Inside my Ipsy bag: December

Well I hope that everyone had a happy holidays! 

Let's take a look at the final bag of 2018.

This bag is so glam, I love it!  I feel like you could for sure get away with this as a clutch for a holiday party.  The back is black btw.

Let's take a look inside:

 I***I'm loving the look of these products together with the bag!***

 This bag includes:

• Primer from Benefit
• Nail Polish from Tinct
• Soothing Cream from Hey Honey
• Lipstick from Beauty Crop
• Hand Cream from Cake Beauty
• Brush from F.A.R.A.H. (bonus item)

Let's take a closer look:

What: POREfessional Face Primer from Benefit
Size: Sample
Full Size Price: 32 USD

My Thoughts: I've tried several different primers and I've never felt that any of them really do much to help my makeup/skin.  This primer is completely different than anything I've ever tried. It makes my skin so soft and gives a really smooth surface for the foundation to adhere to.  I absolutely love how my skin looks when I use this.  The price tag is a bit hefty (42 CND for a full size) but after only using this product a few times, I think I'm going to buy it after my sample is done anyway because it's just that good.
My Rating: 5/5

What: Nail Polish from Tinct
Shade: Aarhus
Size: Full Size
Full Size Price: 10.50 USD

My Thoughts: I was really happy to see a nice, different shade of nail polish in my Ipsy bag - this one does not disappoint.  The purple is opaque in 2 coats and seems to wear well.  The brush is nice so it's also easy to apply.  A really nice nail polish.
My Rating: 5/5

What: Propolis and Honey Soothing Cream from Hey Honey
Size: Sample
Full Size Price: 42 USD

My Thoughts: I'm always on the hunt for a good, non-greasy facial moisturizer and this one is a big winner.  I have a breakout on my chin and this says it's good for red and upset skin so I've been trying this for the last few days and it's working wonders on my skin.  I will say that the smell is a bit weird, not bad, just weird. I think I'm hooked though, even with the price tag of the full sized item, it's worth it for how well this product works.  I will be buying the full size of this one.
My Rating: 5/5

What: Lipstick from Beauty Crop
Shade: Rhubarb Custard
Size: Full Size
Full Size Price: 13 USD

My Thoughts: This is a really nice lip product.  It very much is a weird hybrid of lipstick and lip gloss as it's very pigmented but also very shiny and has staying power.  I personally am not a super fan of this colour for me but they do have some others that I would be interested in and since the price is reasonable, I feel like I will probably try more of them out in the future.
My Rating: 5/5

What: Hand Cream from Cake Beauty
Scent: Iced Gingerbread
Size: Sample
Full Size Price: 10 USD

My Thoughts: I love Cake Beauty - the first thing I ever purchased the full size of after having gotten a sample in my Ipsy bag was Cake Beauty's Lemon Body Lotion.  That stuff smells absolutely amazing and the formula is a step above all else.  It's moisturizing but not at all greasy - my favourite hand cream I've ever used.  They have 4 main scents which are all great and they also put out seasonal scents at Christmas - this one included.  I must say that I'm not a fan of this scent, nor the rest of the holiday line.  But the formula is the exact same so if you do like this cream but not the scent, I encourage you to go out and buy one of their staple scents (Lemon, Strawberry, Coconut & Vanilla).  And you really can't go wrong with any of their products, I also have their dry shampoo and a body mist which are both great.  And if you need extra, extra moisture on your hands, use their Heavy Cream Body Balm - it's fantastic.
My Rating: 5/5

What: Brush from F.A.R.A.H.
Size: Full Size
Full Size Price: 10 USD

My Thoughts: This is a decent brush - in general, I'm not that fussy about brushes but this one is fine.  It is a bit flimsy, you can bend it quite easily but that doesn't really affect the performance that much. I personally would not pay $10 for this brush but thanks Ipsy for the Christmas gift :)
My Rating: 4/5

I also paid for 3 extra items:

What: Highlighter from Nomad Cosmetics
Shade: Ko Pha Ngan Moonlight
Size: Sample
Full Size Price: 12 USD

My Thoughts: This is beautiful - like seriously. This is a pale purple at first look but has this beautiful blue sheen to it when the light hits it.  It does make for a bit statement though so this maybe isn't your everyday highlighter - or maybe it is, depending on what look you are going for.  Subtle this is not.  This is also beautiful as an eye shadow.
My Rating: 5/5

What: Radiance Pads from First Aid Beauty
Size: Sample
Full Size Price: 30 USD

My Thoughts: I have a few things from Frist Aid Beauty that I love and I was actually thinking of buying these (in a set with other products) so I was happy to see this as an extra sample that I could get.  I like these - I'm not exactly sure what they do but they do make my face feel nice and they smell good.  I would definitely purchase these in a set but I'm not sure if I would buy them separately because I just don't really know if they deliver on their purpose.
My Rating: 4/5

What: Mud Mask by Grace & Stella
Size: Sample
Full Size Price: 19 USD

My Thoughts: I really like masks.  Like a lot.  I have a ton of them but I still seem to buy more, I have an obsession. I love clay masks and dead sea masks and this one is really good.  My skin is very soft after I use it and not red and aggravated like some masks.  If I ever run out of masks, this one will be high on my list for repurchasing.
My Rating: 5/5

Final Thoughts: THIS. This is what I wanted Ipsy. Take note.  I would say this is the best bag I've every gotten.  I've always reviewed items but didn't regularly update my preferences quiz or use the tuning/rating function.  But I started to use these in the last few months and this is the culmination of that.  Here's hoping that this trend continues for 2019!

Have a fun and safe rest of the year - see you in 2019!

-Morgan

Inside my Ipsy bag: November

Well...this took forever to get to me! Thanks to Canada Post for delaying my bag for 3 weeks.

Without further ado, let's get into it.

This bag is adorable!  They are doing really well with the bags lately.

What's in it?!

Contents include:

• Dry Shampoo by Cake Beauty
• Body Butter by Pistache Skincare
• Eyeliner by L.O.C.K. Color
• Liquid Lipstick by Smashbox
• Nail Polish by Trust Fund Beauty

Let's take a closer look:

What: The "Do Gooder" Dry Shampoo by Cake Beauty
Size: Sample
Full Size Price: 15 USD

My Thoughts: So I'm not a fan of dry shampoos. I have tried a few different ones before with poor results.  But I must say, this one is actually really good.  I also got my sister to try it out and she likes it as well.  This gets rid of the oil no problem, leaves no residue, leaves hair feeling nice (not that usual weird chalky feeling) and it smells great too.  All around, a great product that I would purchase again.
My Rating: 5/5

What: Body Butter by Pistache Skincare
Scent: Pistachio
Size: Sample
Full Size Price: 28 USD

My Thoughts: This one has me a bit conflicted. I do like the formula, I think that it's hydrating and very thick (so not greasy) but the smell is WAY too intense.  It sort of smells like cinnamon/pumpkin pie which is very nice but when you put it on, it's such a thick scent that I gagged every time I smelled it for at least the first 30 minutes.  After it settled down though, the scent was really nice.  As a side note, my 2 year old niece took this sample from me when I unboxed it and she immediately tried to eat it - she mistook it for one of her squish packs!  Luckily she doesn't know how to open these packages.
My Rating: 3/5

What: Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner by L.O.C.K. Color
Shade: Pearl Brown
Size: Full Size
Full Size Price: 9 USD

My Thoughts: This is a really nice eyeliner.  I used this on my waterline (I can only use fine tip eyeliner for my top lid) and it went on really nice and stayed put all day.  It wasn't too stubborn to get off either with my regular makeup wipes.  I was apprehensive about the brown shade as I always use black but it's really not that different of a shade than a normal black eyeliner.
My Rating: 5/5

What: Always On Liquid Lipstick by Smashbox Cosmetics
Shade: Out Loud
Size: Sample
Full Size Price: 24 USD

My Thoughts: This is a great liquid lipstick.  The colour is a bit bold for me personally (but I usually do a nude lip) but I really like the formula.  It dries down pretty well but it's still comfortable to wear which is essential as far as I'm concerned.  They also have 40 different colours in this lipstick so I'm sure that everyone should be able to find a colour that they would like.  They also offer these in mini size (at least currently) and in sets so you can try out multiple colours for much less money and then buy the full size of your favourites.
My Rating: 5/5

What: Nail Polish by Trust Fund Beauty
Shade: Kiss Kiss, Darling
Size: Full Size
Full Size Price: 15 USD

My Thoughts: I'm so bored with the nail polish colours that Ipsy is sending me.  Sure, this is a lovely colour but I have a bunch of this colour now and even worse, they literally sent me the same colour (Sundays No. 18) last month - the two are almost indistinguishable.  Now, that being said, this polish is no different than the rest of the line from Trust Fund Beauty, nice coverage, formula, chip resistance, etc. Can't knock this polish so if you are looking for this colour, this is a good one to get if you don't mind the price.
My Rating: 5/5

I also paid for a few extra items.  This is the first time I've had that offered to me so of course I had to try it out!

What: Brightening Purple Clay Mask by Generation Clay
Size: Sample
Full Size Price: 39 USD

My Thoughts: I love clay masks so I've tried a ton of them and this one does a pretty nice job - it leaves your skin feeling soft and not dry at all.  And it's purple :) BUT the smell of this turns my stomach, like really bad.  I can't even describe it, something floral maybe?  It's not 'too' distracting though, it dries pretty fast and the scent doesn't stay on the skin for too long so I will for sure keep using this until it's gone but I won't be purchasing a full size of this product.
My Rating: 4/5

What: Australian Pink Clay Mask by Sand & Sky
Size: Sample
Full Size Price: 49 USD

My Thoughts: Okay so...this clay mask worked really well.  I actually used it on half of my face to compare it to the mask above and this one won the race - it dried faster and my skin felt even nicer where I'd applied the pink mask vs. the purple mask.  Also, the mask was pink which is so cute.  This mask did have the same problem as the last one though - it smells terrible!  This one smells more like cleaning supplies though which I'm not sure is better?! Now, this is the smallest sample I've ever seen so there are probably only a few applications in here but for the price and the smell, I personally would not purchase this product.
My Rating: 4/5

