Dre Does an Ipsy Unboxing

Happy Friday friends! In case you missed my last post about Ipsy, I've decided to change how I post about it. Instead of reviewing every product every month, I'm going to write a quick post showing everything I got each month with it's retail value and links to find out more about the products and where you can purchase them yourself. Then every few months I'll share my favorites from various bags. This way I can truly test out products and don't feel like I'm bombarding you with information! If something is horrible however, I'll make sure to share that too. With that being said, here is what I got in my May Ipsy Glambag.

Should we start off by talking about how adorable the bag is? It has a neon lime green lining too so it is amazing! I love the sketch on the front.

1. Klorane Smoothing and Relaxing Patches: I received two sets of these eye patches that are designed to go right below the eyes and do exactly what the name says; sooth and relax. I love when Ipsy gives you a few sets to try the product more than once! You can get 7 sets for $21 at Kloraneusa.com

2. Chella Eyebrow Color Pencil in Tantalizing Taupe: This super fine pointed eyebrow pencil reminds me a lot of the Anastasia Brow Whiz, minus the spooly on the end. I do like that it is automatic so no sharpener needed! Retails for $18 at chella.com

3. Cotz Face Natural SPF 40: A natural and smooth matte finish sunscreen that is 100% free of oils and chemical sunscreens. A full size retails for $19.99 at cotzskincare.com.

4. Luxie Beauty Tapered Blending Eye Brush 205: A 100% cruelty free brush with synthetic hairs and rose gold retails. This exact brush retails for $12 at luxiebeauty.com.

5. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Primer Pencil in Ozone PLUS Bonus samples of the Revolution High-Color Lip glosses in Failbait and Bittersweet: I really like that Ipsy included the samples of both of these new products from Urban Decay so that you can see how they work both together and separately. I always love new lip products to try especially from brands I already know and love. The primer pencil retails for $16 full size and the lip glosses are $22 both at urbandecay.com.

So overall I'm really excited about this Glambag. It's full of things I can't wait to start trying. Not including the value of the bag and bonus lip glosses, the value of this month's bag was $45.23, which is amazing considering the $10 it costs for the monthly subscription!

Does anything stand out for you? I can't wait to try it all! Let me know if you want to see some reviews on any of these specifically and look out for that post on my favorites in a few months!

If you're interested in signing up for the subscription yourself, click this link here!!

Have a beautiful Memorial Day weekend,

Dre

Dre Does Skincare and Body Product Empties

Product empty videos and blog posts are some of my favorites to watch because you get a full opinion on the product and get to know whether or not the person plans to repurchase the product. I think it's fun to see what stuff people actually use up because their opinion is more trustworthy to me when they've used the whole thing. For this reason I love to share them with you. I decided to split up my hair and skin care products with the empty makeup products I have because it would be a crazy long post otherwise, so here are my empties regarding hair, body, and facial skin care items!

First up we have hair products:

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo: This is my favorite spray dry shampoo of all time because it doesn't leave a residue in my dark hair. You can't see it or feel it so you don't feel like you have dirty hair. It does a great job absorbing all the excess oils and giving volume. I love the smell of all Amika products too!

Verdict: I am trying to switch to dry shampoos that are not in aerosol form because they contain butane so I am not repurchasing this product if I can find a powder dry shampoo that gives me a similar result. If the butane doesn't bother you, I'd so get this one for sure!

Amika Touchable Hairspray: If you need a moderate hold hairspray that doesn't feel crunchy this is for you. If you'd like more of a review on Amika products I've tried click here for a post I did on these two and some more!

Verdict: I really loved it and once I'm done with all the hairsprays I currently have to go through (thanks 100 Day No Buy) I will probably go back to this one!

Klorane Dry Shampoo: I received this dry shampoo in my Ipsy bag a few months ago and I went through it quickly because it was really great. It leaves a little more residue in touch and color than the Amika one but it was good. I liked having it in my purse incase my hair started to look greasy and I wasn't home. 

Verdict: If I could purchase this small size for travel I would so I will have to look into it!

Next up we have body products!

Bath & Body Works Sweet Pea Shower Gel: B&BW products are kind of blah for me. I used this up because I had it but it wasn't my favorite. I do prefer shower gels over bar soaps but I don't feel like this did anything special for my body. I like that they have an array of aromas though. I think I had this because I received it as a gift.

Verdict: I doubt I will ever buy B&BW body products again because there is so much better stuff to try, but if received as a gift again I would use it or keep it for travel.

Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub: These scrubs are some of my favorite. I love the mango and Brazilian nut aromas the best. As far as exfoliation goes they are on the more mild side so if you have sensitive skin you would probably enjoy these. They are nice and moisturizing too!

Verdict: I will be repurchasing them after I run out of my current exfoliators. I love to use them prior to shaving my legs. 

Lastly we have face products (my personal favorite)!

Aveda Bontanical Kinetics Exfoliant: This product is a holy grail one for me. I've gone through bottles of it since I graduated from Esthiology school and it is something I will always have on hand. I love how it gently exfoliates my skin chemically as I sleep (I apply it every night after I cleanse). I am a huge proponent of chemical exfoliation over mechanical so I can't be without this product! 

