Category: Subscription Boxes

January 2017 Ipsy Subscription Review

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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 100 points and 1000 points. You can get up to 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 in any way just one beauty junkie to another.

Spoiler Alert: I wasn’t overly thrilled with this months bag. Both the products and the bag itself.

The bag itself was some what weird this month. I applaud Ipsy for doinging something different and always trying to bring out new and interesting bags but this was weird.

Its a grey bag covered by a blue mesh. It looks so much like a shirt some cheesy 90s popstar would have worn back in the day. The material on this also feels cheap like it would tear easily and get snagged on things if you threw this in another bag.

Beauté Basics C405 Contouring Brush

Full Size: yes

Full Size Cost: $7.49

As I’m sure you guys know already I’m about to be really picky since this was a weird product in my opinion and here’s why.  So Crown Brushes for those of you who don’t know do something that is called private labeling where they will make brushes for another company and put the company’s name on it. Now that’s all fine and well and I have no problem with that alot of companies do that for all sorts of products totally common technically you could do to crown and get brushes with your own damn name on the if you wanted to, which honestly would be super cool. My problem here is they lest this as a crown brush but its been private labeled for Beauté Basics so it many not necessarily be the same brush as the Crown one depending on the order they placed. Also while you can find this brush on crown’s website you cannot find it on Beauté Basic’s website and that is a little weird and sketchy to me.  This also this brush is shedding like crazy and I haven’t eve used it yet I have little hairs all over my key board from just looking at it and taking pictures to review. This is all around bizarre for me ad not what I expect from Ipsy.

Temptu Base Smooth & Matte Primer

Full Size: 30 ml

Full Size Cost: $25

Sample Size: 7.5 ml

Value: $6.25

Who named this? this is literally the opposite of a matte primer. I found this very thin and very illuminating. It also smells like paint so I don’t know if I am going to use this or pass this along illuminating primers are not really my thing. There was also no smoothing, blurring, pore filling effects it really didn’t do much but brighten the skin a little.

Pūr~lisse Blue Lotus Seed Mud Mask + Exfoliant

Full Size: 70 ml

Full Size Cost: $52

Sample Size: 15 ml

Value: $11.14

Did not realize how expensive this was when I tried it $52 for a mud mask that is ridiculous. Any KathrineLights fans out there? I can hear her voice right now lol. Any way I do like this brand and I really enjoy the blue lotus and seaweed sheet masks but this not so much. I feel like this mask fails at both being a clay mask and being an exfoliator.  It does not spread well and I feel like my pores actually looked bigger and more open after this mask. It did leave my skin feeling tight but not necessarily smoother. Honestly save your money and you can get all three Loreal clay masks for less and multi mask your little heart our they are like 10 dollars each you get more product and they are honestly wonderful better then alot of the high end masks I’ve used. Like run don’t walk and buy those instead.

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Illumination Concealer in Medium

Full Size: 8 ml

Full Size Cost: $24

Sample Size: 1.5 ml

Value: $4.5

I have such a love hate with this brand the products are nice but they are really expensive. They are generally super full coverage but on me they tend to crease or get cakey or just look like i have heavy stage make up on. I was worried this would be the wrong color but medium does look like it will be light enough on me. Swatched  A tiny amount goes along way with this product. It is much brighter then the regular Bye Bye Under Eye that I also received in an Ipsy Bag. Also if youre interested it happens to be on sale right now on QVC and comes with one of their concealer brushes which is a great deal.

the Balm Bahama Mama Bronzer

Full Size: 0.25 oz

Full Size Cost: $10.99

Sample Size: 0.02 oz

Value: $0.88

I love the Balm they always have the cutest packaging. This is a bronzer/contour multipurpose powder type of deal. It is a neutral tone but looks a little muddy when applied. Swatched below. What I learned from this bag this  is they sell the Balm at Walmart did any one else know that? Because that is really cool. this sample is so small though that it will be hard to use as bronzer.

Here are the concealer and the bronzer swatched.

I feel like the curation of this bag was not that great this month. Ipsy this was a shitty way to start the year. The value is lower then I typically see in an Ipsy bag. This bag felt very random and thrown together I usually notice a good bit more cohesion between the products in a bag like a whole look and maybe a tool or skin care item.

Quick Summary:

Total Value: $30.26

Skincare: 1

Makeup: 3

Tools: 1

Hair Care: 0

Perfume: 0

Other: 0

And as far as sizes:

Full Size: 1

Deluxe Sample: 0

Sample: 4

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup

 

 

December 2016 Beauteque BB Bag Subscription Review and Coupon Code

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Beauteque BB Bag

Cost: $24 monthly

Cycle: Every Month

What is it: A Korean beauty subscription service that sends beauty and skin care items monthly.  Along with English instructions for products that do not have them.  Each month you get a makeup bag and they promise all full size products.  The claim the value is triple the cost of the box and that you will receive at least six products.  They also have a sheet mask subscription called Mask Maven that sends only sheet masks every month.

So Beauteque provides a nice detailed information card, that also lists the price of each item. Later on you’ll once again see that I found these to be less then accurate.

They also included a code for 10% and the code is BBREFER10.

So I’m not much of a fan of the bags they have sent. I have no need for more make up bags as I would assume most beauty junkies and subscription box addicts have more then enough at this point. I would prefer another product instead or even just do with out.

