Friday, March 21, 2014

ipsy march destination beauty bag review

after having to go to an appointment every single day this week, i was so happy to have absolutely nothing to do today!  these are the days that i am grateful i don't have a full-time job, because i have no idea how i would be able to go to one when i am this sick.  i have to set my alarm for 4 hours before any appointment, just to give myself enough time to hear my alarm (my meds make me sleep so deeply it usually goes off 5-6 times before i even hear it), wake up, do my stretches, get out of bed, take the dogs out, take a bath to get my muscles and joints loosened up, eat a healthy and substantial breakfast so i can take my morning pills, & get dressed/do my makeup before i leave.  it's usually quite an ordeal and takes me a bit of time, not to mention that depending on the type of doctors appointment, my body kind of freaks out afterward and sends me into a flare.

yesterday, i had the brain MRI for my migraines.  i had it with and without contrast, although i didn't know i would be having it with contrast.  since getting since, my body is extremely sensitive to anything at all foreign and rejects anything non-native, and takes a super long time to heal.  i got a small amount of the contrast, just enough for the 8-minute scan, but afterwards, my body freaked out!  my face was flushed, i was hot and sweaty, my neck lymph nodes were swollen, i was super super nauseous, i had diarrhea for about 12 hours right after the test and through the night, my nose was stuffy, i had a headache in the back of my head, my visual auras were really bad, i was very dizzy and disoriented.  i just laid in my bed staring at the ceiling for about 2 hours because i just could not focus on my book, and i kept forgetting where i was, and feeling like i was outside of my body.  it was very scary and strange!

luckily, today i feel a lot better, but i am just very tired.  those with chronic illness understand that the word "tired" doesn't even usually feel accurate for how we feel.  it is more of an exhaustion that is so deep in your bones that sleep doesn't even make it feel better.  the kind of tired where you can sleep 12 hours, and you wake up and all you can think about is when you can go back to sleep.  that's how i feel today, and why i am thankful that i don't have to go to a job and can just lay around and rest.

on a much brighter note, i have something exciting to share!  i subscribe to the ipsy beauty bag, and i got my march bag yesterday to share with you all!

what is ipsy? for those of you that aren't subscribed, ipsy is a beauty subscription.  for $10 per month, you receive a glam bag full of full-size and and deluxe sized beauty products, specifically tailored for you through a beauty quiz you take when you sign up! you can watch videos on the website to learn how to use your products, and each month you get discounts on the brands that are included in your bag, along with additional special discounts.  you can also review the products you receive each month to receive points to use towards future purchases!

interested in becoming a member?  check it out HERE!

this month's bag was themed destination beauty.  let's check it out!


 first up was the beautiful bag!  each month all of your beauty products come inside a reusable makeup bag, which i think is wonderful.  the bags are always really cute and i find many uses for them, not just makeup.  i put pencils in them, lipglosses inside my purse, sometimes i use them for a clutch, a nailpolish holder  -- the possibilities are endless!  it says that this month, the bag is an exclusive print from artist klari reis' geography-based series, "street anatomy," which showcases san francisco, california.  the bag is a nice study vinyl, which is easy to clean for those accidental make-up spills, and a fun and bright pattern for spring.




the first product was this body butter from the brand pacifica.  this is a pretty decent sized deluxe sample at 2.5 oz.  the packaging is really cute, and the flip top is really easy to open.  i find that sometimes they are quite hard to get open with your thumb, but this one was easy.  it also smells AMAZING.  yummm.  definitely strong on the coconut, so if that's not your thing, you wouldn't be a fan of this body butter, but i definitely enjoy it.  i think it's a clean but luxurious scent.  it has a very silky texture and it sinks into your sink easily & quickly without leaving much residue behind.




next up is this marvelous moxie lipgloss in the shade "rebel" from bareminerals.  i have always wanted to try something from this brand but have just never gotten around to it.  i have to say, this is the perfect product to start with!  i love lipglosses, but i am also very picky about them.  however, this lipgloss is perfect!  it is a great shade, very neutral but with just a hint of color.  it's not sticky, either (one of my biggest lip product pet peeves) and it smells exactly like mint chocolate chip ice cream!  how can you get any better than that?!


ipsy also included this coupon attached to the lipgloss, which is a great perk, in addition to the discounts they offer online for the products in the bag this month.


this is a swatch of the lipgloss in the shade "rebel".  as you can see, it's a fairly neutral tone but with a pinky/coral lean.  this is one swipe, so you can see that it is pretty pigmented and very shiny!




the next product in this month's bag was a nail polish from nicole by OPI.  this is a full-size (woohoo!) nail polish from their new roughles line, which is their new set of textured polishes.  it is my favorite when i get a full sized polish in my bags!!  but.. i do have mixed feelings about this one.  i LOVE the color -- it is a beautiful robin's egg blue that is definitely perfect for spring.  but i really don't love the whole textured nail polish trend.  i've tried a few here and there and they just bug me.  i don't know, i just don't like the texture and the feeling.  but, i still gave it a shot...


unfortunately, my camera died right when i was taking the nail pictures so this is the only one i got, hence why it is slightly blurry.  but i have to say, this might be the textured polish to change my mind!  you can sort of see in the picture, it has pink flecks in it, plus tiny royal blue flecks and some tiny goldish/brown ones.  once on my nail, it looks really really pretty.  it reminds me of those malted candy speckled eggs at easter time.  it really is gorgeous, the application was very easy and the dry time was super quick.  the picture is two thin coats, and it was opaque.  well played, OPI!




the last product in my bag this month is this stunning eye shadow quad from the brand be a bombshell.  the name of the quad is "bora bora" and this is a full-size product.  this quad is beautiful!  i was pleasantly surprised when i opened the box it came in.  i have never heard of this brand before, but these colors are very pigmented and strong in real life, very jewel-toned.  i mostly wear brown and gold shadows, so this is perfect for me.  i love the turquoise accent color, because it will be a great pop of color for summer!


these are the swatches of the colors in the quad, clockwise from the top left.  each swatch is one single swipe -- they are super pigmented!!  the blue is the only one that was slightly less pigmented than the rest, which you can tell in the photo.  they are definitely shimmery shades but it's not overwhelming.  the color feels really silky and easy to work with, too.  i can't wait to try these out!

overall, i thought this was another excellent ipsy bag!  i have been subscribing for about 7 months now and have yet to get a bag that i didn't love.  plus, i think $10 is a total bargain -- the nail polish alone is $8!  what a steal.  i definitely recommend that you check it out, you won't regret it!

stay tuned this week for more beauty boxes, and hopefully i will be getting the results of my MRI tests. i was also thinking of doing a post on the foods i normally eat that i have found help my body out the most in reducing inflammation and keeping me feeling good.  let me know if there is anything you would like to read.  until next time! xoxo.

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