Tag: benefit cosmetics

What Was in My June 2021 IPSY Glam Bag?

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            Well I took a week off because I was missing all of the things that I wanted to write about this month and I am finally in possession of all of those things, yay! I feel like there are probably things I am forgetting to mention, but happy official summer everyone. Here’s hoping that everyone is having a great time!

            So let’s get right into it, I am going to talk about the bag and then go into the products like I usually do in every other IPSY post that I have on this blog, there are so many that you can read up on if you really want to. 

The Bag:

            It’s a dusty pink almost salmon color and looks like it has stickers on it, it looks like some of the middle schoolers water bottles and it’s kind of a mood. I have been watching a lot of TikTok recently and it has taken over my life. It’s a problem, thus bag is super cute though and it’s going to go into the drawer that I have all the rest of my bags in. One day I will take a picture of that drawer and y’all can see how much of a small bag hoarder that ISPY has made me over the years since I became a member.

            So what did I get in the bag?

The Products:

Benefit Cosmetics The Porefessional: Super setter Pore-Minimizing Setting Spray:

            I picked this one because I am almost out of setting spray. I got a lot of setting spray this month though in different subscriptions so I am pretty set for now; I’m not upset about it though. I have heard really good things about this product over the years, so finally getting a chance to try it is really exciting. The last setting spray that I was using only worked when it felt like it, so I am going to give this one a chance tomorrow (today for y’all) because I have to wear makeup.

Evenprime Barrier Serum:

            Serums have become a new staple in my skincare routine. I have found so many good ones in the last year or so and this one claims to be really good at shielding your skin from all sorts of not so great things; even blue light. I feel like I should worry about blue light more, but I don’t. I am excited to give this one a try as well, it seems like it has all of those things that you want on your skin and all of the big words that mean beneficial things for your skin. 

Pretty Vulgar Undercover Concealer in 60:

            It’s a nice concealer, my problem with it is that it is too dark for me. I swatched it and it oxidized a lot darker than I would have wanted it to to be a concealer that I use on a daily basis. This one was for sure a miss for me, I am like really pale and that means that I tend to look for the lightest shade or the second lightest shade when it comes to concealer and this shade just doesn’t mesh with my skin tone. 

Mazi Balancing Multi-Effect Facial Cleanser:

            I like the packaging and I am always on the lookout for travel sized cleansers that I can take with me when I go places. I feel like recently that I have been bouncing around from cleanser to cleanser and I am still looking for my “holy grail”. I know eventually I will find it, or I will just keep changing when I run out of my current cleanser. 

Glow on 5th Rose Gua Sha:

            I had to get a replacement for this one because there is a crack in the one that showed up in my bag, it’s on its way to me and IPSY’s customer service is always amazing. I have been wanting a Gua Sha for well over a year now so having one will be super nice and make sure that I actually want to spend the money on getting a real quartz one. This one is plastic; which might be the reason that it cracked. I am all for helping depuff and help with lymphatic drainage in the face. I am so for giving all of these things a try. I have used this one even with the crack in it and I really like it already, I am just waiting for the non-cracked on to show up to my house. 

            Overall this bag was fine, there was some things that I was excited about and some that I wasn’t really too excited about. The concealer was a disappointment because it’s the wrong shade for me, not all products can be perfect though and each month you get to learn what you like and don’t like when it comes to products. 

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

            Have a great rest of your week and I will see y’all over the weekend with another post!             -MJ

What Was Really in My March 2021 IPSY Glam Bag?

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            So I finally got this in the mail a few days ago, because the other one got lost. I didn’t get the same bag as the GB last month but it’s okay, I got a repeat from last summer. I honestly wouldn’t have minded if they didn’t even send a bag with a replacement, I know it’s expected but I would have been cool with it either way. If you want to see what the bag looks like you can check out my July Glam Bag post from last year

            I feel like I don’t have much to say before we get into the actual products, so let’s just roll right into them because this post is a month later than it should be and at this point; I’m over it. 

The products: 

            I think I got everything that was supposed to be in my March GB because in the email I got they told me that if something wasn’t available it would be switched out with something else so it’s not a big deal.

            I first want to say that I am thankful for the ‘past glam bag’ tab on the website otherwise there is a good chance I would not give all the proper names for these products, I apparently also can still review the items so that’s exciting. 

Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real Magnet Mascara:

            It’s is no secret that I really like Benefit, their Roller Lash mascara is one of my holy grail items, I don’t actually have any at the moment but it is one of my all-time favorites. I really like the fact that they use silicon applicators instead of a brush applicator because to me it just gets product on better. You can disagree on that with me and that’s totally cool, we can have different beauty preferences. I just threw a tube of mascara away because it expired and my right eye let me know right away. I may have mentioned that in one of my other posts but at this point I don’t remember. I am excited to give this one a go though because a lot of the reviews say that it has some great benefits to your lashes. 

Clearly Balanced Days It’s The (Lip) Balm with CBD in Peppermint:

            I feel like there are so many products with CBD in them now and I am not upset about that because apparently it has some great benefits. I can read all the ingredients which makes me super happy, I am not a huge fan of lip balms that have ingredients that I can’t read, pronounce, or identify on sight. I have probably a good dozen lip balms scattered around my apartment, in my bags, and just in general around my life and I lose at least one or two a year and then find them a year or two later and have to throw them away. I have joked since college that I want to finish a tube of lip balm before I lose it and I still have yet to accomplish that goal. 

Eleman Beauty Eyeshadow Duo in Aerial & Luna: 

            A brand that I have never heard of before getting it in my Glam Bag but the shades and pigmentation are great so I am noy mad about it. I am always looking for mor brands to enjoy. They are both glittery and metallic which in certain looks are really cool so I am going to put this in my random eyeshadow box and use them when I have a reason to. They are really nice shades though and I want to incorporate them into a look sooner rather than later. I want to see what it looks like with long wear before I really say that I enjoy it but so far as just a swatch, I like it. 

F.A.R.A.H Pressed Powder Brush 620F:

            I am going to have a full collection of F.A.R.A.H brushes here soon enough because I have several of them. It’s a nice soft brush and it’s for powder, I don’t use a lot of powder because it’s never really been a thing that I do but it wouldn’t be a bad cheek brush as well. Let’s be honest with ourselves though, I don’t use all of my brushes for what they are supposed to be used for, one because I forget and just grab a brush, and two, it’s a brush that I can use on my face. 

Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek in Werk:

            This is a little dark and orangey for me. I like Milk Makeup but this is not the shade for me. Alright, after actually putting it on my lips, it’s actually a really nice shade and I like it. Also the one I have is a little cracked. Not a big deal, I can still use it but I have to have the right look to go with it. There is also just something about a lip and cheek product that seems weird to me because I don’t like to use products that claim double duty, I will use it as one or the other, I fear contamination. As someone whose skin is sensitive to just about everything I am really careful about what I put where on my face. 

            Overall, I liked the Glam Bag, it was fine. Some hits and some that could be considered, not per say misses, but not hits. It was nice to finally get the bag though because I wasn’t really sure if I was going to. 

            If you want to check out what else I’ve gotten this year, you totally can! January, February, and April. It’s so weird to write April on this post even though we are almost in May.

            I will be back later in the week with another post, so I hope that everyone has a great start to their week.

            Stay safe, happy, and healthy.

            -MJ

What Was in My October 2019 ipsy Glam Bag?

.Reading time 8 minutes.

       Hey, hey it’s MJ,

            Guess who’s back, back again, MJ’s back, tell whoever you want. It’s been a while since I have actually posted anything and that’s my fault. I have been dealing with some stuff and I have been busy so I just haven’t had the motivation to write anything to post but here I am because I know that I need to. I want to post more but right now that is not something that I can do at the moment. 

            This is the first month with ipsy’s re-brand or brand update that included choosing items and new things going on with the packaging and the pricing on the Glam Bag. I honestly didn’t really notice a difference but I suppose it’s still a new roll out so I have to give it time. This month was also ipsy’s collaboration with Betty Boop which is a really interesting, they have had two collaborations this year which is a new thing unlike last year but they are branching out. 

            So the bag is first, it’s a close up of Betty Boop’s face and the skin almost just straight up looks like highlighter, the back is similar to the December bag from last year but in all black instead of gold. I like it but it’s not completely my favorite and that’s totally cool.

            What did I get though, that’s really the content here.

            Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara in Jet Black

            So Benefit’s Roller Lash is one of my all-time go to OG favorites and it pained me so much to throw my tube away recently because it was old, older than I would like to admit that I was still using it. The brush on this sample is massive, the ratio of tube top to brush is about the same and its absolute insanity. This mascara claims to do a lot of things that you want to do to your lashes to make them look like falsies. (I have never actually worn false lashes because I don’t want glue near my eyeballs.) 

            Betty Boop X ipsy Eye Brush

            The last time ipsy did a collaboration with someone I got an eye brush in that collection as well, I love brushes so I wasn’t mad about it. It is much more of a powder brush not a packer brush so it is for all over coverage of the lid. It’s actually a really soft brush and it looks nice but it is a really standard eye brush. 

            Kismet Buff Sugar Scrub in Bright & Bubbly

            It smells amazing and it is a great travel size for someone who wants to have a lip scrub on the go. I love a good lip scrub and its cruelty free so I’m down for it. It’s supposed to smell like pink champagne but all I smell is watermelon which I am a huge fan of. It’s a nice soft feeling scrub so that’s always nice because some of the lip scrubs I have used in the past are just hard almost balm like and those have not been my favorites. I am looking forward to carrying this one around with me though in my purse so I can lip scrub on the go if I need to. 

            Seraphine Botanicals Camelina + Strobe Luminizing Primer 

            You would not believe how many makeup words my word processor claims to not be words. In this case it was the word Luminizing, this is a primer that claims to reawaken your skin which is a pretty common claim with primers and again it’s an on the go size so if you need an afternoon pick me up while not wearing a full face of makeup this might be a great product.

            Space Case Cosmetics Highlighter in Seen From Space (1E) 

            It’s a nice highlighter, it’s not super blinding and there is nothing wrong with that. I actually like the shade but it’s a little powdery which I’m not used to anymore when it comes to highlighter. It is a light shimmer though not a really pigmented highlighter, like I said not blinding but that’s alright. It’s not my favorite but I am willing to give it a good chance.

            So that’s it for my bag this month, we are starting to close out the year on these so the list is getting longer and longer if you want to read the rest of the months this year: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, and September. 

            I’ll see everyone on Wednesday with another post! 

            -MJ 

July ipsy Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 11 minutes.

Y’all, this post, I wasn’t even sure if it was going to happen. I am not being dramatic and nor is this a “story time” but there was some drama with this package. If you are reading this on Wednesday when it’s published I am moving to my new place and I don’t even have a wi-fi plan yet so you are all going to have to work with me as I get back into the swing of writing posts twice a week since I have been super neglecting it with the moving that is going on. The drama though, I got a notification that this package was delivered to my mailbox on Thursday, at my new place, so I go and I check. There is no key in my box and my package is in one of the parcel lockers but the key is in the wrong mailbox. I go to the post office and let them know, wait for the key, check the next morning, my regular Glam Bag is in the mailbox but no key to be found, I go to the post office again, and miraculously by about 1:30 the key is in my mailbox. It was just a little stressful and I know that it’s just a package but when it says it’s delivered but to the right building on the wrong street you get a little nervous that the person who had my key in their mailbox might have decided not to be kind and keep my package but it’s all sorted to it’s fine. 

