Hello Everybody Nature Holic Body Lotion Milk [Featured in Memebox Special #7 Milk Box]

I got this full size body lotion in the Memebox Special Milk Box. The price as listed on the box is $25 USD for full size of 300 ml, so I'd say this is rather pricey for a body lotion.

 

For $25 for 300 ml [$8.33 for 100ml] this is costlier than my go-to body lotion Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossoms which costs around $5.30 for 100 ml.  And its not easily available either. So there must be something special to motivate a customer to buy this beauty, right?

Lets try the packaging. Do you love BBW's packaging? I do. I like the color bottles. But if you are in a minimalistic mood and wants something unisex,  this Hello lotion might be for you, cos its plain, its clear plastic and there is nothing girly about it. So thats like a BIG NO in the packaging department, cos frankly this looks like a medicine bottle than a lotion bottle.

The scent is nice - like a  baby powder and milk powder mixed together. Only problem is the scent is so strong, that when I applied this and slept over night, the next day it was still sharp and tangy.

The last part is the moisturisation and hydration. I have to say, this is a winner there. My husband suffers from extremely dry skin and since I couldnt find his Eucerin, I applied this on him one night. It absorbed very fast, unlike Eucerin and there was no stickiness. And he didnt experience any dryness till next day evening. That, in my book, is awesome! Whatever is there in this body lotion, does work.

Overall: If you dont mind the packaging, the sharp scent and the fact that you have to get it shipped - I'd say this is a nice hydrating cream especially for people with dry skin. But for me, the sharp scent and the cost is a bit of an issue, so ummm.. No..

Ipsy October 2014 Glam bag "Beauty Candy" [and Why I stopped subscribing to Ipsy]

I know this is a bit too late to review something that came & went in October, but since this the my last Ipsy Glam Bag I thought I will share the stuff & tell why I stopped my subscription to Ipsy.

 

I really liked this month's bag - a blue-green shade with shiny puffer design. I will definitely be using this one. This month bag came with 5 products including this face wipes from Skyn.

The cloths themselves look like normal cleansing wipes but actually feels soapier and has a kinda "lathered in soap" feeling. Considering that these facial wipes are to be used without water, I don't understand why they have made it so soapy. It stings the eyes like crazy too! Don't use this for your mascara unless you're planning to wash your face with water. I made the mistake of using this without washing and it stung like crazy. 

I couldn't really see much of an effect either, other than cleaning out the makeup nicely. Considering the hefty price tag of this product,[$16.50 at Murale]  I think I will stick to my baby wipes, thank you very much!

 

The other products I received were: 

- City Colors Be Matte Lipsticks in shade Cappuccino

- Jesse's girl Mineralized Eyeshadow in Plum Frost

- Remy Hair Envy Fake Eyelashes

- Fig & Rouge Hand Cream

 

This is a most useful product for me now - cos of the fact that Jack Frost is on the way & you can never have enough hand creams. This nifty sleek tube is handy for travel. The bohemian packaging is eye catching but green, yellow , pink and blue all together? A bit too gakk for me. Still a hand cream is a hand cream! I am not going to try hard to repurchase this as honestly - I can really think of any reason why I would trouble my head over a hand cream.

 

This is useful and I dont have to worry about expiry dates [hopefully, does fake eyelashes go bad?ever?] so may be I will try this out sometime soon. I am not a huge fan of fake eyelashes as I have this habit of washing my eyes with cold water every 3-4 hours - it helps relax my eyes but doesnt help with any eye makeup. 

This eyeshadow from Jesse's Girl Mineralized Baked Powder range has been around a while - I saw a post from Musingsofamuse from 2011. I am all for shades of plum as it goes well with my skin tone. My only problem with this eyeshadow is that this has to be applied wet or over a primer. There are baked eyeshadows which go well dry and excellent when wet, but this one just goes dusty when dry. To get the color on the pan, its got to be wet!

 

In the pic above, it is showing up more copper - this is not a true plum shade. It is a coppery plum-ish shade.

Matte lipsticks are always great for a classic look and I guess once you cross 30, you get into a mood for classic matte lips, especially on a daily basis. Thats the only explanation I can think of on why a creamy-lipstick lover like me now favors the matte finish. 

This lipstick in shade Cappuccino is a good choice for all those who love the recent Kendall/Kylie Jenner lips. Cappuccino is a reddish brown slightly creamy matte lipstick, with some hints of peach in it.

I like this color and will be definitely getting a lot of use out of it as its a good office-wear shade.

