Ipsy: Freeman Beauty Paper Masks

Some subscribers of Ipsy were sent Freeman Beauty Paper Masks in their September #GlamBags. I didn’t get these masks but my daughters did and my youngest gave me hers in a trade. Since today I have a low-grade fever (my middle girl is sick so guess who is getting sick) I figured now would be a good time to try one of the masks.

Today I tried the Hydrating Paper Mask in Blue Agave. The paper WAS blue but thankfully the color is non-transferable.

I’ve tried similar masks from 2nd Love Beauty Treats and loved those masks primarily because of the cooling effect those masks had on my skin. When I would have a headache I always develop a low grade fever and found that the Beauty Treats masks always helped cool my skin down and in turn helped alleviate my headache. So needless to say I was hoping this would be the case with the Freeman Beauty Paper Masks but it wasn’t the case.

I applied the mask and it did have a slight cooling effect but not as much as I had hoped. Maybe my low-grade fever is too high for the mask to give my skin more of a cooling effect than I had hoped but it did help somewhat. At least I don’t feel like my skin is being roasted from the inside out now.

I found that the mask fit me just a wee bit on the small side mainly around the eye area, I guess I have wider set eye than I thought. Around the hair line next to my ears and jaw line the paper didn’t quite fit. I had a similar problem with the Beauty Treats one where it ran a little small around the nose and eye area for me. Still it wasn’t too bad, I’ve seen a few pictures of people where the mask didn’t fit them at all.

I wore the mask for 10 minutes and found that the residue was kind of sticky until my skin absorbed more of it and the rest dried. I’m not sure if left my skin feeling really hydrated and I still need to apply a moisturizer but it’s not too bad.

I’m slightly torn between being disappointed and somewhat satisfied. One one hand the sizing issue is a slight problem and on the other I’ve had similar masks from other companies not fit properly either. I liked that it did help reduce my fever a bit but disappointed it wasn’t as cooling as I had hoped (tossing it into the fridge might help with that).

So would I buy these in the store? If I was at RiteAid or Walgreens and saw these I might since these are like $1.99 each and it’s not a budget breaker. Not my most favorite paper mask but I wouldn’t turn my nose up at these.

Disclaimer: Obtained via my daughter’s Ipsy bag. Referral link to Ipsy.

NYX Cosmetics: 20 Shades of Ipsy

Per request. I’ve contacted NYX for the list of all 20 shades of the NYX Cosmetics Single #Eyeshadows that was sent by Ipsy for the September #GlamBag.

1. ES29 – DEEP CHARCOAL*
2. ES32 – PURPLE
3. ES39A – FANTASY (sold out)
4. ES46A – NAVY BLUE
5. ES53A – VELVET SUEDE (sold out)
6. ES63A – CRYPTONITE
7. ES86 – LANIKAI
8. ES95 – HOT CRYSTAL
9. ES103 HOLLYWOOD
10. ES105 ROCK
11. ES108 GOLDEN POPPY (sold out)
12. ES112 FAHRENHEIT (sold out)
13. ES118 NUTMEG [not listed on NYX]
14. ES122 MOROCCO (sold out)
15. ES123 BEAUTY QUEEN (sold out)
16. ES128A PURE GOLD (sold out)
17. ES141 ASPHALT (sold out)
18. ES146A SPARKLE WHITE
19. ES150A UTOPIA GOLD
20. ES151A EARTHY SHIMMER

* Note: ES29 – DEEP CHARCOAL is also listed as ES29 CHARCOAL on some of the shadows.
Images from Ipsy.

I have contacted NYX in regards to why 16 of the 20 shades are not listed on the NYX website. Several people expressed concern that the products were discontinued.

Me: A few people have asked me to verify if these colors were discontinued or if these colors are making a comeback. If discontinued when were these discontinued? A few of my members at MakeupTalk wanted to by Fahrenheit, for example, but it’s not on the NYX site.

NYX Rep: Sure thing! If it’s not available for purchase on the website this item has been completely sold out and will no longer be available for purchase.

