Ipsy Glam Bag: April 2016

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Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription that gives subscribers 4-5 sample and full size products for $10 a month. All of the beauty samples also come in a handy little makeup bag. I love that all of Ipsy's products come in these adorable bags because they are insanely useful for holding just about anything!

Nth Degree: Moroccan Argan Oil & Keratin Hair Serum

My hair has been super frizzy lately (maybe because I permed it and now I use my hairdryer every day - oops!) so I'm definitely starting to appreciate hair serums that help to keep that frizz away! Unfortunately, subscription boxes have been giving me so many products that I'm having a really hard time keeping up! I already use quite a few different moroccan oil type products so I'm excited to give this a try as well. 

Lab2: Just Blending In Brush

News flash: I’m trying to branch out and actually incorporate eyeshadow into my makeup routine - eek! I get so much eyeshadow from subscription boxes that I figured I might as well try to use them for something! I have monolids, which means I do not have a crease, and have definitely struggled with how to use eyeshadow to enhance my eyes. YouTube tutorials have been a huge help but it’s still a work in progress since half the time I end up looking like I just got punched. I currently do not own an eyeshadow blending brush so this brush actually came at the absolute perfect time! 

Starlooks: Eye Pencil in Jet

I'm trying to stay open towards testing out different types of eyeliner, however, I have a very established eyeliner routine that I'm not looking to change anytime soon. Most of the time, any eyeliner I receive from subscription boxes becomes a waste so I really try to indicate this in my profile so that I get less of these products. Unfortunately, I'm still receiving a lot of eyeliner, which I'm not too happy about :( 

Nudestix: Lip & Cheek Pencil in Mystic

Buxom Cosmetics: Liquid Lipstick in Centerfold

Definitely excited that I received two lip products in this month’s bag because I love experimenting with new lip colors! Both of this month’s lip colors were nude - which was a perfect fit for what I needed since I’ve been looking to add more nude lip colors to my collection! Both of these shades are extremely close to my actual lip color so they’ll be perfect for low key lip days. I’m a happy camper :) 

I am actually super happy with my ipsy for this month! Minus the eyeliner, it actually feels like a good fit for my needs (I love getting lip products & makeup tools), I’m hoping that this kind of luck continues and that ipsy’s algorithm for figuring out individual preferences continues to improve. Overall, I’m happy with this month’s products and glad I’m back with ipsy. What were your thoughts on this month’s ipsy products? 

Thanks for reading! ♥

Butterfly Wings

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I’ve had this shirt for over 5 years now and it is still one of my greatest loves when it comes to tops. I've been told it looks like I have butterfly wings when I wear it so I affectionately call it my butterfly top! There are some pieces where all you really need is that one piece and nothing else you wear with it matters. This is one of those pieces! This top is so elegant and has such a beautiful shape that I try to keep everything else around it muted to really let it shine. Plus, I can twirl in it and it makes me feel just a tad fancier without even trying -  and who doesn’t want that? :) 

Thanks for reading ♥

FabFitFun: Spring 2016

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FabFitFun is a quarterly subscription box that sends full-size versions of the seasons top fitness, fashion, beauty, and wellness products. Each box is about $50 if you subscribe month-to-month and slightly less if you select an annual subscription. While the FabFitFun box is not tailored specifically to each subscriber based on their preferences, I've found that subscription boxes that send the same products to all subscribers tend to select better products that they know everyone will enjoy. I've definitely enjoyed this quarter's spring box and thought I'd share the goodies I received today! 

Bath Bomb Trinity by Jus D'Amour - $28

I was pretty much the only girl in the entire world who had yet to try a bath bomb (can someone please explain to me why they usually cost $4-$10 each? Sorry, but my baths aren't worth that much to me yet!) so I was pretty excited to try these out. The smell of these were nice and light but there were some points where I couldn’t even tell whether or not these bath bombs were doing anything because the smell was so light. While these are a little out of the price range I would normally pay for bath products, I love that subscribing to subscription boxes like FabFitFun allows me to try pricier products that I wouldn't normally go for!