What: Translucent Setting Powder by Ciate London
Size: Sample
Full Size Price: 22 USD

My Thoughts: I'm not sure that this can really be called a sample since it's so freaking tiny but there is enough of it for me to use it a couple of times.  It's actually my first foray into setting powder so I can't tell you how it stacks up to other setting powders but I can tell you that it did what it claims to do and that's all I can ask for.  I've purchased a few other setting powders so I'm going to try those out as well to see if I can find a cheaper option than this one.
My Rating: 5/5

Overall Thoughts: This bag was filled with pretty good products but nothing that I actually wanted/would use on a regular basis. Though it did open my eyes to the fact that there are actually some good dry shampoos so I guess that's a good thing.  As for the 3 extra items I purchased...what a HUGE let down.  The products are okay but they were listed as "premium" samples and they were the smallest samples I've ever gotten. Now some of that could be because of the specific samples that I chose but I'm not really even sure why Ipsy bothered to offer these micro samples in the first place.  I'm in Canada so these samples came to $12 for me and I can 100% say that I would never spend $12 on these products again.

I've already seen my December bag (I can never resist) and I did purchase 3 additional products again this month but I think I did a little bit better with this one. I'm actually really excited about this bag - hopefully I actually get it before Christmas.

Also, I just received my Miss A order today - any interest in seeing what I got/reviews?

Thanks,
Morgan

Inside my Ipsy Bag: October

Here we go again!

This bag is so pretty!  The colour is a gorgeous red with an embossed mask on the front of the bag.  Again, it's a great shape so it's easy to use for multiple tasks.

Let's take a look inside:

 

 

Contents Include:

• Eyeshadow by Nomad
• Nail Polish by Sundays
• Lip Polish from Buxom
• Face Mask by Aphrodite
• Face Cleanser by Murad

 

 

 

Let's take a closer look:

 

What: Nordic Lights Intense Eyeshadow by Nomad
Shade: Norrsken No4
Size: Trial Size
Full Size Price: 12 USD

 

 

My Thoughts: This eyeshadow is gorgeous.  Personally, I think I'm going to have a hard time working it into my looks because it's quite bold (for me) but I'm excited to try out some looks with it.  The formula is quite nice and the shadow is highly pigmented.  The only negative thing I have to say is that the packaging leaves a little to be desired because they all look the same!  I have eyeshadows and highlighters from Nomad and you can't tell them apart without opening up the package.

My Rating: 5/5

 

 

 

 

What: Nail Polish by Sundays
Shade: No 18
Size: Full Size
Full Size Price: 18 USD

 

 

My Thoughts: This colour surprised me. I thought it would be similar to others that I have but it really is quite distinct.  Like other Sunday's polishes, it wears well and is clearly a good formula.  This particular colour actually reminded me of gel polishes with regards to the pigmentation and shine.

My Rating: 5/5

What: Full-on Lip Polish from Buxom
Shade: Dolly
Size: Trial Size
Full Size Price: 21 USD

 

 

My Thoughts:  This is a great product.  I generally do not like plumping lip products because the tingling sensation is usually more like a burning sensation on my sensitive skin but this one is not too bad.  The first time I tried it, it was a little distracting but the more I use it, the more I'm getting accustomed to it.  The colour is bang on a shade that I like to use though so I'm inclined to keep using this.

My Rating: 5/5

 

 

 

 

What: Olive Oil Deep Cleansing Face Mask by Aphrodite
Size: Trial Size
Full Size Price: 16.99 USD

 

 

My Thoughts:  I am IN LOVE with Aphrodite products!  I also have the face scrub and it's so incredibly good.  This product is no different. It doesn't smell like a whole lot and it's great on my sensitive skin.  I've used it a few times and I feel like my skin is softer, clearer and brighter.  I would highly recommend this product and will be purchasing the full size after I run out of this one.

My Rating: 5/5

 

 

 

What:  Face Cleanser by Murad
Size: Trial Size
Full Size Price: 40 CND

 

 

My Thoughts: This is a really nice face cleanser.  After use, my skin feels soft and not dry at all.  This is the first product I've used from this brand and I have to say that I am impressed with the formula.  The price tag is a bit of a deterrent for me though honestly, I think you can find a drug store brand that is just as good for half (or less) of the price.

My Rating: 4/5

 

 

 

Overall thoughts: Wow! I'm impressed with this bag.  I really liked all of the products that were in the bag - I probably would only repurchase the face mask but I may look into purchasing one of the Nomad eyeshadow pallets because I really do like their formuals.

 

I do want to mention that I was really unimpressed with my last couple bags so I actually went into Ipsy and retook my preferences quiz as well as rated some items.  I think that may have contributed to why my bag is much better this month.  We'll see if it holds up for next month!

 

Also, if anyone is interested, I am planning to purchase the glam bag plus once it's available to me and I will review those here as well.

 

Until next time!

-Morgan