Tag: ipsy glam bag plus

July 2022 IPSY Glam Box Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ

            This is my last IPSY Glam Bag Plus post, it’s been over four years since I started getting IPSY and I jumped on the GB+ when it came out, I liked it for a long time. Now I just am not finding the joy in it. One day I might go back to it, but it just doesn’t feel like it aligns with my interests anymore. I have pretty much unsubscribed from all of my lifestyle stuff. I switched to a book box because that’s more in line for what I want now. I have been moving toward a larger book model for a long time because in truth that is my lifestyle. I am much more bookish than I am fashionable. 

            I wrestled with this decision for a while, I did and I don’t regret it. I have watched this brand grow and change for four years and while I enjoyed it, price increases and the feeling that my choices were becoming more and more less what I wanted or needed I made the decision. 

            So, one final time. I have had this document up for days, I should probably just get it done.

The Bag:

            It’s a cute little beachy wave pattern, in yellow and while with the drawstrings that look like those adjustable bracelets that we used to wear in the 90’s and 2000’s. I have seen then since then, but that’s my first thought were those bracelets. 

The Products: 

Murad Acne Control Oil and Pore Control Mattifier Broad Spectrum SPF45:

            I like Murad, that is no secret, no secret at all and I NEED to wear more SPF because I don’t wear enough. Though I also don’t go out in the sun much because at the moment it is 10:50 AM on a Monday and its 90 feels like 95, it might be up in the 100’s this afternoon. So, I should be wearing more sun protection when I am outside. 

Araceli Beauty Tequila Highlighter in Blanco:

            It’s a nice golden shade with a little bit of a bronze undertone, it diffuses nicely because like usual as I am writing this, I am swatching as I go, I am a mess and that is totally fine. I was never meant for the beauty community. I do like the shade though and it went on easily with not a lot of fall out and that’s always great when it comes to a highlighter. I do really like the brand Araceli as well; I have never had a product from them that I didn’t enjoy.

Sonäge Skincare Baby Frioz Mini Icy Globes in Lilac:

            I saw things like this on a Buzzfeed video years ago and I chose this one because I was like “why not?” They look like a lot of fun and I am looking forward to giving them a try. I just have to really figure out how to use them. I know that I will because I have been getting more and more into facial care like this because facials as a whole a very expensive. 

Volition Beauty Screen Time Hydra Mist:

            There were no other choices that I wanted in this category, I think it’s supposed to protect you from blue light or something, or it just hydrates you, I really don’t know. It came in a plastic bag and I’m glad it did because it leaked in transit so I had oil everywhere when I finally opened it up. I had to wash the bottle because it was so oily. It feels nice though, I am usually a person who if I need a hydrating mist, I use rose water, but we are giving this a try. 

Kimchi Chic Beauty Thailor Bronzer in Went to Malibu: 

            Okay, it diffuses out nicely but it’s too dark for me. I swatched it and now my hand just looks like I got into cocoa powder. I like the packaging and it went on alright, but it’s just too dark for me. That was a huge problem I had with IPSY; they choose these colors that they think will work but are usually too dark for me because I am so fair. They have to make sure they are doing the best for everyone which is great, but if I can’t use it, it feels like a waste. I might be able to make it work, but I would have to buff and blend it out almost completely. 

            So here we are, the end of an era, the end of a chapter in my blog journey and that is totally okay. Tastes change and I am not going to stagnate in my journey through life. Life is the hardest thing you will ever do so I am moving on from this. It doesn’t bring me the same amount of joy that it used to so I am moving on from it. 

            If you still want to see what else I have gotten this year though, you totally can, January, February, March, April, May, and June.

            I will be back later in the week with another post, so until then I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy!

            -MJ 

June 2022 IPSY Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            Well, here we are and I am still just running on the line of, I am averaging 10,000 words a day and I finished two novel drafts so far this month, it’s the 19th as I am writing this. I am over 100,000 this month and about a 1,000 of those have been blog posts because I have just been in that kind of mood and I need to let my muse out or she’s going to beat me to death with the plot bat. Y’all don’t really care about that and that’s fine because that’s where I am at the moment. 

            Like I said in my Glam Bag unboxing this month, they are increasing the prices, I don’t know if I am going to keep them, it’s a balancing act. I might get rid of IPSY and FabFitFun for a while and switch to books. I don’t know yet, I just don’t and here we are. 

