Tag: ahava

June 2021 ISPY Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            I feel like I need to change the title of this post series because it’s not a box anymore. It’s in a bubble mailer and a drawstring bag, not a box, but I am a creature of habit and I want to still have the differentiation between this and my regular Glam Bag posts because I do have two a month. At my present moment I am sitting at my local Ford dealership (shouts out to them) getting my oil changed, like 2,000 miles late, oops. Get your routine maintenance done y’all, just get it done. I have also been meaning to write this post for days and just haven’t because I am a scattered human being. I am not going to do a bunch of exposition because I did that I lot when I started the blog and I don’t want to continue to ramble on about nothing. So let’s just get into the post itself.

The Bag: 

            Like the Glam Bag bag this month it looks like it’s covered in stickers and I am a fan. Scrolling through TikTok I see a lot of small business sticker creators and if I had the disposable income I would buy all the stickers and then just have them in a pile to stare at because I cannot actually commit to putting stickers on anything.

The Products: 

111Skin Rose Gold Radiance Booster:

            This brand is one of those brands that is ridiculously expensive so when I see it in my bag I get very excited. I have a few of their other products and I love all of them. The brand is super boujee, but I can’t complain because it’s worth the price point for how good it actually is. This 20 ml bottle is $135 so that’s absolutely insane, but as someone who actually has seen a difference in their skin since using better products I cannot complain. I know part of that may be in my mind because I know how expensive the product is, but it’s also scientifically backed and I love that.

Ahava Active Moisture Gel Cream:

            Everyone should know about my history with Ahava by now, if you don’t you can read my GB+ post from last month because I for sure wrote a whole paragraph about it. I like their products and I have been using them on and off for over a decade now. I love a good moisturizer and I have their day cream, night cream, hydration mask, and now this so I am excited to actually give it a try. Again, in real life outside of a box it’s expensive but, I worked at a salon in high school so I have watched this brand and change over the years. 

Ciaté London Everyday Vacay Coconut Dewy Setting Mist: 

I picked this one because I ran out of setting spray, I got setting spray in my Summer fabfitfun box (that’s a spoiler because that post doesn’t come out until Wednesday) and in my regular Glam Bag this month. So now I am set on setting spray. I liked my old one but, even though it was from the same brand as my fave setting spray (which they don’t make anymore) it just wasn’t the same. So I am on the hunt for a new setting spray. I love the Porefessional one I got in my Glam Bag and I am looking forward to giving this one a try when I am wearing makeup more in the fall. 

Best Face Forward Purifying Cleanser: 

            I could pretty much do an entire skin care routine out of this bag; which is actually pretty cool. I like trying new and different cleansers because I am never really sure if the cleanser is really great unless I have like 15 to compare it to. In the description it says it’s good for blemish prone skin and that’s me so I am excited to give this one a try. Though since I have started to change my diet I am seeing less and less breakouts which is super cool. I love the packaging and I am so ready to be able to give this one a try. 

Viseart Petit PRO Deux: 

            Well Viseart is one of those brands that you hear about from influencers and makeup artists all the time and a normal 12 pan palette from Viseart can go for $80+, so when this was offered as one of my options I jumped on it. I love the shades, it’s the perfect balance of summer warm shades and I am so excited to actually sit down and swatch this palette. I know it’s a mini palette, but that doesn’t really matter to me. I can take it traveling because it would be something really small to pack into my suitcase or makeup bag and just go with it. 

            So overall my bag this month was great. I am excited and looking forward to the bag choices next month, I will find out next week what’s going to be in my August GB+ and I am hoping that I have more amazing products to share with you then. 

            I will be back on Wednesday with another post as we ramp up into the Fourth of July weekend for my American friends. I hope that everyone has a happy and healthy start to the week and I will see y’all soon with another post!

            If you want to read about what else I have gotten this year, you can! January, February, March, April, and May. 

            Seriously, I hope everyone has a good last few days of June!

                        -MJ

What Was in My January 2021 IPSY Glam Bag?

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ, 

            So I wasn’t planning on having two IPSY posts back to back this month but I got this in the mail and figured, why not? 

