Ipsy - October Sneak Peeks

Sneak Peek Time!
I was hoping for a halloweeny theme this month, but instead the Theme is Beauty Candy. It looks like they're doing this sneak peek like last month's where the items are all on one image, and they just reveal one section at a time.

Sneak Peek #1

All subscribers will receive one of the following:

The first item in this sneak peek is a Starlooks lip gloss. The shade looks like Guilty Pleasure, but they have bunch of really similar shades, so it's hard for me to tell.


Second is City Color Be Matte Lipstick.






The third item is a Noyah lipstick. I've never
heard of the brand, but I would love to try it.
I wonder what shades they'll send out.

Sneak Peek #2

Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascara I already got this in BB5, so I'm actually hoping I don't get this.

Jessie's Girl Baked Eye Shadow in Rosemary Frost. I would love to get this! I haven't tried any of Jessie's Girl's shadows.

 ModelCo VolumeEYES mascara.

Next is what looks like a concealer or eyeshadow base. Since this sneak peek seems to be all eye products. I'm guessing eyeshadow base. I'll have to keep an eye on Ipsy's new products to see what it actually is. 

New York Color Big Bold Curl mascara. 

Mica Beauty Mineral Eye Shadow in Harlequin. These colors are gorgeous! I can't wait to see what shades they send out. 

Skone tattooed eyeliner. I don't wear eyeliner, so I'm hoping I won't get this. 

Sneak Peek #3

Fig & Rose Hand Cream in RoseBerry and Mango Mandarin. Mango Mandarin sounds amazing, so that's what I'm hoping for. With winter coming up, I know my hands will need whatever help I can give them. 

I'm not sure if the Ayres is the body butter, the body polish, or the body lotion, but it looks like it'll be in Patagonia.

Last in this sneak peek is Rogue by Rihanna perfume. 

So far, my perfect bag would be:

1. Noyah Lipstick

2. The MICA Beauty eyeshadow (or the concealer, if that's what that is)

3. The Mango Mandarin Hand Cream by Fig & Rose

What would be in your perfect bag?

As always, if you sign up based on my posts, please use my referral link.

Ipsy September Sneak Peeks!

Sneak Peek Time!

Sneak Peek #1

Subscribers will be receiving one of the following:

The first sneak peek is two Pacifica items. 

The first is their polish in what looks to me like Cinnamon Girl. I've seen requests for more cruelty free products, so those people will be happy to see pacifica in their bags!

The second item in the sneak peek is Pacifica Natural Waterproof Eye Pencils. The ones pictured look like Gun Metal and Jet.

Sneak Peek #2

Subscribers will be receiving one of the following:

This sneak peek is all lip products, which I love. I also like how they're doing the sneak peeks this month!

The first item in this sneak peek is a Hikari Lipstick in what looks to me like Scarlet. 

The second item in this sneak peak is a Maybelline Face Studio Master Glaze in Make a Mauve.

The third item in the sneak peek is Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in Love Affair. I'm hoping they'll send this out in several shades (and that I'll get it) because a lot of the shades this comes in are really gorgeous!

Sneak Peek #3

Subscribers will be receiving one of the following:

The first item in the sneak peek is Hello by Harvey Prince. I've gotten this in Birchbox and Beauty Box 5, and I don't enjoy fragrance samples, so I'm hoping that I won't get this.

Next is Avon Big & Daring Volume Mascara. I love trying new mascaras, and I've never tried any Avon. I don't remember Ipsy ever sending out Avon before, so I wonder if they will again after this.

I can't read all of what's on the next item, but it looks like it might be Harve Bernard Precious Gold perfume.

Next is Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polish in Pretty Piggies.

Next is Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser. I got their face moisturizer in a past bag and wasn't a fan, so I'm hoping I won't get this. 

Next is LeeAnni Eco 3-in-1 in light. I'm concerned that toner comes in different shades, but maybe that's just me.

The last item in this sneak is a NYX Hot Singles eyeshadow, the color pictured is Addiction.

Sneak Peek #4

Subscribers will be receiving one of the following:

The first item in this sneak peek is a Crown Deluxe Infinity Shadow/Crease brush duet

The second item in this sneak peek is Be a Bombshell, Smooth Criminal HD Powder. 

Sneak Peek #5

Subscribers will be receiving one of the following:

The first item in this sneak peek is Briogeo Don't Despair Repair Hair Mask. They've sent this out before, and I wasn't super happy with the sample size, but since I already received it I can't get it again, so that's good.

Next is Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream. This is something that I'd really like to try! I'm used to more makeup and less skincare from Ipsy, but this bag has a fair amount of skincare in it.

Next is an Alterna Caviar CC Cream Leave in. I've never heard of a CC Cream for hair before, but I can't be particularly surprised that they're calling this a CC Cream since they seem to be so popular. Despite the annoying name, I'd be interested to try this.

Next is Beauty Without Cruelty Sweet Lavender Lotion. I've never heard about Beauty Without Cruelty. Right now I'm using Sirref's Sleepy Bye Night Cream on my son at night, but this would make a nice backup if I get it.

So far, my perfect bag would be:

1. The Polish (a gift for my friend)

2. Master Glaze or Cailyn

3. NYX Hot Singles Eyeshadow

4. Crown Brush

5. Mitchell and Peach Hand Cream

What would be in  your perfect bag?

If you sign up based on my posts, please use my referral link here

August 2014 Loot Crate

I saw that August's loot crate theme was Heroes, so I decided to subscribe for the month and give it to Aiden as a Christmas present. The heroes included weren't at all what I expected, but I really like what was included. I was especially excited to see two Ninja Turtle items! I'll add pictures later on today, but wanted to at least get most of this review up soon.

If you haven't heard of Loot Crate, it's a subscription service that sends you nerd and gamer themed items every month. It's $13.37 + $6 shipping, so it comes out to about $20, they usually have a code for either a dollar amount off or a percent off though, so definitely keep an eye out for that. I got the heroes box for $17 with a $3 off coupon, and for September you can get the Galactic themed box for 10% off using the code Galactic. If you sign up based on my posts, please use my referral link here.

Here's what I got in the August box:
Leonardo Kidrobot Ooze Action Figure - $10
This is a pretty cute little action figure, and I know my son will love it. It came with the packaging open which would've bothered me if I was planning on keeping it in the packaging, but since it's a gift for my son it really didn't matter. I thought about emailing them anyway just to see how their cs is, but I decided against it.

Donatello Sunglasses - $9.99
I'm really excited to give these to Aiden. He loves the TMNT (a love that I'm definitely encouraging) and these are pretty adorable. I was hoping for Raphael but Aiden has recently decided that purple is his favorite color, so he'll be excited that he got Donatello.

Pop Vinyl Groot Exclusive Glow in the Dark version - $15-$25
I had a hard time finding a value for this because it doesn't seem like the Pop Vinyl figures are sold at any set price. I looked for this specific one, and it was being sold on ebay for $15+, or on amazon at $58+. I haven't decided whether or not I'm going to keep this, but if I do sell it, it'll pay for the whole box! It's a pretty neat little figure and it does glow well, so I'll decide whether or not to keep it after I actually see Guardians of the Galaxy (which I plan to do soon, it looks great!).

Shwings Lightning Bolts Silver - $7
I'm not sure how these'll look on Aiden's shoes (since the shoes are still relatively small and the wings are pretty big) but I think he'll be excited about them if they work. I'll probably wait until he grows out of his Captain America shoes to give him these, and by then maybe they'll work. It's definitely a cute idea, and I like that it can be moved from shoe to shoe (although I probably won't want to do the re-lacing required to actually move them.)

Sonic and Tails Air Freshener - $4
Aiden is really into Sonic, so he'll love this. He saw me looking up the price and started singing the Sonic the Hedgehog theme song.

Deadpool magnet - $1
I know nothing about Deadpool (it took a quick google search for me to figure out that that's what this was from) but I'm sure I can find someone who wants this, and if I can't, it'll go on the fridge to hang up more photos and Aiden's artwork

Loot Crate Pin - $0.50?
I love pins, so I'm definitely stealing this from Aiden.

The box also came with a card that had three download codes on it:

Defense Grid the Awakening on Steam - $9.99
This code gets you a download of the full game! I'm not really a gamer, but my husband will probably play it.

Doctor Who Legacy- bonus pack - 
"Unlocks 11 Doctors, Rose Tyler, Clara, and K-9"
The app is available on Android, Kindle, Facebook and the Apple App Store.
I have no idea how to value this, or the Gauntlet in-game helm.

Gauntlet Loot Crate Exclusive in-game helm - 
Mask of the Wyrm Slayer. My husband is excited about this. I'm not sure if it does anything, or if it just looks cool, but I'll update this post when it comes out and he's had a chance to try it.

Even if I choose the lowest value I've seen for the Groot figure, the total value of this box is $57.48 that's pretty awesome for a box that I paid $17 for. I'm loving Loot Crate so far, and can't wait to get September's box!

If you sign up after reading my posts, please use my referral link.

August Birchbox Review

I got an amazing deal on Gilt.com for a year subscription to Birchbox, so now I get two boxes. I'll still be reviewing my Birchboxes from my original account alongside Ipsy, but I'm reviewing my other Birchbox each month separately. If you don't know about Birchbox, it's a monthly subscription box that sends you five samples or deluxe samples each month. It's $10 a month or $110 a year. They also have a points system, so every item you review gets you ten points, and every ten points is a dollar in the Birchbox shop.

  Birchbox has started adding adjectives in front of the name on the shipping address. Seeing Fascinating Hannah Crull-Sher on there certainly made me smile!

Here's what I got:

The Balm Stainiac - $2.30

Birchbox has been letting subscribers choose one product from their boxes these last two months (assuming you're fast enough and what you want isn't sold out). Stainiac is what I chose for both of my boxes. That way, I know I'll get at least one thing I love. Stainiac is my favorite of all the cheek stains I've tried, and I'm excited to have another sample of it as my last one ran out.

Acure Brightening Facial Scrub 1oz sample - $3.75
I'm so excited to try this! I love scrubs and the sample is a really good size!

Hello breath spray - $3.83
I've never really used a breath spray, but pink grapefruit mint sounds pretty appealing, so I'll definitely give this a try. I know a lot of breath products contain eucalyptus (which I can't stand) so I'm hoping this does.

Not Soap Radio - $1.76

I'm not usually excited about bath or shower gel in my boxes, but this smells AMAZING and I can't wait to try it. I hope the Birchbox shop gets this back in stock soon, because I have a feeling I'll end up buying this.  

Dr. Jart Pore Medic .2oz sample - $6.40
I'm excited to try this. Smashbox primer didn't live up to the hype for me, so I'm hoping this will work well. I usually use Dr. Brandt's Pores No More Primer, but this is a lot cheaper, so if it works just as well, maybe I'll switch.






The total value of this Birchbox was $18.04 and when I review my five items, I'll get $5 worth of points in the BB shop. Not bad at all for a box I paid less than $10 for! I'm excited about everything except the breath spray, and even that I find pretty interesting. This was definitely a great box!

August Beauty Box 5

Beauty Box 5 is another subscription box. It's $12 a month if you get a monthly subscription, but down to $8.25 a month if you get a yearly subscription. Every month they send you 5 products, the sample size is usually pretty good (they sometimes send full-size products) but there are more low-end products than Birchbox. That said, I usually find myself using most of what's in my Beauty Box 5 boxes.

Here's what I got this month:

Pur-lisse Sunscreen Sample - $16.50
I've enjoyed the pur-lisse products I've gotten in the past, so I'm betting I'll use this. Sunscreen is definitely something I'll use.

Novex Keratin Treatment - $1.50

I love hair treatments, so I'm excited about this. Keratin always does really well for my hair. This will be part of my spa weekend. 

LA Fresh Travel-lite wipes - $3.33
I hate buying wipes (I never feel like I can justify the price) but I also hate removing makeup without wipes so I'm  usually glad to get wipes in my subscriptions. That said, the Eco Beauty LA Fresh wipes that I tried broke me out, so I'll probably swap this.

Style Essentials Nail Polish - $1.75

I don't really wear nail polish, so I'll definitely swap this. It's a pretty color though. 

Nanacoco Lip Gloss - $3.99
I always love getting lip products, but this is suuuuuper bright.






The total value of my Beauty Box 5 was $27.07 and I'll use at least 2/5 of the items I received (maybe 3/5 if the wipes don't break me out or 4/5 if I can find something to tone the gloss down with.) Even if all I'd gotten was the sunscreen and the Keratin I would've been happy with the value of this box!