Ipsy December 2014 Review - You are a: Creative Genious

My December Ipsy Glambag is here, and it is about time. I got it the last week of December, which is crazy because it was sent a few weeks prier. I was starting to think it wasn't ever going to come, but it must have been slowed down with all the Christmas packages that go out around this time. Even though it took so long, I am go glad that it eventually came. 

This month's theme is You are a: Creative Genius. I am not sure if there were multiple themes this month with the "you are a," but either way I am a little disappointed. I thought that this month would have been a little more festive with all the holidays. Also, for the theme focusing on creativity, the bag is a little blah. I'm not a fan of the black with maroon heart. I hope the contents are more creative. 

At first glance, I am liking what I am seeing. The bag is full of what seems to be full size items. I love seeing a filled makeup bag. I hope that the items can turn around my feelings about this month's bag.

NYX Butter Lip Balm in Marshmallow

$4.00 - 4 g

I am a huge fan of tinted lip balms, so I was excited to see this in this month's Ipsy Glambag. That being said, I am super bummed with the color. I would have loved any other color that NYX offers except this one. I am just not into beige lip colors. Despite the color, this butter lip balm kept my lips nice and moist. The color seems to last too, but I can't really tell because it blends in with my natural lip color. I will just use this as a normal chapstick. 

CAILYN Cosmetics Just Mineral Eye Polish in Orchard

$15.00 - 2.5 g

At first, I thought this was a nail polish and was super disappointed. After realizing it was an "eye polish" I was pretty skeptical. I shouldn't have been, though, because this is my favorite part of this month's Glambag. I love the color with my skintone. It is a nice light gold color and has the perfect amount of shimmer. The applicator is a little different, and it takes a little longer to cover my entire eye than with normal applicators, but it does a nice job and I can get the creases and the corner of my eye a lot easier. I love that this is a full size item, because I will definitely be using this until it is gone. 

Style Sexy Hair 450 Blow Out Heat Defense Blow Dry Spray

$18.95 - 4.2 fl oz          

This is supposed to protect your hair from heat damage from your blow dryer, but because I let my hair air dry, I can't really see if it works. I did spray this into my damp hair before blow drying, and it did leave my hair shiner after it dried. I am a little disappointed that Ipsy sent this to me, because my profile states that I don't blow dry my hair. On the other hand, it does have a nice soft sent that stayed with me all through the day. 

Beauty Without Cruelty Premium Aromatherapy Facial Cleanser

$11.95 - 8.5 oz         

This lightly-foaming, soap-free cleanser works just as good as any face wash I've used. It left my skin clean and smooth, but a little stiff. You will definitely have to use a moisturizer after using this. I do prefer to use scrubs to cleanse my face, but I will definitely use this. I love that it is cruelty free and has 3% AHA complex. It is also reasonably priced. 

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara

$20.00 - .24 fl oz          

I am a big fan of mascara. It is sometimes that only makeup that I wear, and I love trying out new formulas and brands. This mascara claims to lengthen, curl, volumize, and condition your eyelashes. I like the coverage, it did coat all my lashes, but other than that, I didn't see anything too special about this mascara. I will definitely use this as a top coat to get extra coverage, but this won't be used as a base. I like this mascara, but I won't purchase the full size once the sample is gone. 

Overall, this month's Ipsy Glambag was middle of the road. Only one of the products was something I would consider that would help me with my creativity. Other than that, I will use most of all the other products. I estimated this month's bag to be worth $37.81 which is awesome, because I only spent $10 for all these products. I do appreciate that Ipsy always contains way more value and a lot of full size items. 

If you would like to try Ipsy for yourself, just click here. For only $10 a month you can get full size and sample size beauty items delivered to your door. Also, it would make an awesome gift for your friends or family. 

Birchbox December 2014 Review - Decked Out

My December Birchbox has arrived at my door, and I am extra excited for this month's box, because I am sure that it is extra special and festive. Birchbox is a monthly beauty sample subscription that is delivered to your door each month personally curated to you for only $10 a box. 

This month's box is super cute. I love how festive it is, even with it being blue. This month's theme is Decked Out. This month is all about celebrating with our loved ones by exchanging gifts and ringing in the New Year. Birchbox's samples are an early gift to get this season started off right. I can't wait to see all the new ways to get myself sparkling for these holidays. 

TOCCA Crema de Mano - Hand Cream in Cleopatra

$10.00 - 2 oz             

This hand cream has a nice light scent of grapefruit and cucumber and absorbs really quickly so you can use your hands right away. I like the compact tube and it is a good sized sample. I do have to use it quite regularly, though, because it's not as thick as I'd like. It is reasonably priced though, so it could be a regular buy for me. 

 Lord & Berry Paillettes Glitter Eye Pencil in Black

$18.00 - 0.04 oz        

I've had a Lord & Berry eye pencil in my Birchbox before, so I am already a fan of the brand. The eyeliner goes on really smoothly, and doesn't smudge throughout the day. I like how the glitter wears evenly, but it isn't something I would wear on a regular basis. I'm glad that I got this sample right before New Year's, because that is probably the only time I would wear glitter. I am happy with this sample size, because I won't be using this too regularly.

amika: Nourishing Mask

$28.00 - 250 ml          

I normally have greasy hair, so deep conditioners aren't really necessary for me. Regardless, my hair has been a little staticy because of the dry, winter weather so I gave it a try. I have to say, the mask didn't over moisturize to the point that it weighed down my hair, and I loved the berry scent that stayed with me all day. The sample is a little small, but I will use this until it is gone. Plus, it is paraben-free!

RUSK Texture Spray

$18.00 - 8 oz         

Again, I'm not much of a hairspray user, but I do use it once in a while when I curl my hair. The hold was alright, but at least it wasn't sticky or crusty. I do like the coconut smell. They do suggest to use this as a body spray, which I could definitely work with. Just spraying my roots, I felt like I had volume all night and loved my party hair look. 

Mirenesse Mattfinity Lip Rouge in New York

$29.00 - 7 g           

This lip stain goes on nice and creamy and dries to nice matte classic red. It does mostly last, but it did come off on my drinking glass. I wasn't too sure about this product when I first saw it, but it really is a nice lip stain. This color works well with my skin tone and I look super sophisticated. I will be wearing this for New Year's!

This month's box had a little cheaper samples than Birchbox normally delivers. Also, it had a few samples that I would normally not use. That being said, I am pretty happy with this month's box, and these samples fit perfectly with the theme. I will be using them all for the holidays and throughout these winter months. I estimated this month's box to be worth about $32.16 with the added $10 Gap cash coupon. I probably won't use it, but it is a nice addition! Perfect for buying someone a small gift or stocking stuffer. 

If you would like to try Birchbox for yourself just click here! I love receiving samples in the mail each week curated for me. Plus, it could be the a great gift for any of your loved ones. My sister is receiving a subscription from me!