Ipsy Glam Bag - March 2014 - Full Review

Hi friends,

Here is the full review for my Ipsy Glam Bag from March 2014.

For those of you who are new to Ipsy, it is a monthly makeup sample subscription. For $10 per month, Ipsy will send you up to 5 makeup items, there is always a full size. This is a great way to save on makeup and try new things without breaking the bank.
I will provide a referral link at the end of this post if you are interested in receiving your own bag of goodies each month. Ipsy also lets you review their products, which earns points towards items you can purchase through their website. Ipsy subscribers also receive discounts on the brands featured in each bag. It's a win-win if you ask me!

I was not crazy about the bag itself this time around, the pattern, an original by artist Klari, is supposed to be a modern representation of San Francisco streets. I am just to down to earth to appreciate modern art. It also opens on the side rather than the top, making it awkward for recycle use such as a pencil case or other. That being said, check out the goodies inside the bag:

1. NYX Cosmetics Love In Rio Eyeshadow Palette Voodoo Love Spells 

NYX Cosmetics Love In Rio Eyeshadow Palette Voodoo Love Spells

I was very happy to receive this palette since the colors are exactly what's suits me. It is a mix of grayish brown with a hint of purple. I dare say that for the price of $5.80 NYX does offer some very good quality shadow here. The lightest color is a perfect lid base or blender while the purplish grey makes a nice crease shadow. I was not crazy about the brown (middle color) as it flakes a bit, which you can see in my swatch above, but if applied properly with a quality brush, it does blend well. Overall, this is a good product, a bit too powdery but great for someone who is looking to upgrade their eye shadow colors without breaking the bank. B+
NYX offers a variety of color choices in the Love in Rio Collection and you may want to check them out as well.

2. BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick  

BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick

What a great lipstick this is! I love everything about it. For starter, the color (Get Ready) is the perfect mix of pink and coral. It goes very well with my light complexion and just brings out a bit of glow on my face. The formula itself is outstanding, this is a suede finish, neither glossy nor matte. It tastes great, as a very pleasant vanilla scent and stays on for a good time as well. Perfect for the office or shopping, you do not have to worry about reapplying this one all day. I give it an A+ not just for the quality but also the price ($16 to 18.50) since it would be considered a high end brand. I am considering purchasing other colors in the Marvelous Moxie Collection.


3. Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer, No.1 Even Skin 

Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer, No.1 Even Skin

In all honesty, I was not crazy head over heels with this product the first time I tried it. As you can see in the swatch above, it has a hint of sheen which is something I try to stay away from when considering my skin type is combination/oily. So the first time around, I felt I needed to add a finishing powder over my skin to reduce the sheen. However, it does absorb well after a few minutes and the sheen almost disappear, making it a decent primer in a pinch. On the bad side, I find it to be cost prohibitive: $28.50, is a bit much for a primer that is just OK for me. I still prefer Benefit PoreFesisonal as my go-to face primer.
You can find this primer at Target as well, where you would probably score a better deal on it. B-

4. Chella Eyeliner Pen Indigo Blue  

Chella Eyeliner Pen Indigo Blue

This truly is the ideal eyeliner for me. It is a felt pen that is highly manageable and perfect for either a fine line or a more dramatic look. You can also build upon the color by adding layers. Further, this has a very nice staying power, a plus for me since I tend to rub my eyes a lot. The only thing I did not like, at first, about this liner is the actual indigo color. It does not suit my brown eyes to well. That being said, I have been using it every single day since receiving it. Sometimes I apply a bit of shadow in a contrasting color over it, just to soften the blue, but would leave it as is most of the time. Overall, this is a great liner for $11 and I may consider purchasing another one in a different color. A

So there you have it and a good bag that was.
I really love receiving my Ipsy Glam Bag every month and though there is always one product that is so-so for me (in this case the primer), I still think it is worth every penny invested in it.

Want to get your own Glam Bag and begin receiving makeup in the mail too?
Use this referral link.

http://www.ipsy.com/r/38wf

In case you missed it, here is the open bag video for the March 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag.

Thank you for reading and sharing my blog!

Connect with me on:

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Sophia, NJ.

*My blog contains affiliate advertising for which I receive a small commission when you purchase from the links provided. I am never solicited to provide a review for a product, and all opinions are strictly my own. I am a subscriber of the Ipsy Glam Bag and purchased my monthly subscription with my own funds. Subscribing to your own Ipsy bag using the referral link provided will allow me to receive extra points towards purchasing my own products in the future.

