BEAUTY BOX 5 (BB5) DECEMBER UNBOXING: A BOX OF AWESOME OR A BOX OF AWFUL?

Not only did the sun come out in our neck of the woods today, but Beauty Box 5 (BB5) made its appearance in our mailbox. They were a bit later in shipping this month (apparently awaiting an item or two for inclusion into this box) but kept everyone updated so all’s good. Well, everything’s all good provided this month’s box doesn’t include toothpicks and empty bottles (see my snarkalicious review of the November box…Oy!).

So many subscription box services are late in shipping this month that it actually makes me quite happy that I didn’t bother purchasing them as holiday gifts. Nothing says “thinking of you” than empty hands but a promise of arriving soon to a friend or loved one, right? Again, oy…

Since BB5 is one of the few subscription boxes that actually didn’t have their head buried in their nether regions for the December box, we’re already going to be a little biased in our review. Human nature and all…

Okay, let’s do a reveal of the contents:

Not a toothpick nor an empty bottle in sight…So far, so good, BB5!

First let’s snatch up that very prettily designed perfume sample. From Lucky Brand, this is their new fragrance Lucky Number 6. It’s a combination of fragrances, including lotus, tiger lily, cashmere woods, and jasmine, and it smells UH-MAZING. Light, fresh, crisp. I normally don’t care for overly flowery scents, but this one is quite lovely and not overpowering in the least. My daughter is going to want a full-sized bottle of this ASAP. Off to a grand start, BB5!

Next up is a sample of Juice Beauty’s Stem Cellular Moisturizer. I’m so stealing this from my daughter’s box (with her permission, of course). I’ve already received 2 Juice Beauty products in other sub boxes and LOVE them. This will be a great addition to the Green Apple Peel and the moisturizer I already have. This product is meant to use morning and evening over cleansed skin (I always wonder why this caveat is always included in instructions – are there really people out there who would apply a treatment over unclean skin?), and with its combination of organic, antioxidant-rich plant and fruit oils, to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, combat sun damage, and seriously hydrate the complexion. LOVE IT.

And how convenient is receiving this travel-sized Absolute! New York nail polish remover pads…I guess the good people at BB5 knew when we saw the next item coming up, we’d want to immediately remove our current polish and use the one in this month’s box, which is:

This is just all sorts of gorge and awesome in a bottle. By Nanacoco, this is their “Stardust” nail polish. It’s twinkling, it’s sequined, it’s sparkly, it’s copper, and it’s PERFECTION. Going on the nails as soon as this blog is published…Happy holidays, indeed!

And with the next-to-the-last amazing item in this month’s box, here we have an awesome rose hydrating facial mist from Jaqua Beauty. This subtle fragrance smells just like fresh-cut roses and a couple of spritzes to the face shows it dries without a trace of stickiness and has an amazing aromatherapy quality. Oh yeah, this is good stuff, BB5.

Now here’s a kicker. Included in this month’s box is a code to get a $50 retail value jewelry product from Lilee with your subscription to their new monthly box. Priced at $49/month, it’s a lifestyle box described on their webpage (www.lilee.com) as: “Lilee knows what she likes- only the best!- and she’s picked out fabulous beauty and lifestyle products to share with you every month. There’s no better way to discover your next must-have lipstick, scarf, bauble or bling than to become a Lilee subscriber! Simply pick your plan below and prepare for $120+ worth of gorgeous goodies every month!” Although this subscription is a little pricier than I like to spend on the regular, I’m thinking it might be worth trying it out. If you’d like to subscribe, go to the previously-referenced website and enter the code BB5PERK to get your free $50 piece of jewelry with your subscription. Nice little offer, courtesy of BB5.

And there we have it, the December Beauty Box 5 (BB5). We totally approve. We still aren’t sure what they were thinking about last month what with toothpicks and empty bottles, but they’ve definitely reclaimed their status with us this month. Here again, besides the item or two that I intend to confiscate from my daughter’s box, these are all very usable and fun items. Not a single bomb in the box.

AWESOME OR AWFUL? Awesome. For $12/month, BB5 has proven yet again it’s a small monthly indulgence well worth the price.

Beauty Box 5 is running a special offer of a free box with subscription (code below). If you’d like more information on Beauty Box 5 or perhaps to sign up for it as a treat for the new year, here is my referral link to their website, as well as the link to the BB5 Facebook page:

WEBSITE REFERRAL LINK: http://www.beautybox5.com/?u=12356 ENTER FREEBOX1 FOR FREE BOX
FACEBOOK LINK: https://www.facebook.com/BeautyBox5

Until next time, stay beautiful, and Happy Holidays from The Beholding Eye.