            I got this in the mail well over a week ago and it’s been sitting on the floor in my office because I have been working on other projects. Yea, that’s been my life, sorry, actually no, not sorry. 

The Bag:

            Not my favorite, the colors clash for me and not a huge fan of it. I love the idea of the popsicles, that’s fun. It’s just the color scheme for me that makes me cringe a little. Normally I have nothing but nice things to say, but this one aesthetically just missed the mark for me. If you like it, that’s totally cool, I just don’t and that’s okay. 

The Products: 

            I don’t remember what I picked until I actually look at the email, that’s how memorable this bag is for me. It’s fine, if I get rid of either of my Glam Bag subscriptions, it’s gonna be this one. 

Dr. Brandt Skincare Triple Antioxidant Face Cream:

            I love Dr. Brandt so this is a win in my book, but I feel like IPSY has really leaned into the skincare side and not the makeup side recently, or maybe my tastes have changed. I don’t know. I love a good face cream and Dr. Brandt usually doesn’t break me out and that’s good. Antioxidants are amazing so here we are hoping that it does all the things that it says it will.

Dr. Zenovia Hyaluronic Acid+Peptid Serum:

            Saw the name of the brand and thought it said Genovia, you know the country from The Princess Diaries and I was on board. I have been getting more and more into serums since the pandemic started, I need to use mine more. I go in spurts where I do the 12-step skin care routine and then some days I am just lucky to get my face washed and moisturized. It apparently stimulates collagen production and now that I am 30, that’s apparently a thing that I need to worry about. I miss when I could just wash my face and then everything was fine. Oh youth. 

Natasha Denona Ayana Eyeshadow Palette:

            It was Natasha Denona, it’s one of those brands that you see and go, that’s expensive and that means it’s nice. I haven’t swatched the palette and I am not home at the moment to do it, but from everything I have heard about the brand; it’s great. I love the shades though, I thought the last shade in the palette was a weird sagey green, it’s silver. I like that a lot more. This is one of those palettes that contains a whole eye look and that’s so helpful when you don’t want to pack a bunch of different eyeshadow palettes. 

Vike Beauty Makeup Melt:

            I have used micellar water, I have used cleanser, I have used solid makeup removing cream, I have used my Makeup Eraser (and love it), so when there was a product for removing makeup that I haven’t tried I was like “give it to me!” I’m going to try a makeup removing spray because why not? I will check back in with the results on that one. 

Lovita Never Lost Necklace:

            This is the first time I have been (I think) offered something that wasn’t makeup or skin care and I was all for this one too, I love necklaces and it’s a cute little compass. It’s interesting that I got this as a pickable option. So, I rolled with it, I am all for a new cool thing and it was nice to have an option that wasn’t just beauty related. I love a good lifestyle moment. 

            My box this month was worth quite a bit so you do get your bang for your buck with the GB+, I will say that, but I am not using the products fast enough to really justify it as much as I used to. I don’t know yet, I am going to see what it looks like when they increase the prices and then I will make my decisions. 

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

            Alright, I will be back later in the week with another post, so until then, I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy!

            -MJ 

May 2022 IPSY Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

This was supposed to come out a good week ago, so roll with me, it’s been a long few weeks.

            School is ending so I have been all sorts of busy the last few weeks and I just haven’t been in the mood to write blog posts. I haven’t really been in the mood to do much beyond drink coffee and survive. So, I have had this sitting on the floor of my office for over a week now. Whoops, my bad. 

            I got some really cool stuff this month though so I need to get this post out and done because I am still waiting on a replacement for a thing from my regular Glam Bag. My bubble mailer came open so something fell out and I had to reach out to customer service about it. They are really good, ISPY’s customer care is great.

            Let’s dive right in though because I have a billion things to do this weekend and I don’t want to do any of them. 

The Bag:

            I love this bag, I love the flower motif and the color scheme, I am actually getting to the point where I like the drawstring bags better, don’t get me wrong I still love the regular Glam Bags, but I am getting more use out of the draw string bags, which is shocking for me because I didn’t really like them at the beginning. 

