February 2014 Ipsy Bag Review

Yay, it's Ipsy review time!  In December I did a get ready with me video & then in Januray I totally skipped it.  But this month I thought I'd bring it back!  Ipsy is my favorite of the two subscription services I'm subscribed to - redundant much?  I love that you only get beauty related products and I'm a sucker for little bags.  This months was sort of an ok month, I wasn't too blown away but I got to try something I hadn't before:

First, this bag is too cute.  It's pretty sturdy & I think it would make a great bag for your purse for make up or little things.  It seems like it's pretty water tight so should any thing spill from or onto the bag you won't have a mess in your purse!  Like I said, I'm a sucker for little bags. 

I've never tried anything from the brand Jesse's Girl or from JCat Beauty.  This month I was excited to get an eyeshadow palette that was neutral.  In December I got a smokey eye sort of trio & I'm more of a natural girl, really.  I love that center peachy shade in the photo above but a lot of the shades in the palette seem to be very similar.  Eyelashes are something I've failed at wearing only once so to get to try out a different brand is pretty great.   These seem to be really dramatic & flirty.  Now I can say I have my lash drawer stocked because I have some ones I purchased, these, & ones from Influenster.  I love that Ipsy sends you coordinating things - like eyeshadow & lashes - so you can try out not just new products but new looks as well.

This Zoya polish in the color Odette is pretty too.  I like Zoya because they hold up will & are just all around nice quality polishes.  This is actually a lighter, lilac color than what this camera is picking up.  I seriously haven't bought nail polish in ages because I get so many fun colors between Ipsy & BirchBox I don't need to pick new ones up any more!

Also thank you, thank you, thank you to all who signed up with my link because I got to 1000 points to earn one of three perks - I chose a Beauty Blender!  Now let me say this - This. Sponge. Is. Amazing.  All the hype is definitely true but I don't think you need to spend $26 on a sponge.  It was wonderful to try & I might blow the money on one in the future.  If you get the chance to try one for cheap I encourage it but I don't think it's really something to blow $$$ on.

I've gotten a few things from POP beauty before & they always seem to be in colors I don't care for.  I want to retake my quiz on Ipsy but I'm scared because I usually love everything I get except for the bright pink POP beauty lip colors I get.  But this lipgloss is nice - it's in a nice package, it's a decent size, and the gloss itself is nice.  It actually feels really expensive and I might get more use out of it when the weather gets warmer.  I do like this color of pink - it's not too bright & not too baby pink.  This Dr. Lin Acne Spot Corrector is spot on for my type of skin.  I like trying different spot treatments when I haven something that my even my tea tree oil won't calm down.  

So, was this bag worth it?

Yep! Totally.  Ipsy is always a hit for me even when one product stinks I still love Ipsy.  Ipsy is all beauty products and that's why I love it so much.  No other filler crap just fun beauty items.  I also love Ipsy because the bag is like a challenge.  Often times you get products that can work together to create a look.  I think the bags are really well thought out - more so to me than BirchBox.  Also, sometimes you get full sized products.  Hooray for that!

If that all seemed amazing to you - 5 beauty product for $10 a month + free shipping - then go ahead & sign up.  You can do so here.

Do you subscribe to Ipsy?  If so, what do you love about the bag?

xoxo, Moe

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Elf Acne Fighting Foundation Review

Today I want to review for you the Acne Fighting Foundation from the brand Eyes Lips Face.  If you didn't see the elf haul I posted, check out that video here.  But as soon as I got this foundation I swatched it on the back of my hand.  I was pretty impressed at the coverage it looked like it had on my hand & even more impressed by the coverage on my face!  A while ago I got the Maximum Coverage Concealer from Meijer to see how that would play out as a foundation.  I was less than pleased - so that experience really pushed me away from trying elf face products other than blushes.  But I have to say I'm glad I picked this product up!  This review is going to focus on the foundation but I did set the foundation with the Studio pressed powder by Elf, I may review that later.

