September IPSY review (with swatches/product photos)

Have I told y'all how much I LOVE IPSY?? Ugh, let me count the ways :) 10$ per month, 5 awesome (usually) beauty products for me to try from high end brands...yes please! I'm a broke college student and I can afford it so y'all should really check it out.

To see my thoughts on Ipsy please click here and scroll 3/4 of the way down to see what I think of ipsy in greater detail.

TO THE REVIEW!!!

September's ipsy swag

September's ipsy bag was 4 cute little kittens out of 5 (because there is always five products) Don't judge me, I like kittens.

I received two lip products, one eye shadow, a liquid liner pen, and mascara

J Cat Fantabulous Lipstick FL 107 Honeycrisp
Retails for $2.49 and the entire product line can be viewed here

When I first saw this lipstick I immediately said awww hell no, and I was right. It's supposed to be a nude, but when I wear this I look completely washed out because its close to my actual skin color. I am not sure who this color would flatter, and the reason why this month's bag did not get a 5/5 is because of this product. I do, however, LOVE the texture and SMELL of the lipstick. It's easy to apply and smells like candycorn dipped in marshmallows, which appeases me on a multitude of levels lol After browsing their website, I noticed that they are incredible affordable, and there are several colors worth checking out. I plan on placing an order as I type this so I can give the brand another chance. For the price, ease of application and smell alone.

See what I'm talking about? Where's my lips? lol

Nyx Single Eye shadow in Rock

Retails for $4.50 and can be purchased here

                                                                                

 I am really loving Nyx products right now (after spending a small fortune) at Ulta :) I am never disappointed with their products. This eye shadow is a basic black with subtle hints of glitter. It would be great to use for a smokey eye. The shadow is highly pigmented, and goes on velvety smooth with little fall out (which can be appreciated).

Swatch taken with one swipe of product

Jessie's Girl Waterproof Liquid Liner

Retails for $6.99 and can be purchased here

I cannot even tell you how much I love this liner. I have been looking for this quality of product for a very long time and I cannot believe that this liner is $6.99, it seems like they are basically giving it away. I have always had trouble with liquid liner, and I always thought it was me, but it's not, it was the type of liner I was using. The brush makes all the difference in the world, and this brush is firm, and thin which helps me make more even strokes. You can apply your line super thin or thick with ease which I love. I also love that you don't have to stop to dip for more product, all you do is shake it and then use it like a pen. It doesn't skip, and the product comes out with ease. It's GREAT! Go get some!

      Check out that tip ;)

Make it Thick like I did, or as thin as a millimeter!!!

  

Elizabeth Mott It's So Big Mascara

Retails for $19.99 and can be purchased here

This mascara is pretty awesome. I am not a big mascara person (it's not what I horde), but I do like it and it does live up to the name. My pictures suck, but I did see where it lengthened my lashes and made them appear longer. This claims to be a volumizing mascara, but I think its just because it coats the lashes well, which makes you look like you have more lashes than normal. Elizabeth Mott is cruelty free, which I love, and as far as I can tell from their website, the company is in the beginning stages. They only sell two products; this and lash cards (which suck). I'm not sure if I will buy this product strictly because mascara is not something I invest in, but if it was on sale, I'd buy it in a heart beat.

                                                                 Close up of the brush wand

CAILYN Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple

Retails for $19.00 and can be purchased here

I love this so much!! I had never heard of the brand Cailyn before, but I am definitely a fan (ty ipsy!!). This lip balm is the business!!! The packaging includes the lip balm (duh), and a little lip brush for easy application. The handle part of the balm is the brush. It's so amazing, seriously. The staying power is phenomenal and rivals my best lipsticks, the pigmentation is fab, and the application is flawless. Whoever invented this is a genius, no joke! It's definitely on the high-end side for me at 19$, BUT I am a lipstick hoarder so I can see myself spending my money on these. Something else that should be said is that this will literally last me forever. You need very little, and can change the shade depending on how much you use! One swipe will leave ur lips looking flushed, and if you do two swipes you have yourself a perfect apple red mouth :) LOOOVEEEE IT SO SO SO SO MUCH!

One Swipe with the brush = a pretty pink

Two Swipes = Perfect Apple Red

That's all she wrote folks. September was a pretty great month (remember the kitties?!), and I will be enjoying these products for many months to come. After calculating everything I got 40$ worth of product for 10$- a pretty good deal if I do say so myself!!! Every month is different and has a new theme, and it gives me something to look forward too each month, which I think that we all deserve.

If you are interested in joining ipsy, you can put yourself on the waiting list (THAT'S HOW POPULAR IT IS!!) by CLICKING HERE

Do you have Ipsy? What did you think of September's bag?!? Let me know in the comments below

Check me out on Facebook here

Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette (Swatches & Initial Impression)

I am obsessed with Urban Decay products. I have been buying/collecting makeup for only a few years now but I own almost every product that Urban Decay has come out with. When I heard that the Vice 2 Palette would be coming out for 2013's Holiday season, I immediately jumped for joy. I had missed last years palette, so I knew I just HAD to get this.

The Retail price for the Vice 2 is $59.00 and includes 20 shadows/mirror & Shadow/Crease brush. The price is hefty, but if you break it down, you are getting each shadow for $2.95 (a STEAL).

PACKAGING: The packaging is absolutely gorgeous (like any other UD product). It is made of a hard plastic material, and features a really pretty mixture of purples. The UD logo is made out of  rhinestones, which gives it another special touch. ( I also read on their website, that each palette's design is different, which makes each one feel custom)

20 shadows & a Shadow/Crease brush make up the bottom half of the pallet, and the top half is a mirror

SWATCHES: One swipe from each color, NO Primer was used, and the photos were taken with an iPhone 4 in natural light

Row 1 from Left to Right: Smokeout, Lovesick, Shellshock, Coax, X-Rated

Smokout- Dark taupe mixed with black with a satin finish

Lovesick- Black matte with an iridescent micro glitter

Shellshock-Very bright metallic silver

Coax- Medium pink with golden iridescent micro glitter

X-Rated- Baby pink with a satin finish

Row 2 from Left to Right: Prank, Madness, Strike, Stash, Poison

Prank- Deep Navy matte with turquoise pearlized glitter

Madness- Bright metallic blue shimmer with blue micro glitter

Strike- Gold shimmer with silver micro glitter

Stash- Olive green shimmer with micro sparkle

Poison- Charcoal with micro sparkle and a satin finish

Row 3 from Left to Right: Radar, Damaged, Voodoo, Betrayal, Derailed

Radar- Metallic brown shimmer

Damaged- Metallic emerald shimmer

Voodoo- Metallic purple shimmer with purple micro glitter

Betrayal- Bright purple satin with blue shift

Derailed- Medium metallic shimmer brown

Row 4 from Left to Right: Dope, Toxic, Habit, Ambush, Rewind

Dope- Warm champagne colored satin

Toxic- Metallic coppery pinky shimmer

Habit- Nude matte

Ambush- Metallic brown satin

Rewind- Medium brown matte

FIRST IMPRESSION

When I first opened it, I giggled like a school girl because the colors are so vibrant. I love color, and sparkle so this is a perfect palette for me to own. I don't see it being a great choice for people who do not like shimmer eye shadows because out of the 20 shadows there are only 5 that are matte. While swatching the colors I will say that they are insanely pigmented! Urban Decay has a patented pigment infusion system that gives all of their shadows a velvety texture, which is apparent while swatching them. They all feel so silky and soft, even the ones that are chock full of glitter. The pigmentation system also promotes staying power and blendability, which is something that you have to have with darker colors, or colors with glitter to them. If you can't blend the shadows, the application is going to be awful. 

I also love UD because all of their products are cruelty free, so I can feel good knowing that none of their products are tested on animals.

I haven't worn any of these shadows on my eyes yet because I really haven't even worn makeup for a few days ( I am coming down with some sort of flu). But I will for sure be posting a full review, along with eye swatches within a month or so. I want to really experience the shadows on my eyes before I make any judgments on the colors. 

MY FAVORITES FROM THE SWATCH

Shellshock- This silver is INSANE!! It's so glittery and gorgeous, and a little goes a long way.

X-Rated- This is a gorgeous baby pink with a slight sparkle so it's perfect for daytime.

Strike- I'm a sucker for golds, they really make blue eyes pop

Voodoo- Besides the rad name I love this purple, and I don't have a color like it (which I love)

Betrayal- This is probably my favorite from the entire pallet (and I havent even put it on my eyes!) The color shifts between purple and blue and the finish is like velvet. So pretty!

Would I buy this again? In a heart beat!

Recommended for: People who like glitter and bold colors. There is a very limited selection of neutral or matte colors, so if you are more of a nude/matte girl, pick up one or both of the naked pallets.

GO GET IT!

Product Review: Rimmel by Kate Lipstick # 107

I happened to stumble upon these while browsing the Walmart cosmetics case, and I was immediately drawn to this color. It is absolutely stunning. I have been searching for a dark red wine color for some time. I feel that it flatters every skin tone, but for fair skin tones like mine, dark lipstick is amazing!! I have tiny lips, so when I wear bright lip sticks, it tends to blur with my skin tone and it looks washed out. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE THEM, but dark lip sticks seem to flatter my face better. Other than the color, this lipstick is extremely affordable, coming in under 5$. You can even find it at Ulta for $5 and some change, which is saying something. This lipstick is part of the matte collection, which makes it double awesome. Matte anything is in right now (foundation, lips, nails) so finding a good matte lipstick that is affordable is a really great thing :)

The pros:

• Product goes on incredibly smoothly
• Smells normal, and not like plastic or chemicals
• Gorgeous color
• Matte finish when it dries
• Highly Pigmented so you are getting your monies worth
• Affordable
• Comes in a multitude of colors, and finishes

The cons:

• As with any red, bleeding is a real possibility, this product stains your lips 
• If you are not eating or drinking, this has long wear potential-otherwise, not so much
• Throughout my day I reapplied 3-4 times
• Once you smear it, you might as well just say you've been making out all day because that stuff gets everywhere

THE VERDICT: I would recommend this lipstick for specific looks, or as a nice lipstick to keep in your bag. As I said the color is absolutely divine, and looks better the longer it is on, so if you don't mind reapplying it throughout the day, it will work for you!

TIPS: Prime lips, and apply product with a lip brush for even application and precision. Also, line and fill in your lips to create a stencil for your lip brush- it will make it less likely you will slip up. If you happen to slip and get some on your chin or anywhere not on your lips, use a concealer, and concealer brush and trace the outline of your lips. Blend concealer well, and voila, all gone! You can also use this method to reshape your lips!