Wait. What? Did you see that? The calendar. It’s the middle of August. Yes, that’s right. It’s almost September. To all of you lovers autumn out there, I am with you! It’s already time to start pulling out the fall-scented candles and break out the pumpkin-everything recipes. You will wake up one day in the next two weeks and find your social media accounts flooded with memes such as these:
I am guilty of gushing about my love of all things fall. But what I really love is having more fun with my makeup in the autumn months. The fall season gives me a creative burst where I play with more colors. I experiment without worrying about my makeup running off my face like a drippy wax candle due to the heat and humidity. But there are a handful of summer days left. A few more visits to our local drive-in movie theater. A couple of weeks of seeing the family of raccoons visit our bird feeder on the back porch. Just a few weeks left for my cucumbers to finish growing so I can finally say I grew a vegetable successfully without murdering it.
And when my glorious Ipsy envelope arrived this weekend, it once again reminded me of fall. In place of Ipsy’s traditional vibrant pink envelope, I was handed a shiny gold package. I even checked the shipping label to make sure it was from Ipsy. It sure was! And the golden color made me think of the changing leaves that are already starting to dot some of the trees in my neighborhood. If you aren’t familiar with Ipsy, it’s a $10 a month beauty subscription service that you can check out here. For a limited time, there is no waitlist. Also, if you are interested in trying your first bag for free, leave me a comment below.
This month’s theme is Good Vibes Only. Ipsy sent out three different sayings on their glam bags and I received “Wild & Free” (I’m stating the obvious because it’s right there in the photo). The bag design is inspired by sunsets and is quite purdy.
They also sent a little catalogue-type book. What the heck is this?! Well, it shares some exciting news that Ipsy is starting a new program called Ipsy Shopper: “10-30% cash back on every single purchase (yes, that’s real $$$!) on over 20,000 products from your fave beauty brands on ipsy.com, plus personalized shopping recommendations.”. I don’t know about you, but I love any kind of cash back opportunities on beauty products that I would otherwise pay full price for. Rarely are prestige brands offered on sale or are included in coupon offers at stores. So I love the opportunity to save some dough. Ipsy also sent a welcome code for $5 worth of Ipsy Cash. I’m super stoked to explore their site.
Ok…ok! I’ll stop yammering on now and tell you what I snagged in this month’s bag:
First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay
Holy mackerel! That product’s full title was a mouthful! I’ve been meaning to try First Aid Beauty for some time now. They’ve been buzzed about in the beauty guru world since they hit the market. So I was excited to try their Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser. I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I follow the Korean Skincare regimen and apply what feels like a hundred products on my face (it’s not nearly that many…more like 57 products). I am very picky about what I use on my skin and try to do my best to research what’s being put in the stuff that I’m slathering on. But I’m not a chemist and just try to use what seems like it will be good to my skin.
My skin is dry and gets oily in my t-zone area throughout the day. I also heavily focus on anti-aging. Since clay products sometimes tend to dry out my skin, I rarely use them. But since there is a few weeks of warm weather left and my skin has been retaining more moisture, I gave this cleanser a whirl.
Cleanser’s benefits:
- Antioxidant booster derived from botanical antioxidants – wards off harsh effects from the environment
- Rosemary leaf oil and red clay – help to purge impurities
- Safe for sensitive skin
- Free of: Parabens, sulfates, artificial fragrances, colorants and phthalates
I’ve used the Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser for a few days now and I’m pleasantly surprised that it hasn’t left my face feeling like the Sahara Desert. It does a good job at leaving my skin feeling very clean yet not stripped of moisture. Will I switch from my beloved Klairs Rich Moist Foaming Cleanser? No. Klairs cleanser provides more anti-aging ingredients in their cleanser. But for those looking for a good cleanser that purges your skin from impurities without stripping moisture, give First Aid Beauty a whirl.
theBalm Voyage Vol. 2 Eyeshadow in Kuwakaribisha
Jeez Louise! Another mouthful of a name! I’ve been sitting here for five minutes attempting to pronounce Kuwakaribisha. Good grief. Ok…moving on. I’ve received a few of the travel-sized eyeshadows, blushes and highlighters from theBalm in the past. This shadow/highlighter is part of theBalm Voyage Vol. 2 Palette. I love these little packages. They look like a little book and are perfect to toss in your bag on the go or include in a card as a little gift for a friend.
This shadow is a beautiful gold shade with a luscious shimmer. theBalm is consistent in producing high-quality eyeshadows that blend easily, stay put for hours, have excellent pigmentation and adorable packaging. While this shadow provides a beautiful sheen for your lids, I also tried applying the powder on my cheekbone as a highlight and it gave a lovely, soft glow. theBalm, you are the bomb. I’m sure you’ve never heard that one before.
Belif Cosmetics Belif the True Cream – Aqua Bomb
I love…scratch that….I adore gel cream moisturizers. I like to use them as a sleep mask while I sleep. I apply a thicker layer after all of my other zillion products are applied and let it gradually absorb into my skin. I found that it helps my skin feel slightly more plump and hydrated when I wake up. So anytime I receive a chance to try a new moisturizer, I get a little giddy. Belif is a Korean skincare brand available at Sephora. Their Belif the True Cream – Aqua Bomb promises to increase skin’s hydration level by 70%. How can I even prove if that is true? Well, I can’t. But I can tell you if it made my skin feel more hydrated. And it did!
Belif’s cream is packed with antioxidants derived from herbs that help to reduce damage from free radicals, improve skin elasticity and plump ump those pesky fine lines. It’s free from paragons, sulfates, phthalates, dyes, mineral oil and artificial fragrances. It does have a subtle, fresh scent that I didn’t notice after applied. And best of all, it didn’t cause me any breakouts. It’s the worst when you find a moisturizer that hydrates your skin but then you have a breakout the size of the Rocky Mountains. Luckily, that did not happen with this cream!
Here are some of the beneficial ingredients in Belif’s moisturizer from Sephora’s site:
- Lady’s Mantle: Antioxidant-rich herb with pore-minimizing benefits; helps remove free radicals from skin and aids skin turnaround.
- Malachite: Neutralizes free radical activity.
- Plantin: Creates moisture seal on skin.
- Oat Husk: Attracts moisture.
I may just have to grab another jar of this once I use this one up.
SLMissGlam T35 Precise Blending Brush
Yes, Ipsy! Keep sending makeup brushes my way! I will take all of your makeup brushes! When I grabbed the vibrant teal brush from my bag, I was taken back to my days of collecting Lisa Frank stickers in the 90’s. SLMissGlam collaborated with Ipsy to create the uber cute T35 Precise Blending Brush. Incase you are not familiar with SLMissGlam, she is a makeup artist and YouTube beauty guru. After having amassed a large following, she branched out and created a fun line of pastel tools such as brushes and makeup sponges.
One visit to SLMissGlam’s website and you are whisked away to a land of unicorns and cotton candy hues. Mermaid fans will fall in love with her teal-shaded brushes that are both adorable and durable. The cruelty-free brushes are made with synthetic hairs that are silky soft. I washed this brush twice to see if there was any shedding and there was zero. I love the two little stones that add a little bit of sparkle to your wand.
Yadah Silky Fit Concealer BB Power Brightening in Light Beige
Giddy up! Another Korean beauty brand. I’m constantly searching for new Asian beauty products as they heavily focus on including anti-aging ingredients that are magical for your skin. Most products usually include an SPF which is a must-have staple in my skincare regimen. Korean beauty brands are very competitive and innovative. They are always trying to come out with the latest and greatest makeup and skincare products for you to fall in love with.
I had never heard of Yadah before but now I want to get my paws on more of their goodies. Yamaha’s Silky Fit Concealer is really more like a BB cream with buildable coverage. Although the shade is light beige, it was not too dark for my fair skin. I applied a primer first and the cream blended easily and evened out my skin. It set to a satin finish and lasted for at least 5 hours before gracefully beginning to fade.
Beneficial ingredients to make your skin happy:
- Niacinamide
- Arbutin
- Morus Alba Bark
Free from:
- Paraben
- Animal derived ingredients
- Benzophenone
- Tar colorant
- Mineral oil
Well, there you have it. Next month’s Ipsy review will be September’s glam bag. I’m sure it will include photos of makeup with pumpkin spice. You’ve been warned.
Lipstick and Nachos 