Apparently I can't help but to be fashionably late with writing my Glambag reviews. I always seem to receive them toward the end of the month, and by the time I've had a chance to try everything out the next month is already here. Hopefully in the future I'll be able to get my act together. In any case, for November Ipsy sent us a bunch of goodies to help us "Glam it Up" just in time for the festive holiday season.
I have to say, Ipsy really knocked it out of the park this month. Subscribers all got 6 items, one of which was a full-sized product from Michelle Phan's new line, em. And actually, all of the products I received were full-sized, and are either neutral or classic enough to use at just about any time of year.
I've been really loving how Ipsy has been sending us such a fantastic variety of different makeup items that are often harmonious enough to be worn together. As an example, here's a quick look I threw together using my November Glambag products.
I'll give you guys a more detailed play-by-play and all the products used for this look at the end of this post. But for now, on to the reviews!
$15.00
Michelle Phan definitely did her homework when formulating this lip balm. It's glossy and sheer, without being overly sticky or greasy, and doesn't dry out your lips out with repeated application. The texture is truly "pillowy," and the smell is delicious without being candy sweet. I've been keeping this in my purse and it's definitely been getting a lot of use! The only thing that I'm not a big fan of is the fact that it's in a pot, which means applying with your fingers and therefore being more likely to introduce germs into the product.
$15.00
I am generally a big fan of mineral cosmetics, and I'm also a pretty big fan of Cailyn Cosmetics (which I've received products from in a few previous Glambags). Unfortunately I'm not overly wowed by this product. It's a very pretty and shimmery champagne color that is definitely easy to incorporate into a multitude of looks, but is also extremely similar to a lot of other products in that respect that I already own. Moreso, I'm not a huge fan of the sponge tip applicator. I find that it's difficult to use practically, except to dot on product that I then blend out with my finger or a brush.
Nailtini Straight Up Nail Lacquer in Champagne
$13.00
Seeing as I'm a bit of a polish fiend, I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I actually haven't had a chance to try this polish out yet (gasp!...I know). Life has been a bit crazy lately, and I haven't had the time to sit down and give myself a proper manicure. I do really like this color (although it is extremely similar to the one I got in my Birchbox, which is also part of the reason that I haven't given this a test drive) and I think it will be fun to wear around the holidays. At some point once I've had a chance to really try this polish out I'll be able to report back on how it applies/wears.
$18.00
At first I was a bit skeptical about how this bronzer would wear on my light to medium complexion, because it's a bit on the dark side. However, I've found that with the right brush it can give you quite a beautiful glow. I've been using my Real Techniques Blush Brush to wear this, as the bristles are not too dense and it makes it easy to apply to smaller areas. It blends fairly well, and doesn't leave your face looking overly shimmery. And even though I don't wear a ton of bronzer in the winter, I'm enjoying how this wears and will probably incorporate it into my daily beauty routine.
$14.00
I do love a good, strong, red lip (see my previous post all about it!), but I also appreciate products that give just a subtle hint of color, for those days I'm not looking to make a statement (or at least, not a bold one). This lip crayon let's you build up intensity from a sheer wash of cherry to an intense red lip. Texture wise it wears much more like a gloss than a lipstick, which I actually have been enjoying a bit. The lasting power is average for a glossy product, and doesn't hold up super well to
$14.00
So far in my Ipsy experience I've tried a couple of different Starlooks pencils. While I wasn't too impressed with their Kohl eye pencil, this Gem pencil is actually a lot of fun. It's pretty creamy texture-wise and glides on smoothly. It's very, very glittery, but is a fun way to add a bit of drama to an evening look. I found that it wore decently well, although it will be susceptible to smudging if you accidentally touch your eyes (which I don't recommend doing!). My favorite technique to utilize this particular product is to use it alongside black liquid liner for a dual lined look. Speaking of which...back to my look for the month!
I'm rocking a sheer layer of Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon from my Glambag on my lips, since I wanted to go a little more glam on the eyes and didn't want to overdo it. Speaking of eyes, I started out by filling in my brows (which are sparse and uneven otherwise) with Benefit Gimme Brow. I then dotted a little of my Cailyn Mineral Eyeshadow onto my brow bone and blended for a little shimmery highlight. I kept my eyelids mostly bare, except for a little bit of Plum Smoke eyeshadow in the crease from the Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Eyes (which I just did an in-depth review on). I drew a relatively thick, slightly winged black line along my lashes using Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in black. I then traced right above that line and along my lower lashes with the Starlooks Gem Eyeliner Pencil to add a fun glittery pop. To finish off my eyes I applied a few coats of Clinque High Impact Mascara in black.
So there you have it! Another excellent bag from Ipsy. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us this month. December sneak peeks have just started to appear, so keep an eye out for updates on the Ipsy Facebook page if you're interested.
And always, if you're interested in becoming an Ipsy subscriber, you can join here!
Until next time, stay gorgeous!
Lauren
