Ipsy Glam Bag July 2014

It's time again for me to share with you what I got in my Ipsy bag this month.  If you don't know what Ipsy is, it's a monthly subscription service that is $10 a month and each month they send you a little make up bag with 4-5 products.  If you are interested here is a link! 

Let me start off by saying this has to be my LEAST favorite bag that I have gotten.  I have been subscribed to Ipsy for just over a year and I don't always love everything but I normally love most of it or at least a few things.  This time I am not a fan of most of it and I am disappointed!  I will share with you what I got and tell you what I think so far!

Here is the make up bag that all the products came in this month.  It is actually a very bright neon pink color. It feels like a water resistant fake leather.  It's a good size bag. It would be perfect for in your purse! I do think I will be using this again. 

First up I got the Pur-lisse pur-protect essential daily moisturizer with spf30.  This product is nice.  It has a  nice consistency. It smells slightly of sunscreen but it isn't overly strong. The only reason I'm disappointed with this product is that I received the same product minus the spf two months ago.  I'm picky when it comes to moisturizer so I'm not sure I will even use this. But to get the same thing not far apart kind of upset me.  Otherwise this is a nice product.

Next up is the Faith aromatherapy anti-oxidant body lotion in the scent citrus/ginger.  This lotion is horrible!  It's one of those cheap lotions that when you rub it in it feels like water. The scent isn't bad but it's a bit strong. The bottle is cheap plastic and reminds me of the lotion you would get in a hotel bathroom. I'm not a fan!

This product intrigued me! It is the Tints & Sass lip & cheek stain by Elizabeth Mott. I have never tried Benetint by Bennefit but I thought this would probably be similar.  I tried it both as a lip and a cheek stain.  The lip color was gone after about an hour. I was eating and drinking but with a product called a STAIN I would expect it to last through eating and drinking.  The cheek color is still going strong at about 3 hours. So I'm happy with that.  The color is called cherry and is a very cherry red color so using it on my cheeks was a bit tricky.  But it blended well and I'm curious to use it of a morning and see how long it lasts through the day. 

I always love trying new nail polish and I was excited by this Models Own nail color in Red Sea. First, the smell of this polish is VERY strong.  It reminds me of nail polish remover. It is very strong & offensive. Second, the color is so shear that I can't imagine actually get a good full coverage color of this on my nails.  It also has some glitter flecks in it that might be pretty but I can't get any to come out.  I'm thinking I may paint my nails a red color or another light color and then using this as a top coat and seeing how that goes. But otherwise I don't think I'll be using this on its on. 

Last and least is the bareMinerals 5 in 1 BB advanced performance cream eyeshadow.  This is a very small sample of a liquid style eyeshadow. The color is a very dark brown taupe. It blends out pretty easily and I think that it will be pretty on my eyes. I'm excited to see how this lasts throughout the day. I have a feeling it will crease and fade but we will test it out and see.

Well other than this being a slight disappointment I'm hopeful that next month will be better!

Do you guys like these posts? Is there a different subscription I should try?

Love, Lacey

June empties 2014

How can it be the end of June already?! Didn't I just do May empties?! This year is over half over and it is absolutely FLYING by!  So here we are to looking at my trash from this month!

Maybelline the falsies volume express in blackest black. I have had this mascara FOREVER! I finally used it up this month or it dried up?! Either way it's done! I liked this mascara.  The color was definitely blackest black and the brush was nice.  It gave me good volume and length and I liked the formula. I would repurchase this again. If you want a mascara to give you natural looking lashes this is NOT it! It's called falsies for a reason.  But I would recommend if you like long thick lashes! 

I received these wipes in an ipsy bag awhile back.  I had read other reviews that weren't good but I always like to give things a try for myself. I threw these in my travel bag and have used them the last few trips that I went on.  I can tell you I would not repurchase these EVER!  The smell is odd.  I don't know if it's the flavor/scent I got or if they all smell overly fruity and something else.  I can't place the scent but it is not good.  As far as actual cleansing power they did ok. I use facial wipes to get my eye make up and foundation off before I actually cleanse my skin so I'm never really worried about how clean my skin is, just want to get the make up off so I can cleanse. I would NOT recommend these or repurchase! 

