Ipsy September 2015 Unbagging

After spending two full days of workshops and feeling mentally drained, seeing the pink envelope peaking through my mailbox let me know I was in for a treat tonight!

If you`re not sure what Ipsy is, it`s a make-up subscription where you get to try out  beauty products every single month for the price of $10US.  For Canadians, Ipsy is a tad more (about 19$Canadian) taking in consideration US-Canadian conversion and shipping. The value of the items in the bag can double or triple the amount you pay per month, which makes this subscription, in my opinion, one of the best beauty subscriptions out there.  You also collect points each month, and, you can redeem them on other products you`d like to try out. To subscribe to Ipsy, you can click here (this gives me referral points) or you can subscribe directly with them if you prefer on their website.

Before we get into the bag and its contents, I did en up redeeming some points this month and got this item:

 Oleum Natural Glow for Combination Skin is 45$ for 1 oz.  This small vial is of 0.5oz which makes this item worth a whopping 22.50$.  Hard to believe when you look at the size of it but I am definitely looking forward to trying it out.  Apparently you apply a generous amount of oil to the face and ,massage into pores for several minutes and then place a warm cloth over the face for 30 seconds and wipe off.  Simple enough.

And this is the make up bag for September and its contents.  General first impression is: I'm pretty excited about what I see!

First item I pull out of the bag is:

J Cat Beauty #MOTD Waterproof Slide  on Pencil for Eyes in Bronze this is a Full Size and it is valued at 3.99$.  I was in need of a new eye liner so I am pretty happy to give this one a try.  Also, I keep hearing my favorite youtubers talk about J. Cat and I have been curious to try the brand out.  I'll have a picture of swatch with the swatches of the next item.

Nyx Cosmetics Ipsy Eye Shadow Trio is valued at 6$.  these a gorgeous earthy tones that will suit anybody.  Can barely see the lighter color on my skin but its nice and shimmery.  Medium color is sure to make my hazel eyes pop and the darkest is great for smoking out the look.  Loving this as I was using my Tarte Bronzer as eye shadow lately since I had to throw out the only eye shadow I had left after I got sick.  Bottom line on my hand is the J. Cat Eye Liner.

I got a Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush valued at 17.50$.  Another awesome item!  I'm looking forward to using this with the previous item and rocking a nice creased look. (it's on special right now if you're interested at 6.99$).  I have brushes that were sent to me before but this one is fantastic!  Love how soft it feels!

Next item is Avene Soothing Moisture Mask is 26$ for 50ml.  My sample is of 5ml so it is worth 2.60$.  Since we are to apply a thick coat of this on the face per use, this was only good for one use.  I don't know if I'm the only one that thought this?  Any way, I am not complaining.  I did use it and it is very moisturizing!  I'd get this again in a heartbeat if I ever came across it in Canada.

I saved the best for last!!!

Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish in Elegantly Wasted valued at 15$.  I envied whoever got this in their Ipsy bag last month, and who can blame me, look at this color!  It is an awesome dark lilac color and it's perfect for Fall but also perfectly ok for spring.  And the brush is thick which makes it so easy to apply the polish.  Also the formula is fantastic, cruelty-free, non-toxic, vegan and 7-free.  I'm a total fan!  It's already on my nails :)

When we sum up the value of the items, it comes up to 45.09$ which is over double what I paid for the subscription.  Add the redeemed item to the total and the value is 3.5X more than what I paid for at 67.59$.  I am seriously impressed! and Absolutely looking forward to see what next month has in store for me.

As always, any comments or questions are welcomed.

Rainbow Honey September 2015 unboxing

Today I received my monthly Rainbow Honey bag and I'l; be honest, I sneaked a peak before I even received it to know what was coming my way.  It still did not prepare me enough to experience the awesome smells we have this month! 
Rainbow Honey Mystery Bag is a lovely subscription from an indie nail polish company that sends you 6 products (usually three nail polishes and 3 beauty care like lotion, lip balm, cuticle oil, etc.) per month.  It's 10$/month for the mini and 25$/month for the large size.  I opt for the mini since I never ever finish a nail polish so I thought it would be a better deal for me.  Shipping is free for US and 6.95$ for Canadians. There's also new options available for the subscription; you can opt for only beauty products or only nail care products.  Since I like the variety, I decided to keep things status quo.
Here's what the package looked like this month:

 First, we have our nail lacquers:
Just Sugar Coat It! is a shiny iridescent glaze with holographic glitters.  It mentions that it's to add depth to any manicure.  I tried to make this opaque but after two coats, it wasn't opaque and it was also quite thick so I left it at that.  I think this would be better as a topper.

