March Beauty Subscriptions

Do to extremely annoying technical difficulties, this month's beauty subscriptions are coming to you in a blog post, instead of a video. I apologize for depriving you of our lovely, smiling faces. :) Let me talk about Ipsy first.

We both receive Ipsy, and this month received the exact same things.

Every single Ipsy subscriber received the exact same four items. In the exact same colors. A bit disappointing, not only because of the sameness, but because of the number. Although they are four nice sized samples, we are used to five or six. Let's get into the items we did receive.

First, a bareMinerals lipstick in Get Ready, from their new Moxie line. It's a beautiful berry shade that is smooth and velvety. I love the color and texture. It came with a coupon for a sample of the mascara in the Moxie line, and free shipping for my next order. Bonus!

Verdict:  I love it. I wish it lasted a bit longer, and didn't cost so much, but I love pretty much anything from the bareMinerals line.

Next,  Nicole by O·P·I in On What Grounds? Roughles (pronounced ruffles), textured nail polish. It's a lovely shade of light blue, and a full size bottle.

Verdict:  O·P·I is a great nail polish. I love the color. I'm just not a huge fan of textured polish. I know it's the IT thing right now, just not for me.

Next, a gorgeous eyeshadow quad from Be a Bombshell, in Nora Nora. Two fairly neutral brown shades, a coppery color, and a bright turquoise.  We get samples from Be a Bombshell frequently, and I am never disappointed.

Verdict:  Soft, shimmery, very pigmented, beautiful colors. I love it. Be a Bombshell makes quality products. Don't be afraid of the bright colors. A little bit of the turquoise with the browns looks fantastic. Have fun with them!

Lastly, Flawless Beauty Primer by pixi. In the past, I received a mascara by pixi, that I really liked. I was disappointed to find out that it cost $18. A little pricey for my budget, but if I have a little extra, definitely worth the investment.

Verdict:  The primer is light, smooth, and a bit thinner than most primers. It gives minimal coverage as well, since it is tinted. I love it. It is a really good primer. It gives you a nice glowy finish too. So if you prefer a more matte finish, you will want to use a powder over. I really like it.

Overall verdict:  Although I was a little disappointed about the fewer products, and the fact that everyone received the exact same things, Ipsy was a hit, as usual.

Tiffany's February 2014 Ipsy Review

If you've seen the video on our YouTube channel (hint, hint), then you know what I received in my February 2014 Ipsy bag. Now that I've had a chance to use the products, I'm going to tell you whether or not I liked them.

First, I received Pop Beauty Plumper Pout Mini, in Peony Petal. Since Melanie also gets Ipsy now, and she received the same, in Fushia Freesia, and I like the lighter colors, and she likes darker colors, we traded.

I love it! The color looks intense, but when applied, is a gorgeous sheer color. Very low on the stickiness scale. (I may have just made that up). It also lasts a while. Huge bonus! As for plumping, I didn't really notice a difference.

Verdict:  The product that claims to be have the high shine of a gloss, and the long lasting power of a stain, lives up to the promise. However, if you were wanting it for its plumping abilities, I'd try something else. Even without the plumping, I'm a big fan.


Next, I received Zoya polish in Dot. I get Zoya polish frequently in these subscription plans. It's a decent polish, that is fairly chip resistant. It always seems to be sheer, so it needs a few coats.

Verdict:  Zoya makes a pretty good polish, and I enjoy the colors I receive, however, I don't really have a brand loyalty when it comes to nail polish. I tend to just grab what appeals to me at the store.

First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay. This is a facial cleanser that is supposed to deep clean, minimize pores, draw out toxins, the works.

Verdict: By far, my favorite product in my Ipsy bag, and the one I am most likely to purchase full size. This stuff makes my skin feel amazing! I am normally an oil cleanser, but I love this stuff. My skin is sooo soft, after I use it. None of that squeaky clean, tight feeling with a lot of facial cleansers. I definitely notice a difference in my pores too, like when I do a bentonite clay mask, but without the waiting. My chin blemishes, that pop up a certain time of the month, were practically non-existent. Normally, I have to do a couple of masks for these results. A++++

J. Cat Eyelashes and Eyelash Glue. I think I have pretty decent eyelashes, and rarely wear false lashes, but sometimes I think they're fun. J. Cat, is still in the beginning stages I think, because they don't have a huge product line yet. I am, however, already a big fan. I love their lip glosses, eyeliners, and very affordable prices. This is my first time with their lashes though. Since I don't apply lashes very often, it's kind of a lengthy, messy process. This process was made quite a bit easier with J. Cat's black glue. I know right! Black glue. It's fantastic! So much easier to blend with eyeliner and lashes, with black glue.

Verdict:  Although I probably still won't wear false lashes very often, when I do, I will definitely look to J. Cat. Affordable, natural looking, and BLACK glue! I liked them so much better than all the other brands I have tried. They were so much easier to use, and didn't take much to blend them into my natural lashes. Score another one for J. Cat!

Lastly, I received a Jessie's Girl 9 Pan Eyeshadow Pallet in The Eyes Have It. I immediately loved the colors. Perfect for my green eyes. Unfortunately, they are pretty sheer colors. Very smooth, but very light. I gave the pallet to Melanie's 16 year-old daughter. I'll let her give the verdict on this one.

Verdict:  Some of the colors in this pallet were too light for me, not showing up well enough and, others were the perfect shade for me. I overall enjoyed eye shadow.

Thanks Michaela!

Overall, I was very happy with my Ipsy bag, as usual. I love discovering new brands and products in my monthly beauty subscriptions. It's also great to get the samples of pricier products, to make sure you like it before you spend too much money on something you end up hating. So worth it.

Mikey from 8 Crazy Navy Brats March 8, 2014