October Battle of the Boxes| Ipsy Vs. Play by Sephora
Hey guys!
Today I am reviewing my October Ipsy and Play by Sephora boxes. Both are $10 a month and are beauty subscription services. Ipsy promises 4-5 deluxe size samples with at least 1 being full sized. Sephora promises 6 samples with 1 always being a fragrance. Check out my video below as well as my in depth reviews with product links and discount codes.
Ipsy Bag: Halloween Design Items: 5 Full-sized: 2 Theme: Black Magic
This month’s bag was designed by Valfre. They create really cute phone cases! Check them out HERE and get 25% off with code “IPSY25.”
The first item I pulled out was Sally’s Box Aqua Moist Gel Cream. This is a moisturizer that is supposed to really hydrate the skin using roses, chamomile and lavender. I like using this at night because it doesn’t have SPF. I also like using gel type moisturizers on my oily skin. This sinks in super quick and leaves my skin feeling hydrated and fresh. Not greasy and heavy. I like it! Check it out HERE.
The next item is a full sized Ciate London Fierce Flicks Eyeliner. This retails for $19. For a girl who wears cat eyes every day I was super excited to see this! And it is full sized which is an added bonus! This a great felt tipped eyeliner that glides on smoothly. It isn’t 100% opaque but it is buildable. It lasts all day without flaking or cracking. Get 30% off HERE with code “IPSTER.”
Next I pulled out a sample size of the Makeup Forever Ultra HD Invisible Coverage Foundation. The color I received was Y225 Marble. This foundation promises invisible coverage, light texture, and lasts all day without needing to set with a powder. I was super excited to receive this as I rarely get to try out higher end foundations. The sample is a decent size with enough products for about a week of wear depending on the amount you use. Unfortunately I really don’t like this. The coverage is too sheer for me. The redness and discoloration on my cheeks peeks through no matter how much product I use. It also doesn’t seem to agree with my oily skin as I get shiny quickly and the foundation breaks up on my face. I do set this with a powder with this still happening. The shade is a tiny bit light for me as well. I wouldn’t recommend this for oily girls but if you have normal skin with little imperfections I would recommend it. It does feel super light on the face and not cakey. Check it out HERE.
Next I received a full sized Kokie Cosmetics Nail polish in the color Heavenly. This retails for $6. This is a BEAUTIFUL lavender blue color and the packaging is super cute! This has a glossy finish, long wearing, and chip resistant. I have yet to try this color but I will be pulling it out soon! I love Ipsy because they always send full sized polishes in the cutest colors! Get 25% off HERE with code “IPSY25”.
The final item I got was a sample of the Trust Fund Beauty Gimme Good Face Face Primer. This Primer is supposed to blur lines and wrinkles. I don’t really have any of those yet so I can’t tell if it does this or not. It has a more slippery silicon texture that works ok with my oily skin. Since it is cooling down a bit it works better but if I am hot and sweaty I find these types make my makeup slide off quicker. I like other primers better but I am glad I was able to try this. Get 40% off HERE with code “IPSYGLAM”.
Overall I loved this month’s variety like always! Even though I was disappointed in the foundation I am glad Ipsy sent out a higher end foundation that I know a lot of people (including myself) want to try. I absolutely love the full sized liquid liner and will be using the gel cream up! Subscribe to Ipsy HERE: Only $10!!! (Also makes a great holiday gift)
Sephora Bag: Lipstick & Chill Theme: The Cool Cut Items: 6
Sephora is starting to do different variety boxes tailored more individually and I love it!
It is so much better when companies tailor the products they send out to the individual because then most people can actually use every item in the bag/box.
The first item I received was a sample of the Blinc Amplified Mascara. This came in INTENSE packaging. It was in a metal tube that was covered in yellow plastic. The actual mascara is in a nice silver tube. The brush is super full and fluffy, just the kind I like. This is marketed as a “tube” mascara. It is supposed to deposit tubes on the ends of your lashes to create length and drama. It also only needs water to remove at the end of the day. Overall I don’t think this mascara works for me. It gives me a nice natural effect but I am more into volume and length. It doesn’t flake throughout the day and come off easily at night though. If you like more Natural mascara give this one a go. Check it out HERE.