Underwater World is a glitter topper filled with different sized and colored stars and speckles.  It is quite lovely and applies really well; surprised I did not have to fish for any stars, as they readily come out.

Although these are really nice, I am a tad disappointed in a few things. 
1- The size of the lacquer was considerably smaller than previous bags at 5ml (instead of 7.5ml).  Rainbow Honey confirmed the larger containers would be back for next month.
2- We got two toppers and no actual stand-alone nail polish.  I'm not used to that.  We usually get at least one stand-alone nail polish per month.  Is this an oversight on their part?
3- A tad disappointed to see another perfume in the bag.  Yes I like perfume... maybe it's just have too many subscriptions on the go and ALL have given me perfume oils in the last boxes...BUT Rainbow Honey has pretty much included a perfume oil with almost every single bag lately.  They have other awesome products...was personally hoping for scented topcoat or lotion.  Oh well.

Way Cooler Body Mist smells like a "refreshing blend of pears, quince and acai berries.  It does smell very nice and I will be getting some use out of it. 
Vanilla Plains Cooling Gel is soooooo awesome I am thrilled to have it in my possession: it smells just like vanilla cake and seriously one of my favorite smells in the whole world.  No complaints here; keep the vanilla products coming!
Chocomint Valley Soap Bar is two small paraben free chocolate mint soap bars that smells so awesome and so strong, I could smell it through the envelope.    Came with a disclaimer that it's not edible; well good thing because it's true to the fragrance of the real thing.

Finally, there's Truffle Cappuccino cuticle oil and OMG this smells divine!  I seriously don't know how long this will last because I'll definitely be putting some often!  Smells like "Belgian truffles, espresso blend, steamed milk and cinnamon".  Mmmm, perfect!

There you have it!  As always, I welcome any questions or comments.

Fortune Cookie Soap Box Fall 2015

I've been eyeing this soap box subscription for the past year and was so thrilled to finally have it coming my way that I got slightly disappointed when it got stuck at customs for a whole month!  Damn!  Customs sure knows how to thread on my patience lol  but that's no fault of Fortune Cookie Soap, I bet customs just got curious by the title on the box.  Nonetheless, I'm happy to have it in my possession, albeit one month later than expected :)

So what is this subscription I speak of?  Fortune Cookie Soap Box is  a quarterly subscription (every season) that includes 8 Fortune Cookie Soap sample products that are about to be released as well as a 10$ coupon code to redeem in the store.  It costs 19.99$ for US clients and 28$ for Canadians.  Based on what I am sampling right now, I absolutely love it!!!  Here's a link to subscribe if you're interested.  This does not give me any rewards, it is entirely up to you.

Without further ado, here's what I got in the box:  The theme this season is Old Hollywood and ooh boy, we're in for some awesome treats!  I'll follow the order on the card.

First we have the signature product, the fortune cookie soap:

Dressed to Kill - Fortune Cookie Soap valued at 3.29$ comes with a fortune inside: "Please sir, I want some more!"  and it smells like Dribbles of mulled, red wine, swirled with dark, rich vanilla and cut apples, and a dusting of spice.   If I did not already have a FCS on the go right now, I would have used it toute suite.  It smells divine!

Next with have their OCD Hand Sanitizer:

Glitz and Glamour - OCD Hand Sanitizer valued at 2.89$ smells like wet moss, polished woods, creamy vanilla.  When you smell it upfront, it smells just like any other hand sanitizer but as it dries on your hands, it leaves a great perfumey smell.  I love it and can tell I'll be using a lot of it, especially with the cold running around at work.

Next we have FCS Whipped Cream:

Tommy Guns & Baseball Bats - Whipped Cream valued at 10.99$ for 4oz. (we got 1 oz - 2.75$) smells like Grandma's hot apple pie, dusted with freshly shaved cinnamon, nutmeg and warm brown sugar, topped with rick, creamy, marshmallow fluff.  **DROOL** this smells amazing! and the consistency of this lotion is great and does not leave any greasy residue.  I'll definitely be buying myself a full-sized  whipped cream with my next 10$ coupon.