From Top to bottom - City Colors Be Matte Lipstick in Cappuccino, Jesse's girl eyeshadow applied dry and slightly wet.

Overall: This is pretty decent bag, nothing "WOWOWOW" but nothing I cannot use. All the products have some use or other; my favorite out of the bunch is definitely the lipstick.

Now, to the story of why this is the last Ipsy Glam bag for me.....

I have this habit of stashing all my subscription box products in one kit as opposed to mixing it up with my regular purchases. This October, I was arranging my stash when I noticed how little do I use all the products I get from these subscription boxes. That really made me think - is it worth getting a hoard of new stuff which I don't use as much as I wish?

I think the reason is because - I don't select these products, so they are not my choice- so I don't have the same comfort level with these ones as I've with items I like & buy for a reason. For example, take this eyeshadow in this month's bag. I don't think I will ever buy it, cos I prefer matte shades that have much more pigmentation - which I don't usually get from drugstore shadows.  Same with many other products I receive in the subscription boxes - not my choice, not something I will buy or use, so I drift off to stuff I like & am comfortable with.

For $10 a month + $5 in shipping, Ipsy is not a wallet-breaker and is a fun way to try out new stuff every month. However, when I think of the total amount I have spent so far  [from December 2013 to October 2014],its a goodish amount of  $165 CAD! But do the set of products which I like & use justify the amount I've spent? So I decided to take an inventory of all the stuff I've got so far from Ipsy.

1. POP Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eye Shadow Trio    - Not used, didnt like
2. Be a Bombshell The One Stick    - Okay, but too shimmery and greasy
3. Nicka K New York Nail Color - Like the shade
4. Ardell Natural Lash  -  Not used
5. J.Cat Beauty Big Lip Pencil - Okay, nothing great
6. Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow - Liked it, easy to use
7. Nourish Organic Lightweight Moisturizing Face Lotion - Okay, nothing great
8. Faith Aromatherapy Tahitian Monoi Anti-Aging Sugar Scrub - Not used, too small size
9. MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm - Used, didnt like
10. Sexy Hair Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner - Okay, nothing great
11. POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini    - Okay, nothing great
12. Zoya Nail Polish    - Liked the product, but not the shade
13. City Color Be Matte Blush - Okay, didnt like the shade    
14. Tini Beauty Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow + Base In One     - Okay, nothing great
15. Pacifica Hawaiian Ruby Guava Body Butter - swapped
16. bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie™ Lipstick in Get Ready    - Like the lipstick but not the shade
17. NYX Love in Rio Eye Shadow     - Okay, used once but not a fan
18. Chella Indigo Blue Eyeliner    - Okay, used once but not a fan
19. Pixi Beauty Flawless Beauty Primer- Didnt like
20. Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil Travel Size    - Liked
21. Coastal Scents Medium Shadow Brush    - Okay, used once but not a fan
22. dr. brandt® microdermabrasion    - Okay, used once
23. Elizabeth Mott pop! goes the shadow    - Didnt get
24. Starlooks Luscious Longwear Lip Pencil- Not used
25. Hang Ten Classic Sport SPF50    - Not used
26. Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo     - Didnt like
27. Avène Thermal Spring Water    - Liked
28. Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer (Frappe, Champagne, Bloody Mary, Caviar Cocktail)     - Liked
29. Pur~lisse pur~moist hydra balance moisturizer- Okay, used once but not a fan
30. Be A Bombshell Lash Out Mascara    - Didnt like
31. DERMAdoctor DD Cream Dermatologically Defining BB Cream with Broad Spectrum SPF 30- okay nothing great
32. Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray     - Okay, used once but not a fan
33. Nicka K New York  Shimmer Eyeliner    - Okay, used once but not a fan
34. NYX Butter Gloss Tiramisu - Like the product but not the shade
35. bareMinerals READY® Eyeshadow 2.0    - Okay, nothing great
36. Elizabeth Mott Tints & Sass    - Okay, used once but not a fan
37. Hang Ten dark Tanning Oil SPF 08    - Useless
38. Marrakesh Hair Care Marrakesh Endz- Useless
39. wHet Nail Polish in Facetious- Didnt like the shade
40. nicka K Absolute Lip Balm    - Didnt like the product
41. Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner- Okay, nothing great
42. Urban Decay Perversion Mascara    - Okay, nothing great
43. Coastal Scents Forever Blush Sample Duo    - Too small to use, cant dip a brush in
44. Lord & Berry Silk Kajal Kohl Eye Pencil- Okay, nothing great
45. Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush    - Okay notthing great
46. Pacifica Natural Water-Proof Eye Pencil    - Liked
47. Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair!™ Deep Conditioning Mask    - Okay, nothing great
48. CAILYN Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss    - Okay. but didnt like the shade very much
49. Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser - Okay, nothing great

