March IPSY Glam Bag

Another month, another glambag!
Once again I have received some amazing products, however, I only received four products this month. One shy of my usual five... What's up with that, ipsy?

If you'd like to subscribe to the ipsy Glam Bag for just $10.00 a month, click HERE! 

Aside from being one product short, this months glambag is perfection in every way because everything I received this month is great for my go-to everyday make-up look.

Here's what I received this month...

Chella Indigo Blue Eyeliner Pen

The first thing I received in this months bag, and the product I am the most excited about, is the Chella Indigo Blue Eyeliner Pen. This product came at full-size (1 mL or 0.034 fl oz) and normally retails for $24.00 on the Chella website. That's over twice as much as you would pay for the whole Glam Bag!

I am a huge fan of the essence eyeliner pen and use it almost everyday. This product seems similar (obviously more high-end) so I'm really looking forward to trying it out.

NYX Love in Rio Eye Shadow Trio in "Segredos De Giselle"

This trio came full-size in my glambag (1g each) and usually retails for $6.00 on the NYX website.

This product is perfect for me because the colours are absolutely perfect for how I wear my make-up everyday. The lighter colours will also be great in the summer time when I'm looking for a lighter look!

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in "Get Ready"

This gorgeous pink lipstick came sample sized in my glambag and usually retails for $18.00 for a full-size on the Bare Escentuals website. I'm not sure exactly what size the sample is, but I'm going to guess it's about a third of a full-size.

This lip colour is super versatile and can be worn with almost any look!

pixi Flawless Beauty Primer

I was so excited to receive another pixi product this month!

This primer came in a generous sample size (12ml / 0.4 fl oz) and usually retails for $34.00 for a full-size (30ml / 1 fl oz) on the pixi beauty website.

This product seems to have a bit of shimmer effect to it - PERFECT for summer!

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Altogether this month I received about $53.00 worth of product!

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Once again, if you want to subscribe to the ipsy Glam Bag for just $10.00 a month (or $14.00 if you're in Canada, like me) just CLICK HERE!!! I promise you won't regret it!

November IPSY Glambag

Another month, another glambag! And once again, I'm beyond impressed!

If you'd like to subscribe to the ipsy Glam Bag for just $10.00 a month, click HERE! 

I feel like the team at ipsy really hit the nail on the head with this months Glam Bag, because everything I received this month will be perfect for festive make-up looks for the holiday parties coming up in the next month or so!

Even the metallic gold bag itself will go perfect with a few party dresses I have hiding away in my closet!

Here's what I received this month...

Gem Eye Pencil by Starlooks (in Topaz)

The first thing I received in this months bag was this Gem Eye Pencil by Starlooks in the colour Topaz. This pencil came at full-size (2.4g) and normally retails for $14.00 on the Starlooks website. That's more than what you would pay for the whole Glam Bag!

At first glance I was a little iffy about this product because it is sparkly, but once I gave it a swatch on the back of my hand, I fell in love!

I can't wait to rock this awesome eye pencil with some holiday looks!

em michelle phan Lash Gallery Mascara (Dramatic Volume in Black)

There is only one word to describe this mascara: AMAZING!

In the past, I haven't been too impressed with the mascara that I've received in my Glam Bags, but this is definitely an exception.

This em michelle phan Dramatic Volume Lash Gallery Mascara in the colour black came full-size in my Glam Bag (7ml/0.236 fl. oz.) and usually retails for $20.00 on the emcosmetics website.

This product really builds your lashes, and doesn't flake - I've even worn it through my workouts at the gym and haven't had a hitch!

I also really love the slight curve in the wand, and the fact that the product doesn't smell too much like glue like most mascaras do.

Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon (in Shameless)

This is without a doubt the best product that came this month. I even did a little dance when I pulled it out of my bag. What could be more perfect than a beautiful red lip for the holiday season!

On the Be a Bombshell website, this colour is advertised as a "burgundy" shade, but I find it works perfectly as a bold red for me.

Again, this product came full-sized (2.5g) and retails for $14.00 on the Be a Bombshell website.

I find this lip crayon so great because it is very hydrating and goes on nice and smooth! This is a product that I will definitely consider repurchasing.

Nailtini Straight Up Colour Nail Lacquer (in Champagne)

This nail colour looks like it will be perfect for any occasion, but I was bummed to discover that this colour seems to be discontinued on the Nailtini website.

That being said, this product came full-size and other nail polishes from the "Straight Up Colour Lacquer" line retail for $13.00 on the Nailtini website.

