Ipsy (MyGlam): September/October 2012

So I don’t know if it was the post office or what, but both my Birchbox AND MyGlam – now Ipsy – September subscriptions didn’t arrive until the last days of September.

That, plus being out of town, I am finally getting around to publishing these latest 2 posts – sorry for that 😦 – I’ll try and be a concise as possible.

One of the things I am hoping to accomplish in the near future is becoming a truly consistent blogger, so thank you to all my readers for bearing with me.

Okay – so onto the latest goodies in the MyGlam bags – but wait… first things first, the weird name change to ipsy…
beauty by you <<< I think it is strange and unnecessary, plus it sounds too similar to “tipsy.” Maybe that is how the name came about – the “MyGlam” team got together for a re-branding meeting and couldn’t come up with anything, so they decided maybe a few cocktails would help… it didn’t

SEPTEMBER – overall: B.

SOHO Smudge Brush – Full Size

• Good brush, seems sturdy and of good quality. No shedding.
• Full Size Value: $5.97

Circus by Andrea’s Choice Nail Color “Tightrope” – Full Size

•  Neon violet-fuschia nail color. Vegan and cruelty free. Bold and quite pigmented, dries semi-matte and sets fairly fast. Okay polish overall. Brand “Circus” was created by Andrea’s Choice – one of the “YouTube Beauty Gurus” behind Ispy.
• Full Size Value: $29.95 (as part of  a 5 polish collection)

Carol’s Daughter Monoi Repairing Split End Sealer – .38 fl oz Sample

• Loving this stuff! While it says “93% fewer split end instantly” – it should be clarified that it is not reversing the split ends, but simply binding them together to appear less noticeable. Nevertheless, smells great – light semi-floral beachy-coconut scent, due to the Tahitian based ingredients; and really does keep the frizz and split ends smooth.
• I think with continued use, especially after having your hair trimmed, would keep your ends looking amazing.
• Would be great for ladies with long hair and ladies with hair prone to brittleness, or easily damaged.
• A bit hesitant about the full size value for the price
• Full Size Value:  $25.00 (1.7 FL OZ)

Jane Sparkle Gloss “Sparkle Pink” – Full Size

• Uggghhhhh!! Dislike. Sorry Jane.
• When initially applied, it is slightly sticky with good pigment, but gets tacky too quickly.
• It has an artificial cotton candy -esque scent that gives me a headache.
• There are better quality drugstore glosses around the same value.
• Full Size Value: $9.99 (part of a 3 gloss set)

Mirabella Eye Colour “Semiformal” – Full Size

• Biggest problem here would be that the product came as a single pan, luckily I have a shadow palette I can place it into.
• Good quality shadow. Blends nicely. Warm soft bronze with a slight sheen.
• Medium to Tan skin tones can use this as a neutral everyday color, will pop a bit more on deeper skin tones, while light skin tones could use this easily as a crease/contour shadow.
• Full Size Value: $10.00

OCTOBER – overall: B+.

Couture Colour Pequi Oil Treatment – Full Size .5 fl oz

• Very lightweight hair treatment that hair adsorbs easily, which is always awesome!
• Light tropical-fruit, somewhat natural-banana scent (from Amazonian ingredients).
• Can be used before shampooing, blow-drying and/or styling.
• As with most oil treatments, is restorative and adds protection, leaving hair softer, shinier and smoother.
• Has natural UV filters 🙂
• FYI: Does contain a silicone derivative.
• Full Size Values: $12.00 (0.5 fl oz / 15 ml), $32.00 (2 fl oz / 60 ml), $50.00 (4 fl oz / 120 ml)

Coastal Scents Eye Shadow – Sample Quad Set

• Candlelight, Vibrant Blue, Elven Midnight & Deep Eggplant
• Greatest thing about Coastal Scents is the range of products and colors for the price!
• All shadows are creamy powders that are easily blendable and you can use them wet or dry!
• Only disappointment would be that the Vibrant blue was not so vibrant when used dry.
• Full Size Value Range: $1.99 (single) to $69.95 (sets)