Out of the 49 products I received [excluding this month's bag], there are only 8 products that I like and will get some good use out of. There are other products like Ardell lashes which I have not used but may get a use out of some day and products like NYX Butter Gloss where I like the product itself but not the shade. Out of the 5 products I received in this month's bag, the ones I'd probably get some real use of of are the Lipstick and the hand cream.That makes a total of 8 products out of a total of 54. Does this at least cover the cost I paid? Lets check.

1. Nicka K nail polish - $5 approx 
2. UD eyeliner - $24 for full size[0.04 oz]  ; travel size Ipsy [0.03 oz] is $18 
3. Avene Thermal Spring Water - $16.29 for 5.0721 oz; for Ipsy size of 1.76 oz, $5.65
4. Nailtini Nail Lacquer: Ipsy full size is $13 USD = $15 CAD approx
5. Pacifica eye pencil: Full size 0.1 oz is $11.50, Ipsy size 0.026 oz is $2.99 CAD
6. Elizabeth mott eye pencil- $14.99 USD for 0.05 oz; Ipsy size is 0.$7.5 for 025 oz i.e. $9 CAD approx
7. City colors be matte lipstick - Ipsy Full size is $5 USD = approx $7 CAD
8. Fig & Rouge hand cream - Ipsy size 20ml is $6.37 USD = $7.5 CAD approx

Total value =  $70 CAD approx.
Amount in Opportunity cost [i.e. the remaining amount which I could have used to buy stuff I like & use] = $95 CAD

Thats a pretty high amount, right?

I think Ipsy is very good & value for money and excellent if you want to try different brands. The problem is that different or new doesn't equate to liking the stuff.

What would make me try Ipsy again 
I feel that their customer profiling and customization is not that great yet; for e.g . I am an Indian with all the tan in the world I need, but I got a tanning oil!
So, I would try Ipsy again if I hear that their customization is better or if they come up with an option for me to select at least 3 or 4 items in the bag.  If someone from Ipsy is reading this mail - how about allowing your customers to select at least 3 items in a bag that will come out in 1-2 months? That will give Ipsy enough time to place orders [I think?] and make us customers happy - right?

Overall: Its been an interesting journey with Ipsy; I have got a lot of products and if I was able to enjoy all of it, it would have been perfect! But nothing is perfect in this world, so Adieu for now Ipsy...

Petit Vour Vegan Beauty Box for October 2014 - "Beauty Thrillers" [Review]

What with apartment shifting, settling down at the new place & dealing with an early Winter, I didn't have much time to keep track of my reviews. This is a lame excuse to tell you why I neither have the box or the card to explain what the product is about... err..

Petit Vour is a monthly vegan subscription box and I think they ship world wide [Link]. Cost is $23 USD per month and they have around 4-5 items per box. Its a mix of skin care, makeup and personal care items. So far, I am liking it :)

This month's box is called  Beauty Thrillers...other than the obvious fact of being released in the month of Halloween, I couldn't really see where the "thrill" part is coming from. If the box had some outre stuff like a dark vampire-ish red nail polish or or jet black eyeshadow or even a weirdly named body cream, I would have happy agreed with the box title. As it is..well ho hum..!

 

Let me start with the product that bummed me out the most. This body scrub from SW Basics is like someone's DIY body scrub- not something you'd pay for! I mean, at least the ingredients should be hard to find like lotus oil or sandalwood powder!For $22 USD, I think I'd rather get a pack of demerara sugar, coconut oil from my local grocery store,shred some coconut myself and mix em up... I mean, come on, I am all for natural stuff but this is a bit too much.

 

Just look at it! I dare not leave it without the wrapper, in case my husband mistakes it for a sugar-y dessert!

I like the scent of this body butter, but I am never going to pay $28 for a jar... unless I win a lottery..cos its not great, its good and interesting, thats all.

I like getting all these small spray bottles; it fits nicely in my hand bag and makes for emergency scent-aid :) Again, not planning to buy the full size one, cos I am not a perfume person.

 

I kept my favorite product to the end.. cos I have to rave about it. Absolutely raving about this vegan creamy buttery awesomely pigmented nicely scented decently lasting everyday lipstick... give me, give me more...

