August Ipsy Unboxing

I recently signed up for Ipsy and just received my first bag. I decided that each month, I will share with you want I got in my bag.

For those who don't know what Ipsy is, it is a monthly beauty subscription service. This service is completely customizable because you take a quiz and you can change that quiz as often as you like. You can also review the items in your bag so, if you don't like a product at all, you can tell them not to send you it again. Each month, they send you a themed cosmetic bag filled with  four to five make up items, tools, shampoo, conditioner etc. It is ten dollars American (For Canadians add 4.95 for shipping).


This month's theme is Beauty Schooled. Lets open it!

The Bag is Uber cute

Swatch 24/7 Eyeliner

The first item I see is Urban Decay. It is the new 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil. It is in the shade Plushie which is described as a smoky purple. The little booklet gives you a look you can create as well. This pencil felt creamy (not as creamy as the other 24/7 pencils) and it also had a great color payoff. I am very excited about this!






Inside the bag there are five items.

The first product is a Dry shampoo by Klorane. I've never heard of this brand and it looks to be from France. It is an extra gentle dry shampoo with oat milk. It has a strong floral perfume scent. I tried this while writing this post to give more details and this dry shampoo left the most terrible white residue in my hair. I am a dark brunette haired girl so most dry shampoos leave a white residue but once I massage it in or brush it out, it is gone. This stayed and didn't leave no matter what I did.

Sheer Glo swatch

The next two product are the same. They are Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion by Manna. Again, I have never heard of this brand. It is described as " An incandescent liquid that lights up skin with an all over radiance". You can mix this with your foundation or wear it alone. You can also use this on your face as well as your body. This did feel very light on the skin when I swatched it. I am not sure if you can see it in the picture but this product does have a pink tinge to it.  To be honest, I am not too excited about this.





The third product is a lip balm by Jersey Shore Sun. I have never heard of this brand either. This lip balm is in the Mongongo scent. The tube also says it is an anti-aging lip conditioner. This lip balm is certified organic and is cruelty free. It smells fruity! It is made with Mandarin green orange and ginger. Hopefully this lip balm works.









The last product is a Coastal Scents eye shadow sample palette. I got set 6. I am very happy that these are all colors I will use. The colors are Peach Puff, Cherry Chocolate, Nude and White Silver.  The shadows feel very buttery and have a great color payoff. The darkest shade (Cherry Chocolate) had a bit of fall out when it was swatched. But overall these shadows are great and I am excited about it.



I'm giving this bag a rating of two and a half stars out of 5 because I am very excited about the Urban Decay liner and the Coastal Scents eye shadow. The dry shampoo left white residue but it did get rid of the extra oil so it gets half a star. Are any of you a subscriber to Ipsy? What did you get in your bag this month? If you are not a subscriber and would like to sign up please use my link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/1ik8u

Stay Beautiful,
Sarah

*NOTE: The Ipsy link is an affiliated link. It gets me points that I can redeem for an extra product. Thank you*

Sephora Haul

I placed another order on Sephora, I know I'm kinda addicted to the online shopping. However, this online order is super special because I have officially become a VIB Rouge WOOOO!

For those of you who don't know, Sephora has a rewards program called Beauty Insider. It is a free program and for every dollar you spend it earns you a point. The points can be redeemed for deluxe samples. Once you spend 350 dollars in a calendar year (from January to December) you become a Very Important Beauty Insider and if you spend 1000 dollars in a calendar you become a Very Important Beauty Insider Rouge. The only difference between the three levels of the beauty insider program is the different events you can attend, the amount of percentage off you get during Sephora's sale, how many more times the points you get during the Summer Surge event and the VIB Rouge is the only program level in which you get free shipping on every order.

On to what I purchased

Sephora's Favorites Draw the Line.

This is an eyeliner sample set, with one full sized product included. This was an amazing deal for people who would love to try different brands and different types of eyeliner. Most of the eyeliners are in the color black. I did buy this set for my mother because she really wanted to try the different brands.

The set includes;
- Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil 12 Hour Wear in Black Lace
- Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eye Liner in Dark Brown
- Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper (black)
- Nars Cosmetics Larger than Life Long Wear eyeliner in Via Veneto (black)
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner in Blacquer
- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double Ended Eye Pencil in Perversion and Rockstar

Sephora Collection Look Color in the Eye Brush Capsule

This is also for my mother who has just purchased her first Urban Decay palette, the Naked Basics. After purchasing the palette, she realized she needed brushes and since I was already ordering her the Draw the Line set, I decided to add this simple brush capsule to the cart.

The set includes;
- An angled shadow brush
- A domed shadow brush
- A small shadow brush
- An angled liner brush
- A smudge brush

Smashbox Try It Kit

This is just like any of the Sephora Favorites kits however it is exclusively Smashbox products. I love sets like this because it allows to try different products without the high price tag and usually they are a good size.

The set includes;
- A Photo Finish Foundation Primer
- A Photo Finish Lid Primer
- A Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx
- A Full Exposure Mascara in Jet Black
- A Lip Enhancing gloss in Illume (this lip gloss is exclusive to this kit)






The three free samples I chose were a Marc Jacobs fragrance called Dot. I already know I love this perfume so  grabbed another sample. A First Aid Beauty face cleanser, I  already love their Ultra Repair Cream and decided a free sample was the best way to try more of the line. Lastly, I chose the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer.

Since I hoard my points, I decided to spend some to commemorate becoming a VIB rouge. I chose the Hourglass The New Classics which was the 500 point perk. I also grabbed a Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder and a Marc Jacobs Highline Gel Eye Crayon in the color Brown (Out) which were both 100 point perks.









So my cat totally photo bomb 

Also, if you are a VIB or a VIB Rouge you can use the promo code "VIBPARTY" which is a black cosmetic case filled with eight different samples.

The most important item in this package however is my VIB Rouge card.

Wow, that was a long post. Have any of you tried what I bought? Anyone else a VIB Rouge?




Stay Beautiful,
Sarah

Empties + Mini Reviews

Does anyone want to explain to me why you seem to run out of everything at the same time?! Here I am with another Empties Post.


Quo Mini Eye Make Up Remover Pads

These make up remover pads can be found at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada (sorry!) This product removed every little bit of eye make up, even the Maybelline Color Tattoos! These make up remover pads even took off waterproof mascara. They are also a great price, five dollars (Canadian). So far these are working great!
Verdict: Buying more!!

9 to 5 Cleanser by Lush

I talked about this in my last post here. Basically the same opinion applies. However, I am finding that my skin is getting used to this cleanser so I will have to put something else into rotation.
Verdict: Love it but I need to use something else for a bit.



Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in the color Groenland

This was a foil packet sample so I only got one use but this was incredible. It felt like I had nothing on my skin. Although the color was a shade too dark, it still made my skin look amazing. I was super happy with this.
Verdict: I am going to try a sample in my correct color and then I will probably buy the full size.

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Night Cream

This was a sample size, however, I did get about four uses out of it because you don't need a large amount. I have super dry skin so I was happy to try a product that claimed it provided intense hydration. The claims are true! This cream provided my skin with hydration that surpassed any amount any other cream has ever given me. The two downsides I found with this product was that the smell bothered me and if my skin was having a good day and it wasn't super dry, this cream would make my skin greasy and sticky.
Verdict: I would buy the full size of this cream but only use it on days that my skin is super dry.


Too Faced LashGasm Mascara

I got this mascara in the Too Faced Paparazzi Ready kit. This mascara is a lengthening one. This mascara was great for about a week but after that it was just too clumpy. It also flaked a ton!! It held the curl okay, but I found after wearing it for about two hours my lashes would lose their curl. The brush was also one of the plastic variety which I normally don't enjoy.
Verdict: Over all, I did not like this mascara and I will not be buying the full size.

Essence Get Big! Lashes

I got this mascara for free because I spent over fourteen dollars on Essence products. This was the first mascara I have ever tried from Essence and I didn't like it. This mascara is supposed to provide a "volume boost" to your lashes. It provided this boost for about twenty minutes before it flaked away. It clumped and it didn't hold a curl at all.
Verdict: I will not be repurchasing.


L'Oreal Voluminous Original

Everyone raves about how amazing this mascara is and to be honest, I didn't think it was anything to get excited about. Yes, it gave my lashes volume and it held a curl but it flaked, smudged and smeared. This is the first mascara to ever smudge and smear on me. I even tried it with a lash primer and it continued.
Verdict: I will not be repurchasing.

Dove Go Fresh Revive Anti-perspirant
I  enjoy Dove deodorant and anti-perspirant because I find that it works. However, I did not enjoy this pomegranate and lemon verbena scent. It sort of smelled like body odor the moment you put it on. Gross! I didn't even finish this product.
Verdict: Will repurchase, just not in this scent.





Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in 001 Transparent

I was so impressed by this powder. It set my concealer, it didn't cake up on me and it provided great coverage on my super light foundation days. I can't really say it kept me matte because I don't have a problem with oily skin. Over all, I felt like this was a great powder even if you don't have oily skin.
Verdict: Will repurchase once I finish other powders.