It's a little hard to read but this is Tom's simply white toothpaste. I had heard some good reviews on Tom's and specifically the simply white. So I decided to try it! I thought it did a pretty good job.  I wouldn't say it made my teeth any whiter or brighter. My mouth felt fresh and my teeth felt clean. But as far as anything special I didn't think it was.  It's a bit on the pricey side at around $5 a tube because it is supposed to be more natural and better for you. If the more natural toothpaste is what you are looking for this is a great option but if you just want something to do a good job I would stick with a crest or colgate or whatever you use. I probably will not repurchase this product. 

The Blackhead clearing scrub from Walgreens is a WINNER in my book.  It not only has a gentle exfoliate but also salicylic acid so it really cleans your face.  I bought this while I was trying to find the best drug store face wash and I will say I'm sad I ran out of it. I'm currently trying something different and I'm not as impressed.  This is a great all around face wash. It's gentle enough to use morning and night but strong enough to really get your face CLEAN!!  I bought mine at my local Walgreens for around $4!  I thought this was a great product and I'm sure I will be repurchasing it again!

Last but not least are these makeup removing wipes! These are the Up & Up brand cleaning towelettes.  They are comparable to Neutrogena Make-up Remover wipes.  I thought these were pretty good.  They were gentle and didn't sting my eyes. They seemed to get all my mascara and eyeliner off pretty easily.  They were around $5 or $6 at Target and I would definitely repurchase these! 

Question of the day!!

What product did you use up this month that you LOVED?! 

Love, Lacey

Ipsy Glam Bag June 2014

It's that time of month again where I share with you what's in my Ipsy glam bag! If you don't know, Ipsy is a subscription service.  Each month you pay $10 and receive a make up bag full of goodies.  You usually get 4-5 samples or some full size as well.  The make up bags are always cute and great for travel or in your purse.  HERE is a link if you want to sign up to receive your very own Ipsy bag!

This month's make up bag is a gorgeous dark navy bag with a floral pattern and a gorgeous coral zipper.  It also has a tag labeled "Rebecca Minkoff" so I'm guessing she designed this pattern for their bag. I really like it!  Almost a Hawaiian type theme! 

First up in the bag is a dream waves beach spray by Marc Anthony. It says "Create sexy, tousled beach waves all year long". I have been wearing my hair curly lately so I sprayed it in my already messy hair immediately!  Right off the bat the smell is AMAZING!  It smells like coconut and sweet and sunscreen.  It smells like the beach to me.  It gives a generous spray and didn't do too bad in my hair.  I will be interested to use it alone in just damp hair and see how it does.  But I do like it!

Next up is a butter gloss by NYX!  I already have one of these and LOVE IT!!  This one is in the color Apple Strudel. I have to say it wouldn't be a color I would choose for myself as it's a kind of light pink. But it seems like a nice change up for the summer so I will definitely be throwing this in my purse.  It's a slightly sticky lip gloss but the pigmentation is nice and the smell is like a cupcake!  The price on these is around $5 so not bad! I would definitely recommend them! 

A mascara from Be a Bombshell is up next.  This is the Lash Out style.  It is in the color black and seems to have a pretty thin fiber type wand. I have had other Be a Bombshell products before and they were ok. I expect this mascara to be a so so one.  I will do a full review if it happens to knock my socks off, but I'm guessing it will go into my drawer and only be used while on vacation or just to use it up. 

 Next up is a liquid eyeliner by  NICKAK New York.  I got the color green on the website they have 14 different colors listed. The website also lists the price at $4.99 each!   This is a water, smudge, and fad resistant liner.  I did a swatch and it really does give a good shimmer and holds.  I let it dry a few seconds and then tried to rub it and it didn't budge! I can see this being a fun pop of color this summer! It comes with a foam tip applicator that is very very thin so you can get a nice thin line or build it up to make a thicker line.  I will definitely be wearing this!