From the Elf Website:

This lightweight acne fighting foundation works to disguise redness, blemishes, & uneven skin tone.  The flawless coverage foundation formula is infused with acne fighting key ingredients Salicylic Acid, Witch Hazel, Camphor, Tea Tree & soothing Aloe to help prevent and treat acne blemishes.

Apply to clean & moisturized skin.  Squeeze a small amount on to a sponge, fingertips, or a foundation brush & starting at the center of the face blend outward.  One layer gives a natural finish or apply in buildable layers for fuller coverage.

Price is $6 for 1 fl oz, but I bought mine for half off (they always have half off studio sales!).  I'm in the color Porcelain which is the second to lightest shade & has more yellow tones to it.

First Impression:

The first time I used this foundation I applied this over the L'Oreal Youth Code primer.  I dotted the foundation on my skin then blened it out with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush.  This is the first foundation that I've loved applying with this brush.  Sponges work so much better for me & usually I use the brush to buff the foundation into my skin if I've applied maybe too much or really want to give a brushed look to my skin.  This foundation worked amazing with this brush!  With my new favorite contraption - the Beauty Blender - this foundation blended wonderful as well.  I think the Beauty Blender is my favorite new tool.  The coverage of this foundation is definitely buildable.  A thin layer did even my skin tone & hid the redness on my skin.  I was so impressed with the coverage on this!  I was also able to build it up a little in the areas I needed more coverage.  This foundation doesn't have too much of a dewey look - more of a satin matte finish, I'd say.  I set my foundation with the Real Techniques Powder Brush using the Elf Pressed Powder in Porcelain - I have two shades, Sand which has more pink tones & Porcelain which is definitely more yellow toned.  I liked this pressed powder too, but that might be in a separate review.

I would recommend only up to 2 layers of this if you're using a brush because it can start to look a bit like you're in fact wearing too much make up.  But the Beauty Blender really gives the best look for me with this foundation.  The finish of the foundation is more satin matte & really does even your skin tone.  I found it was a bit flat looking so I warmed up my face with the Maybelline Fit Me powder in a darker shade.  

Wear Time:
The thing that impressed me the most was the staying power of a $6 foundation.  When first applied this foundation looks flawless - the coverage is great, it blends well into your skin, and it is very impressive.  This foundation dissolved mostly in my t zone, where I get most oily, over the course of the day.  I noticed it first on my nose then I saw that it sort of gathered around the edges of my nostrils.  I was also able to pick the foundation up if I pressed my fingers along the edges of my nose. Because the foundation did not wear away or break down on the sides of my face my blush was on all day long - I was wearing an elf blush too. I think that if I'd brought the pressed powder a long during the day or had blotting sheets I could have touched up & looked good all day.  Even though I could see it breaking down I feel the it maintained the coverage all day, if that makes sense.  I would say you can get a good, solid 4-5 hours of awesomeness out of this foundation.  But longer than that and you're gonna need to touch up - though I just roll with it at work. I was also surprised that the foundation didn't oxidize on me for being at such a low price point.  It was rather impressive.

Overall Impressions & Recommendations:
I like this foundation & was very impressed with it even though it was only $6.  I wore it everyday for a week & loved it over the L'Oreal primer.  I tried it once with a thicker primer like the new Rimmel Stay Matte Primer and it didn't not work at all.  So thinner primers work best with this foundation.  The wear time is alright, not as great as some of my other foundations but I'd wear this on the weekends or for a jot out.  I have a feeling this would look amazing in photographs just because of the matte look & the coverage.  So for shorter periods of time this foundation is a great option.  Additionally, if you're on a super duper tight budget stock up on this when studio items are half off.  I'd probably only buy this again when it's half off.

As for the claims from the website, I agree with everything they mention though I'm not sure I saw any benefits from the acne fighting ingredients.  I don't think it clogged my pores or broke me out so that's a plus!  I would suggest this for normal to combo skin because I believe it would last longer.  I don't know much about dry skin, but would not really recommend this for super oily skin.

