Tag: araceli

October 2021 IPSY Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            I am writing this about fifteen minutes after writing Sunday’s post so here we are again. I am back, back again. Still really tired. 

            We are so close to Halloween and the end of the month which is crazy sauce, I cannot believe in less than a week we will be in November, I don’t want to be this close to the end of the year yet, but here we are.

            I never got a tracking email on this one, which is always a little weird but it showed up the same day as my GB so it was two rocks with one bird. 

            I feel like this is going to be a short one specifically because my brain is not rolling at 100% right now, I have been up for almost six hours and it’s only 8 AM. This post is going to be fun because my last post was more on the serious side and life it too short to be serious all the time. 

            Let’s get right into it then, let’s talk about my October GB+

The bag: 

            I love this one, I love the lips and the fangs. The color choice is amazing and what is different between the GB and the GB+ is that the lips on the GB+ are outlined in white which makes them stick out a little more which makes them look even cooler. The lime green drawstring was a great design choice and I want to find a reason use this again because it’s so fun.

The products: 

            I want to preface this with I have six this month because I redeemed points this month so there will be six items instead of the usual five. I was not sent an extra item by mistake; I used my points to get it. 

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream:

            I love this, I actually just threw my last one away because it was empty. This is one of my fave moisturizers that I currently have. I bought this one as a replacement for the one I just finished. Normally I don’t buy products as a replacement, but this one is totally worth it. This is one of those products that I have become one of my holy grail products and I really like this moisturizer. 

Illamasqua Beyond Liquid Highlighter in OMG:

            I have been using highlighter daily now because I like to glow a little with all of the gloom in the world. That sounds too motivational for me, I love highlighter though, it’s the crow part of my brain that is just screaming for shiny things. The color is gorgeous and it really doesn’t take much and all of a sudden they might be able to see you from space.

Dermalect Self Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum:

            I love a good serum, who doesn’t? I feel like serums have become such a big part of my skin care routine over the last year and maybe because I’m getting older and I care more about my skin now, or maybe because skin care has become such a big thing over the last few years. It smells pretty good and I am looking forward to give it a chance when I am done with the rest of my serums. I could use multiple serums at the same time (well not together, just on different days) because they are for different things, but I stick with things until they either effect my skin or I run out. 

Aracelli Ojos Perfectos Gel Pencil Eyeliner in Black and Rose Gold: 

            I don’t wear eyeliner but I chose these because I used to use pencil eyeliner all the time, well gel liner. I don’t like liquid liner but I love a good gel liner. I need to get back into wearing eyeliner and I figured that getting some gel liner would be a good first step. I cannot wear eyeliner like I used to back in my emo days. I am a professional adult now and that just wouldn’t be a good look anymore, so here we are with these ones. 

Wander Beauty Staycation Hydrating Mask:

            It can be a wash off mask or it can be a moisturizer so that’s great because I usually like to leave these things on overnight. I am almost out of my Ahava mask so I am looking forward to having another mask that I can put on a few times a week and get all of the benefits of a really good moisturizer.

Doucce Posh Powder Palette: 

            This was my points redeemed item, I love Doucce and I haven’t gotten any Doucce products in my Glam Bags in well over a year. I love their mascara, their eye shadow is amazing, and I am looking forward to giving this palette a try because the shades are stunning. Their packaging is simple and classic and the product is amazing, it is a little on the pricey side though, so when I get the opportunity to get their products, I jump on it. 

            So, there is my Glam Bag Plus this month, it was a good bag over all and I am looking forward to seeing what will be my options in my November bag. 

            If you want to see what else I have gotten this year, you totally can, just click on the month! January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, and September.

            I will be back later in the week with another post so get excited! So until then I hope that everyone has a great rest of the week and everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy! 

            -MJ 

August 2021 Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 7 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

         Look at us, already most of the way through August, that’s insane. Here we are again with another Glam Bag Plus post and I really am liking this one. 

         I don’t really have much to lead up to this post to be completely honest. Usually I have so much to say before I get to the post itself, but this is a monthly post and not much has changed since my last post, which if I remember correctly is about candles. 

         That’s right I now have more than one post about candles. 

The Bag:

         It’s a green alligator silk screen print and I really like the color. The drawstring bags are really growing on me and they have been doing the drawstring bags for almost a year now and I am always interested to see what the bag will actually look like. 

Products:

Skin & Lab E Plus Moisturizing Cream:

         This one was chosen for me. I like moisturizers, I use a moisturizer most days. Some days I don’t because it bothers my eyes. Some days it doesn’t, but some days it does in combination with the other products I am using. This one has Vitamin E in it and Vitamin E is so good for your skin, it also has mango seed butter. It’s K Beauty and in the last couple of years I have seen that K beauty tends to be a lot better for my skin, personally, than other brands. I am really looking forward to using this one. 

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara:

         This mascara has been around forever! I have had samples of this before, but never a full sized. I love Tarte mascara’s and just Tarte in general. The packaging on this one reminds me of high school because I think this one came out for the first time when I was in high school or college so it gives me really early 2010 vibes. It’s a really good mascara though and I am excited to use this one as well. 

Murad Sensitive Skin Smoothing Serum:

         I love Murad, that is not a secret and Murad is one of those brands that I don’t buy for myself because it’s expensive. There are a few things that I don’t spend full prince on and skin care, now that I get the GB+, is one of those things. It’s a glass bottle! I for sure have dropped it on my desk twice now by accident. It’s also from their sensitive skin line and I have found that that line is amazing for my skin concerns. It has chamomile in it, which sometimes my skin doesn’t like but we are going to give it a try.

Araceli Beauty Bella sponge Trio in Black, Grey, & Pink:

         Who doesn’t need a bunch of makeup sponges? I love beauty sponge and since you have to get rid of them every few months having extras is always a good idea. I love the colors and the packaging. I want to call them beauty blenders so much even though that it a brand name. I have only used beauty sponges to put my makeup on for like two years now which before then I never used them because I didn’t like them. I tried them again when I moved down here and I haven’t looked back. I always have several in the wings so I don’t run out of them in case one of them starts to go. 

Neogen Dermatology All Day Locking Fixer:

         I have lots of setting spray now and I am not mad about it because I always run out or get real close to running out and then I have to guess at what I would like when I get another one. I have used Neogen before in face wash and I really liked it so I am hopeful for this one. I really like the packaging because it’s just minimalist and a little futuristic in a way. I will use it when I am done with the other few that I have in my bathroom. This is another product made in Korea and again with K Beauty, I have never been disappointed. 

         Alright there we go, another month in the books for my GB+. I liked all of the products that I received this month. I chose the Neogen setting spray, Araceli beauty sponges, and the Murad serum. I am happy with my choices. 

         If you want to see what else I’ve gotten in my GB+’s this year, you can, just click on the month: January, February, March, April, May, June, and July! 

         I will see everyone later in the week with another post, so until then make sure to stay safe, healthy, and happy! 

         -MJ 

What Was in My August 2020 IPSY Glam Bag?

.Reading time 10 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            Back at you all with another post, I am actually switching two because I was going to write a “what does MJ listen to” post but I am just not in the mood for that this morning and I already got my Glam Bag for the month so I’m switching them, because I can. They are mowing in my apartment complex today and I think one of them just ran over a rock so that was fun. No one cares but I am going to tell you anyway because that is my life experience right now. Some week’s you just have only a certain capacity for things and right now this post which is routine for me is what I can handle, by the time this is published I will probably be in a completely different head space but for now; this is as good as I can get. 

The Bag:

            It’s holo, sorry I have been watching SimplyNailogical on YouTube for years now and he obsession with holographic items has made me say “holo” a certain way. I love the bag though it’s simple and feels almost vinyl like but making it holo for sure added a lot of appeal to me to actually use it because it looks fun and sometimes that’s all you need. 

Products: 

Araceli Beauty Jalisco Eyes Single in Sombrero:

            I like the brand but I am not a huge fan of the color by itself, this is one of those shades that becomes an accent shade in a larger more elaborate look, it will make a fine base it is just a little orange for me personally. I love eyeshadows (I have many many palettes) but sometimes the single shadows really do miss the mark for me because if you are going to give me a single shadow give me one that is unique or really pops don’t give me what I would consider a base shade, it’s neutral to an extent but it’s just the wrong shade for me. 

Céla Crème de la Crème- The Very Best Cream: 

            The first thing that gets me with Céla is their packaging, I absolutely adore the marble effect, it brings me so much joy and it’s just so classy, I love their lotion I got a full sized Céla product in my April Glam Bag Plus this year and if we are being honest with ourselves I thought I got it last year; that’s how long this year has been. It smells like orange and grapefruit and it just has a smell that is familiar I just can’t place which is going to bug me until I figure it out. I really like getting small hand creams because that means I can stick them all over the place in my apartment, my car, and in my bag so I always have hand lotion on me because dry hands are never fun!

Kiss & Smick Matte Crème Lip Crayon in Tavarua: 

            I for sure had to Google what Tavarua was, it’s an island in Fiji and that sounds great. I feel like the shades for a lot of things were off this month, I love the feeling of the crayon but the color is a little too dark for my normal looks. Maybe for autumn I can make it work but it’s like they really stuck with orange and warm undertones this month and I cannot do warm undertones, I need cool undertones. I love the packaging, it’s simple and honestly you don’t want components to be crazy, sometimes it’s fine but for every day application nice and simple usually works for me. 

