Ipsy Glam Bag Review- February 2014

Ipsy's February Glam Bag was all about the look of love! So of course, for mine, that meant... lots of pink! Luckily I got over my odd hatred for pink as I grew older. Now I find it to be a nicely pleasant color, granted it's the right shade.

So much pink! And random blue...

Overall, pretty nice products! The Skyn Iceland face mask set was what I most excited about. And the eyelashes I attempted to use, but given how long the lashes were, decided to opt out on the day I was planning to use them (since we were going to a farm, I thought it would be ridiculous to wear them.) Starting from the top and going down (left to right also).

Skyn Iceland Fresh Start Mask - As stated before, I was really excited to try this. During one of my spurts of "I need to take care of my face!" I contemplated this brand. Due to my own indecision about products and the desire to save money, I ended up not getting anything from them, but Ipsy remedied that. :p Even better that it was a mask! On the package, you can see that it's a clay and a gel. You can also feel the contents of the packets, but still, I was surprised at what the clay was like.

There it is on my middle finger.

It was smooth and not at all chalky or as thick as I imagined. And it was this neat blue color which I definitely didn't see coming! In any case, it was easy to apply and stayed on my face without any issues.

All blue clayed up!

But that wasn't it! This was only step one. Step two is the other packet. The gel. I've used masks before, but I've never used anything like this. I would think that the mask would be enough, but I obliged and used the gel as instructed. So once you apply the clay (which is actually quite generous, it looks hard to tell in the picture), you then apply the gel in the same manner. The combination of the two and the motion of application is to activate them and get it all to effervesce. Having never done this type of application with masks before, it was pretty exciting!

All effervescing!

It might be hard to tell in the pictures, but the clay was noticeably blue when applied, then when the gel was applied and thoroughly massaged in with the clay, it was more white and foamy. After this, you wait, I can't remember for how long now, but a decent amount of time to let this stuff take effect. It doesn't harden like other clay masks, and once enough time has passed, you simply rinse it off with a cloth.
Overall I really liked this product and would love to try more! It made my skin feel pretty clean without drying it out so that's always a plus. The only drawback I saw was the packaging. It's great they give you so much (really... a lot!), but it means I either have to glob on way more than I feel is necessary (as what happened with the clay), or throw away a good bit of (as what happened with the gel). Usually I save them somehow, but I just wasn't feeling it that day. The packaging could be better and I think for non-samples it probably is, but you could also just stick any leftover in a Ziploc and use it for another time.

J.Cat Beauty Eyelashes - I was also looking forward to trying these out as the last time I wore fake lashes was during Halloween years ago. I planned on wearing them to a visit to a restaurant/organic farm, but after actually partially applying one, I decided against wearing them. Part of the reason was I didn't allow myself enough time to apply them and they didn't go on as easily as I thought they would (someone more experienced probably wouldn't have issues). Another reason was that they seemed really long. My own eyelashes seem long enough for me (especially with mascara applied), but these guys were long! I was also surprised to find that they were 100% human hair. This didn't bother me, simply caught me off guard as I never really considered it (again, never really wore eyelashes). I do plan to properly apply and wear them for a day (maybe even just around the house) and the nice thing about them is their reusability. There seems to be plenty of glue to reapplying and their packaging also doubles as a nice case for keeping them in.

Zoya Nail Polish - I like neutral colored polish. That being said, when I first applied this polish, I didn't like it. It seemed unnaturally light and looked like it glowed to me (I think it was just the light color next to the darker skin around my nails). But after taking some pictures of it on my nails, I grew to like it. It's a simple color, pretty thin, I feel, but that's fine to me.

