Ipsy's April 2014 Glam Bag: Beauty Rocks

Hey Beauties!

I'm not going to lie to you, I was struggling to find a topic for this post. I have a couple in the works, but no where near being ready for today. I got lucky when I came home from work today because my Ipsy Bag was in my mailbox. Win!

Here's what came in my bag this month:

• dr. brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant
• Elizabeth Mott Pop! Goes the Shadow - Champagne
• Demeter Roll On Perfume Oil - Jasmine
• Cailyn Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm - Apple Pink
• Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil - Black Velvet

I haven't had much time to play around with these products yet so I don't have much to say here. I am super excited to try the Urban Decay Eyeliner though. I will let all of you know how that goes in a future post. Also, as we all know, I love Cailyn Cosmetics, so I'm excited to try the lip balm as well. 

What's your favorite Demeter scent?

Thanks for reading!

Brianna

My Makeup Removing Secret

Hello Bombshells,

Today we are talking all about my favorite makeup remover. I have tried just about everything when it comes to removing makeup and this one product has never failed me. 

Makeup remover, in liquid forms, have always proved to be too oily for my skin. Maybe I just haven't found that special brand yet, but for now I really can't stand my face feeling oily. Makeup removing wipes, in general, are quite expensive for the amount of wipes that come in a package. They work great, obviously, but they just don't fit well into my budget. I use makeup remover every day. A package of 16 or 20 wipes won't do me very well, especially when they can cost around $5 at some of their cheapest brands. So here is my little secret:

That's right, I use baby wipes. This also happens to be one of the cheapest brands too. I am well aware that I am not the first or the only person to use these to clean my face. They really get the job done and they are very cheap. This basic brand costs me $2 for 120 wipes at Walmart. You can also find cheap store brands at any other department or grocery store. I have used them all and recommend any of them. I prefer this brand because it is alcohol free and hypoallergenic with little to no scent. It also has aloe to help subtly moisturize while cleaning. I even use these wipes to clean my face if I'm going to skip using my face wash, not just for removing makeup. 

I've heard of a million different ways to remove makeup. This is my favorite way. What's yours?

Thanks for reading!

Brianna

NYC Ultra Moist Lipwear Review

Hey Beauties!

It's finally starting to feel like spring! So as the snow is melting and my house is defrosting, I figured I would give you another review. In this post I'll be reviewing the NYC Ultra Moist Lipwear in Petal and Cafe.

My boyfriend's mom actually turned me on to these because she loves them and had me try hers. They are $0.97 at most places, which is insanely cheap for lipstick. I had to wonder if the quality was suffering because of the price. NYC is a fairly cheap drugstore brand, so don't expect super high quality products when looking at these. Despite my first suspicions, I did find that this product is a nice moisturizing lipwear, which is what it claims to be. I was shocked, however that the color payoff was very weak. I don't know why, but I thought it was going to be a lot better than this.

Here are the swatches:

I did choose some of the lighter shades in this collection so I can't really speak for what the others look like. The top color you can barely see is the Petal shade and the bottom is the Cafe. I suppose these are good for a lightly tinted moisturizing lip product. The color doesn't stay for too long, but it's not like you would notice anyway because the color  is really sheer. 

The Bottom Line:

I would recommend these lipsticks for people who want a lightly tinted moisturizing lip product for cheap.

Pros:

• Moisturizing
• Cheap
• Lightly Tinted (if you are into that)

Cons:

• Weak Color Payoff (for people who like color)
• Wears off easily

How do you like the NYC brand?

Thanks for reading! 

Brianna

March 2014 Favorites

Hello Beautiful!

It's been a while since the last Favorite Friday post, but it's returning better than ever! Not a whole lot has happened in this monotonous month, but I've managed to pull together a list of my favorite products for you to try.

Here is what I've used the most of this month:

NYC City Duet 2-in-1 Lip Color - The Waldorf Roses

I just did a review post about this on Wednesday. This lip color is really awesome. It's dual-sided with two different complementary colors. It can be worn in several ways: each color individually, mixing both of them together, or a different color on each lip. It's perfect for going from a day look to a night look with only one lipstick!

La Fresh Eco-Beauty Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes 

I like these face wipes because they have a nice light pomegranate smell to them. They don't smell like chemicals like a lot of face wipes do. It's not made to wipe off a ton of makeup, but it's a nice refreshing product that I like to take with me when I travel.

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion

I actually found this lotion through one of my coworkers. We had been complaining about how dry our hands were the night before and the next day she brought this in. It worked wonders compared to a lot of other hand lotions. It's got a lot of pros and no cons for me!

What are your favorites this month?

Thanks for reading!

Brianna

NYC City Duet 2-in-1 Lip Color Review

Hey Beautiful!

I found the best lipstick when I went home for vacation. NYC's City Duet 2-in-1 Lip Color. The shade I love the best is #426 The Waldorf Roses, which doesn't appear to be on their website.

For those of you who don't know. This lipstick is double sided with two different shades. There are several ways you can wear it, which makes this lipstick well worth your money. You can have one shade on each lip, you can blend them together, or you can just use one side. Four/Five different ways to wear this lipstick for $2.99. I don't know about you, but I fell in love. 

Both colors are very pretty on. Here are some swatches for you:

I have never loved lipstick so much before. This lipstick feels very nice on. It has Shea Butter in it which makes it feel very moisturizing and less dry like some other lipsticks. This product also doesn't bleed and can last quite a few hours before reapplication. 

The Bottom Line: 

I definitely recommend this product. Give it a try!

Pros:

• It's a drugstore brand so it's cheap money-wise
• It's creamy to put on
• It's moisturizing and includes Shea Butter
• It doesn't bleed
• Lasts a while before you have to reapply
• Several different looks you can achieve because of the two colors
• Two lip colors in one

Cons:

• Can be tricky to put on just one color if you aren't careful

What's your favorite shade of this product?

Thanks for reading!

Brianna

Ipsy's March 2014 Glam Bag: Destination Beauty

Hello Bombshell!

The Destination Beauty bag is all about spring and dolling up for that beautiful vacation. This month's bag was created by artist Klari Reis, which gives a fun and interesting look to the bag!

Here's what I got this month:

• Nicole by OPI Roughles - On What Grounds?
• Be a Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad - Bora Bora
• bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick - Get Ready
• Pixi Beauty Flawless Beauty Primer 

The colors in this bag are really awesome. The nail polish was the most exciting part of this bag at first. I love the color so much, although I'm not quite sure how I feel about the texture. I'll definitely still wear it, but the texture is distracting. I'm in love with the lipstick, it's creamy and a beautiful shade.

Have you tried a textured nail polish? Which one do you like the best?

Thanks for reading!

Brianna

Ipsy's February 2014 Glam Bag: The Look of Love

Hey Beauties!

It's that time again where the pretty pink bag shows up in my mailbox and I get a lovely surprise of five makeup products. This month's Ipsy bag was centered around Valentine's Day and some colors to transition us into Spring. I can't wait for the warm weather!

Here's what I got in my bag this month:

• City Color Be Matte Blush - Fresh Melon
• J. Cat Beauty Eyelashes - EL66
• Zoya Nail Polish - Odette
• Pop Beauty Plump Pout Mini - Peony Petal
• Mally Beauty Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner - Starshine

Ipsy's February Glam Bag was a hit with me, but then again, when aren't they? There is a nice touch of color in this bag preparing us for the Spring, but not getting too crazy. The Plump Pout Mini in Peony Petal is an awesome shade, scoring Ipsy yet again some awesome points for finding a shade of lip product that I enjoy! As you can probably see, my blush came broken, but it's not a big deal because it's still mostly intact. Overall, I'm very pleased with this bag. 

What's your favorite nail polish brand and color?

Thanks for reading!

Brianna

The Idea of Beauty

"Every girl is expected to have Caucasian blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass, long Swedish legs, small Japanese feet, the abs of a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama and doll tits." - Tina Fey

Beauty is not a size 0. Beauty is not a size 1, 3, or 5. Beauty is not 16 years old. It isn't set in a finite timeline in your twenties. Beauty is not young and it's not old. Beauty is not a number. Beauty is not thin or thick, it's not small or large, and it's not tall or short.

Beauty is not one adjective. Beauty is also not one feature or genetic trait. Beauty is not a thigh gap, a flat stomach or full breasts. Beauty is not about having smooth skin. Beauty is not about how high your cheek bones are, or how defined your jaw bone is. Beauty is not having full lips and big black eyelashes. Beauty is not some unattainable goal that only some people were blessed with.

Beauty is you. 

You are beautiful no matter who you are, no matter what you look like. Beauty is not an appearance. I don't care about the lies the society is feeding you about how to look better, act better, feel better. You are beautiful without any of that.

You don't need to lose weight with the new diet pill to be beautiful. You don't need to go on these horrifying diets that people are making up to lose weight fast. You don't need to get plastic surgery to have the face and/or body the society is telling you you should have.You don't need to get the most expensive makeup to make yourself up every morning to change your appearance entirely. You don't need this. You are beautiful.

Please, don't stare at pictures of other girls (or guys) longingly wishing you looked like them, or that you could be like them. Be yourself. You are the only you here. You are just as beautiful as anyone else here. If people around you don't like you for how you look, then you need to find better people to surround yourself with. The people you call friends should be the ones that make you feel great. They should make you feel lucky to be you every day.

Beauty is not a weight limit. Beauty is not photogenic features. Beauty is not the color of your skin or the country you come from. Beauty is not perfection.

Beauty is you because you are beautiful.

Ipsy's January 2014 Glam Bag: 19 Reasons

Hey Beauties!

I'm back and feeling better than ever. I got my Ipsy Glam Bag last week and I'm excited to share it with you! This month was a little more geared towards skin health. There weren't as many fun new lip or eye products to try, but that's the point of this whole subscription: trying something new. I ended up loving some of these products more than I originally thought, so try not to judge a book by it's cover!

Here's the list of products in this month's bag:

• Benefit the POREfessional
• (MALIN+GOETZ) Mojito Lip Balm
• Balanced Guru Balm Me Up Organic Sweet Cocoa & Tangy Body Balm
• Absolute! Makeup Cleansing Tissue
• Yaby Liquid Foundation - Buff

Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised by the January bag. I was concerned that it would be boring and I wouldn't use these products, but boy was I wrong. In the dead of winter, Ipsy saved me with the body and lip balms. My skin has never been so happy in this dry weather. 

What is your favorite body lotion or balm to use when your skin is dry?

Thanks for reading!

Brianna

Small Hiatus

Hey Beauties!

Happy New Year! I recently injured myself and have been forced to take a hiatus. Obviously, this is why I haven't been posting this month. I hope to be able to pick back up with my January Ipsy Bag review on Wednesday, January 22. Thank you for your understanding and support and sorry for any inconvenience. I hope you come back and continue reading my blog when I start back up.

Brianna