Ipsy March Bag

Welcome back lovelies.
It's time for Ipsy's March bag, which was themed... "Destination Beauty." I have already started planning our vacation, so I was very excited for this month's bag. Every product I received is perfect for a vacation! I received my bag a little early (the 17th... St. Patrick's Day) giving me plenty of time to play with my goodies before posting this. This month we received 4 instead of 5 products plus the bag, but all the products are of great quality. When I first saw the makeup bag on the Ipsy web site, I was not very impressed. But when it came in, I thought... this is actually really cute. The design on the bag is from an artist named Klari Reis (if you are interested in her work, visit www.klariart.com). Nice job Klari!

My Ipsy March goodies

Klari Reis's design on the March makeup bag

And now for the products!

bareMinerals - Marvelous Moxie Lipstick

I was hoping to get the bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipgloss, but I am extremely happy that I received the lipstick! The color is called Get Ready, which is rosy pink that looks great on all skin tones. The Marvelous Moxie lipstick glides on like butter and leaves your lips feeling smooth and soft. I will definitely be looking into purchasing more colors. I only wish that the lipstick was full sized and not a deluxe sample, but this is a great travel size.

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in "Get Ready"

Chella - Indigo Blue Eyeliner

I have heard great things about Chella and I was very happy to finally receive a product from them. When I saw a blue eyeliner, my excitement level went down (I already have 2, one being from MAC and I love it). When I took it out of the bag everything changed... I was back to being very excited! This is an Indigo blue eyeliner pen and it has a very thin tip for that perfect line and cat eye! Another product that just glides on, very easy to use (which I didn't think it would be), and looks incredible on! This product is NOT just for vacation!

Chella Indigo Blue Eyeliner Pen

Swatches of bareMinerals lipstick in "Get Ready" and Chella Eyeliner

NYX Love in Rio Eye Shadow

I am definitely a NYX fan.  The brand has great products, great colors, amazing prices, and is carried at Target and Ulta. The Love in Rio Eye palette comes with 3 complimentary colors. I received the palette in Moonlit Skinny Dip, which has a light beige, warm/medium beige, and a rich dark chocolate... absolutely beautiful! I know that some people have said that some NYX shadows are not very pigmented, personally I have never had an issue. But for those who do, I say to use a shadow primer (Too Faced has their Eye Insurance which works wonders), plus your shadow will last all day. I have not opened my palette in hopes of trading it either with a friend or my sister (both who are still waiting for their bags). I already own NYXs S119 Nude on Nude Palette which include these 3 colors. If I am not able to trade, I will definitely use it because the colors are beautiful and useful and the palette is the perfect travel size. 

NYX Love in Rio Shadow Palette in "Moonlit Skinny Dip"

Pixi Beauty Flawless Beauty Primer

This was another deluxe sample sized product. I have always been iffy about primers... do they really do anything? I have applied the Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer many times now and yes, I definitely saw a difference in my makeup. The primer feels great on the skin (leaving it feeling soft) and makes my foundation looking amazingly smooth. I also noticed that my makeup lasted longer without touch ups. Great job Pixi! This is another product that I will be purchasing in the future.

Pixi's Flawless Beauty Primer

Swatch of the Pixi Primer (you can see a little bit of the color)

I will give the March Ipsy bag a 5 out of 5. These are all great products that I will definitely keep using and purchase in the future. Also, the bag was surprisingly nice and useful. Keep up the good work Ipsy!

I can't wait for Tuesday for the April sneak peeks to start!

If you are interested in subscribing... here is my referral link to Ipsy.

How was your March bag? What was your favorite product?

See you next time!

xoxo

Qttie1

Ipsy February Bag

Ipsy's February theme was "The Look of Love" right in time for Valentine's Day.  Well, I was sick for Valentine's and I got my bag on the 20th (like usual)... but it was still a GREAT bag!  I was happy with all of the products that I received. Oh, and I also redeemed some points... so it was like I got an extra gift!

I LOVE the bag... it's small, cute, and PINK!!!  I will definitely get a lot of use out of this bag itself. You can see the bag... hiding in the back... being covered... why didn't I take a picture of just the bag?!?!

