Friday, February 8, 2013

January 2013 Ipsy Bag + Nail of the Day!

Here's January's Ipsy bag! This is a $10 monthly subscription service. For a comprehensive overview of what Ipsy is, visit Ipsy's website or my previous post. This post is very picture heavy, just as a warning!
January 2013 Ipsy Box featuring (1) Soho Eyeliner Brush, (2) Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter, (3) Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil, (4) Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray, (5) Nailtini Lacquer in Frappe
The included card, front.
The theme appears to be "A True Star Will Always Shine." So something to do with stars or shining stars? I think it's supposed to have an emphasis on classic beauty. Kind of vague, but whatever.
The included card, back.
The monthly discounts! Nice discounts, but I wasn't in need of anything. I did, however, check out Pacifica's website and sign up to get their emails. So good job, marketing.
The January Bag
Ok well, the bag definitely matches the "star" theme. I like the square shape of the bag, and it definitely fits a good amount of things. The bag is dark blue on the outside and has a blue starry print on the inside. I really like this bag, but I'd like to see a pattern on the outside of their bags in the future. Ipsy asked people on facebook what kind of pattern everyone would like on future bags, so I feel this will come eventually. I really like how Ipsy seems to listen to their customers!
Soho Eyeliner Brush
Soho Eyeliner Brush, close-up
  • Soho Eyeliner Brush- Full Size!
    • Size: Full size brush, $7.99
    • Soho is a drugstore-based brush company, which has quality brushes at a discount price. The brush is also supposed to have an "ergonomic" design, so the user can use the brush more comfortably. The brush is easy to use, but I find that it works best for applying eyeshadow as a liner. I also tried it on the eyebrows, and it worked well. I like that it is not angled, since it's harder to find a flat topped eyeliner. I would probably not use this for my cream/gel eyeliner, however, since the brush is actually kind of the thick for that.
    • Repurchase?: No. I have a couple eyeliner brushes i really like, and this one's not my favorite, although I do like it.
    • Pleased w/ Ipsy?: Yes, but I'm slightly disapointed. I really like the idea of receiving brushes, since I feel like you can never really have enough! There was variation with this product, so subscribers would either receive the eyeliner brush (like I did), the crease brush, or the concealer brush. I was really hoping I'd get the crease brush, since it looked fluffy enough to work as a blending brush (and I kind of need another one of these!). But alas, I did not receive it. 
Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter, front.
Pacifica Blood Orange Body Butter, back.
  • Pacifica Blood Orange Body Butter- Deluxe Sample
    • Size: 2.5oz 
    • Full Size: 8oz, $15
    • Value of Sample: $7, this sample size is individually sold 
    • Well normally I would be slightly disappointed to receive a body lotion, but in this case I was pleasantly surprised. First of all, the sample size is rather large; large enough to decide if you actually like the product. But here's what got me: the scent is absolutely amazing! "Sparkling, juicy blood orange with notes of red raspberry and spicy sweet Italian mandarins." Yum! I love fruity citrus smells! (I've been a Clinique Happy fan for years; it's safe to say I love citrus). Besides the smell, the texture is just lovely! It's moisturizing, but not sticky or greasy. It contains shea butter, almond oil, and safflower oil as moisturizing ingredients. Pacifica's website also says this body butter helps fight the signs of aging, but I don't know about that. The product is also paraben-free, cruelty-free, and vegan! I've been using this mostly as a hand cream in order to savor the scent!
    • Repurchase?: Yes, I think I actually would. I think I'd wait until a sale on their website, since they have a lot of sales (not to mention a lot of amazing scents!). They also make a perfume version of this; might need to look into that! For those of you who do not like ordering online, I actually saw Target put up a display of Pacifica products!
    • Pleased w/ Ipsy?: Yes. While I don't want to receive lotions all the time, I was happy about this one. We've now exceeded the cost of the bag. Everyone received this product in their bag this month.
Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil
Comes in a dropper container.
Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil
Information about Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil
Ways to use Josie Maran 100% Argan oil + Ingredient List
  • Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil- Sample
    • Size: 0.17oz
    • Full Size: 3 sizes available: (1) Deluxe Sample- 0.5oz, $14, (2) Full Size- 1.7oz, $48, (3) Deluxe Full Size- 4oz, $96.
    • Value of Sample: $4.80 (this sample is not sold individually, so I did my calculations based on the full size product).
    • For being a small dropper vial, this oil really does go a long way! According to the box argan oil can be used as a facial moisturizer, hair treatment, body moisturizer, nail treatment, or a bath oil. The product is said to be suitable for all skin types, as well as skin-balancing and beneficial to acne. I don't know about that, but I was willing to give it a try on my acne-prone skin! A couple drops of the product pretty much covers my entire face, so I can see this sample lasting awhile. While it did moisturize my skin well and did not cause me to break out,  I don't necessarily think it helped any blemishes I did have. I rubbed the excess product on my nails and hair, and it seemed to work well. I don't see myself rubbing it all over my body, since it's a tiny sample and rather expensive. I don't know if I'd regularly use this as my moisturizer, but I will use it when my skin is really dry and around my eyes.
    • Repurchase?: Maybe. This sample is plenty big, so I would consider getting the $14 deluxe sample if I made this a part of my routine. It was fun to try out, but I don't think it'll be a regular thing.
    • Pleased w/ Ipsy?: Yes. I've heard such good things about this product, so I was happy to try it out. I would not want to receive a lot of oils in future bags, however, since so many subscription services seem to be bogged down by oils (especially hair oils). Everyone received this item in their bag.

Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hair Spray
  • Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hair Spray- Deluxe Sample
    • Size: 1.5oz
    • Full Size: 10.6oz, $17.50 (though you can find sales)
    • Value of Sample: $6, this sample size is individually sold (I've seen it in the impulse bins at Ulta, for example).
    • I honestly haven't really tried this product out yet, since I have a can of the Sebastian Shaper and a travel Treseme hair spray. Like the Sebastian Shaper, Spray and Play is a flexible hold hair spray, though Big Sexy Hair's version is more about volume. I've heard great things about it, though. 
    • Repurchase?: Maybe, but only on sale. The only reason I have the Sebastian hair spray is because I got it for $10 at Ulta during Breast Cancer Awareness month (Big Sexy Hair had a similar deal, but it sold out faster). So if I like this sample, I'd consider purchasing it during a sale.
    • Pleased w/ Ipsy?: Kind of. I don't love a lot of hair products in a sample bag, but this one was okay. I always need travel hair spray, so I don't mind too much as long as I don't always get hair products. Everyone received this item this month.
Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Frappe
Ingredient List. Vodka and dry gin?
  • Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Frappe- Full Size!
    • Size: 0.5oz, $13
    • I was happy to receive a nail polish, since it's always nice to have more! Now I do not own a lot of nude colors, so this sheer pale pink polish was a nice change! The thing that intrigued me about these polishes was the ingredient list: vodka and dry gin? I guess that's why it's called "Nailtini." It's a very unique and cute idea to go along with their 1920s vintage vibe. Check out the Nailtini website for other shades! I'm also digging the design of the bottle, the martini logo, and the easy to use brush. The color is sheer (I used two coats for the picture below), but I was expecting that based on the description. It's a lovely, natural color, and I'm pleased to own it! Nailtini is also "triple-free," so it's lacking those potentially harmful ingredients.
    • Repurchase?: Probably not. While I enjoy the polish, $13 is a bit much for me. I have trouble paying $7-9 for OPI, China Glaze, and Essie (I always wait for a sale at Ulta...lol). 
    • Pleased w/ Ipsy?: Yes. Bring on the nail polish! There was variation of this product between bags. Subscribers either received Frappe (sheer pale pink) or Bloody Mary (classic true red). While the red color is gorgeous, I have plenty of reds already, so no disappointment there!
Nailtini Frappe. Excuse the sides of my nails! I needed to clean them up!
Price Breakdown:
  1. Soho Eyeliner Brush- $7.99
  2. Pacifica Blood Orange Body Butter- $7
  3. Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil- $4.80
  4. Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hair Spray- $6
  5. Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Frappe- $13
Total Value: $38.79

Previous Month's Box: $72.67 

Overview: The value of the bag almost quadrupled the $10 I paid, so no complaints there. It did not beat last month's $72.67, but hey we can't have it all. While I did enjoy this month's bag, it did not come close to the joy I felt for the December bag. This bag just simply did not have any make-up in it (unless you count the brush). While I prefer a make-up based bag, I didn't mind some of the variety that this month brought, as long as it's not a super regular thing. Overall, I am pleased and am looking forward to next month!

Preview for next month (don't read this if you want a surprise!!): It's looking like a Coastal Scents mini eyeshadow quad (Yay! May have varieties), Pixi Beauty Flawless & Poreless (Yay! Another primer!), MicaBeauty/MicaBella Black Gel Liner (Big yay!!), Pop Beauty Lash Kapow (Yay for mascara!), and Lash Cards (the dud of the bag, but with everything else I can't complain!).


Disclosure: These products were purchased by me for review purposes. I was not paid or compensated in any way. All opinions are my own.

4 comments:

  1. great post with some really great products! you write really well too :)


    http://stylingbyjong.blogspot.co.uk/

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  2. great products! nailtini is such a cute name haha

    xo; L&M
    www.twoplicates.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! I love the concept of Nailtini!

      Just subbed to your blog (or should I say "both" of your blog haha). I'm always looking for more great blogs to sub to and your food post was making me drool! lol

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