            I actually didn’t know when this was showing up because the tracking number didn’t work so it just showed up in my mailbox and that’s about it. We are already more than half way through January which is insanity to be honest. I know that so much can happen in just a few days, if last year was any indication to that fact but I hope that everyone is having a good week. 

            I didn’t pick anything for this bag, I told them to surprise me because I didn’t really know what I wanted from the choices so this one is just IPSY picking stuff for me. 

The Bag: 

            It’s a mostly clear bag but it’s frosted with the word Dream again in dot matrix across it like the Glam Bag Plus. It’s a top zip with a clear blue ring zipper pull. I like it because it’s plastic and that’s better for any sort of travel purposes than some of the other bags in the past.

The Products: 

Ahava Dead Sea Water Mineral Hand Cream in Sea-Kissed:

            This is the first repeat product I have ever gotten from IPSY I think, I know I got this in January of 2019 and I love Ahava so I don’t have any problem with getting another one. I don’t mind repeats of products I have gotten in the past and loved. It’s a good hand cream there is no doubt in my mind about that, if you want to feel really moisturized go with Ahava, all of their products are A+’s in my book. I have used Ahava for years and I am never upset about getting their products in boxes. 

Ciaté London Glow To Illuminating Blush in Matchmaker: 

            It’s a beautiful shade but I am not used to a blush being both pearlescent and glittery, it feels more like a highlighter than a blush. I like the shade though and that’s all that matters really. It has a pretty good pigmentation as well which is not always the case with blush. It’s a very summer shade to me though so it will be put away until the summer season hits if we are all allowed to leave our houses by then. Like seriously I only wear mascara, foundation, and concealers right now I would love to dive back into actually wearing a full face but with a mask that’s almost impossible, but mask up everyone, seriously. 

SLMissGlam P30 Angled Blusher Brush:

            This is the first glam bag I think I have ever gotten where I got a brush and the product that it’s meant to put on in the same bag. This brush feels really nice but to me as someone who has a lot of brushes this one is one that is not really me. I like the brush but the handle reminds me of those sets we got as kids, like a first makeup kit, a little juvenile. I normally don’t judge on looks and I still am trying not to because their brushes work really well it is just hard to clean with the rhinestones or whatever in the handle under the brush top. 

Soo’AE HangBang Sheet Mask Duo in Collagen and Hylaronic Acid: 

            Love me some sheet masks and I am really going to go through a lot of them this year, that is already a plan; get back into meditation with a sheet mask one at least once a week. I have not done it yet this year but I plan on actually doing one tonight. I really like Soo’AE as well, I have gotten products from this company in the past; cannot remember what but it’s not a brand that I don’t recognize. I will have to go through the archives and find out, I have their Rose water spray, that’s what it is. I love their rose water spray. 

 Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Oil:

            It has Maqui (which I had to look up because I have never heard of it before), Goji, and Acai berries in it plus prickly pear and it smells amazing. I cannot wait to give this a try because I have been getting more and more into skincare in the last few years and oils are a pretty new step in my beauty routine. Though there is some discourse on when to put it on. I have read that you put it on after toner and other places say to put it on closer to the end. I just kind of stick to doing it at some point before I moisturize because I feel like moisturizer should be the last step to seal everything in. I could be wrong but I am really looking forward to trying this one out. I love Youth To The People so I hope this works for my skin. 

            Overall I really enjoyed my Glam Bag, first one of 2021 and I am excited to keep unbagging them and telling y’all what I got. I am so used to listing out months here but I don’t have to. I think maybe at this end of this year I will do a top ten IPSY samples post if I remember because then I can go back and maybe suggest some of my favorites from the year.

            I will see everyone later in the week with another post and I hope everyone has a great rest of the week!

            -MJ 

Updated Skin Care Routine 2020

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            So last year I wrote a blog that talked about my skincare routine and a lot has changed since then and I mean a lot. I have been using different products and my current routine even with my recent add-ins has actually been really clear and my break outs are down so much. Usually that is my main concern and so that is the thing that I really monitor when I change anything in my skin care routine.

