Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Ipsy March Glam Bag Review

Ipsy is an American subscription box for $10 plus $4.95 shipping to Canada. With current exchange rates this works out to be about $20 Canadian per month. 

I adore this pink mailers!


March is Floral Fantasy. They must be tired of looking at snow like I am. I find all the stylists (even though they are different ethnicities) all look like the same person in four poses to me. All beautiful, but it takes me awhile to pick them out.



Five products this month are:
Nyx cosmetics Butter Lipstick in Hunk, Full size $6.
\Pur-lisse beauty gentle soymilk cleanser (and not so great at removing make-up) make-up remover. Sample size, ~$6.25
Boo-Boo cover up in medium, Sample size, ~$7.50
Dr. Brandt Skincare in Pores no more. Sample size, ~$8.00
Vintage highlight by Jessica Liebeskind. Sample size, ~$? Sold out online with no price listed.

This month was about $27, which is more than I paid. It's neat the highlight was made for Ipsy. I'll use the Pur-lisse as I love the brand even though it hasn't been the best remover. I like trying the lipstick and it fades to a very nice stain. I'm also looking forward to the Pore No More as this might be what I'm looking for rather than a foundation. 

I'm still not sure if I should cancel my subscription or not. I think I'm going to let it sit for the next week and see what the Canadian dollar chooses to do. If it falls compared to the american, I might let this box go so that I can keep the more special OTM and Vanishing Cabinet. 

Chinovi order - Cake Pop love 💖



You know when you get a sample and you just can't get it out of your head? That's what Chinovi (find them on Storenvy) did to me. I've made one purchase before (and I can't remember why but something left me suspicious of the company - maybe the shipping cost or time?). I also was dragging my feet because I didn't want to order for just one shadow. One amazing, beautiful shadow that I have nothing like.

So I did it! I added on some brow powders as I want to experiment with those, and one shade I wanted to order last time, and my two favorites from the new The Tasting Menu (check it out!).

Here are my goodies! I didn't get a shipping notification for some reason, and I actually emailed to ask about TAT (maybe that was what took so long last time?) the same day they arrived! Fast! 

Two free samples! And generous samples! Monster was a shade I wanted for my first order, and business is a shade I already know I like. It's one that works well as a transition for me. I also LOVE Aphrodite.

Oh No! Good thing the jars are super shrink wrapped. 


Because these babies are super filled up! 


Here's the shade I was going to order solo - Cake Pop. 


Look at how gorgeous it is! It's a white that transforms into this wonderful pinky-purple highlight masterpiece.



Here's my order again. I want to mention the lid art is so pretty and a much higher quality than my first order. Sorry, I took close-ups and comparisons but can't see to locate them right now. Chinovi has really classed up and they didn't need to. *love*



From Top to Bottom (ignore the rash from my FitBit, it makes me so sad, I love that device):
Tree
Cake Pop
Creme de Macron
Escargot
Monster
Business


Up close and in a different focus.





Trying to show the shift up close. Look at business down there just sparkling away.


Just an FYI - showing the difference between the two shades of brown. I think given my colouring both of these will work for me. Tree is just sitting there, looking all nice.

I'm so glad I gave Chinovi another chance, and I retrospectively wish I had ordered the full Tasting Menu set. I considered ordering minis, but I despise clam shells - which was the prior system of samples. Based on my brow sample, I think Chinovi has moved towards jars instead. Yay!

Unfortunately, I dumped my Chinovi Blush, Vanessa last night just after falling in love with it... so I guess I might have to make another order soon! 

Have you tried the Tasting Menu? What shops are you glad you gave a second chance to?

Monday, March 30, 2015

Glamour Doll Eyes Welcome Wagon

There is still time to grab Welcome Wagon and Enchanted Rose from GDE. Welcome wagon is a gorgeous sparkly pinky orange. As soon as I put it on I had to talk myself out of ordering as second as it is a limited edition for March only. Blush is Love's True Kiss, which is very faint as I don't have primer/lotion on today.





Sunday, March 29, 2015

Shiro super haul


Okay, okay... this was another order that I was doing great at resisiting, and then with a bit of emotional frustration gave in. And.. the part I kinda regret, not buying more :P 

It's my first order from Shiro!


Wrapped very well, and what's that? Some candy?



 Hmm... never seen this before.




 It's good! My daughter loves mail days like this.



 A hand written thank you. 



 Here's the goodies.


 And here are the goods.



So I picked out two collections (The Earth's Mightest Heros and The Tributes), a custom gloss made from one of the shades in The Tributes (wildflowers), Fatality finishing powder, and a West Wind from the Cheekbones contouring collection. I didn't know the mini sizes do not come with the custom labels. When I found out, I asked if I could upgrade my order and Shiro was very awesomely invoiced me for the difference. 




The names, for curiosity's sake.





Freebies! Very sweet. Look forward to many swatches. Which shades are your favorite? Have you contoured with grey? A you a fan of Shiro Cosmetics?

Project Candy Box March Review

Project Candy Box is a new Candy Subscription box that ships from Calgary. I paid $26 shipping plus taxes. I see now on the website boxes are $32. Project Candy Box is preparing to change subscriptions to offer prepaid multimonth, so I would guess you can get the same rate as early subscribers by prepaying soon. For me, I'm trying to decide if this box is worth my "candy budget" as I've already decided I would prefer this slightly more mature sampling over the other candy box (and I only want one candy box if any). I'm also of the mind to limit very strictly how much candy my little ones get and to hoard it for evenings with the hubby and I. 


Very cute boxing, and this month they including packing peanuts to help keep things from breaking. Not my favorite filler (as I'm a mom to young ones) but I am appreciating they are listening and improving to their customer base.


 They include an information card that also links to the online page for detailed information.



First up: Panda chocolate cookies (these were delicious and the kidlet loved them!), jawbreakers and hubba bubba tape.



Gummies from two different countries (these were only okay to me) and Fizz (ah, memories of going to the candy store as young pup). 



Cracker Jack and more Fizz.



Sugar babies, Twix and chocolate buttons.



The complete box. A good selection and again, I'm estimating the value is close to what I'm paying. In addition, they are able to hunt out some rare finds. 


Checking it out.


And approving. Little did she know she was only going to get a cookie or two from the box. 

That's Project Candy Box for March. Have you tried Project Candy Box? Do you like knowing what candy you'll get or do you like a surprise?

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Glamour Doll Eyes OTM March


My Glamour Doll Eyes monthly OTM! You literally have to be lucky to win this one as the OTM is choosen by a monthly raffle. I feel spoiled to have one, but I'm not giving it up!


Liars Keep Secrets, OTM style.



No swatches... Yet.

A full-size Kiss My Sass gloss, a lipstick (not teloscope) charm, and 100% real human human hair fake eyelashes. I'm totally creeped out by these. Do they sterilize them? 


Here's the beautiful monthly shadow - Ezria. I've held off on posting this until I swatch, but we're still waiting. The photos of looks using this beautiful blue on facebook are wonderful.


Ooooo! Next month should be fun. Theme: Crazy Cat Lady! I went to add this to my pile of OTM cards, and I've misplaced them. :( I hope I didn't accidently recycle them, but I'm also not sure why I'm so intent on holding on to them. (I love the colour descriptions).

FYI, The TMI is For Goodness Grape. The scents sound amazing. 

Luxe Box Spring 2015 review



Luxe Box is a Canandian Quaterly Subsciption box for about $26 per month. Rate goes down with longer subscriptions. I'm a bit hard on this box as it was the box I was the most excited for last year, and it has yet to live up to my expectations. From not sending boxes, boxes missing, products sub pare, not meeting the "guaranteed value", and spamming of upgrade emails, I am disappointed. I have faith it will get better, and I love that it is Canadian.. but I wonder why sometimes.

Boxes are shipped in these cute cardboard layouts that are never actually glued shut.



Cute logo on the internal box. I love using these for storage around the house.



Products come in a beautiful linen bag.



My information card was in much nicer condition this time.


A 24 K Gold Caviar Cotton sheet mask $3.00
A broken Loose Button Blending Tool $15.00


Buxon Show Some Skin foundation sample set $2?
Eyeko Brow Gel $15 (I want to try these two!)

Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Exfoliant, $14.00
DKNY Eau de Parfum $11.25

This is really pale. I'd rather wear Julep's Oxygen Nail Treatment as it's about the same intensity. $6.00

There's the total box. Overall, I love the packaging and there are two items I want to try out. I want to see what shade of foundation I might be, and I would like to try the brow. I will use the face mask, probably not the BHA nor the parfum. I will be gifting the nail polish. 

The total value as given by Loose Button for my box was $64 - which I think is low. Especially since the front page says every box is $70+. It's close.. but not.

Again, I want to love this box so much, but ... I'm very meh about this, and I don't even know if I care enough to ask about the broken tool. I think my husband equivalent can fix it, and that seems easier than trying to pull teeth. 

Cancelling is a bit of a pain too because you have to call and speak to a person. I might wait for one more box.

EDIT: I've contacted the super friendly customer service, and they are going to make my broken product right. I might not get the same item, but I will get a replacement. 

Friday, March 27, 2015

ColourPop lippies


After hearing great things about ColourPop and remembering I'm on leave for a couple more months, I took the chance to order some Lippies. At $5 US (~$8 Cdn) each, it was harder to narrow down my choices than to pay.  Shipping was fast and customer service was great!



Super cute holographic sticker on the mailer.




Here are the eyeshadows I purchased around Christmas that arrived either smashed or dried up and my attempts at molding them back into shape. Yes, it caused a bit of anxiety to order again. The package had be well wrapped, so I thought Lippies stixs and Lippie pencils would transport better.


Shipped in an air padded mailer.



They included a hand written note, and an info card on how to use the lippies.



My choices: Lip primer, cookie, lumier pencil, wifey, wifey pencil, and scandy.


Swatched L to R, first in the sun, second in the shade: cookie, lumier pencil, wifey, wifey pencil, and scandy. I love them! They don't last all day on me, but I'm a big lip licker. I'm very tempted to place another order and grab some of the more outrageous colours like Bunny (green) or one of the many purple shades.