Trying to get two posts in a week and that means that I actually have to write blog posts, that’s a good start, right? So here we are in August truth be told I have not worn makeup since about April because time isn’t real anymore and I don’t leave my house so here I am talking about makeup when I haven’t worn any in quite some time but here we are anyway.
This is for sure a more of a what I have kind of post as opposed to a what are my favorites kind of post but I will still tell you my favorites as I go.
Primers:
I don’t use primer very often, I did use a color correcting primer from NYX for a really long time, I don’t so much anymore but when I do put on a full face I will put a primer on to help everything stay where it’s supposed to be. I also normally wear primer in the fall, winter, and spring but during the summer, it’s just too much when it feels like 100 degrees outside and you just don’t wanna.
I have a bunch of tiny primers because of my IPSY Glam Bags so while I took a picture of them I am not really going to talk about them because there are so many (10 to be exact).
Ciaté London Watermelon Burst Hydrating Primer:
Got it last month in my IPSY Glam Bag plus and I am excited to have a go at it. I like watermelon so we will see how I feel about it.
Touch in Sol No Pore Blem:
I have used this one several times and love it, it’s just a really light primer with rose water and I really like Touch in Sol as a brand because that is also my current moisturizer and I love it so much.
Dr. Brandt Pores No More Luminizer Primer:
I like Dr. Brandt’s products and having this in the wings is a great thing. I don’t really have much to say about it because I haven’t gotten the chance to try it but I am excited to.
Concealers:
I use concealer every time I put on makeup because I just look tired at all times so having concealer is really important to me.
There is a reason that I am not a huge fan of every shade being the same name and then they are vastly different colors, like both of mine are fair and they are vastly different shades.
Tarte Shape Tape in shade Fair:
This is the one that I am currently using and I really like it, it is worth the hype that surrounds it. This is one of the lightest shades and I really need to get their shade porcelain but I think when I was at Ulta they were out of it and so that was unfortunate, when I am tan this shade is great but in the dead of winter it’s too yellow.
Colourpop No Filter Concealer in Fair 02:
This one is my absolute makeup bag staple, it’s like a seven dollar concealer and I love it so much. It’s a lighter shade than the Tarte one so it does match my skin tone better with my foundation on.
Setting Powders:
Coty Air Spun in Translucent:
I love this one, it just smells good and this is the one I use the most frequently of the two that I have. It is also a huge size for under ten dollars 2.3 OZ at Walgreens for like eight dollars so you know you cannot go wrong with it.
Ciaté London Extraordinary Translucent:
Much smaller but I got in an IPSY box so I cannot complain. I feel like most setting powders are roughly the same so I can’t really say that there is much difference in my opinion but it’s honestly not something I would buy on my own.
Setting Sprays:
Colourpop All Star Setting Spray:
I am almost out of this one because it is the one I use every day when I wear makeup. I love it a lot but I do have to have a towel up on me because it does spray out all over the place. Yea, it’s a spray so of course it’s going to do that, but I would buy it again.
Urban Decay All Nighter Settign Spray:
Other favorite, smells like cinnamon. I got a sample o this a while back and I bought a travel sized because I liked it so much and I am again running out of my other setting spray. I use the little size of this at my parent’s house so I guess I have two favorite setting sprays.
So I have a lot of random things in my makeup bag for prep and finishing for my face and I felt like I just needed to dump all of them into one place and here was the most logical place to do it.
Do you guys have any favorites when it comes to prep and finishing with your makeup? Any that you love that I should give a try?
I will see y’all with another blog at the end of the week!
I am again writing all of my IPSY posts back to back this month because I felt like it and they were what I had on hand. Again, we are almost in July and I cannot believe that because I swear it was just January. I hope everyone out there is staying safe all around.
Again same problem I had with the Glam Bag, the card is exactly the same as that one, it doesn’t tell me the products anymore and I think that will continue to bother me but there isn’t anything that I can do about it.
The bag is exactly the same as the one for the Glam Bag this month but it’s a minty green, why have a bag if you are going to get multiple of the same if you subscribe to more than one of their subscriptions. I usually like the bags but this month really did miss the mark for me now that I have two of the exact same bags, same size and everything.
What did I get?