Last but not least is a cleanser by Skinn. It says it's a "Olive & Enzyme Cleanser.  Rich balm make-up remover and deep cleansing mask".  The instructions say to rub it on your face in a circular motion and then rinse with warm water or a warm wet wash cloth.  Or for a deep clean to put it on like a mask, leave it for 5-10 minutes and then wash off.  I used this to get the eye liner off my hand and it seemed to work well.  The smell is really nice!  It smells like a tropical drink.  That may sound odd but you know what I mean! The smell is nice the texture is smooth like a lotion.  I am excited to try this out to get off my make up! 

Well that was my Ipsy bag!  Do you get Ipsy yet?!  What did you get? What are you loving this month? 

Love, Lacey

May Empties 2014

It's that time of month again, NO! Not THAT time of month.  The time of month where I show you my trash! I mean, empties!  Each month I throw in a bag all of the products I have used up and then show them to you.  It's a good way for me to tell you what I like and don't like.  If you have used a product all the way up you probably have a good idea if it works or not.  So here we go!

First off we have my favorite powder! This is the Rimmel Stay Matte powder and I got the color translucent. This powder is great!  I apply mine with a brush and it's not cakey or thick.  It's light but yet sets everything to a nice matte (but not too matte) finish.  And at around $5 you can't beat the price! I have already repurchased this product!

Don't adjust your screen, this is a mini bottle of hairspray!  This is the big sexy hair weather proof hairspray.  I got this sample in my ipsy bag and I used it all.  I will say, I wasn't impressed with it really.  I think it's supposed to give you a light, moveable hold but I felt like it was nothing.  I didn't feel like it held my hair at all. I was NOT a fan of this hairspray and with a price of around $20, not worth it in my opinion.

Next up is the NYX HD photogenic concealer in the color light.  The bottle says "Good for all skin types and softens lines. Its light diffusing effect is perfect for photos in the studio or for taking fun pix with your pals!" This was a nice liquid concealer. It went on smoothly and was easy to blend out.  It didn't give me the coverage I was looking for to cover up my dark circles (still searching for that) but on blemishes and extra red spots it was good.  I bought mine for around $5 at Ulta! I am currently trying out a few different concealers in my pursuit of dark circle coverage but I would repurchase this!

I have been trying to wear my hair more natural lately (insert me being lazy). So I have been getting out of the shower, towel drying my hair, and then putting in some mousse.  This one is by Aussie and it's called Catch the wave!  It's supposed to be a mousse and leave-in conditioner in one. The bottle says it's flexible hold and I would for the most part agree.  I usually use a big handful so a few spots in my hair get a little crunchy (which I don't mind) but for the most part it just helps my hair's wave get a little more defined. I am currently trying out a different mousse but would repurchase this!

Here is a super exciting one! Multipurpose solution for my contacts.  I buy the cheap up & up brand.  I think it does just as good of a job as any and it's about half the price!  I usually buy these in a two pack for around $9.  I purchased a different store brand this month but I will use up & up again!

This product I am having trouble finding in stores! I may have to just order on line because I really do like it!  This is the St. Ives Timeless skin, collagen elastin moisturizer. It says it "visbly reduces appearance of fine lines & wrinkles".  It says it's dermatologist tested and non-comedogenic.  I found this moisturizer through a friend (Hey JODIE!) and have LOVED it!  I bought mine at Walgreens for around $6 for a 10oz bottle, which is a lot of moisturizer! The only thing I don't love is it doesn't have any spf in it. Other than that, I found this to go on smooth and sink in quickly without a residue.  I really liked this for my night time moisturizer where I could really slather it on and let it soak in overnight. I will definitely be repurchasing this product to use mostly at night. Now that the weather is turning warm I don't tend to wear foundation (so no extra spf). I am currently trying a new moisturizer with spf in it for the summer so I will let you know how that goes!

I hope this was helpful for you and maybe you found a new product you want to try!

Question of the day

What product have you used up this month that you MUST repurchase ASAP?

Love, Lacey

April Empties 2014

Welcome to the April addition of my trash empties!  If you don't know what an empties post is, it's basically where I show you what I used up over the month and what I thought about it.  If you use ALL of something, even if it's trial size, I feel like you have a pretty good opinion of the product.  So I'm going to show you the product, where you can buy it, and what I thought about it.  Ready? Here we go!!

