March IPSY 2017

I know this post is a little late and I plan on being more consistent in the future but I figure its better late than never. I really want to try post my unbagging/unboxing's on YouTube I want my blog to reflect on how I really felt about the products after I've tried, used, and can formulate and opinion on. So here is the March 2017 Ipsy bag.

So here is the bag design for March. It is a little bigger than Ipsy bags tend to be which is nice. I've actually reused this bag to store my face products. The bag design is kinda of blah but overall it is a decent bag just due to the size of it. 

Now let's discuss the products inside. First product up is 

Beau Gachis Tapered Blending Brush which retails for $12.00. While this may not be the most expensive brush I LOVE IT. It is one of the best blending brushes I've used It blends and works great for blending in that perfect crease shade. I always love when I get brushes in my Ipsy bag and this one is a great one.  One of my favorite items from March's bag.You can buy it online here https://www.beaugachis.com/products/beau-gachis-tapered-blending-brush

Next item in bag is

The Tarte Cosmetics Tartiest Lip Pain in the shade Delish. This is a sample size and a full size of this liquid lipstick is $20. I would describe this shade a rosy mauve. On me it looks like a nude, which is all right but I'm more of a hot pink, red, or berry lipstick person. The formula is nice and not to drying. Overall a decent liquid lipstick. You can purchase here http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-item-tarteist-quick-dry-matte-lip-paint

Now let's see what else is in the bag

It's an eye define retractable eyeliner from ModelCO in the color black. This eyeliner retails for $14 which is kinda steep for eyeliner, but there are more expensive ones out there. When I first opened it I noticed it had a grey coating but I soon realized that was just the wax and no effect on the product itself. Overall it is a decent liner and stays in the waterline. You can purchase here  https://www.modelcocosmetics.com/shop/eye-define-crayon-liner

Next item in my bag is

The Mint Pear Collagen Serum. A full size of this stuff retails for $99!!! I was not really impressed with this product. It felt too sticky and just didn't agree with my skin. I thought it would smell like mint or pear but neither. It didn't really have a fragrance which is sometimes a good thing with skincare. Just not something I cared for. 

Last item

Is an eyeshadow from Doucce Freematic in the shade Marissa. The full size retails for $10. This was my least favorite item in the bag. Upon first glance this looks pretty and would be a great lid shade. Then you swatch and it swatches into nothing. Like it was never even there. I would save my money and buy something else. I've seen Dollar Tree shadows perform better. You can purchase here https://www.doucce.com/product/eyes/freematic-eye-shadow-palette/ but I would save my money. 

Overall a pretty decent bag. Not my best bag but decent.

So are you signed up for Ipsy? Interested in trying it out? It runs $10 a month. Here is my link 

 https://www.ipsy.com/new?cid=ppage_ref&sid=twitter&refer=ye90c

Wal-Mart Beauty Box Winter Edition

A few months ago I recently signed up to receive the Wal-Mart Beauty box which is subscription box that you receive seasonally (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall). It runs $5.00 which is just the cost of shipping so the products you actually receive for free. If you are interested in signing up here is the link https://beautybox.walmart.com/

Let's take a look at the winter box I received back in February (I think). 

And now let's open it

So pretty on the inside with that cute tissue paper. I love that it also states to treat yourself. Everyone deserves to treat themselves and this is a great way to start out on a beauty subscription box.

Let's check out the items in the box

WOW! These look like great sample size products. I will break down each of these products and let you know my experience with each product whether I love, hate, or are indifferent to a product.

First off let me get to the one product I loved the most which was

the Vera Wang Embrace fragrance. This scent would be great for any season but just an overall nice smell. It contains pear blossom and green tea which is a nice fruity floral fragrance that is not overpowering.

Next up is

the Curel Hydra Therapy Wet Skin Moisturizer which is a moisturizer you use right after you get out of the shower while your skin is still wet. I've already did a blog post on how much I love this product which you can read all about here http://606jenny.blogspot.com/2016/09/curel-hydratherapy-wet-skin-moisturizer.html

Now let's look at another item

This is the TRESemme dry shampoo. I liked this pretty well it had a decent fragrance and didn't leave behind much residue. My favorite dry shampoo is Batiste and while this item is not as good as my favorite it is still a pretty decent dry shampoo. 

