November 2018 Ipsy

Ipsy is a $10 monthly subscription that promises subscribers 5 sample or full sized items and a makeup bag personalized to their profile (referral link here). Each month is curated around a theme but for the past year or so the themes have been more vague and thin. Personally, I prefer the camp from days of old but that’s just me.

November’s bag was not the cutest bag I’ve ever seen. I appreciate the pleather material for easy cleaning but I didn’t care for the black hearts on a dark field. It did not scream autumn to me in the slightest and it was difficult to see the hearts. The contents fared better though:

• Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Quirky – Cruelty Free, Deluxe Sample
• Helios Eyeshadow in Pinky’s Up – Full Sized
• Botanic Farm Avocado Honey Rich Water Balm Cream
• theBalm Cosmetics Bonnie Dew-Manizer – Cruelty Free
• Nyx Turnt Up! Lipstick in Feline – Cruelty Free, Full Sized

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Quirky

I’ve been trying to give this blush some love lately. It’s actually quite wearable. It’s pigmented yet buildable and the shade is a wonderfully pigmented coral shade. My cheeks do not look raw and overexposed like I was butterfly kissing a cheese grater.

Helios Eyeshadow in Pinky’s Up

I’m going to start by addressing the elephant in the caboodle: “Pinky’s Up” is grammatically incorrect. Moving on… This shadow is super sheer with absolutely no color payoff. It has the texture of a ColourPop Super Shock Shadow but zero pigment and much like Super Shock Shadows it applies better with a finger than a brush. The iridescent glitter can be pretty though. The glitter is finely milled and super sparkly. It would make a great topper. Unfortunately this just isn’t a shadow I can ever see myself reaching for.

Botanic Farm Avocado Honey Rich Water Balm Cream

I’ve tried wearing this at night a few times but it is just a bit too rich for me. It doesn’t smell like any of the ingredients listed in its name either, just a mild perfume scent. I will have to set this aside until a time when I downgrade to less intensely moisturizing serums and face washes (i.e. whenever I run out of my current items).

 

theBalm Cosmetics Bonnie Dew-Manizer

I love theBalm. I Just adore the packaging. I just wish Bonnie Dew-Manizer had the same adorably themed packaging that the rest of the brand’s products share. Bonnie Dew is a great shade for deeper skin tones. It’s a deeper, golden shade that is very flattering on me but the shine is so intense that it can be a bit terrifying. This is the kind of highlight that would probably look amazing on camera or video but startling out in the wild. I cannot see myself really wearing this out in public.

 

Nyx Turnt Up! Lipstick in Feline

This may have been the item I was most looking forward to in November. I love Nyx as a brand and the color Feline is just a beautiful deep cool toned red. The shape of the bullet makes it easy to apply with some precision and the texture is so soft and slick that it’s more comfortable to wear than traditional cream lipsticks. It also leaves a nice satiny, almost glossy look. I’ve also tried applying it, leaving it on for a few minutes and blotting the majority off leaving me with nicely berry stained lips. The only downside to this lipstick is that I’ve seen quite a few complaints about it sliding off of people’s lips and wandering. Personally, I love the texture but yes, if I’m too oblivious to what I’m wearing I can accidentally touch my mouth or face and look like a textbook killer clown after a while. The slick texture also reduces its longevity but again, it does leave behind a beautiful berry stain.

Top to bottom in indirect sunlight: Tarte blush, Bonnie Dew-Manizer, Bonnie Dew-Manizer (blended), Helios eyeshadow, Nyx lippie in Feline

Here I am wearing Tarte Lights, Cameras, Lashes mascara, Lise Watiers eyeliner in black in my waterline, Lancôme Drama Liqui-Pencil on my upper eyelid, LOC liquid shimmer shadow in Aura, Helios shadow in Pinky's Up, Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour blush in Quirky, theBalm liquid highligher in Bonnie Dew-Manizer, Nyx Turnt Up! lipstick in Feline, and Sephora Collection Bright Future Skin Tint in the shade 31 Almond.

I'm not naked! Lizzie dressed me in a maxi dress and the pink eyes are from shampooing my hair an hour before this picture was taken.

I enjoyed this bag. I love a couple of the brands included, I love the Nyx lipstick and I’m getting some use out of the blush which I did not expect. I will use everything at some point. The shadow might be used for a party look or most likely on my kids eventually. Botanic Farm will come in handy if my face is ever stressed from dehydration, maybe when and if I go back home to California for a visit.