First up is this Jojoba Charcoal facial scrub by Michael Todd True Organics. I received this sample from my Ipsy glam bag (you can sign up here) a few months ago.  I had heard a lot of hype about Michael Todd and his True Organics line and so I was excited to try it.  I will say this is a nice face scrub.  The scrubbing beads are not harsh, the smell is nice, and it's black so you really get the feeling that the active charcoal is doing its job.  Here is the link if you are interested in buying the full size it is $18.50 for 3.4 oz. I did like this product.  I probably would not purchase it for myself because there are other scrubs I like more. But this would be a special treat if you need a mother's day present for your mama!

It's a 10 miracle leave-in product is our next empty.  I have owned this for over a year.  It's a spray and leave in conditioner.  You apply it when your hair is wet and simply brush it through and style your hair as normal.  It's supposed to do 10 things instantly! 1. Repairs dry, damaged hair, 2. Adds shine, 3. Detangles, 4. Control frizz, 5. Seals & protects hair color, 6. Prevents split ends, 7. Stops hair breakage, 8. Creates silkiness, 9. Enhances natural body,  10. Flat iron spray & thermal protector. That's a LOT to promise out of one bottle but I can tell you I really like this product.  I do think it's helped my hair grow stronger and just generally seem healthier.  It's not a cheap product but it lasts a LONG time because you only use a little bit. You can buy it off Amazon here. But I will say I have seen it in CVS & I bought mine for cheaper from my stylist so ask yours about it! I am currently trying out a different leave in condition but I will most likely be repurchasing this product!

Next up is a shampoo from Suave Professionals. This is the sleek shampoo which is suppose to help with dry or frizzy hair. I loved this shampoo.  I don't think it worked any miracles for my hair but I do think it helped with my frizziness (is that a word?). It lathered well which I like and rinsed away easily. I will probably repurchase this product in the future.  It's not very expensive around $3 for 28 oz.  I'm sure there are more amazing shampoos but I did like this one!  Here is a link to Target's website if you want to see what all it claims to do! 

Up next is a Deep Cleanser with red clay by First Aid Beauty. I received this sample size through my ipsy bag (thank you ipsy for all the fun samples).  I absolutely LOVED this cleanser!!  The smell is very light and it seems to be gentle on the skin but really does get deep down and really clean the skin. I felt like my skin was clearer using this product.  You can purchase this online (here) or at your local sephora.  This is another that I don't think I would purchase for myself because it's $24 for 4.7 oz. But this would also be a great gift for some one that loves skin care! 

And last but NOT least are these makeup remover cleansing towelettes.  These are the Up&Up (Target) brand.  They are comparable to Ponds Clean Sweep.  I am a big fan of makeup remover wipes.  I feel like they help get off all the makeup so that my cleanser can do it's job and cleanse my actual skin! I have tried a few different ones but these have worked so well. They take off all my makeup, they don't irritate my skin, and don't burn my eyes!  I think they were pretty cheap (around $4?) and I will DEFINITELY be repurchasing these! Here is the link to Target's website where you can read about them but they are not sold online. 

Well that seems to be all I have emptied this month in the way of beauty.  I will be sure to add in any running related empties in the coming months too!

Disclaimer: I do NOT make any money for you clicking on these links.  They are just to help you find the products.  I will always give you my honest opinion and tell you if I'm being compensated for a link or product. 

Love, Lacey

Walgreens Blackhead Clearing Scrub Review

I want to share with you my current favorite face wash.  The Walgreen's brand Blackhead Clearing Scrub.  It is equal to Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser Scrub. 

The active ingredient in this face wash is salicylic acid (2%).  If you read my last review( here) of a face wash you will know I need salicylic acid in my washes.  It helps my face stay clear and gets my face really clean! I also like a face wash with a little bit of a exfoliate.  Something that I feel like it's taking off the dead skin but not going to do damage if I use it daily.  So here we are with the Blackhead Clearing Scrub.  I bought this on a whim while I was at Walgreen's.  I needed more face wash and saw this and thought Hey for $4 if I hate it then I'm not out too much.  

