Double Issue! | ipsy | July & August 2019 | Reviews

Hello beautiful people!

The duration of my summer was filled with never ending days which left very little time for writing and posting.

But have no fear (I'm sure you were worried sick 😜), I am back and have a double review post for you!

Below are my reviews of the products in July & August's ipsy glam bags.

There were some rock star products that I'm totally psyched about (I found my new favorite brand of nail polish!) and some that left me feeling under whelmed.

So read on, and get prepared for some truly epic (and not so epic) products!

Let's kick things off with July!

July 2019

Check out my video review of July's products here

Quick Stats:

Number of Products I'll Use Regularly: 3
My Overall Star Rating for July's Glam Bag: ⭐⭐⭐⭑⭑ (3 out of 5)

Thoughts on July's Glam Bag: So much to love! This month had great summer shades and versatile products 😍

This fun, jungle inspired makeup bag gives the perfect summer vibe and it fits a pretty good amount of makeup. It's both fun and functional.

July's theme was 'ipsy dive in' so let's "dive in" to theses products 😉

1. COLOR CLUB: Nail Polish in Palm to Palm

Product: Nail Polish
Brand: Color Club
Name of Shade: Palm to Palm
Color: Teal
Finish: Glossy
Number of Coats to Get Bottle Shade: 1
Lasts for: 3 weeks

Pros: This is the holy grail of nail polishes! 

It is the most fantastic nail polish I've ever used!

It is so highly pigmented that it only takes one coat to achieve the bottle shade. And this polish lasts forever. I'm super hard on my nail polish and this has stayed on through packing, moving boxes, doing dishes, and other house cleaning with no chipping. Even as I type these words now, the color is still on. And I love the pretty teal shade! 💅

Cons: None.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 out of 5. I should give it a 6!)
Would I Purchase: Yes!

Final Thoughts: Crazy good pigment, super long lasting, and nearly chip resistant. I would absolutely recommend this nail polish. I want to get many more shades ❤

2. THEBALM COSMETICS: Eyeshadow in He Said, She Said

Brand: TheBalm Cosmetics
Product: Eyeshadow
Name of Shade: He Said, She Said
Color: Lavender
Finish: Shimmer
Formula: Pressed Powder
Fallout: Very Little
Blendable: Yes
Chalky/Flaky: No/No
Lasts for: 8+ Hours

Pros: This icy lavender shadow glides smoothly onto lids. One application gives a subtle hint of color but it can be built up to a more opaque lavender shade. It blends easily and has decent staying power for a lighter shade of eyeshadow.

Cons: There is a small amount of shimmer fallout. The shadow goes on very light, which is OK, but if you want to achieve the shade in the pan, you will need to layer and use a shadow primer for best results.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭑⭑ (3 out of 5)

Would I Purchase: Probably Not

Final Thoughts: A nice icy shadow, good for highlighting brow bone and inner corner of eyes. However, it takes a little effort for full-on shade coverage. 

3. PACIFICA BEAUTY: Bronzer Blush Duo

Brand: Pacifica Beauty

Product: Bronzer & Blush
Color: Bronze & Rose
Finish: Matte & Shimmer
Formula: Pressed Powder
Lasts for: 8+ Hour
Smudges/Streaks/Runs: No/No/No
Blendable: Yes
Chalky/Flaky/Crumbly: No/No/No

Pros: This duo, created specifically for ipsy, is an on-go dream! The blush is a universally flattering rose shade with a subtle shimmer and the bronzer is a nice matte (I use it for contouring!)

Both blend like a dream and stay put on skin in rain, shine, or humidity.

Plus, the compact has a good sized mirror on the back!

Cons: These shades have a distinctive rose scent that can be over powering. If you are sensitive to fragrances, this may not be your best bet. 

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭑⭑ (3 out of 5)

Would I Purchase: No (purely because of the fragrance)

Final Thoughts: Lovely bronzer and blush; blendable, great staying power, but way too powerful of a rose scent 👎

4. FIRMA BEAUTY: 204 Wide Blender

Brand: Firma Beauty

Name of Brush: 204 Wide Blender
Feature for Brush: Eyes
Feature I Use it for: Eyes, Contour, Concealer, Setting Powder
Formula it Works Best with: Powder
Bristles Splay: No

Pros: This lovely brush is quiet the overachiever. It can be used for so many different makeup applications. Its primary use is for eyeshadow and it works great to apply a smooth swipe of shadow.

It is also works well for blending and buffing shadow into the crease.

Cons: None that I have encountered with this brush.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 out of 5)

Would I Purchase: Yes.

Final Thoughts: Excellent brush with multiple makeup purposes!  

5. MURAD: Essential-C™ Cleanser

Brand: Murad

Product: Cleanser

Size: Mini

Formula: Gel

Scent: Citrus

Skin Type It Works Best For: Combination to dry

Pros: This little cleanser leaves skin feeling clean and hydrated. It gives a fresh and glow-y finish after use. The scent is not too overpowering, just enough to refresh.

Cons: I'm personally not a fan of exfoliating beads in any of my face products, so the beads were a let down for me. 

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭑⭑⭑ (2 out of 5)

Would I Purchase: No.

Final Thoughts: This is a nice cleanser that does work for the purposes it claims to. I just don't like this method of exfoliating. 

Here's a quick look I created with some of the products from July's glam bag:

On to August!

August 2019

Quick Stats:

Number of Products I'll Use Regularly: 4

My Overall Star Rating for August's Glam Bag: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭑ (4 out of 5)

Thoughts on August's Glam Bag: Super products in fun colors! I will definitely use these often 💗

I love this bag! A cool shade of green and a fun texture, I'll be carrying this one around for a while 👌

Here are my thoughts on August's products:

1. SUVA BEAUTY: Eyeshadow in BBQ

Brand: SUVA

Product: Eyeshadow
Name of Shade: BBQ
Color: Plum
Finish: Metallic/Foil
Formula: Pressed Powder/Cream
Fallout: Minimal
Blendable: Yes
Chalky/Flaky: No/No
Lasts for: 9+ Hours

Pros: The formula for this shadow is part powder, part cream making it ultra-blendable.

It goes on smooth and even with a foil-like finish. This soft shadow has next to no fallout and lasts all day.

Cons: If I stretch for a con, there is a little bit of fallout.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭑ (4 out of 5)

Would I Purchase: Yes.

Final Thoughts: Great texture; goes on like a powder but gives the smooth staying power of a cream.

2. THRIVE CAUSEMETICS: Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara™ in Brynn

Brand:
Product: Mascara
Size: Mini
Name of Shade: Brynn
Color: Black
Waterproof: So far, Yes
Formula: Lengthening/Curling
Wand Shape: Cone
Lasts for: 10+ Hours
Smudges/Flakes: No/No

Pros: This true black mascara has a thick, concentrated formula that gives massive length while the cone shaped wand catches even the tiniest lashes to coat them and give a defined, fanned out effect. And there are virtually no clumps with this mascara!

Cons: No real cons, this is a very competent mascara

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 out of 5)

Would I Purchase: Yes.

Final Thoughts: Achieving a false, yet natural lash look is effortless with this perfectly pigmented mascara. Plus the packaging is a lovely teal shade.

 A functional product + aesthetically pleasing packaging = 💗

3. NAILS INC: Nail Polish in Weekend Superpowers

Product: Nail Polish

Brand: Nails INC.
Name of Shade: Weekend Superhero
Color: Khaki Green 
Finish: Glossy
Number of Coats to Get Bottle Shade: 1
Lasts for: Approximately 2 Weeks

Pros: A cool khaki polish, the perfect summer to autumn transition shade, glides on smooth like butter. It maintains its glossy shine for the duration of wear. 

And the shade has the best name: 'Weekend Superhero'! 🦸

Cons: Like with the majority nail polishes there can be chipping.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭑(4 out of 5)

Would I Purchase: Yes

Final Thoughts: Fun shade, snappy name, and pretty decent lasting.

4. INC.REDIBLE: Jelly Shot Lip Quencher in Ex Revenge

Brand: INC. Redible

Product: Lip Balm
Size: Mini
Name of Shade: Ex Revenge
Color: Transparent
Finish: Balm
Smudges/Drying: No/No
Last for: 3 Hours 

Pros: This interesting little lip balm is like an iceberg; there is way more under the surface. While the balm itself delivers ultra hydration and moisturizes lips, inside this little balm is a tiny flower and specks of gold (why, you may ask? I haven't the slightest clue 🥀).

Regardless of the gems and gardening, this balm is quite lovely.

Cons: Although the flower and gold are a cute gimmick, this is essentially just a nice lip balm.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭑⭑ (3 out of 5)

Would I Purchase: Maybe

Final Thoughts: Definitely an intriguing design, and the lip balm is very adequate.

5. SLMISSGLAM: E61 Angled Shadow Brush

Brand: SLMISSGLAM

Name of Brush: Angled Shadow

Brush Number: E61
Feature for Brush: Eyes
Feature I Use it for: Crease of Eye
Formula it Works Best with: Powder
Bristles Splay: No

Pros: The angled edge of this brush makes it perfect for applying a contour shadow to the crease of the eye or creating definition on the outer 'V' of the eye. It is also excellent for blending and smudging to get a seamless smoky eye look. 

Plus the glittery emerald green handle is just sooo pretty ✨

Cons: None!

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 out of 5)

Would I Purchase: Yes!

Final Thoughts: SLMISSGLAM brushes are quickly becoming my go-tos and this angled beauty is no exception.

Here is a quick makeup look I created with some of August's products

Thanks for checking out my dual ipsy post.

I've been working on some new projects that I will be sharing soon,

so be sure to subscribe via email so you won't miss out 😀  

XOXO

Ultima Beauty

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