Subscription items Review

As promised, I have been meaning to review the items I get in my subscription boxes, so you can know if the things subscribers receive are actually good.

While watching several unboxings I kept wondering to myself, "Well, how does that product work or preform? Do they send good products?" So that was how the idea for this post came about.

I will try to do these on a monthly basis and it will include items from all of the subscription boxes I receive.

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1)  Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser - (Ipsy - September)This is a fragrance free face wash. I am able to smell a natural smell when I use it as I'm washing my face. It's not off-putting for me, but probably not a product I will purchase in the future. However, the product does cleanse my face really well without over drying, and I'm enjoying using what I have. 

2)  Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream - (Ipsy - September) After using this once or twice more after my unboxing, I grew sick of the scent. the formula felt nice, but the smell became so off-putting I wouldn't reach for it. It is a scent that my grandmother loves, however, so I will be gifting it to her.

3) Pacifica 7 Free Nail Polish in the color "Red Red Wine" - (Ipsy - September)The color on this is really nice. One I have used several times this fall, and one I will continue to use this winter. I love that it both applys and lasts really well. With a few touch ups, I can make this last 5-6 days.

4) Hikari Lipstick in the color "Cabernet" -  (Ipsy - September) While I've only used this lipstick a handful of times, I do really enjoy ir. It's a good red wine colored lip. I find that I can wear it full on, or sheered out with some chapstick. When just wearing the lipstick I do find it slightly drying, but nothing uncomfortable. I have considered getting more shades from this line!

5) Be A Bombshell Smooth Criminal Powder - (Ipsy - September) Since I put this product in my Finish 6 by Christmas post I have been using it pretty much everyday since late September. I have quickly fallen in love with this product. I was considering purchasing this item as a full size, but I got the e.l.f studio HD setting powder to try first (as that one costs less). I can't stress how much I really love this product. It sets my makeup flawlessly and keeps both my foundation and concealer in place all day (and I have long days). 

6) Coastal Scents Go Palette - (Boxycharm - September) I have enjoyed this palette. I did take it with me traveling and I enjoyed creating a smokey purple/grey look and a neutral-like pink look. I do have to use my eye shadow primer for these eye shadows to stay on my lids (but that is true of 99% of eye shadows on my oil slick lids). As long as I used primer, I found that the eye shadow lasted all day. (Plus the shades were more vibrant and noticeable. The pink shade that was shattered, I re-pressed; and it works just fine. :)

7)  tarte LipSurgence lip gloss "exposed" - (Boxycharm - September) I haven't used this lip gloss a whole lot since I'm panning my other one, but I do like the look of this lip gloss. It has a nice sheer dark nude-pink color. This is a sticky gloss, so if you don't like that keep that in mind. That honestly doesn't bother me, so I haven't minded that. I've really enjoyed this lip gloss, both the formula and the look. I think my favorite part of this product is the applicator. It has a doe-foot wand, but the wand has a little indention so that you get enough product, and it applied evenly. The lip swatch below is the lip gloss on my bare lips.

8) Harvey Prince "Hello" perfume - (Boxycharm - September) I've used this quite a bit recently to spice things up among my perfume sample frenzy. I really like this scent. It's initially a fresh citrusy scent, then as it dries down, it's get a nice light floral to it. This is definitely more of a summer scent, but I've been enjoying it (Maybe now that it's freezing I can pretend it's still summer and warm haha). I also really adore the packaging. The small tube makes it convenient to carry around with me, but I love that it's still a spray, not a rollerball. The spray tube also looks like it should be able to get the very last spray of this perfume since it reaches all the way to the bottom. ((Also: side note the packaging is decently durable. I've knocked this over and dropped this a few times and it hasn't broken. YAY!))

9) Nicole by OPI's "Feeling Very Cherry" - (Ipsy - October) This polish is very dark! It's a beautiful vampy shade, but I one I don't wear often. I'll probably wear it more in the heart of winter and during weekends/breaks when I'm not working. The formula is nice, it has great pigmentation with an even application in 2 coats. The brush is a nice size.

10)  figs & rouge hand cream in the scent rose berry - (Ipsy - October) I like this handcream alright. It has a great scent to it, one that I enjoy. The formula is very light which is nice. One thing to mention is, when you go to rub it in, it starts to feel like water until the skin soaks it up (it doesn't take a long amount of time to sink in, but I notice the texture change as I rubbing it onto both hands). This doesn't bother me a whole lot, and I plan on continuing to use the product until it's gone. I just thought I would mention :)

11)  epice purifying exfoliant - (Ipsy - October) I have started using this on a weekly basis. It feels really nice on my skin (even the fiance likes this one). I do find  that it helps with making my skin soft and smooth (and dry patch free lol). I really enjoy this one. I will probably buy this in the full size (once I'm out of the current exfoliants I have) since both me and the fiance really enjoy it.

