Hello Penny Darlings!
Welcome to 2018 with me! Thank you for letting me live my dream life & helping me see my dreams in totally different way! We brought in the New Year quietly, but surrounded by good friends, warm energy, and a few drinks that landed me with a hangover that I haven’t had in years.
However, I have a few things cooking for early 2018 – but I alwaysalwaysalways appreciate feedback! I love hearing what you want to see!
And, as I mentioned in my last post – we set a date! Ah! I have a post coming up next week to fill everyone in with the wedding planning stage of my life! Now that the date is set, everything seems a lot less daunting!
So let’s see, what else? Hmm, blah, blah, blah, – check me out on Instagram here! I also started a Twitter account! Find that here! Follow Preston’s brand new fashion Instagram here! I also have a selling Instagram page where I sell some of my old clothes/styles so that I don’t drown in my own wardrobe. I just listed a few new things – so check that out!
Let’s move on to the content of the day, shall we?
In 2017, I signed up for Ipsy after becoming obsessed with doing my own unboxing, being gifted a Benefit mascara from someone else’s Ipsy bag, and realizing that I don’t know anything about make-up or brands and that I was always nervous to spend $17 on a liquid lipstick that I would hate, or that wouldn’t last all day, or whatever.
I heard that you could sign up for Ipsy for only $10 a month and you’d get FIVE sample size beauty products + a cute pouch every single month. And GIRL, let me tell you, I found some of my new fave beauty products this way and have even gone on to buy other products and find some of my favorite brands this way!
So today, I wanted to share some of my fave Ipsy GlamBag finds!
First of all, let’s talk about my fave glam bags so far.
So every month, your five products come in these adorable pouches (perfect for make-up!) I usually have three or four in my purse at a time. I use one for on the go make-up, one for tampons, one for the cords to my camera, one for hair bands and chapstick. They are the perfect purse sized accessory.
My two faves so far are this Admit One ticket (perfect for a theatre nerd like me) and this sunny side up egg Gudetama pouch. This melting sunny side up egg is my spirit animals most mornings.
So there’s a bunch of different categories you can select from, but I have mine set as face (make-up/foundation/lips/eyes/etc.), skin care (masks, toners, scrubs, etc.) and hair care (oils, leave in conditioner, dry shampoo). There’s bunch of categories where you can select what type of products you’re interested in trying.
So I rounded up some of my fave beauty products that I’ve gotten in 2017 in each category to show you what type of products you’d be getting!
Check out my referral link to sign up here!
Face
Caked Lip Fondant in Color: Low Key
I am obsessed with this color/liquid lip. It dries matte, smells like cupcakes, and has REALLY low transfer of color but with super high pigment. I even went on to buy this lip magic in two additional colors, and even have a few others in my cart. 10/10 I’ve been wearing this non-stop since May. I’m literally wearing this as I type right now.
Benefit – They’re Real Mascara
This was what actually introduced me to Ipsy in the first place. I usually have a tough time with mascara to the point where I usually NEVER wore it. I thought it added such a minimal difference to my face for SO much extra hassle, ugh. But during a show I was doing, my darling friend, Cassidy, gave me her Benefit They’re Real mascara from her Ipsy bag and I became OBSESSED! And then, miracle of miracles, one came in my December bag so I’m set for at least a little while longer! 10/10 my fave mascara. I also bought the full sized of this!
Glamour Dolls X Lisa Frank
Glamour Dolls x Lisa Frank Eyeshadow in Stargazing or Heartthrob is AMAZING. First of all, the packaging was ALL of the things my nostalgic, 90’s girl heart needed from Lisa Frank. But second of all, I am obsessed with the color. It’s this deep copper/bronze-y color with some definite color. It’s not TOO intense but it definitely adds another layer. I literally haven’t worn eyeshadow in my day to day life since….never? I used to wear glitter on my lids in college but that was about it.
TARTE Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer
This bronzer is a total game changer. I love it. I sort of get why people pay an arm and a leg for the brand. It’s matte, it lays so clean, and it doesn’t make me look orange in the least. It’s the perfect bronzer. I always find that grabbing bronzers makes me look streaky or weird – but this one helps matte out my foundation, is waterproof (and smear proof!), and has a slight shimmer in it.
Hair
BRIOGEO HAIR Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray
MARC ANTHONY – Hydrating Coconut Oil & Shea Butter Oil Treatment
This is a great oil treatment. It seriously is reparative, not too greasy or slimy, helps me get rid of frizz (which my curly hair always needs) and I use it when I put my hair up or into braids to prevent breakage and to keep it smooth!
SKINFOOD Egg White Perfect Pore Cleansing Foam
This product was a total throwback to slumber parties when we used to mix egg whites with a bunch of other goop in the kitchen to get really tight pores and this lives up to the hype! It’s a cleansing foam, as opposed to the slumber party masks, but it gives that same tight pore feeling.
PROMISE ORGANIC – Nourishing Coconut Milk Daily Facial Scrub with Walnuts and Sugar
This is an amazing facial scrub. I have super sensitive skin and it’s perfect. When I use the scrub, it really makes my face soft and clean feeling. I tend to get bothered by facial scrubs – but this one is very moisturizing and not harsh at all! And bonus: not a heavy smell.
FEEL – Brilliant Bamboo Charcoal Facial Sheet Mask
This mask makes my face feel so clean and refreshed and lovely. I love a good mask because they make me feel so fancy in only one item. I always like to listen to some good music, put a mask on, and turn the heat up. This one is not goopy or weird in anyway!
Eyebrows
BENEFIT COSMETICS – gimme brow volumizing fiber gel
CHELLA – Eyebrow Pencil in Beautiful Blonde and Elegant Ebony
As a girl who absolutely had never done her eyebrows before May of this year, these two products are blonde eyebrow game changers. Makes them look more defined and exciting! That fiber gel helps give me volume (which my blonde eyebrows desperately needed) and the taupe Chella pencil is the perfect tool for someone who is figuring out eyebrows or someone who wants precision eyebrows.
Honorable Mentions
TOUCH IN SOL – Advanced Real Moisture Liquid Foundation SPF 30 PA ++ in Shade #23 Natural Beige or Shade #21 Nude Beige
SKYN ICELAND Berry Lip Fix with Wintered Red Algae
Firma Beauty 103 Angled Contour Brush
LUXIE BEAUTY Precision Shader Onyx Brush 239
IT COSMETICS – Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder
SMASHBOX COSMETICS PHOTO FINISH RADIANCE PRIMER
And fun fact, I did my WHOLE face in JUST ipsy products and it came out AMAZING, don’t you think?
I love ipsy! For a non-make-up-guru, I desperately love getting to sample things for a low cost to see how I like it, how it mixes with my skin or my other must have make-up products, and without feeling like I wasted $25 for a primer I end up hating.
It’s totally perfect and makes make-up shopping a lot less daunting. Truthfully, then I know what brands/types I like. I used to think I would NEVER wear liquid matte lipstick until I started wearing one every single day. And I used to think I’d never find a blonde eyebrow and I totally did!
If you want to check out Ipsy – you can use my referral link to sign up!
For everyone from the make-up obsessed who want never ending new products or the cosmetic illiterate, like myself, this service is AMAZING.
*This post may contain affiliate links, however, all thoughts & opinions are my own*
SO HERE’S THE “END OF BLOG” SPIEL!
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Thank you for all that you do. You are truly extraordinary.
Love all you wonderful ladies (and gents!) out there!
How Very,
Abby
Penny Darling 