Ipsy September 2014

This is my second month of my Ipsy subscription, and I love it so far! I'm super far behind on posting this, I received my Ipsy Glam Bag in the second week of September... 

Cost: $10/month + $4.95 shipping to Canada

Once again, I knew exactly what I was getting in this bag, but it's still exciting to see the sizes and actual shades of everything.

Maybelline Master Glaze - Make A Mauve

Value: $7.99

I love blush. This is a little dark for me, but if I use it sparingly and blend it well, it gives me a nice colour on my cheeks :) 

Nourish Organic - Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser

Value: $13.99/6oz ($2.33 for 1oz sample)

I have got into a great routine every night of washing my face properly, but I need to use up some of the ones I currently have open before opening this one. It will be used though!

Be a Bombshell - Smooth Criminal Powder

Value: $12 for 4g (full size)

I haven't tried this yet, I have a weird fear of using loose powders like this - I usually make a huge mess. The reviews on this are outstanding though, so I might have to suck it up and give it a shot.

Pacifica - Nail Polish in Red Red Wine

Value: $9 (full size)

This colour is GORGEOUS! I love it for the fall/winter, and you can bet that I'll be wearing this on my nails very soon! Also, it's vegan if that's your thing.

Briogeo - Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask

Value: $26/5.25oz ($4.95 for 1oz)

I've mentioned before, but I haven't been using anything on my hair except Lush solid shampoos (which are amazing - my giveaway for a free one just ended). I do like the sound of this stuff though, especially if it can help with breakage due to wearing my hair tied back all the time...

 

 

 

So, I think it is safe to say that Ipsy will be staying around for awhile. I really enjoyed this bag, and will give everything a try (and use 3 of them - the nail polish, blush stick and face cleanser fairly regularly). I only paid $14.95US for this (~$16 CAD) but the total value of products was $36.27 (well over double!). I can't wait to see that giant pink mailer envelope show up in October :)

 

If you are interested in signing up for Ipsy, click HERE! There is a waitlist, but there are ways to get around it (by sharing links on facebook, following their stylists on youtube, etc).

 

xoxo,

Fallon

 

*Please note this post contains referral links.

Thursday Thoughts

I seem to link up with Jen over at Ramblings of a Suburban Mom every second Thursday for Thursday Thoughts, maybe one day I'll get around to a new post every week!

First of all - I want to send out a huge congratulations to my cousin on being re-elected as an MLA in the province of New Brunswick! I know how hard he has worked for this, and our entire family is extremely proud of him!

I love my Apple TV, last night L and I watched Ben Howard's performance from the iTunes festival, and then I started watching the David Gray one from last week. I love that iTunes makes that available for free!

Hockey is back! L and I are both huge hockey fans, and attended the home opener for the Oil Kings last Saturday night to watch the WHL and Memorial Cup championship banners raised to the roof. The next night we were off to the pre-season home opener between the Oilers and the Flames. We already have tickets for two more pre-season games, four regular season games and we won a pair of tickets for a game in November. I'm sure this season will be just like last year, when most of the time we decided on game day to buy tickets and go...

I cancelled my Spicy Subscription and have put my Tea Sparrow on hold until next spring/summer. Which new box do I subscribe to now?

When I got home from work Tuesday night, I had 3 boxes waiting for me - my September Tea Sparrow, my September Lip Monthly and my fall Luxe Box. Last night I had another Memebox waiting for me :) Blog reviews on all of them will be coming very soon!

Fabletics is now shipping to Canada. I don't know exactly when this happened, but a co-worker informed me and I immediately signed up! My first outfit was only $24.95, I can't wait to see it in person! They are owned by the same company as JustFab, so I know I won't have a problem logging in to my account between the 1st and the 5th of the month to either choose an outfit or skip the month.

Memebox is probably my favourite out of all the boxes I currently receive. I love that all of the brands are new to me, and most of them have the cutest packaging! If you're interested in buying one, use the code UOE7 to save $5 off your order!

Damien Rice released this clip of a song from his upcoming album, and I'm so excited! It's his first new album in 8 years, and I've been a fan for years. I know what I'll be buying on November 11th :)

That's all I have for today... don't forget to check out my first give-away and enter to win one of my personal favourite products!

xoxo,
Fallon

Topbox September 2014

My Topbox always arrives on the same day as my Meowbox, they both ship extremely quickly! This is my cheapest and second-longest running subscription box (Julep is the only one I've been signed up for longer - May 2012 vs. April 2013)

Cost: $12/month + tax ($12.60 if you live in Alberta) - this includes shipping

Ships to: Canada

None of the prive boxes appealed to me this month, so I went with the regular box. I also end up throwing out the cardboard tube it ships in each month, so I chose the organza bag this month (which I can/will reuse).