GLOSSYBOX NOVEMBER 2014 UNBOXING: KEEP IT OR KICK IT TO THE CURB?

TGIF, my lovelies. I hope everyone has a splendid weekend planned full of all sorts of awesome fun.

The mail carrier brought a surprise to the door today, the November Glossybox, which had shown as being scheduled for delivery Saturday. We’re always happy to take delivery of any and all subscription boxes early, so thank you very much, Ms. Mail Carrier!

We had already seen and blogged about a couple of the items as spoilers but still…It’s not quite the same as having the actual products in hand.

Let’s see what’s in the November Glossybox and if it meets our standards to go forward in 2015.

And there’s a familiar sight, the lovely pink box emblazoned with black lettering.

One more sip of coffee and we’ll lift the lid and check out the contents.

And there we have it, this month’s descriptor card outlining the products contained herein, with the products hidden by a layer of pink tissue paper.

Let’s dig in and see what goodies we’ve received this lovely Friday morning.

RETAIL VALUE: $20 for full-sized (3.38 fl oz) product

Anything encased in purple has to be good. That’s just a hard and fast rule at Casa Beholding Eye. Here we have a sample size of Kneipp Herbal Bath: Balancing in Lavender. Out of Germany, this touts the ability to calm nervousness and control mental fatigue. Sounds promising. Smells divine. Can’t wait to try this out tonight, maybe with a candle or two going to add to the ambiance. After a long week of work and holiday activities, this might be just what the beauty doctor ordered. Grazi, Glossybox!

RETAIL VALUE: $20.00 for full-sized (6 oz) product

Oh, this looks promising. A very decent-sized sample of 12 Benefits Instant Healthy Hair Treatment. This is a leave-in treatment designed to offer a dozen benefits (hence the name, I gather) to chemically processed, pollution-exposed, or heat-styled hair, as well as boosting vibrancy of existing hair color and preventing sun stress through sunscreen. We love hair products (especially my daughter with her epic mane of thick, naturally wavy hair). She’s really looking forward to trying this out.

RETAIL VALUE: $45.00 for full-sized (2 oz) product

I’m excited about this product, as it happens to be from the same skincare line as one of the products in the FabFitFun Winter box, which should be shipping anytime now. From Juice Beauty, it’s their Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer, which is purported to be a potent brightening complex of apple, lemon and white grape juices with vitamin C and peptides. I’ll hold off on using this product until I receive the green apple peel coming in the FFF box. This is very nice-sized sample and should be more than efficient to determine whether it’s worth pursuing a full-sized product.

RETAIL VALUE: $23.29 (this is a full-sized product)

From So Susan, a cosmetics company with which I’m completely unfamiliar, is this UH-MAY-ZING Universal Blush. It claims to combine the staying power of a micronized blush along with the skincare benefits of Buriti, an Amazonian fruit containing beta-carotene and essential fatty acids. This shade is simply gorgeous. Sort of like Nars Orgasm/sort of not like Nars Orgasm. Here, see for yourselves:

It’s difficult to capture in a photograph, but it’s a truly gorgeous combination of pink, mauve, peach, and copper with flecks of gold that truly does look like it would be perfect on any skin tone. I think my daughter and I may have to engage in a quick game of rock/paper/scissors to see who wins primary custody of this piece of awesomeness.

RETAIL VALUE: $9.50 (this is a full-sized product)

From OPI is the custom-created nail lacquer in “Pink Outside the Glossybox.” Cute name, lovely color. While it’s probably not something that will actually be used until Spring, it is nonetheless a very pretty shade that would work equally well on a mani or a pedi. And OPI has great products, so we have high hopes for this little gem.

And there we have it, the November Glossybox, all unboxed.

Now for the test of whether to keep it or kick it to the curb in 2015.

Does it have products we’re looking forward to trying? Why, yes. Yes it does. Every single item in this box is definitely something either my daughter or I will love trying on for size.

Do we feel that we got sufficient bang for our proverbial buck? For $21/month, yes. Two of the items are full-sized products with a retail value of about $35, with 3 additional deluxe-sized samples of equally impressive products.

Will Glossybox be kept around for the December box and going into 2015? That’s a resounding yes. In fact, after careful consideration, if we ever had to decide between Allure Sample Society and Glossybox, we’d probably opt to keep Glossybox. There’s a nice variety of products and even the deluxe samples are of a sufficient amount to get a good idea on how effective any given product might be.

