Cupcake - A light, pearly, pinkish gold
Bronze V - Deep reddish brown bronze with gold flecks
Getting Stumped (Freebie) - Deep forest green with hints of gold, in direct light it appears more bring/spring green
Finales Funkeln - A silvery off white with flecks of silver, gold, and blue
F***in Shrooms - Dusty lavender with bright green flecks
Shadow Walker - Deep indigo and purple with red and copper flecks

No primers with the top being lightly pressed and the bottom being blended. Honestly thought I wouldn't like Getting Stumped as green isn't my favorite color on me but it really is pretty, especially blended. Also, note that awesome sparkle, specially with Cupcake and Finales Funkeln! Seriously, no primer, crappy lighting, and they shine through!

Final thoughts
This shop has truly beautiful colors! Prices range from $1.50 (sample) to $5.00 (full-size clamshell) and TAT currently at 5-7 days, although mine was much faster than that. For those of you who live outside the United States, they also sell internationally. 

Personally, my favorite shades are Finales Funkeln (seriously gorgeous with so much shimmer) and F***in Shrooms! 

Dena (and daughter), you are amazingly wonderful and I can't wait to see what new and exciting colors you will have next!

Innocent + Twisted Alchemists May 2014 Edition

Hey everyone! Finally started getting into the world and indies and honestly, I'm in love! Beside my LORAC items, my other main go-to items are becoming indie brand products. My first indie subscription is the May 2014 (I signed up on April 26th, so I am shocked I even got this one) I+T sample sized set. This subscription is monthly at $12.00 US or $18.00 International, including shipping. Let's Begin!

 So cute! I love the drawings, especially the fact there is a cake! As you can see from the contents, there is a huge amount of products in here! Spoiler Alert - There is a wonderfully huge amount of products. Brands that contributed include: I+T, Shiro, OHWTO, Kiss My Sass, Scaredy Cat, and Black Violet.  There were a total of 6 eyeshadows, 2 blushes, 2 lip glosses, 1 body butter, and 1 soap bar. 



Let's see those products!

 The Innocent + Twisted eyeshadows were in Shameless Illusions (Vegan, Not Lip), Into Eternity (Vegan), and Unleashed Memories (Not Vegan, Not Lip). All three are ulta soft loose shadows with excellent pigmentation. I would recommend Into Eternity as a nice overall eye color since it is a light pink with sparkle. The two blush colors are Vacant Smile (Not Vegan, Not Lip) and Whispering Spells (Not Lip). The blushes are beautifully pressed in their holders, but lack the brightness on my arm. I'm hoping Vacant Smile will be a little brighter on my face as the purple color is just gorgeous. 

Now onto the extras! The other eyeshadow is Love Stinks presented by Scaredy Cat Cosmetics.  A creamy pink luster is captured into the tiny vial it comes in (The vial is super awesome!)  Definitely my favorite of all the products.  Their etsy shop also notes that it is a vegan-safe product, and retails for $5.00 a 5 ml sifter jar.  Next is Shiro's lip gloss in A Girl And A Cat, described as "Deep purple in the tube, applies as a medium-sheer berry" on their site. Haven't swatched it yet, but I love the deep color!  They sell a tube for $5.00.  The other lip sample is Juicy Peach by Kiss My Sass Cosmetics. Again, have not swatched this one either since it is incredibly messy for me. This color is not currently available on their site.  

Now the swatches are with flash in a fairly dark room with no primers. Order is Shameless Illusions, Into Eternity, Unleashed Memories,  Vacant Smile, Whispering Spells, and Love Stinks. All are super light swatches by hand as well. You can see how Love Stinks just pops right off my very pale skin.

Finally, we will finish off with the body products. From Black Violet (Vegan), we have the body butter Lilikoi. From their site, "Fantasy is witnessing the unique blooming phases of a Hawaiian passion fruit flower. As the striking flower closes, it transforms into a sweet lilikoi fruit- creating a fragrance beyond imagination."  My smell test completely confirms this; a mesmerizing smell of the tropics. Using a small amount on my hand, not even a dent into the sample, I can feel complete softness with no extra sheeny feel.  This product retails for $8.00 on their site for a 4 oz jar. The last product by One Hand Washes The Other (OHWTO), I received a black skull soap bar in the scent Black Magic (Vegan).  Personally, I am not into skulls at all, nor this product. The scent is strong with a slight amount of tea tree oils.  Their cleanser in Black Magic retails for $7.00 for a 2 oz jar.

Overall, I am wonderfully excited about this subscription! My loves would be Lilikoi body butter (Black Violet), Love Stinks eyeshadow (Scaredy Cat), and Into Eternity (I+T). For $12.00 US a month, this is a wonderful way to try out different products from different brands.  They also include coupon codes. This month we have a 15% off OHWTO and 35% off I+T.