In a galaxy far far away aka November Ipsy

Or was it just my imagination? We have received a beauty blast from the present?  I think I should quit with the not so funny puns and proceed to the short description of the things I received this past November. The full picture is below.

Galactic beauty bag and its content:

Double the crowd, let loose with your inner side.

October Ipsy's theme was "alter ego" , considering that this is the month of Halloween, it should not be surprising. In order to " transform into whoever you want to be" I got a pretty double sided bag ( gold vs black) and those items:

Well, well, well. I must say as far as transformations come this bag did not have a lot of potential. I did, however, liked the content.

So let's start with the most advertised item:

#1 theBalm

Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long-Lasting Liquid Lipstick MINI

Full size: 0.22 fl. oz - $17

Sample size: 0.04 oz ~$3.10

I got it in a shade of Committed (a pink nude) even though it does not look like it on the picture. I like the Balm products as I did not have any allergic reaction to their line, and I love the packaging. I am glad I received this tester.

#2 Nourish Organics Pure Hydrating Argan Face Serum

Full size: 0.7 fl oz - $23.99

Sample size: 0.5 fl. oz - $17.14

The website says it is a highly concentrated treatment designed to deeply hydrate and reveal smoother skin. It is fragrance and gluten free , as well as vegan. In my experience the formula seems to be a bit too greasy and does not absorb as fast as I would like it. It was a good size sample but I did not like it that much.

#3 Emite Make Up Professional Tweezers

Full size - $25

I love receiving different tools to try out in Ipsy. This one came in a tube and I was happy with another pair of tweezers. Having tried them, I have to say that they would not be worth $25. I have a pair of Revlon tweezers that work better- grab the hair more consistently and don't feel as fragile as these. I put those tweezers in my makeup bag as they will do when I'm in need of plucking a hair or two, but on my makeup cabinet I kept my old pair of Tweezerman's

#4 Aurora Gel Effect Nail Polish in Inky Dinky

Full size - $12 right now $8.99

Just now I realized that I received 2 full size products this month. The nail polish has a perfect dark blue color for the fall. It goes on smoothly and creates a gel effect after two coats. Unfortunately, on my nails, it seems to last maximum of 2 days. I am probably doing something wrong when applying it -maybe I use too much? I want to love it because it looks great on my nails but the wear-ability is an issue. I hate to do my nails every day. I'm still glad I have received it.

#5 Ayres Pampas Sunrise Hand Cream

Full size: 1.4 oz - $12.50

Sample size: 0.7 oz ~ $6.25

This company is one of my favorites that I have tried from Ipsy. I had their body butter sample and it was amazing. This cream is wonderful. It is rich and fast absorbing, it does not leave a greasy film on one's hands and smells  great. I'm bringing it with me everywhere.
This was my favorite Ipsy product this month. 

Ipsy September 2015

September this year was really warm. I felt like it is still summer, and the bag Ipsy sent us was a beautiful example of the glam golden days at the end of the summer.

What did I get? Quite a nice stash.Here is the picture.

Prep yourself up, buttercup.

In anticipation of the comeback of scholarly duties , August Ipsy bag was in a great houndstooth  print. I really like this bag and it's content, so without further ado let's take a look at my goodies.

details

In which I'm wondering where did the time go

Wow, it seems like just yesterday I said to myself:"I'll post it tomorrow." In fact it has been almost a year since my last post. 

That's just lazy. 

I was posting pictures of my bags on Instagram but it seems like I will have to do a short review of the things I got in them, and the things I kept. 

I must confess that there was a moment when I felt a little overwhelmed with all the samples I was getting- I mean how many lipsticks can I use ( hint I'm a lipgloss kind of gal) but I really started working on my spending habit and on using the things I got.  I started to reward myself with posting a monthly picture of all the things I used in a given month and I am feeling a little better about buying Ipsy. 

Despite all the ravings about points, I am not inclined to go back to Birchbox because two sample boxes were too much for me and Birchbox samples were just disappointing ( especially when I would see other boxes that had better products or had more products to review). 

There is one more box I would like to try, but with all the expenses I can't justify it to myself yet. It's petit vour  which is a monthly cruelty free vegan box that Liz from www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com  really recommended. It is $15 for four products. I promised myself that I will sign up for it if I get bored with Ipsy. well that's enough of my ramblings, I better start writing a post on September Ipsy and then work backwards through the other boxes.