If you’d like more information on Glossybox and maybe snag your own subscription, here are some links to get you started:

WEBSITE WITH REFERRAL: http://www.glossybox.com/referal?CI=MTIxNDg0
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GlossyBox.com

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful…

FABFITFUN (FFF) WINTER BOX 2014: SPOILER #3 AND $10 OFF COUPON CODE!!!

Happy Monday, lovelies. Hope everyone had a marvelous Thanksgiving and is ready to get back to the regular weekly grind.

Just to start the week off with a bang, here’s spoiler #3 from the FabFitFun Winter box.

“Spoiler #3 is here! Every FFF VIP will get a fab yourMinerals eye shadow duo in their winter box! So what are you waiting for? Get yours today!”

Not a lot of other information, as you can see, such as possible color selections, but sounds like a great addition to an already impressive-sounding box. I’m still most excited about the necklace.

And just to quickly recap, here again are spoilers #1 and #2:

As always, here at The Beholding Eye we’ll try to keep you updated as soon as these various box sneak peeks are available. So far the FabFitFun Winter box is shaping up to potentially be as good as the Fall box…And all of our readers know how much we at The Beholding Eye adored that Fall box.

If you’d like to take the plunge and order your FabFitFun Winter Box now, here are a couple of links to get you started on your quest:

WEBSITE: http://vip.fff.me/7PHPh ENTER BLACK10 TO SAVE $10 OFF OF THIS BOX
FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/FabFitFun

As always, feel free to follow me on the following social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful!!!

IPSY GLAM BAG DECEMBER 2014: FIRST SNEAK PEEK…WOW!!!!

Well, our sub box services are definitely dangling their proverbial little carrots in front of our chilly little noses for their December boxes. First was that UH-MAZING Coastal Scents sneak peek from our friends at Boxycharm and now we have our first sneak peek from our friends at Ipsy.

Let’s get right to it, shall we?

In every Ipsy December glam bag will be this fabulous Tarte Lights, Camera, Mascara and an awesome NYX Butter Lip Balm in one of three possible shades.

I love pretty much all things Tarte and those NYX Butter products are pure awesomeness in a tube as well.

December is looking like THE month to hop onto the subscription box bandwagon.

Treat yourselves, lovelies..You deserve it!

If you’d like more info on Ipsy and would like to subscribe, here are some links to get you started:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ipsy
WEBSITE AND REFERRAL LINK: http://www.ipsy.com/r/jk7y?sid=ipsypoints&cid=general

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful (and stay warm!!!)

XOXO

BOXYCHARM DECEMBER 2014 SNEAK PEEK: JINGLE BELLES…AND ROCKS!!!

Happy Tuesday, lovelies! As temperatures continue to drop in most areas and the holidays draw nearer, our friends at Boxycharm decided to give us a little sneak peek into their December box, which has the pretty adorable theme of “Jingle Belles.”

And here it is, your first sneak peek into the Boxycharm December “Jingle Belles” box:

“December Sneak Peek #1: Coastal Scents REVEALED Palette! Enjoy all 20 natural and metallic shades this holiday season! Perfect for day and night, these vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadows are highly pigmented, long lasting and absolutely gorgeous. We can’t wait to see how you wear them! Share this Sneak Peek by tagging a friend or sharing this post! There are limited spots available for our December “Jingle Belles” Box so be sure to SUBSCRIBE TODAY at http://www.boxycharm.com
Xoxo, Your BOXYCHARM Team”

OH. EM. GEE.

I love you, Boxycharm. I completely forgive you for that rather disappointing November box. The sight of this sneak peek just erased it completely from my mind.

Now, THIS is what I’ve come to expect from Boxycharm, fantastic deals with great products.

What are you waiting for? Go grab your December Jingle Belles box now before they sell out or go back to a waiting list.

Enjoy, my lovelies!!!

WEBSITE WITH REFERRAL CODE: https://www.boxycharm.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/9718/
FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/Boxycharm

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

THE FRENCH BOX: NOVEMBER UNBOXING ~ I LOVE PARIS (I TRULY DO) AND COUPON CODE!!!

After stalking the tracking information for my November The French Box, I woke up this morning wringing my hands in anticipation of its arrival and practically squealed when I saw the mail carrier walk past my office window with the distinctive pink box in her hands.

After carefully removing it from its outer shipping box, my little black heart skipped a beat.