Mirenesse Lip Bomb Glossy Lacquer Stain “Bomb 2” – Full Size

• Mixed feelings on this one considering it really doesn’t live up to the majority of its claims.
• They sell it as a “gloss, stain and lacquer all in one!” – Gloss yes  – stain not the stain you want – lip lacquer uhhh sure.
• They also say it is “feather light, non-smearing, intense and stay put” – Feather light, not exactly, smearing – all over, intense – yes, stay put – uhh no!
• They do advise you to apply a thin layer, which for the more novice make-up user could take a few tries to get used the the product consistency.
• It smells minty! A little odd.
• The color is very intense and for someone who applies make-up regularly and well, this product was a bit unexpectedly tricky. The wand is a strange 8 type of form and the product does stain imperfectly, but after you have taken it off! So imagine if it smears and then stains outside your lips! Seriously, I felt like Cher from Clueless when she gets all flustered and her lips are all stained/smeared with residual lip color and Dion is attempting to fix her make-up!
• Redeeming qualities, the color is a gorgeous true and vibrant blue red and the product is not sticky. When applied (with a lip primer to help avoid smearing) it looks seriously sexy!
• Overall- not worth the money for a product that doesn’t live up to its claims.
• Full Size Value: $39.00

Be A Bombshell Eye Liner “Onyx” – Full Size

• Love this marker liner! One of the best pen/marker liners I have tried 🙂
• I don’t tend to buy pen/marker liners anymore, as I prefer to use a brush and gel liner the majority of the time, so I was excited to try this out.
• It has a fairly thick felt tip (could be difficult for some people), which may not hold up for fine liner looks with continuous use, but it offers versatility.
• Dries quickly, long-lasting, quite pigmented, does not feather or run at all!! Great when you are in a hurry.
• It does not state that is it waterproof, but I definitely feel it is water resistant – and could stand up to a bit of humidity and light drizzle, but easily comes off with facial cleansers and water.
• If you are looking at taking your look from office to a night out, this could be a great product to toss in your bag.
• Full Size Value: $14.00

theBalm What’s Your Type? “the body builder” Black Mascara – .11 fl oz Sample

• Very good mascara for length and separation  but not as well with volume – a little disappointing considering the name – I was expecting it to be the total package mascara.
• My lashes already have good length and are naturally curled, but I had to be careful with this mascara – when I applied it, it lifted and lengthened my lashes to the point where they were hitting my brow bone.
• Non-clumping, non-smearing and long-lasting.
• Full Size Value: $19.00

I am loving that Ipsy/MyGlam has been including so many full size products, plus one of the greatest things that has come about is that every product/brand has an accompanying discount code or coupon!

…more soon ♥

My Favorite Make-up Brushes

I am a make-up brush fiend and I love it! To say I have quite a few brushes would be a gross understatement; but there are some I love much more than others – so I decided to share 🙂

I have 3 favorite brands/lines of make-up brushes and the following applies to all three brands…

Why I love them:

• Affordable
• High Quality
• Quality is worth the cost of every brush (at least the ones I own so far)
• Wide range of brushes for many applications
• Have NEVER SHED bristles -ever! (Though, I do properly care for my make-up brushes)
• Extremely soft and gentle on the skin
• Great multipurpose brushes

First up… Sephora Collection “Airbrush” Line

My favorite brush in the collection:

Pro Air Brush #55

What I use it for: BRONZER! This is my dedicated powder bronzer brush, I will use nothing else to get my bronzed glow!

Next… Sonia Kashuk “Kashuk Tools” Line

My favorite brush in the collection:

Synthetic Flat Top Multipurpose Brush

What I use it for: Stippling and blending liquid foundation and cream blushes! Just amazing!!

And finally… Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman

My favorite brush in the collection:

Buffing Brush (part of the “Core Collection”)

What I use it for: Buffing in liquid foundation and cream products. Also great for powder products. Talk about flawless!

CleanUp Time: Make-Up Brushes & Sponges

Is your skin looking not-so-hot? Do you use make-up brushes or sponges? Did you know that they may be why your skin is in a funk?

Well, it is true, if you are not cleaning your make-up tools often enough or properly. Brushes and sponges not only accumulate product residue, but also bacteria, which without proper cleaning, means that you are spreading that days old product residue and bacteria onto your face. Eeek!

Based on how much and how often you apply make-up, brushes should be cleaned thoroughly once a week to once a month. I would also recommend using a daily anti-bacterial brush cleaner in between proper cleanings.

The exception to this would be if you have enough brushes to use some for a limited time and move onto using more clean brushes.  The only issue with this – when you run out of clean brushes, you will have A LOT to clean at once! Not fun – I know 😦

So onto how to clean your brushes (according to me and what I have learned)…

Cleaning make-up brushes:

Step 1: Gather your brushes and take them to a flat surface with plenty of space, either on a bathroom/kitchen counter or table.

Step 2: Grab a medium size bowl (or partially fill your bathroom sink) with warm water.  Doing this wastes less water.

• Depending on how dirty your brushes are and how many, you may have to empty and refill the water once or twice.

Step 3: Wet the bristles of the brush, doing your best to avoid wetting the brush handle.

• Wetting the brush handles, especially if wood, can damage them – as water makes the wood expand, when it dries, the handle can crack.

Step 4: Add a small amount of brush cleaner/soap to your palm and swirl the brush into your palm, sweeping back and forth.

• Do not push the bristles down – the forcible spreading of the bristles outward can/will damage the brush density and form.

Step 5: Rinse under clean cool water and repeat Step 4, in the bowl of water, until the brush is clean of make-up.

Step 6: Gently squeeze the bristles, ridding the brush of as much water as possible, and re-form the brush to its smallest density.

• When squeezing the brush, do so downward – from the brush handle towards the end of the bristles.

Step 7: Dry the brush handle with a clean towel, if necessary, and allow the brush to dry – brush head end down.

• If the brush is not dense enough to support the weight of the brush, meaning the bristles bend when placing the brush bristle end down, then lay the brush down on a clean towel to dry overnight.

The brush shampoo I currently use:

Sephora Purifying Brush Shampoo 

The daily brush cleaner I currently use:

Sephora Daily Brush Cleaner

(spray after use and allow to dry – no rinsing required)

When I don’t have my Sephora brush shampoo:

I use a 2:1 ratio of Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and Dial Gold Antibaterial soap. Works just as well.

I have mentioned this in a previous post, but to those new readers or in cased you missed that post, make-up sponges should be cleaned after each use. Since sponges absorb more product and absorb the product deeper than brushes do after one use, proper daily cleaning is important.

Cleaning make-up sponges:

Step 1: Take the sponge(s) to your bathroom/kitchen sink.

Step 2: Do NOT wet the sponge

Step 3: Grab some oil (yeah – I did just said oil, grape seed or olive, or even baby oil)

Step 4: Pour the oil on the more stained areas and work the oil into the sponge well.

• The oil breaks down the cosmetic ingredients and separates the makeup from the sponge better than regular soap.

Step 5: Squeeze the dirty out! Then squeeze some more.

• Repeat Step 4 until the stains are gone.

Step 6: Grab some of your brush cleaner, gentle facial cleanser or some baby shampoo/antibacterial hand soap and wash out the oil.

Step 7: Squeeze all the water out using a clean paper towel and check for any oil residue.

• Check for oil residue by pressing the sponge onto your clean, dry hand – you will be able to feel/see on your hand if there is still oil.
• Repeat Step 6 until you have rid the sponge of the oil.

Step 8: Allow the sponge to dry or use it right away – if you prefer using your sponge damp.

Side Tip: Wash your pillow cases often too.

• Why? 1. Sebum (Face “Oil/Grease”) 2. Sweat 3. Product Residue 4. Bacteria

Have fun cleaning your way to good skin!

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my Chloe + Isabel boutique and spread the word! You’ll love it and I’ll love you for it! 

What’s in the bag: MyGlam May 2012 Bag

Yay! The May MyGlam bag didn’t totally suck! Grrr… okay, pardon the mood – today’s been a stressful, crap-filled, drama-ridden Monday.

But, seriously, the May MyGlam bag has some decent goodies… so without further ado, let’s check out the goods:

MyGlam Concealer and Fine Liner Brush Set

• Another two brushes to add to the MyGlam Brush Collection – they are decent brushes, which I’m sure I will utilize at some time. Previously, they have included an Eyeshadow, an Angled Eyeliner, and a Crease brush; along with a pink MyGlam brush case. 

Studio Gear Lipstick (Shade I received show below)

Studio Gear Lipstick in “Misty Mauve” (Full Size)

• Creamy, non-drying, semi-matte and smells like that standard lipstick scent, but not terribly bad. The shade I received is a cool toned blue-mauve shade, something I wouldn’t wear during this time of year. This color can also have that cool-toned “dead” appearance, so beware if you are not fond of those shades or if they clash with your skin tone – fortunately, I’m okay with the “dead look” and can make it work for me.

Philosophy Love Sweet Love Perfume (Standard Sample Vial)

• Fruity and floral, a little sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. Overall, it’s that kind of happy, girly, fun scent for Spring/Summer.

Nail Bling (Full Size Package)

• With a theme like “Love is in the air”, it is only natural that the MyGlam team included these very girly-girl-friendly nail decals. They have the appearance of micro-rhinestones and you apply them as you would regular nail strips.  I tend to shy away from the pink range of accessories, though I’m sure I’ll find a creative way to utilize these – perhaps as an accent nail to an all black manicure.

And there you have it, not too bad… I’d say about on par with last month, so let’s hope next month has something awesome, because I think we are do for some awesomeness MyGlam!