            Okay so beyond that because I don’t like to be one of those bloggers who take paragraph upon paragraph of exposition to get to the meat of the post, like seriously when you are posting a recipe I don’t want to read about it before I actually get to the thing that I went to the post to look at. I saw one blog where at the top there was an option to skip to the recipe and bless that blogger for understanding. 

            I’m still listening to the Pop Punk playlist I mentioned in Sunday’s post and I have heard Fall out Boy, Mayday Parade, Good Charlotte, and AFI all in the last half an hour and I am still living for it! (not sponsored, ha ha, that’s funny, but I am really enjoying it.) 

So what did I get in my July ipsy Glam Bag Plus, while my upstairs neighbors have a rave:

Pixi by Petra Glow Mist:

            I have been getting a lot of Pixi products in my Glam Bags in the last few months and I am not complaining about it. Though when it comes to facial mists because it does have oil in it I have to be really careful or I will break out, so this wilpl be an over makeup only product. It smells like good skin care products should smell; not artificial. All of the oils are natural essential oils and I am always happy to see that because I am pretty particular when it comes to what I put on my face. Excited to give it a try though but maybe more in the fall when I want my skin too look dewier if it would look dewy now in the 90-degree heat it would just look like sweat and that is not a look.

Touch in Sol Pretty Filter Waterful Glow Cream:

            Again something that smells like good skin care. I love the K-Beauty trend that is still taking over the world. I love the packaging, the box is purple holo and I could not be much more excited about that. It’s so pretty and the product itself is also packaged so simply and it’s amazing. I am really looking forward to giving this a try because for the most part higher end skin care products don’t seem to affect me as much as products I have used in the past have. 

Huda Beauty 3d Highlighter Palette in Pink Sands:

            Holy pan size Batman! The pan sizes on this product are some of the largest pan sizes for a multi-pan highlighter palette I have ever seen. I don’t know much about Huda Beauty but I have seen lots of people love it so I am excited to add yet another highlighter to my collection, I have a problem when it comes to highlighters they are shiny and therefore some of my favorite beauty products to hoard. You know, like a dragon. The shades are beautiful and they all seem to be a good match to my skin tone so I am excited. 

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint: 

            I have been seeing this product in Ulta and Sephora since I can remember, it’s been around for a while but I have never been a “stain” sort of person, I am more than willing to give it a try because it leaves a nice shade on me so maybe this will be my gateway product into “stains” when it comes to makeup. To be honest I thought it was nail polish when I saw the bottle and applicator from first glance. Also I am not about the contamination life, if I use it for cheeks it will just be for cheeks or if I use it for lips it will just be for lips and that is just a me thing to which you don’t have to agree with.

Thrive Cosmetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara in Brynn:

            I got a Thrive product in my Winter FabFitFun box and I love it, I love their packaging I love the fun messages on the inside of the cardboard wrappers and the component, the tube, it’s so heavy. I could throw it at someone and do some damage, it’s probably the heaviest mascara tube that I have ever owned. It is a fiber mascara so I will have to be careful with it, my eyes hate me most of the time and getting fibers in them will not make them like me any more than they already do. The component itself is simple and beautiful I love the silver and teal that I have seen from Thrive before and I am excited to give this a try as well. 

            I feel like I say I am excited to try every product and that is a truthful statement, I do look forward to trying everything I get even if it sits in my collection for a while. I am always looking for my next “holy grail” product the one that I use for years and years before finding something that I like better and having these subscription services gives me a chance to find those products that maybe I wouldn’t reach for in a store and it gives me the ability to save some money on them to try out and then if I love it to go purchase it and support the brand again. 

If you want to read the rest of my Glam Bag Plus Unboxings you can! Check out May and June for more content!

            I will be back with another post over the weekend but I don’t know what it’s going to be yet so look forward to that. 

            Do you subscribe to the Glam Bag Plus? If you do what was your favorite product this month?

Do you have any “holy grail” items in your beauty collection? I would love to hear about them!

Have a great rest of your week!

-MJ

What was in My July 2019 ipsy Glam Bag?

.Reading time 11 minutes.

I have been super MIA for the whole beginning of July and for that I apologize, I am in the process of moving, as in from when this post goes up, like 72 hours. It’s not like I’m moving cities or states, I am only moving a few miles away from where I currently live but it’s still been an eventful process that has had me up in the air for the last month or so. 

            I am going to say one thing before I get into it, I am writing this post Saturday night at like 9 PM listening to the Pop Punk Powerhouses playlist on Spotify, currently Fall Out Boy and I am living my middle and high school musical memories right now and living for it. Nothing else about middle or high school was that great but that music shaped me to the person that I am today and I just needed to comment on that before moving into what is usually a really happy and positive post. If you like what we considered to be “mid-2000’s emo and punk music” I highly recommend giving it a listen. 

            Now I was looking forward to getting this bag as I always do and I was not disappointed, as I am writing this ispy is down in Miami and I am getting travel envy from their Instagram story. 

            Onto to the bag and the products though because I want to actually write my thoughts and not paragraph upon paragraph about nothing at all. 

            The bag:

            Okay I love this bag; my mom thinks that getting a new makeup bag every month is ridiculous but in moving let me tell you something they are great to have around for all sorts of things! I organized my whole makeup and beauty collections into my past glam bags and I have never been able to do something like that before. This bag though is super cute I love the monstera leaves and the palm fronds on it with that beautiful I want to call it salmon background and bag lining. I love that aesthetic of big tropical leaves and this bag does not disappoint but their bags usually don’t disappoint. 

            The Products: 

            Again I am always thankful for the little insert and the one good thing that Birchbox did was give you a price for a full sized product right on the insert but different companies do different things. 

            Hempz Herbal Body Moisturizer in Sweet Pineapple & Honey Melon:

            This stuff smells amazing! I am not kidding I opened it and gave it a good sniff and I fell in love, I used to use hemp based lotion when I was in high school and into college because it was a bit of minor rebellion to have a marijuana leaf on something that I owned. I know from past experiences that hemp lotions (that I have tried) are usually really moisturizing and they leave your skin feeling really soft. I am so looking forward to throwing this in my purse (with the other six lotions I have in there, oops) and use it on the go.

            Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash Curling Mascara:

            No joke this is one of my favorite mascaras, I even included it in a blog post on my favorite mascaras but I have never had a trial or travel size of it and my last tube sadly has found its way to the trash because it was getting dangerously old. So seeing this in my box made me smile because I have a new one to play with. I am going to tell the story of how I found this product in the first place, in probably late 2015 or early 2016 I was watching a British beauty influencer who I used to watch all the time and she recommended it and because I am easily influenced I went out and purchased it even with the price tag associated with it and let me tell you, I have never looked back. 

Mídflower Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Mask (set of 2): 

            I have been using more and more face masks this year because I have been putting one on and listening to a guided meditation. I find it to be really relaxing to do that because it’s just a 20-minute self-care break from life when the rest is complete chaos. Hyaluronic Acid is (or has been) becoming a big thing and I have seen more and more masks advertising this ingredient. The card says this is a biodegradable mask and I am so excited! I try my best to cut down on my trash and knowing that this product will naturally break down makes me feel a little better about using it, the packaging however is not so it is a double edged sword. 

Phase Zero Make Up Blusher in Cotton Candy:

            Love the packaging and the color of the blush, it is really pinky and that is right up my street. I love the compact because there is a mirror in the product and usually on small products you don’t actually get a mirror so this is a great one to take in your handbag for touch ups during the day or to check and make sure that your makeup is still holding strong. Blush is probably the thing I have least of, that and bronzer because those are newer things that I have been adding into my beauty routine when I go full glam which is not very often. I am looking forward however to actually giving this product a good test out. 

