Inside my Ipsy bag: July

Hi Everyone,

I'm kind of late with this post but better late than never, right? Right?

Here is the first of a new series I am going to do called "What's in my Ipsy bag?".  Each month I will show you the products that I received in my bag.  I will also test out the products and give you my first impression.  Let's get into it.

Let's start with the bag:

I have a ton of these by now but I really like the look of this one.  Firstly, it's holographic, which is awesome.  It's also a great size so it can be used for many different purposes. 

Now onto what's inside:

Included in the bag:

• Creamy Matte Lipstick by Mellow Cosmetics
• The Water Balm by BKR
• Stroke of Genius Heavy-Duty Kohl Eyeliner by Sugar Cosmetics
• Studio Skin 24 Hour Waterproof Concealer by Smashbox
• Nail Polish by Sundays

 

Let's take a closer look:

What: Creamy Matte Lipstick by Mellow Cosmetics
Shade: Candy Floss
Size: Full Size
Full Size Price: $15 USD

My Thoughts: I'm not sure this can really be called matte.  It's not glossy but it does have some sheen too it, certainly more than any other matte lipstick I've ever used.  However, I really like this formula - it's smooth and not dry at all.  That was also a little weird - this never dried.  I was testing to see if it was transfer proof (it wasn't) so I actually tried to remove it. I managed to remove some of it but I essentially just ended up removing a thin top layer.  The part that was left over was not going anywhere - I tried, pretty hard in fact.  It actually even outlasted a lip scrub so I understand why they say this product is long lasting.  That being said, this shade is super not for me.  It is beyond bold - more like blinding.  I might wear it on Halloween or an 80s party.  I would for sure try another shade though.
My Rating: 5/5

What: The Water Balm by BKR
Size: Trial Size
Full Size Price: $22 USD

My Thoughts: This one is a no from me for several reasons.  First off, I hate pot lip glosses.  Now I know that that is personal preference, but I just won't use a pot lip gloss no matter how great it is. The scent isn't 'bad' but I don't like it.  The 'peppery rose' scent just isn't for me.  As for the formula, I'm really surprised at how thick it is - with the name "Water Balm" I expected it to be a thinner formula.  Don't get me wrong, I like a thick lip gloss just like the next girl but this one is just sticky and not hydrating. 
My Rating: 0/5

What: Stroke of Genius Heavy-Duty Kohl Eyeliner by Sugar Cosmetics
Shade: Green Light
Size: Full Size
Full Size Price: $ 13.99 USD

My Thoughts:  So I'm not sure I can give this one a fair shot since the shade that I got is absolutely horrendous.  Who wears this colour? Why would you want to wear it?  I think the formula is okay, nothing special but this will never be worn by me, ever.
My Rating: 3/5

What: Studio Skin 24 Hour Waterproof Concealer by Smashbox
Shade: Fair
Size: Full Size
Full Size Price: $ 25 USD

My Thoughts: This shade is the lightest shade and matches my skin tone pretty well.  It is the summer but I don't really have much colour going on right now so it should probably still be a good match in the winter.  The formula threw me off since it's so liquid.  It took a bit of getting used to since any other concealer I've ever used has been much thicker but it's not that hard to figure out.  The coverage is pretty good, better for under eyes than blemishes but I feel like that's kind of the norm.  I didn't wear this for 24 hours but I did wear it for the full day and we are currently having a heat wave so I think it was tested pretty well.  It stayed on all day and didn't crease so overall, I'm pretty happy with it.
My Rating: 4/5

What: Nail Polish by Sundays
Shade: No. 45
Size: Full Size
Full Size Price: $ 18 USD

My Thoughts:  There's not to much to say abut this one. It's nice.  The formula is nice and smooth and the colour is very nice.  I must says that they do have a very wide range of colours if you are looking for something in particular.  This particular colour requires 2 coats but that's pretty standard.  I have other shades from this brand and they cover very nicely in one coat.
My Rating: 5/5