Keratin Gloves & Socks by Bodipure Inc. - $9.98

I recently had an at-home spa day for myself and used these keratin products as part of that day! This keratin treatment came in nice little plastic socks and gloves which allowed me to be able to do other things while the keratin worked its magic! I definitely wouldn't purchase this on my own (it's essentially a $10 price tag for a one time use product) but it was fun to try it as a part of my FabFitFun box. 

Shaving Emulating Lotion by Hello Legs - $19.95

Is it weird that I don't usually use shaving cream for my legs? This is a nice-to-have for sure but definitely not something I'll be purchasing for myself. Also, is there a difference between shaving cream and "shaving emulation lotion"? Maybe I'm not as beauty-educated as I think I am...

Herb Garden by MakersKit - $35

I have recently become obsessed with plants and was so looking forward to this Herb garden! Historically, I do not have the best track record with plants (and fish actually) but my two most recent green friends have survived for quite a while so I want to give a couple of other plants a go! I love that everything in this kit is ready-to-use because I have almost zero gardening knowledge whatsoever. Plus, the kit comes with a cute little wooden box labeled "Herbs" which I'm excited to be able to display on a window in my kitchen!

Contour Kit by ISH - $32

I may be subscribed to too many boxes at this point but this is probably the 3rd contour-esque kit I've received from subscriptions this season! I love contouring and find this simple kit to be perfect for on-the-go. It's both small and flat and has all your essentials - a cool-toned bronzer, a highlight, a blush - and even has a sparkly bronzer that could be great if you like a little more sparkle on the cheeks. 

Argan & Hep Oil Therapy by Marrakesh - $22.99

I've really been enjoying this product so far. It has a very sweet smell and definitely has reduced a lot of frizz and poofiness that happens when I use a hairdryer in the mornings! Plus, it comes in a glass bottle which definitely makes me feel fancier when I use it :P

Tag Necklace by Jook & Noona - $65

This necklace is beautiful in its simplicity and I love that it essentially can go with anything due to that simplicity. There were 4 different options for necklaces (the tag either says "Happy", "Love", "Inspire", or "Dream") and I wish subscribers could have picked the necklace we wanted most! I received the "Dream" necklace and would've really loved the "Happy" one instead! Ultimately, it doesn't make a huge difference since the writing on the tag is relatively small, but it would've been a nice way to personalize the box a little bit. 

Yoga Mat Strap by Merrithew - $14.99

I'm still a newbie when it comes to fitness products so I'm not sure how much I'll use this but I love that it's multifunctional. It functions as both a cute yoga mat strap as well as a resistance band! Since I don't have any weights at home , I've been testing this out with some resistance band based workouts!

Sterling Forever: $30 Gift Card + Free Shipping.

I always appreciate getting gift cards in my subscription boxes because then I can choose a product that I like! This one even came with free shipping which is a huge plus given that most of these do not so you still have to spend some money to at least pay for shipping. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything I liked that wasn't already sold out. Since the card lasts for another year, I'll hang onto it hoping things get stocked again.

31 Bits: $25 Gift Card

I ended up using the 31 Bits $20 gift card on this pretty yellow necklace. It was originally $29.80 but with the gift card and plus shipping, this necklace turned out to be about $10.  Definitely a better deal, although it sucked that I still had to pay for shipping!

This is only my second FabFitFun box but I definitely think it's been worth the $50 price tag so far. The value in each box is much more than $50! While it can seem like a lot to spend $40-$50 on a subscription box, I really feel that the more expensive the box is, the greater the value it provides proportionate to the price you pay. Plus, there were a ton of products in there that I wouldn't normally have purchased or tried but because they were in this box, I got to test them out! What'd you think of your FabFitFun box? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading ♥