 

For $14, this is one of the best packaged lipsticks I have seen. Really appeals to the tiny bohemian inside me:) The outer casing seems to be the same shade as the lipstick inside. I got the shade Natural Mystic - which is the one shade I'd have picked out of the painfully meager shade  selection, if given a choice. So I am really really happy - I mean, how often do you get the shade you would've picked in the beauty box!

Lets pretend that the nonsense printed on the cover is just not there... shooo.. gone..faded.. I don't see that drivel any more!

Look at that beautiful designs on the lipstick tube - I hope it doesnt turn weird or dull with use! I wish they had used black or one of the darker shades for the tube. White is one shade I wouldn't pick for a lipstick tube, just cos it starts looking duller & dirtier within a short time of use.

 Natural Mystic is a reddish brown lipstick that comes off more orangey or brownish that it actually is, on the camera. It is actually a cherry reddish brown shade - on my skin it shows up more cherry-pink-brown shade that looks really great.

With pinkish or reddish brown shades back in vogue with all the Kylie Jenner looks floating around, I think this may be a great trendy lipstick to wear. Its a very every-day shade for me and I am just loving it. Expect a more detailed review with better swatches, soon.

OVERALL- Out of the 4 products, I loved 1, liked 3 and was shocked by the price of 1. So pretty okay dokey for me. I hope Petit Vour will start a customer profile check soon, cos I really cant wait to avoid getting perfumes or personal care stuff!

Too Faced 'Under The Mistletoe" Shimmer Lipstick Set [& a lesson in "why all that glitters is not gold"!]

Since I've been absent from the blog world for such a long time [apartment shifting :( again..] , I thought I will start my sojourn with a review of a Holiday set from Too Faced. After all its that time of the year again- mistle toe , cakes, eggnog ..not to mention long coats and boots ! Sigh...

I got this one from Sephora for $35.  This looked like an awesome deal, cos it had 3 full size Too Faced La Creme lipsticks that normally retails at $26 CAD each. Now before you scream "Whattttt...let me rush off and get me one" and rush off without reading this review, let me just ask one question- How much of a Shimmer lover are you?

Cos you've to be a shimmer glitter addict to like these babies. Not joking. 

Back to the review.. 

Packaging - I like the carton with the nice design and a peephole to get excited about the package inside. I liked the color of the bag - anything pink works for me. But I wish the bag was of a better good quality. 

It was a glittery mess. If I'd asked a 5 year old to stick some glitter onto a bag, they'd done as good or possibly a better job than Too Faced! The glitter was falling out every where and since I'm not 8 yrs old, its not that fun to walk around with glitter on my nose.

Product - Too Faced La Creme Lipstick has a beautiful casing with sleek gold covering and an embossed name - loved that about it. 

The 3 shades in the set were - Shimmering Marshmallow Bunny, Shimmering Spice Spice Baby and Shimmering Naked Dolly. If you're already familiar with Too Faced La Creme lipsticks, you'd already know these shade names. These are all shimmer variations of existing Too Faced La Creme lipsticks.

Shimmering Marshmallow Bunny is a frosty peachy pink with golden shimmer. Shimmering Spice Spice Baby is a beautiful shade - a coral red with golden shimmers that came off nicely on my lips. Shimmering Naked Dolly is a pale peachy golden shade.

From L to R - Sh Marshmallow Bunny, Sh Spice Spice Baby, Sh Naked Dolly

Of the three, both Shimmering Marshmallow Bunny and Shimmering Naked Dolly came off too frosty on my lips - like straight up shimmer. I could barely see the color. I can consider using this for adding some shimmer on an existing lip color but I wouldn't and couldn't use them on my own. 

I was also rather disappointed with the texture and pigmentation as a whole. I'd tried La Creme lipstick before and was really impressed by the smooth application and finish, which was noticeably missing from this one. Due to the high shimmer content, both SMB and SND applied very patchily.

 

I returned this as I couldn't keep this set just for the one lip color. However if you like very frosted shimmer shades, try this as this would be a good value pick. I think Too Faced was trying out a possibly permanent-line shimmer variation of their La Cremes with this holiday set, so I hope that if & when they finally come out with the Shimmering series, it would be a much more usable version with better pigmentation and texture.

Overall - If your answer to my question is Yes, Give Me Some Shimmer go for this one as its definitely a value set. However for people like me who like shimmer in moderation, this lippies are pretty Over the Top.