The Products: 

Rodial Soft Focus Glow Drops: 

            It’s a primer, it smells good and a little goes a long way. It is an illuminating primer so it does give a very subtle glow to the skin and it really does cover pores, I used it on the back of my hand because that’s where I swatch everything and it for sure made my pores less noticeable, but it’s still a primer. I don’t really use primers so this one is something that I probably won’t use much. I want to know what helps them make the choices on what to send, because I think on my beauty quiz I for sure have that I don’t really use primers and I don’t think I rate them well either. 

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cleanser:

            I love Kate Somerville; I love the facial lotion from this same line and I think I have one in my fridge at the moment. I am actually running out of facial cleanser so this was a really exciting one to see that they picked for me. I have never had anything from her brand that breaks me out or causes a bunch of irritation so I am really looking forward to trying this one out here shortly. 

PMD Clean Smart Facial Cleansing Device in Warmth:

            I have been wanting one of these for years. I love my Foreo facial cleanser tool, but this one has a handle on it and I feel like that will be a little easier to use. It’s just so cool and seriously I have wanted one for a while and not wanted to spend the full price on it because it’s expensive. (It retails for about $100, which is a little out of my price range for something like this.) Also, it’s battery powered unlike the Foreo I have, which is really cool also because that means that it’s usable over and over again without worrying about it. 

Aceology Rose Quartz Gua Sha Facial Massager in Pink:

            I would hope it’s pink because rose quartz is pink, but really I love it. I chose this one because I have wanted a Gus Sha for a while because they are apparently really great for drainage. I have a facial roller as well that I need to use more. I’m so glad there is a diagram on the back of the box because I am an idiot when it comes to stuff like this. I love the idea of it, but in practice I am kind of dumb when it comes to all of the facial rollers and things. I am really looking forward to adding it into my beauty routine though. 

Formula Z Cosmetics Transforming Beauty Palette: 

            I like the packaging, it does remind me of Anastasia’s (I think, I am not going to dig it out of my collection at the moment) highlighter palettes. I like the shades, they look like a lot of fun and I am looking forward to actually swatching them, I can’t yet because I haven’t taken the pictures, I will in a few minutes though because I am writing this Sunday morning and it comes out at noon. It’s a pretty basic cheek palette which is never a bad thing, I just hope that the color payoff is good. 

            Well, there you have it, a post that should have come out like two weeks ago, but I have just been in a place where this wasn’t a feasible thing to work on. I am learning that while I want to post twice a week and I should be, sometimes I can’t and I would very much like to avoid burning out because that would not be the best thing for me. I am trying to balance everything and it’s a weirdly precarious balancing act that I am working on. It’s hard when that balancing act changed every week, rather let’s be real 100 times a day. 

            If you want to see what else I have gotten this year, you totally can: January, February, March, and April. 

            I will be back with another post later in the week so until then I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy.

            -MJ

April 2022 IPSY Glam Bag Unboxing

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            Well, well, well, here we are almost at the end of April and that’s so hard to believe, I am going to preface this post with some stuff. April is birthday month my birthday is on a certain day this month that makes a lot of people want junk food. So here we are and there are fer things in this bag that have that vibe, those were the choices I was given and here we are. 

            So, my bag got here a few days ago and I have been putting off writing this post and my regular Glam Bag posts because I have been trying to write a bunch of other stuff and my blog posts kind of get shoved for my books, they take priority so here we are. I am writing this alone in my apartment on a Saturday night because I don’t have much of a social life and that is 100% my choice. 

            I liked the bag though so let’s get right on into it. 

The Bag: 

            It’s super cute with daisies on it, who doesn’t love daisies and it feels like it’s made out of a water-resistant material, that’s what it feels like, I don’t know if it is or not. It’s a really cute bag though and I like the texture; it’s very spring all around.

The Products: 

F.A.R.A.H 4pc Complete Face Set:

            Leaning into the flower power theme is this brush set. I have a few sets of F.A.R.A.H brushes and they are all amazing, I like the handles on these ones, not just because of the daisy design but because they are a solid thing to hold onto, I have some brushes where the handle is what makes it hard to use, these are for sure not going to fall into that category. The brushes themselves are soft and well-made and they all came in netting so the bristles weren’t everywhere which was really a great choice on their part. 

Kimchi Chic Beauty Puff Puff Pass Set & Bake Setting Powder in 03 Translucent:

            Now that is a long name. Here is where I started to see a theme with the products this month. I love a good setting spray and the packaging on this one was amazing. The powder puff is nice and the holes in the powder itself is in the shape of a heart and that is super cute. I feel like I should have more to say about this one, but I can’t really pass much judgement until I actually give it a try, it’s super cute though and I am excited for it. 

Kopari Beauty CBD Recovery Balm:

            I picked this I think and that was because it’s a recovery balm. My shoulders hurt all the time and I need something to try and dull that pain away so I am so for trying this one out. I think that CBD has a lot of benefits. I need an anti-inflammatory and that’s about all it is. I just need something to bring the pain down a little bit because I carry all of my stress in my shoulders and my left foot so I am just trying to find something that will help. I for sure will not be able to use this and then go to work, people will think I am smoking something. Like I don’t know if I am placeboing it but it made my neck feel better. 

High High Expectations Cannabis Facial Oil:

            I didn’t know that this was a thing to be honest, I usually stray away from things like this, again, birthday, sense the theme here. I can for sure say that this one does not smell like it is the thing that it is, which is super cool. I am all for using products that help, I don’t know much about a lot of them but here we are. 

Lilly Lashes Level Up Lash Enhancing Serum:

            I love the packaging, it’s super cool to be completely honest and I love cool packaging, it should shock no one. I have pretty good natural lashes but after years and years of mascara they are not as nice as they used to be so I am hoping that maybe this will help a little bit, who knows. I have never used a lash serum so we are going to try it out and see how it is.

            Well, there you have it, sense the theme that I somehow got with this bag. It’s a really good bag over all and I am excited to see the choices for next month because I have no idea what they are going to be. I’ll find out eventually. 

            If you want to see what else I have gotten this year; you totally can, January, February, and March.

            I will be back later in the week with a new post so until then I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy!
 

            -MJ

March 2022 IPSY Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 10 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            Well, here we are with another post because I let March absolutely get away from me with no remorse at all. I feel like we are still at the beginning of March, it is for sure not, I am writing this on April First, AKA April Fool’s Day and I am trying not to get pranked by my class. 

            I don’t feel like I have much to say before I actually get into the meat of this post, I don’t really want to say much, I just want to get this written at this point. That’s not the kindest thing to say to a thing that I enjoy doing. I love blogging, it just bogs me down sometimes. Maybe it’s the content, maybe it’s the schedule; I really don’t know but somedays it’s just hard to write anything for this place that I like. 

The Bag:

            I like this one a lot better than the Glam Bag this month. I think it’s the all over patterning, I like all over patterning and this is just another example of IPSY doing a great job at that and the strings say “Power moves only” and this think this is the first time that the strings have had anything printed on them and that is super cool. I like the geometric pattern on this one as well, I know I am repeating that word a lot, but it’s true. Overall super cute bag that I cannot wait to find a reason to use. 

The Products: 

Freck Beauty Rich Bitch Cactus + Vitamin C Moisturizer: 

            Who doesn’t love a product with a funny name? I mean I love catchy names when it comes to products. That is one reason why I love Sunday Riley so much, also their stuff is amazing. I have never heard of this brand, I don’t think anyway, it is entirely possible that I have seen it before while scrolling through the internet and I just don’t remember it. I love a good moisturizer and I am always excited to try and new one. Okay, I have heard of the brand, they made the freckle pen, that’s why it was familiar. It’s got some really good ingredients in it so I am excited to give it a try when I run out of the other moisturizers that I have waiting in my fridge for their time to shine. 

Seoulkleen Probiotics Balancing Cleanser: 

            It’s K beauty from what I can assume with their name, I went to their website and confirmed my suspicions. K Beauty is one of the very few things that I can say with almost 100% certainty that I won’t have a reaction to. I am so excited to try this one out because I just opened up my last cleanser, even though collecting these beauty boxes makes me feel like a hoarder sometimes, so I am excited to be able to give this one a try as well. Also, the buzzwords of vegan and cruelty free will always get me interested. 

Laura Geller Baked Blush-n-Brighten Marbleized Blush in Tropic Hues: 

            I chose this one, I am still trying to get into blush, it’s working slowly but surely and then I fall back into my normal routine of foundation and concealer and maybe, if I’m feeling it, a couple of coats of mascara. It’s a really nice shade and I will feel like I am in the mid-2000’s with a marble blush, don’t ask me why, but I will. It’s clean beauty which is also really nice and it’s baked for 24 hours apparently. My dumb self didn’t think they actually baked the blush, I feel kind of dumb now. Can’t wait to have a reason to use this one though because it truly is a beautiful shade. 

Karmela Cosmetics The Defiance Palette: 

            This is what I would wear if I was planning a heist, I think it’s the name to be completely honest. It’s a nice neutral shades palette that’s not as large as some of my other neutral shade palettes. I love a good neutral shade though, I have not swatched these yet so I don’t know how the pigmentation is or the powder factor, I have no idea at the moment. I am going to judge the product by its package for a moment and say that it looks cool and fun. People on the IPSY reviews page have mixed feelings about this one so I can only imagine that it’s a little polarizing when it comes to what people want in an eyeshadow. I have been watching someone on TikTok make eyeshadow palettes into watercolor paint and that is super cool! Not going to do that, but it’s just worth mentioning that the clock app has taken over my life. 

Chella Good Drama Mascara in Black: 

            It’s mascara, I feel like I want to talk more about it, but it’s mascara and to me most mascaras are about the same. I know that some of them promise to make your lashes as big as the moon, but there are some that are $50 and some that are $7 and they do the same thing. Also, you have to throw them away after a few months and so it’s just not worth it, right? It’s water resistant so getting this one off is going to be an adventure, not my first rodeo and I am willing to look like a raccoon for a few minutes, just hope it’s worth the trouble in the end. 

            Well, there you all have it. My IPSY Glam Bag Plus from March, I am a little behind and I am in the middle of what I am calling “catch up post-mageddon” I just need to get things posted so I am not pulling out my own hair trying to move things around throughout the month when I can just have a few days where I post every day because it’s my blog and why not? 

            If you want to see what I got in my January or February bags you totally can, just click on the month and you can go over there and read them.

            I will be back I think tomorrow with another post, so until then I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy! 

            -MJ

February 2022 IPSY Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ, 

            Well, here we are like most of the way through February and I am not sure how that actually happened. I got this package in my mailbox like a week and a half ago and then my life got busy. When this goes out, I am not even home, I post everything scheduled but I’ll actually be out with people. What?! MJ has a social life? No, well not really, maybe eventually I will. 

            I am just going to roll into this post though because I don’t know what my Sunday is actually going to look like because I am writing this on Wednesday and I still have two days of work and Saturday that separate me from that. 

            I hope everyone’s having a good week and had a pleasant Valentine’s Day, if you celebrate. 

The Bag: 

            It’s hearts and an exact opposite color way of the Glam Bag which will be the next post that comes out, I think. I don’t remember but I think so. I like the red hearts on the blush pink; it’s really cute. Not my favorite bag of all time, but still really cute. 

The Products: 

            I don’t remember which ones were chosen for me and which ones I chose and I didn’t get an email this month with a condensed look at my products. I also don’t think I rated products last month…oops. 

Byroe Fig Renewal Oil:

            I am still getting into facial oils and when I saw this, I thought it was perfume and I thought that was a fun new thing that ISPY was carrying. I was incorrect and it is a facial oil. I do not like how it smells, like it does not smell good and I know that good skin care shouldn’t be heavily perfumed but this one does not smell good. Also, with oils I prefer a dropper instead of shaking the product out of the bottle, it’s a little weird. Let’s hope the skin benefits outweigh both of those things. One more note, for the price point of this product at retail price, it’s really small.

Glamlite S’mores Highlight and Contour Palette: 

            I love the packaging and the idea. My one issue with it is that the bronzer contour shade is way too dark for me. I like the other two shades but Chocolate is so dark and I would look very odd with a tone that dark on my face. So this one kind of missed the mark for me just for that contour color as someone who is on the pale side. 

111Skin Cryo Pre-Activated Toning Cleanser:

            I picked this one, I looked on the website and it tells me what I picked which is really convenient. I love 111Skin it’s one of those brands that if I couldn’t get it in a subscription box, I wouldn’t buy it because it is just so expensive. I am really looking forward to giving this one a try because I am just about out of cleanser and I am all for a new one. 111Skin is just one of those brands that I really enjoy because it was developed by a doctor and usually those brands don’t break me out and that is all I want some days. 

Clean Skin Club Vitamin C Brightening Booster:

            I picked this one too because the choices were not that great and I have so many serums now. I think I am going to give this one to my mom so she can try out serums as well. I love the brightening benefits that this one claims, but I just have so many. The benefits of this one for sure sound more up my mom’s street than mine so I will probably pass this one on to her which I am totally cool with.

Stay Vulnerable Glossy Lip Balm in Nearly Mauve:

            I like the packaging and I am hoping that this one isn’t super glossy. I picked this one because it was the only one that I even considered wanting. I am wearing it at the moment because I do that with glosses when I get them to see how sticky they are to make sure that I want to even keep it. It’s a pretty sheer shade and I like that about it and it isn’t super sticky so that is really exciting for me because I used really sticky gloss in the 2000’s and I am still reeling from how much gloss I used as a pre-teen and a teenager because it was such a bigger thing then. 

            Well, there you have it. This was my February GB+ and it was pretty good. I still wish that ultra-personalization was different but I think I might be in the minority on that one. 

If you want to see what I got in January, you totally can, just click on the month!

            I don’t really have all that much to say and that’s totally okay at the moment because this post is just about what I got and how I feel about it, I don’t have to have a bunch of exposition. 

            I will see everyone later in the week with another post so until then, I hope that everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy.

            -MJ 

January 2022 IPSY Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ, 

            Here we are with my first GB+ of the year. I know that my last post was my Glam Bag for the month and I don’t like doing a back-to-back like this but I am still trying to figure out what is going to go in my Best in Beauty for 2021, I really don’t have many things that were amazing to me in 2021 but we will find some things. Spoiler, this is going out a lot later than I planned because I was sick so I kind of missed some posts, whoops. 

            So with my first bag of the year, I am going to just say, again, this ultra-personalization does not feel real personal, I don’t want to switch to a different beauty subscription but I feel like I am not getting a variety any more. I could redo the beauty quiz but I feel like nothing is going to change. Again, if you as a brand and company want to know how people feel beyond your social media comments send out a survey to everyone because we are paying to be a part of the community and we would like a voice beyond the standard form letter in social media comments. 

            I know that the pandemic has messed so much up and we are still dealing with it, that I get and I understand, it’s just getting to a point where I don’t feel like as a member I am appreciated. 

The Bag:

            I love the bag, I love the smiley face theme this month and the pastel watercolor pattern on this and the Glam Bag this month, it’s super fun and I am loving the drawstring bags that come with the GB+ now. I don’t feel like I have much to say about it though, I really like the bag this month.

The Products: 

111Skin Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Booster: 

            111Skin is amazing, I love their products and I love a good hyaluronic acid treatment and I need to use my serums more again while trying to find one that I have that I can give to my mom because she wants to see what the hype is with serum. I need a good hydrating serum this time of year because my skin is dry. I need to buy a tiny humidifier because my apartment is super dry and I need more hydration. Seriously, the winter takes everything out of my skin and now that I am back to wearing a mask full time it makes it a little bit more complicated. 

Róen Beauty Cake Mascara in Black:

            The applicator on this is HUGE! I mean it’s so big and I love the sleek look of the packaging. I just opened a mascara so this one will go into the collection until I get a chance to give it a try. It says it doesn’t flake, I always put that to the test because when it says that usually by the end of my school day I am getting mascara in my eyes. So I’ll be putting that to the test soon enough. 

Realher Power Wear Ombre Bronzer in You Are Golden:

            I love this shade! Normally when I get bronzers, they are too dark for me and this one is a perfect shade for me and my skin tone. I am so excited to give this one a try, not right now because it’s the middle of winter. It’s also clean beauty which I am a huge fan of and I am glad that we are getting more clean beauty brands making it to the main stream. I love the packaging and I cannot wait to give this one a try and hopefully absolutely love it. 

Context Skin Tinted Lip Balm Duo in All or Nothing and Hard Time:

            The shades are beautiful and I cannot wait to give these a try, I like tinted lip balm all the benefits of lip balm and the color and fun of a lipstick. All of the packaging in this bag is super simple and I love all of it. I tend to go for either the ones that are completely out there or the ones that are nice and simple and these are beautiful shades, a little more fall toned but I will give them a try here soon enough. 

Hipdot All in One 4-piece brush set:

            Who doesn’t need another set of eye brushes? I love a good eye look and this was the only option for this selection that I even thought about wanting or needing. I like the fact that I can just take a few brushes and finish an eye look. A good multipurpose eye brush. They are brushes, I like the handles because they are super cool, but they are brushes and most of the time most brushes are pretty similar for me. 

            Well there you have it, my GB+ for January 2022, I cannot believe we are already writing another year’s worth of these. There are no other ones to check out at the moment, you can read my regular Glam Bag post for January if you are interested in it. 

            I will be back with another post later in the week, hopefully I will have figured out what my top in beauty for 2021 is and I will be posting that, spoilers, I didn’t. So until then I hope that everyone has a good rest of the week and stays safe, happy, and healthy.

            -MJ

December 2021 IPSY Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’ MJ,

            This post was supposed to be like a week and a half ago but my box shipped on the 7th and then there was nothing until like the 23rd I think. So, I thought for a while there I was just going to have to email, for the second time this year, and tell them it was lost. 

            I get it, this is the worst time of the year for shipping, it’s painful. I know I ordered something in August expecting it in October but they were waiting on something for the box and it’s shipping at some point this week. Woo. 

            Let’s just roll right into it because I don’t really have much else to say. 

The Bag:

            I love the blush pink with the gold stars and accents, the gold drawstring is also really cool. This is for sure one of my favorite GB+ bags this year and I cannot wait to find a reason to use it. I will, y’all mark my words. 

The Products: 

            I actually took pictures of my choices; I don’t think I am going to post them but they feel really limited. I know it’s “ultra-personalization” but I wish they would send out a survey or something because I have some things that I would like to say and it’s very clear that none of them read my blog. All I’m really getting is skin care products and if that keeps up, I am going to cancel, it’s that simple. I can find another box that I want or I can save money too, it’s just becoming annoying. I love skin care and I can get some really good skincare cheap through IPSY, but I miss the variety of the boxes. 

Clarity RX Daily Dose Water Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum:

            I am drowning in serums, I am going to give a few to my mom because I love serum, but I have a lot of them and I need to get rid of some of them. Like this is expensive, super expensive actually so here we are. This is the season for a hydrating serum because it’s dry outside and cold, so I am looking forward to trying it out. 

Kate Somerville Exfolikate Glow Moisturizer: 

            I love Kate Somerville; her moisturizer was some of my favorite this year. It’s so good and I am really looking forward to actually using this one. All of her products smell good, I cannot describe them, they just smell really good and they make my skin feel amazing. 

Treslúce Beauty Intenso Liner Duo in Fuerte + Honest:

            That’s right, I chose liners, I don’t really wear liner, but with a more pencil feel maybe I’ll get back into liners. Also, one is black and the other is a bronze and I really want to give them a try. Look at me branching back out into makeup, look at me. Maybe 2022 will be the year I bring back liner in my routine.

111Skin Vitamin C Brightening Booster Serum: 

            I know there are two serums in this bag and I was complaining about serums, but 111Skin is amazing and I love it so much. It’s just one of those brands that you cannot pass up if given the chance. Their products are so good and I am using one of them right now and it’s doing some great things to my skin because I was using another moisturizer and it was drying my entire face out so much that I was peeling. So, I needed a refresh and 111Skin came to my rescue. 

Neogen Dermatology A-Clear Soothing Foam Cleanser: 

            I love Neogen, I got a sample size of their products last year or earlier this year and it was such a good little cleanser, so I am really excited to give this one a try because I am running out of cleanser. I like that the product is dermatologist tested which usually means that my skin doesn’t react to it and that is so exciting. It has a bunch of good cleansing agents in it so I am going to look forward to getting a chance soon to use this one. 

            Well, that’s my bag, very skin care heavy because that felt like all of the options I had, and that’s probably because I rate skin care well, because that’s all I get. It’s becoming a vicious cycle and it’s starting to get annoying. 

            If you want to see what else I have gotten this year, you totally can; January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November.

            I will be back later in the week with my last book post of the year, if you are into that it’s going to be a long one. So, until then I hope everyone has an amazing end to 2021 and I will see y’all in 2022, I hope that you stay safe, happy, and healthy.

            -MJ 

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 

September 2021 IPSY Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 11 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ, 

            How are we already this far into September? I cannot believe that we are already over a month into school. That is just so hard for me to wrap my head around. Seriously, now if only it would feel like it was later September and not still in the high 80’s at all times; that would be great. I am ready for more fall weather, I miss sweaters and I will not miss sweating. 

            So I got this bag in the mail a few days ago and I will say this, I didn’t feel like I had that many choices when I was doing my personalization. I had the standard number but I didn’t feel like I had any variety when it came to the content of the choices. I like variety and I love some of the brands that I get as samples but never see them as full sized. Seriously, if they just put out a list that said ‘pick three’ from all of the options for the month I would absolutely jump on that more than picking from four things and hoping that I like it because it was the most appealing even when I am not a huge fan of the choices. They have been doing this ultra-personalization for over a year now and I feel like they are getting to know me less and less because the options are just kind of blah sometimes. 

            I needed to get that out there because it’s just been something on my mind for the last several months and I feel like I haven’t brought it up in a while. I know that I am probably in the minority of people who have any adverse feelings about this but it’s how I feel and I can and am allowed to express my opinions on my own blog. 

So let’s get into the actual bag though: 

The Bag:

             I love this bag, it’s very school and for sure makes me think of Clueless, I have honestly never seen the movie it’s iconic enough that it’s one of those movies that makes sense to relate to it. I grew up on Mean Girls so there’s that. (I didn’t see that one until college and my sorority sisters were appalled that I had never seen it, so we watched it.) This bag though is for sure going down in my list of favorites for the GB+. It’s plaid, who doesn’t love a good plaid in the fall. I know I for sure do.

The Products: 

Aceology Overnight Lip Mask:

            I am not a huge fan of lip masks, usually they don’t feel like they do anything for me, but I have been wearing more lipstick and lip gloss as of recently so maybe having a new lip mask to try is going to be a good thing or my overnight beauty routine. It’s got a bunch of really good oils in it and I love anything with macadamia nut oil in it so here is hoping that I really like this product when I get a chance to try it, which might be the night I am writing this. 

Murad Clarifying Oil-Free Water Gel:

            If it is not clear already, I am a huge Murad fan. I have been using various products from the brand since like the summer of 2018 and I have never had one of them that isn’t amazing. During the summer I love a good gel moisturizer and there are even some nights in my beauty routine that I do a double moisturizer and usually the gel goes below the cream. That might not be the right order or even a good idea but sometimes my skin needs all the moisture it can get. I am not a super hydrated human. It’s non-comedogenic and that’s always the best because it won’t clog my pores and that’s pretty much all I need in life; not to clog my pores more than they already are. 

East 29th Vital Serum:

            I have been getting into serums in about the last year and I have been loving every single one. This one is clean beauty at IPSY and at this point I think that a lot of brands, if possible, will be shifting over to clean beauty. I know that clean beauty usually doesn’t affect my skin as much as others. It has a lot of good things in it and I am so excited to finish the serum I am currently using so I get to be one step closer to using this one. 

Mischo Beauty Sheer Lip Shine + Lip Balm in Ijama: 

            I had the choice for two lip products on this one and this was the one that matched my color palette more for fall so this was the one that I went with. I also really like sheer lip products sometimes if I want the benefits of having something on my lips but don’t want to deal with full coverage lipstick. I am so excited to use this and I plan on making it my staple color this fall. At this point why not, I started wearing highlighter again and lip products for reasons that I am not going to discuss, but here we are. 

Vegan by Happy Skin Original Skin Essence Toner: 

            I used to use toner when I was a teenager and it was whatever I got at Wal-Mart or Target and I couldn’t use it because it physically hurt. I started using toner again a little over a year ago and I have found that I can use it, just not the ones that you can get at chain stores. I mean that shouldn’t be shocking, I can’t use a lot of drugstore products on my face. My face will get almost immediately irritated. It’s vegan which is always a win in my book and it has aloe vera in it, which is amazing. I am so excited to gt to using this one. I am still using another one but this will be my next toner. I can’t put toner on every day, I will regret it so it’s every other day at most otherwise my entire face just gets tight and I don’t like it.

            Well I think that’s all I need to say about my GB+ this month, I am looking forward to seeing what they think I want next month. Here’s my thing, the more skin care I review the more they think that I want, but when that is the only thing I am being offered it’s not like I have a choice. It’s like getting stuck in a weird algorithm and I am not sure how to get out of it. 

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

            I will see everyone later in the week with another post, until then I hope that every stays safe, happy, and healthy out there.

            -MJ