Have you tried...? (Review): L.A. Colors 10-pc. Beauty Booklet

(Disclaimer: If you like CRAZY CHEAP deals on AMAZING products, this BeautyDose is DEFINITELY for YOU!)

During the past weeks, you may/may not have heard that every Holiday season, Walgreens brings several beauty kits for ridiculously affordable prices from brands like Profusion, L.A. Colors, E.L.F., and others.

I paid a visit to my local Walgreens a few days ago and stumbled across some of them. I decided to buy the L.A. Colors 10-piece Beauty Booklet. It retails for $3 at Walgreens. It came in a cardboard champagne packaging with quilted appearance. The set features the following:

1. 6 neutral-toned eyeshadows (3 satin/matte & 3 shimmer)
1. Pros: These shadows are extremely pigmented, buttery, and long-lasting. Y Wetting the brush with MAC Fix+ or eyedrops will unveil a stunning metallic finish, perfect for the upcoming holiday season trends. They are the butteriest shadows I had ever tried at the drugstore. The texture is comparable to the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows, but even softer. 
2. Cons: You will experience some minor fallout because of how buttery they are.
3. Check out some of the swatches: 

   

   Dry (no primer)

   

   Wet (w/ Fix+)

2. 1 cool-toned pink blush
1. Pros: Nicely pigmented (soft peach/pink w/ scattered flecks of gold). Blends easily. Soft texture. 
2. Cons: Not sure this will last you an entire day. This shade was not the best to complement the shadows in the kit. 
3. 1 double ended applicator
1. Pros: You get a brush applicator on one side and a sponge tip applicator on the other. 
2. Cons: I would recommend using your fingers to apply the shimmer shadows or regular eye brushes. The brush side is nice, but the sponge tip applicator came off soon after opening the package. 
4. 1 lipgloss

1. Pros: This is a sheer-finish lipgloss with a light rosy tone (even though it looks magenta/fuschia look in the tube). It has a sweet/vanilla-ish scent and does not feel sticky on the lips. It has a doe foot applicator.   
2. Cons: Keep in mind that this is a $3 makeup palette/kit; this lipgloss will need to be reapplied after 2 hours max. 
5. 1 black eyeliner wooden pencil
1. Pros: This liner is BLACK. PITCH black. (The swatch in the photo to your right was only 1 stroke.) It is very creamy.
2. Cons: It may smudge on some people, especially if worn on the waterline. Then again, you may prefer other liners for that; beautiful for tightlining and general use on the upper lash line. 

There is a full color guide on the countercover of the booklet with instructions on how to apply the products, as well as combination suggestions. 

The products listed above come suspended in a plastic tray, which you may remove so you can repurpose the booklet/box. (NOTE: I only found 1 con with the packaging. The booklet itself does not have a secure closure. You simply close the lid, and that's it. I wish it would have some sort of closure (magnetized, velcro, button, etc.) - it would have made it much more travel friendly.

Bottom Line: This kit is a MUST! For $3 you get well over what you bargained for. The shadows are amazing, the lipgloss looks very nice; even the brush applicator is nice. The blush is good, the lipgloss was a pleasant surprise. If anything, you should get it for the shadows! Again, they are the butteriest shadows I had every tried at the drugstore. 


What other drugstore kits have you come across recently? Which ones do you recommend. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this beautyDose. Until next time!

- theBeautyCardiac

AMAZING IPSY "unbagging" - October 2014

Today was a better day because my ipsy bag came in the mail, and I have to say: W.O.W.!!!!! I have been a subscriber (or an "ipster" - that's how ipsy calls their subscribers) since June 2014, and so far, this month's bag (October 2014) has been my favorite out of the bunch!

For any BeautyCardiacs unfamiliar with what I am talking about, ipsy is a very famous monthly beauty subscription service, founded by YouTuber Michelle Phan (she also founded EM cosmetics).

1. How much does it cost? $10/month (cancel anytime; billed monthly)
2. What about shipping? Shipping is free (ipsy currently only ships to the following destinations: US, US Territories (including Puerto Rico), APO, DPO, FPO boxes, and Canada). They ship via DHL partnered with USPS. My bag takes, on average, 9 days to be delivered. 
3. What do I get every month? Every month's package is themed, so you will get a different bag every month along with 4-5 beauty/haircare/skincare items in full size or sample size. You also get access to special discounts from all the (15+) brands featured that month. 
4. How do they know what to send me? Unlike other subscription services (like Boxycharm or LipMonthly) in which everyone usually getst the same items, ipsy is known for their ipsyMatch, which is a quiz to let them know your preferences in beauty, hair, skin, etc. Also, this lets them know what products you would like to see in your bag vs. others. For example, I was definitely NOT interested in receiving hair products, so I tried to tweak the quiz as much as possible to let them know about this. However, I received haircare products the first 3 months of my subscription. I don't know if this was because they needed time to calibrate my bag or that they don't pay attention to ipsyMatch as much as they claimed, but after the 3rd time, I decided to contact Customer Service and I stopped receiving hair products ever since. (I hope I didn't just jinx it! LOL)

You can learn more about ipsy or subscribe right here!

Now, onto this month's bag....

This month's theme was Beauty Candy, and I was really happy with my bag because 4 out of the 5 items I got were related to makeup. 

My October ipsy bag featured the following items: 

1. Skyn Iceland - Mini Glacial Cleansing Cloths (10 pc.)

2. City Color Be Matte lipstick (Cappuccino)

This is the DRIEST lipstick I have ever tried. It tugs your lips ENDLESSLY. The color is beautiful. It is extremely pigmented, and because it is SO DRY it is really long-lasting.  Retail value is $5. 

3. ModelCo Volum Eyes mascara (Extreme Black) 

4. Figs & Rouge hand cream (Mango Mandarin)

5. Doll 10 Beauty - H2Glow Highlighter

When I first opened the highlight, I immediately thought it was greasy/watery, because there were condensed drops on the mirror, which I cleaned, and reappeared when I opened the compact the next time. This was a sample size of the product; I tried finding the retail value, but it is not available on the doll10 website. 

However, this cream highlight is very sheer and discreet. It is not shimmery and leaves a very pretty pearly hue on your skin. It catches the light very well, and can be used for everyday "no makeup" makeup looks. Nevertheless, it did not last beyond 4 hours on my face. (NOTE: I live in a year-round hot/humid climate). 
---------

I hope you enjoyed this BeautyDose. Talk to you tomorrow! Comment below if you also got your ipsy bag this month!

- theBeautyCardiac

LipMonthly October 2014 unbagging

October 2014 LipMonthly unbagging

Disclaimer: I am NOT affiliated with LipMonthly. This is a personal review from a subscription that I purchase monthly. If you’re a hardcore fan of subscription boxes/bags, you’ve probably already heard about a new beauty subscription service called LipMonthly.

What is LipMonthly?
This new company (started May 2014) is dedicated to the discovery of lip products (balms, glosses, lipsticks, scrubs, etc.), but every month they also feature a non-lip related beauty item.

How did I find out?
I first heard about the service by a YouTuber during the month of August, so I decided to give it a try. I received my first bag in September.

What does it contain?
Each month, you receive a bag (see picture below) with 5 items, of which 1 is non-lip related. Previous bags have featured brands like L'Oreal, Revlon, Cherimoya, City Color, Jesse's Girl, Appeal Cosmetics, among others. 

October’s month featured the following items:

1.     J.cat Fantabulous lipstick (Honeycrisp) – matte finish

• The packaging reminds me of NYX's Matte finish lipsticks. This is a neutral nude shade; glides on very creamy and lasts around 3 hours. It is not scented (yay!).

2.     Look deVine with benefits from wine (Pinot Noir)

• This lip balm has a very sheer wash of plum color. It has a strong Welch's grape juice scent, which was a bit unbearable to me. However, it feels nourishing on the lips and very creamy. 

3.     Starlooks lip sugar scrub

• The packaging of this scrub seemed very old. In fact, the sticker was losing its color. It smells like true sugar and has a plain brown sugar texture. I have not tried this scrub yet. 

4.     Nöyah lip balm (Cherry)

• I liked this lip balm better than the Look deVine, but I though that getting 2 lip balms was a bit persnickety. I wish they would have included a different lip item, instead of 2 balms. 