12)  Elnett Extra Strong Hold Hairspray - (Target Box)  I absolutely LOVE this hairspray. It has a more pleasant smell than my other hairspray (but still hairspray-esque). The holding power is fantastic without making my hair crunchy. I am forcing myself to finish the giant hairspray bottle I currently have, but afterwards I'm getting this one!!

13) Fekkai Blowout Dry Shampoo - (Target Box)  Unfortunately, this hair product wasn't as nice as the other one was. I found that it really didn't absorb the oil in my hair and added no volume. It was like spraying sticky aerosol air at my hair.

14)  NYX Jumbo Eye Shadow Pencil "Milk" - (Target Box) I do really like this product. It applies supper easy and blends out really well. This means I can either have it be a sheer wash of white color to brighten as a base, or have it be a stark white of I want it to be. I normally use this in my inner corner and inner tear-duct area to brighten and lift my eyes.

16) Palmetto Derma Collegen Booster and Restoration Serum - (Boxycharm - October) I started using this product the day after I received it in my boxycharm box. I have noticed an amazing difference in my skin since I've started using it. It has a healthy glow and the texture of it looks softer and smoother. Plus it feels nice :) I'm really loving this product. I'm not sure if I can repurchase it in the future though (it's $48.00!!) but I really love it so.. maybe. (I'll see how much I like it as it's closer to being gone).

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If you didn't see a review for one of the products I received that means I haven't had a chance to use it enough to give it a fair shot (and fair review). I'll post one of these every month with the remaining products that I've gotten to try. 

Thanks so much for reading :)

~Rachel

Ipsy October 2014 Unboxing

I finally got my ipsy bag on Friday, but since I had family up visiting I hadn't had a chance to type my blog post until now. (But I couldn't resist so I did go through it on Friday and started trying them out).

If you haven't heard of ipsy before, it is a monthly beauty subscription that costs $10.00. Every month you get 4-5 full and deluxe sample sized products with an ipsy exclusive makeup bag. There are many combinations of products for each moth, so what you see here is just one combination of the 25 different products they offered. Here is my referral if you would like to sign up to receive this bag.

Here's the signature pink bubble wrap package that the ipsy bag comes in each month!

This month the theme was Beauty Candy (probably to go with Halloween/Trick-or-Treating). The little makeup bag it comes in this month is a "square pillow top" bag in a darker blue-green color. The bag feels fairly sturdy, but it reminds me of swimming pool tiles lol.

The nail polish that I received this month was outside the bag in the pink package because it was larger (I assume).

The nail polish is a very very dark burgundy red. It's the Nicole by OPI's nail polish in the shade "Feeling Very Cherry". It is a FULL SIZED product; most of these polishes cost about $7.00. On my nails it almost looks like a warm red tinted black color, exactly how it looks in the bottle. I've used this brand of nail polish before and I enjoy their formula. It goes on easily and the brush is a great size for simple application! (The picture of my nail has 2 coats of polish.) 

(I wasn't able to link to this product, as I couldn't find the exact color on any website. Maybe it's from a collection that hasn't been released yet?)

After opening my bag the first two things I pulled out included a lipgloss and a mascara. The starlooks lipgloss is in the shade Guilty Pleasure and contains 0.3 oz of product. I looked all over for how many oz were in the full size, but couldn't find it everywhere. The full size costs $12 and I'm going to give this a value of about $3.00 (about 1/4 the full size?)

The mascara is the VolumEyes mascara by Model Co. This is the FULL SIZED mascara which actually retails for $20.00. I currently have a few mascaras already opened, so I didn't want to try this one out. Most of the comments from ipsters said that it was a good mascara, but not a fantastic one.

Here's a swatch of the Starlooks lipgloss. It's a very pretty nudish pink shade. (Sorry, the camera didn't want to focus at all while trying to take this picture, this was the best one I was able to take)

The last two items I received are the figs & rouge hand cream in the scent rose berry and the epice purifying exfoliant. This hand cream is FULL SIZED (20ml) and worth $6.59. The lotion is very silky and makes my hands feel moisturized without feeling greasy. It sinks in quickly and leaves a subtle scent behind. I'll get much more use out of this one than the last one I received from ipsy!