First look - sorry for the blurry picture!

Illumalift - Brightening Cream

Value: $33 for 3.5g - $4.71 for my estimate of 0.5g

"Place Illumalift under eyes, on eyelids, around nasal folds and anywhere you have deep lines or dark areas. Blend above and below the dark area."

Amika - Perk Up Dry Shampoo

Value: $29 for 156mL, $4.12 for 0.75oz

"For a quick no-wash cleanse or an extra boost of volume, this dry shampoo leaves hair instantaneously soft and refreshed."

I have used dry shampoo in the past, and was a fan. I'll be saving this one for the next time I go on vacation, travel sizes are always welcome!

Teeez - Nail Lacquer

Value: 10.95EU, which = $15.50CAD 

(according to September 23, 2014 conversion)

"This nail lacquer will take your nails to high-gloss heaven"

Why yes, I did need more nail polish...Topbox actually included this same brand in their June box, when I received a super pretty minty-green colour.

Lancome - Advanced Multi-Correcting Cream

Value: $92 for 50mL, $27.60 for my 15mL

"Apply to all zones of the face, morning and evening following a serum."

Wow! This is an expensive sample, it's worth more than double the cost of my monthly Topbox subscription fee! I've mentioned before, but I actually use moisturizer every single morning and night, so I'm looking forward to trying out such a pricey one.

The value of my September Topbox was amazing! I estimated the value to be $51.93, which is more than four times what I paid! It might be one of my favourite months ever, I will use/try everything. Here's hoping October is just as good!

xoxo,

Fallon

My first give-away!

That's right! I promised a give-away would be coming when I hit 1000 views on my blog (and that actually happened over a week ago). Here it is! It's nothing crazy, but it is one of my favourite products - Lush solid shampoo in New! I've been using nothing but solid shampoo from Lush on my hair now for almost 3 months, and I can't believe how much volume my hair has! It feels healthy and full, and I want to share a bar with one lucky reader! I've also purchased a shampoo bar tin to store your new shampoo bar in.

Value of this give-away is $15.90 ($11.95 for the shampoo bar, plus $3.95 for the tin). This was purchased by me, with my own money and was not sponsored in any way by Lush.

xoxo,
Fallon

*Please note - you must be a Canadian citizen to win this prize


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Memebox Jackpot Box

Memebox isn't really a monthly subscription box, but I'm going to be posting about all of the ones I receive. It is a Korean-based beauty product box, and you can order as often as you'd like. Each box is themed (this week they released Tinkerbell, Little Mermaid and Cinderella boxes). When you purchase, it will tell you when that particular box will begin shipping, and you're usually in for a bit of a wait. Boxes also sell out fairly quickly, so don't hesitate! I ordered boxes last week that won't be showing up until the first week of November, but they're already sold out when I checked again today. The wait seems to be worth it though! My first Memebox box was fantastic!

For my first Memebox, I decided to try the Jackpot Box. This particular box cost $32.99 plus $6.99 for shipping (but I used a code that was out at the time to cut my shipping cost in half). One lucky person who purchased this ended up with $1000 worth of products (sadly, that person was not me). Here's how it broke down:

1. 1st Place - 1 lucky winner will take home a box valued at $1000

2. 2nd Place -15 lucky winners will win a box valued at $579
3. 3rd Place - 30  luckywinners will win a box valued at $371
4. 4th Place - 50 lucky winners will win a box valued at $289
5. 5th Place - 70 lucky winners will win a box valued at $201
6. 6th Place - 90 lucky winners will win a box valued at $179
7. 7th Place - 60 lucky winners will win a box valued at $175
8. 8th Place - 70 lucky winners will win a box valued at $165
9. 9th Place - 60 lucky winners will win a box valued at $155

I ended up with a 7th place box, which you can see below. Jackpot boxes sold out the same day they went on sale.

This was shipped on September 2nd from Korea, and was delivered to me in Edmonton on September 10th. I was so impressed with the delivery time, seeing as it had quite a distance to travel.

The giant envelope it shipped in has their logo and was a hot pink colour.

The box is so nice! It's very sturdy and will be great to send in the mail filled with Christmas presents to family!