With a base coat and two coats of this polish, I could still see the tips of my fingernails. Despite that, it feels like an elegant kind of color and polish, perfect for when I'm just not sure what color I want or when I just want to feel pretty~
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧



Tini Beauty Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow - This stuff has a strong smell! To me, it smells like a nail salon, but maybe the smell is different for others. I still gave it a shot and tried it out despite the smell and thankfully the smell didn't seem to linger when applied or burn my eyelids either. XD
The color was decent and it applied smoothly. The staying power probably could have been better if I had used a primer, but I'm not too bothered by that. I already have a couple of cream shadows just like this one so there wasn't really anything special to me about this product. I'm mostly glad just to have another color, although with the smell, it makes me less likely to apply it.

POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini - Last is the lipgloss! This also had a funky smell to it. I was able to determine that part of the smell was the handle of the applicator. The material it is, I guess has some lingering smell to it. But the lipgloss itself also had a smell. It's a bit strong at first, but underneath that is a decently pleasant smell. A friend described the strong smell (or the smell overall) as burnt marshmallows (which isn't too bad of a smell in my book, but hey..).

I actually really liked the color this presented on my lips. A nice splash of color, bright enough to be seen, but not overpowering (to me). Or maybe I'm just that ready for another color aside from red. Who knows? :p
It's not too sticky and even a thin application seems to put enough color on that I don't need to go overboard. My friend who said that it smelled like burnt marshmallows also said it tasted of burnt marshmallows, but I can't say I experienced this any.

And of course, I can't forget the bag! The outside is a nice plain pink color as can be seen in the top photo. The inside is a fun animal print in, of course, pink! I stuck a pen inside to get an idea of the depth and inside space, but I don't know how easy that is to see... XD

Overall a fun bag of stuff this time around with an appropriate theme. I can imagine that those not so keen on pink or Valentine's day might have felt a little meh about it, but I think there's a good amount of neutral colors and items to keep it from being restricted to romance~

 I'm looking forward to March's goodies!

February '14 Birchbox Review!

I skipped a video for this box simply because of time. I've been so busy with schoolwork lately (last week with these two classes though, yay!) that I haven't really had time for much else. And as much as I'm fine doing a video, it's the editing process and all that that just makes it tedious sometimes. But enough of all that! Let's review!

Magnificent!

Happily, I can say that I've tried everything in the box!
Starting from the left~

Reviver Dry Deodorant Wipe - This thing is just really neat! Because of the whole "deodorant" thing, I initially thought it was just for your underarms. Buuut upon closer inspection, I saw that it was for your clothes. It smells really nice which is the obvious reason for masking foul odors. What I really like is that it's reusable, and thankfully, comes in resealable packaging. I don't use clothing fresheners often though so I probably won't use this too often, but it's nice to have the option. You never know!

Revealed Palette Sampler - Eyeshadow! Always a plus. I had heard great things about this brand and was excited to try it out. The shadows went on nice and smoothly and blended great. I feel like the intensity of the colors faded over a short time, but perhaps using a lid primer would help with that. In any case, I was pleased with this item.

Whish Body Butter (Pomegranate) - I honestly don't know what a pomegranate smells like. Despite being surrounded by them here in Turkey, I've only ever bought and opened one (although I do eat them just about every Friday, but it's along with other fruits). So as for smelling like pomegranate, I can't correctly say. But I will say that I like the scent. It smells light and a bit fruity. As a body butter, it feels thinner than what I expected, but I'm fine with that. Absorbs nicely and doesn't feel very greasy either!

Paula's Choice Antioxident Serum - I've come to really enjoy getting facial products that aren't makeup simply because I have so many I can actually compare them all! My first impression with this serum was that it reminded me of a serum I've been using for a while: Olay's Regenerist Serum. The consistency feels very similar, however Paula's Choice serum is a bit more on the oil side and Olay's a bit more on the cream side (though still very far from an actual cream). Because Paula's Choice is a bit more oil-based, it leaves a bit of shine on my face at first, but does go away. As I'm applying it on my face though, it seems to feel almost like a powder, or a matte type of feeling. In any case, I like it so far and since it's in this fun sample size, it will be a lot easier to take with me on trips.