The epice purifying exfoliant is a FULL TRAVEL SIZED product. This 1oz size retails for $4.99 on their website. I did get a chance to use it (I was really curious despite having many half-used scrubs in my bathroom already). It was a really nice scrub that made my face really soft! The beads were subtle and not harsh at all on my skin.   

Overall I'm happy with my ipsy bag. I'm hoping for less hand creams and mascaras in the future, but I will enjoy these products anyway :) Not to mention the bag (which costs $10.00) ended up having a value of $41.58. (Which doesn't include a price for the little makeup bag it comes in)

If you would like to subscribe to ipsy feel free to use my referral link to register: Click here.

(I purchase this bag with my own money. The refferal code is offered to any and all customers to help with obtaining ipsy points)

If you are strongly considering signing up, make sure you read the FAQs just to clear up and all confusion and help give you a bigger picture of the features!

Ipsy Bag: Sept 2014

I just received my ipsy bag in the mail, and wanted to share it here. I was super excited and kept checking my shipping status all week (I like getting packages in the mail; just in case you can't tell). If you haven't heard of ipsy, it a makeup subscription bag that you get sent every month. It's $10.00 a month, but if you pay for an annual substitution you get a month free (12 months for $110). You receive 4-5 beauty/skincare items per bag. If you want to get your own ipsy bag go ahead an click here (I am not affiliated with this company; I purchase this product myself)

This is how the ipsy package comes each week. It's in a metallic pink bubble wrap envelope.

After opening the package, I pulled out the ipsy card and little makeup bag that my 4-5 makeup products come in. The bag is a really cute faux-leather type material in a metallic gray with studs at the top. The zipper at the top is black and seems sturdy.

The month the theme was "Street Style. The four girls on the card are the stylists from ispy.

This week inside my bag of "Street Style" was (from left to right), Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser, Pacifica 7 Free Nail Polish in the color "Red Red Wine", Be A Bombshell Smooth Criminal Powder, Hikari Lipstick in the color "Cabernet", and Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream.

Here we go!:

The Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser has 1 fl oz of product. I looked up the item and the full size is $13.99 for 6 fl oz. That makes this sample worth $2.33. I'm so glad I received this product, I was just running out of my current face wash! This product is listed as fragrance-free, and does hold up to that. There was no scent I could detect. Some other notable information on this product: it is leaping bunny approved (does not test on animals), it is gluten free, it is vegan, it is Oregon Tilth Certified Organic, it also has the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) organic seal.  

The Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream has 30 ml. (This sample bottle was filled to the brim!) I looked up the full size of this product and it is 60 ml for $34.00. That makes this sample worth $17.00. This sample is worth more than the box, but from what I can tell it's more hit or miss. It has a very distinct herbal scent to it which many people either lover or hate. Fortunately, I'm a weirdo and I'm in the middle. No matter what though, I can still use a hand cream. Though for that price, it probably won't be one I re-purchase.

The Pacifica 7 Free Nail Polish in the color "Red Red Wine" is a full sized item that retails for $9.00. This is a very deep burgundy red color. The picture above is with only one coat applied. I found the brush to be just the right size to paint my nails quickly, but not have it be crazy messy from a larger brush. The "7 free is formulated without parabens, phthalates (dibutyl phthalate), toluene, xylene, camphor, formaldehyde, resin, and animals". The site also states the brush is 100% vegan. So far i really like the formulation, but I'll have to see what the wear time is like.

The Hikari Lipstick in the color "Cabernet". This is a full-sized item that retails for $13.00. The website lists this color as a rich red wine (I sense a wine theme here!). I like this red is more on the pink side because I can pull of pinker shades over orangey shades. I did notice that this dragged a little on the back of my hand as I was swatching, but I'll try it on the lips and see how it applies/wears. This is advertised as a long-lasting lip color

Last item is the Be A Bombshell Smooth Criminal Powder. This appears to be a sample size product which is worth about $5.00 (no way to know for sure because the full size oz amount wasn't listed). I am looking forward to using this to help set my foundation as I have combination/oily skin. I havn't felt or used it yet, but I'll update as I use it.

Overall the value of my ipsy bag was $46.33, not including the cute makeup bag. Over 4 times what I paid.

I'm pretty satisfied with my selections :)

I'll post reviews over the items on here as I use them more so you know if they're any good.

If you want to subscribe and get next months bag you can click here to sign up: CLICK ME :)