Outré By Use Me Instant Repair Hair Mask + CBD: 

            One day I will maybe figure out the obsession with CBD in like everything now. I could research it but I feel like it’s just in most everything now. I have never used a hair mask and I just dyed my hair again for the first time in a year, I need to tone it so the color actually holds because my hair is relatively dark but it was dyed red for years and then I let it grow out so all of those professional dying sessions have completely left me. Hair masks seem like a cool concept like a really deep conditioner that repairs all of the bad decisions that you make with your hair. My issue is the application, you put it on to towel dried hair, let it sit for five to ten minutes, and then rinse it out; it’s a lot of steps. It smells good though and I am looking forward to giving it a try, maybe it will change my mind on putting a lot of product in my hair. 

GlamGlow Brighteyes Illuminating Anti-Fatigue Eye Cream: 

            I chose this one because it’s GlamGlow, if you know skincare at all the brand GlamGlow pops up frequently and their products are pretty expensive. I have used their bubble masks in the past and loved them and I am always on the hunt for a good eye cream so when this was offered to me I jumped on it. I feel like I have been branching into skin care more than cosmetics because lets be honest with ourselves in my early 20’s and late teens I didn’t take care of my skin and suffered the consequences of break outs and just a mess but now that I take care of my skin, like my mother has been telling me to do since I can remember; don’t doubt your mom! I haven’t had as many breakouts outside of the hormonal ones and my skin feels better so it’s a win. I am looking forward to giving this a real try and seeing if this is the one that I end up buying in full size because lets be honest with ourselves sometimes a sample is nice because you can try it before you buy it which is so helpful when you have sensitive skin. I would have saved my skin a lot of pain in my younger years if I would have sampled things first instead of just picking something off the shelf and hoping for the best. 

            Overall a great bag this month from start to finish, coloring was a little off but I liked the products and I can make them work. If you want to see what else I’ve gotten this year and how those things made me feel you can check those posts out, January, March, April, May, June, and July. 

            I will see y’all later in the week with another post so have a great week!

                        -MJ

What was in my April 2020 ipsy Glam Bag?

.Reading time 6 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            So I think I have been in quarantine for like a month now, I am still learning how to cope with forced isolation, I am fine with it when I am the one making the choice but not for this long. Like I miss my students. 

            Bright spot though is that I still am getting my ipsy bags, I know that’s a small thing but it is still something that I allow to bring me joy. 

            The bag this month is super cute, I love the dark lilac color and the kind of impressionist flowers. The zipper pull is a wooden ring and I kind of love it. 

What did I get though? 

Kismet Pure Vitamin C Primer:

            It’s sparkly, which is fine for a primer or like a body shimmer with a really diffused glow, it goes on like a water gel and I actually really like how it feels on the skin. The card describes the texture as silky and I completely agree with that sentiment. I have the Kismet sugar lip scrub that I use quite frequently and I like all the products I have gotten the chance to try form them.

Araceli Beauty Chiquita Blending Brush: 

            It’s a brush, I like how it looks, I like how it feels and it’s a nice basic brush, it is vegan and cruelty free and by now if you have read any of my posts you know how much I love seeing those words on beauty products. 

Murad Nutrient-Charged Water Gel:

            I love Murad and I am always happy to try new products from their line. This stuff smells amazing and a little bit goes a long way. It feels really nice on the skin too, I do text most products on my hand because I don’t want my face to break out because of a reaction. It’s oil free which is usually where I get the break outs so I am excited to actually give it a real try.

Neogen Dermatology Real Vita C Serum:

            It smells in the bottle but not on the skin, I like serums but this one is actually really thin but it is used for skin protection against environmental factors and harmful light. I like it  and I probably should wear serums more often anyway. 

Buxom Cosmetics Buxom Lash Volumizing Mascara in Blackest Black:

            I love mascara, there is no denying that and let’s be honest I prefer the travel sized products when it comes to mascara. I think I tried a Buxom mascara years ago but things have changed since then and I am excited to try it. The card tells me that it has vitamins in it that help condition lashes and that’s probably a good thing with mascara being one of the few products that I wear most days when I am at work, (right now I am lucky to leave sweatpants.) I am excited to give it a try though. 

            Overall I actually really like my bag even though it is half skin care but I’m not too mad about that. 

            If you want to read what else I have gotten from ipsy this year, check them out: January and March, February was my dead month so that one doesn’t exist. 

            I’ll see everyone in a few days, stay safe and healthy,

            -MJ