IPSY FIRST IMPRESSION ✨DECEMBER 2016 ✨

        December's Ipsy Glam Bag

[Carpe p.m]

First up! I've got Ipsy to review and i was actually pretty excited to see what version of the bag i received since this is my first month experiencing Ipsy. The december bag is a very christmassy hot pink faux fur bag which is the same for everyone else. 

      Here's the post card that came along:

 

So before my bag arrived, i went on a googling review research on what others got, the main things i saw was actually the tarte maracuja oil, ciate london liquid velvet lips, tarteist glossy lip, ofra highlighter, nyx eyeshadows, smashbox insta matte, benefit pore fessional and the josie maran illuminator. All the things i saw was actually pretty exciting cause they were all mostly well known brands. But i try not to put my hopes up too high cause these people are the more famed youtube beauty gurus and vloggers. And im just me, an anonymous blogger. 

     This is what i got:

 

1. Benefit - the porefessional: Happy to receive this as this is actually something i've used before and really do love the product, so if ive never used this before i would be happy to have discovered it here. (3ml=usd$4.20)

2. Ciate london liquid velvet - pin up: Im excited to get this instead of the Tarteist gloss!!! as stated in my profile was that i do not use gloss at all and im more to a matte lippie kinda girl. So hiiii the colour is also super wearable and a gorg mauve perfect for any occasion. (0.067oz=Usd$11)

 

 

3. Nyx prismatic shadows - bedroom eyes: This is one of the full sized items inside the bag, bedroom eyes is in a coppery brown with gold undertones. I kinda wish i got fireball instead of this because i dont wear dark shadows much. (usd$6)

4. Mica beauty cosmetics - angle eye shadow brush: Another full sized item. These are 100% synthetic. Im happy to receive a brush because i do use eyeshadows and i tend to run out of brushes to use all the time (im lazy like that 😩). I've never purchased anything from them before here in singapore because i always get scared of their free sample in a baggie tactic that they use to "lure" passer by into the store.(usd$22.95😱) 

5. Nip + fab - glycolic fix serum: I have used this brand before in the past and i remember getting them from samplestore.com. I also actually like their skin care range, altho i didnt check for any skincare in my profile, since its a brand that i trust, it makes my bag a bit more worthy. Use it for an overnight treatment to smooth fine lines and minimise pores. Will have to test this one out soon. (20ml=usd$10)

TOTAL VALUE: USD$54.15.

Overall i give the December Ipsy glam bag:

 💟💟💟💟

- Im happy with all the products, especially the ciate liquid velvet and benefit porefessional.

- The overall bag value was definitely worth paying 10 bucks for, not to mention the reusable bag that can be turned into a wristlet. 

- Missing out one heart due to the fact that they did not get it right on the skincare product based on my beauty profile. 

So far for December my experience with the highly controversial glam bags were good. Ill have to continue accessing the next month to see if its living up to my expectation. Did anyone else have the same experience or version of the bag as i did? xxAd💀

Nyx liquid suede in soft spoken

The matte hype is slightly dying as lip products are moving on to shimmers along with the trend of highlighting and strobing. (Which I will never understand how to)

But I'm still super excited about the new products I just purchased and my package just arrived today! So yay?!

Starting off with first impressions on the packaging/formula/colour/comparison etc. Let's go!

Nyx liquid suede ~ soft spoken.

× Packaging wise is pretty similarly themed like the other nyx lip products.  Black cap and tube the shade of the lipstick and black lettering on it. Inside the tube the applicator is a double sided long brush wand. (Not a doe foot like the smlc)

× Soft spoken is a nude brown shade (it has been said to be a dupe for kat von d's lolita and I find it similar to colourpop's beeper too.)

× It claims to be a cream lipstick, so I reckon it's not supposed to dry matte. (Which I initially thought so, due to the 'liquid suede' name.) Formula isn't patchy or streaky and isn't drying either. It stays that way until you decide to eat, it definitely will transfer to straws and tissue.

× It also isn't hard to remove at all since it doesn't really stay long either. You don't require a oil based remover to remove, wetwipes will do the job.

× Comparison to their soft matte lip creams!

~ smlc has a thinner formula, liquid suede is thicker and more pigmented.
~ smlc slightly stains, liquid suede wipes off cleanly.
~ both have a creamy texture.
~ smlc has more wider range of colours to choose from.
~ wand applicator is different, liquid suede is double sided long, smlc is doe foot.

Yup that's all I could think of.

Verdict: ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ /5

This is definitely a better version compared to their old soft matte lip creams because colour payoff is stronger and the new colours they have is more on the adventurous side. However I don't like that the end texture is still just as creamy as their stick cream lipstick and the soft mattes. They should totally do the totally matte version (which I though this was gonna be, creamy liquid to matte like australis velourlips perhaps.) This is good for those who don't like the completely dry matte lipsticks, which I'm totally a sucker for ): so this loses one heart for me. 

Dupe lip swatch.

Here I have a lip swatch of nyx liquid suede soft spoken and colourpop beeper. Since I don't have kvd's lolita, I'll only be comparing these two. Soft spoken on top lip and beeper on lower lip.

Nyx soft matte lip cream swatches

Nyx's soft matte lip creams will always be one of my favourite velvet matte lippie. Here's why:

× it leaves a matte effect without drying your lips to the point of cracking.

× it's matte yet you don't have to remove with an oil based remover cause it easily wipes off with wet wipes (however that means it won't last through meals).

× it's a very lightweight mousse cream, not liquid.

× as of now (2016), nyx smlc has a wide variety of colours to choose from. (Even out of the norm colours like "moscow")

Where I live in singapore, nyx smlc costs about $12 per tube at sephora. I usually get mine from qoo10 because it's so much cheaper when you buy with points and coupons. (You need to register an account, it's free, almost like a Korean version of ebay/alibaba.)

♡♡♡♡/5

This is pretty good for those who can't stand dry lips but want a soft matte look. Packaging is simple and not too fancy or heavy. Easy to remove too, so it's suitable for everyday wear as well.

Anyways, Nyx has a new line out which is the liquid suede lipstick and I can't wait to compare them to this, as soon as they restock that is, it sold out in 24hours as they were so overhyped and everyone wants one. 

SO, here's the swatches of some nyx smlc I have. (Just added London to my stash too, a lovely my lips but better nude) (also, I need to do a part 2 cause I just recently added Budapest and Rome from their newly released colours!)

Smlc 09 - Abu Dhabi
Smlc 02 - Stockholm
Smlc 14 - Zurich
Smlc 19 - Cannes

Menow Long Lasting Waterproof Lipgloss

To be honest I think the name is kinda deceiving as this product is a far cry from being a lipgloss, it is not a shiny moisturizing glossy product. In fact it's the cream to matte product that's all the rave now.

I picked up 5 shades and here's my swatches for them (boy was it hard to get a nice pic!)

#18 is a pinky nude brown shade.

#22 is a berry plum shade. 

#30 is a grey beige shade.

#33 is a deep brick red shade.

#26 is a peachy brown shade.

I applied them all without a base and without lip liners. They were kinda hell to remove as they truly are smudge proof.


PROS:
- The colours are all very pigmented and bright.
- They are all super long lasting and will not budge unless wiped with an oil based remover.
- easy doe foot application wand.
- decent packaging considering the cheap price.
- bloody cheap price.
- wife range of colours to choose from.

CONS:
- you have to wait for a few seconds with open lips to let it dry otherwise if you pucker immediately after application it will be sticky.
- there are some uneven formulas. Some shades are patchy and stickier than the others.
- it can be very drying after awhile almost highlighting all the cracks on your lips.
- reapplying another layer on top causes flakiness, best thing is to remove all at once and apply a new layer.

VERDICT: ☆☆☆/5

While it might be drying and has application techniques problem, at the price of $3-$4 here in Singapore, it's very much a steal compared to nyx smlc at $12.  

Benefit Hello flawless oxygen wow petal

Today's review is on Benefit's Hello flawless oxygen wow liquid foundation in shade "I'm plush & precious" petal.

I received this in a sample size of 5ml and it came in a really cute and small pump bottle.

The claims:
-oil free
-spf 25 pa+++
-brightening makeup
-light to medium coverage

Okay so I tested this on my face first before doing the hand swatch and this is the verdict:

Pros:
♡true enough light to medium coverage so if you're looking to go hard and all out coverage this isn't for you. It does give you a natural dewy kind of look tho.
♡I actually hate the runny consistency of the liquid. But when applied to face with a stippling brush it helps blend out evenly.

Cons:
♡staying power isn't that great and tends to get oilier later on in the day.
♡runny consistency.
♡still need to touch up or set with powder if you have oily skin.

So overall i give it a ♡♡♡
I like the packaging and I like the outcome of the foundation. I would purchase the full size bottle of this but I wouldn't wear it for a long day out just cause of the oily thingy at the end of the day and the light coverage that tends to fade towards the night.

Apart from that i have also heard that this foundation oxidises like crazy on some people and turns super orange on them. That hasn't happened to me before no matter what foundation I use. I'd recommend bare minerals face time primer to prevent that from happening as so far it works for me.

Thanks for reading! Tried it before? How did you find the foundation? Do share with me your experience. (:

Benefit "They're Real!" Mascara review.

It's everywhere! If you're a fan, I bet you've heard all the rave about Benefit's "They're real!" mascara and it's wonders. Well I managed to get my hands on a sample size to try it out before I really burn a hole in my pocket for the retail size. Here's my thoughts on it! (:

The sample size is super cute and looks exactly like the rts just a mini version. It states the percentage claims of the mascara and the ingredients list on the packaging box.

Actual tube size.

And this is how the brush looks like. 

I love the spiky brush and the many tiny stiff hairs as it helps to separate my lashes evenly so that the mascara can evenly coat all my lashes. However I've heard that the rts brush has a spiky ball at the end to help reach the inner lashes and lower lashes more easily. Seems like the sample size doesn't have that ball at the tip or did i totally not notice it?

I have thin and short eyelashes which looks close to bald due to some freak accident that happened when i was younger. I tried to cut my own fringe and ended up cutting my lashes off too. The scissors was so close to my eyes that it got half of my lashes and they never grew back since.

So this is one coat on:

The verdict:

♡Yes i saw dramatic change in the length and volume. It looks naturally long and thicker now but with one coat of course it doesn't look like you're wearing fake lashes. A few more coats would do the trick.
♡Not too sure about the curl as i didn't use a curler before applying.(I always forget this step) But I do see a lift in my lashes.
♡It lasted for the whole day without smudging or flaking off on me. I tried sleeping overnight without removing them and they're still there in the morn but smudged. (I guess from rubbing my eyes in my sleep.)
♡Great for a natural look in the morn. And also great for a night out look with more coats. (2-3?)

So overall I give Benefit's "They're real!" Mascara ☆☆☆/5. It works fine like how i expect other mascaras to work like as well, so other than that i think it was just meh okay, does its job but nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe it'll turn to 5 stars once I feel the wonders of the spiked ball?

Any of you tried the mascara before? How was your experience with it? Would love to hear from you lovelies. (:

COTTON ON NAIL POLISH REVIEW //

Cotton on(clothing) is an Australian brand that has many other chains under the company such as Rubi(shoes & accessories) & Typo(stationeries). Their nail polish sets are available at most Rubi stores tho I do wish they have a beauty store under their company. But no, so I tried their trio nail colour sets just because the mini paint pots looks damn cute and it was just $4.95 a box. They don't have a name for this polish collection compared to the rubi nail enamel collection. So I'll just describe them according to the colours.

Left to right: indigo, lime, peach, nude, white.

Indigo:
-2 coats till opaque.
-Formula is not too runny nor is it too thick.
-good coverage & chips in 5 days.

Lime:
-3 coats but still sheer.
-quite runny formula, too thin.
-bad coverage & chips in 3 days.

Peach:
-3 coats till opaque.
-normal formula.
-good coverage & chips in 3 days.

Nude:
-3 coats till opaque.
-quite sheer.
-good coverage tho & chips in 3 days.

White:
-2 coats till opaque.
-normal formula.
-good coverage & chips in 5 days.

Left to right: baby pink, coral, hot pink, clear sequins, clear sequins on white.

Baby pink:
-2 coats till opaque.
-normal formula.
-good coverage & chips in 3 days.

Coral: hard to rate as this particular pot was quite dry and thick when I opened it. So i added a bit of non - acetone polish remover to make it thinner.
-2 coats till opaque.

Hot pink:
-2 coats till opaque.
-slightly lighter than normal formula.
-thin but not sheer and has really good coverage & chips in 5 days.

Clear sequins:
-1 coat depends on how much sequins you pick up on the brush.
-easy to remove.
-variety of colours & sizes sequins.

So there you go, my honest opinion on cotton on's paint pots. Of course the formula and colour will never be as awesome as OPI/ China glaze etc. But for $4.95 a box of 3 pots, nothing much to complain about.

Overall rating: ☆☆☆/5