            There are no products that have carried over from my last routine from last year. That’s actually really crazy for me because I have had such a turnover of products and that means that I wasn’t a huge fan of them in the first place. I do also feel like my skin care routine is cyclical and so a lot of things change until I can find something that really works. As someone who used the same products for years and then branched out I guess I’m just trying to find that combination that really and truly works 

            My routines for morning and night are pretty much the same except for the lotion I use at night but other than that most everything is the same so let’s run through it. 

            Face Wash: I am currently using Tula Probiotic Skincare Purifying Face Cleanser and I actually really like it, it’s a rather thick cleanser but it does work and I really like it. Before that I was using the Paris Hilton Beauty face wash and that was actually pretty good too. I have been finding some pretty good facial cleansers after I finished off the Peter Thomas Roth cleanser late last year. The Tula cleanser smells like skin care should smell, I have no way else to describe it.

            Toner: This is really new, like I have only used it a handful of times and it has amazed me so far. I am currently using the Sunday Riley Martian Mattifying Melting Water-Gel Toner. It is a calming formula and it hasn’t been really adverse to my skin so I was really excited to even have a product that is kind of like that. I got this so recently, actually in my April ipsy Glam Bag Plus (spoiler alert that post comes out next week) but I have been using it since then. 

            Serum: I have been using The Better Skin Co, Epik C Serum, I got that in my spring fabfitfun box this year and I have been using it since. It is a pretty thick serum and it is probably the best I have tried so far and I am a huge fan of it. I have tried other serums and I have liked them but they broke me out more than I would like.

            Eye Cream: Sunday Riley Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream, this is just a sample size but I actually would purchase the full size of this product, my only issue with samples is they are just too small to actually get a good wear test out of them. However after my Mary Kay one went from being great to leaking out of the bottle like crazy. 

            Facial Moisturizer: 

            Day: Tatcha The Water Cream, this was for sure a sample as well and I got it last month and I have been using it since and I would consider buying a full sized version of this as well even though it is really expensive but so far it is completely worth it to spend money on good skin care. 

            Night: Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial, I have been using this for a while and I really like it and it smells amazing; this is another product that I would purchase again. I went through a lot of moisturizers that just made my skin retain its redness but with all of the changes in my routine I’m not as red as I used to be.

            Masks: I use Ahava’s Hydration Cream Mask about once a week or so and I leave it on all night instead of washing it off after a few minutes. I love it.

            I also still use sheet masks about once a week so I can get some extra skin care time in. 

            Overall there has been a bunch of changes and it’s a really great feeling to know that my new combination of skin care products is actually working for my skin and keeping all of my problems at bay. 

            I’ll see you all in another few days with another post, stay happy stay healthy.

            -MJ

January Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            Welcome to my first unboxing of 2020, first time I typed that sentence I typed 2002 and I had to take a moment to realize that in 2002 I would not have been allowed to have a blog because I was in 4th and 5th grade so it would have been kind of frowned upon at that time. But beyond that this is my first unboxing of 2020 and I am going to be honest, I was not super happy with it. 

            I have been seeing a lot of complaining on social media for a number of beauty subscription boxes and I am not one nor will I ever be to comment under a brands post to complain, that’s not my style and it never has been. I usually keep a lot of my thoughts and views to myself but with the outlet of a blog I can give you my opinions and not feel bad about it because there is a different kind of engagement on a blog than there is on an Instagram comment section. 

            Let’s start with the bag, it’s really cool, that I will say and I can see myself using it because it has a wristlet strap on it which means that I could feasibly carry it that way. It’s a really nice marble and pink and I really like that.

            Now on to the products, I am going to start with the fact that in a way I felt like this was just any other glam bag with the amount of product received. I am not complaining but I am a little unhappy with my selections this month, I looked and spoiled it to myself what I was getting and even though I have a beauty quiz on file and have recently updated it I feel like some of the products just aren’t of interest to me, don’t get me wrong for the most part the box was fine but it wasn’t knocking it out of the park like some in the past have been. Let’s dive into it and I will give more through answers as we go here.

Purlisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum

            Okay this was one of the products that I was actually kind of excited about, I like eye creams and serums but I don’t use them enough so having one on hand from a brand that hasn’t done me dirty in the past makes me really excited to try it, I think that I got the facial cream of this same scent a while back so having both will actually be really nice for my skin care routine this year because I am planning on getting back into skin care like I did during the first part of last year. (I really want a skin care fridge but that is super boujee.)

Hanalei Company Lip Treatment in Clear

            It’s a Hawaiian brand and Hawaii will always hold a special place in my heart. This product is interesting to me and pretty timely because it is supposed to help with chapped lips and we are in the dead of winter where everything is just dry. It is thick and I mean thick but it’s not sticky and it feels really nice on the lips, I decided while I was writing about it to try it and so far so good. 

Nature’s Cartel Lip Stick in 90’s Nostalgia

            I like the packaging, I love the color name as a child of the 90’s but here’s the thing. The color is just too dark for me, I put it on and it’s just too much, too brown for my particular skin tone so this one unfortunately was a miss, which is super disappointing. I do not wear a lot of brown toned lipsticks because that has never been a shade that works for me, for other’s it probably looks amazing but it’s not something that I can pull off. 

Sugar Cosmetics Wingman Waterproof Eyeliner in 01 I’ll Be Black

            So last month I got an eyeliner as well and last month I reviewed it on both the blog and on ipsy’s review system saying that eyeliner wasn’t for me, it’s not and it hasn’t been since I wore a lot of like crayon eyeliner in the mid-2000’s at the height of the emo trend. I don’t wear eyeliner, I can’t do a liquid because I can’t get the wing no matter how hard I try. So getting it two months in a row was really disappointing. 

Ahava Essential Day Moisturizer

            I was excited about this one as well, I love Ahava and have for years ever since I worked in a nail salon in high school and the woman who owned it carried Ahava’s lotion and shower stuff. I use my intense hydration mask all the time so I know that their skin care is amazing so I am really excited to add this into my beauty routine in the coming weeks and months.

            So there you have it, how I felt about my Glam Bag Plus this month, I liked it but I felt like someone really phoned it in this month. I know their theme is clean slate or whatever but actually make sure that it is a clean slate, this just felt like the clearance bin after a holiday sale, “you get what’s left over” and that’s not a good reflection on how a company should be viewed, this is one time, there is no such thing as a perfect record but November and January were both not super great. Here’s hoping that February gets better. 

            Do you subscribe? Any thoughts? Let me know!

            I’ll see everyone soon with another post, 

                        -MJ

MJ’s Top Beauty Products of 2019

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey it’s MJ, 

            Welcome to 2020 all, I can’t believe that the 2010’s are over I did so much growing up during that decade, graduated high school at the beginning, two Bachelor’s degrees by the middle and a Masters closer to the end. It’s been a crazy decade of ups and downs and moments that I can’t forget while some I would like to. One thing that I really got into in the 2010’s was beauty, skin care, makeup, and the lot. I did a top beauty of 2018 so I figured I would continue the trend again this year. 

            I made a promise to myself to be more accountable with content this year but some days it is harder than others to come up with content when your brain is pulled into 37 different directions but I’m trying, I really am.

            Disclaimer: If the photos look familiar, I took them from my other posts if they have been in posts previously! 

            So what were my favorite beauty products of the last year. 

            Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions mascara: This has been my go-to mascara for the last several months, I love it so much! I can’t speak more highly of it, it sticks to the lashes and it doesn’t flake off. It has been my holy grail mascara in the latter half of this year. It’s a little on the pricy side but it is so worth it! 

            Colourpop No Filter Concealer in shade Fair 02: I have gone through so many concealers in the last few years since concealer came into my life, this one is both cost effective and absolutely amazing, I really enjoyed it throughout the year because it has pretty great coverage and lays down really well over foundation. I have already bought a new one and I just finished my other tube so I am looking forward to cracking open the new one when I am finished with my Shape Tape

            Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial: I got this in a FabfitFun box this year and I use it all the time, it smells amazing and keeps my face feeling moisturized and hydrated. I am a huge fan of it, this is for sure something I would buy again because it seems to get along really well with my skin.

            Ahava Hydration Cream Mask: I got one of these in a FabfitFun box and an ipsy box, one I sent to my best friend because I loved mine so much that I wanted to share the love. I really like Ahava and I have for years. This is one of those masks that you can either wash off after a few minutes or leave on all night, I prefer to leave it on all night for some intense overnight hydration.

