Tag: Indie Makeup

Ipsy January 2020 Subscription Box Review

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Ipsy Bag

Cost: $12 monthly, $132 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.

You can now customize your bag and pick out one sample per month that will get to be in your bag which is a pretty nice change even though it came with a price increase.

I love the bag this month the marble is so freaking cute. I can’t wait to use it for something. I don’t know what but something.

Benefit Gimme Brow in 4.5

Full Size: 3 g

Full Size Cost: $24

Sample Size: 1 g

Value: $8

This annoys me this is the third time Ipsy has sent me Gimme Brow over the years despite me negatively reviewing it every time. I don’t like brow gels especially the fibery kind.

Luxie 560 Medium Fan

Full Size: Yes

Full Size Cost: $18

I love Luxie Brushes they are so soft and really nice quality. This one is not different I don’t use fan brushes as much but they are always nice to have around. I have a few highlighters that only look good when applied with a fan brush.

H20+ Oasis Ultra Hydrating Cream

Full Size: 50 ml

Full Size Cost: $29.40

Sample Size: 10 ml

Value: $5.88

I usually find H20+ products pretty meh especially considering the higher price point of them. I will probably just use this up when I travel some where warmer or chuck it in my car to use on long summer days.

Banilla Co. Clean it Zero Cleansing Balm Original

Full Size: 100 ml

Full Size Cost: $19

Sample Size: 7 ml

Value: $1.33

This was the item I picked I have wanted to try this for awhile but have always had so much back stock of cleansing balms and oils I could not justify it. I am almost done with my Farmacy one and will be trying this one next. Even little pots of these last ages.

Ofra Cosmetics Ofra x NikkiTutorials Highlighter in Glow Goals

Full Size: 10 g

Full Size Cost: $29

Sample Size: 10 g

Value: $29

I love Ofra highlighters when I am looking for that really wet over the top metallic look. This highlighter is a bit dark for me so on my it was sorta appearing as a dark shimmer rather then a highlight. I will have to revisit this in the summer and see if it works better for me then or mixed with a highlighter that is two light for me.

Alot of times I find January boxes lackluster rather then starting with a bang like I would want a new year to start off with. This was actually a nicely presented bag. I really liked getting a full size highlighting brush and highlighter all with the same white and gold aesthetic it feels well thought out and fun.

Quick Summary:

Total Value: $62.21

Skincare: 2

Makeup: 2

Tools: 1

Hair Care: 0

Perfume: 0

Other: 0

And as far as sizes:

Full Size: 2

Deluxe Sample: 0

Sample: 3

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup

Boxycharm January 2020 Subscription Box Review

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Boxycharm

Cost: $25

Cycle: Every Month

What is it:

Boxycharm sends out 4 to 5 full size items every month which makes it really unique among the  boxes I subscribe to. It is a nice change to get all full size products especially for $25 which is usually less then the cost of one item in the box. Boxycharm also joined the customize train and you can choose between 2 items to have one in your box for the month. I really like that because Boxycharm was getting to the point where I was only liking one thing in my box and even though the value was there the fun wasn’t anymore.

If you would like to subscribe you can use my referral link HERE. I don’t get anything other then points but would really appreciate it but do as you feel comfortable you are also welcome to use the link in the header that leads to the regular homepage.

You can also review your products and get “charms” which are their versions of points that you can use as money off in their shop.

This was a sorta boring month at first glance like the packaging the actual products nothing has the super wow factor that is exciting to me but it is alot of really solid products that I will use and am happy with except for one item which we will get too.

Also side note they sent the wrong details card with the box. Mine listed the palette that you could have gotten instead of the eye cream that I had chosen. Just an odd little mistake. I don’t pay much mind to the spoiler cards from Boxy I never really read them I find them to be rather unhelpful and a bit full of themselves.

Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Polishing Micro-Exfoliating Truffle Face Gommage

Full Size: 150 ml

Full Size Cost: $26

So I know alot of people don’t like scrubs with apricot in them but I love them this has apricots, black truffle, squalene and this is totally up my alley. I recieved a face wash from this company awhile backed and have really liked it when I have used it I still have it this line feels luxe and nice on my skin. It is also sold online at Ulta and is cheaper there then on the brads website so that its also like very nice and convenient.

Petite ‘n’ Pretty Fully Feathered Volumizing Mascara

Full Size: 6.5 ml

Full Size Cost: $16

So I saw this was like ooh cute packaging big fluffy brush totally the type of mascara I can get into. Great cool. Then I went to look this up and this Petite ‘n’ Pretty brand is a brand of makeup designed for children like legit that is their mission goal. I find that so weird that Boxycharm would send us a kids brand of makeup. It just feels so weird to me. I will use it because it seems like a good mascara and there is no aging out of makeup realistically but it just I would rather an adult brand from Boxycharm I don’t know is that just me? Anyone else have feelings on that?

