May 2014 Beauty Box 5

I signed up last month for a free month of the Beauty Box 5 subscription box. I just cannot say no to free. (And then I didn't unsubscribe in time so... I bought an extra month. Surprise.)

I've actually been meaning to review this box since last week since it arrived the same day as my Ipsy Bag! I know, what an awesome mail day!

Here's the loot:

What's inside:

3 packets of "Just Being Sexy" Body Bronzer - $9.00

BH Cosmetics California Collection Sampler - $1 (?)

Montagne Jeunesse Glacial Clay Spa Mask - $2

Aveeno Positively Nourishing Calming Body Wash (Lavender, Chamomile, and Ylang-Ylang) - $1

La Fresh Travel-lite Facial Cleansing Wipes - $2.50

Total: $15.50

Total Paid: $12.00

All right, this was my first month getting this box and I think it's... okay... I'm going to wait until next month to really give a good judgement of what I think about the box but I just don't think I'm getting the most bang for my buck here. 

I'm excited to try the bronzers because I've been on a self-tanner kick this summer as I'm trying to be good about sun exposure and the Clay Spa Mask should be fun to try. I've used sme of the La Fresh wipes before, but a different type that came in my Ipsy bag and found they were a bit irritating to my skin. These are slightly different so perhaps they'll work out better for me. Will report back with findings. 

I'd actually received the exact same sampler of BH Cosmetics in my July 2013 Ipsy bag so my sister adopted this duplicate. I went ahead and swatched mine though, just for shits and grins. 

These colors are a lot more pigmented than the Pacifica colors I received in my Ipsy bag this month. I use Malibu quite often since I'm a sucker for a goldenrod colored eye shadow.

Overall, this box is okay... It's definitely nothing special but I don't regret getting it. We'll see what next month brings.

May 2014 Ipsy Bag

As promised, I'm FINALLY reviewing my Ipsy bag from this month. I'm so bad about not blogging about these things; I've got to get into a better habit of it!

Alas, here is this month's booty!

Contents: 

EVA NYC - Therapy Session Hair Mask - $4.00

Pacifica - Mineral Eye Shadow Duo - $5.00 (?)

Calvin Klein - Endless Euphoria - $3.50

Jersey Shore Sun - San Tan Anti-Aging Sunscreen - $5.00 

Avène - Thermal Spring Water - $3.00

Total Value: $20.50

Pretty sweet. 

I've got to admit though, I was a little underwhelmed this month. Granted, every month it's going to be the best but this month was a little... lackluster. I really loved the hair mask and the perfume smells pretty good (though I have yet to wear it, which will be the ultimate test), but the rest really leaved something to be desired. There's something about a can of water that really turned me off this month. 

Oh well. Here's hoping for June to make up for it!

I also swatched the Pacifica shadows below:

As you can see, they are shimmery and pretty in the palette.

Here is my arm with ELF eye shadow primer at the top. This photo was taken with not flash:

And with the flash:

As you can see, they are not very pigmented. I tried pretty hard to build up the color but it just wasn't happening. I think the white will be good for a base for a shimmery look but I just don't see myself getting much use from the purple. I really was hoping for this eye shadow to be great... it just wasn't.

That's not to say all of Pacifica's products aren't great; I'm in LOVE with their Alight BB Cream for the summertime because it has a VERY SLIGHT shimmer that just makes me look dewy and pretty.

Anyway, if you're not an Ipsy subscriber, you should definitely consider joining! While this month wasn't the best, I've been really happy with this subscription box for nearly a year and a half.