So that is all my beauty trash this time. Have you tried any of the products I talked about? What are your thoughts on the products I mentioned?

Stay beautiful,
Sarah

Whitening Lightening & Gerard Cosmetics Haul

Sweet Summer Picks

About two weeks ago, I received my order from Whitening Lighting. This was my first time ever ordering something from them and I wanted to share what I bought and my first thoughts. I did buy everything in sets or bundles, which are still available (they are a great deal!).

The first set I bought was Jaclyn's Sweet Summer Picks. This set had Jaclyn Hill's lip glosses in it.

Swatch of BB+

The bundle automatically came with this BB+ illuminator by Gerard Cosmetics. This is supposed to give the perfect golden highlight. It can also be used as a primer, mixed with foundation and all over the body. I have yet to try this product because I need to finish a primer.

This bundle came with three lip glosses as well. You automatically got Jaclyn's Butter Cream and then you got to choose two more from the following; Rose Hill, Sugar Mama, Nude and Coral Craze. I chose Sugar Mama and Jaclyn's other gloss Rose Hill.

Swatch of Butter Cream

Butter Cream

This lip gloss is the perfect nude-pink. It looks incredible on the lips as it adds the perfect amount of color and shine. I am so glad I decided to get this set because this gloss is worth every penny.

Swatch of Rose Hill

Rose Hill

This is a rose red lip gloss. It adds the right amount of red without looking too 'in your face'. I don't have a color like this in my lip gloss and lip stick collection so it fills the gap I've been missing.

Swatch of Sugar Mama

Sugar Mama

This gloss is a pale pink color that kind of reminds me of cotton candy. It's the perfect way to add a touch of color to any make up look.

Light & Mirror

All of the glosses come with a built in light and they all have a mirror on the side. I find the glosses have a vanilla scent which is quite pleasant. These glosses are gluten free which is a major plus as I am allergic to gluten!  I find the glosses glide on the lips so easily. Although, these glosses aren't long lasting, I find that they do last longer than other glosses I have.

Whitening Pens

To qualify for free shipping (75$ or more for free shipping to Canada) I decided to purchase another set they had on the site called The Mix N Match Teeth Whitening Kit 3 Pack.

This was a trio of the sites whitening pens. You had the choice between their Zero White pen, which is a whitening pen without harsh chemicals so your teeth should not be sensitive after, or the original Super Booster Whitening pen. I personally chose two of the Zero White pens and one of the original Super Booster pen.

I have tried one application of the Zero White pen and it was an easy process and my teeth did look whiter. I will continue using them and see if I see any dramatic results.

Have any of you purchased items from Whitening Lightening & Gerard Cosmetics? Anything you would like to try?

I also must apologize for my absence on Friday August 8th and Monday August 11th. On Friday, I had to registered for my second year classes and that was a very stressful experience because the website didn't work for a while. I also have been packing to move back to the big city of Toronto for school. So hopefully once all this chaos is done everything will be back on schedule.

Stay Beautiful,
Sarah

*DISCLAIMER* Everything mentioned above was purchased by me with my own money.

Wish List Wednesday - MAC Edition

So I've decided to start a new trend on my blog called Wish list Wednesday. Once a month or bi-weekly, on a Wednesday, I will share what is on my beauty wish list. This first wish list Wednesday post is going to be all about MAC products.

Chatterbox lipstick

This lipstick is an amplified creme. This lipstick is a bright red-pink from the swatches I've seen of this lipstick, but it looks more on the pink side to me. Also from the swatches I've seen, this lipstick looks like it would be the perfect staple in anyone's lipstick collection.

Honey Love lipstick

Honey Love is a matte lipstick. MAC describes this lipstick as a beige with rose tones. I saw this lipstick layered with Whitening Lightening's Butter Cream gloss and it looked amazing!!

Myth Lipstick

Myth has a satin finish and is described as a light neutral nude. Tati on YouTube used Myth and layered OCC lip tar in Memento over top and it wowed me. I loved that great combo.




Prep + Prime Highlight in the Color Radiant Rose

This product can be used as a primer, a concealer and highlighter. It is known to be super easy to blend and the best product to use for under eye circles. Being a full time college student means I have huge under eye circles and my skin usually looks tired, which is why I think this product would be great for lighting up my skin and concealing my under eye circles.

Crème Cup lipstick

Who doesn't have this lipstick in their collection...this gal right here. Crème Cup is in cremesheen category and is described as a light blue pink. This lipstick is seriously perfect and I can't wait to add this to my collection!!

