Ipsy Bag November 2018

This is the time of year that I look forward to the most with my subscription services....

Ipsy in particular has always been exceptionally good in the Nov/Dec months. Like anything else subscription services usually try to wow you during the holiday season and I am all for it! While this bag isn't a complete and total win for me, I will say I am very happy with it on the whole. 

For those of you who may not know, Ipsy is a monthly subscription service which for $10 plus tax will send you 5-6 sample to deluxe sized products ranging from skincare all the way to beauty tools. This time of the year I am loving the travel friendly products I can just throw in my bag. The contents of each bag will be different for different subscribers based on your answers to a questionnaire and how you reviewed products sent to you in the past.  So if  you are ready to see what I got in my particular November bag then let's get to it!

**Quick disclaimer; I would ideally prefer to wear all of these products for a good long testing day before I give an opinion but this week happens to be full of job interviews for me so I am sticking to my  tried and true products for those. Gotta make a good impression and all that. I am trying to give you as much information as possible and I did wear the blush for the & the lip product for at least a few good hours. Next time I hope to be able to give them even longer to perform. With that out of the way  we may return to our regularly scheduled blog post.**

Timeless Beauty Bar Sheet Mask Set full size in Glam and Glow & Up in the Clouds $12

I have really grown to enjoy face masks for

giving my skin a quick pick me up every now and again. If I am being honest I have way too many at my disposal currently thanks in part to beauty subscriptions. ** #firstworldproblems.** These masks seem geared specifically for rejuvenation after a night out or a long plane ride; two things I will most likely be taking part in in the coming months so they will definitely be coming along in my suitcase. Up in the Clouds contains Hyaluronic Acid to help plump and re-hydrate skin after the drying effects of air travel; honestly travel in general regardless of the vehicle can be a trial for skin at times. This mask also contains Apple fruit extract which is high in Vitamin C and natural acids to brighten up dull skin; as well as Coconut fruit extract which is high in nutrients and can ease inflammation, fight blemishes and soothe dry skin. They recommend that the mask be left in the fridge for about 5 minutes before applying to the face which would be extra soothing as well. Glam and Glow is packed with fabulous extracts to brighten and repair skin. We see Apple extract again as well as Orange extract which is rich in Vit E and can help prevent wrinkles and fine lines and can act as a gentle astringent, Lemon Peel extract which contains Citric Acid which can help to brighten skin & stimulate new skin growth, Sugarcane which contains Alpha-hydroxy-acid which can be helpful with acne, Licorice which is also a skin brightener as well as high in antioxidants, Bilberry which can reverse damage to cells, Vit B3 which can help with uneven skin tone, inflammation, acne and sun damage and good old Vit C which helps in collagen production. Both are cruelty free and made from natural fibers.

Jelly Pong Ping Cosmic Light Multifunctional Pigments full size in the shade Pulsar 2.3g $18

Loose pigments are full of possibilities when

it come to makeup application and can be intimidating for the average person. I certainly was the first time I started experimenting with loose pigments myself. This loose pigment in Pulsar is described as a shimmery cobalt blue color but just from initial swatch it looks like a pale silver/icy blue color to me. I'm sure if laid on top of  a darker or lighter cream base the color will vary. It swatches nicely just with a finger and feels very soft and creamy rather than powdery. These products are meant to be incredibly versatile and can be used as eyeshadow,

highlighter, temporary hair pigment, added to clear nail varnish or even all over the body if you like going for that luxe smurf look. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find anything that said if this was lip safe or not so do be aware of that. For those of us who prefer a more subtle look, this would be perfect lining the bottom lash line, popped in the inner corner or as a pop of color on the lid to spice up a neutral eye look. Mixed with  Inglot Duraline this would make a gorgeous liquid liner for the holidays as well. Jelly Pong Pong is vegan & cruelty free which makes this the second item out of a nearly completely cruelty free bag.

Lottie London Blush Crush in the shade Zac or Zayn 4g $3.20

Lottie London is a cute and very girly UK brand

which I have never heard of or tried before. Each of their 6 Blush Crush blushes are named for a male celebrity.  **Don't ask me which celebs they got their names from because unless it's a heartthrob from the 90's I am hopelessly clueless. ** The colors we could have been sent were Zac which is a mauve shade or Zayn which is a pretty dusty rose color. I received Zayn which also happens to be a matte shade. On my skin it looks like a very natural flush of pink which is great for an everyday fresh face type look. A little goes a long way but it is very easy

to blend and sheer out. The staying power is really good with a setting spray as well. This product is lip and eye safe, gluten free, paraben free, cruelty free and vegan. The brand itself does not appear to be entirely vegan but I commend them of offering a selection of products that are.

Sugar Cosmetics Smudge Me Not Liquid Lipstick in Trusty Rusty 1.5ml $4.33

This product was a big disappointment for me.

I like liquid lipsticks & the color is pretty but the size of this sample was an absolute joke. . This is the kind of crap sample I would expect from Birchbox or as a sample with purchase from some on-line order. It's so tiny I don't think I will be able to get many uses from it before it dries out and that's only if I don't accidentally lose it first. But enough complaining from me, let's actually talk about the product. Trusty Rusty is a matte terracotta red liquid lipstick  which is supposed to provide full opacity after one application and last all day and all night even after eating or kissing. Bold claims but pretty much every lip product these days is making similar ones. This product is also cruelty free but I could not find anything saying if they are vegan or not. It did go on with one swipe but the formula was pretty drying which isn't my favorite. It not only felt like the Sahara Desert, but you may be able to tell from the picture that it also looked pretty dry as well. I know this is a matte product but I have others that set and dry down beautifully without giving me Crypt Keeper lips like this one did. I wore it for just a few hours but I feel like the wear test wasn't entirely fair because I did a Brazilian wax that day which involved lots of lip biting on my part and as a result the liquid lip was trashed and smudged afterwards. I will need to try it again when I can give it a better chance but only after some serious moisturizing beforehand.

M.A.C Cosmetics Strobe Cream sample size in Pinklight 6ml $4

I have only recently started trying M.A.C products

after they started being carried at Ulta. Our M.A.C store was always super busy with loud music to rival Hollister so this introvert shopper always gave it a wide birth. Regardless, this product has been on my list of things to try for quite a while. It can be used under foundation as a primer, over foundation as a highlight or mixed in with foundation or moisturizer for a healthy glow. It claims that it will help clarify skin, add radiance, smooth the skin & won't irritate acne. We see Apple fruit extract again in this product as well as Jojoba seed oil which has anti-inflammatory properties, Grapefruit seed extract which can help regulate the build up of oil in pores, Mulberry which is high in antioxidants, Skullcap root extract which has brightening & anti-aging properties and Saccharomyces Lysate extract which is a type of yeast that helps the skin absorb the product more efficiently & reduce irritation. This feels very moisturizing on the skin which is very pleasant. Despite the name it isn't actually pink but rather a shimmery white/pale color. I will need to give it more time to judge how well it works as a primer or highlight. Sadly, this is the only product that is not cruelty free.

Value of the bag: $41.53

I am still so excited to get a nearly completely cruelty free Ipsy bag and I can't wait to see more and more brands offer more products like these. I judge products based on performance, affordability, as well as formula and the methods in which they are made so I will praise a product based on all these criteria. But if it's a toss up between a cruelty free product against another equally good product that isn't cruelty free I will go for the cruelty free one. I'm so pleased to be able to test these products out and see which one are really worth adding to my collection. If you are looking to try out Ipsy and would like to use my referral link, feel free to do so! Until the next box or bag, bye!