Ipsy Bag February 2013 Review

Are you ready to get Red Carpet ready? Forget about Valentines day, just like Ipsy did, and focus on the glitz and glamor of Hollywood's award season! Just in case you are new to Ipsy or don't know what it is, it is a beauty subscription service that allows you to sample beauty products in your own home for only 10$ (yes that includes shipping!) a month. While it is a mystery as to what you will get, you always get items worth more than this and this subscription is cosmetics based! Rarely disappointing. If you would like to sign up, you can do so here!

Just in case you didn't get an Ipsy Bag for February, here are some promo codes!

This months bag was a black, shiny, simple makeup bag which has the Ipsy logo inside.

What i received:
Pixi Flawless and Poreless (deluxe sample size)-
This translucent primer left the pores on my face visibly reduce. While i wouldn't trade the primer i use already for this product it did work quite well. I did not find it heavy on my face and found a little bit went a long way. It can be found here for $29.

Mica Beauty Cosmetics Gel Liner-
This liner, in a deluxe size, has quickly become one of my everyday essentials. It is soft and smooth enough to glide on with a soft or thin brush. It is smooth enough to blend out slightly. I like that once it is on it is resistant to tears and rain. I find it to be great quality that lasts all day and has so much more precision and lasting power than pen liner. You can find this liner here.

Pop Beauty Smokey Lash Kapow Mascara-
This mascara was just, mascara. Nothing special or different. Didn't make my lashes super lush but didn't fall flat. Did not get clumpy or make my lashes stiff. This is your run of the mill mascara that falls right on average and is good for everyday wear.

Coastal Scents Quad-
This item is not new at all. Ipsy gave this item out in October (I believe) and this is also something you can receive for free by placing any order at Coastal Scents. While it still requires a purchase, I always get irritated when I find out that a sample I pay for is something I could have gotten for free. With that aside these colors were decent. I found some a little too powdery for my taste but they were highly pigmented. The upper right shade has some fall out because of the micro glitter but this wouldn't defer me from purchasing this shade or a larger palette. These shades go well together for a full eye look or used individually.

Lash Card- 

This is the second time I have received this sample recently. Now my opinion may come off as a little bias on a few levels and I will explain why. First off, if you are new to mascara or eye looks having something like this to protect your freshly done makeup is genius. If you're a makeup artist you may want to use this on a client. But for someone who does makeup everyday this is pointless. I know how to maneuver a mascara brush, such that, i know how to not mess up my eye look.

Overall this months Ipsy bag was decent. A little something for novice to seasoned makeup user. While some items felt a little pointless others were spot on. Ipsy is a monthly subscription that allows you to sample beauty products for only 10$ month which includes shipping. If you are interested in signing up for Ipsy you can do so here ! 

Birch Box February 2013 Review

Are you red carpet ready? If you aren't this months Birchbox will bring you one step closer to flawless perfection. From face to nails to hair, this month's Birchbox has a little of everything. And had you been wondering what happened to to reccognizing Valintines day? Birchbox included just a little bit of chocolate.

I am not going to bost and say i loved this box, because i didn't. I wasn't wowed or blown away, however, what i will say is that after having a bit of time to reflect on this box (it is March now after all) I have grown to really enjoy its contents. Had I done this review when I first got my box this post may have been just a tad more negative.

Color Club Nail Polish in Wild Cactus 

First off, I quickly became a Color Club fan when I joined Birch Box. I seem to always get samples from them and its the one product I know I will like. The quality it's always on par at least during the polishing part and even though it chips a bit after only a few days I always add a good top coat. This shade is a beautiful green that applys opaque in on coat. I like that it isn't too thick and is on trend with the emerald green shades. 

Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls-

I have zero curls, not one curl. So I was very confused when Birch Box thought it would be amazing to send me this. After emailing them and talking about why this sample was put in my box I have grown to understand that this product is fantastic for frizz. Now if only this little package was resealable. It did help control frizz but did make my roots feel a little greasy. I'd rather have sleek hair than frizzy hair though.

Ghiraelli Squares Milk Chocolate with Caramel-

This was so drugstore, but I did find it delicious. The caramel just oozed out and even though Birch Box did not focus on valentines day this was a nice treat none the less. 

Lancôme La Base-

In February Birch Box had partnered up with Lancôme to offer some pretty great products both inside and outside the monthly box. While I was hoping for some facial cleanser I was happy to be able to try this. I always trust Lancôme and they rarely disappoint. This base was a great way to start the makeup application runtime and allowed my makeup to really stay put all day. I liked that it wasn't heavy and did not feel greasy. 

Vasanti Brighten Up-

This scrub made my face really fresh. I used this twice a week for three weeks and I was sad to see it finished. This made my fade feel clean and smooth. It was a great way to exfoliate.

Overall, only in retrospect, was I able to really enjoy the products in this box. If you are interested in Birch Box it is a beauty subscription that offers samples for only 10$ a month that includes shipping. While every month may not be fantastic and you may not always get the box you want you do get the opportunity to try some great products and even get some great deals. Birch Box gives you points for each product you review from your monthly box. Once you reach 100 you are given $10 to spend in the shop. If this all interests you, you can sign up here!