Edit: A NYX Rep posted this on Makeuptalk on 9/18/2013:

Hi everyone! We just wanted to stop by and clear up the confusion. None of the products we sent in your Ipsy glam bags are expired in any way. Having just launched in Target, and with so many Ipsy glam bags to fill, some of the shades of eye shadow that were sent are now completely sold out. While they’re still not available for purchase on our website, we’ve gone ahead and added those shades back to the the product page just to clear up any confusion.

If you’re not happy with the shade of eye shadow you received, we’ll be absolutely swap it out with another one of your choice. Feel free to send us a PM and with the shade you received and which you’d like to swap it out with, and we’ll send out a return label to allow you to return your current item and get a new one.

We want you all to be happy with your NYX products in the glam bags (that’s why we participate!) so please feel free to contact us directly if you’re not 100% satisfied.

As a result, a few of the colors that were removed and were brought back ARE available for sale while some are sold out and not available. Not sure if or when those colors will ever be made available again. The shades that are available for sale as of this update are underlined.

Ipsy: September product values

Per request, a list of the product values in the September Ipsy #Glambag.

Cailyn Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm
Size received: 0.14 oz / 3 g
Sample value: $16.63
Full size: No
Full size retail: $19; 0.16 oz (4.5 g)

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Elizabeth Mott It’s So Big Volumizing Mascara
Size received: 0.14 oz / 4 ml
Sample value: $8
Full size: No
Full size retail: $19.99; 10 ml

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NYX Single Eye Shadow
Size received: 0.085 oz / 2.4 g
Retail: $4.50
Full size: Yes

Note: It’s come to my attention that several of the shadows sent have been discontinued and are no longer sold on the NYX website. At this time I have confirmed that the colors in question are not on the NYX site but I have not confirmed when these colors were discontinued. I am working on a list of the 20 colors sent out.

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Starlooks Obsidian Kohl Eye Pencil
Size received: 2.4 g
Retail: $12
Full size: Yes

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skyn ICELAND Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels
Size received: 0.11 oz
Sample value: $3.75 each
Full size: Yes (sort of)
Full size retail: $30 for 8

Note: Subscribers who received this should have receive two packs.

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Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil
Size received: 1.4 g
Retail: $18
Full size: Yes

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Freeman Beauty Facial Paper Mask
Size received: 0.5 oz / 15 g
Retail: $1.99 each (three packs sent)
Full size: Yes

Note: Subscribers who received the Freeman Beauty paper masks received three – one of each type.

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J.Cat Beauty Fantabulous Lipstick
Size received:
Retail: $2.49
Full size: Yes

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Jesse’s Girl Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
Size received: 0.017 oz / 5 ml
Retail: $6.99
Full size: Yes

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John Frieda Full Repair® Full Body Shampoo
Size received: 1.5 oz / 44 ml
Sample value: $1.15
Full size: No
Full size retail: $6.49; 8.45 oz / 250 ml

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John Frieda Full Repair® Full Body Conditioner
Size received: 1.5 oz / 44 ml
Sample value: $1.15
Full size: No
Full size retail: $6.49; 8.45 oz

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POP Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon
Size received: 0.1 oz/ 3 g
Sample value: $4.17
Full size: Yes, but individual crayon from set
Full size retail: $25 for 6

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Victoria Jackson Taupe Brow Pencil
Size received:
Retail: $14.95
Full size: Yes

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butter LONDON Nail Lacquer
Size received: 0.2 fl oz/ 6 ml
Sample value: $7.50
Full size: No
Full size retail: $15; 0.4 oz / 11 ml

Disclaimer: Referral link

Ipsy: My thoughts on my September bag

My bag came today! I’m happy it’s here but it’s a bit of a let down because it IS here and now I have to wait two weeks for the first sneak peeks for October and another two weeks after that for the October bag! Impatient, am I not? LOL

I’m pretty happy with my bag.

1. NYX eyeshadow in ES86 Lanikai, $4.50 retail
2. Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian, $12 retail
3. Cailyn tinted lip balm in Big Apple, $16.63 value*
4. Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels (2 packages), $7.50 value ($30 for 8 retail)
5. It’s So Big mascara, $8 value ($19.99 retail)

Total product value: $48.63!