Beauty Protector Hair Oil - I was really excited to receive this as I received the leave-in conditioner from them before and really enjoy it. Although the sample packaging can leave more of a mess (oily hands!), the actual product doesn't disappoint. It smells just as amazing as the leave-in conditioner and I can control where exactly it goes on my hair and really work it in. As I'm planning to bleach and dye my hair in the near future, I'm really happy to have all these hair products to prep for that.  I've been concentrating this oil on the ends of my hair and so far it feels like it's working!

So there we go! Another awesome array of products.
As always, if you're interested in Birchbox here's my referral link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/c9z7v

More Knitting! A scarf and coinpurse.

With February almost over, looking back on the knitting projects I've done, I'm pretty satisfied! I only planned on doing two, and while I didn't exactly go way beyond that, simply the fact that I've gathered more materials and tried new things makes me feel like this month's craft has been a success. I'm still working on one and I plan to do another still so I won't write this crafting challenge off just yet, but it is almost over. For now though, I'll address two of the things I worked on.

First is the scarf I started so many years ago and just couldn't finish. Second is the coin purse that I planned on doing before the month even started!

Fun things!

The scarf I wanted to finish simply because I had been working on it for sooo long. I think it basically passed the point of being a practical scarf for me to wear and a weird experiment with knitting. It started off at 5.5 inches wide and then somehow grew to 7 inches wide! (Please note: Not a male enhancement ad.) Because I was really just ready to end this thing, I cast off and ended up with this awkwardly shaped and awkwardly not short or not long "scarf." The success of freeing up my needles worked, but now I had this thing that really didn't work as a scarf. Solution? Cat scarf! Maybe?

He looks cute enough in it at least!

 
Now, the coin purse. Because of all the cheap produce here, I'm left with such an abundance of change; it's crazy! I figured that a coin purse would be perfect to do as it's practical and completes my challenge quota. Since I used the same yarn as the wonky cat scarf, I didn't have much left of it. Instead of knitting to the suggested length, I knit a bit short of that, scared that I was going to run out of yarn. The result? A funky "coin purse" in which the flap doesn't quite fit over the case.

Although it does hold change!

I still plan on getting a button for it and completing the thing, just have to find a decent-sized button.

In any case, those were fun...
The month is almost over, sure, but plenty of knitting left to do!

January Ipsy's Glam Bag Review

My first ever review for Ipsy! I get these bags so late compared to others and my Birchbox that I just haven't felt the urge to want to do a video about "unboxing" my Glam Bag or reviewing the products on camera. Though, heck, maybe in the future I will. :P

So Ipsy! The first difference between Ipsy and Birchbox is the "packaging" with which your products arrive in. While Birchbox sends items in the same style of box every month, Ipsy sends theirs in customized makeup bags. This was something I thought was really cool. I'm sure I'll find myself with an overabundance of these bags, but at least for the moment, I'm finding good uses for them. And of course, they can always be gifts to your friends and family.
Another key difference is that Ipsy's products chose for each person are actually based off of a quiz they complete; so Ipsy has the potential to be personalized. And don't worry, if your tastes change, you can always retake the quiz!

January's bag is a very pretty blue with lighter blue silhouettes with details of various makeup products.

I think it's cute, others that I've spoken to don't like it so much. I've also heard complaints of the material feeling somewhat cheap. I, personally, have no problem with the design or material. However, I did notice a strong chemical smell to the bag, something others seemed to notice as well. Luckily the smell seems to have dissipated for the most part and I expect it won't cause any problems in the future.

Now to the good stuff!

I'll be honest, I've only used 3 of these products so far. I'll still give general thoughts to the products I haven't used, but I won't be commenting on their performance since I can't judge it.
Starting from the top left, moving right, then down.

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair!™ Deep Conditioning Mask: I haven't used this product. It's a simple conditioning mask for hair that you apply after you shampoo and then rinse out after a few minutes. I love the little tub for this. It doesn't seem like a lot, but I feel like it will be plenty for me to try. The smell is pleasant!

