Recapping: September Ipsy Glam Bag

Hello there, my name is Kari and I used to blog here but then I…

Scheduled 4 trips in 4 weekends…

Started intensive training for a new job in my company…

Can barely find time to eat let alone blog.

Excuses aside, here I am and you have no idea how excited I am to be catching up with you guys 🙂

Back in July (maybe?) I read about Ipsy and felt like I needed to give it a whirl. In the most basic description ever: pay $10 to get samples of beauty products mailed to you. You are then  able to watch the stylists use said products to get some tricks and tips for yourself. After that you kindly review your thoughts and maybe even purchase your favorite items that Ipsy has so graciously worked out discounts for. You also rack up Ipsy points by sharing on social media and writing reviews… when I figure out exactly what those do, I’ll let you know!

First off I loved the little bag, I can totally use that for travel purposes!

1. Briogeo’s Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep conditioning mask

I absolutely loved this product! It smelled great and the results were even better. A couple days after I used the mask I was shocked that my hair still felt so clean. I don’t know if I’ve noticed any long term improvements yet but the fact that I can get an extra day out of washing it has me over the moon. Disclaimer: this was the first time using a conditioning mask on my hair so I’ll be sure to let you know how it stacks up over others in the future!

2. Nourish Organic’s Mosturizing Organic Face Cleanser

I was sort of disappointed with this cleanser, assuming that I keep using it and see results I could change my mind but so far it seems fairly run of the mill. I was really hoping the cucumber smell was going to pull through but sadly it didn’t. Womp, womp on this one guys.

3.Pacifica’s 7 Free Nail Polish

My favorite thing in the bag was this nail polish, no joke peeps.  I am normally a bright red nail chick so I was a bit thrown off by this color but when I put it on (and drank that glass of wine thus getting polish on my skin like a rookie) I was actually really impressed. I put two coats on and it lasted without chipping for 4 days without any base or top coat… I consider that a big old win!

4. Be a Bombshell’s Smooth Criminal Powder

Upon googling this product (hello, I have no idea what it was supposed to do) I realized I could swipe it on my face post makeup to set and keep it fresh for longer. I used this a few times most noticeably before a wedding that I went to this weekend and definitely liked that my face didn’t get as oily as it’s prone to over long days. I also read on multiple reviews that it was supposed to make your pores look smaller but that didn’t happen for me.

5. Maybelline’s Master Glaze Blush Stick in “Make a Mauve”

This was the product I would absolutely 100% never pick up in a store on my own especially in this color. I tend to avoid blush anyway because I think my cheeks are rosy enough BUT I tried it out and was more than pleasantly surprised. First off it was noticeable but not too overpowering but more importantly it lasted all day no problem. Bonus, it’s a great simple lipstick color too! I’ll have to take a picture soon to show you what I mean!

This being my first time using Ipsy I thought of a few pros and cons for the service…

PROS

Most of the products boasted being organic, eco and vegan friendly which is always a cause I can get behind.

I really enjoyed the packaging and some of the products will last me more than a few uses which is great.

It was fun receiving items that I wouldn’t necessarily pick out for myself. That blush would have never made it into the makeup bag before Ipsy but I’m so glad that it did!

The prices for the individual items were reasonable and something I could definitely work into my budget… i.e. give me all the nail polishes please!

CONS

Ipsy put me on a wait list when I first signed up, it wasn’t a big deal but just be aware.

I was only really bummed with the cleanser, it just didn’t do anything for me.

I feel like a little product description card to go in the bags with the items would go a long way.  Correct me if I’m wrong because it’s been a few years since I got one but I don’t believe even Birchbox does this? I just know I would find it super helpful in addition to the videos and reviews online of course.

Overall

 I really enjoyed getting this glam bag, I am definitely looking forward to my next one! I’ve spent $10 on much less enjoyable things, that’s for sure 😉

Have you ever received an Ipsy or a Birchbox type service?

Do you ever tried any of these products?

Fun Facts Friday

I am still training for that little old half marathon, even though I haven’t done a Training Day post in a couple of weeks. Next week I’ll get an update out, I promise!

On to the fun facts for the week!

1. My Fantasy Football team “Eric’s Berries” is absolutely going to CRUSH this league.

As you know I am a college football girl through and through, however I do love me some NFL. Even better? I LOVE my former Volunteers in the NFL. At the bar on Sundays during the season, my friends pepper me with “where did they go to school?”

This year my fantasy football team is named after Kansas City Chief’s 5th overall draft pick in 2010 (and you guessed it, former Tennessee stand out) Eric Berry. This year the “Berries” which I will of course refer to the team as from here on out, are freaking stacked. I mean AP AND Cordarelle Patterson?? Game. Over.

2. If you are looking for seafood in Burlington, you must go to Bleu Northeast Seafood.    Oh man what a way to spend an anniversary meal. Bleu opened recently and I still had not tried it so off we went. We started off with one of my favorite new drinks (that I of course forgot to take a photo of) the Garden Tonic. “House infused cucumber Vodka, lemon juice, honey simple syrup, celery bitters with cucumber, mint, thyme, and lime , topped off with tonic water.” AMAZING.

