May Ipsy Bag

Just got my May Ipsy bag in today and couldn't wait to open it and do a review for you all!

First of all it came in this bag this month. I am not a fan of the bag this time around. It is cute but it is not my style and it feels like a very cheap plastic to me. My daughter is excited though because when I don't like my Ipsy bags she gets them.

The first thing that I pull out is this Global Beauty Care charcoal mask. It says that it is a 15 minute facial therapy deep cleansing mud based formula that unclogs pores and lifts away impurities and is for all skin types. I'll do a first impression/review on this item when I get to try it out.

The next item that I find is the Island Life eye shadow palette from Pacifica. It is a natural mineral eye shadow that is 100% vegan and cruelty free. It has 5 neutral shades and all shades are shimmer, no matte. 

I finger swatched the shades on my hand and find that the 3 lightest shades have almost no pigment at all. This palette will be going to my mom who has very little makeup 

experience so it will be good for her to play around with.









There is also a brush in this bag. It is by the brand Royal & Langnickel and it is the Precision Angled brush. This brush is super soft, it reminds me of the IT Cosmetics brushes because they are some of the softest brushes I have ever felt. This brush would be perfect for contouring the nose.

The fourth item is a matte lipstick by the brand tre'Stique in the shade Tuscan Wine. It is a beautiful berry shade. 




It is not long lasting or smudge free. It is the definition of a matte lipstick.

The last item int his bag is the Urban Decay Afterglow 8 hour powder highlighter in the shade Sin. I love the brand Urban Decay, I have several of their products. I haven't heard anyone talk

about their highlighters though. I finger swatched it and got almost no color payoff. It reminded me more of a shimmer eye shadow than a highlighter.





Overall I am less pleased with this Ipsy bag than I have ever been. Hopefully next month will be better.  If you would like to sign up for the monthly Ipsy bags you can do so through this link and I will get a bonus 250 points towards the rewards program! If you enjoyed this review please do me a favor and follow using e-mail notifications for when I release new blogs! You can do that by using the link on the right hand side of the page. Thanks and have a beautiful day!

Kokie Professional Nail Polish in Heavenly

I received this nail polish in my Ipsy bag. As I have said before, I don't usually use light colors but I have been enjoying this one! This shade is called Heavenly and I would describe it as a very pale blue/gray color.



The color pay off is very shocking! I can almost wear this with one coat, but there was a few streaks. 2 coats and it is completely opaque! I am very impressed! On the left is what it looks like with one coat and on the right is two coats.

According to the website you can purchase this at Wal-Mart and Bed Bath and Beyond and retails for $6. You can also purchase on their website here.

I usually add a coat of Beauty Secrets Top Coat to my polish. I will put updates on the longevity of the polish below! So far I am very pleased!

Please feel free to comment with any suggestions that you might have for me to try. And if you enjoyed this blog please subscribe to email notifications when I post more. You can find that on the right hand bar of this page. Have a beautiful day!

clariSEA Sea Salt Solutions Mask

Today we have a review on the clariSEA Sea Salt Solutions Deep Pore Detox Activated Charcoal Exfoliating Mask...that's a mouth full! I received this in an Ipsy bag, though I can't remember which month it was. I love trying out new face masks! This product is all natural, paraben free, sulfate free, fragrance free, dye free, vegan friendly, gluten free, and cruelty free.



Charcoal masks are known for being good for acne prone skin because charcoal draws out the dirt clogging your pores. Cleaner pores = clearer skin! This is what my skin looked like after washing and before using the mask. Even after cleansing my skin the pores are not cleaned out, I still have several blackheads in my t-zone mostly. I typically use a knock off Clarisonic and that cleans out my pores better than standard washing, but for this review I did not do that so you could see the results of the mask alone.

So the instructions say to pour a quarter-sized amount into the palm of hand or a small bowl. Slowly add drops of water, while mixing, until a paste is created. Paint onto face in circular motions. Rinse off once dry. Exact: 1 teaspoon mask & 1/3-1/2 teaspoon water. The product is very light a fluffy until you add water and it turns into a mud like consistency. So I mixed it with water and applied it to my face. And this is how it looked.





When it had dried fully I used a warm, wet washcloth to rinse it away. It was easier to wash off than any other charcoal mask I have ever used. This is what it looked like after I removed all of the mask.

My camera quality is not fantastic but, in case you can't tell, a lot more of my pores are cleaned out than before. I would not call it a high quality mask but it definitely works. For the price, I think it is a fabulous deal. I think it is worth buying for sure. I might purchase it when/if I ever run out of masks to try.

You can purchase this item on their website here. It retails for $14 for a 2 oz bottle, which I would definitely consider to be drugstore pricing. Super affordable!

If you enjoyed this blog review please do me a favor and subscribe to e-mail notifications for when I release new blogs! You can do that from the link on the right hand side of the page. Thanks and have a beautiful day!

April's Ipsy Bag Review

Today I am doing an unboxing/first impressions of the April Ipsy bag! I wasn't as impressed with this month's actual zipper bag. It just wasn't my taste, but still useful. My brother's girlfriend liked it so it went to her!

The first item that I pulled out was a very soft brush. It is by Luxie and is the Precision Foundation brush. It is a soft, loosely packed brush. I will use it for contour because the ferrul is sort of flat, not round. And with the brush coming to a soft point I believe it will really work for contouring the cheekbones. It is a nice brush to add to my collection.

The next item I pulled out is a lip balm. It is by the brand Hey Honey and is a shea butter and propolis lip balm.When I put this on it makes my lips so soft and hydrated. The moisture lasts for a few hours, which is more than most lip balms. It's not greasy or oily on the lips either!





My next item is an aloe soothing gel. It is by Hanalei. Now this one I had to research. I have used aloe on a sunburn because I am a red head and, let's face it, sunburn is a regular occurrence with us. I have heard of using it in skin care but had not tried it yet, so this on I will have to update you all on in thee future.



My next item is a loose pigment. It is by Naked Cosmetics and is a beautiful coppery gold shimmer shade. I have read that this one you can mix with some lip balm to make a metallic lip topper or us it for a cram shadow. You can also mix with a facial moisturizer and use it as a highlight. I'll insert a swatch below as well.

And my last item is a eye liner. It is from Colourpop and it is the creme gel liner in the shade Swerve. Now this is my first ever item by Colourpop and by the packaging I thought it was a turquoise blue color, almost matching my nails as you can see. But is it actually black. It is very creamy and feels soft on the skin so it won't feel like you are stabbing yourself when you apply it in the water line. I am looking forward to trying this out! I'll insert a swatch below.

And that's all I have for this month's Ipsy bag. If you would like to sign up for the monthly Ipsy bags you can do so through this link and I will get a bonus 250 points towards the rewards program! If you enjoyed this review please do me a favor and subscribe to e-mail notifications for when I release new blogs! You can do that by using the link on the right hand side of the page. Thanks and have a beautiful day!

Review on Probelle Nail Polish

I received this nail polish in an Ipsy bag. I usually don't gravitate towards light colors. I prefer dark reds, blues, grays and black. But for some reason this color spoke to me. I've never used this brand s I figured I'd give you all my thoughts on it.

The color went on more opaque than I expected it to. It only took 2 coats to get the color pay off that I wanted. I did add a coat of Beauty Secrets Top Coat on top.

The color reminds of Easter eggs and spring. It is called In Or Out. It's a beautiful lilac purple shade and goes on smooth and creamy.

I am very interested in trying some of this brand's other shades. It looks like they retail for $8 a piece and here is a link to where you can buy it on Amazon: Probelle Nail Licquer.

I will put updates on the longevity of the polish below! 

Please feel free to comment with any suggestions that you might have for me to try. And if you enjoyed this blog please subscribe to email notifications when I post more. You can find that on the right hand bar of this page. Have a beautiful day!



Update 4/7/2017: I actually had to do a fill in on my nails before this polish ever chipped! My nails grow super fast. Love love love this polish!

Face Masks

Hi there beauties! Today I wanted to share with you my thoughts on some face masks that I have tried. I have combo to oily skin that is acne prone and sensitive.

I have tried a few different face masks but I am always open to trying any new, affordable face masks. I have always wanted to try the Glamglow Clearing face mask but that one is a little expensive for my taste. I do get the Ipsy bags every month and I like the fact that I get different ones in there.

Just an FYI, I am not sponsored by any of these brands. This is my honest, unbiased opinion on them. Here are some of the ones that I have tried and my thoughts on them:


I'll start with the Sally's box Secret Garden masks. I have received about 4 of these in various Ipsy bags over the last year. I find them to be very simple and moisturizing. I don't see a drastic difference in my skin when I use them other that it feels very healthy and hydrated.

It's a very comfortable sheet mask that isn't overly awkward to wear. One thing that I like about face masks is that I can wear my glasses while wearing them. I am blind as a bat without them and can not imagine just sitting somewhere without being able to see for 10-20 minutes.

This mask retails on Amazon for $8.99 a piece. Here is a link to the Amazon store where you can buy them: Amazon Sally's Box


Next we have the Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Oil Absorbing Mask. This came in my initial Paula's Choice kit.

I really can not tell a difference when I wear this mask. It claims to absorb excess oil, reduce enlarged pores and blackheads and smooth rough, uneven skin. I don't see any of these things happening with my skin when I use it.

I have tried it many many times, hoping that I didn't do it right one and ...nothing. I have tried it in the shower. I have tried just wearing it on my clean skin after I have washed it. I even tried it without washing it first and still no difference. I tried using it consistently for months as well.

Now that's not saying that it won't work wonders on your skin! It just doesn't work with mine.

This mask retails for $22 on paulaschoice.com. They do have 2 other masks on their website as well. Here is a link to the website where you can buy it: Paula's Choice Mask


Next is the L'oreal Pure-Clay Mask. I was inspired to buy this after watching Youtube beauty Guru ThaTaylaa's video on face masks. My skin type is very similar to hers and she has mentioned this mask in several of her videos. Here is a link to her face mask collection in case you are interested in watching: ThaTaylaa's Face Mask Collection

I love this mask! My skin feels so smooth and clean after I use it. It has a slight tightening effect but it is not uncomfortable. It  helps keep my acne under control and helps clear my skin of blackheads. When I wear this mask I usually put a piece of toilet paper across my nose over top of the mask so I can wear my glasses and go about my usual routine in the evening.

This mask retails for $12.99 on Ulta. I bought it at Meijer but you can pretty  much get it at any place that sells L'oreal items and you can get it cheaper when you watch for L'oreal products to go on sale. Here is a link to where you can buy it online at Ulta: Ulta.com L'oreal Pure-Clay Mask

And last but not least, the Dr Brandt Oxygen Facial Flash Recovery Mask. This one I got in an Ipsy bag, hence the sample sized pouch. I had heard about this brand and heard many good things about it but had never heard of this mask.

I had no idea that what was in this little pouch was going to do what all this did First of all, it comes out looking like a moisturizer and as I started spreading it on my skin it started to foam up. The whole mask did this and then I started to feel all of the millions of tiny little bubbles popping. It was an interesting sensation but not uncomfortable at all.

Once all of the bubbles pop you are left with what looks like flakes all over your skin. You wash this off with warm water and o...m...g...! My skin was super soft, my pores were unclogged, my skin was brighter and in general looked fabulous! I was in love!

The down side to this mask is the price. The full sized bottle is $70! Unfortunately I can not afford this at this time but it is a wonderful face mask and I will be purchasing it in the future! Here is a link to the Dr Brandt website where you can purchase it: Dr Brandt Oxygen Facial Mask. You can also purchase on Sephora.com and Ulta.com.


That is all of the masks that I have tried so far. Please feel free to comment with any suggestions that you might have for me to try. And if you enjoyed this blog please subscribe to email notifications when I post more. You can find that on the right hand bar of this page. Have a beautiful day!

Update 4/9/2017: I have found a dupe for this face mask at a much lower price! You can buy the Younique Royalty Detoxifying Mask and it has the same effect and results! And the price for this jar is only $49! A far cry from the $70 Dr Brandt product for the same results! Don't you just love dupes! You can purchase this item from my beautiful friend Stacey Gaither at this link: Younique