5.     Non-lip item: L.A. Girl Eyeliner (Navy)

• This eyeliner was very patchy on the first swatch. After that, it swatched smoother. Also, it is not very pigmented and the navy color is not as intense as one would expect. It smelled like old pencils, which is very disturbing when gliding it on the eyes. I have to say I did not like this item at all. 

How much does it cost?
The subscription costs $10/month (free shipping in the US/additional $5 for international shipping). Use the code FALL5 to get your first bag for $5.

What kind of subscriptions does LipMonthly offer?  
You may choose to purchase a 1-month subscription (ideal, if you just want to try it) or choose other intervals (I think there is a 6-month and a 1-year).

If you liked the items, you may subscribe or get more info here.

The Bottom Line: 

My final veredict for this month's bag is ambiguous for the following reasons, and I will divide them:  

What I LOVE: 

1. The bag itself - great pattern/good quality zipper/feels like a well made bag altogether)
2. J.Cat lipstick - SHADE/formula/matte finish
3. Nöyah lip balm - just a good lipbalm to keep on your bag or along with your nighttime routine items

What I wish would've been better... 

1. L.A. Girl liner - wooden smell/poor pigmentation/smudging
2. J.Cat packaging - I don't know what temperatures my bag withheld before being delivered, but the lipstick bullet itself (the product) broke off of the tube upon 2nd application. I would say J.Cat needs to reinforce their packaging. (Even though it is the same packaging as the NYX Matte Lipstick, NYX's is better quality and none of mine have broken). 

I hope you enjoyed this Beauty Dose! Thank you for reading and subscribe for more reviews to come!

- theBeautyCardiac

Have you tried...? Vasanti BrightenUp!

Have you tried...? 

Vasanti BrightenUp!

Have you tried the BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator by Vasanti Cosmetics? If you love having your face feel like a baby's bottom, so smooth and clean that you feel the air tickling your cheeks, you DEFINITELY need to try this face treatment. It is an enzymatic face rejuvenator with microderm crystals. It is enriched with papaya, micro-crystals, and aloe, which account for that supple skin feeling.  It is very dense and grainy, with a texture similar to Freeman's Facial Polishing Mask with Charcoal and Black Sugar, but it is drier and microscopically milled, so it feels as if you are rubbing the most soothing sand on your face. 

I first tried this on my June Birchbox and I must admit that I was a bit skeptical about its effectiveness at the beginning. When I read "micro-crystals" and felt the texture for the first time, I was SURE I was going to hate this product; that it was going to scratch my face and leave it super dry and sensitive. What happened was the complete opposite! It was the middle of the work week and my skin was feeling dull and dry because of the dry Maine weather at that moment. So, I decided to try it and after rubbing it on my (wet) skin for 30 seconds, I was blown away with the immediate results. Also, it smells really mild and refreshing. This counts as a scrub, but it is a very careful and nourishing scrub because of the size of the grains, which in my opinion makes it very different from the other scrubs (high-end and drugstore) that have larger grains. 

After trying it with Birchbox, I decided to purchase the full size bottle. It is $34, so it is definitely pricey for a facial scrub, but it is amazing, nonetheless. I was able to get it for less than half the price, because I purchased it through Birchbox with some points and a coupon code, along with several other items. I had accumulated points from reviewing past products and from communication with Customer Service regarding an error. The coupon code was sent to me as a 3rd-Month Subscription award. BUT, this post is about tha amazingness that is the BrightenUp!, not about Birchbox. If you want to learn more about Birchbox, I will soon be posting an entry on my experience thus far. In the meantime, check it out here: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/beautydoserx

What is your favorite scrub? Have you splurged on any? Thank you for reading this Beauty Dose....until next time!

Holy Grail Makeup Bag (pt. 1)

1. Covergirl CLEAN Whipped Crème foundation (Shade: 350 Soft Honey)

Covergirl discontinued this foundation this past summer’14, but you can still get it for ~$2 at some Rite Aids or through Amazon or Ebay (average price $5). I strongly recommend that you give this one a try, because I was so happy I did! I

Stocked up on it over the summer (I would buy my shade every time I saw it on clearance, because I love it so much!). It is whipped, so it is very creamy (not moussey), blendable, buildable, and has a beautiful satin to matte finish. It is anything but cakey or uncomfortable. It is so lightweight, I preferred it to my Benefit Hello Flawless: Oxygen Wow foundation (my High-end holy grail for the summer). Don’t be discouraged because it was discontinued; you can still get it. Trust me, and try it even if it’s just once.

