Lip Monthly December 2014

Hi Everyone!

 

 

 

In today's blog I am bringing to you the Lip Monthly December 2014 bag! I got my Lip Monthly a few days before Christmas so it was definitely cutting it close. That is the reason why the December Ipsy and Lip Monthly bags are being uploaded on December 30, 2014. I get really excited about Lip Monthly bags because I never know what to expect in them except I know that they will be lip products which already get me excited. Sometimes it's fun knowing and sometimes it's good to be surprised.

I will not be receiving Lip Monthly anymore because my subscription expires in December 2014 so this was my last Lip Monthly bag. As much as I got really excited about Lip Monthly, I am not sure that I would go back unless I decide to keep Ipsy. There is another lip/beauty subscription box that is called Lip Factory and that is the most excited I have been when it comes to receiving beauty boxes because it is tailored towards lip lovers, but include a few non-lip products, it includes full sized products, and they send a variety of products and brand names. The downfall is that one month's box is $22.00 which is a bit high and you would expect a lot more from them. So if I cancel Ipsy and Lip Monthly then I would replace them both with Lip Factory, but if I decide to keep Ipsy then I will probably go back to Lip Monthly.

Lip Monthly December 2014 Bag Overview:

When I first got the envelope I usually take everything out of it. I found the Lip Monthly card and bag. I was surprised to see a blue bag for December since November's bag was red. It seems like they accidentally switched up the bags and accidentally sent the red one for November and the blue one for December, but they appear to have very similar if not the same design on it.

On one side of the card it reads, "December 2014. Dear Lip Monthly Subscribers, It's finally that time of the year! Time to snuggle under reindeer decorations while heart-warming songs fill the delicious smelling room. What an exciting time! They say Christmas is a tie for giving, but who doesn't like receiving that special something (especially if that something starts with "lip" and ends with "stick"!) that we've longed for all year long? So while you share those special moments with loved ones, don't forget to bring your best lips forward with this month's items. You are receiving 4 products this month as the value of the bag is high and all the items are full-sized. We'll be trying this for the next couple of months as this will allow us to bring you higher quality items. To start off, we're bringing you two new brands that we've been obsessing over and colours that represent the festive mood all around. We wish you the very best for the holidays, and as usual, we hope to hear what you think of this December bag. Have a very Merry Christmas, Team Lip Monthly." On the other side of the card it is split up in half. The left side of the card lists the products and prices and on the right side it says ways to connect with Lip Monthly online plus special offers. Under Your Products it says Magnolia MakeUp lipstick w/ applicator $15.00, Milani Brilliant Shine Gloss $4.99, LA Girl Automatic Liner $5.00, and NYC lipstick $0.99-$2.99.

 When I unzip the bag I pulled all of the products out and they are laying out in front of me. The first thing I see is the NYC (New York Color) Lipstick which is funny because I was super excited about getting a NYC lipstick until I realized that I already not only have this lipstick, but also in this exact color. I am not sure if I like the way this color looks on me. My excitement turned quickly into disappointment. Good try Lip Monthly, but didn't quite make it. The next thing I see is the L.A. Girl Endless Semi-Permanent Auto Lip liner. I will say that I am going to miss Lip Monthly giving me waterproof lip products with the retractable packaging. They have me completely pinned at knowing the one product that I will absolutely love and be super excited about is anything that says waterproof/feather proof/semi-permanent product in twist packaging =-D The next thing I see is the Magnolia Makeup Matte Lip Color. Lip Monthly calls it a Lipstick with applicator, but I would say it is a highly pigmented lip gloss. I guess I will find out when I try it. The final product that I see is the Milani Brilliant Shine lipgloss. I have wanted to try Milani makeup products and I am super excited that my first Milani experience will be the lipgloss!

Lip Monthly December 2014 Products in My Bag:

-NYC lipstick in #304 Mocha
-L.A. (or LA) Girl endless semi-permanent lip liner in GP332 Mauvelous
-Magnolia Makeup Matte Lip Color in Matador
-Milani Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss in #03 Luminous

Pros of December 2014 Bag:

-I am super excited about trying the Milani lipgloss and in Luminous
-I am super excited about the LA Girl endless semi-permanent lip liner in the color Mauvelous
-I am excited about trying the Magnolia Makeup and in the color Matador (it's a very bright red color)
-full sized products

Cons of December 2014 Bag:

-the Lip Monthly bags always smell like toxic plastic
-I think Lip Monthly fell asleep and switched the bag colors because I feel like the blue color is cute, but for the month of December the red would have been even better
-I am not excited about the NYC lipstick in Mocha because I already have it and I'm not sure how I feel about the color itself on me
-Only received 4 products instead of 5

Sincerely,
Marina

Ipsy December 2014

Hi Everyone!

 

 

 

In today's blog I am bringing to you the Ipsy December 2014 bag! I cheat and I look at My Glam Room as soon as they go live and you get Ipsy points for doing it so I can't really help myself, lol. I get to see what I am looking forward to and I get points. When I open the big bright pink envelope I pull out the Ipsy card, a Bumble and Bumble hair product that is attached to a card with information about the product, and a small black and pink bag. When I unzipped the bag I was super excited to see a NYX lip butter product because I have wanted to try those for a while and a Tarte mascara which I have wanted to try Tarte products for a while. I got a total of five products in my bag and I am only really excited about two of them. The other ones I'm either neutral or not excited.

Ipsy Bag Overview

This month Ipsy has the theme of Thinking of You. It is cute and simple. When I first reached into the envelope I pulled out the Bumble and Bumble blow dry product which I am not very excited about, then the Ipsy card.

The Ipsy card on one side says, "You are a talented being," and on the other side it says, "Our thoughts are filled with you this month. Thank you for a 2014 filled with beauty, laughter, and inspiration. You've given us so many reasons to smile, and we look forward to an awesome 2015. XOXO, Ipsy."

The Bumble and Bumble on the front where the product is attached reads, "Bumble and Bumble, Prepare to be Blown Away," then has the product attached, and then says, "Straight Blow Dry for coarse, curly, or frizzy hair." On the back of the card it advertises the Bumble and Bumble hair salons.

That brings us to this month's Ipsy bag. I am not sure what to think about this month's bag. In some ways I think it's cute and in other ways I'm like, "what the heck where they thinking?" This bag does not remind me of December or their theme Thinking of you. The bag is on the smaller side than I have received previously which I am okay with, but the color is throwing me off. A black bag for the month of December and the them of Thinking of You does not seem to fit well. I would love to have gotten Christmas colored bag of red and/or green. That would have been cute. I am not a fan of the bag this month. In the bag itself I did not get very many products that I am super excited about which is also disappointing. I am super excited about the NYX Butter Lip Balm and the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara except I didn't see anything about it being waterproof which I need to have for my watery eyes otherwise the mascara gets inside of them which makes them water even more and creates a huge mess. I was excited about trying a Tarte product, but I don't think I am going to be raving about this specific one. I have gotten so many brushes lately that I am just not that excited about them. I guess I could always use another eye shadow brush. At first I thought I got nail polish which I was actually kind of excited about, but then I figured out that the packaging of he product looks like a nail polish bottle. The bottle calls it an eye polish. I am not exactly sure what eye polish is, but I am willing to try it. It looks like loose mineral eye shadow. If that is the case I might not be able to use it.

I have been with Ipsy since October 2014 and so far I feel like I keep getting misses. Ipsy keeps sending me products that I did not mark on my beauty quiz as I want and it seems like they only send the big brand names to Youtube celebrities who have large followings as kind of false advertising. It is super disappointed. My first bag from Ipsy which was the October 2014 bag is the one that I was most excited about and I was looking forward to 4 out of the 5 products. With my November 2014 bag I was excited about 3 out of 5 products. And now in my December 2014 bag I am only excited about 2 products and the Tarte mascara one I can't even rave about because it is more than likely not waterproof. My experience with Ipsy started out good, but as you can see has over the last few months rapidly declined to not so good... after the January 2015 bag I am seriously considering dropping Ipsy.

Ipsy December 2014 Products in My Bag:

-Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry hair product
-NYX Butter Lip Balm in BLB02 Ladyfingers
-Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara in black color
-CAILYN Just Mineral Eye Polish in #5 Orchid
-Crown Brush in C476 Crease/Shadow Brush

Pros of December 2014 Bag:

-I am super excited about the NYX Butter Lip Balm and a lot of NYX products smell super good so I cannot wait to smell the Ladyfingers
-I am excited about trying a Tarte product even though I can't use it because it is not waterproof, but I can finally say I tried Tarte
-I love the CAILYN mineral eye polish color

Cons of December 2014 Bag:

-the bag is black which doesn't remind me of Christmas or the theme of Thinking of You
-I did not mark on my beauty quiz that I wanted any hair products and in the last two bags I have gotten a hair product after reviewing that I don't want hair products
-I am not excited about the eye shadow brush, but I will find a use for it
-this month has a lot of products I don't like or can't use so that is super disappointing

Sincerely,
Marina

Lip Monthly November 2014

Hi everyone!