The Balm Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Ooh La La:

            I don’t think I will ever get over The Balm’s packaging, it is always so creative and consistent across all of their products and launches and I just think that it allows for people to focus on the product more than the packaging it comes in because I am a sucker for packaging but there are plenty of brands who when they release a collection do very different style and themes. The Balm keeps that same consistent thematic overtone so you can always recognize a product from their brand. I love the matte brown shade; it is a great neutral for the outer corner or crease of your eyelid or sweeping it below the lash line to give your eyes a more dramatic effect. 

            Over all I loved my Glam Bag this month! Come back mid-week for my Glam Bag Plus and my saga with the post office over it. If you want to read how I felt about the rest of the bags this year you can go and read those posts, January, February, March, April, May, and June. One of these days I will make it so you can click on one and get all of my past posts, I am working on it.

            I will see everyone on Wednesday (which is my move day) with another post, I hope everyone has a great beginning of the week!

            Do you subscribe, if you do what’s your favorite product this month? 

            -MJ

Top 5 Favorite Mascaras

.Reading time 9 minutes.

I have used plenty of different mascaras over the years since I started wearing makeup and felt comfortable enough to get near my eyes with a wand of black death. Like everyone else who has used mascara before I have poked myself in the eye with the wand and then gotten the mascara all over my face. 

            I am a wearer of glasses so I would probably be able to see the results better, as would the people around me if I wore contacts but that’s never going to happen. I have also never worn false lashes; (I know shocking) so I don’t know their benefits either because I am afraid of my eyes reaction to the lash glue. 

            I have used mascaras in the past that I used once and never used again because it either gave me some sort of reaction or it didn’t do what it was advertised to do. I have worn mascaras for short times that I loved but when it came to long wear they flaked way too easily and irritated my eyes so these mascaras in this post represent my five favorite in the last few years but mostly within the last year because I have begun to diversify what kind of mascara I get because of my ipsy and now Birchbox subscriptions. 

            Let me tell you all about my eyelashes because what I use may not work for everyone, everyone has different lash issues as well as different sensitivities and lash wants and needs so what I like you may really not and that is totally cool because we can all have opinions, isn’t that a beautiful thing? 

            These are not in any particular order; I don’t have a number one favorite of these five because they all do the job that I want them to do while making my eyelashes look great. 

Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash

            I have been using this mascara for years and it has never disappointed me. It is on the pricy side but it is worth it if you wear mascara every day. I really like the curved brush because I feel like it really makes my eyelashes pop and look amazing even with just one coat. It can get clumpy but I think that is more user error rather than product error because granted I love mascara I am still not perfect at putting it on even though I have been wearing it since like 2007. I used to be able to get away without it but I don’t wear eyeliner anymore so I have to wear something around my eyes. 

NYX Cosmetics Worth the Hype

            I have been loving this for a good year now and I don’t see me ever feeling any different about it. If you read my February Beauty Haul you know that I had to buy a new one so that’s why this one isn’t open. I am going to try and finish off some other mascaras I already have in play before I start this one. I love the way it makes my lashes look so this is automatically one of my favorites and one of the only non-prestige items on this list. 

Doucce Maxlash Volumizer

            This is a newer mascara in my makeup bag, I got a sample in my May Glam Bag from ipsy last year and I raved about it then and I had only worn it once. I still really love it because it does give you the volume of false lashes with one coat. (I imagine they feel like my eyelashes do when coated in this mascara.) It doesn’t flake which is so great and it’s only a trial size so I can use a lot more of it in the window of time when it is still good. I got a second sample in the Gold Holiday Collection and that made me really happy because it’s nice to have a backup.

Too Faced Better Than Sex 

            Okay so the name is funny, I have been getting travel sizes of this product every year around Christmas since probably 2015, it was one of the first prestige mascaras that I ever owned and so it is one of my favorites. Now I don’t even remember what mascara I used to buy when I started to wear makeup, I could not tell you now. This is one of those products that I always have in my makeup bag because it is a staple for me. It is a go to for me because I know what it’s going to look like. It’s a good mascara with a really great name so I can’t be upset about it.