First look! Before this, I had no idea what box I was receiving (I just knew it wasn't the first place box based on the size)

RIRE Lip Manicure - Pink Pink (3.7g - full size)

Value: $15

When I saw this on the Memebox website, I thought it was nail polish. Even after I took it out of the box, it wasn't until I twisted the cap off that I realized it was lipstick! It's a much brighter pink than it appears in the picture, very pigmented, and it stains (I put a bit on the back of my hand to test out the colour, and scrubbing it with normal soap and water wouldn't take it completely off, I had to use makeup remover). A little bit goes a long way, and it is very easy to apply. 

Abelle - So Hot-Burning Concentrate Ampoule - 20mL

Value: $24

This stuff is expensive! According to the Memebox website, you towel dry your hair after shampooing and apply this evenly throughout your hair. Place a plastic cap over your head and leave it on for 5-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water. It supposedly warms up by itself and absorbs deeply into your hair, to strengthen and give your hair a natural shine. I haven't tried this yet, I'm a little bit particular about what goes into my hair (for the past few months I have only used solid shampoo from Lush...)

Hair+ - Velvet Nutri-Injection - 12mL

Value: $5

"For all those damaged hairs out there, the Velvet Nutri-Injection is here to save the day! There's absolutely no need to rinse out after application. Simply apply it throughout your hair, especially the damaged ends, after towel drying and experience results of a hair clinic program". I do like that you can just leave this in (the one above seems like a bother to have to wait 15 minutes). I might try this on the ends of my hair...

Cotterang Aesthetic Reparative K-Cream - 20g

Value: $43

"A facial cream for soothing and nourishing stimulated skin. Its soothing formula works to hydrate and calm reddened, sensitive skin by creating a protective layer on top and also by instigating skin regeneration." I've been using this fairly regularly since receiving this box. I can't say I really notice a difference, but it is definitely very moisturizing! I only put it on at night since it is a little bit sticky.

Ramosu Carestory Collagen Extract - 10mL

Value: $36

"Infused with over 17 different amino acids, this 100% concentrated Collagen Ampoule will deliver intense hydration and facilitate cell regeneration for more supple and firmed up baby-skin. Also, it doesn’t smell or feel sticky like your average collagen products, and instead it glides onto the skin refreshingly. Experience the wonders of the real Collagen Ampoule currently being used in Korean aesthetic beauty salons!"

I haven't tried this out yet either, but I'm definitely interested!

3W CLINIC Collagen Make-up Base - 50ml 

Value: $30"This silicon type Collagen Make-up Base contains blemish-control powder components for matting out and preparing the skin condition before foundation application. The high level of adherence and long-lasting formula helps maintain your makeup silky smooth all day long."

This feels much thicker than primers that I'm used to, and a little bit goes a long way! I love using primers under my foundation (the 1-2 times each week that I wear foundation haha) so this is very welcome, and will be used up!

SULLOC Water+ - 3 packets, 2.6g each
Value: $6"The Sulloc Water+ contains 180mg of catechins which are potent antioxidants most active in green tea, 2.5mg of pantothenic acid, and an antioxidant level equivalent to 12 full tomatoes. Feel lighter, younger, and more vital with what Water+ has to offer!"

This reminds me of Crystal Light packets, so I am excited to try these out! The price seems crazy though - $2/packet? The box says to drink 3/day!!

I'm familiar with Lemon-Lime and Cherry flavours, but I have no idea what "Happy Sweet" is going to taste like...

KANG SKIN Rejuvenating Cream - 50ml 

Value: $72"Enriched with adenosine, ceramide and snail mucus extracts, this Rejuvenating Cream is highly effective wrinkle care product. By deeply hydrating and nourishing the skin, it improves the skin elasticity and minimize stress-instigated aging of the skin."

Moisturizer is one of the few things I use every single day, so this will absolutely be used up! It goes on so nice, and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. I also love the jar this comes in!

The Memebox I ended up receiving was worth $179, and I only paid $32.99 + $3.50 for shipping! Such a great value! I know every box won't be worth that much, but I'm so excited about this one! I've already ordered a few more from Memebox, and I can't wait to see what I receive. I enjoy that all of the brands included in Memebox are new to me, and that the main focus is on skincare. I'll be sure to share all of my upcoming Memeboxes with you as well :)

xoxo,

Fallon

*Please note this post contains referral links

Lip Factory August 2014

I'm very delayed in getting this box posted to my blog, but it's time to get caught up (September boxes have begun arriving, so no more excuses!)

Cost: $22/month to the US

          $26/month to Canada

 Sealed with a kiss sticker.

First look at all the products.

Medusa's Makeup Stick It Eye Primer - A vegan primer for eye dust and eye shadow, can be used on all skin tones.

Value: $8

This will end up in the swap/gift pile just because I don't wear eye shadow very often. 

Red Cherry False Eyelashes -  #16, Made of 100% Human Hair

Value: $3.50

Another item for the swap/gift pile, simply because I don't go anywhere that I could pull off false eyelashes...

LASplash Mineral Blush - #22028 Beach Party

Value: $14.98

I couldn't find this exact colour on the website, so I don't know if it has been discontinued? I love blush (and I love my Mac blush) but I think I'll keep this one and try it out :)

 LASplash Lip Lacquer 

Value: $6.99

Another item for the swap/gift pile. I haven't tried this one, it just looks like it has way too much glitter for me.

Cult Nails - Nail Lacquer in Devious Nature

Value: $12

I own so many nail polishes, but I love trying new brands!

Pink Powder Parlor Lipstick 

Value: $10

Lip Factory sent out a message letting us know that they received their shipment of lipsticks from Pink Powder without their logo on the packaging, but it is brand new and an unreleased colour. 

This is a very gorgeous pink, definitely one I'm glad to add to my collection :)

I was a little disappointed that this month only included 2 lip products (one of which I won't be keeping). Actually, I'm only keeping half of the August box, which is much fewer than last month. The value I calculated was $55.50, which is still more than double the cost of the box itself, so that is always a plus! I also can't complain about the size of anything, as far as I can tell everything was full size. I'll keep this subscription around for a few more months, hopefully my September box will be back to the fantastic standards I've got used to over the past few months.

If you are interested in signing up, check out their website HERE and use referral code 386883.

xoxo,

Fallon

Spicy Subscriptions August 2014

My Spicy Subscription box for August 2014 arrived over two weeks ago, but I've been delayed in getting this posted.

This will also be my last month of this subscription, as I have cancelled it to make room for a new box! 

Cost: $19.95/month for the Toy of the Month Box

          $29.95/month for the Spice Box

          $34.95/month for the Deluxe Box (which is what I received)

Due to the contents of this box, the rest of the post will only be available if you click on the read more button :)

Lip Monthly August 2014

There seemed to be a lot of issues surrounding Lip Monthly, but I decided to give it a try anyways, and signed up for a four month subscription. 

My August bag arrived at the end of the month, I want to say it was around the 26th or 27th?  It took awhile from the time it was shipped, I think it was almost two weeks.

Cost: $10/month + $6/month shipping to Canada

The August Lip Monthly arrived in a blue makeup bag. I don't love the design, but it will find a use for something.

The products - for some reason I didn't take individual pictures of everything before I started using some of them.

Jesse's Girl Cosmetics -  Liquid Glass Lip Gloss in Idyllic - $4.99

City Color Cosmetics - Lip Balm in Ultra Pink - $3

City Color Cosmetics - Be Matte Lipstick in Phoebe - $5

City Color Cosmetics - Magic Balm - $3.99 (according to the information card included in the bag)

Pixi by Petra - Lid Last Shadow Pen in Gilded Mink - 12Euro (~$17.25CAD)

The entire contents of my August Lip Monthly. I was unable to find the Magic Balm anywhere online, so I don't know if it's a discontinued product (which was an issue with this company a few months ago) or if it's a completely new product that hasn't been released yet. I'm not overly pleased that three of the five products are from the same brand. The Be Matte Lipstick is a nice colour, but it doesn't go on as smoothly as other lipsticks I own. I will probably pass on the magic balm and the Jesse's Girl lip gloss to family members, and possibly the eye shadow pencil as well (I love the colour, I just wear eye shadow so infrequently it's almost a waste to just have it sitting in a bag somewhere). The overall value of this bag was $34.23, which is well above the $16 I paid, and overall I think I could say I am happy with it. I'll wait and see what the three remaining months of my subscription bring, but I do think this company could step it up a bit - maybe try and send products from different companies? 

Did you receive the August Lip Monthly? What were your thoughts?

xoxo,

Fallon

Thursday Thoughts

Another Thursday means another link-up for Thursday Thoughts. This was started by one of my favourite bloggers, Jen over at Ramblings of a Suburban Mom. I'm always so jealous of how many subscription boxes she receives (many of which I'll never get to try because they don't ship to Canada...boo!) Anyways, here's what I'm thinking about today:

- I'm so far behind on my blog posts (I mention this all the time, because I just want to get caught up!) I still haven't posted my reveals of Lip Monthly, Lip Factory and Spicy Subscriptions from August.