Next up

Is this Dove Go Fresh shower gel. I loved the way it smelled, lathered, and made my skin feel.  I would purchase this in a heartbeat. And I plan on doing so here very soon.

Last but not least the final product is

The Burt's Bees nourishing body lotion. This is a nice moisturizing lotion. While the fragrance is not my favorite it is not strong. Burt's Bees makes awesome natural products. 

Overall I'm very happy with what I received in this box which was only $5.00. I will continue getting this box as I can always use the items and love that they come in sampling sizes as its great for travel. 

PLAY! By Sephora February Box

Play! By Sephora is a monthly subscription box which runs $10.00 a month and you get 5 beauty sample size products (think beauty insider rewards perk sizes) plus a fragrance sample bonus. You can sign up for Play! By Sephora at sephora.com/play now there is sometimes a wait list but usually the wait is not too long. I always do an unboxing of this item on my Youtube channel which I will link here https://youtu.be/HjOYss1pGNU  Let's check out February box.

I know this is not the best picture but I did want you to see that it comes in a box and then the box contains a nice little bag that stores the products. Every month also has a theme and the one for February was The Soft Side. Also with every box you get a Play pass which you can redeem in your local Sephora (they need to make this usable for online...maybe one day) for 50 extra beauty insider points. I really enjoy this and have used every pass to build up those points. Here is what the Play pass looks like

Inside the the bag contained these items which I will give my thoughts and opinions on which are entirely my own. Sometimes I will love a product and sometimes I will hate a product just depending on how it worked for me. Let;s get to item number 1 (in no particular order)

This is the Too Faced Lip Injection in the shade Milkshake. This is basically a lip plumper. I'm not really of fan of any lip plumpers as they always sting and make my lips feel uncomfortable. This product does sting but it does plump up your lips. This is not something I would reach for but I would imagine that if you do like these products this would be a good one. I did notice my lips get slightly bigger as well. It also claims that if you use this product consistently you will see an improvement in the softness of your lips. I myself would not know as I only tried this twice and realized it is not for me. The full size retails for $22.00 and if I didnt' mention it all these products can be found at Sephora.

Here is the Nars Velvet Lip glide in the shade Bound (which is a nude pink shade) These are a semi-matte with a silk finish. The feel of this lippie is nice but don't expect it to stay all day. I would like to try more shades of this particular item as I loved the formula but I'm not that big into nude shades (I go for the bold bright shades). The full size of this item retails for ($26.00)

Next up is the Sephora (brand) Lashcraft mascara. I thought this what such a cute sample size of mascara. Right now I"m using a bunch of different mascaras and didn't want to open one more so I gave this to a family member. This is supposed to give you length and volume. While I myself cannot say how well the product worked my family member liked it. 

And the next item is from Clinque whic is the pep start hydroblur moisturizer. This was the one product I was most excited about (I have dry skin and love any type of facial moisturizer). This is a product that combines your primer and and moisturizer. I was actually let down by this product but only because my hopes were very high for it. I don't think it is a bad product but I think you still need a primer for your makeup routine. This retails for ($29.50)

Here is a product from the Brand Origins which is the Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream. This was MY FAVORITE item from this months box. This is a luminous eye cream (so it will really brighten the under eye area). Yes it is luminous and makes the under eye look so much better, I would buy the full size of this in a heartbeat. It does what it says it does and that is what I want from a product. This retails for $30.00.

Here was this month's fragrance sample which is Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence. I've smelled this perfume before and I DO NOT LIKE IT. This fragrance is just not for me. This is an earthy woody fragrance. I do know that people do like this fragrance but just not for me. The full size which retails for $72.00 which is shaped like a purse which is kind of neat. 

So that was everything in February's box. I do know that there are sometimes variations of the boxes so some people may get different items. I feel like if you like beauty products this is a great way to try them out. Totally worth the $10.00.

February 2017 Ipsy Bag Review

I want to try something different with my blog and review my Ipsy and other subscription boxes I receive. I want to give everyone an idea of what I think of the bag and the products that were included in this months bag. I wish I would have started this in January but I chalk that up to laziness. Ipsy is a $10.00 a month subscription service where you can try 5-6 sample beauty items. These items can be makeup, hair care, or skin care products. Sign up here at ipsy.com. Also make sure to fill out your questionnaire so you will get the products you want to try. So lets get started...