There it was, the November box…être encore , mon cœur!

I carefully opened the lid to reveal the exquisitely wrapped contents…And this month’s frame-friendly postcard was on the top:

Yes…Yes, indeed, Paris is always a good idea. Particularly when one is wasting away in a central California valley rural community. Le sigh.

The theme for November is “Paris, I Love You.” Although I’ve never been there, I can say without hesitation that, yes, Paris, I love you. Or what I imagine you to be, somewhere between Utopia and Heaven.

Okay, let’s see what else is in this box of French wonders.

I’m in love already and I haven’t even touched any of the products. I can practically SMELL the French awesomeness emanating from the box….Let’s check everything out!

RETAIL VALUE: $43.50

Right off the proverbial bat, here we have a full-sized Pier Auge Radiant Mask for all skin types. “Wonderfully gentle, this treatment smooths the skin. Beautified skin regains all its natural radiance and is better protected against the signs of aging, stress and pollution.”

I applied a dab of this to my hand to try it out. Ooh la la. My hand feels soft and silky after just a few minutes. This is a mask that you apply, wait 10 minutes, and then rub in whatever remains atop the skin. J’adore. I’m already swooning.

RETAIL VALUE: $6.00

I snatched this up and did a happy dance. COFFEE. REAL FRENCH ROAST COFFEE. Not the Starbucks version of French Roast or any other non-French-produced French Roast coffee, but coffee really and truly made in France. I’m an absolute coffee-holic. Iced, hot, cappy’d, latte’d, frappy’d, you name it. Even my favorite ice cream is coffee flavored. I’m thrilled with this and intend to enjoy it one perfect cup a day to make it last as long as possible. From Segafredo Cafe de Paris, “its rich, aromatic flavors will leave you craving for a little bit more French throughout the entire day…” Oh, it already has. Parfait!!!

RETAIL VALUE: $12.00

I love the way little objets d’art are included in the French Box, and here we have an absolutely adorable hard-backed journal from Lido Accessories, complete with an elasticized bookmark. It’s almost too cute to use. They’ve also included a pamphlet from Lido describing their burlesque cabaret and it sounds amazing. One can make reservations for dinner and the show or drinks and the show. How I would love to attend for dinner and the show. Here’s a peek at the pamphlet:

And what is this round, perfectly French item?

RETAIL VALUE: $12.00.

Okay, this is seriously THE cutest compact I’ve ever seen. The Paris Pocket Mirror is distinctively French and the perfect size, it contains two mirrors, one in the top half and the other in the bottom. It’s beyond UH-DORABLE. This is definitely going straight into my purse and I’ll be whipping it out at every opportunity to show people how utterly awesome it is. These pictures don’t even do justice to its cuteness.

RETAIL VALUE: $24.90 for full-sized 3.4-oz product

Here we have a sample vial of Leonard Eau de Parfum Signature and it smells DIVINE. I’ll be treasuring this little vial and using it for special occasions when I want my sense of smell to transport me directly to Paris. Ooh la la indeed.

Oh my…Next up is another recipe card (last month’s box had a recipe card for a few menu ideas for utilizing the Herbs d’Provence contained in the box). This month’s recipe is for Croque Monsieur, which is an extremely delectable-looking sandwich that actually makes me want to throw my Subway Club sandwich sitting next to me off of my balcony. It looks amazing and anything that contains Gruyere cheese is going to be a home run with my cheese-loving self. Nice touch, French Box, Keep those recipes coming!

RETAIL VALUE: $61.00 for full-sized 1-ounce product

The last item in this month’s box are 2 sample packets of Guerlain Foundation Parure de Lumiere. I’ve tried a few Guerlain products in the past (and loved them), but I’ve not tried this particular foundation. This one is moisturizing and contains light-diffusing ingredients as well as SPF 25. The active ingredient is Luminescent Water, a marine spring water that hydrates the skin and diffuses light at 360 degrees to create a radiant complexion. The color is conveniently the perfect shade for my skin (woot!). I can’t wait to give these a try. It’s medium coverage, which should also be perfect for me.

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE OF “I LOVE PARIS” BOX: $73.50 (not including a value for the adorable postcard, the sample Guerlain products, the recipe card, or the Leonard perfume).

Once again, I am completely blown away by The French Box. Just opening the box immediately allows me to escape the day-to-day banalities and be mentally transported to a faraway place I’ve only seen in my dreams. I find the curating of the box to be top notch and brings me such a nice variety of things to taste, see, smell, and feel. I’m definitely still carrying on my own personal love affair with the French Box.