No joke as I was about to take this picture I spilled my entire essential oil diffuser all over a bookcase so that was fun.

            Love Beauty and Planet Sea Salt and Bergamot Shampoo and Conditioner: I found this really late in the year and not only does it make my hair smell amazing but it also has left me feeling like my hair stays cleaner longer and I have been through so many different kinds of shampoo over the last few years. 

            Tarte Shape Tape in Fair: So this was the other concealer that I tried this year, I really like this one as well though it is of course more expensive than others I have tried in the past. It has great coverage and staying power so it is something that I use most days now that I have run out of my Colourpop concealer.

            Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lip in ‘?’: Summer mystery box exclusive and I love the color and the formula is so great. I feel like I didn’t have a lot of cosmetics products this year but this is for sure one of those products that I love. I don’t know what else to say about it that I haven’t said in a few posts this year including its unboxing and my late summer makeup look. 

            Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream: I got this in my summer Fabfitfun box but it was a late year favorite as well, I have been using this and my hair feels so much better, like so much better over the last several weeks. It also smells absolutely amazing and doesn’t leave my hair feeling greasy or dirty. 

            Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair: Again another hair product that I loved this year and received in a Fabfitfun box as well. I kind of gave my hair the year off from everything, I didn’t dye it much and I didn’t get it cut either in all of 2019. (yes I know that’s not great for my hair to not have it cut or trimmed but life got in the way.) But this is a really good product for damaged hair and I find myself reaching for it after every time I wash my hair.

            I am looking forward to new beauty products in 2020, I actually already have my list started for next year because I know there were other products I loved but I didn’t write those down so I don’t make the same mistake moving forward through 2020.

            Did you guys have any favorites of 2019? 

            I’ll see everyone next week (hopefully) with another post or two! Have a good weekend!

            Bye!

                        -MJ

August Favorites

.Reading time 5 minutes.

So I am making myself a promise that for the rest of the year I am going to stick to my gosh darn posting schedule! (Let’s see how long that lasts.)

            Also I haven’t done a favorites post in a while but I feel the need too. I had so much planned to write in August and I didn’t do any of it. Oops my bad.  

            I moved in July so most of August I spent a lot of time trying to make this new place my own and it is a slow but steady process. This is not going to be a long post just because I didn’t have a long list of absolutely new things in August.

            First of all, August was extremely hot, 90 degrees or more on most days and it did not rain much and I am a person who loves rain. It is a very calming noise for me and pairing it with calming spa music or just instrumental music can really help me focus. I know that is not true for everyone but for me personally I like to have rain and calming music when I’m working on things. Right now I am watching a YouTube video from a creator that I watch all the time but it is really distracting. A rain sound generator like Rainy Mood, Infinite Storm, and others is just a noise in the background without the distraction. 

            So my next item is a makeup product and that was the Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick in ‘?’ which was an exclusive in the summer box and I have been raving about it since then. I know that it was exclusive but in an overarching sense I love the formula, it’s not super drying and it wears beautifully. 

            Next is the Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial, so I got this in my spring fabfitfun box and I have found that it keeps my skin really hydrated overnight, I don’t use it every night but I have been loving it so much in the last month or so. 

            This is another face product that I got in my Winter fabfitfun box and again in my August Glam Bag Plus so now I have two and it was the Ahava Hydration Cream Mask, this can be washed off after a few minutes or left on all night; I leave it on overnight because it gives me good all night hydration. 

            Last but not least, a late month favorite was Taylor Swift’s new album Lover, it’s still in my car and I am still listening to it on and off even almost a month after release. I for sure played the album on repeat for almost a week in my car and I have yet to regret it, favorite tracks include Paper Rings, The Man, Cruel Summer, You Need to Calm Down, and Afterglow. Let’s be real the whole album is great but those are the ones that I listen to on repeat. 

            Like I said I didn’t have a lot of new favorites last month just because there was unpacking to do and a whole host of other things that really kept me from branching out last month. I think this month is trending the same way and there is nothing wrong with that. 

            Did you have any favorites last month that rocked your world? 

I hope that everyone has a great rest of the week and I will be back on Sunday (I promise) with another post! 