I haven't had a chance to try this colour out yet, but when I do I'll let you know how it is in one of my Outfits of the Week posts.

Galaxy Chic Baked Eyeshadow (in Neptune)

I can't express enough how perfect this eye shadow is for a holiday party smoky eye look! I'm so excited!

This product came in a "sample size" (basically the same as a single pot that you'd pay $1.00 for) as a promotion for a new eye shadow palette by bhcosmetics. The entire palette retails for $14.95 on the bhcosmetics website.

The packaging of this product is super fun, and I can't wait to give this product a try.

Bronzer by Pixi Beauty (in Subtly Suntouched)

This bronzer comes from a UK based cosmetics company. This product came in a generous sample size (3.2g/0.11oz) which is about a third of the retail size (10.21g/0.36oz). A regular size of this bronzer retails for £15.00 or about $25.00CA on the Pixi Beauty website, so let's say the sample size is worth about $8.00CA.

This bronzer is nice for contouring, and I find that my brush picks up a nice amount. The product isn't loose at all, so you're not wasting product with flakes and fly-aways!

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When all was said and done, I received about $70.00 worth of product this month! That's a steal!

I cannot rant and rave enough about how much I love ipsy. The team there certainly knows what they're doing, and they're doing it well!

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Once again, if you want to subscribe to the ipsy Glam Bag for just $10.00 a month (or $14.00 if you're in Canada, like me) just CLICK HERE!!! I promise you won't regret it!

iHerb.com HAUL & First Impressions

Today I received my very first order from iHerb in the mail! I ordered ten items and from what I paid, it averaged out to about $6.00CA an item.
In addition to this blog post, I've also made a vlog talking about my order, which I will add at the end of this post.

If you plan on making an order on iHerb, you can use the coupon code VDG871 to save $5-$10 off of your order!

Here's my HAUL with first impressions! :)

Now Foods, 100% Natural Coconut Oil

One of the main reasons I decided to make an order through this website was to get some coconut oil at a great price. This evening I decided to give this a try around my eye area for my eczema, and so far it seems to be working wonderfully!

Cococare, 100% Tea Tree Oil

The second main reason I wanted to make an order was to get some tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is ridiculously expensive at the drug store, and I've really been wanting to try it out for my acne and acne scars.
I used this as a spot treatment on my face this evening, and so far I love how it makes my skin feel! It's so refreshing!

Humphrey's Witch Hazel Astringent

I picked up this witch hazel astringent because I'm currently using the Dickinsons brand and I'm almost out so I wanted to give something else a try.

I really enjoyed using this product today because I found that this brand had less of an odour than the one I'm currently using.

Sierra Bees, Organic Tamanu & Tea Tree Beeswax Lip Balm with Vitamin E

Let me just say that I am IN LOVE with this lip balm. It is the best lip balm I have used in a long, long time. I'll definitely be repurchasing this one!

Hugo & Debra Naturals, Essential Mist, French Lavender

I bought this product to keep in my gym bag. I think it will be nice and refreshing post-workout. The smell is wonderful and the product is bigger than what I was expecting!

Queen Helelne, The Original Mint Julep Masque

At first I thought that this product was the same as the St. Ives face masque that I have, but once I did a comparison of the ingredients and actually tried this product, I realized that they are very different. They do smell exactly the same, but this product is much thicker and feels more cleansing on the skin.

Apparently there is a scrub that you can buy to go along with this masque, so I'll definitely have to try that out next time.

Cococare, Jojoba Oil, Natural Hair & Skin Conditioner

I decided to try some jojoba oil because I've been using the Michael Todd Jojoba Facial Scrub for a while now and it's definitely one of the best facial scrubs I've used.

I massaged this oil into my scalp before shampooing my hair today and I found it helped keep my scalp from flaking after wearing a hat. I'm pretty prone to dandruff, but so far this seems to be working well at keeping that under control.

Country Comfort, Herbal Savvy, Golden Seal-Myrrh

This is one of the products that came up on the site when I searched "eczema". It doesn't really have a smell, but so far I find it works at soothing the itch of the eczema on my hands really well. It also doesn't tingle or sting when I put it on which is really nice!

Boericke & Tafel, Sulphur 30C, 100 Tablets

This is another product that came up when I searched "eczema". These tablets are supposed to work in relieving bad eczema itch and pain - you can take up to three a day.

I haven't had the need to try these yet, but I figured they'd be good to have on hand to try when needed.