Nourish Organic Lightweight Moisturizing Face Lotion: I suppose that it's nice that it's organic. I'll go out of my way for an organic product once in a while, but typically I don't bother. I recall this brand being a good one by some friends, but I can't speak well for this product. The lotion is very thin, but leaves a kind of sticky feeling, but it's not that it's sticky, it's just that when I'm applying it, it feels like the product is suddenly gone (and not in the good way) and I have to get more. I can't say how it affected my face as I only used it once. After the first feeling it left on me, I'm not too keen to try it again.

MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm: This stuff came out of the pot surprisingly well and the color was nice enough to leave some color on my lips. The biggest drawback is the application. Because of the color, I was left with a very vibrant pink/red hue on my finger. While I was satisfied with the color, now I was left with the dilemma of where to put the rest of this stuff. In a usual setting, I probably won't have something suitable to wipe it on and I'll use my jeans, which is exactly what I did then.  I'm sure it washed out, though I haven't checked, but man it left a nice vibrant color on my jeans! In any case, aside from application issues, I liked this product.

Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow: My very first though was "wow, what a stingy sample!" However, I have been assured that I can simple whittle away at the wood (I think it's wood) and acquire more of the product. That aside, I love the color and glitter this item has. I've used this the most often out of the other products. I really like how the glitter builds so you're not getting too much straight away and can control just how much you want. It's good if you're unsure of a color for the day, but want something around the eyes. Definitely using more of!

Proactiv+ Mark Fading Pads: I thought it was quite a surprise to be receiving a Proactiv product! I haven't tried these yet, but I really like that four of them were included for actually trying the product and being able to tell if it's helped. A few friends I've spoken to said it seemed to work for them so that seems promising! Perhaps when I find a mark I'm fed up with I'll use them, but for now, I'll keep them shelved.

So that's all if it! If you're interested in Ipsy, here's my referral link: PumpkinLuv Referral
Sometimes you get things you love, sometimes things you're tired of, and other things you don't know what to do with. If you keep an open mind (and $10/month), you can forget about makeup and beauty products and just let them come to you. ;D

Crafty 火曜日 and February's Skill: Knitting

Sometime last year (actually while I was on vacation I think), I decided that there were too many things I was still a beginner in and that I needed to do something about that. So I decided that next year (2014) I was going to devote an entire month to one skill or craft in order to become more acquainted with it, gain more skill in it, and make some fun stuff! By no means do I expect to become a master in any of the skills, but it's a great reason for me to at least try.

I originally planned to start in January, but the stress of returning home and getting here late and getting back into the groove of things, not to mention back into school, made me decide to wait until February to start. I also decided that knitting would be the first skill/craft that I would try.

I'm glad I didn't rush it and glad it's also going well so far. Originally, I was planning on doing two projects from a knitting book I got back when I was high school (see! I've been on the cusp of beginner for too long!), but upon seeing a blog entry and video about arm knitting, I decided to give that a try first.

First I had to get some yarn! Apparently there's a big yarn store around here somewhere, but I don't know where. And they also sell yarn at the Sunday market, but I worked on homework the whole day so I didn't go. Oh yeah, I wasn't able to start this until the 2nd (again because of homework). But anyway! So I got yarn at the BX on base.

I chose these colors since I love blue and this combination reminds me of food for some reason. :P

Here's some details on it!

I feel like the yarn in the video was more bulky, but who knows! It's so easy to do though, getting more yarn and making another scarf is basically a reward.

After many many rewatches of the video and even some mistakes, about an hour later, I had my scarf completed! Even though I have a scarf I started years ago, the arm-knitted scarf is actually my first finished knitted creation! :D

Having completed this as my first project, I'm feeling super motivated to try more projects and even redos of this. Hopefully my next project goes well, but I think I'll finally try and finish that years old scarf first.

Yay filters! :P