Author: nightmareb4

Ipsy April 2019 Subscription Box Review

nightmareb4
Ipsy Bag

Cost: $10 monthly, $110 annual

Cycle: Every Month

What is it: Every month Ipsy sends out a cute makeup bag of samples and full size items. You can review your bag for points that you can trade in for reward items. The rewards change often and the range between 300 points and 1000 points. You can get around 95 points every month.

If you want to subscribe you can subscribe HERE and skip the waitlist. That is my referral link so I do get points to spend but I’m not an affiliate I don’t make any money or anything it’s just one beauty junkie to another.

I love this lemon bag it is so freaking cute. I want to keep it but I’m going to give it to my aunt because we have this thing about lemons and limoncello and its my mom and hers birthday party this week so I am going to give it to her. But so damn cute.

Firma Beauty 103 Angled Contour Brush

Full Size: Yes

Full Size Cost: $14.99

This is super soft I think it will be perfect for highlight this is a little too soft and loose for what I like for contouring so I won’t use it that way. That’s ok brushes are for how you like to use them not what it says on them.

TonyMoly Peach Punch Sweet Foam Cleanser

Full Size: 150 ml

Full Size Cost: $10.50

Sample Size: 10 ml

Value: $0.70

Always happy to see some TonyMoly Their products are always so cute it makes me want to use them. This smells like peaches and I love that scent and I haven’t used a foaming cleanser in a while so that’ll be fun. I noticed this had a sticker with the ingredients on it so I peeled it off to see what was under it lo and behold it was another ingredient list so I compared the two and the last ingredient printed on the bottle was not on the sticker. It was Cl 16255, that is the ingredient name, i looked up what it was and it is a dye if anyone cares. I was curious and now we all can know lol I’m guessing it has been removed from the formula but they did not want to have to make new tubes. Because I am fairly certain it is illegal to not list all the ingredients and it would be really shitty if this was old product but they put the new ingredient list on it to show what is in the new product even though that isn’t what we are getting. Did that make any sense at all probably not. I am not happy with the value of this sample being that it is on the more inexpensive side they should have sent a larger sample at least like 25 mls I feel.

Tarte Base Tape Hydrating Primer

Full Size: 30 ml

Full Size Cost: $30

Sample Size: 10 ml

Value: $10

I don’t love hydrating primers and I am over capacity with primers right now so if it isn’t a primer I think I am going to love I am not really trying to keep it. This is a milky white primer that rubs in clear it is moisturizing and a but tacky. I bet it is probably great for dry skin and holding on your makeup. I’m just not interested.

Nomad Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Blue Lagoon

Full Size: 15 shades x 1.5 g or singles 2.2 g (other shades)

Full Size Cost: $37 (palette) or $12 (single)

Sample Size: 1.5 g

Value: $2.47 or $8.18

I don’t really love the formula of these Nomad cosmetics powders they are so soft that they have so much kick back and fall out. Pretty color though. So this is exclusive to the Antilles palette so I am using those prices but you can by singles from them and I listed those prices as well. Swatched Below

Ofra Cosmetics Rodeo Drive Highlighter

Full Size: 10 g

Full Size Cost: $29

Sample Size: 10 g

Value: $29

I love this highlighter I actually have it in their old packaging, I got it in a Boxycharm. I know that I will never use this all up but I am tempted to keep it as a backup because I know the Ofra highlighters are super fragile to it would be nice to have a backup. This isn’t their old packaging which was black and it isn’t their new packaging which is square. So I am wondering if this was maybe a test run or something of packaging that they didn’t choose and that is how Ipsy got it. Swatched Below.

Getting a full size high end highlighter in an Ipsy bag is like a huge win making this whole bag feel really amazing even if the rest of the products were pretty tiny and so so.

Quick Summary:

Total Value: $57.16

Skincare: 1

Makeup: 3

Tools: 1

Hair Care: 0

Perfume: 0

Other: 0

And as far as sizes:

Full Size: 2

Deluxe Sample: 1

Sample: 2

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup

Sephora Play! April 2019 Subscription Box Review

nightmareb4

Sephora Play!

Cost: $10.00 monthly + tax

Cycle: Every Month

What is it: Every month our favorite money sucking store Sephora sends out a curated box of higher end samples to try out. Every month you receive 5 samples and a perfume sample.  The boxes are customized with a few different variations being sent out each month.

There is a small survey that Sephora has you take that helps Sephora curate a box to your needs. There is also a card included in the box for a complimentary mini makeover and 50 extra points if you purchase something in store and now online too.

Some stuff I am excited about and some stuff I am less then excited about.

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm

Full Size: 125 ml

Full Size Cost: $29.50

Sample Size: 3 ml

Value: $0.72

This is my favorite way to remove eye makeup I love this product so so much. This little sample is probably not exciting to most people but to me I am thrilled because now I have this tiny little thing to take on vacation ad I don’t have to take my bigger travel size jar. A little of this goes a long way so this should last for at least a weeks worth of make up for me.

Clinique High Impact Mascara in 01 Black

Full Size: 0.28 oz

Full Size Cost: $19

Sample Size: 0.14 oz

Value: $9.50

Repeat brand and repeat item alert they have definitely sent this before. I don’t like Clinque mascaras they do nothing for my lashes leaving them kinda flat and not pretty looking.

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Mattifying Primer

Full Size: 30 ml

Full Size Cost: $37

Sample Size: 5 ml

Value: $6.17

They have sent these primers before but not as recently as that mascara. I don’t need any more primers in my life and the primers I have tried from Make Up For Ever were nothing particularly special in my opinion.

Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment

Full Size: 4.3 g

Full Size Cost: $26

Sample Size: 2.2 g

Value: $13.30

Another thing I’ve gotten in Play! before but this i really like so it gets a pass. This is a really nice feeling lip balm on the lips but it absorbs so quickly so you use it pretty fast because it is such a soft formula. I love how even the minis have the same packaging as the full size that nice metally plastic with a top that screws down so it doesn’t come apart in your pocket or bag. This clear one has an almost sweet lemon scent/taste but very faint.

GlamGlow Good in Bed Passionfruit Softening Night Cream

Full Size: 45 ml

Full Size Cost: $54

Sample Size: 5 ml

Value: $9

This is a very thick soft cream it really coats the skin. It smells nice like passionfruit and feels super soft on the skin but it is heavy and I don’t know how my skin is going to get along with that on a long term basis.

Youth to the People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream

Full Size: 60 ml

Full Size Cost: $58

Sample Size: 7.4 ml

Value: $7.15

So this weirdly smells like beer to me. I guess they were going for like a day cream and a night cream but I don’t like that there are two moisturizers in the same box. That said this is more suited for my skin it is much lighter in texture and absorbs alot faster. Feels nice and light and a bit cool on the skin too.

So many repeats. Ugh I hate that. I am happy with 4 of the 6 products but 3 of the 6 are repeats.

Quick Summary:

Total Value: $45.84

Skincare: 3

Makeup: 2

Tools: 0

Hair Care: 0

Perfume: 0

Other: 1

And as far as sizes:

Full Size: 0

Deluxe Sample: 2

Sample: 4

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup

Macy’s Beauty Box April 2019 Subscription Box Review

nightmareb4

Macy’s Beauty Box

Cost: $15

Cycle: Every Month

What is it: Every month you will get a bag, a $5 off coupon (sometimes $10), 5 deluxe samples and 1 bonus sample. Why not just say 6? I don’t get it.

All the brands will be brands you can find in Macy’s which is cool since they sell Mac and a lot of other brands that are never to rarely in subscription boxes.

The cool thing about the coupon is that it is good in stores and online (beauty ships free at Macy’s) also Macy’s does have sales and $5 products so if you are strategic you can score a free product every month. Depending on your state you may still have to pay tax but it is still basically free.

So this month I got a little slip in my box that said OOPS! that they had to substitute one of my items. So the Winky Lux Gloss got subbed out for a Koh Gen Do Spa Water and I was so excited because I would have just given the Winky Lux gloss away but I’ve heard good things about Koh Gen Do and am thrilled to get a chance to try something out.

I also weirdly like this weird bag covered in eyes.

Grande Cosmetics Grande Mascara

Full Size: 6 g

Full Size Cost: $25

Sample Size: 2.5 g

Value: $10.42

Excited for this it is supposed to boost your lashes and make them healthier. I also love that the little tube is clear so I’ll actually be able to see what is going on in the mascara tube and I’ve always been curious.

Givenchy L’Interdit Perfume

Full Size: 50 ml

Full Size Cost: $91

Sample Size: 1 ml

Value: $1.82

I love Givenchy perfumes I know that is super bougie but they all smell so good and expensive without being so overpowering or like old smelling like alot of expensive perfumes do to me. I have a very picky perfume scent palette. This is floral but not in a flowery way I know that makes no sense.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream

Full Size: 30 ml

Full Size Cost: $89.00

Sample Size: 15 ml

Value: $44.50

Umm this cream better be fucking magical at that price point…. That is all I have to say. I know Elemis is pricey but damn.

Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus+ Neck & Chest Broad Spectrum 25

Full Size: 30 ml

Full Size Cost: $89

Sample Size: 5 ml

Value: $14.83

Another super pricey brand I don’t know that I have much need for a Neck and Chest cream I am probably going to just use this as a sunscreen to be honest

Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water

Full Size: 300 ml

Full Size Cost: $46

Sample Size: 40 ml

Value: $6.13

This is wrapped so well that I don’t want to unwrap it because I know it won’t spill when I bring it on a plane next month. I have seen good reviews from KathleenLights on there wipes so I am excited to try the water.

Real Her Moisturizing Lipstick in No Filter

Full Size: 3.5 g

Full Size Cost: $18

Sample Size: 3.5 g

Value: $18

This is a blush nude color but it looks like pinky concealer dead lips on my so no. Also I don’t love that very classic creamy glossy type of lipstick feel this is a no for me. I also thought it was super weird that the bottom of the lipstick describes it as a deep nude it is no where near a deep nude.

Lot of really expensive skincare this month! And surprisingly the substituted product really works out better for me.

Total Value: $95.70

Skincare: 4

Makeup: 1

Tools: 0

Hair Care: 0

Perfume: 1

Other: 0

And as far as sizes:

Full Size: 1

Deluxe Sample: 1

Sample: 4

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup