IPSY BAG: October 2014

ipsy's Beauty Candy bag (love the colors - reminds me of ice cream):

1) Ayres : Body Butter in "Patagonia" 
Enriched with plant emollients, herbal extracts and vitamins, this ultra-rich creamy body butter provides relief from dry, rough skin. Vitamin E natural antioxidant provides protection to your skin, while shea nut butter gives long-lasting hydration. Just drift away on a cool breeze of delicate jasmine and aromatic rosemary blended with lavender, bergamot, ylang-ylang, oakmoss, patchouli and fir. Inspired by Patagonia’s snow-capped mountains and blue lagoons, this fresh scent inspires a soothing sense of calm. size: 28 g
retail value: $28.00 (191 g)
promotion: 25% off purchase & free shipping on orders $40+ with code AYRESIPSY; expired 11/30/14; US only

"Patagonia" is all about the jasmine and rosemary and was inspired by snow-capped mountains and blue lagoons in Patagonia. no idea where this is. Google tells me that this is in South America.
i find the scent quite fitting because it is a cool scent. the body butter is different from most in that it is not very oily and not very thick - it's more like a cream but the hydration is great. i especially love the non-greasy but soft feeling.

2) H2O+ : Face OASIS Hydrating Treatment 

This oil-free moisture gel delivers deep hydration while minimizing the appearance of fine lines with phospholipids, multivitamin complex and moisturizing marine botanicals.
size: 10 mL
retail value: $36.00 (50 mL)
promotion: 25% off purchase with code IPSY14; expired 11/30/14

fancy shmancy - clinically proven and #1 global bestseller? the gel gives the skin an instant cooling feeling. i don't feel like the gel is very moisturizing though. or maybe that's the oil-free feature. 

3) Jesse's Girl : Mineralized Baked Powder Eye Shadow in "Ocean Breeze"

Get out-of-this-world eyes with Jesse’s Girl Mineralized Baked Powder Eyeshadows.

size: 2 g (full size!)

retail value: $3.99

promotion: 20% off purchase with code IPSYOCT2014; expired 11/30/14

this is much too blue for me. as pretty as it looks with all the shimmer, there's no way i can wear this comfortably everyday. you know where to find this!

4) Skyn Iceland : Mini Glacial Cleansing Cloths

When you're too tired to deal with the whole cleanser and wash cloth routine, these on-the-go foaming cloths are the ultimate skin savior. Infused with Icelandic glacial waters and beneficial natural extracts, they sweep away makeup, dirt, oil and other impurities while refreshing and soothing stressed skin. Best of all, there's no water required. It has a clean scent, never tacky. Great for travel or every day!

size: 10 single-use cloths

retail value: $15.00 (30 cloths)

promotion: 50% off one item & 20% off all additional items with code IPSYGCC; expired 11/21/14

ooooooooh i should have brought these last weekend for the wedding! i went to bed everyday between 3 and 4 am so this would have been nice... and thank goodness for Sunday naps.

5) Starlooks : Lip Gloss in "LG46 Guilty Pleasure"
Starlooks Lip Glosses are created with a truly moisturizing, luxury, non-sticky formula. This neutral-rose, yet glamorous shade provides the perfect glisten for any lip look and complements any skin tone! Can be worn alone or in combination with other Starlooks lip products for a truly customizable finish.size: 1 mini sample ~ 1 mL?
retail value: $13.00 (4 mL)
promotion: 20% off purchase - no code required; ends 12/31/14

"Guilty Pleasure" is a soft pinky nude. i was surprised by the pigmentation of the gloss when i swatched it on my hand, but sadly my lips are also pigmented so the gloss doesn't show quite as well on them. i prefer a little more color payoff but my sister will be happy to have this.

eeeeeeeeeeh. the bag is aight. my favorite product so far is the Ayres body butter and i am looking forward to trying Skyn Iceland cleansing cloths - i mean, Leighton Meester uses them, so they must be good right? :P

AT THIS MOMENT ...
currently listening: "Make Me Yours Tonight" by Lara Fabian & Mustafa Ceceli [Turkish version]
just watched: nothing...
still watching: Doctor Who Season 4 // Walking Dead Season 5 // Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 1 // Vampire Diaries Season 5
now reading: "When God Was a Rabbit" by Sarah Winman (still!)