So there you have it, a full review of this affordable foundation.  I'm hoping to do more reviews in this format in the future.  I think the format of this is pretty comprehensive covering from when I open the product to wearing it for a bit & including swatches.  Hope you enjoy!

Any foundations you've been loving lately?  What is your experience with elf foundations?

xoxo, Moe

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3 of the Scariest things I've Ever Done

I've been a bit preoccupied with memories lately.  I've just been having a lot flashback memories lately stimulated by everyday things.  Sometimes these memories are pretty everyday things - I remember sandals my grandparents bought me one time after our shoes shrunk in the dryer for example.  Just random things - the sand at the lake where we would vacation, the way the moon shone through the window in my childhood bedroom.  I could go on, but I'm not going to.  This post is about the scariest things I've ever done in my life.  Not really the most terrifying things that have happened to me but more like the scariest choices I've ever made.  I'm sort of doing them in order of events because, of course, that's how I remember them when I think back on the scariest things I've ever done.

The first time I repelled down the side of anything

When I was thinking about this blog post I wanted to do something a long the lines of 3 of the Scariest things I've done because the two I could think of really didn't make for a good read.  Two is a weird number to do a list post with - so I thought of this.  And the fact that it was the scariest thing I'd ever done prior to the last two really says something about my decision making skills.  Anyway, when I was in high school I had a friend who was in a coed division of the boy scouts.  I joined the group & it happened that one of the common things we did was go rock climbing & repelling.  I learned to belay before learning to climb or repel but I didn't really think about the interaction between everyone in this chain of people here.  So the scariest thing my high school self ever did was look into someones eyes & hang over a rock face.  It was pretty scary - but nothing compared to growing up & making these other decisions.  But if I'd never hung over the side of that rock I would never have reached the bottom.  When I did I promptly ran back up & did it again.  Success feels great.

Changing my Major 2 years into College,  Changing it to Art

This was terrifying not only because I knew there wasn't really a job waiting for me at graduation but also because I was so intimidated.  I did not want to show up to my first art class with the wrong sketchbook.  I had this idea that I was joining a group of people who already knew what they were doing - this feeling has actually held me back from a lot of things in my life, honestly.  Well, come to find out it's not the sketchbook that matters it's what you do with it.  I realized that the greatest artists were at once amateurs (someone said this once, I don't remember who!).  I also realized that I could spread my talent while also being at the top of my game. The hardest & some of the best 3 years of my life we're the last 3 years of my college experience.  If it weren't for my determination I don't think I would ever be where I am today.  I changed my major because I wanted to do something that I was good at, that I would succeed at.  I dedicated other parts of my life to gaining job experience like, well, getting jobs & gaining experience.  I realized that all a college degree shows is that you took the time to dedicate 4 years (or 5 in my case) to something.

Moving 800 Miles Away from Everything I Ever Knew

At the time my move up to Michigan, ending here in Indiana wasn't that scary.  I knew I was going to do it and I knew it was going to happen.  It was the looking back on it & realizing that Zach & I had only known each other about 8 or 9 months (period) before I decided to move from Virginia.  Even more surprising (read terrifying) is that we essentially bought a house together & closed on in 3 days before we'd been together for a year.  (I say essentially because I was mainly consulted on the deal, agreed, and made sure no papers got lost in the process.  Oh & I had a big hand in painting the down stairs..anyway.....)  Seriously, can you believe that?  I was so confident before, during, and after the move it was only about the Summer of 2013 that I was talking to my Dad & I realized 'what the actual hell did I do?!?!' Of course not in a bad way, but in a self reflective way.  In way where I'd realized how much I'd grown & finally realized how young I was a year ago.  I guess in this instance the memory was the scariest thing I'd ever remembered because when it was happening it was the best thing ever.  Confidence is the key.

These are the three scariest things I've ever done in my life.  I wanted to share these thing with you not only so you get to know me a little better but so I can document my journey which is what Five Sixteenths is about - living a creative (& sometimes self reflective) life.

What are they scariest things you've done in your life?  Have you ever made a decision & then looked back on it realizing how crazy you were?

xoxo, Moe

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