Make It Up As You Go Beauty Subscription Bag Service - March Review

Hey there!

A few weeks ago I told you all about my Make It Up As You Go Beauty Subscription Bag Service (this beauty subscription bag/box is not a real service!) I didn't have the best luck with Ipsy so I thought perhaps I could do better for me. Well, I did do better, kind of.

I ran across the Proclaim Coconut & Macadamia Nut Oil Hand & Body Lotion ($1.99, Sally Beauty Supply) and was so excited. It smells lightly of coconut but it absorbs well, isn't greasy and leaves your hands very moisturized. I like it. Would I buy it again? Well, if I was in or near the Sally Beauty Supply, I certainly would. If I had to drive past Walmart, Target, CVS, Rite-Aid and Walgreens to get there, probably not. It's good but so are others.

I was also excited to try out the Wet n Wild Coloricon Contouring Palette ($3.93, Walmart) in Caramel Toffee. The coloring is very pretty and of course it's buttery smooth. The only problem is it's too light for my complexion. I could just keep it and use it as a face powder but I have too many face powders to make this become one. I'll pass this one along to a friend because it really is a good contouring palette.

I used my Real Techniques Sculpting Brush ($9.98, Wal-Mart) to apply the contouring powder. I used it every day and felt like something was amiss. I couldn't put my finger on what the problem was. Then I began seeing people review it on YouTube and it jumped out at me. It's too densely packed. The brush is too full and when you try to place your contour powder, it wipes off you concealer or foundation that's under it. I tried to pat it in place but that just didn't work. It is a great brush. Well made, great hand feel, it's just not a good sculpting brush. I might use it for foundation or something (I've heard other people try that) but not for contouring.

 

Before

After

The Bubble White 5 Minute Effervescent Nail Cleanser ($1.99, Sally Beauty Supply) was nice. It was a treat to soak my hands in warm water for 5 minutes. It softened my cuticles and prepped my nails for polish. It was a real treat. Did it whiten my nails? Well, I purposely waited until after my St. Patty's Day green nails and used it. I still had discoloration after using it. I didn't see where it whitened my nails at all. But still, it is a really good hand soak and the price is right. I would definitely purchase it again.

The final item "in my bag" was an Essence Lipstick in Wear Berries ($2.99, ULTA). Have mercy! Why did I wait so long to try these lippies? I actually purchased 2 of them at the same time and I have been rockin' them like crazy. I love them! They last for several hours. They don't leave my lips feeling dry. They are highly pigmented. I just wish they had more colors to choose from. Even so, I will be purchasing more of these. They are amazing!

And my cute, deep red wristlet? Love it. I've been using this whether I was wearing red or not. It's great!

So, I spent $32.88 plus tax (on stuff I was going to buy anyway) and will forward one thing to a friend. That's pretty good for a subscription box. With my last box, I ended up giving 3 of the 5 items away. Of the 2 items I kept, I haven't used either of them since! This month, I'll give away 1 item and keep using the others.

I did mention that you can do this too. Pick up 5 new to you items. Try them out for a few weeks and then see what you think. I enjoyed finding my 5 items and I have really enjoyed using them! No disappointment here!!

Did any of you try this? Are you going to try it now? Did you think about trying 5 new wines and inviting me over? At least three of you have my phone number. I'm waiting!

Tag: What’s My Face Worth - Revisit March 2015

Hey there!

I was looking back through my blog posts (about a year back) and I came across the What's My Face Worth tag. I read the post and almost laughed. The post said my face was worth $173.49. So you know what I did? Yep! I pulled out what I wore today and re-wrote the post!

My life has changed so much. In the first paragraph of primers and such I spent $98. Wanna know what I primed with this morning? I did use the same Bare Minerals Concealer ($20, and not the SAME one. This is a new one) but I didn't use eye stuff at all. I used my Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer ($18) and instead of foundation, my MAC Studio Fix Powder ($27). So my face prep was only $65 this morning.

Yes, I still take a sip of coffee and pick out a pair of earrings and then put on...Maybelline Baby Lips in Beam of Blush ($3.49). Maybelline Baby Lips is the best brand of lip moisturizer for underneath lipstick, hands down.

My bronzer back then is almost the same price! This morning I wore e.l.f. Mineral Glow in bronzed ($8). And the blush I'm wearing this week? Boots No.7 Natural Blush Tint Powder in Spice ($9.99). So my bronzing and blushing are still about the same.