This was the bag design for February. I personally didn't like this months bag print. It felt like it was made with blue jean like material and had orange trim around it. I did like that the Ipsy pull was in the shape of lips, but I felt like they could've really went all out with the design for February with being pink or red, and having hearts, lipsticks, or other fun designs. I get that I won't like every bag print but I felt like this was just a disappointment. But I know it's not always about the bag but rather the samples they send you.

First up is this tiny bronzer

by Elizabeth Mott called Whatup Beaches. While it looks like it might be a nice bronzer it is too tiny to be used as one. I did use this as an eyeshadow for a crease shade and it was nice. I would've liked to have tried it as a bronzer but it was too small. Now I understand Ipsy gets these products from companies and that is what they want to send out so consumers can test them. I just think they need a better way for bronzers to be sent out. 

Next up are

face mask by the brand SOO AE. Both of these are hydrating mask and I can use all the hydration I can get as I suffer from dry skin. I enjoy facial mask (and posing for my #maskselfies on Instagram). I thought both of these masks where pretty good and I know you an find these at Walmart for around $2.50 a piece. I think I liked the purifying charcoal mask a little better. 

Next item is

this NYX butter lipstick in the shade lifeguard. Which the shade is right up my alley. I love my reds. I thought this was an OK lipstick as it was moisturizing but I did find that it had some slip and would have to be reapplied after eating, drinking, or talking for long periods of time. 

One of my favorite items in this bag

was this Luxie Beauty blush brush. The bristles are so nice and it applies products beautifully. I used this brush to apply both blush and highlight. I highly recommend this brush and love that I got it in my bag.

Last but not least

is this highlighter by Luna Cosmetics. This highlight was so pretty and my 2nd favorite item in my bag. It has an almost purple shift but I believe would be great with any skin tone. Plus you can wear this lightly or layer it on for that beaming glow. 

Here is my bag with all the products

Overall I'm very happy with the contents of this months bag and think it is totally worth the $10 price tag. 

Suave Professionals Avocado Oil Range

Thanks to Crowdtap I was able to participate in a sample share from Suave. I will link Crowdtap for any one who is interested in joining as it is an awesome platform for all kinds of brands and possibly getting to sample (for FREE) all kinds of neat products. 

They sent me The Suave Professionals Avocado Shampoo, Conditioner , and leave in conditioning cream.

I love getting shampoo/conditioners to try out. Now I'm not big on a lot of hair products but I can always use shampoo and conditioner. First off notice the green packaging. I really like it and I think it stands out. I think Suave is really changing their marketing and trying to make their products seem higher end. I've used Suave products before and have liked them (particularly when I'm on a budget). The shampoo and conditioner retail for around $4.99 at Wal-mart and the leave in conditioning cream around $2.98. Which in this day in age is pretty decent. 

So how does this product work you are asking?? It works AMAZINGLY. The smell of all 3 products is almost salon quality. Both the shampoo and conditioner are a just right consistency not too thin or thick. Now I use my conditioner first then my shampoo (purely for more volume). When you are using the products you can tell how soft it makes your hair. So once you are done washing your hair it is so easy to comb through. This product is for dry frizzy hair and if your hair suffers from that you need to check out these products. 

Look how soft my strands look in this picture (please ignore the bad lighting)

If you are interested in checking this product out you should be able to find this in most major retailers such as Wal-Mart and most drug stores. 

Read more about this product and other products at Suave.com

Curel HydraTherapy Wet Skin Moisturizer

Thanks to being a member of crowdtap (which anyone can join just click the link and sign up for FREE to discuss all kinds of brands) I was able to participate in the Curel brand and was able to sample a new product from that brand for free. Crowdtap did not require me to post a blog this opinion is entirely my own.  This is the Hydratherapy Wet Skin Moisturizer. Yes that does say wet skin moisturizer. Let me show you what the product looks like

Which the sample size came in a 2Fl OZ bottle but it looks like the full size comes in a pump bottle. You use this product right after you get out of the shower or bath while your skin is still wet (yes while skin is still wet) as it is water activated to work deep within the skins surface. It claims to help repair the moisture barrier with ceramide complex and it absorbs immediately into skin without being a greasy formula.

Here is my with the product (I was skeptical because I thought using this while my skin is still wet yeah right). It does feel odd on the skin when you first use it but it does absorb very quickly and YES it does moisturize your skin. It does not have a scent/fragrance so men who are looking for a good moisturizing product without the smells would benefit greatly from this product. I couldn't believe how smooth my skin felt after using. With the weather changing over to the fall season my skin tends to dry out and I need something moisturizing and this stuff is amazing. If you suffer from dry skin I say give this a try. 

My smooth arm

I wish you could feel how smooth my arm is (or the rest of my skin from using this product). Another great product from Curel. You can pick this up in most major retailers or drug stores for around $7.99-11.00 (depending on size of bottle). Read more about this product here http://www.curel.com/products/hydra-therapy.aspx

Zzzquil Review

Thanks to Influenster they sent me the Zzzquil box to me for FREE to review. The box which looks like this 

 

So it came with a sample of the Zzzquil liquicaps which are small easy to swallow pills. Zzzquil is a sleep aid that is non habit forming and to use on those nights when you are having trouble falling asleep. I believe this product come sin the liquicaps and also in a liquid form. This is a product by Vicks which makes many great products from vaporub to Dayquil/Nightquil.

I also just want to mention you should always check with your doctor/pharmacist before taking any new type of medication or supplement just in case it might interact with any other medication you might be taking. 

I've used this product once before receiving it from Influenster and I used it again when I got it from them as well. I had good results with it. I wanted to use it when I had a 3 day weekend and knew I would have trouble sleeping and getting back into the regular workweek routine. It worked for me as I fell asleep in about 30 minutes and stayed asleep until my alarm went off. I'm not sure if this product will work for everyone but if you are having trouble sleeping I would try this route first as opposed to other medications.

#ReverseYourRoutine Tresemme Full Volume Shampoo & Conditoner #VoxBox-Influenster

Thanks to Influenster they sent me the TRESemme beautiful volume collection to try for FREE! That's always fun getting to try and review stuff for free! If you are interested I'll put my referral link at the bottom of this post. This box got me so excited I even uploaded a Youtube video which I will put in the link at the bottom (my sound quality is not the best but wanted to voice my opinion on how great product was). So here is what the package looks like before you open

I really love how marketed these boxes were for the product. Usually the voxboxes just say Influester on them (and yes I love those) but I just thought this was a nice touch for the product itself. Now lets open the box shall we...

Inside we have 2 full size bottles of the conditioner and the shampoo with inserts from Influenster and some pretty tissue paper! Now I love getting any sample in the mail but when you get a full size product you can really get down and test and see how well you either like or dislike a product so that is just one of the many reasons I love Influenster. It is all about people who use products and voice their honest opinions on them. OK lets see another photo...

Here is a picture after I tore into the product and I had to smell it because with most shampoo products or hair products I want to see what it smells like. It smells lovely! Almost salon quality but not too strong which is what I like as I suffer from frequent headache/migraines and certain smells can be a trigger. Now learn all about how to #reverseyourroutine which is using conditioner 1st and shampoo 2nd! I love how the bottles have a 1 and 2 on them (yes bottles give me directions)

The first (1st) part of the #reverseyourroutine is to use conditioner on your hair (how many of us have accidentally grabbed the conditioner first and used it...yeah I know we all have). What I loved about this was the pump on the bottle. Why can't all bottles just have the pump? (I know I know sometimes they get clogged but easy enough to unclog) next up is you can tell after using that it is softening the hair. Now I do like to add volume to my hair as it sometimes just wants to lay flat no matter what I do to it. So easy to use just use as you normally would and leave on for a minute and rinse out. Then...

Step 2 shampoo! Which the shampoo is to wash away the weight of the hair. Bonus on the shampoo is it smells incredible. I love it. I also air dried my hair and used a blow dryer and saw volumizing results with both. Not sure if this would work on all hair types but I have normal to dry chin length hair.

These products retail for around 5.00 for each product and are carried in most major retailers.

Here is my youtube video https://youtu.be/7C84BQH4Lk0

Influenster referral link- influenster.com/r/260254

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotions Sunscreen SPF 30

Thanks to being apart of Crowdtap.com I was sent a bottle of Hawaiian Tropic to review and test for free! Crowdtap is a community of different brands where people can do questionnaires, surveys, and sometimes even test/review products free.

This was for the Hawaiian Tropic Crowd and they sent me a bottle of the Silk Hydration Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 30. Was super excited to try this as I always love getting freebies (who doesn't)!