 

 

In today's blog I am bringing to you the Lip Monthly November 2014 bag. It was sent last Friday and I finally got it today, Thursday, November 20, 2014. As soon as I saw that the package was delivered through the USPS tracking system, I ran to my mailbox to get it. I had to open it. I was expecting the same bag as we received last month with the orange bag with the purple designs, which would have been fine because I thought it was super cute! But it was a very nice surprise that the bag was different. It is a red color dark red color with a white makeup design towards the bottom and it says LIP in pink and MONTHLY in white. I think it is a very cute bag! I was disappointed that we got another brush as one of the items in the bag. It seems like I have been getting a lot of brushes, although, I suppose I can use this brush with my Ipsy J Cat Wonder Lip Paint.

Lip Monthly Bag Overview:

I was super surprised that Lip Monthly gave us a different bag for the month of November. I will say that the bag color seems a bit misplaced because I don't think of red in November, but I do think of red for December. For next month that would have been super cute! I do like the bag though.

When I open the bag I see all of the different products. It took me a little bit to find the card, but I did. On one side of the card it says, "LIP MONTHLY Everything Lips. Every Month. NOVEMBER 2014." It has a black and white stripped design. On the other side it says, "REMEMBER TO STOCK UP." That side is divided into two small sides where it has a message from Lip Monthly and on the other divide it lists the products with the prices. One the first divide it reads, "Dear Lip Monthly Subscriber, November is already here, which means that we're very close to the holiday season. That's why we decided to send you same great dark colors to pair with those glam parties you'll be soon attending. You'll love the richness of these Autumn shades, which have been highly requested. Every girl needs a great lip brush for flawless application and Lip Monthly has you covered this month! As most of you know every month we include a Lip Monthly mixup (MMU) product, which is a great non lip product that we feel you'll love. This month's is amazing! Keep us posted with how you use everything in this November 2014 bag, we love getting your feedback. XOXO Team Lip Monthly." On the other side of divide it says, "1. Ofra Lipliner Full Size $13.00, 2. Hikari Lipstick Full Size $13.00, 3. NYC Expert Last Lipstick Full Size $1.99, 4. Crown Lip Brush Full Size $3.00, and 5. MMU City Color Cosmetics White Gold Shadow and Highlighter Mousse Full Size $4.00. TOTAL RETAIL VALUE $34.99."

Then there is another small card that looks like a business card that says, "$5.00 OFF." It is an advertisement to get your friends to sign up and then you receive $5.00 off.

As I go through my bag the first thing I pulled out was the Crown lip brush. I will be honest and say that I am not really excited about this product because I feel like I have gotten a lot of brushes lately. It seems like all of my beauty subscription services included a brush so they can say they gave me 5 products. But as I mentioned in my intro I am kind of excited about getting it because it goes perfect for my Ipsy bag lip paint that I got. I am not excited about the brush, but it ended up being useful.

I got a Hikari lipstick. I will be honest and say that I have never heard of Hikari cosmetics. but I am excited to try it. I am always looking for new lip products to try. I am happy with this. I can't wait to try it.

I got a City Color mousse which I will be honest and say that I have heard of City Color before, but I am not entirely sure what a mousse is. When I think of mousse I think of the foundation mousse that I have heard from like Revlon and Maybelline. I'm not entirely sure what I am going to use this for, but I am looking forward to discovering what this product is and how well it works. I'm always up for trying something new. It says it can be used as an eye shadow or a highlighter. I will it try it both ways to see if I like it and which way I like it better.

I got the Ofra lip liner. I have heard of Ofra before and I think I got an Ofra product when I got my September 2014 Lip Factory box. I think I got a lipgloss or lipstick. I haven't tried it yet, but I am excited to. The two things I don't like about this lip liner and this is totally a personal like/dislike thing, but it is a pencil that needs to be sharpened and it doesn't claim to be feather/waterproof. I prefer my lip liners and eye liners to be waterproof and in a twist packaging. That is just my personal preference. It has nothing against Lip Monthly or the brand.

I got the NYC (New York Color) Expert Last lipstick. I have recently reviewed NYC lipsticks and I really like them, especially for the price. I saw these on the official NYC website and I really wanted to try them. I am super excited that I got one to play around with. It's exciting to see a product on a website, wanting to try it, and then being able to actually do it. I'm not sure about the color, but I am still happy.

Lip Monthly November 2014 Products in My Bag:

Crown Lip Brush
Hikari Lipstick in Cabernet
City Color White Gold Mousse
Ofra Lip Liner in Orchid
NYC Expert Last Lipstick in #443 Purple Crush

Pros of this Month's Bag:

-You get full sized products
-NYC Expert Last Lipstick I am super excited about trying because I saw it on the NYC website and was going to buy some
-I am excited to try Hikari lipstick
-I am looking forward to trying the City Color mousse stuff

Cons of this Month's Bag:

 -the bags always have a very strong plastic toxic smell to them which I don't like very much
-I am not excited about the lip brush because I got a lip brush from all of the beauty subscriptions I had and it doesn't include a lip liner brush
-I am not excited about the Ofra lip liner because it is not feather/waterproof and it is not a twist packaging. I am not a fan of pencil sharpening. I'm not sure if I like the color or not.
-I think the bag would have been super cute for December instead of November because it is red and white

Overall, I think the bag is cute, but would have worked better for December. I am super excited about trying the NYC expert last lipstick because I wanted to and I was going to buy some to try. Now I can see if I really like it before I buy it! I have never heard of Hikari and I have heard of City Color, but I am looking forward to seeing what they have to offer. I was disappointed about the lip brush, but then I figured out how I could make it work so I am neutral on it, but I would have preferred something else.

Sincerely,
Marina

Ipsy November 2014

Hello everyone!

 

 

Today I am bringing to you my Ipsy November 2014 bag. I usually cheat and look in my glam room to see what products I am getting, although, I did get a different color lip paint than what I saw in the picture. I wasn't very excited about the color in the picture, but I was super excited when I saw the color I did get! When I first opened my envelope I got excited because I thought I got a bonus product, but it turns out it was the IT Cosmetics under eye concealer. I think they didn't put it int he bag because they didn't want it to get squished or it didn't fit in there. I got a total of five products in my bag and they seem to be trial sized.

Bag Overview:

This month's Ipsy theme is Girl Meets Glitter. When I first opened the pink envelope I saw a product. It was the IT Cosmetics under eye cream, then I saw the bag which is a silver glittery small bag, and then I found this month's card.

This month's card on the front has a picture of three of the Ipsy spokes people with the tag line, "Girl Meets Glitter," and on the back it It says, "Life is short. Wear Glitter." And it has a bunch of ways to connect with Ipsy online. The car is cute.

The IT Cosmetics under eye concealer comes attached with a card that says, "Bye Bye Under Eye," and has a bunch of things listed about the product. On the back of the card it shows before and after pictures and directions for how to use the product.

When I open the bag I find the other four products inside. I will list all of the products in a little bit.

My first impression of the Ipsy bag this month is that it is super cute! I love the silver color and the glitter. I did find it a bit odd that the theme for November is glitter because I would think that would be better for like January theme and I also found it odd that none of the products inside were even related to glitter. I was expecting some glitter, but my bag did not come with any glitter. I guess the one glitter product that I can say I got was the highlighter. That appears to have some glitter in it. I am super excited because I have always wanted to try IT Cosmetics, but found it to be a bit out of my price range so I am excited to try the under eye concealer. I've heard of Be A Bombshell cosmetics, but that wasn't until recently so I am excited to see what they are all about. I have tried other J Cat products from other beauty subscription services, but I got a lip paint from Ipsy. I will admit I have never heard of lip paint, but I am excited to try it and see what it's all about. I have never heard of Temptu and I don't usually use highlighters, but I am willing to give this product a try. The last product I got was the Marc Anthony Morocco Oil Hairspray and I did not mark on my beauty quiz that I wanted hair products so I was very surprised in a disappointing way that I got hairspray. This is my most unfavored product in my bag this month. I guess it's better than last month's where I got hand cream, but this is along the same lines of me not liking it.

Ipsy November 2014 Products in My Bag:

IT Cosmetics under eye concealer in Neutral Medium
Be a Bombshell Eye Base (I assume an eye primer) in Submissive
Temptu S/B Highlighter in Pink Pearl
J Cat Wonder Lip Paint in Red Potion
Marc Anthony Morocco Oil Hairspray

Pros of this Month's Bag:

-I am super excited about trying IT Cosmetics product
-I am excited about trying the Be A Bombshell product
-I am good with the J Cat product, even though I'm not exactly sure how to use it
-I am neutral about the highlighter, I'm willing to give it a shot

Cons of this Month's Bag:

-this month's theme was glitter, but I only got two things that can be classified as glittery and that is the bag and the highlighter
-the theme does not seem to match the month, the glitter theme seems better suited for January than November
-I got hairspray as one of the products even though on my beauty quiz I did not mark I wanted any hair products at all. I'm not sure why they sent it to me, but it was a bit disappointing.

Overall, I am looking forward to trying out four of the five products. I am not sure what I am going to do with the hairspray yet, but I am trying to think of something. I know I am definitely not going to use it so I would rather find someone who will get some use out of it rather than throwing it away. I was thinking about doing a giveaway for it. Who ever wants it can comment in the comments section saying that they want it and I will do it old school style of putting names into a hat and pick a name. I will have to think about that. I will have more details in a separate blog and definitely video if I am going to do something like that.

Sincerely,
Marina

Update 11/17/2014

Hello everyone!

I wanted to make a blog post before disappearing because I usually did an update blog after disappearing for months on end. I didn't mean to, it just sort of happened. But this time I am deciding to take some time off for the rest of November and December to enjoy the holiday seasons.

Happy [early] Thanksgiving, Merry [early] Christmas, and Happy [early] New Year! See you in 2015! Have wonderful Holidays and be well! I am saying all three because I am going to be gone until after the New Year and I didn't want to forget.

November has been a bit of a busy month with our 3 year wedding anniversary which was November 7, then my husband's birthday was this past weekend, and now we are getting ready for Thanksgiving. I just need some time off to enjoy and relax. Thank you for your understanding. 

I would also like to update everyone on what is kind of going to happen in the next few months. I am finally nearing the end of all of the makeup I have. I think I have maybe about 10 products from my personal makeup collection so I am caught up pretty much on makeup that I have and used. I have about 10 Lip Monthly products currently waiting to be used and reviewed. I have Lip Monthly through December so I get my November bag some time this week and I think I am getting a December bag since I'm paid up for 4 months on that which should be through December 2014. I have a September Lip Factory box of 6 products to use and review. And I have 5 Ipsy products to use and review. I just got my Ipsy November bag late last week, but I am waiting to do a review on Ipsy November 2014 bag after I get my Lip Monthly November 2014 bag so that I can do the videos at the same time. Those should be coming up some time later this week or early next week.

Lip Factory I only ordered the September 2014 box. I really liked it. They had a good variety of products, in the colors I liked, and products I am super excited about. I can't wait to do the reviews on those. I only bought one month of Lip Factory in September 2014 because it was my birthday month and I was just getting into beauty subscription services. I wanted to try it out for my birthday. I am not currently subscribed, but I hope to be in the future.

Ipsy I am going to be receiving until January 2015 and then I am going to decide whether I want to cancel my subscription service or not. I know I'm just starting out so I'm not a priority for the high end makeup products, but also because they are sending me products that I did not mark I wanted in my beauty quiz. They are trying to say that based off my beauty quiz they thought I would like the products I got and a lot of them I am excited to try, but last month they sent me hand cream and this month they sent me hair spray. Although, I do get to try IT Cosmetics which I never have, but have wanted to for a while. Ipsy I will have at least through January 2015 and then decide whether to keep it or cancel it.

Lip Monthly had a special going where if you signed up for their 4 month subscription service you got your first box for $2.99 so my September 2014 birthday month box was only $2.99. I signed up in September 2014 so my 4 months should be up in December 2014. I am still currently waiting for my November 2014 bag to arrive which is scheduled to arrive sometime this week. I already cancelled my Lip Monthly subscription so after December 2014 it is not scheduled to renew.

I know this is a lot of information and I hope it makes sense!

Bullet Point List of What's Going On:

-I am postponing all of my makeup blog posts until January 2015
-I am still going to be doing blog and video reviews for Ipsy November 2014 and Lip Monthly November 2014 along with Ipsy December 2014 and Lip Monthly December 2014 (look for those)
-My Lip Monthly subscription runs out in December 2014
-Ipsy in January 2015 I am going to decide on whether I want to keep or cancel
-I will do reviews on the actual products I got from the beauty subscription services when I start writing in my blog again some time in or after January 2015.

 

Blog Posts to Look For:

Ipsy November 2014
Lip Monthly November 2014
Ipsy December 2014
Lip Monthly December 2014

Videos Posts to Look For:

Ipsy November 2014
Lip Monthly November 2014
Ipsy December 2014
Lip Monthly December 2014


Other than those four mentioned above, I will see you in January 2015!

Sincerely,
Marina

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pinkissimo

Hello everyone!

In today's blog I am going to be reviewing the Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in #210 Pinkissimo. I bought this lipgloss because I am a huge fan of lipgloss and because I had a Revlon coupon for $2.00 off a Revlon lip product. I saw this color and I had to try it because it was so pink and so bright. It looked like a really fun color. I bought it at my local Walgreens.

According to the official Revlon website they still carry the Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss collection and in the color #210 Pinkissimo.

Rating:

Price: 9/10
Packaging: 10/10
Amount of product: 10/10
Pigment: 9/10
Longevity: 10/10
Application: 10/10
Smell: 9/10
Taste: 9/10
Texture: 10/10
Normal/Dry Lips: 10/10
Overall rating: 9/10
Would I repurchase: 10/10
Total rating: 115/120=95.83%=95.8%=A

My personal rating: 9/10=90%=A

Comments
I do not remember exactly how much I paid for this lipgloss because I can't find the receipt, but I think this lipgloss was on sale at my local Walgreens for $6.99 and I had a Revlon manufacturer's coupon for $2.00 off any Revlon lip products so I paid about $4.99 for this lipgloss. I think regularly priced these lipglosses are between $8.00 and $10.00 which I think is pretty high for a drugstore brand. I had to wait for it to go on sale and use a coupon to get it down to a normal price. The packaging is super simple, but super cute. It is a thick round clear case so you can see the lipgloss color inside and comes with a doe foot applicator in the cap. I think the amount of product is actually very decently sized. It seems like you do get a lot of product. For some reason I was expecting this lipgloss to be super pigmented, but the color that you see in the tube and the color on the lips does not match. In the tube it is super bright and on the lips it is super nude. I am not quite sure how to describe it. This lipgloss on my lips looks like a very neutral pink color. I think that this lipgloss lasts as long as a normal lipgloss does. It is not advertised as being long lasting. The longevity greatly depends on what you are doing with your lips such as licking them/eating/drinking or not. The application of this lipgloss is super smooth and even. This lipgloss has a very slight chemical smell to it, but it's not overpowering and once applied to the lips you can't smell it. This lipgloss has a very slight chemical like aftertaste to it, but it's not quite as bad as some other ones that I have tasted. I would say it's slight, but more neutral. The texture of this lipgloss is that it feels super smooth and it doesn't feel heavy or sticky. I applied this lipgloss to my somewhat dry lips and it went on smoothly and evenly and even moisturized my lips. Overall, I really like this lipgloss, there is just something about it I really like but I can't quite put my finger on why. I think it's because it's super glossy. I was expecting it to be pigmented, so I was a bit disappointed that it was very toned down to almost neutral on my lips. I would definitely repurchase this lipgloss, in this color and other colors they offer.

Sincerely,
Marina

NYX Wonder Pencil in Light

Hey everyone!

In today's blog I am going to be reviewing the NYX Wonder Pencil in Light. When I first heard about this pencil and all of the uses that it could have, I was super excited. Everyone on Youtube raved about this product. I got caught up in all of the excitement of it that I did not stop to question whether I should really invest in it. So I did. I went to my local Ulta store, saw it, and bought it. I bought it mainly for the idea of putting it in the water line of my eyes because putting a light color on the water line is supposed to help make the eyes appear bigger. I have small eyes so I was looking for a product to do that. I will admit that it did work in opening my eyes, but it did not work well for me because I can only use waterproof products around my eyes. As far as I am aware, this product does not come in waterproof. The product ended up leaking into my eyes and making them water. I was super disappointed with that. My view on the NYX Wonder Pencil is not a favorable one.

According to the official NYX cosmetics website they still currently have this pencil in light.

Rating:

Price: 9/10
Packaging: 10/10
Amount of product: 10/10
Pigment: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10
Application: 10/10
Sharpening: 7/10
Texture: 10/10
As a concealer: 9/10
On the water liner: 3/10
As a lip liner: 10/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Would I repurchase: 9/10
Total rating: 115/130=88.46%=88.5%=B

My personal rating: 8/10=80%=B

Comments
I can't find the receipt so I'm not sure exactly how much I paid for this wonder pencil, but according to the official Ulta website their price is $4.49. I bought this at my local Ulta so I paid this price or somewhere around it. I would have given the price a 10/10 if this wonder pencil did even half of what it is advertised, but for me it doesn't, so I don't feel it is worth the $4.49 for it. The packaging of this product is simple, but cute. The pencil is the color of the product with a black cap. This pencil has a very decent amount of pigment to it even for it being a light color. I think the application of this wonder pencil is smooth and even. I don't normally buy or use actual pencils that need to be sharpened because I personally find them to be annoying. I prefer to use the retractable/twisting pens because then I don't have to deal with sharpening. The texture of this product is lightweight. It does not feel heavy and it feels smooth. As a concealer this pencil is absolutely wonderful. It is pigmented enough to cover blemishes well. It does help to brighten the under eyes, but you do have to layer it quite a bit, especially if you have super dark circles. I am not a huge fan of this wonder pencil in my water line because even though it does help to brighten and open up my eyes, the product is not waterproof so it leaks into my eyes causing them to water. If this was a waterproof wonder pencil I would give it an A++, but since it is not waterproof, I am quite disappointed because I bought this wonder pencil in the flesh cover to open up and brighten up my eyes and I personally cannot use it for that purpose. I think this wonder pencil is wonderful as a lip liner, especially if you are going for the perfect nude lip and you need a light precise line on the lip line. Overall, I am pleased with this product for concealing/brightening and lip lining, but this product makes my eyes water when I use it in my water line because it is not waterproof so it gets in my eyes and irritates them. I am very impressed with the other ways to use this wonder pencil though so I am glad I bought it, but my initial purchase of this product was for the water line for my eyes which I am not able to use it like that at all. I would definitely repurchase this wonder pencil for the other reasons I mentioned above.

Sincerely,
Marina

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in #614 Lavender

Hi everyone!

In today's blog I am going to be reviewing the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in #614 Lavender. I heard a lot of rave reviews from many different people on Youtube about the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils, specifically, the one in Milk. In their defense, they were raving about this pencil as a white base for eyeshadows. The official NYX website describes this pencil as being able to be used on the water line, but I disagree. I disagree with that idea because 1. they made their jumbo eye pencils actually jumbo which does not work well with my small eyes and 2. they do not have the waterproof option if you do decide to use this jumbo pencil in the water line which is not good for me either because then the product gets in my eyes causing them to water. I bought this pencil as an eyeshadow base and I was excited about trying to use it in my water line, but honestly, I could not even get the product on my water line because it was so jumbo sized. I did use this pencil as an eyeshadow base and I really liked it. I would say that my feelings are somewhat neutral on this product because it has both good and bad for me. These two NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils were the first ones I bought because I heard from beauty gurus on Youtube talking about using white on the water line for small and tired eyes because the white color makes the eyes look bigger and brighter. Then some time later I heard from beauty gurus to use a flesh color because then it blends in more so if you don't want people to see the bright white, the flesh color would do the same trick, but blend in more which is why I bought the NYX Wonder Pencil in light. I will do a review on that in the following day's blog.

According to the official NYX website this product is currently being sold and in this particular color which is Lavender.

*My personal warning of this product is that the Jumbo Eye Pencils are jumbo sized and are difficult to apply for me on my water line! Also, my eyes are sensitive so if I don't use waterproof on my water line then the product leaks into my eyes causing irritation and problems. I put this part in bold because I wanted to bring awareness to these two problems that I had with this product.*

Rating:

Price: 10/10
Packaging: 7/10
Amount of product: 10/10
Pigment: 7/10
Longevity: 10/10
Application: 10/10
Texture: 10/10
On the water line: 3/10
As an eyeshadow base: 10/10
As an eyeshadow: 3/10 
Sharpening: 7/10
Overall product: 7/10
Would I repurchase: 7/10
Total rating: 101/130=77.69%=77.7%=C

My personal rating: 7/10=70%=C

Comments
I bought two Jumbo Eye Pencils because my local Ulta was having a deal of buy 1 get 1 half off. The price of both of the Jumbo Eye Pencils separately was $4.49, but I got one half off so it was about $2.25. I think that is not a bad price, especially for how big they are. The one main issue I have with the packaging is that it really is jumbo sized and difficult to use in the water line, at least for me. The packaging itself is cute, but the clear cap doesn't fit very well and both of mine cracked just from taking the cap off and putting it back on. I think that this particular jumbo eye pencil in Lavender does not give off a decent amount of pigment. I love the color in the packaging, but it doesn't come off well. The white one is super pigmented white, but this lavender one is slightly pigmented. It's difficult to layer to build pigment. This creme jumbo eye pencil has decent longevity, it is not advertised as long lasting, and I think it lasts normally. The pencil applies smoothly and evenly. Surprisingly, this eye pencil does not feel thick or heavy, in fact, it feels very creamy. I have small eyes so small eyes plus jumbo sized eye pencil does not work very well together. I tried to do it and I kept poking my eye so I gave up. I think if you don't have small eyes/water line then it would work better. I think that this pencil works wonderfully under eye shadow and because it is so white it really makes the eyeshadow colors pop. If you put this on the eye and then put even a light colored eye shadow, it really brings it out. Unfortunately, because this is a creamy eye pencil my other issue is that I cannot use creamy eyeshadows because I have very oily eye lids so cream eyeshadows and oily lids do not mix well. For me personally, I would not use this as an eyeshadow. I would use it as a base eyeshadow and put powder eyeshadow/s over it. From reading around online people are suggesting that you can sharpen this pencil with a large makeup pencil sharpener, but it doesn't sharpen very well. When I look at mine, I do not think it is meant to be sharpened because there is plastic around it. People also suggested trying to depot the eye pencil. I'm not sure how to rate this because if it is supposed to be sharpenable then it sucks and if it is not meant to be sharpened then there are other ways to get the product out. I will probably just go the depoting route when it gets low. Overall, I would use this jumbo eye pencil as an eyeshadow base and not as the product was advertised on the official NYX website of as a water liner and eyeshadow. I would repurchase this product because I think it makes a really good base and really helps to bring out the pigment of the eyeshadows.

Sincerely,
Marina

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in #604 Milk

Hi everyone!

In today's blog I am going to be reviewing the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in #604 Milk. I heard a lot of rave reviews from many different people on Youtube about the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils, specifically, the one in Milk. In their defense, they were raving about this pencil as a white base for eyeshadows. The official NYX website describes this pencil as being able to be used on the water line, but I disagree. I disagree with that idea because 1. they made their jumbo eye pencils actually jumbo which does not work well with my small eyes and 2. they do not have the waterproof option if you do decide to use this jumbo pencil in the water line which is not good for me either because then the product gets in my eyes causing them to water. I bought this pencil as an eyeshadow base and I was excited about trying to use it in my water line, but honestly, I could not even get the product on my water line because it was so jumbo sized. I did use this pencil as an eyeshadow base and I really liked it. I would say that my feelings are somewhat neutral on this product because it has both good and bad for me. These two NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils were the first ones I bought because I heard from beauty gurus on Youtube talking about using white on the water line for small and tired eyes because the white color makes the eyes look bigger and brighter. Then some time later I heard from beauty gurus to use a flesh color because then it blends in more so if you don't want people to see the bright white, the flesh color would do the same trick, but blend in more which is why I bought the NYX Wonder Pencil in light. I will do a review on that in the following day's blog.

According to the official NYX website this product is currently being sold and in this particular color which is Milk.

*My personal warning of this product is that the Jumbo Eye Pencils are jumbo sized and are difficult to apply for me on my water line! Also, my eyes are sensitive so if I don't use waterproof on my water line then the product leaks into my eyes causing irritation and problems. I put this part in bold because I wanted to bring awareness to these two problems that I had with this product.*

Rating:

Price: 10/10
Packaging: 7/10
Amount of product: 10/10
Pigment: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10
Application: 10/10
Texture: 10/10
On the water line: 3/10
As an eyeshadow base: 10/10
As an eyeshadow: 3/10 
Sharpening: 7/10
Overall product: 7/10
Would I repurchase: 7/10
Total rating: 104/130=80%=B

My personal rating: 7.5/10=75%=C

Comments
I bought two Jumbo Eye Pencils because my local Ulta was having a deal of buy 1 get 1 half off. The price of both of the Jumbo Eye Pencils separately was $4.49, but I got one half off so it was about $2.25. I think that is not a bad price, especially for how big they are. The one main issue I have with the packaging is that it really is jumbo sized and difficult to use in the water line, at least for me. The packaging itself is cute, but the clear cap doesn't fit very well and both of mine cracked just from taking the cap off and putting it back on. I think that this jumbo eye pencil has a decent amount of pigment, especially with a good eye primer. You can layer this color to build pigment. This creme jumbo eye pencil has decent longevity, it is not advertised as long lasting, and I think it lasts normally. The pencil applies smoothly and evenly. Surprisingly, this eye pencil does not feel thick or heavy, in fact, it feels very creamy. I have small eyes so small eyes plus jumbo sized eye pencil does not work very well together. I tried to do it and I kept poking my eye so I gave up. I think if you don't have small eyes/water line then it would work better. I think that this pencil works wonderfully under eye shadow and because it is so white it really makes the eyeshadow colors pop. If you put this on the eye and then put even a light colored eye shadow, it really brings it out. Unfortunately, because this is a creamy eye pencil my other issue is that I cannot use creamy eyeshadows because I have very oily eye lids so cream eyeshadows and oily lids do not mix well. For me personally, I would not use this as an eyeshadow. I would use it as a base eyeshadow and put powder eyeshadow/s over it. From reading around online people are suggesting that you can sharpen this pencil with a large makeup pencil sharpener, but it doesn't sharpen very well. When I look at mine, I do not think it is meant to be sharpened because there is plastic around it. People also suggested trying to depot the eye pencil. I'm not sure how to rate this because if it is supposed to be sharpenable then it sucks and if it is not meant to be sharpened then there are other ways to get the product out. I will probably just go the depoting route when it gets low. Overall, I would use this jumbo eye pencil as an eyeshadow base and not as the product was advertised on the official NYX website of as a water liner and eyeshadow. I would repurchase this product because I think it makes a really good base and really helps to bring out the pigment of the eyeshadows.

Sincerely,
Marina

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in #122 Natural

Hi everyone!

In Today's blog I am bringing to you a review of the NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in #122 Natural. I bought this lip gloss because I am obsessed with lipglosses so I can never have enough, I was trying out NYX products, and I was trying to look for a natural lip color. Since I really enjoyed the other NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Spongecake I figured why not branch out and try some other colors!

According to the official NYX Cosmetics website they carry the Mega Shine Lip Gloss line and in the color Natural. NYX describes this color as light brown with pink undertones.

Rating:

Price: 10/10
Packaging: 8/10
Amount of product: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10
Pigment: 8/10
Smell: 10/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 10/10
Application: 9/10
Normal/Dry lips: 10/10
Overall rating: 9/10
Would I repurchase: 8/10
Total rating: 109/120=90.83%=90.8%=A

My personal rating: 9/10=90%=A

Comments:
I am pretty sure I bought this lip gloss at Ulta and it was probably around $5.00. I am personally not a huge fan of the price, it's not bad, but it's a bit more than I would expect for a NYX product. I have had this product for a few months and I have not noticed this one leaking the product out as much as the Spongecake one that leaks all over, but there is some slight leakage. I definitely think that you get a very decent amount of product for the price. This lipgloss lasts about as long as any normal lipgloss. I was expecting pigment from the Spongecake lipgloss which I bought first a while ago and it was a very sheer pigment so I was not expecting much for pigment on this one, but I was very pleasantly surprised! One thing I don't like about the pigment is that for some reason all of the NYX lipglosses come off a bit fake in color to me for some reason. On the lips it looks okay, but when the product is applied around the lip line it appears to have an orange tint, at least on me, and I don't like that. I'm not sure how to explain it, but for this lipgloss being called natural, I do not feel that it delivers a natural color on me. All of the Mega Shine Lipglosses smell super strongly, but super sweet. I love the smell of them. Once applied to the lips you can't really smell it, but I personally wouldn't mind that. The lipgloss does have a bit of a chemical like aftertaste. It does not taste nearly as good as it smells! The texture of this lipgloss is that it feels light and non-sticky. The one problem I have with the application of this product is that the doe foot applicator wand is too big for my lips so it is difficult to control the product around the lip line for me. I wish that the wand was a bit smaller. I think that this lipgloss can be applies to normal and dry lips without a huge difference. I can definitely see myself repurchasing the mega shine lipgloss products, but I would probably try it in different colors because this one on me gives off a bit of an orange-like tint, especially around the lip line.

Sincerely,
Marina

Maybelline The Colossal Waterproof Cat Eye Mascara

Hi everyone!

In today's blog I am going to be reviewing the Maybelline The Colossal Waterproof Cat Eye Mascara in black. I bought this mascara because I got Maybelline mascara last Christmas and I have been looking for drugstore waterproof mascara so I figured why not give it a try. Plus I had a coupon for Maybelline mascara buy one get $2.00 off the second one and Walgreens was having a sale on Mascara buy one get one half off. I figured why not. I did not realize at the time of buying this mascara, but I did afterwards when I was playing around with it, that the mascara wand is curved. It was a bit surprising at first because I was not used to using mascara wands that are curved. It was cool, but different.

According to the official Maybelline website they still currently carry this product. I bought it about a year ago so it would make sense that they would.

Rating:

Price: 9/10
Packaging: 10/10
Amount of product: 10/10
Longevity: 7/10
Application: 10/10
Formula: 7/10
Eyelash fallout/breakage: 9/10
Wand: 9/10
Pigment: 10/10
Lengthening/Volumizing: 6/10
Overall product: 8/10
Would I repurchase: 5/10
Total rating: 100/120=83.33%=83.3%=B

My personal rating: 8/10=80%=B

Comments
I bought this mascara at Walgreens for between $10.00 and $12.00 plus I had a coupon for buy one get one -$2.00 or something along those lines. I was actually surprised by the price of this mascara because it was a drugstore and I was expecting cheaper. The packaging is cute. The colors are bright orange with a dark orange print. The wand is curved. I have not experienced any product leakage. I do think that you get a decent amount of product for the price. This mascara is advertised as waterproof, but it doesn't work as well as my MAC one does. If you apply multiple coats it doesn't dry right and then leaks into my eyes. Sometimes it just don't dry, probably for other reasons, and I end up with a mess. The application is smooth and fairly even. You can apply multiple coats without too much problem. The formula is supposed to be waterproof, but it works sometimes and other times doesn't. The formula does like to clump, especially after two coats. I have not experienced any actual breakage or fallout, but if the mascara does dry it is super difficult to get off which may lead to breakage. I'm pretty sure I have come pretty close. I thought I was going to really like the curved aspect of the mascara wand, but honestly, I was not very impressed. I don't feel like it made it super easier than regular wands when it comes to applying. I feel that the mascara gives off a dark black pigment which is the way that I like it. I don't feel like this mascara does very much in terms of lengthening or volumizing. The official Maybelline website describes this mascara as 8X volumizing, but I did not see anything even close to that. I don't feel like this mascara creates a cat eye look at all. Overall, I feel that this is an overpriced drugstore mascara that may or may not be waterproof depending on if it feels like drying or not and it doesn't do what it advertises. I must admit I was fairly disappointed with this mascara. The only way I would repurchase this mascara is if it was on sale again, but I would look around to see what other mascara is out there first.

Sincerely,
Marina

NYC (New York Color) Individual Eyes #939 Bryant Park (for blue eyes) Palette

Hi everyone!

In today's blog I am bringing to you a review on the NYC (New York Color) Individual Eyes #939 Bryant Park for blue eyes eyeshadow, highlighter, and eyeshadow primer palette. I bought this when I did an inexpensive trip to Walmart to try NYC. I was watching Youtube videos and people were doing the $10.00 makeup challenge where you have to buy makeup for under $10.00 and create a look with it. I bought this palette because it was about $5.00 and you got eye primer and eye shadow plus a bonus highlighter. I thought was super cool. Plus I wanted to see what NYC eyeshadows were like. I have blue eyes so I bought the palette specifically for my blue eyes.

Okay, so this is a bit confusing to me because my palette says #939 Bryant Park and the official NYC website shows the palette that I have as a picture option, but when I look through the options of the different palettes I do not see it as an option. Either this is still available and they just changed the number and name of it or they discontinued the palette that I have, but then why would it be used in the picture? I tried to look for it on the official Walmart website and I was not able to find the one that I have. That's a bit frustrating...

*Fair Warning: the NYC Individual Eyes #939 Bryant Park palette appears to have been number and name changed and possibly even discontinued.*

Rating:

Price: 9/10
Packaging: 10/10
Amount of product: 10/10
Longevity: 7/10
Pigment of eyeshadow on fingers: 9/10
Pigment of eyeshadow on eye lids: 6/10
Eye primer: 7/10
Highlighter: 9/10
Application: 10/10
Blendability: 7/10
Quality: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Would I repurchase: 5/10
Total rating: 103/140=73.57%=73.6%=C

My personal rating: 7/10=70%=C

Comments
I bought this NYC eyeshadow palette from Walmart for about $4.50. The price was actually a bit higher than I was expecting, but it's not bad because you get 3 eyeshadows, an eye lid primer, and a highlighter. As a palette it's one of the cheaper ones I think that one can find. I think the packaging is simple, but cute. I like the layout of it. I have not had any problems with the packaging. I think that you definitely get a decent amount of product of eyeshadows, eye lid primer, and highlighter. I do not feel that this eyeshadow lasts very long. I think the better eye lid primer you use the better the longevity, but with the primer it came with and with inexpensive eye lid primer it lasts about as long as normal eyeshadow. I feel that the pigment of the eyeshadow comes off more pigmented on the fingers. I feel that the pigment on the actual eyes comes off less pigmented. This eyeshadow is definitely good for a light eyeshadow for someone who is starting out in makeup or for someone who wants to have a very slight color. If you are looking for pigment this is definitely not it. I think that the eye lid primer that comes with it does an okay job of bringing out the pigment of the eyeshadows, but I definitely think that you can find better. I would even say that the E.L.F. would be a huge step up. I will admit that I don't know much about highlighters because I don't use them and this is the only one that I have actually tried so I think it's okay. It does give a bit of a highlight effect. I think that the application of the eyeshadows, eye lid primer, and highlighter is smooth and even. I think that the eyeshadows are fairly easy to blend, but I feel like they do muddle a bit more than blend. Sometimes you can't tell which color is which. I think that the quality of the eyeshadows are okay. I would compare them to the E.L.F. ones. I don't think either are very good, but they are okay. Overall, it is a very cute palette that is not executed very well. I am disappointed with the pigment of them. Um, I would repurchase this palette for everyday quick use to run errands, but I would not trust using it for important things. When it comes to eyeshadows I tend to be very picky.

Sincerely,
Marina

MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20

Hey everyone!

In today's blog I am going to be reviewing the MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20. I really needed a concealer because at the time I only had the E.L.F. Tone Correcting concealers that are liquid and I didn't like them, but recently I have found a way to make them work for me. But I really love this MAC concealer because it isn't liquid, it is a bit thicker so it can actually be used as a concealer, and the color matches better. I like this instantly, as soon as I used it.

According to the official MAC website, it appears that they still carry this product, in same/similar packaging, and same name. The website has a small disclaimer that they are in the process of phasing out the packaging of this product and replacing it with new packaging.

*Fair Warning: MAC has decided to repackage this product and are currently in the process of phasing out this old packaging with a new packaging. I don't know what the new packaging looks like because it's not on the website.*

Rating:

Price: 9/10
Packaging: 10/10
Amount of product: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10
Application: 9/10
Smell: 9/10
Texture: 9/10
Covers redness: 10/10
Covers large pores: 10/10
Different skin types: 10/10
Overall rating: 9/10
Would I repurchase: 9/10
Total rating: 114/120=95%=A

My personal rating: 9/10=90%=A

Comments
I don't remember exactly how much I paid for this MAC concealer, but I know it was somewhere between $16.00 and $18.00. The current price of this concealer is $19.00. I do think that is a bit expensive for a concealer. I think the packaging is simple, but cute. It is a black round case with a clear round see through top so you can see the product inside. I have not had any problems with the product leaking out or anything. I do feel that you get a decent amount of product even for the price because it is a bit of a deep pan and it lasts a while. I have not personally noticed this product no lasting. I think that because it has a bit of thickness, it does last a bit longer. The application of this product is smooth and even. I would personally not suggest using this product under the eyes because it is a bit thicker and it doesn't work well with the thin soft skin under the eyes, but this product works wonders every where else. This product does have a bit of a chemical like smell, but it's not overpowering and once applied you cannot smell it. I think that the texture of this concealer is a bit on the thick side and it does feel a bit weighted, but once you apply the product and spread it out, I feel that it does feel lightweight while actually wearing the product. This product definitely covers redness because of the thickness of it and even when you spread the product out. I love to use this concealer on my cheeks, nose, and forehead where I have more redness and it works awesome! Once again the same thing with the large pores. I have large pores and I am happy with how this product, especially over good primer, helps to cover my large red pores. Overall, even though this concealer is a bit on the thick side it does do a very good job of concealing blemishes such as redness, large pores, birth marks, etc. I would say that I would not advise using this product for under eye concealing because of the thickness and even spread out it stills too heavy for under eye. The two downsides to this product is that the price is a bit high and you can't really use it for under eye concealing. I am going to try the MAC Pro Long Wear concealer that is liquid and comes with a pump. If that works out, I probably will not be repurchasing this product, but not because I don't like it, but because I would personally prefer the long wearing liquid concealer. But that's just personal preference.

Sincerely,
Marina

Lip Monthly October 2014

Hi everyone!

 

In today's blog I am bringing to you the Lip Monthly October 2014 bag. I will admit that I was a bit nervous about this month's Lip Monthly bag because last month was a bit disappointing. They did say that this month's was going to be better.

Lip Monthly:

-a beauty subscription service that costs $10.00 a month
-is all about the lips with a non-lip product (lip liners, lip glosses, lip sugar, lipstick, etc)
-full sized products
-get about 4-5 products per bag
-a friendly greeting card with list of products
-their subscription service options are monthly, every 4 months, and yearly

Lip Monthly October 2014 Bag Overview:

When I first opened the envelope I was surprised in a good way because the Lip Monthly bag colors really stood out for me. I was like whoa... I did not know that they were going to be changing the bag, but they did. The bag for this month is an orange color with a purple tree looking design with their name on the bottom right corner in pink and white. I love the bag. I think it is super cute! I love the purple on orange. I was very impressed with the bag. It really stood out to me and made me even more excited to find out what was inside of the bag! I will say that this bag also has a bit of a funky plastic like smell to it which I could smell as soon as I opened the packing envelope.

When I unzipped the bag and looked inside I saw there were two cards and a bunch of products. I always look at the cards first so I pulled out the cards to look and read them. Instead of writing a note on one half side and the products on the other half of the same side this month Lip Monthly decided to write the greeting on one side and the product list on the back side.
On the one side it says:
LIPMONTHLY
Hi There! Now that Fall has fully arrived and your closet features shades of plums, olives, and everything Autumn, nothing compliments your look better than a nude lip. That's why we wanted to bring you that perfect shade that when paired up with a perfect smokey eye (eyeliner included) screams GLAM from all directions. You're just missing a great trench and scarf and you're on your way to amazingness. Let us know how you like this month's products, we are excited to hear your feedback. xoxo Team Lip Monthly P.S. We heard that you wanted to see a new bag design and we hope you like the new one as much as we do!
On the back side it says:
Your Products
1. Starlooks Lip Scrub: The secret to a perfect nude lip is prepping your lips properly. Nothing will ruin that perfect look like dry and loose skin. Prep your lips with this scrub by gently patting the product in.
2. Noyah Balm: Moisturizing is also essential when it comes to creating flawless application. Apply this all-natural balm and let it sink in for as long as you can. Remove it prior to applying the lipstick for longer-lasting results.
3. JCat Nude Lipstick: Now you're ready for the main event! Apply this luscious lipstick and create the perfect nude lip. This shade is the ultimate nude color, you will love how it looks with a dramatic smokey eye.
4. DeVine Lip Shimmer: this sheer plum Shimmer is perfect for a understated Fall look. Pair it with a rich plum color and go from subtle glam to all out edge.
5. L.A. Girl Eyeliner: the first step towards that nude lip/smokey eye combo that we all love.

The other small card appears to be a 20% off coupon for Noyah that expires 12/31/2014. The coupon password/keyword to get the discount is at checkout type in lipmonthly.

List of Bag Products:
JCat Beauty Lipstick in FL107 Honeycrisp
Starlooks Lip Sugar (looks like brown sugar/brownish color)
deVine Lip Shimmer in Pinot Noir
Noyah Lip Balm in Cherry flavor
L.A. Girl Eyeliner in GP602 Brown-Black

I will say that I am really excited about all of the products in this bag, except 1. In last month's bag I only was excited about 2 products and after trying them I was not too happy. But in this bag I am excited about 4 out of 5 products! I am excited to try the JCat lipstick and in the color, I really like the sugar scrub lip, the plum lip shimmer, and I absolutely adore cherry or grape lip balms! I am not excited about trying the L.A. Girl eyeliner because even though I was excited about the eyeliner and it being in brown-black, I really dislike the fact that it is not waterproof.

Lip Monthly Bag Pros:

-I absolute love the colors and design of the bag this month with the orange bag with the purple design
-I am really excited about 4 out of the 5 products
-I can't wait to try the plum lip shimmer
-I really like my lip balms in grape or cherry so the flavor is a big bonus for why I like this product
-I like how this bag included lip prep with the sugar scrub and lip balm and lip color with lipstick and lip shimmer
-I like that they included a 20% coupon code

Lip Monthly Bag Cons:

-I don't like the redesign of the card because they took off the retail prices of the items (I'm weird and I like seeing it)
-the eyeliner is not waterproof
-the bag smells like lead painted plastic

Overall, I think this is a huge improvement from their September 2014 bag. If they had included a waterproof eyeliner I would be absolutely loving and raving about this bag like there is no tomorrow, but having waterproof eye makeup is huge for me. I am still going to test out the product, but I am not expecting much from it. If they had just included a waterproof eyeliner, I would barely have any complaints and I would have been 100% satisfied with this bag.

Sincerely,
Marina

Ipsy October 2014

Hey everyone!

In today's blog I am bringing to you my very first Ipsy bag ever! I was on the Ipsy waitlist for almost 2 months. I was actually working on a blog so I was using gmail and I saw an e-mail from Ipsy. I clicked on it and they were offering to get off the waitlist by just liking a Youtube channel, liking Ipsy on Facebook, and allowing Ipsy to post my monthly bags. I jumped on that offer quicker than you could say I jumped on that offer. I was super excited to finally be off the wait list and start receiving my Ipsy because this is the original beauty subscription service that I wanted out of all of them. I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with my first Ipsy bag.

Ipsy:

-a beauty subscription service for $10.00 a month
-includes many different makeup products (i.e. lotions, facial scrubs, lip products, primers, anything you could think of makeup and body related)
-offers a quiz to better personalize bags to your taste
-offers mostly sample sizes of products
-the products come in a bag and each month you get a different bag
-are usually theme based

Bag Overview:

This month's Ipsy bag theme is Beauty Candy. It's a cute idea because it's Halloween month and instead of getting candy you get beauty candy. I like it. I think the theme is simple, but cute. I would think of something more traditional for Halloween month like the colors of orange and black. I would expect Fall colored makeup. They did more of a neutral take on Halloween by going with the idea of candy. Candy is the best part of Halloween!

The bag itself is a teal color which is a bit confusing because it doesn't seem to really follow their Halloween candy theme. On the Ipsy website the bag looks like a bluish-teal color, but in person the bag looks more green-aqua color. The zipper part says IPSY on it. The bag opens at the top, but on the side. This bag has a square pattern all over on it. I like the color and the texture of the bag. The bag has a kind of weird sweet smell to it. I'm not sure if they tried to spray it and it didn't work or if the bag is giving off all the scents at the same time from the products inside like the hand cream. It's trying to smell sweet/good, but comes off smelling like sweet plastic.

When you open the bright pink bubbled envelope the first thing I saw was the little card that comes with it. I pulled it out first to look at it. On the front there are pictures of four different Youtube/Ipsy beauty gurus posing in different ways. The card is a bright pink and appears fun. They chose four girls that look very similar and are all enjoying beauty candy in some way. On the back of the card it tells you how to share Ipsy and Beauty Candy to enter a chance to win a free years subscription. That would be super cool to win that.

Then I pulled out my funky aqua bag. When I unzip it I see all of my beauty candy inside!

My Ipsy October 2014 Bag Products:
STARLOOKS lipgloss in Guilty Pleasure
Figs and Rouge Nourishing and Soothing Hand Cream in Rose Berry
Skone Tattooed Waterproof Eyeliner [I'm assuming in black]
Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser [face wash]
Albertini Warm Love Pumpkin Exfoliating Mask

I got a fairly neutral bag. Who ever put this bag together definitely played it a bit safe, especially with the olor of the lipgloss which is pink. The reason why I am not super excited about my first Ipsy bag is because I really wanted the Smashbox primer. I knew I wasn't going to be lucky enough to get it, but it was still disappointing. I am disappointed with the fact that on my quiz I didn't mark I wanted lotion, but I got hand cream. That item was definitely not on my beauty quiz. Then I got two face products. One is a mask and one is a cleanser. I just feel like it was too much facial products. Although, I will admit that it is kind of cute that they put together a mask and cleanser together because that flows logically together. I am super excited about trying the lipgloss and the waterproof eyeliner. I am excited about 2 out of the 5 products that I received.

The one thing I am super thankful for is that they had a few options for mascaras this month and I got no mascaras. WOO HOO! My eyes are super sensitive and I have to wear waterproof eyeliner. I don't think any of the mascaras are waterproof so I'm glad I didn't get any. Ipsy gets an A++ for not sending me non-waterproof mascara =-D

October 2014 Pros:

-I got a lipgloss
-I got a waterproof eyeliner
-I am glad I didn't get a mascara because they don't seem to be waterproof
-the theme of the bag is cute, the bag itself is cute

October 2014 Cons:

- I feel like I got too many face products (2)
-I did not selection lotion on my beauty quiz, but I got a hand lotion
-the lipgloss was in pink color so they went the safe route instead of a Fall color
-I am really sad I did not get the Smashbox primer

Overall, I feel neutral about this bag. I don't love it and I don't necessarily hate it. I am leaning towards disappointed though. I am only excited about 2 out of the 5 products. I think the theme of the bag is a super cute idea, but I'm not sure it was executed well. I'm not sure what to think about it, but I can let it go. I really hope my next bag is better.

Sincerely,
Marina

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm

Hi everyone!

In today's blog I am bringing to you my review on the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm. The official NYX website describes this color as a mid-tone beige pink. I watched a lot of Youtube videos where people were raving about this product so when I was at Ulta doing a NYX Cosmetics mini-haul I decided to try it. Plus the first product I bought from NYX Cosmetics was the NYX Mega Shine lipgloss in Spongecake and I absolutely adored it. I thought their other lip products would give more color and be just as awesome, but sadly, I was surprised at how much I really did not like this lip product. I did not like it because the color was awful. On me it looks fake and somehow off. With the mega shine lipglosses I had an awesome experience and with the matte lip cream I had an awful experience. It was really heartbreaking.

The official NYX Cosmetics website says that the Soft Matte Lip Cream still exists and they still carry it in Stockholm.

Rating:

Price: 9/10
Packaging: 10/10
Amount of product: 9/10
Pigment: 7/10
Longevity: 10/10
Application: 10/10
Smell: 10/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 10/10
Normal/Dry Lips: 8/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Would I Repurchase: 3/10
Total rating: 101/120=84.16%=84.2%=B

My personal rating: 7/10=70%=C

Comments:
I bought this lip cream from Ulta for $5.99 which I don't really think is a fair price for this lip cream. I feel like I overpaid. I have no serious issues with the packaging of the product, it is simple. It is a round case in the color of the lip color product. It is a bit small. I do feel that you get a decent amount of product even though it is $6.00 and the packaging was smaller than I was expecting. This lip cream has soft matte pigment to it, but I took a lot of points off because to me it feels like the color is really fake orange looking. To me it does not look natural and definitely not on me. I feel that this lip cream lasts as long as any other lipstick or lipgloss. If you are eating/drinking/licking your lips it will last a shorter time and if you are not doing those things then it lasts a bit longer. It is not advertised to be super long lasting. I think that the application of this lip cream is smooth and even. I think the smell of this lip cream is absolutely delicious. I can't quite figure out what it's supposed to be, but it's very strong and very sweet smelling. The aftertaste of the lip cream does not compare at all to the smell of it. This lip cream has a bit of a weird chemical-like aftertaste. I don't like it. The texture of this lip cream is super creamy and super light. Even though this lip cream is super creamy and smooth, it does feel a bit drying and I would be careful when applying this on dry lips. I think because it is liquid-like that it should apply fairly decently to dry lips, but it doesn't feel moisturizing so it might be drying on dry lips. I would personally not repurchase this product, at least not in this specific color. I might try a more brighter pink instead of a neutral color because it gives off an orange color if I do decided to try it again in the future.

Sincerely,
Marina

NYC (New York Color) Lipstick in #415 Brandy Sparkle

Hey everyone!

In today's blog I am bringing you my review on the NYC (New York Color) Lipstick in #415 Brandy Sparkle. I bought this lipstick about a year ago because I was looking to try some different colors of lipsticks and I was buying up a bunch of inexpensive NYC ones. I bought this specific one because I think before they called it Ultra Last, but it appears they have changed the packaging and the name of this product.

*Fair warning: according to the official New York Color (NYC) cosmetics website the packaging has changed from square to round casing and the collection name appears to have been changed from something along the lines of Ultra Last to Expert Last Lipstick, but the color #415 Brandy Sparkle appears to still be available.*

Rating:

Price: 10/10
Packaging: 9/10
Amount of product: 10/10
Pigment: 10/10
Longevity: 8/10
Application: 10/10
Smell: 9/10
Taste: 8/10
Texture: 10/10
Normal/Dry Lips: 8/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Would I repurchase: 5/10
Total rating: 105/120=87.5%=B

My personal rating: 9/10=90%=A

Comments:
I bought this lipstick from Walmart for $1.72 which is actually not that bad of a price for a lipstick. I think the price is fair. The packaging is simple, but cute. The packaging is a square tube with a black bottom and a clear cap so you can see the lipstick color inside. I do think that it is a bit cheaply made because sometimes when you try to twist the lipstick up and down it kind of sticks. I definitely think that you get a decent amount of product for the price. The pigment on this lipstick is perfect. I can definitely see the color and it is pretty. It is supposed to be pigmented and it does have decent pigment. The New York Color official website advertised this lipstick as Ultra last, but it doesn't appear to be a long lasting lipstick. I feel that the product rubs off easily and the only reason why it has some longevity is because it is super pigmented and I put on a couple of layers so it takes a little bit to cut through the pigment and layers. This lipstick is not staining or anything. I'm pretty sure this lipstick was advertised as long lasting of 8 plus hours, but I noticed when they changed the collection name they advertise now as it lasts for 6 hours. I still don't feel like this product lasts anywhere near 6-8+ hours, unless you count the ring around the lip line as lasting. It reminds me of when you drink milk or something that has food coloring and you get a mustache, but at least this stays around lip line. Surprisingly, the application of this lipstick is actually quite smooth and even. I do not have any complaints. The smell of this lipstick is a very slight chemical-like smell, but it is not overpowering at all and once applied to the lips you can't smell it. This lipstick does have a bit of a chemical-like aftertaste when you lick your lips and get some product in your mouth. This lipstick does not feel heavy or weighted down on the lips. It is surprisingly light weight on the lips. It doesn't feel sticky or drying out the lips. I would probably not use this lipstick with dry lips because even though it's not super drying like some lipsticks I have tried before, it does seem to need some moisturize on the lips to lay down the color for it to lasts somewhat. I would repurchase this product if I could for the price, but I may or may not repurchase this color because I'm not sure it looks good on me. I love the color in the packaging, but personally on me, I'm just not sure.