Let me give you the pros! This face wash is definitely gentle enough to use every day and it gives a nice tingle when you wash your face!

Now for the only con I came up with . . . the smell.  It doesn't bother me but it definitely has a bit of a medicine type smell.  So if you are easily offended you may want to take a whiff before you buy it.

My over all feelings on this wash is that I really love it!  The price is low, it lasts a long time, and it keeps my face clean!  I do only use it at night.  I could use it twice a day and it would be fine, but I feel like when I wake up my face isn't dirty enough to need a scrub.  I really do like this wash and will continue using it!  I would recommend this to anyone who has combo skin.  Just make sure you follow up with a good moisturizer. 

Love, Lacey

Makeup Monday: Face Wash Review

I'm not one to change up my face washing routine too often.  My skin isn't sensitive per say but it is a bit picky about what I use.  What I mean by that is I won't necessarily get a rash or hives or anything from something new (like when I was younger!) but my face will break out or be more oily than normal. So I'm not one to change things up too often but when a new product comes out that I think may work for me I have to try it!  Especially if it's by a brand that I have loved in the past.  So without further adieu I give you the Simple brand Smoothing Facial Scrub.

The bottle is 5 fl oz and says it has 2 vital vitamins, 1 skin loving exfoliator, and 0 dyes or perfumes.  It contains Pro-vitamin B5 to help restore, soften, and smooth skin. It also contains vitamin E to moisturize and help improve skins condition.  It also contains rice granules to help gently exfoliate and brighten.

What I liked about this product and why I bought it was that the brand Simple has been good to me.  They make a face wipe that is AMAZING!  If you like facial cleansing wipes DO try those!  Seen here at Target.  They honestly get everything off your face.

 So I was excited to see a face wash by the brand with exfoliators in it.  Unfortunately there wasn't much I liked about this product besides the brand.  The exfoliators that are in this scrub are very very gentle.  Definitely something you could use everyday BUT they are so small and not very many in the product that I didn't feel like it was scrubbing my face evenly.  I would get a good scrub in some places and nothing in others.  And by the time I was done rubbing it all around I felt like I was just rubbing water on my face.  I didn't feel like it had much washing power.  I also prefer a face wash with salicylic acid in it, which I knew this didn't have from the beginning but I don't think that helped my non-love of it.  The price isn't bad at around $5 but I feel like if you want a face wash that is going to give you a really good scrub there are plenty out there for around the same price point that will do a much better job.  Sorry Simple brand but this one is a NO in my books. 

What is your favorite face wash? Have you tried this one?

Love, Lacey

Makeup Monday on a Wednesday Morning

Wow have I been failing a LOT lately!  I wanted to posted at least 3 times a week.  Monday, Wednesday, & Friday being the easiest days to post.  So I came up with a list of things to post about and then would add in every day life.  And here we are Wednesday morning and I still haven't posted my makeup Monday!  Well lucky for you I'm posting it now!  Not only that but I even braved the blizzard outside to take some really cool pics of the products in the snow!

I currently subscribed to a monthly makeup bag called Ipsy!  It is basically a monthly grab bag of make up and skin or hair care goodies.  When you sign up, you take a quiz about your coloring, what kind of make up you wear, what kind of skincare you like, all sorts of things.  Each month you receive a make up bag and 4 or 5 items. I thought it would be fun to share what I get each month.  Here is what was in my December Ipsy bag!

There is a picture of everything and the bag.  Sorry about the flash on the eye shadow but at least you can see the brands and how it all fits in there. 

So the first thing I pulled out of the bag was this eye shadow trio by POP. It's a great neutral color palette.  The shades are a bit shimmery but still really lovely together.  I had never really heard of this brand before, which is another fun thing that you get to try new brands.  But I think it seems like a pretty good quality product.  I would say it's similar to an Elf or NYX brand. 

Speaking of NYX!  I got this really nice lipstick.  It's from their extra creamy round lipstick line.  It is definitely creamy! I really like this color (which is always hit or miss for a grab bag) it's like a brownish red. There isn't a color name but a number B52.   I wish I would have been able to take a good picture of the color swatch. I will have to look up some tips and tricks to taking good swatch pictures! But the color is really nice and the staying power is pretty average.  But the moister is really great and seems to stay on your lips. 