YAY! Its me with the product. I was so glad this was not a spray. While I know the spray SPF sun screens are a big hit with some people they are just not for me. I love that this was in a pump bottle so its easy to get out of the tube. Another thing that I just love love love is the smell! It's not to strong or wants to smell like a bug spray or something medicinal. It actually has a nice light tropical smell but not something that just smells like coconuts. The smell reminds me of something from my childhood but I have yet to remember what it is. The best thing about this product is it moisturizes. As someone with dry skin I need something that gets down in there and moisturizes. Big plus for me is SPF 30 you need your SPF! If you are going in the water remember to reapply! It retails for around 8-10 depending on the retailer.  Great product and I will purchase in the future.

Learn more about product here http://www.hawaiiantropic.com/sun-care-products/hawaiian-tropic-silk-hydration-weightless-sunscreen

Reynolds Cookie Baking Sheets Parchment Paper

Thanks to Crowtap and the Reynolds Crowd I was invited to test out these Reynolds Cookie Baking Sheets for free. I'm a big cookie lover so it was nice to be able to make cookies with the husband and see how well we liked the Parchment paper and how we will incorporate it into our routine of baking. I loved these for no bakes as well as for chocolate chip cookies as these are probably my two favorite cookies. I love how it doesn't leave a mess on the pan, and it makes storing the cookies that much easier.Great product I will continue to use. 

#JingleVoxBox

Thanks to Influenster I was invited to participate in the #jinglevoxbox campaign in which they sent me a box of goodies for me to try for free for testing purposes. As always I'm always thrilled to be invited to try out these great products. If you feel like trying out products and giving your opinions its really easy to sign up at the website and just answer a few questions. Now lets get to the items that were in the box

So here is the box when it comes in the mail all pristine and you just can't wait to open it!

1. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream












This moisturizing cream is great for dry skin and who doesn't have dry skin in the winter time! It retails around $8.99-$15,99 depending on the size you get. Overall great product and really helps dry, cracked, and itchy skin. Check out their face book at facebook.com/cetaphil #cheerphil

2. Biscoff Cookies

This are Europe's favorite cookie to go with coffee. I'm not much of a coffee drinker but I do love cookies and I thought these were very tasty! They have their own unique taste and I thought they were delicious. I would love to try more of their products. These retail for around $3.99. Learn more at facebook.com/biscoff or follow them on twitter at @biscoffcookies #mybiscoffbreak

3. Ore Ida Tater-Tots

There was also a coupon to redeem a bag of Ore Ida Tater-Tots which I've had before and are so good if you love potatoes. Also on Influenster they were making recommendations of making oreidatotchos which is sorta like nachos but with tater tots. These retail for around $6.95 and can get and most grocery stores. Learn more at facebook.com/oreidapotatoes #oreidatotchos

4. Hallmark Itty Bittys

These little stuffed themed toys from Star Wars, Barbie, DC Comics, Inside Out, Rainbow Brite and many others are just too adorable and make great cute collectible gifts. They are available at Hallmark and Hallmark.com facebook.com/hallmark #ittybittys

5, NYC City Proof 24 HR Waterproof Eyeliner

This eyeliner just glides right on and the color I received was dark brown. I usually only wear black eyeliner but I was surprised by how much I liked the way the brown looked. This will be something I will purchase as its super affordable and it stayed on all day. Retails for $3.99 facebook.com/newyorkcolorcosmetics  @nycnewyorkcolor #cityproofnyc


6. KISS True Volume Lashes & Lash Adhesive w/ Aloe












These are Volume lashes made with 100% natural hair made to blend with your own lashes along with the adhesive that contains aloe for super long lasting hold. I'm not going to lie I'm having a hard time getting these lashes on as my own eyelashes are longer than these fake lashes. They seem like good quality but as someone who doesn't ever use false eyelashes I don't see myself ever using these. The retail for the lashes are $3.99 as is the aloe adhesive. Learn more at facebook.com/KissNails @kissproducts #kisslashes

7. Pure Ice Nail Polish

Here is a nail polish from the Pure Ice brand. This color is called Home Run which looks more like a Spring color to me. I thought the polish went on great and they have a great assortment of colors to choose from. Also their products are made in the USA! They retail for $1.97 so I will be picking up many other shades. Learn more at facebook.com/OfficialPureIce  @officialpureice  #pureice