Tarte Maneater

            This I use whenever I am up at my parent’s house because it’s in my makeup bag there, now this has a really long applicator and it really is a great mascara even though I don’t wear it as often as the others on this list. I love the packaging and I’m not actually sure if they still make this but I would buy it again if they did. I think at one point in the past I had Tarte’s lights, camera, lashes mascara so I like their formula and I know Tarte’s quality and this product is no different.

            It’s been a while since I have done a top five for my makeup and it was nice to be able to go through my collection again and actually think about why I like the products that I like. 

            Do you have a favorite mascara? 

            -MJ 

March Birchbox Unboxing

.Reading time 6 minutes.

It’s March and for sure a few posts ago was my February Birchbox unboxing, I am watching my parent’s dogs over Spring Break while they are out of town visiting family and friends back where we used to live so I have some time on my hands. I have had this box for a few days. 

            This box is a lot better than my February Box, granted I did like the February box but this one is a lot better. It is much more to the caliber of the January Box.

            The box itself is really cute, it is covered in blue flowers outlined in pink with red centers, like my last two boxes, I don’t know what I am going to do with them. I may just end up recycling them for now until I have a better idea on what to do with them. 

On to the items: 

[Comfort Zone] Active Pureness Fluid:

            It’s a moisturizer that is mattifying as it works into your skin. I am really excited to try it and see how it works on my skin, it can be used as a primer too though so that is really nice because I have a love/hate relationship with primer. It is made in Italy and has Vitamin C in it so I am hoping that my skin doesn’t have an adverse reaction to it. 

Amika Soulfood Nourishing Mask:

            Where I used to get my hair done they used amika so I was really excited to see this in my box. Since I have had exposure to this product before as a shampoo and conditioner I am excited to try a hair mask. I usually don’t do hair masks but I know the quality of this product. It smells really good and I think it made the rest of my box smell but I was not upset about that. I can’t wait to try it out and see what is does to my hair.

Benefit Cosmetics BadGal Bang Mascara:

            I got the deluxe sample with my January box and like I said then Roller Lash is one of my favorite mascaras, there will be a post soon with my five favorite mascaras so I will link that when it’s out. I haven’t actually used my other tube of BadGal Bang but I am still really excited to try it because of how much I like Roller Lash.

Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Foundation Primer:

            My first foundation primer was Smashbox primer in the green for color correcting so I know how I feel about this primer, I used it for a really long time so I am hoping that they haven’t changed the formula much since like 2013. When I finally ran out of my primer the first time I looked for dupes because a full size product is expensive and they don’t have the push pump bottle anymore which was what I had and liked, I find that NYX’s color correcting primer is still pretty good on a budget. 

ThisWorks Deep Sleep pillow spray:

            I already use a lavender pillow spray to help me sleep but I like having a travel size because traveling with my larger bottle is almost impossible and I don’t want all that oil all over my bag when I travel. I am excited to try it and make sure that it doesn’t give me any sort of reaction, though I wish that the ingredients were on the packaging so I could actually know what’s in it without having to look online. 

            Well that’s it for my March box, much more custom feeling to me but I am really happy with this box overall.

            Do you subscribe to Birchbox, if you do what’s been your favorite from this month? 

            I’ll see you guys soon!

            -MJ 

January Birchbox Unboxing

.Reading time 10 minutes.

So I decided that I was going to subscribe to something new because I found myself down a subscription box after unsubscribing from Marvel Collector Corps and I have been seeing this one online for such a long time now. 

I want to pause a moment before I go on with my unboxing and review, I had a comment on my Marvel Collector Corps box that I have since deleted because I found it very triggering. It started out with “you people wouldn’t be happy if they hung you with a new rope” I have been thinking about that exact line for over a month now. With that being said, I understand that everyone on the internet is entitled to their own opinion, I use a platform to talk about my opinions all the time. That was not my issue with this comment, first of all you should never knowingly go on someone’s blog, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, or any other social media platform and tell them that they wouldn’t be happy even being hanged with a new rope, there is a line there that is crossed the moment you make that suggestion. I shared my displeasure and disappointment with a box and a service and everyone’s experience may be different but malice filled comments like that aren’t welcome. 

