It’s Ipsy time! Up for review are my Ipsy bag for December, an Ipsy deal, and an Ipsy shopper purchase (not pictured). I’m really loving Ipsy, and the deals are pretty good, but not impressed with the shopper option. I didn’t read through, so didn’t realize the 50% discount on what I purchased was a cashback offer so they send the check to you later. If you cancel Ipsy before you get the money, you lose the cashback. To me, the whole cashback thing is kind of useless (unless it’s like ebates or something): if you’re going to offer me a cashback discount, just give me the discount. So I’m unlikely to use the shopper option again, though this time is giving me a chance to try something I’ve been wanting for a bit now.
In my bag this month: First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser ($5), a Luxie Precision Shader Onyx Brush 239 ($14), Pixi by Petra Mesmerizing Mineral Duo in Orchid Ornament ($10), Smashbox Legendary Lipstick in Legendary ($15), and Lottie London Lottie Lacquer in Riot ($8). Total Value: $52. Really pleased with this month’s bag in general, and the bag itself is gorgeous. (On a side note: the three bags I’ve kept so far are all “special occasion” bags that I don’t want to just toss in my purse but use as a night out kind of bag.)
The deal I picked up for $10 was the Glamour Dolls x Lisa Frank collab, which includes an Eyeshadow in Stargazer ($6.99), the Bitten & Bronzed Matte Bronzer ($4.99), an Angled Blush Brush ($4.99), and a Blending Brush ($4.99). Total Value: $21.96. The Shopper deal was for the First Aid Beauty 5-in-1 Eye Cream.
Let’s get to the reviews, starting with the bag!
First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser :: I’ve reviewed this before, and was so happy to see this in my bag. A little goes a long way, so this sample will last a bit. It sits in my shower.
Luxie Precision Shader Onyx Brush :: This is a really nice brush. The handle is pretty sturdy, the bristles are soft, and it picks up a decent amount of shadow and applies it really well. I can pack or brush easily. It isn’t as small as a detail brush, so while not as big as a larger shadow brush, it doesn’t quite count as a precision brush to me. Still it fits well in the inner corner of my eye. Very pleased!
Pixi by Petra Mesmerizing Mineral Duo :: The colors in the pan are pretty, one with a light pinkish sheen, the other a nice purple-burgundy. The pigmentation is pretty decent, but the lighter color would have disappeared into my skin if it wasn’t a shimmer, and the darker berry ended up more brownish on my lid, which is disappointing. I was really loving the burgundy in the pan. Overall, the duo is disappointing but generally usable though not particularly spectacular. I’m giving this to ProjectBeautyShare.org for someone who might get more use out of the colors than I would.
Smashbox Legendary Lipstick :: This looks more red than it actually is, and is a bit too pink for my tastes. It applied a bit more sheer than I expected, but it builds up well. It’s creamy, smooth, and very beautifully glossy. I did try to wear it alone, but eventually put a darker color over it because it really is a bit too pink (and orange under toned pink at that, I much prefer blue under tones in my pinks and reds). I then tried it over a darker color and liked it much better that way, so it got saved from the PBS box just because it’s easy to layer and adds a light, bright glossiness to other colors.
Lottie London Lottie Lacquer :: The color in the bottle look really dark blue, but is much lighter when applied and has a touch of shimmer in it—it really is very pretty. And it holds up pretty well too, even to my dish washing (which is something I need in my polishes). when it does start to come off though, it tends to chip in such a way that it develops bits that catch on things. Still, really like it!
Next up, both the weekly deal and the Shopper purchase.
Lisa Frank Eye Shadow :: This is a beautiful, shimmery, golden brown that actually works on my lids. Browns can be problematic for me since a number of them disappear into my skin. This is actually pretty close to my skin tone, but the shimmer helps it show up and brings out my eyes. However, at the suggestion of my daughter, I tried it as a highlight, and I love using it that way more than I do as a lid color.
Bitten & Bronzed Matte Bronzer :: This is a little light for me and tends towards a warmer tone than I usually use. I had to build it up to get it to show on my skin. I think this may be more suitable for me in the summer, when a warmer tone will enhance that sun-kissed look, though I’m concerned it might end up too light since my perma-tan tends to darken at that time. We’ll see how this works then.
Lisa Frank Angled Blush Brush :: This brush is rather small and feels a little cheap (which, yea, they really are)—where the gold ferrule meets the handle feels a little loose, and the whole thing is lightweight (VERY lightweight). It worked for applying highlight, but is too small for blush or contour, and the bristles are too soft for the way I apply blush. I don’t think I’ll be reaching for it much, but it is very pretty.
Lisa Frank Blending Brush :: Like the blush brush, this brush is on the lighter side, but it’s soft and picked up and distributed shadow pretty well. I like it better than the angled brush, so am more likely to reach for it. That said, the quality isn’t as good as even most of my cheaper brushes, and the lighter weight is off putting (elf brushes may be cheap, but they still have a decent weight to them that was missing from this). I do like the bristles and how it applied the shadow, so we’ll see if it gets used or not. If not, it’s a pretty display brush.
First Aid Beauty 5-in-1 Eye Cream :: This was a much smaller container than I expected considering the price, but like most FAB products, a little goes a long way (seriously, for each eye, just one tiny drop covers it). My eyes were recovering from irritation with another product when I started using this, and the cream didn’t aggravate the issue. It initially leaves the area under the eye slightly greasy feeling, but it absorbs quickly and the feeling goes away. It claims to smooth, brighten, even out tone, nourish and moisturize. Haven’t been using it very long, but I think I may be seeing some improvement in texture under my eyes, if nothing else. May have to update on this one later.
Overall, domy tried these and is very pleased with everything this month. Even the disappointments weren’t that bad, especially with only one item already slated for the PBS box (and it was actually okay, just not good for my skin tone).
Upcoming reviews will include an Urban Decay mini-haul, Glossybox, Lola Beauty Box, a new box called Yes Oh Yas, and a number of freebie samples that will likely go into 3 or 4 separate posts with a few of them not showing up this month. The three beauty boxes will be unboxed on my YouTube channel in a triple threat video before they show up here. Hoping to get that up before the end of the week (waiting for Glossy to show up).
In the meantime, I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday, whichever one you celebrate. :)
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