I normally do wear brow stuff. But, I freshly shaped my brows this morning so I didn't put anything on them. And I've mentioned my Blepharitis before so for the most part, I avoid eye makeup. I know the post says I go gently into eye makeup but after months of trying to dance around it, I gave up. I occasionally wear powdered eyeliner but more often than not, nothing, and that works for me.

I did use a Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Pencil ($6.29) but I'm road testing an Essence lippie ($2.99). No gloss today because of that.

And that is my new perfection.

I know, it's a lot less makeup. Wonder why? Sleep. I chose sleep and that means I can't do quite as much makeup in the morning. And, no one has spit or laugh at me so it must be ok. I think I still look pretty good.

Oh yeah! I have tried many new makeup products over the last year. Some of them were high end. Some of them were super inexpensive. I've done quite a bit of research. I was pretty darn sure that my face would cost quite a bit now.

Today my face was worth $95.76. That's almost half of what I use to spend. Now, now, don't go all crazy. That was just today. Had I pulled out my highlighter from yesterday, it would have added $24. Had I chosen the face powder from yesterday, I'd have spent $3.99 instead of $27. It just varies.

I still found the whole process fascinating. I think maybe in 6 months or so I'll try it again and see what the total is. Won't that be fun?

So should my goal be use expensive stuff everyday or cheapy cheap stuff every day?

Nah, I think it should be use what you love every day!

Make It Up As You Go Beauty Subscription Bag Service - March Preview

Hey there!

It's the first month of my Make It Up As You Go Beauty Subscription Bag Service (NOT a real service, teehee) and I'm excited about what's in my bag! For those of you that didn't read yesterday's post (and why didn't you? It was just yesterday!) I have decided to create my own beauty subscription bag/box for myself (and only myself). I didn't have the best luck with Ipsy so I thought perhaps I could do better for me.

So the first product in my bag was a full size (awesome!) of the Proclaim Coconut & Macadamia Nut Oil Hand & Body Lotion ($1.99, Sally Beauty Supply). G from Nouveau Cheap (If you aren't subscribed to her blog AND Instagram AND twitter feed you are missing out! She gives great reviews and lets you know when makeup and beauty items go on sale. She is the truth!!) mentioned it and I kept saying that the next time I went to Sally Beauty I was going to pick some up. So I got one of the last ones that they had on the shelf and I am super excited to try it.

I only saw one video that mentioned the Wet n Wild Coloricon Contouring Palette ($3.93, Wal-mart) and because of that one video I made sure that I searched it out. I picked up Caramel Toffee. I think it may be a tad too light but just like in other beauty subscription bags/boxes, sometimes that happens. If it's too light I'll try to make it work. It it's too, too light, then I'll gift it.

I am soooo excited about my Real Techniques Sculpting Brush ($9.98, Wal-Mart). I have been hunting this bad boy down for a month. I have been working on soft contour. I don't like to look overly made up. I just want to stay soft and natural. I am hoping this brush will be magical and help out.

I also picked up the Bubble White 5 Minute Effervescent Nail Cleanser ($1.99, Sally Beauty Supply). I've been watching a lot of nail videos and a few people keep mentioning this product. I decided that with the amount of polish I use, I might want to try it. I picked up one for me and one for my sister. She's been trying out polishes too. I'm trying to talk her into a polish review. Comment and tell her you want to hear from her!

The final item "in my bag" was an Essence Lipstick in Wear Berries ($2.99, ULTA). I've heard a lot about Essence makeup and I really wanted to try their lippies out. How fortuitous that "they" put it in my subscription bag!

And look at the bag. No sir, that's not a cheapy cheap bag. I have the fortune of being able to shop at the Atlanta Apparel Mart. Several of the shops in the mart sell nice purses for great prices. This cute, deep red wristlet was $12 and looks so nice. I know, I know. This isn't the type of makeup bag that beauty subscription services have but out of all of those bags, I only use 1 of them on a semi-regular basis. 1, I gave away at Christmas and the others sit in a drawer collecting dust. I wanted MY beauty bag to be something I really use.

Oh! And, before I forget, this beauty subscription bag/box is not a real service! I'm not selling anything. The only way you can get what I have is if you go buy it. I'm not mailing anything out to anyone. This is a little cutsie thing I've done for myself.

But, you can do it too! Just pick up 5 random items, new to you, new brands to you, interesting items, that sort of thing. They can be any price point, any type of item. You can do 5 different candle brands or coffee brands or wine brands (invite me over please). Try them out for a few weeks and then see what you think. It's a really fun way to branch out of your usual stuff and try new things!

Let me know what you decide to try and I'll come back in a few weeks and tell you what I think of this bag!!