September 2013: Ipsy Bag

I am a regular subscriber to Ipsy bag for a while. I have tried almost all other subscription services that ship to Canada but this is the only one for now. Ipsy is pretty consistent with the quality and size of their samples as compared to some other services in the market. However, I must say that when I saw this months bag, I wasn't super excited about it. 

Septemper 2013 Ipsy Bag

This months bag contains 3 Freeman Masks, which can be found at Walmart for around $2-3 and are pretty popular. However, Ipsy sent sheet masks, which I believe are a new addition to the brand. Then there is a NYX eyeshadow, Cailyn Tinted Lip balm, Starlooks Kohl eyepencil and It's So Big Volumizing Mascara by Elizabeth Mott. 

Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm - Big Apple

Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple is a beautiful cherry red shade that comes in a glass packaging usually used for gel liners. Judging from its name I thought it is going to be a sheer lip balm but I was so wrong. It is super pigmented, goes on smooth and leaves a matte finish. It is absolutely stunning and my most favorite product from this months bag. 

NYX Eyeshadow - Hot Crystal (Left: 1 swipe; Right: Multiple swipes)

I have several single NYX shadows and I love their pigmentation but this particular one is not my favorite in terms of consistency. It is a creamy white shade with some shimmer and goes on super sheer in the first swipe and takes several coats to build up the the actual color, which still looks kind of splotchy. 

Top: Rimmel Scandaleyes - 1 Swipe; Middle: Starlooks eye pencil in Obsidian - 1 Swipe; Bottom: Starlooks eye pencil - Several Swipes.

The Starlooks kohl eye pencil is nothing special. It takes several swipes to get to the desired color. Also, it is not very smooth and these days almost all the drugstore liners have raised the bar for smoothness and lasting power so high that these kind of liners do not even stand a chance. 

I didn't open the It's so Big mascara because I have so many mascaras lying around to be used. However, I was reading the ingredients and it contains stearate, which I am allergic to which means that there is a possibility that other mascaras also do but I never paid much attention to the ingredients of the mascara. Can anyone clarify this to me,that if  you are allergic to certain ingredients then do you avoid them even in mascaras or just in products that come in direct contact with skin?

Extra Sample - 1 look out of Em Cosmetics Life Palette

This month an extra sample was included from Em Cosmetics which was kind of disappointing in the sense that the shadows and the blush are actually on a piece of paper and you need to peel off the plastic to use them. I give them props for the unique packaging but I have to say that it is not user friendly. I am not a fan of samples that come stuck on a paper whether they are of perfumes, skincare or cosmetics. I usually toss them out and I guess for this one too I'll just swatch them on my hand. I know this was just an extra but Michelle owns Em Cosmetics and she is also a part of Ipsy so they could have included one decent eye shadow pan like they do for Coastal scents or BH Cosmetics if nothing more. 

Are you subscribed to Ipsy? If yes, then what did you get? If no, then would you consider subscribing in future?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Stila: Countless Color Pigment: Encore

Recently, there has been a lot of buzz about the new Stila Countless Color Pigments in the beauty community, so I decided to pick up one. There are some very bright and bold colors in this line, I may be wrong but I believe there are a total of 10 different color combinations available in the market at this point ranging from bright blues, oranges, greens to more subtle pinks and browns. I went for the mediocre shade, Encore. It retails for $29 CAD and each one has a mis-mesh of three shades.

 

 

The packaging is really nice. The outer rim is similar to the brightest shade in the compact, which makes it very easy to identify in a large collection or to separate them from one another.

 

The products looks quite big in the picture  but is actually pretty small. It is hardly the size of Sephora outrageous prisma chrome eye shadows or Hard Candy baked eye shadows. The small size of the compact makes it quite difficult to reach for individual shades unless you are using a small eye shadow brush.  For the pictures, I swatched the shadows using my fingers so you can see the champagne color has some brown shadow to it.  I know they are meant to be mixed for different combinations but it is kind of inconvenient for someone who doesn't want to mix them.

 

Indoor Lighting

Natural Lighting

The eye shadows are very smooth and blend out very nicely. However, since they are so soft and are marketed as pigments, they do have some fallout. The shades are really soft and pigmented. The first one is a beautiful champagne shade, second one is a mid toned pink which for some reason is showing up as coral in the picture, the third one is a gorgeous browny burgundy shade with very fine golden shimmer. 

 

Overall, I do like the shadows and the packaging. But I do not understand the hype behind them because ultimately you are getting so little product for $29 + taxes. So in a nut shell, I found them okay but there is nothing special that you have to run out to get these. Everyone has a different opinion, but at least for me they do not qualify to be a must have product.

 

Have you tried these? What is your opinion?

 

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

NOTD: A Splash of Pinky Lavender

Today's manicure may not be very creative but I had to share it for the beauty of the color. It is such a stunning pinky lavender color that you will have to see it in person to appreciate it fully. It is NYC nailpolish in Lincoln Square Lavender. I do not own the Essie nail polish in A splash of Grenadine, but it looks similar in the pictures. Please correct me if I am making a wrong comparison since I don't own the Essie one. 

NYC nail polishes are super cheap. I do not remember the exact price because I bought it a year or two ago, but I believe it is around $3-4. It is super cheap but the formula is really good. 

I  have two coats of polish here along with Revlon gel base and top coat. The polish is nice consistency and doesn't take too long to dry. However, I must say that the formula is a hit or miss in this line. I own a magenta shade from the same line which is super streaky and requires multiple coats. 

Also, the color appears a little different in person and is not so pink as it looks in the pictures. It is a different from usual pinks and  lavenders, and the camera is just not picking it up. Let me know how you feel about this particular shade  if you own it. 

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Tarte: Gifts From The Lipstick Tree Achiote Color Collection

Tarte is one of my favorite blush brands from Sephora. It is a cruelty free, eco-chic brand. The amazonian clay blushes have a cult following because of their amazing lasting power and wide range of colors. This particular collection has been out for a while but it retailed for $85 so I never picked it up even though I absolutely loved the blush shade, which is exclusive to this kit. However, now this set is on sale for only $35 on Sephora website and that is the main reason behind this post. 

This set comes with three products: Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss in Achiote, LipSurgence™ Natural Lip Luster in Achiote and Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Achiote.

Natural Lighting: Same order as above

Indoor Lighting: Same order as above

Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss in Achiote: This is a corally pink gloss with some shimmer and thick consistency. It comes in a click pen form, which is not my favorite since it takes a while to come out and dispenses more product than needed. The gloss has a minty scent and feel to it, which is nice. Also, it is pretty opaque and gives decent coverage without any base. Overall, it is nice except the packaging. 

LipSurgence™ Natural Lip Luster in Achiote: Tarte LipSurgence are quite popular and comes in a twist up tube. This one is a shimmery coral, which leans more towards orange than pink as compared to the other two products in the set. Just like the gloss, it has a minty scent and feel to it. Even though there is shimmer, but the consistency is quite smooth and comfortable on the lips. Also, the shimmer may look intense in the swatch, but it is not that overpowering on the lips, so I like this product. 

Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Achiote: This is the product that inspired me to get this set. These blushes retail for $31 and this set is $35 right now which makes it an amazing deal. I absolutely love this blush, it is a matte pinky coral color. The consistency is very smooth and there is no fall out whatsoever. Also, the staying power is amazing. I would highly recommend this color. 

Result: This is an amazing set at a superb price. If you love amazonian clay blushes, then don't think anymore and just get it before it gets discontinued. 

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!