Next I received a sample of the Christophe Robin Regenerating Hair Mask. This contains rare prickly pair seed oil that is supposed to deeply nourish and hydrate the strands. I haven’t tried this yet but it looks like a nice thick creamy texture. The only thing I don’t like is the smell. Is smells like a diaper. Not a dirty one but it has the scent of baby powder mixed with something else, like a baby wipe. I am not a fan and hope my hair doesn’t smell like that after using. Check it out HERE.
Next I got a sample of the Skin Inc. Pure Revival Peel. This is a peel that you rub on your face in circular motions and it rolls up the dead skin on your face so you can see what you are removing. This got rid of so much dead skin and my face felt super smooth after! It also didn’t dry it out! I really enjoy it! Check it out HERE.
The next item I received was a sample of the Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb. I actually tried this in one of my FREE Sephora Classes (check it out HERE). This is from a Korean Beauty company and promises instant hydration with a cooling gel feel. This smells so good and feels great on my oily skin! For oily skin I love using gel moisturizers because they don’t make me feel overly greasy or make my skin heavy. I really enjoy using this at night since it doesn’t have SPF. Check it out HERE.
Next I got a sample of the Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in the Color Driver’s Seat. This is supposed to last 8 hours and be comfortable on the lips. The color I got is a bricky red orange. I love it! I didn’t have this color in my collection and it is the perfect nude for fall/winter. Even thought the formula is matte it didn’t dry out my lips while wearing it. I put this on when I got to work and immediately ate a cream filled doughnut and nothing came off! I love it! I want to check out their other colors! The size that Sephora sent out is amazing as well. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Check it out HERE.
Sephora always sends out a fragrance every month and this month I got YSL Mon Paris. This is a super sultry musky night time scent. It is a heavy musk but has so much sexiness to it. Perfect for fall/ winter date nights. I feel this would be too heavy for day time. I actually enjoy the smell and recommend you go sniff it in stores! Check it out HERE.
Free Sephora Classes| Bold Smokey Eyes Review and TIps and Tricks
Hey Guys!
I went to another FREE Sephora class over the weekend and wanted to give you all the details and tips I learned. If you didn’t know, Sephora has free makeup classes a couple times a month (Check them out HERE) that are either before or after the store opens. You get one on one time with the makeup artists, get personalized tips and get to request what products you want to use. The first one I went to was the foundation class (Check out my post HERE). This current one was the Bold Smokey eyes class and I have already signed up for my next one which is Winged Eyeliner! I HIGHLY recommend these classes whether you are a beginner or an expert. They are an hour long and you learn so much!
The Bold Smokey eye class starts out by color matching you to a concealer. You then sit down at your station which consists of a mirror, multiple eye brushes, and other tools. The instructors then ask what your main under eye concerns are so they can give you an eye cream that is right for you. It is very important to put on eye cream at night and during the day. My main concern is dark circles so they gave me this one. It felt nice and lightweight and not sticky or heavy. You can also use it on your lips! Do you ever get little white bumps under your eyes or on top of the lid? Well I learned that this is a clogged pore that is caused by heavy eye cream or an irritating concealer. Try switching products and see if they clear up.
After we put our eye cream on we primed our eyes. I used the Two Faced Shadow Insurance which is one of my favorites. The instructors then ask what color smokey eye you want to create. Half of the class chose black and the other brown. I chose brown. They then handed out pallets to each person to use. Mine was the Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Quad. It had an orange in it which scared me at first but turned out to be beautiful. It did have a ton of fall out and powder when everywhere when I dipped my brushes into it though so be warned.
To start our smokey eye we took a fluffy blending brush (HERE) and took a shade slightly darker then our natural lid color. I mixed a light beige with a tiny bit of brown (all mattes) and put it into my crease using a windshield wiper motion and tiny circles on the outside corner. This really darkens up the crease and adds some soft dimension. You can do this for an everyday look if you just want to add some shadows to your eye. My instructor told me I have smaller eye lid space so to create the illusion of a larger eye to go slightly above my natural crease when filling in. I tried it and it worked! It didn’t look over done or over drawn but it naturally opened up my eye.
We then went in with eyeliner. The instructors emphasized that for this step we use a non waterproof coal based eyeliner. These will blend out the best and not dry down quickly like a waterproof one would. They gave us all the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil which are waterproof so we had to work quickly. They also gave use a smudge brush (HERE) to blend it out. They told us a smokey eye is like smoke from a fire, it is thicker at the bottom and gradually gets dispersed as it gets higher. I thought this was a really great visual to give. We took the eye liner and really darkened the lash line since this is at the bottom of the look. We then colored our eye about halfway up with the liner and looked a bit crazy! Then taking your smudge brush you want to work the upper part out and up toward the crease by used tiny upwards strokes. You don’t want to blend out the lash line since it needs to stay dark but focus on blending to the crease. Try to work one eye at a time so you can really focus on blending the liner out. This can take some time so be patient. Once it is all blended out you will look like a raccoon but it’s OK! It will be fixed soon. After liner you want to set it with eye shadow in the same color as the liner. This is important because it will take any shine away from the liner and also make the liner last longer. It’s like setting your foundation with powder.
Once you are done doing that you want to take that first color you used in your crease and go into the crease again using those same windshield wiper motions and tiny circles. This will help to blend out the harsh eyeliner lines into the crease and create that smokey effect. Blend really well, the more the better! After that is blended take a medium shade with a flat shadow brush (HERE) and pat it along the center of the eye and into the outer corner. This will create dimension and more color. I chose a mix of a burnt orange and dark brown. Once this is on take your blender brush and blend it all out. The key to a great smokey eye is no harsh lines and a smooth transition between colors. You want each color to blend perfectly into the next.
If your smokey eye is black the instructor recommend using eyeliner and shadow on the lower lashes. If it is brown or another lighter color she recommended to just used shadow. Using your smudge brush take your dark color and push it right into your lash liner. You don’t want to put it too far away from the line as this can weigh the look down. It is important to push that color right into the lashes. After that you can apply your favorite mascara! I tried out the Diorshow Mascara and loved it!. I do recommend using false lashes with a look this bold though since your lashes can get a bit lost against the heavy background.
For an added bonus the instructors pulled out the new Urban Decay Moondust cream eyeshadows to put on top of our eyes. I gasped out loud! The colors are so beautiful and pigmented. I chose the color Recharged which is a peach duochrome and bought it after! It is a beautiful sunset duo chrome that is super metallic and beautiful with a bronze eye. If you don’t want to use a cream they suggest either keeping the look matte or going in with a tiny shimmer shade right in the center of the eye and blend. I highly recommend the Urban Decay liquids if you are into metallic eyes.
After we were done they recommend going in with concealer to clean up any fall out from all the eye shadows. And then your look is complete! I didn’t realize how easy a smokey eye is!
Again I really recommend checking out your local classes. They are super personal, let you try out the latest products and are FREE!
Let me know down below what class you would attend? XOX Chan
Battle of the Boxes: Ipsy vs. Play by Sephora | July 2016
Hey Guys!
Today I have my July Battle of the Boxes to share with you. Both are $10 a month and are full of makeup, skincare, and other beauty goodies.
Ipsy promises 4-5 deluxe sized samples with at least 1 being full sized. It also comes in a cute cosmetic bag. This month we received 5 items with 3 being full sized!
The theme for this month was Hot Summer nights and the bag was silver holographic with beach umbrellas printed on the front.
The first item I received was a full sized nail polish from Trust Fund Beauty in the color No Filter. This item retails for $15. This is a nice greige neutral color. I don't normally wear nudes but I like this one! It is sophisticated and super opaque. It is free of harsh chemicals and covers in 1 coat. Get 35% off HERE with code IPSY35.
The next item was also full sized and it is the Perfect Duo Brow Pencil from J. Cat Beauty. It retails for $3.99. I like this because it has the spooly on the back. I think this color is too dark for me though. It also transfers a bit. I wish it was a bit lighter but I will still use it. Use code ipsy716 HERE and get 25% off a purchase of $30.
The next full sized item was a Baked Eyeshadow from Mellow in the color Coco. This retails for $8. This is beautiful! It is super buttery and pigmented and has a slight shimmer. I love it and highly recommend it. Get 15% off of any order of $40+ HERE with code Ipsy15.
The next item was a small sample of the Get Glossed Hair Serum from Eva NYC. This smells amazing and a little goes along way. This helps to strengthen the hair, instantly adds shine, tames frizz, and protects against heat! Get 15% off HERE with code GetGlossedIpsy15.
The final item was a sample of the Make up Forever Excessive Lash Mascara. I love this mascara! The brush isn't very bushy but it coats each lashI and gives it volume, length and definition! It doesn't clump and lasts all day! I am addicted! Get it HERE.
Overall this month had an AMAZING value and variety of items! Sign up HERE.
This month's Play by Sephora contained 6 products. Unlike Ipsy, Sephora always contains 1 fragrance sample. This is the one thing I don't like about it.
This month's theme was Effortless Summer and came in a cute white bag with a Popsicles on the front.
The fragrance this month was the Nest Fragrance in the scent Citrine. This smells fresh and fruity. The description of this is lotus flower, freesia, and sparkling citrus notes. I really like this and the packaging looks really cool! To keep your fragrance lasting longer on the skin make sure you are freshly moisturized with either an unscented lotion or one in the same scent. Check it out HERE.
The next item was the Wave Spray from OUAI. This is a weightless texture mist that is supposed to add volume, texture, and shape to the hair. This stuff smells DELICIOUS! I want to get it in a body spray! Not sure how it works as a wave spray since I don't usually have luck with these but I might use it as a body spray hahah. Check it out HERE.
Next was the Bloterazzi from Beautyblender. I actually own this already but I was happy to get another one. The full sized one has 2 sponges and a case. The sample just had one full sized facial sponge. I am keeping this as a backup in case any of my sponges gets torn or worn out. This item is designed to be like blotting sheets but instead of being disposable you can wash it and keep using it. Since it is made of the same spongy material as a BeautyBlender it doesn't disturb your makeup and soaks up oil. I love it. I highly recommend. Check it out HERE.
Next up was the First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay. This is a foaming cleanser that uses red clay to purify and cleanse the skin and get rid of oil. I only use Proactiv so I won't be using this. I might try it once. Check it out HERE.
The next time was my favorite! It is the Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer. This is a mattifying and smooth primer for combo and oily skin. This is supposed to minimize shine, and pores and help makeup last. It feels like the Porefessional by Benefit. It smooths out my large pores on my cheeks and makes my skin so soft. I highly recommend!! Check it out HERE.
The final product is the Too Faced Soleil Matte Bronzer in Chocolate. This is a matte bronzer that smells like delicious chocolate. This bronzer build able and perfect for contouring. I don't contour so I will be adding this to my giveaway pile. Check it out HERE.
Overall I loved my Play by Sephora! The Primer is amazing and I am thinking about buying the full size! Sign up HERE.
What is your favorite monthly subscription? XOX Chan
Free Sephora Classes | Flawless Foundation with ColorIQ Tips+ Tricks!
Hey Guys!
I recently attended a Free makeup class at my local Sephora. Check out and schedule a class HERE. They have different ones all the time but the one I tried out was the Flawless Foundation Class with ColorIQ matching. I didn't know what to expect so before I went I did my morning skincare routine and went to the store without any makeup.
Since the class was on a Sunday we got to go into the store 2 hours before it was open which was amazing. This helps the staff focus only on you and it is also nice and quiet. When I went in they took me over to their ColorIQ station to color match me to a foundation. The ColorIQ is a little gadget that scans certain parts of your face and then tells you what shade you match with in every brand of the store. It's amazing! The associate also asked what my skin concerns are and what kind of foundations I like to wear. I told her I have oily skin and I like a medium to full coverage foundation.
My associate then told me to try the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Oil Free Photo Edition Foundation. It is a Long wearing photo ready matte foundation and retails for $48. Check it out HERE. She then took me over to our set up. We each had our own station that included a mirror, foundation brush, concealer brush, Beauty Blender and other makeup tools. I was really impressed. Everything was clean and the staff was super friendly.