NutriBiotic, Long Lasting Deodorant Stick, Lavender

I was in the market for a new deodorant so I figured I'd just pick one up with my order. I'm not very picky when it comes to deodorant because I've never really been one to sweat much under my arms, so I can usually get away with using whatever deodorant I want. This one is lavender scented and it smells so good! I'll definitely be repurchasing this product.

Sagittarius Syd on YouTube:

*Save $5 - $10*

Coupon Code: VDG871

Quick Review: Equate Brand Facial Cleansing Towelettes

My quest for finding a "holy grail" status facial wipe has been hard. More often than not, facial wipes cause my facial eczema to break out, badly!
Sadly, this is one of those cases.

I picked up the Equate Brand Facial Cleansing Towelettes to try for a number of reasons... First, the attractive price of about $7.00 for two packs of 60 wipes. Second, it is advertised as being "for all skin types." And third, I wanted to try something new.

The first night I used these wipes I was satisfied, they removed all of my facial make-up nicely and didn't leave a residue like the Olay wipes do. Unfortunately, I woke up the next morning with my face and neck broke out in a nasty rash.

I had a similar reaction to the Balea facial wipes this past May and documented the reaction with pictures and mentioned it in one of my first YouTube videos. The reaction to the Equate wipes wasn't as severe, but it's been about three days now and my skin is still recovering.
So, if you have eczema prone facial skin, I would be weary of using these wipes.

Luckily, one of my girlfriends uses these wipes regularly so I can give them to her instead of tossing them away!

Until next time!

October IPSY Glambag - First Impressions

I was so happy to get my ipsy glambag in the mail today, and I was even happier when I opened it up to see what was inside!

I've been subscribed to ipsy since May, and I have to say, I think this month has been my favourite bag so far.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the ipsy glambag, it's a monthly mail subscription 'box' ($10/month if you're in the US and about $14/month if you're in Canada) in which you receive five beauty products. The products range from sample sized to full sized, and you most definitely get your moneys worth, or more!

***You can subscribe to ipsy by following this link: http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-hgsmbzd8udy6tho ***

My favourite product in this months bag at first glance are the La Fresh Oil-Free Face Cleanser wipes.

This product came in a typical wipe packet with 10 wipes. A pack of 30 wipes retails for $9.99 on the La Fresh website.

These wipes smell absolutely ah-maze-ing!

I particularly liked this product right off the bat because the wipes are biodegradable and compostable, and it claims to have a formula that is 99.25% natural.

I'm almost out of my OLAY wipes and was looking to try something new, so these came at the perfect time!

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My second favourite product at first glance is the bigsexyhair Blow Dry Volumizing Gel.

This product came in a sample sized 1.7 fl oz. (50 ml) red plastic bottle, typical of other sexyhair products I've received through ipsy. A 8.5 fl oz. (250 ml) bottle of this product retails for $16.95 on the sexyhair website.

Now, it's not very often that I get excited about hair products, but I've been trying out different products for volume lately because my hair is flat and lifeless, so I'm really excited to give this product a try!

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The third product that I am excited to see in this months bag is the Nourish Organic Deeply Nourishing Coconut & Argan Body Lotion.

This product came in a 1 fl oz. (30ml) sample tube. An 8 fl oz. (236 ml) tube of this lotion retails for only $11.99 on the Nourish Organic website.

The lotion feels amazing on my hands, and doesn't leave a greasy residue at all! Something about it reminds me of the Indian Coconut Nectar Lotion from Pacifica which is an all-time favourite of mine. I can definitely see myself purchasing this product in the future.

Oh! and did I mention? It's 100% Natural. USDA-Certified Organic. Bonus points!

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Next, the BUXOM Full-On Lip Polish in the colour Dolly.

This product came in a very generous sample size of 0.07 fl oz. (2 ml) tube. A 0.15 fl oz. (4 ml) tube of this gloss retails for $23.00 through Sephora.

This is a lip-plumping gloss. I enjoy the tingling sensation of this gloss, and the colour works perfectly with my skin-tone!

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Lastly, my bag contains a ZOYA nail polish in the colour Giovanna.

This product came in a full-sized bottle of 0.5 fl oz. (15ml) which retails for $8.00 on the ZOYA website.

In general, I find myself pleased with the product, but I'm not a huge nail polish fan. The colour is gorgeous though, so I am going to wear it!

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I hope you guys enjoyed this first impressions review!

Don't forget to CLICK THIS LINK if you'd like to subscribe. You'll definitely get your moneys worth!