The gave us the best seat in the house- we must know people or something 😉 Our meal began sharing the Blue & Greens salad which the kitchen so generously split for us (they must have known we don’t share well) and for main course I got the Cedar Roasted salmon pictured above. I substituted the potato salad for their cheddar mashed potatoes because when given the option I will always choose cheddar mashed potatoes.

Zach tried the Steak Frites and loved every bite.  When the plates were served he made it a point to tell me “You can even eat the flowers on top!” Love that guy.  Overall it was a great experience, I am so happy we went!

3. Scavenger hunts are the coolest.

I got home from work on Wednesday to find a scavenger hunt waiting for me through the living room and kitchen. Here were some of my favorite clues…

I love Peyton and I love iced tea. This kid knows me.

Charleston Chews and Rory? Keep it coming…

I appreciate that he censored himself on this one haha… who says fudging??

4. I FINALLY bought the perfect dresses for the wedding we are attending next weekend in Connecticut.

The couple were gracious enough to invite me along to the rehearsal dinner (out of town girlfriend of a groomsman, you know the drill) which meant I had to find a dress for that as well. Had to is a stretch but still, I wanted to 😉

So yesterday I stopped in to Francesca’s and found this lovely dress for 40% off final sale in addition to 10% off with my student ID. That means $23.00 folks! I think it will be perfect for the rehearsal dinner. I actually saw the dress on La Petite Fashionista’s adorable blog before I walked into the store and I absolutely love what she did to style it! Be sure to check it out!!!

Also, I was really hoping I would find it online to do the dress justice but instead you will just have to take this dirty mirrored selfie that was only meant to go to the best friend for opinion.

I’ll keep the dress I found for the wedding itself to myself for now but just know, I typically hate shopping online for dresses but Lily Boutique I freaking love you!

5. Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer is my new best friend.

Tarte BB Cream via Sephora $35.00

I’ve been in search of a good BB cream for awhile now and I may have met my match. It feels amazing on the skin, blends so well and actually covers amazingly. Plus a little goes a long way which makes the price totally worth it. According to the lovely lady at Sephora, this BB cream plus a little loose powder and you’re good to go!

Happy Weekending Friends!

Do you fantasy football?

What is your go to cocktail?

Do you prefer in store shopping or online?

Benders and Bargains

Oh hey there!

I don’t know about you guys but sometimes I go through some serious phases.  From various shows that I’m watching to books that I’m reading and quite frequently when I decide I must be crafty and redecorate the entire apartment before ANY guests can come over. Currently I’m rocking a shopping “phase” that I prefer to call a full blown bender.  While I don’t consider myself a stylish person I do believe that in being an obsessive style blog reader I am taking baby steps towards gaining random stranger compliments.

My goal with this blog is to try a little bit of everything because why not?

So today I am going to share with you a few things that I’ve purchased these last couple of weeks during my retail therapy bender. I’m actually pretty excited about a lot of these things as almost every single item was a massive sale 😀

        LIT Boutique (Newbury location) $49.00 (I couldn’t find it online at LIT but I did see it here)

I bought this dress while shopping in Boston over Memorial Day Weekend and the second I put it on I had to get it.  The color (which shows way better in the second photo) was gorgeous and I am a serious sucker for fun backs on dresses.  It also wasn’t too short which is a problem I find often. I definitely need to make a trip back there before I head into wedding season in August!

TJ Maxx $29.99 (Couldn’t find it online but this one is also adorable)

I mean seriously how fun is this bag? I’m loving aztec prints lately and this is just the right size for my computer! Plus who doesn’t love calling themselves a “Maxxinista” (Ha!)

bareMinerals Faux Tan Face and Body $20 for sample set

Marc Jacobs “Daisy” $22

I decided after seeing Julia talk about this line of self tanners from bareMinerals on GalMeetsGlam that I would try it out but I was hesitant on my fairly Irish skin tone so seeing the sample size was the best way for me to go! This stuff has been great! It doesn’t feel streaky and it is noticeable without being over the top.  I will say that my hands look quite brown after but a few (10) washes tends to do the trick.

And this rollerball from Marc Jacobs I just love, it smells awesome and my friends always ask to borrow it.

JC Penney Arizona Sandals $19.99

JustFab Emilee Sandals $39.95

JustFab Audri Sandals (Not found online anymore) but these are similar!

The JC Penney sandals I got for free because I returned something at sephora and had a coupon… win. I also signed up to be a VIP on JustFab and ended up getting those two pairs of sandals for $29.95 with free shipping! How that worked out I really don’t know. The Emilee sandal has been my go to, it runs a little big but doesn’t feel like it when I’m wearing them.  The Audri straps are so fun and classic, they produced a nice little blister on my heel though 😉

Maurice’s from the sale rack for $10 (I’ve got my eye on this one though)

Also Maurice’s (not online) for FREE… with a whole bunch of giftcards/coupons

I only ever go into Maurice’s with my little sister who swears by their jeans.  Each time I go in though I come out with a dress that I’m not looking for but secretly am really happy about.  The black and white one fits really nicely but I haven’t had a chance to bust it out yet.  The Grecian dress just may be my favorite find in this shopping haul, I’m trying to decide if I want to bust it out at the Burlington Wine and Food Festival this weekend but I have a massive fear of spilling red wine on myself which would be a real bummer.

Do you all ever feel like you are in “bender” mode?

What have been some of your favorite purchases lately?

Also, premature question… how does one get red wine out of say the dress above? 😉