Super Belated Ipsy and Birchbox September Reviews

Ok, so I’m a slacker and I never posted my September Ipsy and Birchbox reviews. I feel bad, because these are some of my favorite posts! My October products just arrived, but I still wanted to share a few thoughts on last month first. Here’s a quick overview of what happened (a little less depth than normal).

Ipsy:

Freeman Beauty Facial Paper Mask in Rose ($1.99).
This looked and felt extremely weird, but I thought it really worked! I think you’re supposed to peel the plastic off the paper, which I did, but I looked freaky either way. I hid in the bathroom until the time was up because I didn’t want to scare my family.

 TOLD YOU.Not much better.

After I spent 5 minutes looking like Leatherface (sorry, but it’s true), my skin WAS bright and radiant. So this gets a thumbs up from me, even if it’s weird.
Discount: Get 44% off the Feeling Beautiful Sweet 16 Satchel Set + a free gift through 11/30/13 with code ipsy fb.

Elizabeth Mott It’s So Big Voluminizing Mascara ($19.99).
This stuff looked awesome, but it smudged ever so slightly on my under eye area. This is a major problem I have with most mascaras in general, so this was actually not a terrible result. If you are a normal person who doesn’t get severe mascara smudges with most products, you would probably do pretty well here. I liked this better than most mascaras (and I usually dread mascara samples).
Discount: 50% off any purchase at www.elizabethmott.com through 10/30/13 with code ipsybig.

Cailyn Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm 08 Big Apple ($19).
I have no idea where they came up with the name “tinted lip balm,” because this is a full coverage matte lipstick. I mean, it’s hard to get much different than that, but whatever. This was actually a great product if you like a retro matte lip. Nice coverage, great pigmentation/opacity and a fun color. It felt a bit dry, but it’s matte lipstick, so that is pretty hard to avoid. The best part was the included lip brush for a precise application any time, any where. I’m into it! The promo code has now expired because I suck and was late posting this. Sorry about that.

Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian ($12).
I was pleasantly surprised by a previous Starlooks lip pencil ipsy sent me a few bags ago, but this eye pencil fell flat. It isn’t AWFUL, but it wasn’t even close to the intensity or creaminess of my UD 24/7 pencil (the standard by which I judge all other eye pencils). Sorry Starlooks, I’m going to pass on this.

Nyx Single Eye Shadow in Charcoal ($4.50).
If you’ve read my blog at all, I don’t need to get into my love for Nyx. As a result, I already have this eyeshadow. That means I need someone to give it to, so this unused shadow is part of the giveaway that I posted yesterday!

Birchbox:

Can it be? I think my Sept Birchbox was actually better than my ipsy bag! Changing my profile settings on bb’s site must have paid off.

Ruffian Nail Laquer in Hedge Fund ($10)
This did not appeal to me in the bottle, but I just loved it on my fingers. It’s a really interesting mossy green that’s simultaneously bright and subdued. It has pretty golden glass shimmer and I could not stop staring at it. It reminded me a lot of one of my old 90’s nail polishes, Revlon Street Wear in Toad (remember that line? I was obsessed). Ugh, yes.  And this swatch is only ONE COAT with no base or topcoat. That is some good quality polish.

Yes To™ Blueberries Cleansing Facial Towelettes ($2.99).
Nothing mindblowing here, but I use facial cleaning towelettes every single day, so it’s always nice to get more. Effective with a nice scent.

Coastal Scents® Neutral Mirage Palette ($24 for a full set of 88 colors).
Hell yes. This quad sampler was so pretty and in fall colors that I just love. Coastal Scents is pretty similar to my beloved BH Cosmetics (I’m guessing they have a common supplier since several of their products are identical), so I knew these would be cheap, intense, and awesome. I combined them with my other box/bag products for a bright fall eye look. Pretty good payoff for a quick swipe and no primer. They’re super blendable, too. I will never stop loving these cheapo multi-color palettes.

(You can see how the Starlooks eyeliner kind of sucks.)

VOESH New York Collagen Gloves ($20 for a 3-pack)
I’ll be honest, I didn’t bother to try these out. They’re lotion-filled manicure gloves and it just sounded too messy. Maybe someday when I’m really bored I’ll open the pack.

Yes To™ Grapefruit  Correct & Repair CC Cream SPF 18 ($15.99)
This stuff was SO GOOD. I was really impressed, this is the first decent BB/CC cream I’ve tried in this price range. Now a word of caution- I liked this because I like very light coverage (more of a tinted moisturizer). If you like a little more coverage, then this isn’t for you. For me, it was perfect.

I got samples in two shades, and I tried the too-dark one first because it was night time and I was saving the lighter shade for actually going out in public. Surprisingly, even though it was dark, it blended down well and while it wasn’t a perfect match, it also wasn’t jarringly clashy. Obviously, the lighter shade was a better match when I got around to using it. The texture was great, it blended right into skin and felt very natural. Not quite as much cover as my Dr. Jart, but a nice, natural-looking enhancer like my Too Faced BB (those reviews are here). I will be buying this in a full size whenever all of my other spf face products run out.

And that’s it! October BB/Ipsy review coming soon.