Verdict: Do I really need to say more? Haha I obviously already replaced it!

Ole Henriksen Aloe Vera Cleanser: This is another great product that I always have. Whether I try new cleansers or test out some new ones, this is a cleanser I go back to a lot. It is made for oily/acne prone skin but even though it's winter it doesn't strip me of too much moisture and the aloe soothes any blemishes if I get any. 

Verdict: If you have oily and acne prone skin, give this cleanser a try. It's worth the money, cleanses very well and feels wonderful.

La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water: This facial spray was recommended to me a long time ago and that's what made me buy it. However, I don't have the most sensitive skin so I feel like I can use something a little stronger. I think this probably works best for those with sensitive and dry skin. If you like a facial spray that you can spray on your face in the sun to keep you hydrated you would love this. 

Verdict: I probably won't ever buy this again unless my skin changes and becomes more dry or sensitive.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover: I have really sensitive eyes when it comes to eye makeup remover and a lot of products burn mine. This remover and the regular blue remover wipes are two products that I will keep repurchasing because of how my eyes never burn with them.

Verdict: I already have two backups of this remover under my sink so you know I'll be repurchasing this for a long time. 

Origins Ginzing Eye Cream: I love this eye cream. I really feel like it helps depuff my eyes when I need it and I think it helped decrease the darkness of my eyes. I also love how light it feels on my skin because so many eye creams are so heavy and can cause my undereye concealer to crease later on in the day. 

Verdict: I will probably purchase this eye cream in the summer when I'm done with what I'm using now and my skin becomes oilier. 

There you have it. This is what has been in beauty trash haha. If you like this kind of post and find it helpful let me know! 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does an Ipsy Review

It's that time of the month already and I'm back again with another Ipsy Glambag review for August! Here is a photo of everything I got this month. 

The bag this month was school themed so I liked that they switched up the shape of the Ipsy bag and made it a round pencil case-like shape! 

But now for the good stuff that came inside! 

First up was this Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk. I really loved this dry shampoo. The dispenser was awesome because it sprays out a very dense mist which is great at getting all of your roots. I also love how it doesn't leave my hair feeling really sticky and dirty like most dry shampoos. It also doesn't smell that bad so it works well in my book! I even found that while it was a white product, it wasn't that hard to work into my scalp to get rid of any sort of white cast that you traditionally get with dry shampoos.The full size is valued at $19.50 so this 1.06 oz size is worth $6.46!

The Jersey Shore Sub Mongongo Nutrient Dense Anti-Aging Lip Conditioner was the next item I found in my bag. It's in the flavor Mandarin Green Orange Ginger and it's a great moisurizer. I've been keeping it by my bed to apply at night before I sleep and I've been loving it! This is the full size chapstick and it's worth $5.50 bringing the total to $11.96!

Next, I received a Flying Solo Individual Eyeshadow from J.cat Cosmetics in the shade Half Naked. While I thought it was very cool that the packaging includes a mirror if you flip up the shadow, I wasn't very impressed with the shadow. The shade is awesome but the pigmentation isn't quite there. It took me a few swipes to get what you see above which is not what I like in a shadow. This is a full size shadow but since it retails for only $2.99 I'm not very surprised with the pigmentation and quality. This brings the bag value to $14.95.

 

Next up we have the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner Primer. I really liked the texture of this primer as I applied it. However, I felt like it was very drying as I blended it into my skin. Almost as though it felt a little rougher as I blended it in which I can only imagine it feels worse on dryer skin since I am very oily. It's more expensive than my holy grail primer Benefit's Porefessional so I don't think I would ever repurchase it. I did like how my foundation blended over it though so I think it does a good job of filling in your pores. The full size will set you back a good $45, so this .25 oz deluxe sample is worth $11.25! Now we are at $26.20!

Lastly, we have a deluxe sample size of Urban Decay's new Perversion mascara. I have been curious about it so I was excited to be able to try it out. I was shocked at how much it didn't do for my lashes though! It felt as if the brush was too dense and my eye lashes couldn't properly get through the bristles to pick up any product. I had to do three coats of it to notice any difference on my lashes which honestly just looked like one coat of any other mascara. The worst part was that by the end of the day I couldn't even see any remaining mascara on my lashes. It wore away to the point of looking like I hadn't put any on. Let's just say that I'll be sticking with my favorite Benefit's They're Real Mascara! A full size Perversion mascara is worth $22 so this deluxe sample is worth $5.50 and brings the final value of August's Ipsy Glambag to $31.70!

While this bag was technically the lowest valued bag I've received so far, I wouldn't say I was disappointed with it. The products I liked made the value still way over $10 so as long as I'm getting my money's worth, I'm happy!

As usual, here are the previous months' reviews and values!

August Ipsy Review ($43.73)
May and June Mini Review ($37.67 & 37.36)

March Ipsy Review ($46.71)

February Ipsy Review ($45.02)

January Ipsy Review ($38.17)

December Ipsy Review ($57.17)

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Have a beautiful weekend,

Dre