I swear that it feels like I blinked my eyes and July has almost come to an end. Where did the summer go? Only one month to go before September. Here in the northeastern part of the United States, we haven’t seen the brutal heat that my friends in the western region of the country have been experiencing. The weather seems to be all over the place this year in our neck of the woods and it just can’t figure out what season it is. And before you know it, fall will arrive at our doorsteps. I’m ok with that. I adore fall. But to me, this summer has felt shorter than past summers. Soon, the warm nights of devouring nachos on our back porch under the glow of twinkle lights will be gone. And then right around the corner after fall…well, should I say it? Snow. So let’s try to enjoy what’s left of summer. Enjoy your awkward tan lines. Celebrate the ability to grill your meal outside while developing your hand to hand combat with swatting away mosquitoes. Embrace taking a nap by the pool and waking up with sun poisoning. And don’t forget to memorex all of these moments on Instagram with a pretty filter.
Even though July is nearly over, my July Ipsy bag arrived in a nick of time. Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that only costs 10 smackers each month. You receive 4 to 5 sample and full size products in a sassy cosmetics bag (glam bag). Oh! And before I forget, for a limited time, Ipsy is giving a small amount of my peeps their first bag for free to try! If you are interested in trying Ipsy and want to get your first bag for free, leave your name and e-mail address in the comments section. You can also check out Ipsy here.
Ipsy’s theme this month is Over Easy. The bag features an adorable illustration of a fried egg sleeping. On the back of the bag, you can see its little tush. These bags are great for travel or even gifting to friends.
Ok…Ok. I better hurry up and tell you what I received in this month’s bag before August comes knocking on my door. Here’s what I snagged in this month’s bag:
Ofra Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Victory
I’ve been loving Ofra Cosmetics for over a year now. Their matte liquid lipsticks are some of the best in the business while painting your lips in luscious color but remaining comfy cozy. Months ago, I started dabbling in their eyeshadows. Their individual pans are a bit pricier than some other brands but they are high quality. The shade Victory is a shimmery moss/bronze shade. These shadows are super smooth and blend like nobody’s business. Apply the product wet for an extra pow of pigmentation. You won’t find any creasing or fading with these beauties. Valued at $12, this eyeshadow costs more than the cost of your monthly subscription. Awesome sauce.
BRTC Jasmine Waterfall Sleeping Mask
I follow the Korean skincare regimen. If you aren’t familiar with Korean skincare, don’t fret. I’ll be writing a post about it shortly. Ever since I changed my routine to following a more structure regimen, it has dramatically improved the health and appearance of my skin. Wrinkles, you’ve been warned! This is a war against the aging process. One of the weapons in my anti-aging arsenal is keeping my skin as hydrated as possible. One of the ways that I do this is by applying sleeping masks each night. No. I am not referring to a sleep mask like the one that Holly Golightly wears in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, although that mask is the best.
I’m talking about a more intense moisturizer that you put on after all of your other skincare products at bedtime. These masks, also known as sleep packs, are typically thicker in texture and leave your skin feeling more plump and hydrated in the morning. I love that Ipsy sent out a Korean skincare product because I’m always seeking different brands to try. BRTC’s Jasmine Waterful Sleeping Mask is a more lightweight mask that is packed with jasmine water, lavender extract and blue flower extract. With repeated use, it vows to brighten dull skin and soothe any irritation. This was a refreshing texture that left my skin feeling soft and more hydrated the next morning. I didn’t experience any irritation or breakouts, which I was happy about since this is packed with the lovely smell of jasmine. I’ll definitely be checking out what other trinkets BRTC has up its sleeves.
IBY Beauty Crease Brush
Makeup brushes are one of those things that you can never have too much of. Raise your hand if you hate washing brushes. You can’t see me, but I’m frantically waving my hand around. I love to have lots of brushes on hand. There’s always the dreaded moment that happens from time to time when you are too lazy to wash your brushes and you keep putting off washing them until you are down to a single eyebrow brush. Then you have no choice and end up washing what feels like a zillion brushes. Ipsy, if you are listening, feel free to send me all of the brushes!
IBY Beauty’s crease brush has densely packed synthetic hairs that also are 100% vegan. It has a soft texture and makes blending easy. The size is perfect for blending on your crease or along your lower lash line. I experienced zero fall out of any bristles and it maintains its shape after washing. All in all this is a fab little brush that costs an affordable $12. Which happens to be valued at more than the cost of the entire bag.
Ciaté London Wonderwand Gel-Kohl Hybrid Liner in Black
I love me some gel eyeliner. What’s not to love about gel liner? It’s richly pigmented. It stays put. You can create a crisp line or smudge it out. But I also have a place in my heart for a good kohl liner. Whether using it for tight-lining or creating a diffused line, it’s a staple in my makeup arsenal.
Ciaté London’s Wonderwand Gel-Kohl Hybrid Liner provides the best of both worlds. The formula has the smooth, blendability of a kohl pencil while combining it with the high impact pigmentation of a gel liner. I tried this on my waterline and it stayed put for hours while remaining opaque. On my lids, the liner allowed me to create a precise line that stayed in place without fading or transferring. There’s an angled brush on the end that you can use to smoke out the liner.
I love when there’s a brush attached to a pencil. It’s so convenient for tossing it in my purse on the go. I carry an unnecessary amount of makeup with me everywhere. I have an irrational fear that a hurricane will strike at any moment and I will be forced to redo my makeup on the fly. In reality, I barely ever have to reach for my cosmetics bag. You would think I would learn by now. Nope.
This is a great pencil for those who are looking for a liner with great pigmentation along with some good staying power. And did I mention that this pencil is valued at $18? That’s right. $8 more than the cost of the entire Ipsy bag.
Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet
Oh, Caudalie. I loved you for years but sadly I’ve had to say goodbye to you recently as I found out that you are not cruelty-free. When I used the Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet in the past, this gel-cream moisturizer did help to brighten my skin while making it feel plump and hydrated. But alas, Caudalie is a no-go for me. Hoping they make the switch soon to go cruelty-free.
Well, I am happy I was able to share my July Ipsy bag during July! I feel so accomplished! Now it’s time for me to start trolling for next month’s spoilers. Giddy up!
Lipstick and Nachos 