-MJ

August ipsy Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 5 minutes.

I should stop missing a full week when it comes to posting because I have been promising myself since January but it’s been one of those years.

            I got my Glam Bag Plus a few days ago and I have been sitting on writing this post since then, I loved my box this month though so let’s dive right in. 

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer in Fair

            I was a little skeptical about anything that is “foundation” or in this case a tinted moisturizer because the shade I use is usually the lightest most brands make because I have really fair skin. I also have found that I need a cool or neutral undertone because I have more of a red undertone. This shade is not a bad match; I have had worse but it is a little too yellow undertone for me but because it is a tinted moisturizer it can be used more sparingly unlike a full coverage foundation.

Tarte Dream Big Eyeshadow Palette

            I wanted this palette so bag when it came out and I never bought it so having this come in my glam bag was really great. It is going to replace my To-Go palettes because it is a nice small neutral palette and like most of Tarte’s palettes it smells great and I cannot describe why or what it smells like. Tarte has some of my favorite palettes even though I don’t have many but the Tartest Pro palette is one of my all-time favorites. 

F.A.R.A.H Brushes Show Me Magic Eye Brush Set

            Okay, these brushes look like crystals on the bottom and I love them so much, I don’t need more brushes really but I love brushes. This set is made up of various eye brushes so that’s really nice and they are so interesting looking that I can’t resist them. They are super soft and I have another F.A.R.A.H brush that I got in a glam bag last year and I really like that one so I can’t imagine that these will be any different. 

Ahava Hydration Cream Mask

            I got this product in my Winter FabfitFun box and I love it, I have used it a few times now and my skin loves it. I put it on right before bed and leave it on all night. You should only use it once or twice a week according to the packaging so it is not and every night moisturizer. If you want to read more about my feelings about this product click the link above in the paragraph for my initial opinions. 

Pūrlisse Blue Lotus Essential Daily Moisturizer SPF 30

            I got three different kinds of moisturizers in this box but I am not upset about it, Pūrlisse is a brand I only know for skin care and I have so far liked the skin care products I have tried from this brand. I don’t want to rip open the foil seal to actually smell it but I Googled what it should smell like and it came up with “fruity” so I guess we will see when I actually open it. I really hope it doesn’t have a strong smell because I don’t like strong smells in skin care. 

            The box overall was great and I love having the ability to try out new things and also get these items at a really steep discount. If you want to read about the other Glam Bag plus boxes I have gotten since May, you can! Just click on the month: May, June, and July. 

            I will see everyone on Saturday! 

            -MJ

What was in My January ipsy Glam Bag?

.Reading time 6 minutes.

Welcome to 2019 everyone! Back at it with another unbagging, per usual I am a fan of the bag that I got, I knew about half the brands in the bag so that was exciting. Ipsy per usual blew it out of the park. Also this year they added in a pamphlet with all of the products in it instead of looking online this time around. I really like the little pamphlet because it puts everything in one place. 

The bag was really cute but felt almost really summery, love it so much. I really do like getting a makeup bag every month because it means that I not only have a growing collection of bags for makeup but also for other things and I am absolutely loving the selection that I am amassing.

Jeju:en Sheet Mask Set

            This Sheet is Bananas

            You Can’t Handle This Sheet

I love the names of the sheet masks, it’s ridiculous and I am such a fan. More face masks, just to add to my collection. The “This Sheet is Bananas” has hyaluronic acid which helps with hydration. The “You Can’t Handle This Sheet” has volcanic ash in it which helps purify the skin. Per usual I am a sucker for sheet masks and I have a small crate full of them in my bathroom. I should use them more because I love the idea of a sheet mask but I I never feel relaxed enough to have a nice time with a mask on my face.

Ittsē Eyeshadow Single in Boho

            I got an ittse eyeshadow product in the Gold Holiday Collection and I really like the very dusty pink shade that this single pan eyeshadow. I feel like I am quite the eyeshadow hoarder because I have so much. Having a single pan that is already magnetic is great when it comes to putting it in a magnetic palette. 

AHAVA Dead Sea Water Mineral Hand Cream in Sea-Kissed

            I am a huge fan of AHAVA, I used it when I was in high school because the nail salon that I worked at carried it. I was a huge fan of the Frasier Fir scent as well as some of the scents that I don’t even think they make anymore. AHAVA has such a good formula and I have always loved it. I am really looking forward to having this either next to my desk or in my purse for quick hydration on the go. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation in Fair Sand

            I just got on the Shape Tape train because I have been seeing it for years now but I just tried it for the first time a few weeks ago. I have never tried their foundation but I have good things about their Amazonian Clay foundation in the past. Now this shade may actually be a little bit too dark for me because I have really fair skin, however it is close enough that it should work though so I am excited to try it. 

Belle En Argent Lip Luire Lip Gloss in Bored Now

            I have never heard of this brand, I am also not a huge fan of lip gloss, I was in the mid-2000’s when that was exclusively what I wore. Now it is something that is just sticky and I am not a huge fan. I have gotten so used to using matte lipsticks so I’m used to everything drying down. However, I really like the color and for a special occasion I will be more than happy to try it out. I love the packaging, it is so sleek and pretty that I am a fan of it just because of how it all looks together. 

            My bag was pretty good, I love ipsy and am excited to see what else they do this year! 

            Do you subscribe? Did you get anything you can’t live without this month?

            -MJ

Winter fabfitfun Unboxing

.Reading time 14 minutes.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year because I got my winter box! Seriously if you can afford it and you like beauty, fitness, lifestyle, and skincare get on it and subscribe to this box. I will have it for a year in the spring and I have never regretted getting it. It is a little pricy $50 a season but for the full sixed products that you get it’s totally worth it. This box in particular was worth anywhere between $290-$335 and that is some pretty good math for only spending $50 to get the box itself. Per usual I am not going to tell you what the value of my particular box was but it was on the higher end of that price range from above.

As always the views I put on here are my own, I just really like the box. 

So what did I get in my box you may ask? Well I’m going to tell you all about it in just one second. But first I want to take a second and talk about the magazine that comes in every box. Since I started receiving my boxes in the spring they have gotten better and better, I prefer the smaller magazine than the one that I got in my spring and summer boxes which were rather large like a newspaper. They are also getting more pages and more things to read like a traditional magazine and I am here for it. I really like that the company pairs with a charity for every box because to me that is really important, charitable foundations and charities are something that have always been close to my heart and knowing that a company that I support supports others it’s great. 

Now the bulk of this and I promise it is not going to be long and rambling like some of my recent posts, but it’s not going to be short because I have some things to say about this box. 

I’m going to start with what was in every winter box: 

Thrive Cosmetics Brilliant Eye Brightener in “Stella”- So I have never had a stick highlight like this, nor have I ever had a highlight that is meant specifically for your eyes and if you guys read my Blush, Contour, and Highlighter Round Up you know how much of a highlighter fan that I am. On the inside of the uni-carton it says “leave a little sparkle wherever you go” and I love that quote.

It’s vegan and cruelty free which I am always excited about and it has a beautiful champagne shimmer and a built in sharpener, I love a multipurpose beauty product. I tore open the box to show you the quote inside. (don’t worry I’m going to recycle it) I love the packaging, the product, and I am excited to add it to my collection.

Ahava Hydration Cream Mask- I have loved Ahava for years, the nail salon I worked for in high school carried it and their Frasier Fur scent is still one of my favorites, I don’t even know if they make it anymore but I loved their scents and how they felt on the skin so I am excited to be able to rediscover this brand. You can wash it off or leave it on all night and it is approved for sensitive skin so that is a huge plus in my beauty book. Again the packaging is simple and I am a huge fan. It doesn’t really have a fragrance to it, at least not a strong one it just smells like good skin care. 

Blaq Hydrogel Eye Mask with Hyaluronic Acid- It has activated charcoal and hyaluronic acid?! Count me in! It comes with five sets of eye masks and I have never done the gel masks under my eyes before but I am hoping that they don’t have some adverse effect, though nothing I have gotten from Fabfitfun in the past has really ever affected me in a negative way when it comes to skin care. I mean we try to detox everything else so why not our under eyes too. I’m excited to try it and I will hopefully follow up with how they worked eventually. 

The next set were choices that all members could make and therefore some of these items I chose over another item that was offered. 

Bearpaw Headband and Pop-Top Glove Duo- It was either this option of a treatment mask for your hair and for my needs where it is cold but not super cold I chose the glove and headband set. I love floppy hats during the winter but I don’t have any headbands and I always lose my mittens so I figured this would be a better choice for me personally. I probably should have gotten the other because my hair is always a mess but for my winter needs I chose the gloves. I think during the spring, summer, or autumn I would have chosen the other option. 

Lele Sadoughi Sliver Circle Necklace- I am a huge fan of understated jewelry, I don’t like things that are too flashy or trendy, I want to be able to wear my jewelry for the next ten years not the next ten minutes when the trends change. This necklace is beautiful and understated so it is perfect for any sort of occasion with any outfit. I can’t remember if I chose this item or said surprise me but either way I am really excited for it. The packaging it came in is super simple and also really elegant. The necklace itself comes on a good length chain and the end of the chain has more loops for the clasp so you can make it longer or shorter depending on occasion and preference. The other options were either an H Halston jewelry portfolio or an Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo, I actually got an Oribe trial size texturizing spray in my November ipsy Glam Bag so I am at least familiar with the brand.

Pür Be Your Selfie Palette- I can hear everyone sighing from here, I didn’t need another eyeshadow palette but I could not pass it up, it was really pretty and I don’t have anything from Pür Cosmetics. I love the compactness of the palette and the fact that it is only nine shades. It is not something that I would walk into a store and purchase myself because it is kind of expensive for nine shades, though who am I kidding a Naked palette is $54 for 12 shades and I have purchased those in the past. If the quality is there I am going to be super excited. I love the colors in the palette because who doesn’t need 15 neutral palettes, the shade distribution is pretty even four mattes and five shimmers so that is pretty average for a palette like this. You do get a higher payoff with the darker shades but overall when swatched they feel creamy and look pretty pigmented with some nice warmer neutral tones. The other options for this were the Richer Poorer Reina over the knee socks or the Sherrie Matthews Jade Stone Roller.

These last three were customizable for the select members, I am not a select member though one day I hope to be. 

Okay so this next one, there was a note in my box saying they weren’t happy with the quality of the coaster’s that are pictured in the magazine and in their place was going to be a mystery item. So I got the Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion age defying exfoliator, now I looked on the Dr. Brandt website for a price and I was blown away, guys good skin care is so expensive! I mean, I am excited to try it out and see if my skin can handle it but I bet it can because it seems like a pretty good formulation so I am pretty excited to try it. The other options besides the coasters were Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche lipstick in “Meringue” or the Brooke Burke Body Sliders. 

Way of Will Elevate Essential Oils: Sweet Orange and Eucalyptus- I love essential oils, I have a diffuser in my bedroom and my favorite combo is lavender and bergamot now normally I am not a fan of orange smells because they are too sweet, too strong, and too artificial smelling for me but this sweet orange actually smells like oranges and I really like it. I know they will both smell better in the diffuser, I don’t put essential oils on my skin it is just a me thing but I am looking forward to everything around me smelling like eucalyptus and sweet orange. (not at the same time) The other option for this was the Anthropologie X Mer-Sea & Co Sea Whip Body Cream in Coconut Sugar.

Last thing in the box! Mark & Graham Colorblock Throw in Natural/ivory, the other option was the same through but in a different color way, gray/ivory. I really like the gray/ivory one but I think this one will go better with my décor. It is apparently a Williams-Sonoma Brand and this girl loves her some Williams-Sonoma. When I lived in Indiana the closest one was in Chicago, well in the suburbs of Chicago, now where I live my closest Williams-Sonoma is like and 15 minute drive! It’s so exciting! It’s really soft and it’s just the right size for curling up on the couch with it. I don’t know where it’s going to live in my apartment yet but I really like the throw. 

So that’s all for my box this winter, I am already looking forward to the spring box and that is three more months away, that’s the hardest part really, waiting for the next box. If you guys subscribe what did you get? What was your favorite thing? Is there something that you didn’t get that you really wanted? 

See y’all on Tuesday! 

-MJ