Scinic All Day Pore Control Toner

Full Size: 9.5 oz

Full Size Cost: $21.99

Sample Size: 6.76 oz

Value: $15.65

I am was super excited to get this. It is a liquid and powder toner, so there is a powder in the toner and you shake to combine and it is supposed to dry to a powdery matte finish on the skin. It is supposed to help mattify skin and clear out sebum in your pores and that is definitely a skincare concern of mine. I used this toner after cleansing my face with the cleansers I received in this box. It has a nice fresh lightly bamboo smell to it. It left my skin tight smooth and dry, but not mattified.  I can not attest to the long term effects of controlling sebum but I do plan to continue using this.

Tsaio Charcoal Deep Purifying Cleanser

Full Size: 100 g

Full Size Cost: $11.99

Sample Size: 100 g

Value: $11.99

Another product I was super excited about, I love charcoal masks and skin care they work really well with my skin so a charcoal cleanser is something I will totally use up. This has charcoal, bergamot and lemon as the first three ingredients which seems like a nice line up and I like that I can pronounce all the major ingredients.  This product comes out of the tube as a silvery/grey creamy paste it is a little weird to describe. It lathers up to a thin lather on the skin and washes away easily.  My skin felt clean but not that dry squeaky clean feeling.

Holika Holika Pig Nose Clear Steam Starter

Full Size: 30 ml

Full Size Cost: $5

Sample Size: 30 ml

Value: $5

So this is a cool product its like a little mini mask for your blackheads.  You massage it on for 3 to 5 minutes and then rinse off and it is supposed to loosen blackheads and absorb oils. It is a clear get that warms up as you rub it in, they don’t mention that in the info card.  This made my skin feel very sticky, but the toner took away the sticky feeling and cooled my skin.  I did notice this baling up a little after I had rubbed it in. I do not know if this is from actually clearing pores or just the product itself balling up I did not see an immediate difference. This product is $7 on the memebox website and is on sale for $5 as of right now.

Kinepin Wheet Feet Stone

Full Size: Yes

Full Size Cost: $4.99

Nothing super special about a pumice stone but a solid usable product all the same. It is a nice size as well. Not quite the $8 value they claim though.

Holika Holika Golden Monkey Lip Patch

Full Size: Yes

Full Size Cost: $4

Oh this is cool I have been dying to try one of these lip mask things and my lips have been so chapped lately. I can’t wait to use this and have a little lip pamper session before a night out. The monkeys are so cute.

Vov Color Song Eyes in 7244 She’s a Golden Beige

Full Size: 2 g

Full Size Cost: $10.99

Sample Size: 2 g

Value: $10.99

I wish I had gotten a different shade golden glimmer eye shadows are just so common I feel but it is very smooth and soft with a really fine glitter shimmer to it.  I think this will look really pretty as a highlight so that is how I intend to try it out. Swatched below.

Total: $52.62

Listed Value: $68.47

Just like last month the box came very late and the value is lower than the listed value. Putting all that aside I am in love with this month’s box and really excited to use all of these products and it was literally a box made for my skin type even those they don’t customize by skin type. I imagine people with dry skin will not be pleased with this month’s box but last month’s box was more about moisture so there is a balance.

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup

Medusa’s Makeup December 2016 Subscription Box Review and Coupon Code

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Medusa’s Makeup

Cost: $15.95 monthly

Cycle: Every Month

What is it: Every month Medusa’s Makeup sends 3-5 full size products from their line.  This is the third month that this subscription is around and I have been subscribing since the beginning.  Every month the products arrive in a different colored bubble mailer.

Medusa’s Make up is a vegan and cruelty free company and made in the USA.

They send out their newest products and almost always full size.

I was much more satisfied with this month’s box then last month’s.

The card his month is very festive, and came with a coupon code to use on their site.

Use code gold and get 15% off sitewide. It even works on sale items so you could pick up one of their pressed eye shadows that is on sale for $4 for only $3.40. Its a good deal. It also works on the bundles so you could save some decent money if you are looking to pick anything up.

Witch Lash in Black Noir

Full Size: 12 ml

Full Size Cost: $12

Sample Size: 12 ml

Value: $12

Nice rubber brush with short bristles.  The box is just too cute with the witch and the stars.  The tube also has a nice matte rubber feel that is nice to touch its packages very nicely and when I finally work through my mascara stash I can’t wait to try it.

Blush in Dangerous Liaison

Full Size: 10 g

Full Size Cost: $12

Sample Size: 10 g

Value: $12

Well goddamn this is a pink blush. Like Barbie pink. With Glitter! I never wear blush and this I could not imagine ever wearing without looking like a clown but it is super pigmented and soft with a nice stiffness and not a lot fall out that I think this will look amazing as eyeshadow. So I now have a new giant pan of eye shadow.

With Flash

No flash

Lipstick in Sugar Daddy

Full Size: 3.5 g

Full Size Cost: $12

Sample Size: 3.5 g

Value: $12

This is like a perfect nude, a your lips but better color. Their lipsticks are a super comfortable formula very smooth and not sticky. In the tube they have that awful like old school cosmetics smell but you can’t smell it when you are applying it to your lips so I can ignore that. There are 8 shades in total and I have received 3 shades maybe if I keep this subscription up I’ll get all the shades haha. Swatched Below with the glitter.

Glitter in Gold Digger

Full Size: 2 g

Full Size Cost: $7

Sample Size: 3 g

Value: $7

The website lists the glitters at 2 g but I do believe and the packaging says that the glitters are 3 grams. This glitter is gorgeous though and perfect for this time of year its very New Year’s Eve. I am not really into glitter but I love this glitter and think I will try to find some use for it.

With flash

No Flash

Total: $43

The value on this box was as usual fantastic and I was truly happy with all the products.  They are definitely sending the same kind of format every month so it is starting to get boring but they do have a limited range of products they make. I would love for them to send some of their eyeliner paints they come in some really awesome neon colors that would be so fun.

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup