February 2016: Ipsy Bag

This month's ipsy theme was "Pretty in #IPSYPINK" and I received the following five products: Naked Cosmetics Mica Pigment, Luxie Beauty Flat Definer Brush 221, Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer Oil, Vintage by Jessica Liebeskind Sparkling Lipgloss in Pink Sequin, and Jersey Shore Cosmetics Vanilla Bean Anti-Aging Lip and Hand Polish.

 

Before I begin, I would like to mention that this month's ipsy bag was a total fail for me. I personally did not like any product so this review is going to be a little negative.

 

 

Jersey Shore Cosmetics Vanilla Bean Anti-Aging Lip and Hand Polish.: This is basically a brown sugar scrub but is super greasy and oily. It leaves a weird film on the hands so I really don't like it.

 

Luxie Beauty Flat Definer Brush 221: A simple and decent flat definer brush. It looks nice but I personally don't have a use for yet another brush.

 

Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer Oil: This is the size of hundred points perk at Sephora. Unfortunately, it did not work for my skin.

 

Product accumulates in the rim and the lid due to the lack of a sifter or cover for the pigment.

 

 

 Naked Cosmetics Mica Pigment in Sierra Nevada: Just last month, I mentioned how I am not a fan of loose pigments but received another one from Ipsy this month. This one is exceptionally messy because it does not have sifter to hold the pigment in, so a lot of product accumulates in the rim of the container and the lid. Also, the color is just a regular bronze and not unique enough to go through the trouble.

 

 

Vintage by Jessica Liebeskind Sparkling Lip gloss in Pink Sequin: The name explains the shade very well. It is straight up shimmer particles in a goopy and sticky base, so I do not like it at all.

 

So, overall this month's Ipsy bag was a huge disappointment for me. I have been an Ipsy subscriber since 2011 and I feel its the time to let it go because a lot of brands that are sent by Ipsy are not even available in Canada, so even if I like something I can't order it. Also, due to the horrible exchange rate and extra shipping charges, the Canadian subscribers pay double the amount for mediocre products, and the few high end items that are sent can be redeemed as point perks for free at Sephora.

 

What is your opinion about Ipsy and other subscription bags? Do you have any recommendations? I am looking for other subscription services that ship to Canada.

 

Thank you so much for taking time to read this post. Hope you have a great day!

 

 

 

NOTD: Colors of Love with Hearts

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

 

Today's post is all about the colors of love i.e. red and pink with accent hearts. I am not much of a nail art person but love nail polish so I always try to add a bling here and there.

 

 

The two polishes that I used for the first look are: Nicka K New York and Julep Hartleigh.

  

 

Julep Hartleigh: This was a part of 2015 February collection and has a clear base with white round specks and red metallic hearts. It does not come out even so I had to pick out the hearts to make it look even on both hands. Also, since it has a clear base so I used one coat of red polish to make it pop.

 

 

Nicka K New York: I received this polish in a subscription box around 2-3 years ago. Not only it has beautiful packaging but an awesome formula.

 

 

 After about four days my red polish chipped but the accent nail was still perfect, so I decided to replace the red with pink and it turned out amazing.

 

 

 Fingrs You Pinky Swear?: I shared a blog post about seven different shades of Fingrs polishes back in 2013. Their formula is amazing in general and this one is no exception, its a beautiful baby pink shade that goes opaque in just one coat and looks flawless in two. Also, it lasts well and doesn't chip.  

 

 

So, these are my super simple and easy Valentine's day nail looks. Give them a try and see if you like them.

 

Thank you for taking time to read this post. Hope you have a great day!

 

Marcelle Flawless Skin-Fusion Foundation

Marcelle is a Canadian brand that makes hypoallergenic and 100% perfume free products. The Flawless Skin-Fusion Foundation is a new addition to their range. This foundation comes in 6 different shades, and claims to be perfume free, paraben free, gluten free, oil free, non-comedogenic, and waterproof. It retails for $17.95 + taxes on their website. I bought it for $10.77 + taxes & shipping, during the 40% off Black Friday sale in November.

 

 

Packaging: It comes in a sleek glass bottle with a pump and transparent black cap. The pump is really nice and dispenses the perfect amount of product.

 

 

Color Match: I picked up the shade Nude Beige, solely based on guess work since it is a newer product so there weren't a lot of swatches online and I didn't have the time to visit a store. Fortunately, it works and even though it is slightly pink, its still the best possible shade for me from the range. The shade Nude Beige is very similar to the Nars Radiant Creamy concealer in Custard.  

 



Mac Pro Longwear concealer in NC 30; Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard; Marcelle Flawless Foundation in Nude Beige; Blended swatch of the Marcelle Foundation

 

Texture: It has a very light and liquidy consistency, but it feels like it almost turns into a very smooth creamy powder on blending. If you have dry flakey skin, it might accentuate that a little bit just like any other liquid foundation would, but I still feel that comparatively it is very forgiving. The packaging says that it contains hydrating vitamins C & E, so maybe that is why it is not that dry and clingy.  

 

Coverage: Since its a very light foundation so the coverage is pretty light but can be built up to medium, without it looking cakey or excessively noticeable. This will work best if you are looking for something to even out your skin tone rather than covering pigmentation or scars. I have some hyper pigmentation but I actually prefer a light foundation followed by spot coverage using a concealer, because I personally feel that the foundation is for an even base while concealer is for correction.

 



Mac Pro Longwear concealer in NC 30; Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard; Marcelle Flawless Foundation in Nude Beige; Blended swatch of the Marcelle Foundation

 

Finish: The packaging says that it is a "light weight makeup for a natural finish and a "second skin" feel". I totally agree with it, this foundation has a true skin like finish. It is different from anything that I have tried in the past because it doesn't look satin, or matte, or glowy but just looks like the actual skin. It is very light weight so it blends right into the skin with minimal effort.

 



Mac Pro Longwear concealer in NC 30; Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard; Marcelle Flawless Foundation in Nude Beige; Blended swatch of the Marcelle Foundation

 

Longevity: It claims to be the "no touch up required foundation", which I find is true. I usually wear makeup for 6-7 hours a day (without any touch ups), and it looks just as good by the time I take it off. Also, I don't use a powder to set it because its winter right now and I don't have oily skin anyways.

 

Pros:

• Light Weight
• Long Lasting
• Hypoallergenic 
• Non-comedogenic
• Natural skin like finish
• Affordable

 

Cons:

• Limited Shade Range

 

Overall, I really like this product and  it is my new go to everyday foundation. It is very light weight, no hassle, easy to blend kind of product, which has reduced my base application time to under 2 minutes.

 

Have you tried this product? Or any other product from Marcelle? What are you thought?

 

Thank you for taking time to read this post. Hope you have a great day!