Sincerely,
Marina

NYC (New York Color) Ultra Moist Lipwear in #301 Cafe

Hey everyone!

In today's blog I am bringing to you another NYC (New York Color) Ultra Moist Lipwear in #301 Cafe. I was going through my makeup that I still need to review and I found this lipstick. This review was supposed to go along with the two other NYC Ultra Moist Lipwear lipsticks. I thought I got all of them, but I guess I missed one. Oh well, I guess it gets it's own review.

According to the official NYC cosmetics website they still currently carry the Ultra Moist Lipwear line and they still carry this lipstick in the color Cafe.

Rating:

Price: 10/10
Packaging: 9/10
Amount of product: 10/10
Pigment: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10
Smell: 7/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 10/10
Application:10/10
Normal/Dry lips: 10/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Would I repurchase: 5/10
Total rating: 106/120=88.33%=88.3%=B

My personal rating: 8/10=80%=B

Comments:
I bought this lipstick at Walmart for $0.93 (yes, 93 cents). I think the price is unbeatable. It's even a bit cheaper than E.L.F.  The packaging is simple, but cute. It is a round lipstick case with black on the bottom and a clear cap where you can see the product through it. I do think the packaging is extremely cheap because when you try to twist it to get the product up and down it does stick a bit. I think that you get a decent amount of lipstick product, especially for the price. I think that this lipstick has a decent amount of pigment, especially since this is a lighter color. I have not had any issues with the pigment not showing up. The longevity depends on whether you are drinking/eating/licking your lips or not. If you are it lasts a bit less and if you don't then it lasts a few hours. This lipstick has a very strong artificially sweet chemical smell to it. The aftertaste of this lipstick is a very strong chemical like taste to it. I really don't like it. The texture of this lipstick is that it feels smooth and feels light weight while on the lips. It does not feel sticky or anything. The application of this lipstick is that it goes on smoothly and applies evenly on the lip. I think that this lipstick would go well with dry, normal or oily lips. It does seem to have a moisturizing creamy aspect to it. Overall, for the price and the pigment this lipstick is good to have on hand for everyday use. There are a few things I would change about it like the smell and aftertaste, but otherwise, it's actually not a bad lipstick. I would definitely repurchase the lipstick, but I would probably stay away from this specific color because I do not feel that it looks good on me.

Sincerely,
Marina

MAC Matte Face Primer

Hey everyone!

In today's blog I am bringing to you another one of my absolute favorite MAC products that MAC no longer carries and that is the MAC Matte Face Primer. It is a clear gel like primer that I use for special occasions where I need to rely on this primer to last and look good on me. I am so sad to see that they got rid of this product.

*Fair warning: according to the official MAC website this product no longer exists in the packaging and name as it appears in this blog. I don't know if they completely discontinued this product or if they changed the packaging and/or the name.*

 

Rating:

Price: 7/10
Packaging: 10/10
Amount of product: 9/10
Longevity: 10/10
Application: 10/10
Smell: 10/10
texture: 10/10
Covers redness: 8/10
Covers large pores: 10/10
Different skin types: 10/10
Overall rating: 9/10
Would I repurchase: 5/10
Total rating: 108/120=90%=A

My personal rating: 9/10=90%=A

Comments:
I do not remember how much I paid for this MAC matte face primer, but I know it had to have been some where around $20.00 for this. I want to say somewhere between $18.00 and $21.00 for this. For a primer that is crazy expensive. For the price it is not super outstanding or anything. I just personally liked it. The packaging is very simple, but cute. The product came in a clear plastic triangular shaped round tube. It reminds me of packaging used for lipglosses rather than primer. I have not experienced any product leakage with this packaging. I think that you got a decent amount of product, but for the price it should have been a bit more. I think that because this face primer has a little bit of thickness to it, that does give it a bit more longevity to it. The application of this product is that it goes on smoothly and evenly all over the face. Surprisingly this primer has a very neutral smell. It is either so slight that I can't smell it or it doesn't have a smell. Even though this primer has a slight thickness to it, once applied to the face the product blends into the skin well that you almost can't tell that you are wearing it. The texture is very smooth and lightweight. This primer doesn't cover redness because it is clear so you can see through it, but because it has a bit of thickness to it, I feel like it does kind of cover redness due to that slight thickness. The thickness blends it in a bit more than most primers. I feel that this primer does fill in large pores and small lines because of the bit of thickness. I feel like I can confidently say that this product could be used with dry to normal to oily skin without any major issues. Overall, this was a very nice primer to have and I am going to miss it tons. It wasn't anything spectacular, but I feel like it really worked for me. I would definitely repurchase it if I could, but I can't because it is no longer available.

Sincerely,
Marina

Almay Smart Shade Perfect and Correct Primer

Hi everyone!

In today's blog I am bringing to you the Almay Smart Shade Perfect and Correct Primer that has green and lavender primer combined into one container and comes out kind of separately, but out of the same pump. The packaging looks and functions pretty cool and I don't know how they did it, but I'd like to. Almay claims in their description of the product that you can wear this primer alone or under foundation. I would just like it to be known that I suffer from redness to my skin which I work super hard to try to eliminate and I personally would not wear this primer alone without foundation and concealer and finishing powder and everything else. I took pictures of my normal bare skin. Then I put this product on my face and retook the picture. I honestly did not see an ounce of difference. You could still see my redness and my face did not look or feel hydrated. I will admit that I'm not entirely sure how to wear this product because if I blend it into my skin then I can still see the redness. If I leave the green goop on my skin by lightly blending it in, then it does work on covering majority of the redness, but then you have green all over your face. I also would not recommend putting this primer on with any other primer because then it balls up into rubber balls and that is not fun. I would definitely not recommend wearing this without some kind of foundation over it. It does a decent job if you do cover it with foundation.

I bought this about a year or so ago and according to the official Almay website they still sell this product line and this specific primer with the green and lavender, they call them "ribbons", in the bottle that come out of the same pump together, but separate.

Rating:

Price: 9/10
Packaging: 10/10
Amount of product: 10/10
Longevity: 8/10
Application: 10/10
Smell: 7/10
Covers redness: 6/10
Covers large pores: 10/10
Website description: 6/10
Different skin types: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Would I repurchase: 6/10
Total rating: 96/120=80%=B

My personal rating: 7/10=70%=C

Comments:
I don't remember exactly how much I paid for this product, but I do remember I bought it from Walmart and I remember being surprised that this product was $10.00 plus so I am going to say I paid somewhere between $9.99 and $11.99 for this product. I think that for an Almay brand at Walmart that is a bit expensive. But they are not as bad as the MAC ones that are $20.00 plus, but MAC is a brand where you would expect that, where as with Almay you really don't. As I mentioned above that I love the packaging because it is super cool looking and the way the green and the lavender come out of the same pump at the same time, but don't mix together is awesome. I have not had any problems with this product packaging leaking which makes me happy. I think that this product lasts as long as most primers. I think the longevity of this primer depends on the quality of the foundation product you are wearing over it. I think if you have dry skin this might last a bit longer and with oily skin it might break down or be too slick so it might slide off easier. The actual application of the product is smooth and fairly even. I just would not recommend putting any kind of primer over it and it should be good. This product kind of smells like an old rubber shoe, but it's a light smell and not overpowering so it's kind of tolerable. Once applied to the face I can't smell it at all. This primer tries really hard to cover redness, but either I'm not doing it right or it doesn't work like it's supposed to. When I rub it into the skin then you can still see the redness through it. If you lightly rub it into the skin then you have green all over your face, but it does 'cover' redness. I would say it does, but not the way I would necessarily prefer it to. I do think that this primer does a very good job of filling in/covering large pores and small fine lines. I think it's because this primer is so liquid-like that the skin absorbs it into the pores and small lines. I really appreciate that this product does that. With the official Almay website description I do agree that this product smooths the skin and I half agree when it says that imperfections are diffused because it does a wonderful job on filling in/diffusing my large pores and small lines. I don't necessarily agree that this product does what it claims as it pertains to green 'ribbons' neutralizing redness or the lavender 'ribbons' creating hydration and brightening of my skin tone, I do not personally feel this primer hydrates my skin by 265%, and I would definitely not recommend wearing this without medium to full coverage foundation. You might be able to get away with a light coverage foundation. I think this primer is good for dry to normal skin, but I would be careful with it being too slippery for oily skin, especially super oily skin. Overall, this primer is good for filling in large pores and small fine lines and creating a smooth even surface for makeup. I would not recommend wearing this product alone, I feel that at first this product hydrates, but then kind of dries out, and it does not do what it's supposed to which is neutralize redness or give brightness to the face. I might repurchase this, but for $10.00-$12.00 I would definitely look else where first before returning to purchase this product.

Sincerely,
Marina