Ipsy GlamBag #1

Happy Friday!

I haven't had an opportunity to blog in quite some time, but finally have the equipment and the time to really get this blog rolling!

A few months back, I decided to switch from Birchbox to Ipsy. Birchbox is a great subscription box (definitely worth the price), but in my opinion, only if your primary focus is skincare. Of course, skincare is extremely important in daily beauty routines, and the products they feature are impressive. However, my interest was leaning towards wanting makeup samples to try out every month. It seems to fit my hobbies and extremely sensitive skin better.

I heard about Ipsy from YouTubers that I frequently watch for tutorials, and I haven't ever been disappointed! $10 a month for 5 samples and a cute beauty bag really can't be beat. Since I did start a few months back, I will start reviewing with my first glambag, and keep posting until I'm current with a monthly review session on the products I receive.

Here we go...

I haven't always been a hair mask or oil kind of person. Not sure why, but I didn't think that treatments would make my hair texture change from its unruly normalcy. But when I started getting samples, I figured - why not? Might as well use them. BOY am I happy I did. They make such a noticeable difference immediately and for styling. This "Glow" oil treatment with Porphyra Seaweed acts to make hair silky, shiny, and very easy to style effortlessly. This and dry shampoo are my current styling faves.

Up next is this "Chella" highlight pencil. My favorite ways to use this are for a brow and/or inner corner highlight. I don't think the texture would be just right to add it to the cheekbones, but it may work for your skin type. I recommend this shade because it is subtle, and doesn't have shimmer that draws attention away from the actual shadow or makeup look. Perfect for defining a neutral look. Swatch on my very fair skin tone:

Ahh... my new favorite concealer brush...

Using brushes to apply liquid products like foundation or concealer to the face is not only more hygienic, but helps for a more flawless finish. I usually apply with this kind of brush and then blend out with a Beauty Blender. Basically, I just put the concealer on here to apply only where it's needed underneath foundation or completely blended for non-makeup days. I guess it's just the size of the brush here - it's small enough for the undereye area and the whole face. And it's pretty dense to really blend the product well.

I was pretty excited to try this "Pixi by Petra" eyeshadow duo since this is a very affordable repurchase drugstore product. You can find them at Target. I have to say that both shades are pretty pigmented, but almost seem chalky to the touch and don't blend as well as I would have liked them to on the eye. I pretty much just add a touch onto the lid for more dimension or a highlight using my finger. Not super special.

Finally... NYX Cosmetics is one of my all time favorite makeup brands. They are affordable, good quality, and they usually have great shades of everything. This lipstick is a shade I typically don't try - a mauve with a brownish undertone. This would look amazing on tan or darker skin tones. I find that it can look a tad dark on me, but who doesn't love a Kyle Jenner lip color? I usually mix this with a lighter nude for a perfect light mauve for when I'm not self tanned. The only down side is that this lippie is far from matte, and I find I have to reapply pretty often. Using a lipliner helps a little bit. Overall, this is a really nice shade for an affordable drugstore price. $5.99 at Ulta.

That's it for GlamBag #1! I give it an overall 9 for the variety of products and how much I love almost all of them.

Until next time.
XoXo Jen

Mary Kay

Hi Again!

It's been a hot minute since I've posted, but I promise 1 to 2 posts per week starting right... now. :)

I won a HUGE Mary Kay gift basket a few weeks back, and I've been trying out the products to review. It is a complete bronzing collection, which is different than the typical shades of these products that you might normally try. However, the beach and a nice tan might just make that irrelevant. Let's get to it.

The first item is this six piece perfume set. The packaging is beautiful and decently sturdy. I find that this collection is very decorative for a vanity or dresser. Miniature bottles are always adorable, and add more appeal when they are full. Getting to the point, however, the scents are just ok. The differences between the six are minimal. This comes down to purely preference. They certainly smell nice, they just don't have that feminine kick that I look for in a perfume. These would be better for a day at the beach for more of a summery, casual scent. I have a feeling that I will be taking advantage of the decorative aspect.

Now the exciting part... the makeup!

This bronzer duo is ah-maz-ing. Each set of two shades comes in a rectangular magnetic pan that can be placed in the Mary Kay case that was included, or any Z Palette of your preference. I always mix the shades available when it comes to bronzer and blush. The left shades are matte, while the right have a little shimmer in them. Since I'm not tan right now, I've been sticking with the matte shades to contour. They sit perfectly on the skin, and the pigmentation is great. I got over an 8 hour wear out of this bronzer. I highly recommend all of the shades, and especially the shimmer for a day at the beach to bring out an inner glow.

Next are the lip and eye liner. The lip liner is in the shade "Neutral," and the eyeliner in "Bronze." They are pretty comparable colors, and go very well together to pull off a finished look. I love the brown for less dramatic smokey eye, and with a light hand the Neutral lip liner can be used with any favorite nude lipstick.

On to lipstick and lipgloss. The gloss is in the shade "Beach Bronze," and has a gorgeous gold shimmer. This is perfect for wearing alone or over a nude lipstick. The creme lipstick is in the shade "Bronzed," and is a decently darker brown. I would recommend using a lighter hand with this shade or using the shimmer gloss over it to dull it down.

Overall, this makeup collection is perfect for a beachy, bronze look with or without a tan. For lighter skin tones, this will bring out a glow from within. For darker skin tones, this will accentuate a deep tone to glisten in the sunlight. I highly recommend all of these products! I also have a few skincare items that I have yet to decide on. I will be letting you know soon! Let me know your thoughts!

XOXO

Hi All! I hope that you have been having a great Memorial Day Weekend!

The weather is finally getting consistently warm enough to embrace summertime clothes, makeup, and accessories! This is very exciting for me since Chicago has been borderline freezing since winter began. Yikes! Anyways, I wanted to share my favorite summer look of right now. It is fairly easy, so I really think that this look is accessible and time saving for anyone looking to achieve it.

First, I used this Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Quad in the shade Autumn Coppers.

These shades are gorgeous for a quick and easy eye. For my look, I utilized the shades exactly as they are labeled in the quad. For the "liner" shade, I applied to my lower lash line for a more dramatic effect. This creates more of a smokey eye look. When working with a summer smokey eye, it is always easier to use shades from the same palette, especially if you are on the go, or like to bring your makeup with you for touchups.

If you want to create a brighter look, I would stick with packing on the light pink "base" shade instead of working with the lid shade labeled. This could be used as your crease color, or skipped entirely. It all depends on what you are feeling.

Next, for lips, I used this combination of colors: NYX Lipstick in the shade "Darling," and NYX Butter Gloss in the shade "Tiramisu."

Cheeks are a combination of shades from my new Glamorous Blush Palette by BH Cosmetics. I mixed the second the third shades in the top row using a Real Techniques Blush Brush.

You can see that some shades shattered when it arrived in the mail! Wahhhh... I was so sad. For hair, I used my new Conair You Curl Styling Wand. The barrel ranges from 1/2 inch to 1 inch and can be used up to 400 degrees. It even comes with a cute insulated glove to protect your hand from touching / burning on the barrel. I will be posting pics on my Instagram.

My favorite type of outfit right now is the maxi dress. It is quick, yet looks like you took more time to put yourself together. Who doesn't want that?! I just picked up this dress from H&M during their Memorial Day Sale. I also picked it up in maroon and black colors.

The purse is from the Target Merona collection, and the watch is from Charming Charlie.

That is the finished look! I hope you enjoy! XOXO

Hi All!

I wanted my first blog post to capture the beauty of some of my favorite products of the moment. Now that spring and summer are arriving, it is finally that time of year to play with different shades and colors that compliment a brighter look. One of my favorite ways to glam up a makeup look is to do a complimentary lip. I've been experimenting with a ton of different lippies and have found myself obsessed with none other than the NYX Butter Gloss line.

From L-R these shades are: Tiramisu, Eclair, Strawberry Parfait, Sugar Cookie, Peaches and Cream.

(Swatches are in the same order as listed above)

These are some of the only glosses that I think can actually be worn both over lipstick and alone. Most glosses are too sheer to do this with, but the consistency of these glosses can be built up for a more natural makeup or no makeup look. As you can see above, the pigmentation is very impressive. However, I still always prefer to wear gloss over liner and lipstick to increase the longevity and color stability of the products. Plus, the blending of perfect shades can make the colors even more vibrant and beautiful than they were alone.

All of the shades in the NYX Butter Gloss line have a creamy, buttery consistency that feels moisturizing on the lips. Because of this consistency, I think the staying power is definitely increased. I highly recommend these! Especially since they will only run you $4.99 each at Ulta.

Please feel free to comment on any thoughts you have! I'd love your input and opinions on these and any other products.

Thanks guys! XOXO