TOPBOX: May 2012

what can i say ... Topbox is always on top of things, wouldn't you agree? it's funny because this month was the first month that i've ever gotten a shipping notification from Glymm BEFORE Topbox, but it turns out Canada Post only received shipping info from Glymm but didn't actually get the item until 3 days later.
and so that is how Topbox landed in my lap yesterday and Glymm is still stuck in Montreal.
Topbox is one of my favorite ones to open - i'm sure the long waiting list speaks for itself.
this month was no different as you can see from these samples found inside:

1) Deborah Lippmann in "Whatever Lola Wants" - i saw a sneak peek on Topbox's Facebook page and this was the first item i pulled out of the box. it was wrapped in purple tissue because, well, it's Deborah Lippmann nail polish!! i can never afford these! i was totally bummed when i signed up too late to get the November box last year since people received "An Enchanted Evening" - it's soooo pretty.
the sheer pink and the glitter in "Whatever Lola Wants"sorta reminds me of last month's Essie nail polish from Loose Button (Pink-a-Boo) but this one is less of a baby pink and has a pearly sheen to it.

once applied though, the pinkness hardly shows at all:

as you can see, the more coats you do, the more sparkly it gets; it also seems to look "frostier". but you aren't really building on the pink color at all. the polish itself dries super quickly.

-- update May 20/12 -- still wearing it and it looks exactly the same! no chips at all and i didn't even use a top coat! --

personally, i would have preferred another color but i haven't found anyone else who has received a different shade. i checked the Deborah Lippmann website since the card said that she collaborated with many celebrities to create nail polishes. "Whatever Lola Wants" was created with Kelly Ripa (she came by Banff recently!). it actually says her name on the bottom of the polish too.
size: 15 mL (full-size!)
retail value: $20

2) Cover FX ClearPrep FX Matte Foundation Primer & Anti-Acne Treatment Gel - anti-acne? i'm down! this is perfect timing as i have had 2 zits pop up on my face two days ago. one of them is sitting right on top of the apple of my cheeks, just wanting to get noticed. no amount of green concealer could hide it. :(
i am also very happy that this is an "anti-acne" product rather than an "anti-aging" one or something that wasn't customized for my skin. hooray for Topbox and their ability to read customer responses (many companies lack in this area). i used it today and the clear gel is unscented. i will continue to use this to test its anti-acne properties.
size: 7 mL
retail value: $39 (30 mL)

3) Orlane Anagenèse 25+ First Time-Fighting Care Eye Contour - the name sounds fancy. and i am a few months short of being 25... the info on the back appears to suggest the following equation: reaching 25 = fine lines. i knew turning 25 meant becoming a quarter of a century, but i am not ready for no fine lines!
anyhow, as you may recall, we received an Orlane product last month from Loose Button, and similarly, the box may look like a decent size, but the sample is actually much smaller due to a larger pamphlet with instructions and etc etc in 56 languages (do not quote me on this). this product is unscented and has a milky formula.
size: 2 mL
retail value: $75 (15 mL) ... ouch!

4) Expression Bronzing Powder Brush - i remember being asked a question regarding makeup brushes in Topbox's last survey... something like which brushes i used the most often? i think i selected all of the above. did anyone else get a different brush?
this is actually pretty cool - first time i received a makeup brush in one of these beauty subscription boxes. it's a pretty big one too! i've never payed more than $20 for a brush before and i can feel the difference! it is the softest brush that has ever touched my face.
size: full size!
retail value: $25

there are a couple of promotions that came along with this Topbox:
from May 10 - 24, you can get an 8-peice brush set for $49 ($130 value) on the Topbox site
from May 15 - June 15, bring in the invitation to receive a free Deborah Lippmann nail file at Holt Renfrew

-- update May 20/12 -- i dropped by Holt Renfrew today after grabbing breakfast with my dad downtown. it was nearby and i was going to do some shopping anyway so i went to the Core shopping center. it is a very normal nail file - it's just made from recycled paper, but i couldn't tell the difference. it's not an item i would go out of my way to get. the lady opened up a new package of nail files for me so they are not running out anytime soon. --

and if you haven't done so already, win a Pari Beauty gift set from Topbox on Facebook here (open until the 20th).

so Topbox has not disappointed me yet! they have been the most professional beauty subscription company - responds to emails quickly, delivers on time, least amount of problems with samples/customer service and the list goes on! i am very impressed with them and will be sticking around for a long time :)

-- update May 22/12 -- new Cover FX Giveaway from Topbox! enter here until May 31. --