This product is from a company that I have received before in the Ipsy bag.  The last time I got a lip crayon from the company "Be a Bombshell".  I really liked that lip crayon.  It was almost a stain in it's staying power and yet another great color.  So I was excited to see another product from them.  This one is called The One Stick.  As the name would suggest you can use this stick anywhere.  This color (girl crush) is a light pinky lavender color.  I think it would be pretty on the lips in the summer but for winter it's a bit cool.  But that didn't stop me from trying it out!  I just used it as a highlight!  The light, cool, and shimmery color was perfect for the top of my cheekbones!  

This is a roll on perfume oil from the company Demeter.  I have received a roll on perfume oil from them before in the scent "beach" but this one is called "snow".  I'm not sure how to describe the scent?  Wet soil comes to mind.  Or tree bark?  It's very earthy.  It's not my cup of tea but I'm sure someone likes it! The staying power of these oils isn't the best.  I feel like I have to reapply multiple times a day to keep the scent going.  But I guess with the small size and roll on feature I could just throw it in my purse.  

Hello beautiful nail polish! I have never heard of this brand before.  It's from a brand called Nicka K New York.  The color is called Ripe Apple and I think that is a great description! The color is a gorgeous apple red.  I put it on my toes for Mr. J's Christmas party and it looked great peaking out of my black shoes.  The coverage was good, there wasn't really a smell or anything bad about it.  And the rose gold handle is a great detail on the bottle! 

And last but not least the bag.  The bag is about the size of a small clutch, made of a plastic type material and has an almost quilted look.  It's all black on the outside and the inside is a gorgeous dark dark red.   These are great for traveling, an in your purse makeup bag, or even to use as a clutch for a night out. 

Now for the best thing about Ipsy, it's $10 a month!  Yep that's it!  To give you an idea of what kind of deal this is, the Be a Bombshell One stick? That is $16 on their website!  And each month you are getting to try some great items.  Each month they also give you promo codes so if you really love something or want to buy more you can save!  I really do love this subscription.  Sure I've gotten a couple duds but not many!  If you are interested you can Sign up Here!

Love, Lacey

Face Masque

Oh another make up Monday! I wanted to share with you one of my favorite masques. It's the Queen Helene, The Original Mint Julep Masque.  It says it helps dry up acne pimples, rinse away blackheads & shrink enlarged pores.

I bought this masque quite some time ago and it seems be lasting a long time.  I use it about once a week or every other week depending on how my skin is looking & feeling.  If I have a spot or an area on my face that is giving me troubles I will apply it just to that area.  For instance, I have combo skin.  My T-zone gets really oily sometimes and so occasionally I will rub this on just my t-zone.   It has a really refreshing cooling feeling.  Almost like a nice tingle effect and I really feel like it's working. 

This mask is super easy to apply & rinse off.  I simply cleanse my skin with my normal skin care routine and then before I put on my moisturizer I apply a nice thin layer of the gorgeous green clay.  Then I simply carry on about my business until it dries up.  I wouldn't recommend leaving the house as it is a GREEN mask but hey! I guess if you feel comfortable then do it! Once it has completely dried and you can't move your face anymore, go ahead and run a sink full of nice warm or hot water.  Grab a washcloth, wet it down and start rubbing.  It will take awhile to get all the clay off and you will have to rinse your washcloth clean several times.  When I have it all rinsed off my face, I tend to do a few splashes of warm water just to really give a good clean rinse.  I pat my face dry and then apply a good amount of moisturizer.  I feel like if I'm taking out a bunch of bad junk from my skin I want to make sure I replenish the good with my moisturizer. 

I bought my mask at Walgreens for $7. You can also find it online (http://amzn.com/B00008CMOQ) and really in any retail store. I've seen it in Ulta, Walmart, CVS, just look around!  I hope you try it out!  It's a really nice relaxing thing to do to pamper yourself after a LONG day! Give it a try! 

Love, Lacey!