Ipsy: Pretty in Paradise, June 2014.

 It's the time of the month again.. No not THAT time, but Ipsy time.

For those of you new to the party, Ipsy is a subscription box bag, that comes to you in a pretty pink bubbly mailer, once a month, for ONLY ten dollars.

It contains 4-6 products, samples, and full-sizes, that are supposedly picked for you based on your beauty profile. I don't know how accurate that beauty profile is because I do get products I'm not that into, but along with those, there are usually a few products I really like.

To join, you sign up on their website... you're usually put on a waiting list, but sometimes you can skip that whole process if you just connect them from to your facebook profile and then block them from ever posting.. at least that's what I did back in December.

This month's theme was "pretty in paradise", or products to use over the summer to make you feel summery. Although, I live in Texas, where it's summer, all the god damn freaking time.

Laneige BB cushion foundation samples... worth? The full-size is worth $34.00 and comes in three diferent shades: light, medium, and dark.  The sample is worth... I don't know. 

Let's go with $12.00. I asked my fiance, the math teacher to convert ounce into grams of the sample, and then calculate the total based on what the final product costs.

I'm surprised a sample like this is worth that much money. 

This is not a product for me. I don't even know what BB creme is, although obviously, it's a foundation, regardless, I just don't do foundation. My skin is oily and prone to breakouts, especially after operation hysterectomy [not that it was much better before], so putting anything on my skin, like foundation clogs the pores and adds to my face looking like craters of the moon. This will end up in garbage collection on Sunday.

Nyx Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel. This is a full-size product worth $5.00. Every Ipsy subscriber received on of these in their bag this month. I think there were two colors sent out.

This is it just put on my hand.

Here it is blended on my hand. It gives a nice subtle pink glow/glitter, which I like. I am not a huge fan of lip product, but if I do wear lip product, which is very rare, I prefer something like this.  So this product is a win for me.

Be a Bombshell Lash Out Mascara, all full-size, worth $15.00.

I honestly can't tell you how awesome this product is or anything, but I do love me some mascara, especially black mascara, with my nonexistent eyelashes, and I always enjoy having tubes of mascara in my makeup collection, so I never run out. This product is a win for me.

Jesse's Girl Black Eyeliner, also full size, worth $7.00 [well really $6.99, but who's counting a penny?]

Black Eyeliner is one of my MUST USE makeup products, so again, I can never have too much eyeliner, so this is a win for me.

It has a really nice and thin tip, which I find is always helpful when I'm trying to pretend like I know how to put eye makeup on.

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray, worth about $2.25. I'm excited to use this product because I have crazy curly and wavy hair and I'm always looking for products to make me hate my hair less, so I'll be interested to see if this can tame my nest. 

Though, coming from NJ, and spending ALL my summers at Wildwood and Seaside Heights, I can tell you, with confidence that the beach/ocean DO NOT make your hair wavy. It dries your hair out and makes it look limp like seaweed with a texture like sand. So, I'm not quite sure why people think beach=AWESOME HAIR. 

But anyways...

My Ipsy bag this month has a total of: $41.25

And I ONLY paid ten bucks for it.

Ipsy has a great bang for your bucks. 

I was very pleased with this month's bag. I have no complaints. Granted, I won't use the foundation sample, but everything else is stuff that I'll eventually find a use for.

So check out Ipsy, if you think it's up your alley :)

Julep: June 2014, The Three Wishes collection.

School's out for the summer, which means, I spend at least two hours of my day, sitting here, and reading books on my kindle. The latest summer read is The City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare... The entire Mortal Instruments series is one of those book series that's so badly written, but quite enjoyable to read, especially at the pool. Though, I do admit, The Infernal Devices series, which is sort of the prequel to the Mortal Instruments series is an enjoyable read. 

After my tryst at the pool with my kindle, I went and checked the mail, to find I had to pick this up from the office:

I wasn't quite sure what it was. I ordered one of the Memorial Day Mystery Boxes from the sale over the holiday weekend, so I thought it might be that.

I opened the box and under layers of brown paper was this:

My monthly Maven box from Julep alongside with some random extras I added. I didn't pay a cent for the box, I just used some Jules I stored up since I have nothing better to do with them since they can't apply towards mystery boxes.

Julep is mainly a nailpolish subscription box service. I've been a member since last March or April, so I'm grandfathered into their old subscription service, which is I pay $19.99 for a monthly box of products based on the profile I choose for that month.

They've recently vamped their service for NEW members. There are two options now: 

My Maven, which is $24.99/$19.99 [with a three month subscription] and you can customize a box for $40+ of products.

My Maven Luxe, which is $39.99/$34.99 [with a three month subscription] and you can customize a box of $60+ of products.

I don't know anything about their new services, but I do like the idea of complete customization, and have thought of converting over, but haven't since I still like the box I get every month.

I have a special relationship with Julep, they were my FIRST ever subscription box.  I'm very attached to them.

A closer look at what was inside my box.

I did add on three products this month. So, let's start with those. 

Julep also had a promotion, if you added on three products, they would send a fourth product, for free.

Mae, was my free product. It's from the bombshell collection. It's sort of purple gray periwinkle color with a satin finish. It sort of reminds me of the color of the sky during a stormy summer afternoon in Texas. 

from l to r: Hope and Cameron

Cameron, Boho Glam, is a repeat for me. I got it in my February box. It's a silver purple glitter color with a stardust finish. I've worn it. My prek girls loved it. 

One problem I find with duos that I add on is that they nickname the duos... Something like: Winter Lights, and I don't actually look at the colors that are in that duo, I just think it looks cool and order it.

But...

I don't really mind repeats. I either give them to friends, or the daughters of friends.

Hope is IT Girl, and a satin finish white color. I don't really wear white nailpolish, that much, but I think in winter, with a shade of silver or gold glitter, it would look quite festive.

from l t r: Sienna and Tracy

These are actually both repeats for me. But again, it's my own fault for not actually looking at details of sets before I place orders.

Sienna, Classic with a Twist, is the color of silver mirror glass with a gold tone. It's a pretty color.

Tracy, IT Girl, is blue silver sparkle.

from l to r: Veronica and Marjorie.

These were both new colors for me.

Veronica, classic with a twist, is a darkish rose pink color.

Marjorie, IT Girl, is dark orange.

They both remind me of the colors of a pretty sunset.

Onto my Maven box.

This month was the Three Wishes collection, and I really wanted to upgrade to the entire collection of nailpolish, but my FMLA ass couldn't afford it. I'm hoping some of these colors will go into future secret stores, and I can get them then. 

The add on this month was Pixy Stix, which are one of my favorite childhood candy, so I was quite pleased with this. I just wish I had gotten a blue one, instead of two purple because the blue flavor is my favorite.

I went with IT GIRL this month because I really liked the colors moreso than my usual profile which is "classic with a twist." I also had no reason to want the Base Coat or Top Coat that came with my usual.

from l t r: Phia, Jennine, and Savoy.

Phia is my favorite. I don't even know how to describe it. It's a light purple silver orchid glitter color. I can't wait to wear it.

Jennine is also gorgeous. It's a turquoise Stardust finish polish with light green and dark blue glitter in it. I also can't wait to wear this one.

Savoy is a silver gold chrome color. 

Overall, I am very pleased with this month's box.

Granted, I got a lot of repeat colors, but that was mostly my own fault.

So anyways, I love nailpolish, and their polish is very high quality and very good lasting ability, and this comes from a completely hands-on prek teacher.

So if you're so inclined, check Julep out.