If you’d like to check out the French Box, here are some links to help you get started (pssst, The French Box would be a PERFECT gift for any lovers of all things France on your holiday gift-giving list this year).

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frenchbox
Website: https://getfrenchbox.com/ get a discount, enter this promo code when ordering: RRAMY8A4D8
Twitter: @GetFrenchBox
Instagram: FrenchBox_Official
Pinterest: FrenchBox_Official

VIVA LA FRANCE!!!

And I am now departing from my all-too-brief imaginary trip to Paris and back to my American apartment in central California. The struggle is real. Le sigh.

As always, feel free to follow me on the following social media:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebeholdingeye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

BOXYCHARM “SPARKLE AND SHINE” NOVEMBER UNBOXING: AWESOME OR AWFUL?

While not so patiently awaiting delivery of the November French Box tomorrow, today the mail carrier put into my awaiting hands the November Boxycharm “Sparkle and Shine” box.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’ve seen multiple unboxings of this box and am on the fence about whether I like it or whether I find it geared towards a younger demographic. A lot of shine is always a good thing, but a little sparkle goes a long ways. At a certain point in life, it can be a fine line between throwing on some classy shimmer and looking like a leftover from New Year’s Eve in Times Square, so let’s check it out and see if this box is awesome, awful…Or a little of both.

And there it is, just begging to be opened.

And, as everyone probably already knows, the theme this month is “Sparkle and Shine.”

“Now, pop open your box, Charmers, and get your sparkle and shine on!”

Whatever you say, Boxycharm.

RETAIL VALUE: $20.00 – $25.00 (must depend on which color one chooses?)

First up is this Color Bug by Kevin Murphy. It’s a similar product of the As-Seen-On-TV chalk highlighter for hair. We received the purple color. Not something I’d probably ever use (I was hoping for the gold), but my daughter did swatch it onto her dark brown hair and the color amazingly enough was actually detectable.

Well, that was underwhelming. Moving right along.

RETAIL VALUE: $16.00

Here we have a Tarina Tarantino Eyelicity eyeliner in the color in Glitter Mist. Although it looks white in the tube (and in the picture), it is actually an amazing opalescent, leaning to pink, color that is really gorgeous. This stuff has some staying power, too. If you’re in the market for a festive, long-lasting eyeliner for any upcoming holiday events, this is a product you’d probably love. Boxycharm was also giving a black version of this eyeliner, but we’re happy with the white.

RETAIL VALUE: $24.95

This shock of color blush is from Ofra in Paradise Pink. Although it looks pretty intimidating in the compact and in the pictures, it actually blends out really lovely to a subtle shimmery pale pink, kind of the same color pink one’s cheeks naturally turn when out in the cold. It’s a lot more wearable than I was expecting.

RETAIL VALUE: $14.99

A little more shimmer, this is by Bella Pierre and is their shimmer powder in Sensation. This is really lovely and really versatile, whether it’s on the eyelids, on the inner eye corners, or even on the cheeks. It’s a keeper.

RETAIL VALUE: $44.95 (and a great big knee-slapping chuckle at that…See below)

And here we have an overly inflated retail value for MicaBeauty Eye Primer.

It’s an eye primer. NYX makes an excellent one that appears pretty much identical in texture and does an amazing job. For $7.

Interestingly, this purported retail value of $44.95 is on sale for half price right now on the MicaBeauty website.

Color me skeptical, but there is no way MicaBeauty is selling ANY of these primers at $44.95. That is an absolute insult to any beauty maven’s intelligence. I’m even going to go out on a limb and say I highly doubt they’re moving many units at even the “sale” (snort) price of $22.50.

Honestly, it just infuriates me when retailers heavily inflate the retail value of a product just to up the value of a subscription box. No fault of Boxycharm, the onus for this type of bait-and-switch is totally on the supplier of the product.

In fact, here, ladies…Here’s a link to go get yourself a good quality NYX eye primer for $7 and spend the difference on something else nice for yourselves:

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=466013&catid=183538&cmbProdBrandFilter=47708&aid=338666&aparam=466013&kpid=466013&CAWELAID=120142990000071289&CAGPSPN=pla&kpid=466013

So there we have it, the much-awaited November Boxycharm “Sparkle and Shine.”

