Ipsy July Beach Beauty Bag Review

Beach Beauty was the theme for my July Ipsy bag and once again I really liked my samples! There was only one product this month that I didn't totally love. I'm so glad I made the switch from Birchbox and I won't be looking back. Here's what I got for July:
 

POP Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in Coral Crush

 

From Ipsy: POP's Pouty Pop Crayon nourishes, treats, and adds that perfectly-plumped pop to lips. These extra-nourishing balms gently bounce onto lips creating a plumped & pillowy pout leaving them with luscious, long-lasting colour with a super-smooth texture. Available in six shades.

My review: I love this lip crayon! I absolutely love the color and I am so happy that the applicator has a twist dial that allows for much more product once it starts to get low. My Revlon lip crayon does not have that twist applicator and when my product got smashed in my bag, it was all gone. Needless to say, I was VERY happy with this product!

BH Cosmetics California Collection Eyeshadow Sample

From Ipsy: This BH Cosmetics makeup palette includes a shade from each of the California Collection palettes: Hollywood, San Francisco, and Malibu.

My review: I really liked these eyeshadow samples. I'm a sucker for anything purple so I was so happy to see that one of the shades was a beautiful plum color. I used all three to really play up my eyes and they looked great together.

Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray Conditioning & Texturizing Spray

From Ipsy: Creates beachy undone texture that looks and feels like you’ve spent a day at the beach. Contains argan oil which helps nourish, protect and heal hair damage.

My review: This was just okay for me. I really do love beach wavy hair (it brings me back to my childhood) but this product didn't give me more waves than I usually have. I liked that it didn't have a strong scent or make my hair feel sticky or weighed down, but it didn't do that much for me. Maybe if my hair was pin straight I would have noticed the difference it would make but for me it just didn't change the texture of my hair. I do love the Sexy Hair line so maybe this was just a fluke. Next time!

COOLA Mineral Face SPF 20 Unscented Moisturizer

From Ipsy: Keep the sun and environment at bay with this SPF 20 broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen; a clear, Titanium Dioxide based formula (for those who are Zinc sensitive) made with 98% natural ingredients.

My review: I actually received a COOLA face moisturizer in my May Birchbox but I really liked the sample so I was happy to get another moisturizer from the line. I really liked the mineral face SPF and again love the fact that 98% of this product is made from natural ingredients. I put it on before going out for 9 holes of golf and it kept the sun away from my face the entire time. Great product!

Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer In Mai Tai

 

From Ipsy: Beach-ready doesn't stop at your coverup! It goes all the way down to your toes! Nailtini is making sure your toes are nothing less than intoxicating this summer with our seasonal fave shade, Mai Tai. This rich creamy tangerine sunrise is the perfect complement to sandals and sun-kissed skin.

My review: With how active I am it's really hard to find nail polish that will actually stay on my hands and not chip. Even Essie and OPI nail polishes chip after a day on me! This stuff lasted DAYS longer and I really loved how it went on. It dried a little more orange coral than pink coral, but the color was bright and fun. I went to CrossFit twice with it on and it held up! I was very impressed!

 

 

Want to try out Ipsy for yourself? Sign up for your own glam bag here! Only $10 a month and SO worth it!
 

*disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I pay for Ipsy out of my own pocket and really enjoy my subscription every month. If you click the link above and sign up for  your own bag I get a few Ipsy points for the referral :)

 

Beauty Review: Medicine Mama's Sweet Bee Magic All in One Healing Skin Cream

 

 

 

I've tried everything for my dry skin and I am happy to announce that I've finally found my secret weapon: Medicine Mama's Sweet Bee Magic All in One Healing Skin Cream. This stuff is amazing. I had heard celebrities raving about Egyptian Magic cream but didnt' want to pay that much money for it. When reading reviews, many people commented that Medicine Mama's was virtually the same product but for way cheaper. I couldn't wait to check it out for myself!  

 

It's an all-natural, all-over, miracle healing skin cream that promotes radiant, supple skin. My skin has been glowing since using this stuff. I put it on my face every night before bed and wake up with the smoothest, softest, clearest skin I've ever had. I also use it on very dry spots on my body such as my feet and have noticed a huge difference virtually overnight.

 

I love that all of the ingredients are natural and there are no harsh chemicals to irritate my sensitive skin. I will be using this stuff from now on as my favorite beauty tool!

Do you have any beauty secret weapons? Share them in the comments!

 

Review: Coach Poppy Perfume

One of the joys of visiting Target is that I can walk in to buy some groceries and walk out with an amazing new perfume.

Last week I browsed the perfume aisle at Target and decided to try out the Coach Poppy fragrance. Once I smelled it, I knew I had to purchase it. I hadn’t treated myself to a new perfume in a very long and decided to splurge. The bottle I purchased was $40 for one ounce. (Quick note: this same size may cost $45 depending on where you purchase.)