I also received an item in this bag by redeeming some of my Ipsy points:

What: Holographic Lip Gloss by Laritzy Cosmetics
Shade: Aura
Size: Full Size
Full Size Price: $ 16 USD

My Thoughts: So...this is fake news.  No holo here.  It is a pretty iridescent colour but sadly no holo.  I actually figured based on the picture that it would not be holo but I had to try.  It is a nice colour and formula though and I will absolutely be using it. The price point isn't terrible either so I could see me buying more of this lip gloss in the future.
My Rating: 5/5

Final Thoughts:  What a bag!  Four out of five items were full size which is great (Retail Value = $93.99).  I really liked the nail polish, the concealer and the matte lipstick (in a different colour).  I was not fussy about the eyeliner and I did not like the water balm.  But I find if you actually review the items (honestly), your picks get much better.  Can't wait to see what's in my August bag.

Thanks for reading!

-Morgan

Product Review: Impeccable Yarn

Brand: Loops & Threads
Available At: Michaels
Price: $4.99 CND
Colours: 36
Weight: 4
Length: 277 yards
Material: 100% Acrylic




If you need a reliable category 4 weight yarn, this is one of the best options out there.  It's a Michaels exclusive yarn but it's well worth the trip.  This yarn is super easy to work with, doesn't pill and has very few joining knots throughout the ball. 

And at 277 yards, it's well worth $4.99 but I must say, I rarely buy it at full price (probably more because it pains me to buy anything at full price).  You can easily get this for $3 a ball which is a veritable steal for the quality of the product.  These also come in a "big ball" which is 858 yards and about $11.99 CND.  There aren't many colour choices though but can save you some money if they fit your project.

The dye lots are SUPER consistent.  I've bought the same colour with multiple dye lots and you wouldn't even be able to tell the difference between the colours of the balls.  This is great for when you run out and need to buy more to finish a project!

The yarn is not stiff but it's not completely flimsy either.  It has a decent weight to it but it's also soft so you can use if for items that will be in contact with skin.  And you can use two strands at the same time without it getting stiff/scratchy.  It's machine washable and dryable too which is a plus.

Overall rating: 5 Stars

Here are a few projects I've made with this yarn

Product Review: Charisma Yarn

Brand: Loops & Threads
Available at: Michaels
Price: $6.99 CND
Length: 60-109 yards
Weight: 5 & 6
Colours: 51
Material: 100% Acrylic


If you want a bulky acrylic yarn, this is one of the best out there.  There are a ton of colours available in the Regular, Tweed, Heather and Marble lines of this product.  It is very easy to work with and doesn't unravel, pill or knot up while working with it.

It is a very soft yarn!  It does have quite a bit of give so if you are looking for a stiff yarn, this is not it (try Bernat Chunky instead).

This is a Michaels exclusive product so unfortunately, availability is somewhat dependant on your location.  It is also overpriced (as most Michaels products are) but it goes on sale enough that you should be able to consistently get it at a reasonable price.

While I mostly have good things to say about this yarn, there are two significant draw backs that you should consider before purchasing this yarn:

1. The balls are not a continuous piece of yarn.  The amount of knots vary but are usually somewhere between 2-5 per ball.
2. You MUST match dye lots.  I don't know how these are produced but the dye lots vary like crazy.  Always, always buy more yarn than you need because it is highly unlikely that another dye lot of the same colour will even remotely match what you have.

Overall Rating: 4 stars

Here are some projects I've made using this yarn:

Hello!  I'm a super newb at blogging so bear with me :)

I will be using this space mostly for beauty product and crafting supply reviews with some movie and book reviews thrown in just because I can.

A couple things about me:

• I'm from PEI, Canada
• I graduated from the University of Toronto
• I work for an investment management company
• I love nail polish (I have over 300 bottles)
• Yarn has taken over all of the extra spaces in my house