Next we have FCS Bath Powder:

Scandal - Bath Powder is valued at 10.99$ for full-size.  I have no idea what this simple size is in comparison to the full-sized but I know the packet was good for one bath, which I already took right before I did this review.  It smells like creaking woods, wind blown leaves, and twisted rose thorns.  Fall is, by far, my favorite season and this represents it well.  I loved how relaxing this smell was and also how soft my skin is post bath. 

 Next, we have FCS Perfume Oil:

Pearls & Girls - Perfume Oil is valued at 5.99$ for full-size.  I assume the sample is half that size but I am not 100% certain.  One thing is certain, this smells amazing with notes of crushed and distilled vanilla creeping with wild jasmine and a splash of juicy pear.  This is my kind of perfume.  You only need to put vanilla as one of the notes and you've won me.  But seriously, the container is pretty darn cute too and that alone was a great win for me!  I can put this sample in my purse without worries of it spilling.

Next there's FCS Shampoo Bar:

Hollywood Dreams - Shampoo Bar is valued at 8.99$ for full-sized and I am, again, guessing my sample is a quarter of the full size?  This product could be smelled right through the box before I even opened it.  I was so excited to find out what the awesome smell was I literally sniffed all the products until I landed on this one.  It smells divine with notes of brown sugar dusted graham crackers, fresh churned apple butter, sprinkled with nuts and a hint of maple.  This smell is a dream!  I'm seriously debating getting whatever I can in this sent on the Fortune Cookie Soaps website just because it's that good!  I've never used a shampoo bar before and was thrilled to find out how easy it is to use.  I may buy another of these again soon.

Next is FCS Pomade:

 American Royalty -  Pomade is valued at 9.99$ for full size and I assume, once more, this is about quarter of full size?  This smells like rose milk, thick honey and warming tobacco blossom wrapped with caramel and notes of mandarin.  I am looking forward to trying it tomorrow morning and of course, just like everything else so far, this smells fantastic!

And last product is a wax tart:

Famous - Wax Tart is valued at 2.00$ and smells like warm amber, wild orchid, fluttering white cotton, sundried herbs.  I assume this wax tart is possibly half the size of the one on the website but it does smell really good.  Looking forward to melting it once I get my hands on a tealight candle.

Let's not forget I also got a 10$ coupon code that was sent via email and I redeemed it on a sample pack of Fortune Cookie Soaps where you get 11 pieces of soaps of various smells to try out.  I'd take a picture but one has been used and two are currently in use so there's already some missing.  I'm pretty satisfied with this buy though.
I also bought this Exfoliating Soap Saver which is worth it when you absolutely want to make your soap last for as long as you can permit it.

There you have it, Fall 2015 Fortune Cookie Soap Box is the best thing since sliced bread!  Highly recommend this subscription, it is one of my faves!

As always, I welcome any comments or questions!  Have a great long weekend!

Raw Spice Bar Agust 2015

I was very excited to sign up to RawSpiceBar when I found out about its existence as I have always found a passion in food preparation and trying out new things.  I thought a spice subscription is exactly what I needed to spice up my culinary skills, no pun intended.  The subscription runs at 10$/month (6$ for US) free shipping and it gives you 3-4 spice blends with recipes to try out.

When I got my first envelope last week, I was so excited I ripped right through the envelope forgetting to take a picture of the starting package.  But here's a picture of the contents.

 and the recipes for the spice blends:

 Grilled shrimp for the Baltimore Bay Spices.  Since I'm vegetarian, I definitely didn't do this recipe but I used the spice blend for pasta and on top of eggs and it was really yummy.  Also recommended for popcorn or potato salad which I'd love to try.

 Pickled zucchinis for the green pickling spices.  I haven't done this yet but will be doing it this weekend.  The package also recommended anything green like Brussels sprouts, green beans, cucumbers.  I am intrigued by the Brussels Sprouts but I think I'll stick to the recipe.

And the Power spice blend was for a green smoothie.  I did not follow this recipe but I added half a package in both my smoothie and in Alex's morning smoothie and we really enjoyed the spicyness it added.  Thinking about adding turmeric to all my morning smoothies for the added benefit.

If you're interested in RawSpiceBar, you can sign up here.  Clicking on this link does not give me any points or money or sales, it is simply the website of RawSpiceBar.  And, as always, any comments or questions are welcomed!