The internet allows people this false sense of anonymity, it allows people to think that they can say hateful things or mean things and not make the person on the other side of the screen feel something about it. Even if you copy and paste a comment over and over onto multiple blogs or comment sections hoping to get a rise out of one person, for that person to comment back and start something; that’s just not right. We don’t need drama, we don’t need to be at each other’s throats all the time to get a reason to say something to someone because you don’t agree with them. We are allowed to have our opinions and guess what, we don’t have to agree at all that is the beauty of free will. 

Now away from the heavy stuff because I do not want to pollute my 2019 with negativity. 

I was expecting a little box to show up in my mailbox, it was a bubble envelope with a small box in it and within the small box was the actual Birchbox, it was a lot of packaging. Because I subscribed in January I got a bonus and it was on the outside of the box in the bubble envelope, making it necessary to have an extra layer of packaging. 

The box was super cute though and I absolutely love it. 

Benefit Bad Gal Bang Mascara 

            This was the bonus for my January subscription and I have been seeing this product online for months now. Benefit Roller Lash is one of my all-time favorite mascara’s and I am hoping that when I actually get to play with this product in the future I feel the same way I do about Roller Lash. The packaging on it is crazy though, super cool.

MAC Cosmetics Strobe Cream in Pinklite

            I think this is the first MAC product that I have ever owned, MAC is one of those brands that I would see walking through department stores and everyone always looked so professional and knew how to apply makeup so beautifully. From everything I have heard about the brand I am super excited to use this. It is an iridescent pink and it is actually a really pretty shade. According to the pamphlet it is green tea and vitamin infused so that means not only is it pretty but it is actually also good for your skin. I love multi-duty beauty products. 

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

            I got this product in my July ipsy Glam Bag and I am still no better at eyeliner, it has a really nice formula and is really pigmented but I still think that eyeliner is still a thing that I need to work on; like majorly work on. I cannot do a wing to save my life, it ends up wonky and stupid looking. My cat eye turns quickly into a raccoon the next morning after going out the night before, it’s a mess. Liquid eyeliner is like my White Whale; I may never be successful with it but I will continue to try. 

Stila HUGE Extreme Lash Mascara

            I used Stila back in the day but it’s been a minute since I have used anything from the brand. I love mascara because honestly with how often you are supposed to throw away your mascara there is almost no point in buying a full sized product so having a trial or travel sized can make it a little easier to keep yourself honest and not keep a mascara for years on end; which I am for sure guilty of. It has a nice formula from the one time I have used it so far, I wanted to see what it did to my eyelashes and I am excited to wear it for a full day and see if it holds up. 

Winky Lux Strobing Balm in Radiant Pink

            A brand I have heard of and have been meaning to try, it is a beautiful color and the pigment is amazing with such a creamy formula. I am such a huge fan of highlighters and I think this is the first cream highlight that I have ever gotten. I swatched it and was absolutely in love with it. I am really looking forward to having a reason to wear this everywhere on my face. 

Minu Shampoo, Conditioner, and Hair Serum

            The conditioner and the serum according to my insert pamphlet were bonuses but it is really nice to have the whole set to see how it works with my hair. I do color my hair, that’s not even a secret, I have for several years now and this shampoo is supposed to be safe on color and I am always looking for good shampoo that doesn’t strip my color out quicker than I want it to. The formula actually seems to be preserve color which is even more exciting. I have never used a hair serum but I am looking forward to trying it out.

            Like ipsy this box gets better and better as you review your products so they can get more in your head and learn your beauty and skin care preferences so I am excited to see how this evolves as the months go on. 

First impression: I like it so far and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next month. It may be kind of similar to ipsy but I really like both formats. If I would start getting a lot of duplicates then I would have to make some concessions on which one is more worth it but for now, I am just excited to see what I get next month.

            Do you subscribe? Any beauty tips? 

            -MJ