Jayjun Cosmetics Wakepure Sheet Masks (6):
There are two of each kind so two of the Shiso Calming Mask, the Seaberry Brightening Mask, and the Avocado Nourishing Mask. I love sheet masks even though I don’t really use them during the summer because it’s just a lot for the summer. I am looking forward to trying them out because I have all my sheet masks in the fridge, as well as a lot of my skin care that I’m not using at the moment. I don’t have a skin care fridge I just have a small crate in my actual fridge full of sheet masks and I regret nothing.
Shaina B Miami Eyes on Miami Brush Set:
I have a lot of brushes and I think for now these are just going to stay in their little bag because while I love a full set of eye brushes ISPY really likes to send out brush sets, these may become part of my travel set of brushes but for right now I don’t need to add them to the rest of my brush cup. They are stylish and I really like how they feel and it is nice to get full sets of brushes (according to the IPSY page these would retail for $60) because I haven’t bought a full priced brush in probably four years. But at the end of the day a brush is a brush is a brush.
Dr. Brandt Skincare Pores No More Luminzer Primer:
I do not wear a lot of primer, I probably should just for skin protecting and this one blends in really well with my skin so I am happy about that. Also I am a huge fan of Dr. Brandt because their products are great I have never had a reaction to any of them and that in my book is great news. It does for sure blur your pores, I put it on my hand and I can tell where it is which is crazy to me so I am hopeful that on my face it will have all the desired effects that it claims to have.
Pūrlisse Beauty Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Cleansing Milk:
I have a few of the Blue Lotus products from Pūrlisse including the eye cream and I think the sunscreen and I love both of them so having another cleanser to try out and one from a brand I know that my skin can handle is awesome. I am excited to give it a try when I run out of my Tula cleanser and it is soap and sulfate free so it won’t dry my skin out either which is really exciting for me.
Ciaté London Marbled Metals Eyeshadow in Entwine:
The color pay off on this is intense, it’s a beautiful pinky shade and while I like it, it’s really really glittery for me, I am not a person who frequently gets so full glam that my look requires something that is this glittery. It’s a beautiful shade and I will find a reason to wear it, even if it is a highlighter it just looks kind of chunky in the pot so I guess we will see. I’ll figure it out.
Overall it was a pretty good bag, I’m not mad about it. If you want to see what else I got this year you can, January, March, April, May.
Hope you have a great rest of the week, stay safe y’all,
Hey hey it’s MJ, I do hope that everyone had a nice week, I had a week I can’t qualify it as good or bad so it was just a week.
I got my fall fabfitfun box in the mail on Friday, it was pouring rain all day and that is for sure all this girl can ask for, I really like rain. I like overcast days, calm rain, a good book, and tea no matter how cliché that sounds. In all seriousness though we needed the rain it’s been so hot here and we haven’t had the rain we need as farmers get hopefully their final cutting in for hay for the cows this winter. Side note: I grew up surrounded by corn and bean fields (sometimes there wasn’t much more than corn in Indiana.) but now where I live it’s a lot of livestock and not a lot of crops so it’s a completely different kind of farming and I have learned a lot about it. Okay back off the side note and into the box.
Like always these views are my own, I promise.
I am going to start off with an audible sigh and I will explain why. This box was not a diverse as boxes have been in the past. Granted some of that was because of the customization options that I chose and because it is a subscription box with a mystery component not every box can be a winner. With that in mind I love all of the products that I received it was just a little heavy in skin and body care items.
Let’s get into the break down, again like usual the box is $50 four times a year (March, June, September, and December) and the value of this box was between $211-345.99, I am a seasonal member so I have more limited customization options than someone who is a select member has, one day I will go select but that day is not today. Also per usual I will not be telling you the exact value of my box but let’s say it is about in the middle of that range somewhere.
For my first custom option I didn’t really have strong feelings about any of the options given so I chose the mystery item so I didn’t know what I was going to get at all with this one. I did receive the Dr. Brandt Clean Biotic pH-Balanced Yogurt Cleaner with chlorophyll and the Dermelect Runway Ready Luxury Foot Treatment both of which sound pretty great. I think getting these two did give me a little bit less for a diverse spread. The other options were the Plush Ultra Plaid Scarf, (I have like 100 scarves and I don’t need more) Anthropologie Travel Yoga Mat (I have two yoga mats and I don’t think I would need another), the Amika Strand Perfect Styler (again I already have a hair straightener), or the Mobile White Advanced Teeth Whitening Kit.
The next customization option I chose the Kate Spade Lunch Tote, I still like lunch boxes and they are great for work and also it’s Kate Spade so I of course gravitated toward that. It’s a nice tan with black polkadots and it says “out to lunch” on the front. It’s really cute and more functional for me than some of the other options. The other options were the NassifMD Detox Pads, Kut from the Kloth slim striped wallet. Or the Twine cheese board with plate.
The last customization option for seasonal members my choice was the Baublebar Farah Ear Crawlers, I love earrings and I loved the idea of ear cuffs when I was in high school but all of the ones that I had never fit right so here’s hoping that these ones because they are crawlers and go in the hole in my ear will give me that effect but still work. The other options were The Better Skin Co. Lava Magik or Cosmedix Pure C.
So the next two are customizable for select members.
I got the Skinvolve Body Boost Gel, it’s a pre-workout cream to tighten skin and it’s formulated with menthol and green tea. I don’t know how I feel about this one but I think I need to know more about it before passing any real judgment on it. The other options were the Eparé Dual Salt and Pepper Mill, Afterspa Hair Towel Wrap, or the Tréstique Mini Eye Essentials (set of 4).
The next customizable for select members and just random for everyone else, I got the Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Mask (6 Pack). So this I was really excited about I got into under eye masks earlier in the year and they are pretty great for anyone who has under eye issues (like bags) and needs some extra nourishment and hydration there. These have aloe peel extract and lavender oil so I am hopeful that they will be pretty great. The other options were the Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Roller Ball or the Skin&Co Roma Truffle Therapy Face Toner.
These next items were in every box so there was no customization in these.
Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair, okay confession time, I probably need this product more than I would like to admit, my hair is damaged to high heaven, I stopped getting it professionally dyed over a year ago but my ends are still pretty fried so I am actually really excited about this product being in my box.
Harper + Ari Exfoliating Sugar Cubes in Juice Cleanse, these smell amazing first of all. I don’t exfoliate very frequently because my skin is sensitive and that means that most exfoliating products are a little too harsh for my skin so I will be trying it out to see how my skin reacts to them. Like I said though, they smell absolutely amazing.
The last item is the Human + Kind Body Soufflé and it is sealed so I am not going to open it but I am always for a good body lotion, do I use them as often as I should, no, but do I like them and think that I need more? Yes, yes I do.
Overall, I mean, I like the box; I don’t love the box. I saw some comments online to that same tone and I can agree with them now. Fabfitfun is one of the OG boxes like this and I have loved every other one I have received so it’s not a make or break sort of thing. Some of the lack of product diversity is my fault but it was just really skin and body care heavy this time around.
Well that’s it for me and I will see everyone mid-week with another post.
Do you subscribe, did you get anything in this box that you can’t live without? Let me know down in the comments.
I feel like I have been waiting for this box since December when I got my winter box because this subscription box is probably my favorite ever, I love the other boxes I get but nothing can beat full sized items and the brand named items in the box are always really great quality. By the time you are all reading this I have had the box for at least a week, I have been a little busy and I had some posts scheduled ahead of time so this is a little later than I wanted it to be.
Seriously, this box was amazing, like usual I am not going to tell you how much the total of my box was because that’s just a little odd for me, the box is $50 four times a year or $180 once a year to be a select member, I will probably upgrade to that at some point because it allows for more customization options and early access to the edit sales and customization as well as an earlier ship date. I feel like in my past unboxings I have kind of glossed over this portion of the subscription service.
Like I said this box is $50 a quarter and this box was valued between $226.99 and $314 dependent on the customizations and the options that were available to potentially be in this box. Really, this box is worth over four times what you pay and that is such a good return on your investment. The only thing I am going to say about the value of mine was it was in the upper mid-range of those prices. If you really want to you can do the research and look up the prices of the items to see an exact figure.
Per usual all of these opinions are mine, as they always are.
Okay, enough exposition, now onto the real stuff; what did I get? I am going to start out with the items that I had the ability to customize and I will tell you the other options that I opted not to get, what I didn’t get may be something that you love but what I chose I wanted more.
Deux Lux Demi Backpack: I am a sucker for backpacks because I screwed my shoulders up when I was in high school carrying heavy one shoulder bags to class so I have carried a backpack since late 2015 and I have not looked back. This is a smaller and more versatile than the faux leather backpack that I carry usually. It is pretty light weight and it is canvas and vegan leather, (according to the care instructions) it seems like it would be great for anything really, dates, music festivals, hanging out with friends, going to the park with your dog. It is a really great backpack and it comes in a protective sleeve so it will be stored in there for now. The other two options were a Show Me Your Mumu Brie Robe, I didn’t choose this one because I am not a robe person. The other option was the Unplug Meditation Aromatherapy Diffuser, this would be a great thing to use the Way of Will Essential Oils from the Winter Box, but I already have a diffuser so I didn’t want to get a second one.
Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial: Now that is a mouth full, I really like Korres I got their body lotion in my spring box last year and it is so nice. It is moisturizing and it smells amazing. I have really been getting into skin care this year so when this was one of the options I jumped on it. It smells amazing and I am really excited to try it and see how it does with my skin, it is dermatologically tested to that usually means that I can use it without any adverse effects. According to the packaging it has over 90% natural content so I should be just fine. The other options were one of two pairs of Quay Australia sunglasses, they are really cute but I wear glasses and I have prescription sunglasses so they wouldn’t work for me. The other option was the Sunnylife Lovers Picnic Set, again really cute but not something for me, I don’t think I have ever been on a picnic in my life.
Makeupdrop Silicon Beauty Applicator: If anyone read my foundation application post you know how much I love my Ulta brand silicon applicator and I am looking forward to trying this one as well. This one was a mystery item, I kind of liked having a bit of mystery even with the customization options, sometimes it is a way to get rid of excess stock and I am totally okay with that. The other two options were a set of Giadzy measuring spoons, I have a set of measuring spoons and I am not a huge fan of plated items because that starts to come off and it gets harder to use the item. The other was a bottle of Lavido body lotion in Mandarin Orange and Bergamot, I have so much lotion that I don’t need any more no matter how much I love Bergamot.
These next two items were customizable to select members so I had no option on what I got here and I was not upset with what I got.
Sip by S’well: It’s an insulated travel water bottle and I have been eyeing a S’well water bottle for years now and I was really hoping to get this option because I am a hoarder of water bottles, as I am writing this I am still mourning my Kate Spade travel tumbler that I dropped on my bathroom floor yesterday (last Thursday for you) and broke, for some reason I break my favorites that I can’t replace and I don’t know why. I really like the fact that it’s covered in triangles for reasons of my own. This is a hand wash only but most water bottles and travel tumblers are so that wasn’t too shocking. The other two options were a bar necklace from The2Bandit’s, which is also really cute or the Ciaté London setting powder, I like Ciaté so I would have been okay with any of the options that were within this category.
Tula Purifying Face Cleanser: Again I have been getting into skin care and I have a pretty good skin care routine going on but I am always willing to try something new. It is probiotic skincare so I am hopeful that I don’t have a reaction to it, I like the packaging it’s nice and simple so I see nothing wrong with that. I can’t really say much else because I haven’t tried it yet to see how my skin reacts to it. The other options were either the Daily Concepts detoxifying brush or the Eleven by Venus (yes, that Venus, the tennis star) jump rope.
These last three were in every box, so every subscriber got all of these items.
Ouai Leave in Conditioner: Ouai is a brand that I am familiar with because of ipsy and it’s a really nice brand. I have pretty dry ends of my hair so having a leave in conditioner is something that I need but I don’t actually have. I am excited to add this into my hair care routine.
Dr. Brandt Skincare Needles No More No More Baggage Eye De-Puffing Gel: Another mouth full to say, it is red so it color corrects for dark spots but I put it on my hand to see it’s consistency and once it sunk in my skin was so smooth and it was amazing. I really like Dr. Brandt so having more good skin care is for sure up my alley. I got a Dr. Brandt product in my winter box as a surprise and I can say, it’s pretty great.
Manna Kadar Champagne Body Scrub: Champagne and Charcoal, sign me up. I am cool with body scrubs; I should use them more because I love how my skin feels like after I wash all of the grit off. I love the packaging, rose gold lid, simple label with a pink and rose gold marble detail around the bottom, it’s so nice. It is a really large jar too, it’s about 18 oz. so for a body scrub that is on the large side from what I have seen. I am excited, pre usual, to give this one a try and really see what it smells and feels like.
So that was my spring box and I am already waiting for the summer box and its accompanying spoilers and customization options. I’m excited for it already.
If you subscribe what did you get? Did you have a favorite this month? Did you not get any of the items that you wanted to get? Let me know in the comments!
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?
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