Spring Cleaning Series - The Living Room

Hi friends,

I am back with another episode in my Spring Cleaning Series. This time around I tackled the Living Room and it was another gruesome task and it's all on YouTube too!

First things first, let me provide you with a list of to-dos when Spring Cleaning your Living Room:

• Dust top to bottom including behind and top of furniture
• Dust frames + clean glass
• Wash windows
• Wash drapes
• Wash all removable cushions and/or sleep-covers
• Clean fireplace in and out, including fireplace glass, brass and mantle
• Clean all upholstery with a professional upholstery cleaner
• Reorganize books and magazines
• Wash walls
• Spot treat walls and paint where needed (scuff marks or dings on painted surfaces)

I started with the fireplace because there is no sense in cleaning the living room without getting rid of all the ashes first.

Following an entire winter's worth of cozy fires, the fireplace needed a real pick me up. It was not just the inside of the hearth that needed cleaning, but the glass and mantle too.
I used Rutland Hearth and Grill Conditioning Glass Cleaner to get rid of all the soot that had accumulated over the last five months.



 

Rutland Hearth and Grill Conditioning Glass Cleaner

 

That product does an amazing job at removing all the residual soot on the glass panels as well as on portions of the brass frame (though a brass cleanser would have probably done a better job for that). I was even able to remove soot from the mantle.

 

 

Next, I tackled the upholstery. We have two boys and two dogs - need I say more?

 

 

 

For the upholstery, I went ahead and rented a Rug Doctor from my local supermarket. Do make sure that you purchase the "no foam" upholstery cleaner before leaving the store.

Rug Doctor

 
I never thought this machine would do such a great job at not only stain removal, but deodorizing as well! I  will go as far as saying that it does a better job on upholstery than it does on carpet! I seriously recommend that you go ahead and rent one to clean your sofa and sofa cushions, you should have seen the color of the water after only one pass! DISGUSTING!

Overall, this was a tough cleaning chore, so be prepared to be spending an entire day between the dusting and cob web spotting!

But in the end, my living room was entirely cleaned and refreshed.

You can watch the whole process in my coordinating YouTube Video:



Thank you for reading and sharing my blog!

Connect with me on:

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Sophia, NJ.

*My blog contains affiliate advertising for which I receive a small commission when you purchase from the links provided.



Spring Cleaning Series - The Guest Bedroom

Hi friends,

I am back with a new episode in my Spring Cleaning Series and this tie around, I tackled the guest bedroom. Everything I did would pretty much fit any bedroom you may have in the house, and as always, my to-do list was extensive.

 
And...

Spring Cleaning a bedroom (the list):

• Wash all linen, including bed skirts, pads, pillows and blankets - iron as needed
• Wash/clean area rugs or carpet, wash curtains
• Dust all picture frames, use a spray cleaner for the glass
• Dust walls and chair rails
• Dust/vacuum baseboards, radiators etc.
• Cob webs
• Dust door and window frames
• Rotate mattresses
• Dust lamp shades
• Dust/clean ceiling fan including glass fixtures
• Wash windows and screens
• Dust/polish furniture
• reorganize closet - switch seasonal items
• Sweep/mop

I had my work cut out for me but used the "excuse" of having guests over next week as motivation to tackle this very long cleaning process.
It is amazing what a thorough cleaning will do because by the time I was done, the room had no odor, none, it was completely cleaned, disinfected and rid of any speckle of dust possibly imagined! I even cleaned out the curio cabinet!

If the beds look a bit different this time around, it is because I decided to make them as though hotel beds and for that I used what is called the three sheet method.

All you need is three sheets and a blanket:

• One bottom sheet (fitted)
• Two flat sheets
• One blanket

In a nutshell, you would sandwich the blanket into two flat sheets and make an envelope corner on each end of the bed. This allows for the blanket to stay put and clean as well. The blanket won't move because it is wrapped into the two sheets, as though an envelope with a two fold method.

It also adds a little bit of luxury comfort to the room.

This video will show you how to make a bed using the three sheets method:




If you want to see me go through the entire spring cleaning process, here is the full video ( a tad long, but nothing compared to the 8 hours it took to make this bedroom feel as though a 4 star hotel):





Thank you for reading and sharing my blog!

Connect with me on:

FACEBOOK
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM
YOUTUBE

Sophia, NJ.

*My blog contains affiliate advertising for which I receive a small commission when you purchase from the links provided.