Pretty Vulgar Under Cover Concealer in 63 Middle Ground

Full Size: 4 ml

Full Size Cost: $25

This I have so many problems with the shades names are weird boarding on offensive and the shade range sucks. This is medium there is only one lighter shade which would have been way to light for me but this is just edging the line of too dark. I definitely couldn’t use this under my eyes. This is supposed to be a gel serum concealer and it is very light feeling very dewy looking I just don’t think this is for me and I don’t know how I am going to make this work.

Dr. Brandt 24/7 Retinol Eye Cream

Full Size: 15 ml

Full Size Cost: $

This was my choice for the month because I really wanted to try a retinol eye cream. I have no idea what rubies are supposed to do in skincare that seems like so bs we added this thing for marketing type of claim. Either way I like getting expensive eye creams for cheap. If you buy this it comes in a pump packaging rather then this squeezy tube but it is the same size. I can’t wait to start using this.

Avant 8 Hour Radiance Renewal Sleeping Mask

Full Size: 50 ml

Full Size Cost: $107

This is another thing that comes in different packaging if you buy it is comes in a jar. Iprefer this tube. I love a sleeping mask and a brightening anti-aging one sounds super perfect I am here for it. Go Boxycharm.

I am all about the fancy expensive skincare and so I am pretty much loving this box despite the weird mascara and the i will probably never use concealer. The value this month I think is the highest I have ever gotten in a Boxycharm which is actually amazing for a change I am pretty happy.

Total: $229

Total Value to Me: $204

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup

What’s in My Trash? 2019 Year End Wrap Up

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So mu 2019 goal was to use up 600 products for the whole year just over 1.5 products a day. I did not succeed on that goal I missed it by 32 items so disappointing. I had thought I was doing so well but I guess not.

Final Totals for 2019:

I learned this year that I actually spend less then I thought I did on my beauty products which is good. Just about 29% of the cost of a product is what I spend on average between sales/coupons/gifts/boxes. Which makes me feel pretty damn proud of my deal skills lol.

For the rest of the data I have I broke it down in to categories of products per month, but unfortunately the category data for April got corrupted and lost so all the data that is broken down by category is done out of 11 months excluding the April data I lost. But the Total Data above does include the totals from April that data I did not lose.

Final Totals By Category:

For the purpose of identinfying where I use the most and spend the most I excluded Decluttered items.

I know I use the most skincare up a full third of what I use during the year which I am not shocked by at all.

But I fully did not expect for all the random thing I use to my next biggest category at 12%. I was expecting it to be Home Scents or Perfume to be honest.

I also expected Makeup to be my least used up category certainly not Lip, I feel like I get through at least 12 or more lip products a year but I didn’t think I was using up that much make up I am pretty happy with myself that Makeup isn’t dead last. I also used up so much perfume this year I was surprised it was so low.

I spend the most on Skincare but skincare is expensive and it is worth the investment with how much I get through that seems appropriate just over $200 in a year is hardly excessive.

Uh I spend way to much on candles clearly I need to cool that down it. takes me a long time to get through a candle or a wax melt and I do not need the huge collection I have of them.

I knew I spent the least on Perfumes since I almost never buy perfume for myself they mostly come to me as presents or in boxes so I knew that it would be the thing I spend the least on and will probably always stay that way.

I don’t do that much with my hair so I am surprised I spent that much on hair stuff over the course of the year in products I used. I have been making sure to use treatments and masks more so maybe that made the difference but I don’t know.

This charts just for the funsies of seeing the retail value of what I use some things are so ridiculously over priced at full price its comical and it shows since i rarely spend full price on anything.

This is to help me be better about how much I should be allowing myself to spend each month in each category since that is all I can realistically use up. To be fair I know it won’t change my actual makeup budget but I am going to be better about sticking closer to these numbers for things like candles and lip balms that I don’t use up very fast.

I am not the most proud of how I did this year like i have been in years past. This coming year I want to focus on using alot of my more expensive products rather then saving them for some better rainy day in the future.

So I am making my 2020 goal to use up $3,500 in retail value (not what I spent dear god no) of products. I am not giving myself a month or yearly product totally goal so that maybe I use up some more full size items that will also help add to that value. I already used up an almost $100 eye cream so hey that is a great start to this goal this year. I also really want to pare down my older perfumes a bit so I will be working on some expensive perfumes as well that should help me on my way to $3,500.

Anyone else looking to keep track of their empties? Or anything you were really proud of using up? I was particularly proud of using up my oldest perfume right before it went bad. Comment down below! I love to chat.

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup