October 2013 Ipsy Bag

It's my favorite time of the month! Ipsy time! I'm actually really excited about my bag this month, so let's check out what I got!

The theme is month is "The Art of Beauty" and I think the bag is really cute!  Let's dive into the products!

Zoya in Giovanna

I probably need more nail polish like I need another hole in my head, but I think this is gorgeous! Kind of green, kind of blue, and shimmery! I'm very excited to try this out!


Big Sexy Hair Blow Dry Volumizing Gel

This one I'm not too excited about. I'd love to try out more hair products, and I could use more volume, but I don't even remember the last time I touched a blowdryer. Natural and curly is my go-to. I'm working on swapping this away.

Nourish Organic Coconut & Argan Body Lotion

I recently rediscovered using lotion before bed, so I'm excited about this! I have a travel sized one I'm using (and loving!) right now, but this will definitely be second in line!

La Fresh Oil-Free Cleansing Wipes

I love cleansing wipes, and I'm about out of my beloved Forever 21 ones, so I'm looking forward to trying these out. It's cool that they're 100% biodegradable and they're not /that/ expensive. Though, the closest store that carries them to me is in Connecticut, so I probably won't be purchasing these, even if I love them.

Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly

This seems to be the item that everyone is most excited about this month, but I'm actually trading mine away. I already own this polish (I have no idea where it came from) and I'm not a huge fan. My mom might have it now, actually. It's has that whole "lip plumping" thing going on which I don't like, and I'm just not big on lip glosses in the first place. Hopefully I'll be able to trade it for another Ipsy item which I really want.

So that's everything! I think my bag is pretty kickass this month, even with the two products I want to swap. Look for my September-October Ipsy reviews coming soon!

Hope everyone's had a great weekend!

Five Products I've Emptied

Welcome to the second edition of products I've used up! In contrast to last time, I actually enjoyed all these products! Let's find out why!

1. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion

This product has taken me a long time to use up. Not because it was bad, but because I'm really just not a body lotion person. I bought this two years ago (wow, really?) after I got my tattoo because I was instructed to have a non-scented lotion to moisturize with. It works really well, but I like scented lotions, so it got put on the back burner until I decided to use it up. But if you want hypoallergenic and super moisturizer, this is the lotion for you!

2. Love & Beauty Lavender Extract Makeup Cleansing Tissues

Honestly, I picked these up because they were right by the checkout, were $2.80, and I'm always in need of makeup wipes. For those who don't know, Love & Beauty is the jewelry/makeup/cosmetic line by Forever 21. They even have stores dedicated to only Love & Beauty products. I was blown away by how good these were. They smell nice, and weren't abrasive to my skin while still removing all my makeup. I have already repurchased these (I think they have a green tea and maybe another version as well), and I will probably continue to do so after I finish up all my other kinds.

3. Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response Deodorant 

I also received this in an Influenster box, and while I haven't repurchased this specific one, I have repurchased from the Secret Clinical Strength line. I think it's approach to the different kinds of sweat is interesting, stress sweat is just not my biggest problem. That being said, I loved this deodorant. It smells AMAZING and if stress sweat is a problem for you, I'd definitely recommend it.

4. Softsoap Body Butter Mega Moisture Body Wash in Heavenly Vanilla

I've already said that I love Softsoap, and this one was no different. I bought this during the winter when I was having problems with itchy, dry skin on my back. Since it's not the easiest thing to lotion your own back, I decided to try a body wash with a little more moisture in it. This did not let me down. I really felt like it moisturized me without having to add any moisturizer afterwards. It did help with my dry skin (it didn't magically heal it, but I wasn't really expecting it to) so I was happy with the results.

5. Buxom Lash Mascara

I bought this back when I was on my "all my makeup must be high end" kick from Sephora. Although in retrospect, it wasn't the kind of mascara I was looking for, I did enjoy using it. It definitely adds volume to your lashes and was pretty easy to apply. It has a fairly thick wand, and I liked the way it looked on my lashes. I had no problems with it smudging or flaking. 

*I will admit, though, that I don't feel like I'm very good at reviewing mascara at all. I'm naturally blessed with long, fairly voluminous lashes, so I don't need a lot of help in that department. I also like a pretty natural look as far as mascara goes.