Now for all of the goodies that came inside (don't they look fun?).  I guess that I am going to list them in the order that I tried everything.

Pop Beauty - Plump Pout Mini

How cute is this lipgloss mini?  The size is perfect!  It fits in your purse, clutch, even your pocket... I will probably be cursing out the size when I run out!  I got the Pop Beauty lipgloss in Fuchsia Freesia. The color is nice and bright with a very glossy finish.  What I really like about the gloss is that even though it is a lip plumper, your lips do not get that weird tingling feeling.  Ok, honestly I have never tried a lip "plumper" that actually plumps my lips, but all the ones that I have tried have had that tingliness (I may have made up that word). Also, the gloss does not leave your lips feeling sticky! Thank goodness!  I hate sticky lipglosses!  So, I was extremely happy with this product.

Zoya Nail Polish

You know I love my nail polish (I have a subscription to a nail polish beauty box for heaven's sake!), so of course I was happy to receive this... AND I love Zoya polishes.  I received the color DOT, which is a creamy, petal pink and looks soooo classy and beautiful.  I received many compliments on my manicure with Dot.  With it being such a light color, you need a minimum of 2 coats, even 3 is not bad. My manicure lasted a full week, which is great.  I absolutely love this polish and will definitely re-purchase it.

+

Tini Beauty Eyetini Cream Shadow and Base in One

More liquid shadow!  I have to say that I was hoping for a different shade, but the purple family works very well for me... so I can't complain.  I received the Eyetini in the color Violette, which is very beautiful.  It was a little strange that the applicator looks like one you would find on a lipgloss, but who am I to judge?  If you apply the shadow right from the applicator to your eyelids, you get a lot of product, which can be nice.  If not, you can dot your lids with the applicator and smudge the shadow with your fingers (or brush) for less product.  In the end both techniques work and look beautiful. I definitely like this product!

J. Cat Eyelashes and Eyelash Glue

My lashes are pretty long as it is and I have already gotten fake lashes in another Ipsy bag, so I was not very happy about getting these.  This is my 3rd pair (2nd from Ipsy) and I am still trying to perfect the art of putting them on.  With all that being said, I got excited when I actually saw them. I got the J. Cat Eyelashes in EL13 and once I get them on right, they are going to look awesome!  And I love that they came with the glue! I cannot wait for the next date night or Girls Night Out to wear them.  I was pleasantly surprised with these!

skynn Iceland Fresh Start Mask with Ice Age Mud

I haven't found a great or miraculous face mask that I love (if anyone has a recommendation please let me know), so I was really excited about getting this product. So can you believe that I still have not tried this? I keep saying that I will try it on a weekend just in case I have a reaction to it, I don't want to go to work with a red or bumpy face! This is a 2 step mask that you do weekly for 10 minutes. The treatment is supposed to polish and re-texturize your skin.  Step 1 is made up of a blue clay and 13,000 year old mud from the Ice Age.  Step 2 is a gel that detoxifies the skin.  I will definitely be trying skynn mask this weekend and report on my findings.

AND FINALL... I redeemed my points... I couldn't help it!  I picked the KISS Nail Art Kit... the other 2 choices was a beauty blender (which I have) or a NYX shadow palette (which I have one like the one offered). I also thought it would be fun to do some crazy, cool designs on my nails.  I opened it, but have not had time to really play with everything.  I will post pictures once I start experimenting.

I give the February bag a 5 out of 5  One product that I thought I wouldn't like, I wound up liking. The other, I wanted, received it, but haven't tried it... so technically my score for this bag can change! Overall I am extremely happy with my bag.  Now onto March's bag....

What did you get in your February bag? Have you ever traded a product?

xoxo

Qttie1 

Catch Up

Hello!  Well, it has been a while since my last post.  I hope that everyone is doing well. Between getting sick for Valentine's Day (can you believe that? Come to think about it, I have gotten sick for every holiday!), my dad taking a last minute trip to the Dominican Republic to see my grandfather (Grandpa's a Valentine's baby, so dad missed Valentine's and my mom's birthday dinner!), tutoring my niece, work has been extremely busy, getting sick again, and then my husband getting sick (he is feeling a lot better today)... it has been a crazy month!

So, where do I begin?  Oh, Urban Decay!  I had placed my order with Urban Decay for the Friends and Fanatics event and I got my order in 3 days!  I received it before my due date, which I could not believe... how often does that happen?  Urban Decay definitely has their stuff together.  My order was perfectly packed in purple tissue paper that says "Beauty with an Edge"... how cool is that?  I received my Naked palette (I absolutely LOVE it), my Revolution lipstick in 69 (OMG!!!!), and a sample of Urban Decay's favorite 4 Revolution lipsticks... F-Bomb (which I was very tempted to buy), Naked, Obsessed, and Anarchy (which I have).  Pictures to come soon.

As I mentioned before, I was sick on Valentine's Day... I actually went to work, but was feeling pretty miserable, so no pictures.  My hubby gave me a funny and cute card, tulips, and we had a great fondue dinner at home.  If you have never had fondue, at a restaurant or at home, you must really try it.  It is a lot of fun!  We had lobster tails, shrimps, scallops, and filet mignon with home made sauces!  Soooo, yummy!  We even made some delicious strawberry daiquiris (I know I was sick, but I had to celebrate with one).

My beautiful tulips after they opened.

Mom's birthday dinner, again no pictures because I was sick  AND then I forgot to take pictures of the birthday girl!  Dinner was fun (even though dad was not there).  She was very happy with her gift... a mani, pedi, face mask, and face scrub  We can't wait to go to the spa for our girl's day!

I received both my February and March Ipsy bags.  I will be doing two separate posts on these.  My March bag actually came in early and I have used all but one product... the NYX eyeshadow.  I am hoping to trade the eyeshadow with a friend for a different color. 

I skipped the Julep March box, but they had a Limited Edition The Wizard of Oz box!  I LOVE The Wizard of Oz, it was one of my favorite books as a child and one of my favorite movies.  So, of course I had to buy it (post coming soon). I even love the box the polishes came in!

Recently the hubby, my family, and I attended a car show at Bedner's Farm Fresh Market.  So this is a farm in Boynton Beach, Florida where you can pick your own strawberries, peppers, tomatoes, and sunflowers (which I am allergic to).  They also have a small grocery store that sells home grown and organic vegetables, fruits, jams, jellies, salsas, etc.  The place is awesome! Around St. Patrick's Day a car club called the Asphalt Angels hold a car show at Bedner's.  Most of the club members showcase their classic cars and anyone can enter their own car to win prizes.  The hubby's thinking about entering his Camaro at next year's event.  As you can see from the pictures below, there are a variety of cars that are showcased (yes, that is a Delorean that someone had)!  The event has different vendors selling sunglasses, jewelry, plants, fresh squeezed lemonade, hot dogs, and there is even a BBQ food truck with great food!  This year they had a group of kids dancing and a petting zoo for the children. We had a great time, but I got a little sunburned (I'm actually peeling right now, uggghhh!).

One of the strawberries that I picked.

Mom and I picking strawberries.

Hubby and I looking down at the cars.

I had a guest at work that I had been helping who gave me a beautiful gift  She has a company named All Girls Love Pearls.  And THIS girl does love pearls!  This was a great gift for me.  Thank you very much Lisa Beek!

So now we get to this past weekend... St. Patrick's Day weekend.  Yes, it should have been fun, but I wound up with a sore throat... AGAIN!  So, what do you do when you are sick?  Sleep and watch television.  Last time I was sick, I watched seasons 1-3 of The Walking Dead... again.  Sunday brought me to QVC.  Oh, QVC, you can be very addictive!  AND this Sunday they had an hour called Beauty's Most Wanted.  They were advertising the Muppets' new movie, Muppets Most Wanted, while showcasing some of the best beauty brands with their bestselling items.  Of course I found something I wanted.  I love the brand Tarte.  I had a makeover done last year by a Tarte makeup artist and I fell in love with the brand.  I contemplated the purchase, but how can you say no when you can make 3 easy payments?!?! :)  The price was great (9 products for under $70)... 2 of the products I have been wanting to purchase and those 2 alone are worth over $70!  My order shipped today and I will post it when it comes in.  

The other great news?  Ulta is having their 21 Days of Beauty!  I received the ad on Saturday and the sales started on Sunday.  They have absolutely AH-MAZ-ING deals!  For those of you who don't know about the 21 Days of Beauty... each day Ulta has a great product at a great price.  For example, 2 London Butter nail polishes for $15 (normally $15 individually), Smashbox Photo Finish primer for $18 (normally $36), or Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush for $15 (normally $30).  Plus there are extra deals or free products with purchase.  Ulta had one of these sales in September 2013, around the Ipsy/Benefit Lashbash time and I was able to get Benefit gifts for my contests (yes, I will post on my Lashbash soon).  If you plan on going to an Ulta store, arrive early because most stores receive about 4 of each product that is significantly discounted (this is what I was told by an Ulta employee last time). I'm actually going this Saturday for the Benefit deal.

Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty Ad

What have you been up to?  Any special purchases (does not have to be beauty related)? Are you planning to go to Ulta for the 21 Days of Beauty?  If so, let me know what you find.

Take care.

xoxo

Qttie1

Weekend of February 7th

I had a pretty good weekend... relaxing and running errands.  I have had a bit of a sore throat, so i didn't want to go crazy with activities.  Plus we are celebrating my mother's birthday this weekend... so I want to be feeling 100% for that!

I received a gift for helping a friend at Prestige Cosmetics (thanks Pat).  I received 6 eye shadow sticks and a mascara from their new Total Intensity line.  I also got a goldish lipstick named "Lust."  On Friday I played with these colors for a while (even though I had a migraine), and Yes, I will be doing a post on them.  Again, Thanks Pat!

We ran to Walmart on Saturday and my hubby got me another Maybelline Elixir and 2 Rimmel Show Off glosses!  I am absolutely addicted to these products.  I think that I now have 5 Elixirs and 4 Show Offs! Maybelline has a great variety of colors for the Elixirs and they are extremely glossy.  Rimmel's Show Offs are incredibly pigmented and also has great colors.  I also plan to do a post on these.

Yesterday I received an e-mail from Urban Decay for their Friends and Fanatics Event. 20% off of UD products is INCREDIBLE!!!!  Last time they had an offer like this was around the holidays time and even though I have been wanting the Naked palette (can you believe that even though I have tried the palette and have read soooo many great reveiws, that I don't own one?) I didn't get it.  I told myself that the next time UD had this event again, I would treat myself.  Sooooo... I ordered it yesterday!  I also got a Revolution Lipstick in the color 69 (which I have also been after).  I have the color Anarchy, and absolutely LOVE it.  The Revolution Lipsticks are very moisturizing and come in gorgeous colors.  My order shipped this morning and I should be getting it by Friday or Saturday.  To get 20% off (until February 14) use the code FFSPRING14.  And if you spend $50 or more, USPS shipping is free (thanks to RetailMeNot).

Today my Ipsy Glam Room updated and I am soooooo excited!  I love the products that I will be getting in my February bag and cannot wait!  I will definitely be posting pics on my bag when I receive it!

What did you do this weekend?
Any great buys?


Thanks for reading.

xoxo Qttie1

February Julep Maven - The Dramatic Collection

The theme for the February Julep Maven box is "The Dramatic Collection".... and oh were the colors ah-maz-ing and intense!  I found it sooo hard to pick a box because all of the Maven profiles had such great colors!  AND the beauty product this month was a liquid eye shadow and the colors offered were also incredible!  This made my decision even harder.  I have never tried a liquid eye shadow, so I decided to opt out of the "It Girl" and after about half an hour of looking at all of the other profiles, I decided on the "Classic With a Twist."  Once I figured that I wanted that box, I spent another 10 minutes trying to figure out what color, out of the 4 available, I wanted for the liquid eye shadow.... I decided to go with "Warm Fig Shimmer."  The free gift for this month?  An extra polish named "Love." How awesome is that?!?!

My Julep box arrived on Saturday, February 1 and I was NOT disappointed!  All of the colors are absolutely beautiful!

Every month we get a little card with an inspirational quote and this month, just like the box, I loved the quote:

The nail polishes in my February Maven box are:

Love

This was our free gift from Julep.  At first I thought that Love was going to be more of an accent color, but I was wrong!  The day I received my Maven box I painted all of my nails with this color. The polish is a light gold metallic with glitter specs of gold and a pinkish berry.  The name fits the color... I absolutely LOVE it!

Greta

Julep describes this color as a Loganberry with multidimensional microglitter,  Greta is beautiful and is actually the color that I currently have on.  I think it's a great color to get into the Valentine's Day spirit! Who doesn't love a glittery, purplish red nail polish?  

Octavia

A creamy Indigo blue, Octavia looks great on it's own, with some designs, or as an accent color.  I can't wait to wear this color out!  Octavia was my deciding factor on the "Classic With a Twist" box.

The Eye Sheen Liquid Shadow I picked is called Warm Fig Shimmer.  It was very hard to pick one eye sheen and I regret not purchasing the others!  While comparing all four offered, Warm Fig was my favorite.  I would describe the color as a mauvey copper (does that make sense?).  The eye sheen is easy to apply (with your finger or a brush), blendable, and buildable.  I hope that Julep keeps these eye sheens in stock because I will definitely be purchasing more!

I give my February Julep Maven box a 5 out of 5!  No complaints and I LOVED everything!  Good job Julep... I can't wait to see what the March box is going to offer.

If you would like to subscribe to Julep, you can join here: Julep.

What was your favorite color?

Have you tried a liquid eye shadow?  What are your thoughts on them?

Thanks for reading!

xoxo Qttie1

Ipsy January Bag

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service (yes, another one!) that costs $10 (US) a month and consists of all different types of beauty products.  Each month members get a makeup bag with Deluxe samples or Full Sized beauty products!  Normally you receive the bag and 5 products, which can be makeup, nail polish, moisturizer, hair products, etc. They offer a nice variety in each bag.  Ipsy has been, by far, one of my favorite services and you can't beat the price!

When you first sign up for Ipsy you take a beauty quiz.  This quiz helps determine what type of products you will receive.  Once you start receiving your bags, you can review each product.  With each review, you get points (you can redeem for special products) and it helps the people at Ipsy further determine the products and colors for your future bags.  You also get Ipsy points for referring friends to sign up.

On the first of each month, subscribers get charged for their bags.  At this time Ipsy starts releasing sneak peeks on the products that will be offered.  Sneak peeks can be seen on Ipsy's Facebook page, Instagram, and on the Ipsy website.  They are very careful to not show the brand name to keep everyone guessing and on their toes!  Each month has a theme and by the 10th of the month, the bags start going out and Glam Rooms open up.  Each subscriber has a Glam Room, which shows the product that you will be receiving in your bag.  As much as I don't want to peek at my Glam Room... I can't help it! I HAVE to look!  I normally get my bag on or around the 20th of the month.  I get soooo excited when I see the shiny, bright pink envelope in the mailbox!  It's like Christmas or your birthday every month!

I subscribed back in June 2013 and was placed on the Waiting List for 2 weeks... yes, they are that popular that they have a waiting list.  Currently it seems that it takes 2 months to get off the list.  I received my first bag in July and I have been hooked on Ipsy ever since.  I will post my past bags at a later time.

One thing that I love about Ipsy is the variety of products and brands that they offer.  I have discovered some great brands and have been given the opportunity to try brands that I have been tempted to try, but for one reason or another never did.

Another thing that I love about Ipsy is that they encourage their subscribers to get involved. Members are active on providing ideas and feedback on the Ipsy site and Facebook.  You can create looks and videos, follow other Ipsy members, answer and ask questions, and give each other beauty advice. Each month Ipsy holds contests dealing with the products that are offered and the winners receive great prizes! Oh, AND each month the products that are featured offer special promotions!  So you can either get a percentage off, free shipping, free gift with purchase, etc!  That's awesome!  Last year Ipsy and Benefit partnered up and had a Lashbash contest to promote Benefit's "They're Real" mascara. You had to fill out a form, submit a picture, and tell Ipsy and Benefit why you are the Hostess with the Mostest.  Winners had to throw a party with a goodies box provided by Ipsy and Benefit.  Guess what... I was a winner!  The party was sooo much fun and the goodies were AMAZING!!!! I will be doing a Lashbash post soon.

That leads into the January 2014 Ipsy bag.  This was the first month that I felt a little disappointed when I saw the products.  BUT when I received the bag and tried all of the products, I was pretty pleased.  Janauary's theme is "19 Reasons"... 19 reasons to make 2014 an amazing new year!

The 5 products that I received were the Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow, Nourish Organic - Lightweight Moisturizer Face Lotion, LeAnni Eco - 3 in 1 Revolution, MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm, and the Sexy Hair Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-in Conditioner.

Elizabeth Mott - Smooth Shadow

     The Smooth Shadow is a gel pencil and is one of the products that I was most excited about. Members who received this either got the color Pearl or Penny.  I received Penny and oh my goodness... I LOVE it!  The color is just like it sounds... it is a beautiful copper color like a penny and it is highly pigmented.  Asides from it being gorgeous, the shadow is waterproof and smudge proof... I could only take it off with makeup remover.  This was definitely my favorite product this month.

MicaBeauty - Tinted Lip Balm

     This was the second product that I was excited about getting.  Members who received this either got the color Fiesta or Natural.  I received the color Natural, which is darker than your regular nude. To me it looks like a pinkish brown color that works well with all skin tones, which is hard to find.  I love that you can wear this color anytime... dress it up with a smokey eye or you can do a natural any day look.  I carry this MicaBeauty lip balm every where I go!

Nourish Organic - Lightweight Moisturizing Face Lotion

     I am very picky when it comes to moisturizers.  It doesn't have to be expensive, but it can't make me break out, it has to have SPF, and it has to serve a purpose... moisturize. When Nourish Organic said lightweight, they meant it!  I seriously had to apply it 3 times in order for me to feel like I had moisturizer on! My other issues with this moisturizer is that it has a strange scent and felt a little sticky after I applied it.  On the good side, the moisturizer has Moroccan Aragan oil, Rosewater, and shea butter, which did leave my skin feeling soft.  Even though this product is great for sensitive skin, this is not something I will purchase.

LeeAnni Eco - 3 in 1 Revolution

     I was a little iffy about this product, again because I am very picky with moisturizers or any type of lotion that I put on my face. This 3 in 1 is a toner, serum, and moisturizer.  I have used the 3 in 1 Revolution a few times in the morning before doing my makeup for work and I have also used it at night before bed.  The texture is a little thick, but applies smooth and left my face feeling silky.  The only problem... no SPF, which I really need living in sunny Florida.  After trying this product, I am very happy with it and I will continue using this product at night.  

Sexy Hair - Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner

     Just like moisturizers, I am very picky about what I use on my hair.  I have naturally soft, curly hair, but I straighten it out all the time.  I have found that most products do not work well on my hair... it can dry it out, make it really oily, make it heavy, etc.  So, I was a little hesitant about receiving this leave in conditioner.  I have tried the Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave in Conditioner a few times and feel that although it smells nice, it leaves my hair feeling a little heavy and a little oily.  I think this product will be great in the summer when I have been to the beach and pool and my hair feels dry.  

 

Although I wouldn't consider this my favorite Ipsy bag, overall I was happy with it and will give the January bag a 4 out of 5.  I loved 2 products, liked 2 products, and 1 I just won't purchase (but at least got to try).  And who can forget about the makeup bag?  It's sooo cute!  Another product that I will definitely use!

If you love discovering and trying out new beauty products, Ipsy is for you!  You will absolutely love it.  Please use my referral code http://www.ipsy.com/r/12a3.

I hope that you enjoyed this post!  

xoxo Qttie1