- My first Memebox arrived last night, and I love it! I can't wait to post about it, I've already tried a few of the products I've received and so far so good! Lately I've been really focused on skincare, so the box I got is right up my alley!

- L and I went to another movie premier last night for The Maze Runner (which comes out in theaters September 19th). I went into it without knowing anything about it, and I definitely didn't hate it. I don't think I loved it either, but it had a very interesting plot. Teenagers living in dystopian environments in a post-apocalyptic future seem to be the new vampires, so I'm sure it will be a box office hit.

 - Work has been a bit of a whirlwind over the past week and a half. I received an important promotion, which resulted in working almost 60 hours last week alone. I couldn't be happier though, I love my job!

 - Growing up I was always taught that there are four seasons, but fall seems to be non-existent this year. I woke up Monday morning to snow on my car (on September 8th!), but luckily we didn't get hit as hard as Calgary did. I am so thankful for the heated seats in my car.

 - I ended up caving and ordering the newest Julep Mystery Box...I have no self-control.

- I think I want a new cellphone, I've had my current one for almost three years now. But do I upgrade to the new iPhone 6, or go to an iPhone 5C/5S? I currently have a 4, so anything is an upgrade from that...

- I need to get to HMV this weekend, I really want to buy the new Vance Joy album. He was at Folk Fest this year, and he's fantastic. And yes, I still buy hard copies of CD's (L and I both love music, and have an impressive collection).

- L and I are late to jumping on the bandwagon, but we finally started watching Orange is the New Black. So addictive!

- A new board game café opened up right by my apartment a few weeks ago. We went last weekend with some friends, and ended up staying there for over 4 hours! We have plans to go with some other friends again this weekend, it's just so much fun! It's cheap, a great way to spend time together and you get to talk to each other!

That's all I have for today, enjoy your weekend!

xoxo,
Fallon

Julep Jewel Heist Mystery Box

 

Julep is back with another Mystery Box! This time 50 lucky winners will receive all 12 of the polishes from the birthstone collection (including the three colours that haven't even been released yet) and one lucky winner will receive the birthstone collection plus a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings. The box costs $24.99 and Julep guarantees a value of at least $100.

 

 

I haven't decided yet if I am going to order this box or not...I do like most of the birthstone polishes, and haven't bought any of them yet...

 

xoxo,

Fallon

 

*This post contains referral links

September 2014 Ipsy Glam Room Open!

I logged in to my Ipsy account today, and immediately a screen popped up asking if I wanted to view the contents of my September Glam Bag. As much as I love surprises, I had to find out what I was going to receive this month. You need to share a status on your own Facebook (which is fine, I just delete it quickly afterwards) and you receive 10 points just for doing so.

Here is what will be showing up in my September Ipsy bag:

 

 

The bag looks so cute (hopefully it's not plastic like last month's!). I'm also excited for that blush stick and the nail polish is a gorgeous colour! The other three products I'll actually need to see/test to see if they are something I'm interested in.

 

Last month my bag showed up very quickly, so hopefully it's the same this month! I'll be sure to post a review on my blog once I receive it!

 

What variations are you receiving this month? If you haven't signed up for Ipsy yet, be prepared for a waitlist. It only costs $10/month (plus $4.95/month shipping to Canada) which is one of the cheapest boxes out there!

 

xoxo

Fallon

Tea Sparrow August 2014

I received my Tea Sparrow a little over a week ago, but I still haven't had a chance to try any of the teas that were sent this month.

Cost: $20/month (but as I've mentioned before, there are promo codes you can easily find with a google search to get your first month for only $8) 

I love the little sparrow in the tea bag, such a cute logo for a company! 

My first look at my August teas. 

Black Tea - Mount Kenya Estate

I'm not a fan of black tea, so L can have this one all to himself haha. 

Quince Green - Green Tea 

Chamomile Citrus - Herbal Tea

These are generally my favourite teas, and this month is no different! I love fruity, citrusy teas, and look forward to trying this one out. 

Red Rocks - Rooibos Tea

I'd have to say this is probably my second favourite type of tea, and this one sounds great.

I'll probably keep this subscription for another month or two, but I'll probably cancel for the winter since I prefer my teas iced. So far, I've really enjoyed all of the teas I've tried from Tea Sparrow, and by the sounds of these ones I have more to love.

xoxo,

Fallon