This is everything on my MAC wish list. What products do you have on your MAC wish list? Do you have any of the products I want in your make up collection?

Stay beautiful
Sarah

Disappoitning Products

Like any other beauty blogger/vlogger I have come across products I love and products I dislike. Today, I am sharing products that I didn't like, product that I think aren't worth the hype and products that aren't worth the money. These products may work for you and that's great! I m just sharing my own experiences with them.


Benefit's Push Up Gel Liner

I got a sample of this with a Sephora order I placed and I am so happy it was free. I did not like this liner at all! I find the flex applicator tip hard to use and I also found too much product came out, even when I followed the instructions down to the least letter. I also found that this liner clumped up on my eye lids. I'm going to continue testing this product but so far I am highly disappointed.

Essence Felt Tip Eyeliner Pen

Swatch of the Essence Liner

I found this liner at my local Shoppers Drug Mart and it was only three dollars Canadian. Although the price tag is great, the product isn't. This liner smudged so easily and I found that it turned grey in color after a few minutes, even though it is supposed to be black. I also found the felt tip applicator really hard in texture. It wasn't bendable like the Stila Stay All Day liquid liner or like the Maybelline Line Stiletto liner.




Say Yes to Cucumber Facial Wipes

I found these facial wipes at my local Shoppers Drug Mart as well and although the price was a little high, in my opinion, but it was worth it to me because these wipes have more natural ingredients compared to other facial wipes. The smell of these wipes was okay, not pleasant but not horrendous. I was using these wipes to remove my eye make up and to remove the surface of my face make up before I went in with my cleanser. Unfortunately these wipes sent my skin into an uproar. I started having major break outs and my skin went super dry and flakey.



Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm

I was excited to try this product and to use for those light make up days. I am so happy I bought the travel size because this beauty balm turned my skin orange! I looked like an oompa loompa. The product was straight orange from the moment I put it on my skin. I am not happy with this at all.





Physicians Formula Organic Wear in the Color Fair to Light

I found this product in the clearance bin at my local Shoppers Drug Mart. The color was a perfect match and it was supposed to have a light to medium coverage. However, this product was super watery and to get to medium coverage, I felt like I had to use half of the bottle. This product did hate a weird scent that did bother my nose when I would first apply it. This foundation also made my skin breakout terribly.




These all of my disappointing products, until I find more. Do any of you have disappointing products? Are any of these products must haves in your make up bag?

Stay beautiful,
Sarah

July Beauty Favorites

It is officially August! My countdown for back to school has started... so excited! Honestly, summer has flown by so fast (cliché, I know)! This post is going to be about all of my beauty faves this month!

Hard Candy Glamoflauge in the color Ultra Light

This is a heavy duty concealer and I only pull it out when I need some serious coverage. I had a really bad breakout this month, which doesn't happen often, but this concealer was my lifesaver. It literally covered everything and made my break out pretty much non existent. A little dab of this concealer goes a long way. I used my beauty blender to stipple this product onto whatever I want to cover, I then set it with my setting powder and I'm good to go. *This product is only available at Walmart*


Batiste Dry Shampoo

I picked up this travel size dry shampoo in a trio pack from my local Winners. I have been obsessed with this. This clean scent smells amazing and it really soaks up all the execs oil. This dry shampoo is also very easy to message into the scalp and I also find it doesn't leave any white powder residue.





Bite Agave Lip Mask

My lips were so chapped this month and this lip mask really helped. This product is really thick so it is best to apply it at night and sleep with it on. A tiny drop of this goes along way. I've had this product for about three months now but I didn't fall in love with it until now. Honestly, I have jumped on this products band wagon.

Aerie Nail Polish in the color Perfectly Pink

I got this nail polish in a pack from Aerie. I didn't think this nail polish would be good but I gave it a shot and I am so happy I did. This is the perfect bright pink polish for summer. I have worn this on my toes all month and it never chipped. I also only needed one coat of polish to get the bright pink color. I am so happy with the formulation and color pay off of this nail polish that I've decided I need to get more.



Aerie Fragrance Mist in Whoa

This fragrance came in the same pack as the nail polish. I'm usually not a fan of fragrance mists because I find that they do not last all day but this Aerie mist last all day and I mean all day! The Whoa scent smells like citrus/ grapefruit to me but it is not overpowering. To me it is the perfect summer fragrance and I am so happy I found it.

That is all my beauty favorites for the month of July. What were your favorites of the month? And is anyone else excited for back to school shopping??

Stay beautiful,
Sarah