*Note: The lip balm sent to Ipsy subscribers is slightly smaller than full size.

Only the mascara was a deluxe sample. It’ll go into my mascara drawer and I have no clue when I’ll use it. Right now I have several mascaras open and you’re suppose to toss mascara at least every three months. (Ok, I admit I hold onto mascara longer than I should for myself.)

The Skyn eye gels are full size. I’ve tried these via Beauty Army a few times and LOVE the eye gels. Hate the price, but love the eye gels. I keep telling Skyn Iceland they need to make a full face version, I’d live in those.

The Starlooks liner isn’t new to me as I’ve had a Starlooks subscription in the past and received a similar liner. I’ve gone back to Starlooks (for September) and am waiting for my September box. Not sure if I’ll get a birthday box or not since my birthday has now passed.

Cailyn lip balm isn’t exactly new to me since I’ve seen it at IMATS earlier this year. I don’t recall trying it there, I do recall trying the BB creams. I like their products but am a bit put off by their shipping prices. One of the MakeupTalk ladies suggested purchasing the Cailyn products through either Dermstore or Beautybar because shipping is far less expensive.

The blue shadow I’m a bit iffy on but it is a lovely blue on the gray/silver side. It’s a wee bit on the 1980s blue side for me so I may trade it with my youngest daughter once her bag arrives and if she gets a different color. She can pull this color off, I don’t think I can. My middle girl’s bag came and she received Charcoal.

As I’m typing this Watch What Happens Live is on Bravo right now and Tamara’s shadow looks similar to Lanikai and Charcoal. Hmm… might have to snag Bee’s shadow and see if I can replicate Tamara’s look on WWHL with the two NYX colors.

As for the bag itself. it’s a very pretty blue but the pattern… I think that will have to grow on me. I’m still not sure about the pattern. 

Over all, I’m happy with everything in the bag and can’t wait for October.

Disclaimer: Referral link

My Thoughts: OnDgo 202 Travel Organizer

A few months ago I was looking for a storage solution for my products. I’ve come to a point where I travel with a good deal of brushes that I don’t have a brush roll from and while I can make one I’m lazy and don’t want to. Instead I continued to look around and the ladies from Greene Street Beauty did a video on Youtube about their Quad Packs. I immediately fell in love with it and knew it was exactly what I was looking for.

Finding it was a bit of a challenge because in the video it was called a Quad Pack and of course Naimie’s site didn’t have it listed as she called it. So a phone call to Naimie’s yielded the product’s actual name – OnDgo 202 Travel Organizer Clear/Black.

I ordered two back in March!

I LOVE it. There are few items I love that were recommended to me and even fewer that I would recommend to people, this is one of those few items I would recommend to people looking for a storage solution for their brushes or anything else they’re looking to store, carry and keep separate.

I do know another makeup artist uses her Quad Pack for storing her lipsticks. My second one is currently empty because I’ve been trying to make up my mind on what I want to to use it for and I think at this time I’m going to use it for my liners because the current storage solution I have no longer fits all my liners.

So the only draw back to these particular organizers are that I didn’t buy more, I can reorder however shipping was almost $10 so the real drawback for me was shipping. I will be buying more when I’m in LA in January so I can avoid the shipping expense.

These retail for $14.99 but are currently on sale for $11.99 at Naimie’s.

Sephora’s Smart Line

Sephora has introduced their own ergonomic shaped eyeliner called “Smart Line”. It is essentially the exact same thing as NYX’s The Curve ($15) as well as Mally Beauty’s Eye Opening Precision Liner ($26). Sephora’s Smart Line is only $14.

I like my Curve from NYX since it fits into my hand nicely but due to the shape it has to be held in a certain manner – like a pencil – I saw on tv a while back (on Rachel Ray) where the lady demoing it was holding the liner in such an awkward manner but gripping it around the body with her whole hand. So would I buy this? I would. My local Sephora doesn’t have it in stock yet so I’m probably going to order it online or just wait a few more weeks to see if they get it in stock.

Disclaimer: Not affiliate nor compensated by any company mentioned in this blog post.

Mirabella, Micabella, Bella Pierre: Clearing up some confusion on my part

I wanted to clear up a very old post I made in 2011 on MakeupTalk about MIRABELLA BEAUTY and MICABELLA COSMETICS.

Back in March 2011 I was under the impression that Micabella, Bellapierre Cosmetics Official and Mirabella were the same company due to the kiosk at my local mall selling Micabella AND BellaPierre products. The owner of the kiosk lead me to believe that these were the same companies when in reality these companies are not affiliated with each other. My confusion of Micabella and Mirabella being the same stemmed from the companies having similar names.

Over the years I have learned that these companies are NOT the same companies at all and the products are very different. I’ve also come to know which of the companies I would use their products and which I’d pass onto my girls. As of this post Micabella is now called MicaBeauty and their packaging reflects that.

As of this time I have used the Mirabella primer, lipsticks and a pressed eyeshadow from Ipsy and have had no issues with those items. I have enjoyed the lipsticks from Mirabella and continue to use the primer from time to time. I have also used the MicaBeauty shadow and unfortunately, as with the products I tried in 2011, I did have an allergic reaction to it as an eyeshadow. I have used the shadow as a nail polish topper as I have not had a reaction to it in that manner.

So while I would use Bella Pierre (I’ve used the products given to me at Cosmoprof 2012) and Mirabella, I would NOT use Micabeauty’s products as I am allergic to their products.

Beautylish & Wayne Goss: The Collection

Wayne Goss The Collection

YouTube makeup artist Wayne Goss is launching his new brush collection exclusively in the US on Beautylish tomorrow (September 12, 2013).

I haven’t seen these brushes in person but judging from the photos these look as if they’re a good quality brush.

Image from Beautylish.
Price: $210
Nils, co-founder of Beautylish, did email me a bit more info to share. The collection will be available for PRE-ORDER tomorrow and those who sign up for early access will be given first dibs to PRE-ORDER. Later in September the brushes will be launched to the general public and at that time individual brushes will be made available for sale.

There are only eight brushes in this collection and each brush was handmade in Kumano, Japan by Japanese craftsmen. The handles are made from Hornbeam, which is a type of hardwood. I’ll be honest, I’ve never heard of Hornbeam before and the small amount of research I did on it appears that this is a very popular type of tree in Japan. It appears to be part of the Betulacae family which includes the Birch tree. The bristles are made from animal fur but are “sourced 100% cruelty-free“. I have to say I’m really impressed that so much thought went into creating and crafting these brushes.

“Use: Foundation, powder, liquid, cream, mineral, blush. Hair: Natural & synthetic fiber. Handle: Black gloss wood. Characteristics: Angled, cut, creating two different lengths for application.“
Price: $45

“Use: Powder, highlighter, contouring, blusher, bronzer, mineral foundation. Hair: Natural. Handle: Black gloss wood. Characteristics: Ultra soft, lightly pointed.“
Price: $35

“Use: Eyeshadow, crease, contouring nose, highlighting, under eye bags, powdering, blending. Hair: Natural. Handle: Black gloss wood. Characteristics: Very soft, lightly pointed.“
Price: $32

“Use: Eyeshadow, crease, contouring nose, highlighting, under eye bags, powdering, blending. Hair: Natural. Handle: Black gloss wood. Characteristics: Ultra soft, lightly pointed.“
Price: $28

“Use: Eyeshadow, crease, contouring nose, highlighting, under eye bags, smokey eye, blending. Hair: Natural. Handle: Black gloss wood. Characteristics: Ultra soft, lightly pointed.“
Price: $25

“Use: Eyeshadow, crease, contouring , highlighting, blending, concealer, powdering. Hair: Natural. Handle: Black gloss wood. Characteristics: Ultra soft, lightly rounded.“
Price: $25

“Use: Lips, Concealer, Eyeshadow, Brows, Eyeliner, Micro highlighting, Under Eye Bags. Hair: Natural. Handle: Black gloss wood. Characteristics: Firm, round tapered tip.“
Price: $17

“Use: Liner, push liner, highlighting lips, contouring lips, brows, micro highlighting, under eye bags. Hair: Natural. Handle: Black gloss wood. Characteristics: Firm, precise, square tip.“
Price: $17
If purchased individually the brushes will cost $224. If purchased as a set it’s $210 which is a $14 savings.

