May 2016 Ipsy Bag

So I got my May Ipsy Glam Bag earlier this month. The happy dance totally happened. It did. It costs $10 a month and usually comes with 5 products. Swatches can be found after the jump.

Hikari Shimmer Bronzer in "Radiate" - $17 (Full Size)
Ipsy started off this bag with a bust with the bronzer, while a very pretty color, is way WAY too shimmery. Short of looking like a golden goddess from Studo54, I can't imagine how to wear this, since I will light up like the damn sun if I wear this during the day. I am dark enough that I tried to repurpose this as a highlighter, and then ad an eyeshadow. It makes a beautiful eyeshadow shade and is a bit too shimmery as a highlighter (note: I still don't know how to wear and apply highlighter so I admit user error here) after several days as wearing this as a highlighter or eyeshadow I noticed I had a lot more breakouts on my face. Like... 15 year old me, still gaming of making midnight Denny's runs. Not cute. Since I'm a masochist, I kept trying and kept breaking out so I think Hikari and I have ended out relationship, thank you very much.

Smashbox X-Rated Mascara - $7.33
Oh my God. That's all that needs to be said. Methinks I will forever repurchase this unless I can find something better (can I though?). Up to this point I've only dealt with drugstore mascaras because I am cheap. The Remmel Scandaleyes was the best I've encountered, until Smashbox. It adds volume, lengthens, holds a curl, and is sexy AF. Ice never seen a brush with a triangular shape like this and the formula dries quickly and doesn't flake off or smudge throughout the day. Absolutely worth the $22 and I will definitely purchase it again.

Hanalei Lip Treatment - $8.03
I kind of liked this. $25 seems like way too much for a full sized product, but again, I would definitely buy this if I were rich. It had a vanilla flavor and was petroleum jelly thick, but melts very easily with body heat. It is very moisturizing and a little goes a very long way. The $25 tube could last me like a year if a 5 mL sample is lasting like a month.

Slmissglam Small Contour W07 Brush - $15(?)
I couldn't find an exact price on this brush so it's estimated by the cost of the other brushes on the site. It is REALLY cute, dense, and small. I don't contour and it's so small that I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what to use it for. Precise highlighting maybe, even though I don't highlight. It's too large to blend out eyeshadow. I will find a use eventually maybe. The cost of the brushes on the product website is ridiculous though. I'm not saying, just saying though.

Eva NYC Hungry Hair Oil - $3.20
I specifically noted on my Ipsy profile that I did not want hair care products so of course I got hair oil. It smells great, isn't too thick or too funny, and seems to work well, I just have way too much dry, thick kinky hair for this to work on me so I use it on Peanut (the toddler). It works well on her straw hair, but a little goes a very long way. It's very easy to make her look like a greasy street urchin. It is reasonably priced too so I can see myself repurchasing this.

Here are the swatches for the Hikari Bronzer in Radiant. It looks considerably darker in pictures and works as a great eyeshadow when the colors are used individually. Images below show the bronzer blended together. Additionally, at least in person, the blended bronzer is more of a highligheter for my darker tone. Typing this i can see its value in pictures, but it's just too shimmery for everyday outside use. 

Edit: I'm an idiot for trying to use it as a highlighter. Since I don't know how to bronze, this is being used as eyeshadow only until I can buy a clue.

Natural light

Natural light with flash

The overall value of this bag was $50.56. There wasn't much I would religiously use this month, but I love the lip treatment and I know it's biased but the Smashbox mascara made up for any flops. I had thrown out a crusty, rarely used year old mascara last month and felt naked. And I appreciate the small size, I will most likely use it up before it goes bad. They discovery though sold several future tubes. And I'm glad I found a use for the hair oil. I would hate to just throw it out or be the weirdo giving it away to people at work.