Tag: Sunday Riley

What Was in My April 2021 IPSY Glam Bag?

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ, 

            Happy almost May everyone, I cannot believe that we are getting this close to May, after the 2020 that we had it feels like 2021 is just flying by. Also it is April 20th and it snowed in Arkansas today, yea that feels bonkers to me, but here we are.

            I got this in the mail several days ago but I just haven’t been writing as many posts ahead of time as I usually do, (it’s not a good choice but that is where we are at the moment, no matter how rushed and stressed it makes me feel.) so I am writing this on Tuesday night and posting it because that is my life. 

            I got my March bag as well so I will be sharing that here soon, I promise. This post probably will be pretty short because that’s what I am capable of tonight.

            As always the opinions in this post are mine, they always are but I feel like I need to say that and I don’t say it enough. 

The Bag:

            It is more of a canvas and I love the pattern, it’s probably in my top ten favorite overall patterns that I have ever gotten and I really want to find a use for this because I want to carry it with me everywhere. 

The Products: 

Pacifica Beauty Wild Hemp Eyeshadows: 

            I really like Pacifica when it comes to skin care, I used to use their makeup wipes all the time. I use a Makeup Eraser now but I have used them for travelling over the years. This is a great tiny travel palette because it is five shades and two of them are matte so it is a really good on the go type of palette and I always need one of those to go with me when I don’t want to take a full pan palette with me. They are all really pretty warm neutral shades and I am super jazzed about it. 

Pür Mini Fully Charged Mascara: 

            Pür is a brand that I really like as a whole and I had to throw away a tube of mascara yesterday because it was getting to the expiry point. (my right eye is really sensitive to everything and I wasn’t sure if it was the air in the building I work in or the mascara and I think it was a combination of both) So I am always in the market for a new mascara. My one thing about mascara is that I never know what to say about it beyond the fact that it’s great and makes my eye lashes look good when I don’t straight up sneeze while I am applying it. 

Saint Luxe Highlighter in Celestial:

            I think if you have been hanging around my blog for a while you know how much I love highlighters, if you haven’t welcome in, I love highlighters. I like the shade though, it’s a nice shade, a little coppery, it’s a little dark for my skin tone though if you really blend it out, it looks amazing. I think this would be more of a summer shade for me when I have even a slight tan. It is really nice though and I plan on adding this to my summer routine as we get toward that time of the year.

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum:

            I love Sunday Riley, that’s not a secret either. I wish I could get The Martian toner again because I loved that and now I can’t seem to find it. I would buy full sizes of the products but they are so expensive. I know I am paying for the quality but it’s just a little steep. Seriously, I got the eye cream last year, used it all and was thinking about buying it but it was like $65 dollars and I just couldn’t justify that when I get an IPSY Glam Bag Plus every month and they seem to just be sending me skin care. I am really excited to give this one a try because it’s Sunday Riley and they have such amazing products. 

Tatcha The Water Cream:

            I chose this one and I have chosen it in the past because I love it so much, this is one of those products were I keep saying that I am going to get a full size of it, it’s also really expensive but totally worth it because it’s amazing. This is probably one of my favorite IPSY samples ever, hence why I picked it again. If you want a good hydrating moisturizer, I would 110% suggest this one. I have combination skin but it does get oily and this is moisturizing without making my skin feel more oily and that is the best! If you want a holy grail item for me, Tatcha’s Water Cream is for sure one of them. 

            I loved my bag this month, it hit all the marks for me; which sometimes doesn’t happen, but this month it for sure did. I really liked every product I received in this bag and I am looking forward to next month. 

            I don’t really have much else to say about this one because I have nothing to complain about, it was a great bag and if you want to read my other bags this year, you can check those out: January, February, and March (when it gets published over the weekend).

            I hope everyone stays safe, happy, and healthy.

Until next time, 

            -MJ 

May 2020 ipsy Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            So another month and it’s just about the middle and I am FINALLY posting something, I had so many plans for this month but my life again decided to kick me a couple of times. But that is not what we are here to do! Bright spot in what is kind of an interesting time in the world.

            I am excited to talk about what I got in my glam bag plus this month because it was actually a really cool box.

            One thing that I need to say is that this month it came in a larger box than usual, see the photo and you’ll understand. Last month it came in a bubble mailer and I liked it but this month they chose the box again and I don’t know why they changed it or what the next month’s shipping container will look like. 

            I love the bag, it’s blue to yellow ombre and I am such a huge fan of ombre. I love the little tassel zipper pull and the bag shape. I am liking the variety of bags they are coming out with in recent memory and the inside of the bag is yellow with what looks like gold confetti and I love it!

            What did I get though? Let’s talk about the products that I received. Again I miss the little card that talks about the products

Beauty For Real Hi Def Mascara in Just Black:

            I have never seen a mascara wand that is this little, I don’t mind it but it’s mascara and I like mascara that’s pretty well established. It goes on pretty well and it does collect on the lashes really easily. My only complaints are that it is a little clumpy but let’s be real there is a good chance that is used error and it takes a long time to dry. It doesn’t take a lot to take off though so that in my book is not a bad thing. I am excited to actually give it a nice long wear test to see how it does in that regard.

Coloured Raine Cosmetics Mimosa Moment Palette: 

            Cute little to-go palette and I was looking for a new to-go palette to carry around with me and I really like the colors in this one it’s a nice balance between matte and shimmer shades and for a palette this size it has a really nice mirror. The shades are actually pretty pigmented which I am really thankful for. It is an ipsy Glam Bag Plus exclusive and I am glad that it is better than the last Betty Boop exclusive palette from last year. 

Sugar Rush sugar Coat Velvet Liquid Lipstick in Cupcake:

            Sugar Rush reminds me of Wreck-it Ralph but it is a tarte brand and I am a huge fan of tarte. It smells like frosting which I cannot be mad about. This shade though for sure is a fall/winter shade not a spring/summer shade so I will try to rock it again in the fall. It goes on smooth and doesn’t dry down too quickly which is nice for a liquid lip and it doesn’t make your lips feel dry after application which I have had in the past with liquid lipsticks and it’s never fun to have to reapply a liquid lip several times throughout the day. Seeing it in the picture description and in the tube I thought it was going to be too dark in general but it’s actually not to bad so I am pleasantly surprised. 

Nomad Cosmetics x Sydney Bathers Kiss of Sun Palette:

            I really like it, I don’t want to ruin the designs in the pans though so I haven’t really tested yet. (I was really careful and touched the center of the pans so I didn’t ruin the designs just yet.) It is super pigmented and the shades are really nice. I love highlighter so this palette is just another amazing addition to my highlighter collection. All the shades are named after Sydney beaches and I kind of love that idea, I have a Germany themed palette from them and well and I love the themed palettes and collections like that.

Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment: 

            Sunday Riley, this was my choice because it was Sunday Riley, I have not met a Sunday Riley product that I don’t like. I have never done a lactic acid treatment so I am looking forward to trying it. I am still getting more and more into skin care and complexion products. It smells like the inside of a Lush store so I am really excited to actually try it on my face and the spot where I put it on my hand is nice and shiny so I am hopeful this does wonders for my face.

            Overall it was a great Glam Bag plus and I loved every product and I am looking forward to next month!

            Do you subscribe? Did you get a favorite product this month? 

            I’ll see everyone later in the week with another post!

            -MJ

April 2020 Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 7 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ, 

            April has pretty much flown by even in quarantine and as I am writing this it’s like the 16th so hopefully as this is being posted maybe we will be able to reemerge into the world but who knows. 

            Let’s talk about what I got in my Glam Bag Plus this month though, like I said in my regular Glam Bag Unbagging this is a bright spot in my month. This month instead of a box the items came in a bubble mailer like the regular Glam Bag, they actually sent out a survey about it asking our opinions and I think it’s fine but I worry about the recyclability in my area where the box was recyclable pretty much everywhere/

The Bag:

            Like the Glam Bag this month it has the same floral pattern but it is a more muted minty green with a zipper around about 75% of the bag itself, that makes it a little hard to zip but over all I really like the idea of the different bags they are coming out with.

The Products: 

Ciaté London Triple Shot XXL Mascara in Black XXL:

            Mascara is one of my staple products and I am always in the market for a new good formula. Now this one claims to be a fiber formula so that does worry me a little bit; in the past with other fiber formulas I have had the fibers dry and get in my eyes and my eyes are sensitive to just about everything getting in them so I am hopeful that this one doesn’t have the flaking problem. 

Céla Crème Rose The Very Best Cream Rose:

            I love the packaging, it’s just really pretty, my one issue with the packaging is the thickness of the tube, it’s not very thick which for a lotion that has a hinged cap that makes it a little tricky to close, you have to be careful with it. The other scent notes besides rose are jasmine and peach. It does smell amazing and it soaks into the skin rather quickly so you don’t feel like you are caked in something. This one is for sure an exciting product even though I never need more lotion but I always loving getting it.

Tarte Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner in Black:

            Again, eyeliner; this is getting ridiculous on the amount of months I have received eyeliner, all black and all liquid which I don’t use. The only saving grace of this eyeliner is that it is double ended so it has a gel/pencil on one side which was the eyeliner that I grew up using, all pencil all the time. I think I used exclusively Maybelline’s gel/pencil eyeliner in middle and into high school. So this one is more up my alley so I might use this one but that leave the question of what to do with the other end of the dual ended eyeliner and what do I do with the rest of the liquid liners I have received, get it together ipsy, I never review eyeliners well.

Girlactik Beauty Jello Gloss Balm:

            I have been trying to figure out where I had heard about this brand and it was in a Tati video on YouTube. I love trying out new balms and I love the simplicity of the packaging on this one. It goes on like a balm and feels like a mixture between a gloss and a balm and for once I am not mad about it. It looks like a translucent pink in the tube and I am actually a huge fan of it. It’s one of those products that is a really good multitasking product and I am looking forward to using it more.

Sunday Riley Martian Mattifying Melting Water-Gel Toner:

            I chose this one, I really did because if they give me the option of a Sunday Riley product I will pick it. Sunday Riley is one of those brands I have coveted for such a long time and now I am using various products in my skin care routine. It doesn’t smell great but I think that’s because of the clay in it so it’s fine. A little goes a long way with this product and I am excited to incorporate this into my skin care routine on a regular basis as I do not currently use a toner. 

            So overall I really liked my Glam Bag Plus this month, even the eyeliner, that’s right even the eyeliner. 

            I’ll see everyone in May hoping that we are getting back to normal here soon, stay safe stay healthy!

            -MJ

Updated Skin Care Routine 2020

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

            Facial Moisturizer: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

            -MJ

June ipsy Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 7 minutes.

I got it in the mail yesterday and I just didn’t open up my laptop with the intention of writing a blog post so I am writing it the following morning, it’s Thursday for me and by the time y’all read this it’s going to be Sundaday just because I have still been dealing with things that have been sapping my creativity and focus so bear with me some more while I deal with those things. 

            I love this box even more than I loved last month’s box, I think though in my opinion that they should think about changing the name from “glam bag plus” to “glam box” because it comes in a box not a bag, I know that is stupid because most beauty “box” subscription services have “box” in their title so ipsy is still keeping it original. So never mind, scrap my idea and keep doing you ipsy, never change. 

            This moth ispy rolled out their collab with Tetris for Tetris’s 35thanniversary with two eyeshadow palettes, a brush set, three lip balms, two lip glosses, and a highlighter. It’s a really cool collection as someone who spent quite a bit of time in high school playing Tetris on the internet while sitting in study hall. 

Sunday Riley C.E.O. Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream

            Okay when I saw I was getting this I was over the moon, I am a huge fan of Sunday Riley and I am really excited to actually get into using this product. It smells amazing and the packaging is so simple and so recognizable it’s amazing and because it is prestige beauty it is not an inexpensive product so I was really happy to see this in my box. 

F.A.R.A.H Brushes 5-piece Eye Perfection Set

            I have gotten a F.A.R.A.H brush before in my December Glam Bag and I was happy to see this set in my Glam Bag Plus, I saw on social media that some people got the Tetris brush set and that would have been cool too. These are all eye brushes so you could go for a complete eye look with just these five brushes, they are like the other F.A.R.A.H brush really soft and they are very simple, which I like when it comes to brushes. 

Pixi by Petra LashLift 188

            Everyone knows how much I like mascara but I have never used a Pixi by Petra I have also never used a dual tipped mascara and I am looking forward to giving it a try but I won’t be until after I move, I don’t want to open it up, use it once and then have it packed for two months and then have it go to waste. It claims to be smudge proof so I am hoping that it can live up to that claim. 

Ciaté London Liquid Velvet Moisturizing Matte Liquid Lipstick in Pin Up

            The only Ciaté products I have I think are lip products, I may have one mascara from them but I don’t remember. I like the color, it is much more of a fall or winter shade not really for summer but I am already looking forward to using it later in the year. 

TETRIS x ipsy Game On Eyeshadow Palette

            So this is really cool, like I said I spent many days in high school playing Tetris on the internet, I am not the best at it but I still played it quite a lot. It comes with six shades and I really like all of the shades except game changer, it’s a little too orange for me but I am willing to give it a chance to put it in a look. The pan sizes are actually really large for normal eye shadow palette pans.

            Second month of getting the Glam Bag Plus and I am as I usually am with ipsy loving it even more this month than I did last month. All of the products this month seemed to really be things that I will use and I am looking forward to giving all of the products a fair shake. If you want to see what I got in my Glam Bag Plus last month, you can. 

            I’ll see everyone with a new post at some point around mid-week, I am just dealing with some things and I haven’t been in the mood to actually write anything creatively let alone for the blog so I’m trying to get back to a normal schedule and have good quality content so bear with me.

            Do you subscribe? If you do, what was your favorite product this month? 

            Have a good beginning of your week everyone!

            -MJ

April Birchbox Unboxing

.Reading time 10 minutes.

In the last month Birchbox has announced some changes, a price increase, more brands, and other things as the months move along. Now this month I got six things in my box, I do not know if that change is permanent but I suppose we will find out. 

            Let me start out with this, I am finding myself not enjoying Birchbox as much as I hoped I would, I am going to give it another few months because at the moment they are in a transition period and that means that things get crazy. I feel like I need to review more products because on both Birchbox and ipsy. I forget to review my products and that can change what they send you in the future, some of this is totally my fault and I know that but I’m still not feeling the personalization, yet. I am not throwing in the towel on Birchbox yet because while the products I got felt repetitive it doesn’t mean that in the future it will be that way.

            So first up of course like all of the rest of my unboxings I am going to talk about the box first. Now when I saw it on the website and in the email it looked like it was just a multi colored lid, no I was wrong, it is holo. That’s right, holographic, it’s really pretty and I am going to try and figure out something to do with it because it is really pretty. 

            On to the items, like I said there were six items this month and granted they were a bit repetitive I have done some reviews and hopefully that will help the algorithm figure me out. There was tissue paper in the box which to be honest, I was not a big fan of, it is aesthetically pleasing and reusable but it still adds to the packaging and it comes in enough packaging to begin with.

Juara Candlenut Body Crème: 

            I am all for a good moisturizer and I am excited to try it because it smells really good, this is a brand that I have never heard of but I am always up to try new brands to see if I can use them. Granted this is a sample so it will not last very long but that is sometimes a good thing because if you don’t like something you don’t waste your money but if you do like it you can purchase a full size. 

Love of Color One & Done Shadow Stick in Heavy Petal:

            All of the people who name things in a lot of makeup companies have a great sense of humor and are super creative. Seriously, makeup shade names are normally really great, nail polish names are too. I worked in a nail salon in high school and into college and OPI always had the best shade names, so punny. Back to this product though, I really like the color and it goes on really smoothly, it is a pencil so I am hoping that I can sharpen it. (I have to purchase a sharpener though…oops.) I love the color, it is rose gold and by now I am known to love rose gold and copper so this is right up my street.

Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Bright and Plump Moisturizer:

            I love Peter Thomas Roth, my cleanser is from the same brand and I am such a big fan. It is a Vitamin C moisturizer so it is good for brightness and I am excited to give it a try. This is one of those products that in the future if I like it that I would spend the money on because it is a good brand.

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Oil: 

            Again if they give me the option to have a Sunday Riley product sample I am going to take it, the facial oil I use now has blue tansy in it as does this one so I am hopeful that it doesn’t break me out. On the car it says start by using the oil twice a week and then work your way up and I wish that I had known that when I was using a facial oil twice a day and I was breaking out so bad. I am going to take the advice and hopefully my skin doesn’t react to this product. There is a lot of packaging with this one for the size of the bottle but the bottle is glass so it has to be protected. 

Marcelle City Multi-Protection Tinted Cream in Fair: 

            Okay this was one product that I honestly didn’t really like. I am really fair and I have pink undertones so I have to have cool toned everything when it comes to foundation, concealer, and tinted moisturizer. Unfortunately, this one is a little yellow for me, it’s not too bad but I rarely ever wear a tinted moisturizer, I wear sunscreen and lotion most of the time because usually tinted moisturizers break me out for some reason. I wish they didn’t but they do. I got a Marcelle product in my February Birchbox so I have seen this brand before. Also it comes in a lot of packaging and again, that’s not a great thing. 

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray: 

            I don’t use hairspray or texturizing spray, I don’t even like dry shampoo. I got this same product in my November ipsy Glam Bag last year so I have one already and I haven’t used it at all. Haircare spray products are not something that I use, I don’t even like blow drying or putting heat on my hair because I have spent such a long time getting it healthy after bleaching it and dying it a lot in high school. It Is fundamentally a dry shampoo and I use Batiste now, I am not a huge fan of how my hair feels with a lot of product in it so this was kind of a no for me.

            So I guess I liked four out of the six items more than I thought I did when I started writing this post, I am hoping that with consistent reviewing and the algorithm learning my preferences that it will get better and with the changes being made I am hoping that helps too. 

If you want to read January, February, and March’s unboxings click on the month to see them. 

Do you get Birchbox, what was your favorite product? How do you feel about the changes? 

Have a good weekend everyone! 

-MJ 

February Birchbox Unboxing

.Reading time 6 minutes.

Guess who disappeared for a few weeks, I was out at my parent’s place for almost a week and then I didn’t have my laptop for the week after that. I had to get my keyboard replaced because of some issues with it. So I am a little late on this one, oops my bad. 

So I got my February Birchbox and to be honest, it was fine. It was not earth shattering or ground breaking because it didn’t feel super personalized to me. 

The box was super cute and I still don’t know what I am going to do with the boxes as I accumulate them. They may just be recycled because I can’t figure out a good way to upcycle or use them to DIY.

I’m going to dive right into the products because this is so late. 

Marcelle: City 24-hour Anti-Pollution Day & Night Moisturizing Emulsion

            I used to live much closer to a big city and there was plenty of pollution there, now that I have moved to more of the country I have noticed fewer problems with my skin. I am still excited to use this because I like the idea of it. It feels really good on the skin though so I am ready to try it. I am hoping that it doesn’t have any adverse effects on my skin but I guess we will see.

Number 4: Jour d’automne Smoothing Balm 

            My hair is pretty smooth to begin with so this one doesn’t feel too much like me. I will probably save it for use during the summer when the humidity takes my hair and makes it unruly. It smells really good but it just isn’t for me on a daily or even weekly basis year round.

Proenza Shouler: Arizona eu de Parfum

            It smells so good! However, a full sized bottle is $100, now I am not normally a perfume person, I don’t go out much and usually if I do put something on it is just a body spray not a perfume, because perfume it just really expensive. I like the citrus notes in this perfume because when I do use perfume I go for more floral, fresh, and fruity so this was right up my street. 

Stila Cosmetics: Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Paradiso

            The insert said this was a cranberry shade, it looks more grape to merlot shade to me. It is much more of an autumnal shade. It is a really nice shade though. I haven’t had a chance to really try it on besides a swatch but it is really not a spring color to me so when it becomes more seasonally appropriate I will give it a shot.

Sunday Riley: Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream

            This one I did choose when it gave me the ability to customize my box with a sample pick. I have been a far off fan of Sunday Riley for years, I have never had a product from that company before because it is really expensive but now that I am taking better care of my skin I have started to use an eye cream and I am looking for a different one as opposed to the one I am currently using. (check out my skin care routine to find that out) There is not much in the tube but it’s only a sample size so I cannot be upset about that. 

            So there was my box for February, it was fine, I cannot complain because it is only my second month getting the box and I can imagine as time goes on it will get better. There were some hits and some misses in this box but I can use everything, it does not mean that I will not use the products because after use I may love them so this is initial in my life, this is just an unboxing, this is not a full in depth review so take my opinions with a grain of salt. 

            Well I will see everyone in a few days, have a good rest of the week!

            -MJ