Was it great? Eh. Was it good? Yeah, but in my humble opinion, it’s not nearly as good as the previous few months have been. That Color Bug is definitely an odd choice, as it has rather limited appeal to various demographics and really isn’t something most subscribers would consistently use. Maybe once or twice a year and then it goes to the Haircare Graveyard.

I’m a bit disappointed but hoping that they’ll step the game back up for December.

I’m also obviously somewhere between amused and annoyed at the overinflated retail value of that MicaBeauty eye primer. I’d balk at the “sale” price of $22.50, forget about $44.95.

Anyway, if you’d like to check out Boxycharm further, here are some links to get you started:

WEBSITE WITH REFERRAL CODE: https://www.boxycharm.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/9718/
FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/Boxycharm

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful…And stay tuned for tomorrow when THE FRENCH BOX arrives!!!

IPSY NOVEMBER UNBOXING: “GIRL MEETS GLITTER” – SPARKLY OR DULL?

And the second unboxing (or, in this case, unbagging) today is courtesy of Ipsy. The previews for this bag (and the bag itself, actually) had been pretty intriguing. Although I had peeked at my glam room (I have absolutely zero willpower when it comes to these subscription boxes, obviously), it’s still not as exciting as actually having that bright pink bubble wrap envelope in my hot little hands.

So let’s rip this baby open and see what awaits.

The bag this month is seriously adorable. Metallic silver trimmed out in pink? Yup, no way to go wrong with that combo at Casa Beholding Eye. We’re all over that. This is even cute enough to carry as a clutch to more casual holiday gatherings. Color us impressed, Ipsy.

Now to what’s actually in the bag…

This is by Marc Anthony and is their Oil of Morocco Argan oil hairspray in a great travel-friendly size. Big enough to get multiple uses, no detectable fragrance, and has gotten really good reviews at other sites. Oh yeah, we’re very happy with this product. Off to a good start, Ipsy!

As predicted, out of all of the possible choices, yours truly did indeed receive the lilliputian-sized Temptu highlighter. Well, at least it’s in a different color than the one I received in Birchbox 2 months ago. Tiny but a little goes a long way, this is in Pink Pearl. It really is a lovely color. Just keep it away from small children, for safety’s sake, because it’s definitely small enough to be considered a choking hazard.

Moving right along…

Now we’re talking, Ipsy. This is a full-sized eye shadow base/primer by Be A Bombshell in the color “Submissive,” which is a seriously gorgeous bronze shade. Actually, I love the sheerness and ability to build with this product (swatch below). I think it would work quite well as just a simple shadow as well. Loving this one, Ipsy.

Next is the J. Cat version of the OCC Lip Tar, this one in Red Potion. This is apparently the J. Cat equivalent to OCC’s Black Dahlia. It’s a really bold and lovely color and, as you can see in the swatch below (to the right of the lip color is the bronze-colored Be A Bombshell “Submissive” described above). We’re loving that Red Potion can be blended out to a lovely sheer tone or applied normally for a bold lip. While I prefer the quality of the OCC Lip Tar, this seems to be a very decent product as well. My daughter immediately fell in love with it (she had desperately wanted Black Dahila in Glossybox a couple of months ago but received Authentic instead – which yours truly immediately confiscated). Full-sized and a welcome collection to the lip arsenal, Ipsy!

SWATCHES:

Moving right along…

And here we have yet another full-sized product from Ipsy, this being the Elizabeth Mott waterproof eyeliner in Glitterati. This is really lovely, a deep jet black with just a hint of sparkle. Very subtle and definitely doesn’t scream LET’S DISCO!!! After the hand swatch dried, it was extremely difficult to make it budge, so it looks like this will definitely be long-wearing and help to avoid the dreaded raccoon eyes at the end of the night. I love a good liquid liner on occasion, as does my daughter, so this will definitely be put to good use.

All in all, a pretty great bag from our friends at Ipsy…Although after receiving 2 of the tiny Temptu highlighters now, I’m hoping to NOT receive a third one from my subscription boxes. Everything else in the Girl Meets Glitter bag receives a pretty enthusiastic 2 thumbs up, though (well, okay 4 thumbs up, since my daughter concurs).

If you’d like more information about Ipsy and would like to sign up for your own little monthly treat, here are some links to get you started:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ipsy
WEBSITE AND REFERRAL LINK: http://www.ipsy.com/r/jk7y?sid=ipsypoints&cid=general

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Later this week we’re hoping to receive Lip Monthly, French Box, Glossybox, Lip Factory, and more, so stay tuned!

Until next time, stay beautiful…

XOXO