Ipsy-stravaganza! March and April box review

Hello, Fireflies!

I'm excited to show you TWO months of Ipsy bags!  I love Ipsy.  For $10 a month, you get to try all kinds of cool new stuff.

Let's start with March's bag.  First off, the BAG.  It's mega-cute, and designed by a new artist that they're giving some exposure to.  Which, if I could have remembered to save the tag, I would share with you.  Oops.

This was a great makeup month! Lots of goodies.  First up, the Pixi Primer, with a little bit of shimmer to it, for that luminous glow.  In the third pix, you can see how it shimmers.  I'd pair that with a nice BB/CC cream and let the glow come through.

Probably my favorite item this month was the Marvelous Moxie deluxe lipstick in Get Ready.  This is a perfect 'your lips but better' pinkish-nude shade.  Great formula, too.  I used the code to order something from their site and got a sample of the mascara and free shipping - and, because they said they were having some problems with their site, they gave me a code for some more freebies.  It was awesome.

I wasn't that excited about the NYX palette, not because it isn't good, but I have a ton of neutral palettes, and I probably won't reach for this one as often.  Then Chella liner is a gorgeous bright blue.  I didn't have any problems with my swatch, but I understand that other bloggers had problems with application and the tip skipping.

Here's all the swatches - Get Ready lippie across the top, the three eyeshadow shades from the NYX palette, and the Chella liner on the bottom.

But wait, there's more! I also have April's bag to show you.  Another cute bag! Beauty Rocks!

When subscribers found out that the Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Black Velvet was included in this bag, it drove everyone into a tizzy - and rightly so.  It's awesome.  Nice, soft black, easy to apply and wear. 

The Elizabeth Mott shadow is a nice color that everyone can use - and everyone probably has a bazillion pans of.  It's a nice shimmery champagne color, great for highlights.

I have some Cailyn products, and I really like the packaging - the applicator brush is part of the top! So far, I've enjoyed my two gel eyeliners from Cailyn, and now I love this tinted lip balm in Apple Pink, too.  Another great color.  It's a balm, so it's not going to last for long - but it's so much fun to reapply.

Here's swatches of those three products - U/D Black Velvet, Elizabeth Mott Champagne, and Cailyn Apple Pink.

I haven't tried the Dr. Brandt exfoliator yet, but I've heard it's pretty awesome.  I have been experimenting with a couple of different physical exfoliators lately, and I didn't want to overdo it with a chemical one, too.

I have a roll-on perfume in Sea Salt from Demeter, and I love it, so I was excited to get this one in Jasmine.  It's a really strong, clear jasmine scent.  Very pretty, but not very complex.  I think this would appeal a lot to people who like to layer their scents to create something unique.  If you like bath products with a jasmine scent, this would be great to apply after a bath to make it linger a little longer.

Have you checked out Ipsy yet?  Personally, I don't think there's a better subscription for the money.  If you're interested in subscribing and sending a few Ipsy points my way, click through my affiliate link HERE.

My #NailArtForNubs post goes live at 9am Eastern - it's a cool half-moon mani featuring Aly's Dream Polish!

Review - Beauty Box 5 February Box

(Stay tuned - my #NailArtForNubs post goes live at 9am Eastern!)

Hello, Fireflies!

I love subscription boxes, usually.  Always something fun to try!  This month's BB5 box wasn't my fave, though.  Here's the box:

It's a birthday-themed box this month! There's a coupon for $10 off a personalized necklace, which is a decent deal.. but I have one already that I never wear.  So, not for me.

One thing in my box that I haven't seen in other reviews is this Aveeno body wash.

It's milky, rather than clear, which makes me think it's going to be super rich or hydrating.  It was fine, but it didn't help my hubby's eczema at all.  It did smell amazing, though.  The lavender is very soothing and calming.  Definitely for those baths before bed!

I meant to try this It's So Big mascara from Elizabeth Mott, but I have 3 other mascaras open right now, and I couldn't do it.  I have seen other reviewers mention that it has an hourglass wand which they really liked.  I've even heard it suggested that the wand be saved after the sample is done to use with other mascaras, they liked it so much.  So, I'm looking forward to it!

I tend to not use these packet-type samples of shampoo for some reason.  At least there were two, so I can make sure to get enough for my long, crazy hair.  I don't wash my hair but once every 5-7 days, so when I do, I like to pour on the conditioner.  The last thing I need is a volumizing product, though! I did read one reviewer say that it worked nicely on their thick hair, so I'm hoping it will work for me. And, it comes with a pretty good coupon!

I was super excited about the Rockstar Nails duo.  I mean, nail polish! It's like a sub box finally listened to me and gave me polish and nail art stuff! But, watch out for Debby Downer here, because I was so not happy with this experience.

First of all, THE SMELL.  I know I've complained about bad-smelling polish in the past.  This ranks up there with Nanacoco.  Horrid.  Secondly, there were multiple problems with the packaging.  Check this out:

I've gotten nail polish bottles with bows before.  Usually, the bows are tied on, and can be slipped off.  Not these.  They are GLUED on.  By the time I realized they would be a problem, I already had wet nails.  The bow dragged several times into my wet polish.

I was annoyed.

Here's the one positive:  The color.  It's gorgeous, on-trend, and a one-coater.  Love this color.

So, let's try the nail art! I applied a slow-dry topcoat to the nail, and poured the beads on over a dappen dish.  So far, so good.  The beads stuck beautifully, they match nicely, and with another coat of topcoat, they stuck together.

But, how do you get the extras back in the bottle?  There's no funnel, and I don't have one small enough.  I tried to make one with paper, but the beads still went everywhere.  I hate wasting nail art stuff.  You'll definitely run out of beads before you run out of polish.  Not that I ever run out of polish.

Not one of my fave boxes, but not horrible.  Even though the shampoo isn't for my hair type, it's still a good brand.  I can see the body wash being useful to those who bathe at night before bed, or bathe young ones before bedtime.  I see this as the box of good intentions, but just falling short for me. 

What do you think so far of Beauty Box 5?  If you're interested in signing up with my referral link, click HERE.

Stay tuned - at 9am Eastern, my #NailArtForNubs post goes live!