2. Maybelline Dream Matte mousse foundation

(NOTE! This is NOT the same as the [newer] Dream Smooth foundation). Again, this is a similar foundation to the CG Clean Whipped Crème. However, this is a mousse, so it is lighter, yet it covers more than the CG. It is matte, so it is ideal for oily skin; yet, it will not become cakey (like the Rimmel Stay Matte mousse foundation in the tube tends to be if you’re not careful). This foundation is old (I have been using it for 5+ years) but I will buy it and use it constantly. I live in a very hot and humid climate, so I am always looking for lightweight, matte foundations with great staying power. It comes in 12 shades, classified by cool, neutral, or warm tones. As with the CG, I recommend you give it a try, because I am pretty sure you will LOVE it!

3. L’Oreal True Match Super blendable powder

WOW! This is a POWerful POWder (yes! The alliteration was necessary here!). It gives the most airbrushed, PERFECT skin look I have ever achieved with a face powder by itself. So, you may use it by itself with a sponge application, or you may use it to neutralize shine throughout the day or even set your concealer for a seriously soft and porcelain look! This is finer than finely milled, so it feels like true butter!

4. Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller concealer

I cannot stop praising this concealer. I feel like many people neglect it or have never even heard of it! I have used this concealer since 2009 and I have not found a better drugstore concealer ever since. It is pricier for a drugstore concealer (average price is $14.99), but this doubles as an eye treatment, and it’s from Garnier (their products tend to be on the pricier side of drugstore). This is the lightest, most forgiving concealer I have ever used. It is creamy, blendable, BRIGHTENING, and truly hides dark circles. It used to come in 1 shade, but you can now find it in light and medium/deep. The cool metal roller ball makes application perfect and not at all messy. You also get a ton of product in the tube. The packaging is very ergonomic and easily stored. Be careful not to store it in the heat! It may start coming out and keep leaking even after you remove it from the heat! The Maybelline FitMe concealer comes in second.

-        

5. Maybelline Volum’ Express Mascara (Blackest Black)

Maybelline is known for their great mascaras…heck, Maybelline is known for their virtually great EVERYTHING! But, this mascara is something else. I have tried most new mascaras: CG’s Clump Crusher and Lash Blast, L’Oreal’s Voluminous Butterfly, Rimmel’s Lash Accelerator; yet, I always gravitate towards this one. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE its rubber wand because it has so many bristles equally distributed 360º, and its formula is impeccable. This mascara is the reason why I am a sole believer of rubber wands, instead of hairy bristles. It adds AMAZING VOLUME and length, separates lashes, holds a curl, and will not clump. Careful, though! It may take a minute or two to dry out completely; also, if you want it to stay all day perfectly, go for the waterproof version. I recommend removing it with an oil-based makeup remover (not just with makeup remover wipes); otherwise, you may end up plucking out some lashes!

6. Wet & Wild’s Fergie lipstick (Fergie Daily)

This lipstick was a good surprise for me! Contrary to the Mega Last lipsticks (those $1.89-2.19 lipsticks that are super pigmented, but super drying and dragging on the lips), this formula is UNEBELIEVABLY CREAMY. It retails for $2.49 on average, but Walgreens almost always has them at 2/$5, which is a steal (currently on sale this week)! It has a slightly shiny finish, wears for about 4 hours, and wears off beautifully. This shade is the most perfect nude lipstick shade (it looks way darker in the picture) I have ever tried from the drugstore. It has a sort of salmon-y undertone that makes it the perfect pinkish nude, which will not wash you out.

7. E.L.F. Eye Brightener

I use this powder to set my undereye concealer, and I compare it to Mac's Pro Emphasize. It seriously brightens the area and sets the concealer perfectly, so it will not crease or budge. It is finely milled and has a pearly/yellowy tone. E.L.F. has great quality products for really cheap - this powder's only $3 on their website (www.eyeslipsface.com). 

What are your drugstore Holy Grails? Have you tried these yet? Go ahead, give them a try and let me know! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this Beauty Dose...until next time!