Empties in Brief

Finally getting around to a mini, non-subscription box empties. Mini because I haven't rounded up all of the semi quality pictures need yet. Note, this pic is nowhere near quality but at the time and with all the tools (that aren't) at my disposal, it's the best I could do.

Subscription Box Review Part 1

Alright, this has been a very long time coming (and will end up being a two parter) but I finally found the time (will power) to sit down and do a detailed review of my Ipsy Glam Bags that I've accrued since I started back in April. For this I'm just focusing on the products themselves, not the bags themselves, there have been a couple of actual bags that I've loved, some that I hated and a lot of overall indifference. And boy, are there a lot of words (I'm sorry). Anyhow, let's get into this.

August Ipsy Bag Review

Alright, so remember how I promised I would be patient and not sneak any peeks at my bag this month? Yeah well... that didn't happen. Once again, I was a little disappointed, until I got my items that is. And then I was still somehow a little disappointed afterward.

For those of you who aren't even reading this don't know, Ipsy is a $10 a month subscription service that sends 5 full, deluxe and sample sized products a month in a makeup bag that is usually pretty cute. Ipsy is one of the cheapest makeup subscription services out there (right next to Birchbox, which I haven't tried yet). If you a are interested in Birchbox reviews or want to see a comparison of Ipsy vs. Birchbox check out My Subscription Addiction.

I received my bag on August 16th and this month Ipsy only offered one beauty tool, which seemed uncommon. I've been a subscriber since April and it seems like they have at least two brushes per bag (or the dreaded nail file) but this month the only offering was a sponge.

I won the lottery and scored the Beau Gâchis Paris Pro Series Applicator Sponge. A two pack of this and another sponge runs for $28 on the store's site (at the time of this writing they are on sale for $23 for the duo pack). Ive been wanting to try a beauty sponge for a while now but I hadn't quite worked up the nerve to buy one so I'm extremely glad this rolled through that door...

A Roundup of My Favorite Blogs (Addendum)

I've fallen hard into watching beauty gurus on YouTube in the past two years but lately I've become a little disenfranchised with them. I don't feel like browsing through notes to see who is being honest with reviews and who is peddling an item, I don't care for the showmanship which may or may not be genuine, and really, after browsing way too many videos it feels like my go-to people are doing nothing but filler videos.

Let's be honest, I just like reading, and if I can't get quiet time to knock out a novel or a Netflix series, I can at least read a tv episode transcript or Google a one-off blog post.

Of all of the random Googlings I've done, I've encountered 4 blogs that I find myself routinely coming back to:

Brutally Honest Beauty (formerly Cheap as F*ck)-the name says it all, and I just love Lyn's tone. She speaks like a real person and really skips the bullshit. A reviewer, entertainer, and beauty therapist all in one.
Everything and Nothin'-Elisabeth is absolutely relatable, honest, has a wonderfully organized, easy to navigate site, and oh my god the freebies. I just recently started checking out her freebie section. I religiously visit this site for reviews though.
My Subscription Addiction-this site is aptly named. I'm very fortunate that this site exists because, working in a lab I make jack shit, and a few peanuts, in terms of income. That's where MSA comes in. The founder, Liz Cadman and husband are subscribed to like, a bajillion boxes, and they have other writers on the site for various nine boxes (I tend to follow Celicia Gantz, representing women of color). The site also has a swaps page and a directory for a slew of subscription services for almost every interest.
The Passenger Element-(named for Autolux?) I stumbled upon this site when I was looking for a swatch for Urban Decay's Lounge eyeshadow. This site is more to see what's new or up and coming when the author reviews items companies send to her. I do love that she is always straightforward about what she purchased on her own and what was sent for free by a company.

Update: This is a blog I failed to originally list in this post because it appears to be defunct. The last posting was in 2014. But I loved reading through it because it is smart and fairly analytical. After a long enough read the cynicism grew to be a little tiresome but a student's t test or chi squared test comparing Birchbox and Ipsy is always good for a laugh.

What happened to E.L.F. Cosmetics?

At one point in my life, as recently as two years ago, I found myself perusing the ELF (or Eyes Lips Face) Cosmetics at least once a week checking out the awesome deals they had on new products and best sellers. Hell, I even remember a time where I would see the brand in Target around Christmas time, see the name ELF and think "oh wow, how cute and festive!" (I was so adorable and ignorant back then). But I absolutely loved the brand, as hit-or-miss as they were. Let's back this up and have a little story time, shall we?

July Ipsy Bag-First Impressions

I finally got my Ipsy Glam Bag for the month of July. I I feel horrible for not being excited about it but let's be honest, that is entirely because I ruined it for myself by stalking spoilers on Facebook and Instagram. I promise I won't do that for the August bag, I just want to be completely surprised.

This month I got:

• an eyeshadow single from theBalm called Meet Matt(e) Trimony in the shade Meet Matt(e) Moskowitz - $5.50
• Briogeo Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Quinoa Frizz Control Gel - $2.50
• Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer - $3.79
• skyn ICELAND the ANTIDOTE Cooling Daily Lotion - $12.98
• Thrive Causemetics Infinity Waterproof Eyeliner in Lauren (Matte Black) - $22 (full sized)

Swatches after the break.

A futile effort... Books, Activity and Garbage

I've been trying to read lately. That's been an utter failure. I don't even pretend television is an option and I'm too much of a book snob to do audio books. My current efforts are: