Be Your Own Beauty

Monday, July 29, 2013

Ipsy formally Myglam- Why You Should Subscribe

If you like beauty subscriptions such as Birchbox, Glossy Box, Little Black bag, or many others then you will LOVE Ipsy. You receive many great products and brands, even companies many people haven't tried or heard of. They have a variety of high end or drugstore products so if you fall in love with something, you don't have to buy an expensive product. I believe Ispy has grown so much as a company and they truly strive for excellent customer service.

The history behind Ipsy:

Ipsy was formally called MyGlam. Michelle Phan is the founder and I remember watching on her Youtube when she announced she will be opening the subscription website, and it did in December 2011; and that was when I received my first Myglam bag! Many other beauty gurus on Youtube joined as beauty advocates or stylists and showcase the website and the bags they get for each month. Beauty gurus such as Promise, Andrea, Jessica, and Bethany.

There was so much hype before it opened and there was a huge waiting list after the first subscribers signed up. I was apart of the first group! You can see my first post about them HERE. Unfortunately, they started to have many issues in the first few months of opening such as printing problems, a lot of people weren't receiving bags that they paid for, and products were missing in bags. Problems are not uncommon for a new company. (You can check out my post about this situation in 2012 HERE). They sent great products, especially the first bag!

However, I unsubscribed after my third bag just because I did not want to risk loosing money because I did not get a bag. It was just a huge issue, it wasn't just a few people who weren't getting bags, it was a lot. And their Facebook page was flooded with comments about that. This post is not to bash them by any means! This is just my experience with them the first time I subscribed. However, they have changed so much since 2012! So much so, I subscribed last May(2013) and am so happy I did!

Why Subscribe?

It is only $10.00 a month for deluxe or full size products! Most products are full size and well worth over $10.00!

You take a quiz on their site to determine the types of products they will send you. Everyone gets similar bags and you'll get the some of the same things like for an example everyone may get a polish but may have different colors, and also may get a different product from a brand, like on person gets a hairspray from that brand and another gets a gel. The quiz so far has been good to me and what I like.

Their Ipsy website is great for community and being involved! Birchbox was great because you get points and they add up and you can use them for products! I got a beauty blender set because of them. However, Ipsy has their own way.

If you get two people to subscribe using your unqine url for that month, you will recieve one bonus product. From what I can see, it is a full size product! If you have more than two sub, you still only get one product. And you can do this every month and get a new bonus product and they are different each month.

Every bag(month) you have several ways to win products from that bag. On their website you can upload looks on each category. There are three winners so you have a chance.

Each month the products come in a cute bag, like the one above, that you can either use yourself or give it as a gift!

You can have fun blogging or vlogging about them if you haven't been apart of a subscription before. I love doing looks and sharing the products I got that month.

What are the downfalls?

According to their website: Currently, the Glam Bag is available only in the United States and its territories, PO Boxes, and APO, DPO and FPO boxes, and, most recently, Canada and its military locations around the world.

Not too fun for those who can't subscribe yet. But they are currently working on shipping to other places.

Sometimes bags are late or don't come, but they are always quick to send one!

My overall thoughts:

As stated before, Ipsy has grown so much since last year and they are quick to respond! They send great products high end to drugstore, and remain customer focused. If you have not subscribed yet, do so now! Click HERE to subscribe. Thanks for reading my long rant and let me know what you love about Ipsy or if you want to subscribe and have questions, leave them below! -Kristina

Monday, July 29, 2013

Summer Skincare Routine

My Summer Skincare Routine

These are the products I am using currently and love each one. I would recommend each and paid for all with my own money.

Alba Botanica Good & Clean Towelettes( $6.00)

I like the purple Pod's towelettes and usually use those the most, but decided to try these out a couple of months ago. So far I really like them.

I do not have dry skin after I use them if I am too lazy to moisturize my skin.
They smell fruity, not in an artificial way, and have a scrubby side and a soft side.
They can burn slightly sometimes, but goes away quick.
They do leave an odd sticky feeling on your face, but I believe it's because it helps keep in moisture. It goes away shortly after you moisturize.
Also, they do a good job with taking off makeup and dirt.

La Conchita Sparkling Clean Face Powder( $11.20)

I came across La Conchita Naturals randomly on Etsy looking for healthy alternatives for skincare. I LOVE this brand and would like to get more from them. This facial powder is great because it lasts a long time(so far 7 months and I am half way done) and it will not go bad because it is a powder instead of a liquid.

It does not have a smell( sorta a oatmeal smell), so it won't irritate your skin.
Once you add water or their honey drops( I have some of it), you mix it and smooth it on your face for a few mins. It makes your skin soft and glowy.
It is also a scrub because it has little bits of oatmeal in it.
Lastly, the price is great and like I mentioned, it lasts for a long time.

African Black Soap ($4.00)

I have heard great things about this soap and surprised how cheap it is in a natural section of a store. I decided to grab it last February on a whim.

It smells nice and has a smooth feel to it on the face.
It gives you a black face or body when using it since it has charcoal in it, which helps with acne.
All natural and great for the skin.
It can give a burning feel, but goes away quickly.
It leaves your face a little tight so make sure you moisturize.
I feel it has helped my skin and I like using it the shower on my body when I break out on my shoulders and back.

Derma e Microdermabrasion Scrub( $29.99)

I received this in my July Ipsy bag, and love it!

After a good few mins of scrubbing, it makes me skin so soft and blowy.
Smells fruity in a good way.
You only need a little.
Preps your skin for makeup very well.
The full price is a little pricy, but I plan on adding it to my routine once I use up my sample.

Desert Essence Jojoba Oil ( $13.39)

Again, I heard great things about this oil and many others and decided to grab this earlier in the year. It has lasted me quite a long time because you don't need a lot to cover your face. It may go away faster now that I like to use it on my legs after a shower.

I has an odd smell, but nothing disgusting.
It can feel a little oily afterwards and can feel like that throughout the day if you put too much on.
It hydrates real well and soaks in great if you use the right amount.
It is great under makeup.
It works will with other oils such as coconut oil; I use to use them together.

Coola Mineral Sunscreen (full size $34.00)

I also received this with my Ipsy bag and glad I did. I wanted to find a good face sunscreen that works great under makeup.