I prefer fragrances that are fruity, not too overpowering and not overly floral. Darker musky fragrances don’t work well on me and don’t fit my personality. Coach’s Poppy fragrance contains jasmine, gardenia, rose petals, freesia, water lily, cedarwood, sandalwood, vanilla, marshmallow, mandarin and cucumber. That sounds like a whole lot of floral, but it isn’t. It’s the right amount of floral and extremely light and sweet. Coach Poppy is fruity, delicate, feminine and sophisticated.

If you’re looking for a new perfume, I strongly encourage you check this one out! What’s your favorite fragrance?

Review: OPI in Gargantuan Green Grape

OPI is one of my favorite nail polish brands. They have an awesome range of colors and are always coming out with new shades. It might sound silly, but one of the great things about the bottle is the thick brush. It takes less swipes on each nail because there are so many bristles. 

I recently picked up a new color: gargantuan green grape. If you search online, you’re likely to find a variety of pictures where the polish looks different. In some, the polish looks like a light olive shade. In others, it looks more mint-colored with some blue. I’m not sure if people have mislabeled their pictures, but it’s definitely more of a mint blue-green. 

Here’s my bottle and how it looks on me:

This is a GORGEOUS color! 

The only drawback of this polish is the consistency of the formula. Usually with OPI colors, I need two coats (and with some can get away with one if I want a lighter effect). That’s definitely not an option with this color. No matter what you do, the first coat will look streaky. And, even with a thick second coat, it may still look streaky. Once I applied the third coat, I loved it. The color is great—bright but not crazy. It’s something fun for the summer, but not so over-the-top that I couldn’t wear it to work. 

What is your latest nail polish splurge? 

How To Deal With Sunburn

 

I got so burnt on my honeymoon in Hawaii due to the strong sun. I had not been exposed to the sun hardly at all before we went and my skin was not happy. We both got so red on our first day after only being in the sun for an hour and a half when it was overcast. We were even wearing SPF 30! Clearly it was not enough for Maui's strong sun.

 

 

 

I didn't want to be miserable the rest of the trip so I ran down to the gift shop and got some SPF 50 and some Banana Boat® Soothing Aloe After Sun Gel. I also got a surf shirt with SPF in it to help when I was going to be in the sun for an extended period of time. Here are some quick tips that helped me get my skin back to normal after being burnt.

 

1. Apply sunscreen every 1-2 hours, especially if you go in the water. It seems excessive, but your sunscreen wears off quick. It also gives you the opportunity to catch places you may have missed the first time you applied. Trust me, it's well worth it!

 

2. Cover up as much as possible. I know half of the fun of returning from the beach or pool is a bronze glow. However, if you get burnt it's not fun for anyone when you're miserable and complaning. Cover up as much as you possibly can, when you can. You'll still get some rays, trust me on this! I wore a hat and sun glasses and my face still got tan while I was there. It will help prevent wrinkles later in life!

 

3. If you do get burnt, invest in some aloe. It helped relieve the burn feeling immediately when we applied after getting back from the beach and I completely believe that it helped to heal my skin faster. It also prevented my skin from peeling (at least for the most part).

 

4. If your skin starts to peel, gently exfoliate the area while in the shower. This will help new skin to grow and for your burnt skin to heal faster. Trust me when I say to do this gently though, your skin will thank you!

 

5. Apply mositurizer liberally. Your skin will be super dried out after all that sun exposure. Make sure to apply a lot of mositurizer to help keep it hydrated and healthy looking.

 

6. Drink up! You'll get dehydrated after laying out in the sun all day. Make sure to drink more water than normal to help prevent this.

 

Most importantly, listen to your body. If you're getting burt it's wise to stay out of the sun as much as possible -- no tan is ever worth the risk of skin cancer!

 

What are some tips you have for burnt skin? Have you been burnt already this summer?

 

Review: Veet Ready-to-Use Wax Strips

Disclaimer: I received this package of Veet Ready-to-Use Wax Strips from TotalBeauty.com. 

I was looking forward to trying Veet Ready-to-Use Wax Strips. I received this product free with the intention that I’d submit a review on TotalBeauty.com. If you haven’t heard of TotalBeauty.com, head on over and check it out. It’s full of customer reviews and super helpful if you’re contemplating purchasing a new beauty product. 

Veet’s Ready-to-Use Wax Strip kit comes with 40 strips (20 pairs), 6 wipes to help remove any leftover wax and an instruction card. 

To use, warm one strip between your hands. Once warm, gently peel the halves apart. Apply one strip to your body in the direction of hair growth. Pull your skin taut and quickly remove the strip. One tip—don’t pull upward, pull backward and try to keep the wax strip as close to your skin as possible. This will reduce pain and irritation.

Unfortunately, I didn’t like this product at all. It didn’t remove all the hair, left patches of stickiness and completely irritated my skin. 

I used 6 wax strips on my legs. I was able to use each strip about 3 times before it completely lost effectiveness. The first try removed some hair, but not all. The second and third times I found little noticeable difference. I used the wipes to get rid of the gel stuck on my skin and found that even those didn’t completely get rid of the stickiness.

As soon as I used the strips, my legs were covered in painful red bumps. I know that waxing inevitable causes some irritation, but this didn’t seem normal. After I ripped the first strip off, I really had to psyche myself up to continue. Not only that, I didn’t notice that it kept the hair away from any longer than shaving does. 

I think this product is great in concept, but doesn’t work. All-in-all, I’d rather shave my legs. I really wanted to use more of the product to be able to provide a more accurate review, but wasn’t brave enough to keep using it on my legs (or anywhere else for that matter!).

Have you tried Veet Ready-to-Use Wax Strips or any other at-home waxing kits? What are your thoughts?

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips Review

I decided to give these nail polish strips a try once I got back from my honeymoon. My mom got these for me a while back and I'm not sure what took me so long to try them. My nails were in need of some serious TLC and I was way too lazy to paint them. Perfect solution! 

Although there were several steps to follow, I thought the application was super easy and mess free. My nail polish usually chips a day or two after I put it on (even after a professional manicure) and these lasted days longer! I think the more I practice, the better I would be at applying these. I loved that there was no drying time and I could go about my day right after I put them on. 

I can't wait to try these out again in different colors and styles. Something fun to jazz up my normal colored polish. 

Have you tried out these nail polish strips before? What did you think? 

Review: The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream

The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Cool BB Cream is a new product designed to illuminate, even skin tone and moisturize for 12 straight hours. 

On The Body Shop website, the BB cream got mixed reviews—some love it, some hate it. Some complaints include that the cream is too thick and it made the skin look blotchy. Other reviews say that the BB cream is in fact lightweight, goes on smoothly, has nice color and hydrates.

My review is also mixed. The product is very creamy, is easy to apply and goes on very smoothly. I typically use my fingers to massage the product into my skin. Once applied, it does provide my skin with a really nice tone and hides any unevenness. 

One of my complaints is about the color—and this is also a complaint about BB creams in general. Since the creams only come in limited shades, it’s just not possible that it will work for anyone. Even the creams that claim they’ll adjust never look completely like your own skin. The Body Shop BB Cream blends easily, but only comes in one color and is a tad orange on me. In addition, the BB cream doesn’t hide blemishes very well. It will even tone, but it won’t hide all imperfections.

Vitamin E Cool BB Cream is available at The Body Shop for $22. 

Have you tried any makeup products from The Body Shop?

Amanda's First ipsy Bag Review

I finally made the switch from Birchbox to ipsy and I am SO glad that I did. Not only are the products I received a lot better (I liked 4 out of 5 of them and usually I only like one from my Birchbox) but they were FULL sized products instead of tiny samples. All for the same price! I couldn't believe the difference and do not regret the switch at all. 

The products all came in a cute bag that matched the theme of the month. June was On the Wild Side. Pretty fitting, no? 

Here's what  I got this month: 

1. Cailyn Cosmetics Line-Fix Gel Eyeliner with built-in brush in Iron. I loved the applicator on this gel eyeliner. I was able to easily make a sexy cat eye look without the mess. I really liked the color too. Iron was a darker grey and wasn't too harsh to wear during the day. I can't wait to create more makeup looks with this! 

2. NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic. Another winner. This blush was perfect with my coloring and lasted all day. I loved the creamy texture and the way it glided on my skin. Definitely recommend this product! 

3. J.Cat Beauty Sparking Cream Palette. This was the one thing in my bag that I did not like this month. You can't use this on your eyes so it has to be applied somewhere on your body. I haven't used body glitter since the 8th grade (embarrassingly enough my girlfriends and I used to dump buckets of glitter on ourselves before going to our middle school dances. The horror!) Some reviewers have suggested mixing this with nail polish -- not a bad idea that I might look into if I don't use this for halloween or give it to my niece to play with. Oh well, they can't all be fantastic! 

4. Starlooks Lip Pencil in Tipsy. I loved this lip pencil! It was a perfect coral color that looks great with my coloring. It stayed on forever and didn't have a bad smell or taste. I was searching for a coral lip liner and am so glad that I waited for this! 

5. Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil. This highlighter pencil is amazing. I used it in place of my concealer when I tried it out and it did a great job of covering my under eye circles and highlighted the features in my face very well. I've been wanting to try a pencil like this and am so glad I received it this month! 

Overall I loved my ipsy bag and can't wait to see what I get next month! So long, Birchbox! You won't be missed :) 

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