Now here’s something to consider if you’re on the fence about purchasing the brushes. These brushes most likely are a limited item and once sold out that’s it there is no more. Last year Beautylish had launched Billy B. brushes which were not only exclusive to Beautylish but also limited. By the time my birthday last year rolled around the collection had sold out so I couldn’t get my hands on it.

So what are your thoughts? Are you considering purchasing these brushes or are you passing?

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Edit: Nils replied with this, in regards to the bristles material:

Hi, they’re all natural fiber but vary by brush. The bristles were chosen for the application and are 100% cruelty free.

The sooner people pre-order the sooner they’ll receive the brushes similar to pre-ordering for iPhone.

Disclaimer: Beautylish tracking referral link. Not affiliated with nor compensated by Beautylish or Wayne Goss. Images and information from Beautylish and Wayne Goss.

Stila: Dancing with the Stars palettes

The new ULTA catalog came and in it are the new Stila + Dancing with the Stars palettes. I drooled, I lusted and then I drooled some more. Each palette is $39 and contains a palette with four eye shadows, a 7 ml BB cream, full size Smudge Stick and a deluxe size of Stay All Day Liquid lipstick. Each set contains a different color Smudge Stick and a different color Stay All Day lipstick.

Cha Cha
Stingray Smudge Stick and Fiore Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick.

Free Style
Purple Tang Smudge Stick and Patina Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick.

Samba
Blufin Smudge Stick and Dolce Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick.

Tango
Lionfish Smudge Stick and Fiery Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick.
If you order online you’ll get a free deluxe size mascara and a free makeup brush! I’m tempted, absolutely tempted to purchase each palette. I know I’ll be heading to my local ULTA on Wednesday to check these bad babies out.

So anything tempting you?

Wet n Wild: Tough Girl shadow palettes

I finally found the new Wet n Wild Beauty Army/Tough Girl display at Walgreens. Each of the trio palettes are retailing for $2.99 each but Walgreens is having a promotion though September where it’s $2 each. There is a different display at KMart which contains only four of the six palettes and while similar the palettes are also slightly different and the price is $2.99.

Walgreens:

• 34270 Enlisting for Beauty (browns)
• 34271 Zero Dark Flirty (purples)
• 34272 I Don’t Do Camouflage (blues)
• 34273 Soldiers in Charms (greens)
• 34274 Support Our Troops (dark gray/black/white)
• 34275 Spoiled Army Brat (corals)

KMart:

• 34188 Enlisting for Beauty (browns)
• 34189 Zero Dark Flirty (purples)
• 34200 I Don’t Do Camouflage (blues)
• 34201 Soldiers in Charms (white/black/dark gray)

Also, side-by-side the colors slightly differ. I want to say eyeballing the colors side-by-side the KMart version appears to have a bit more shimmer than the Walgreens palettes but it could be due to the packaging since the KMart ones are sold in a package while the Walgreens ones are not. It’s also possible the difference in slight color variations is due to the products made in a different batch.

I’ll have pictures of all 10 palettes up on Facebook in the near future and will do a follow up post with swatches and my initial thoughts.

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I have to point out the obvious to those of you who subscribe to beauty subscription services such as Ipsy, Birchbox and Beauty Army. While the displays are listed as Beauty Army, have a similar logo to Beauty Army™ original badges and are using a camo pattern similar to Beauty Army this Wet ‘n’ Wild collection is NOT affiliated with nor associated with Beauty Army. Wet n Wild are officially calling the nail polish collection Beauty Army Tough Girl rather than just Beauty Army probably due to the fact that Beauty Army is a registered trademark of Beauty Army, Inc.. The shadow collection for Tough Girl is not up on WnW’s site.