I have so much fun getting monthly subscription boxes.  I think I just like getting mail.  The first to arrive this month was my Ipsy bag.  Ipsy is a $10.00 a month subscription service that gives you about five items a month that are sample size.  You can get points for reviewing your items and for referring people.  There are not usually things I can get in the point thing and my points are already expiring and I haven't even had my Ipsy a year.

The bag

 Many people weren't wild about the bag this month but I kinda like it.  It reminds me of a swimsuit or wet suit, which goes with the "Swim into Beauty" Theme this month.


 My first item was from J. Cat Beauty and was their Hydrating Lip Stain in the color LLS117 (Hikilicious), the full size is $5.99.  I'm not sure the size of the full size product.  J. Cat is a big believer in quality not needing to be expensive.  They are cruelty free and don't use phthalates, GMOS, sulfates, and triclosan.  This is a pretty color and smells minty.  It is comfortable on the lips but boy is it messy.  Transfer city and somehow on my teeth.

LaVanila

My next item is the LaVanila Healthy Body Butter in the scent Pure Vanilla.  The full size is $19.00 for 6.7 oz.  It is apparently always out of stock on their website (the first link) but Sephora does have it in stock (second link).  They do not test on animals, use silicones, aluminum, mineral oils, phthalates, petrochemicals, etc.  It does smell like vanilla but not super sweet vanilla.

Smashbox

Next I got a sample of the Smashbox Photofinish Primer.  The full size is $36.00 for 1 oz or $16.00 for .5 oz.  In this case, the math follows getting the smaller size.  This is definitely a silicone primer and will give that "slip" that helps your makeup apply more smoothly and should glide over imperfections.

After that I pulled out a TrèStique Mini Shadow Crayon in Kona Coffee.  This is a new brand and the pencils are coming soon but will be $26.00 for the full size.  Again, I'm not sure what that size will be. It blends out very well, so don't let my dramatic swatch of erm...rich brown scare you.  I do like shadow sticks, I have a couple and was thinking about doing a post about them.  The packaging on this is very cute.

It Cosmetics

I'm not going to lie.  I totally peek every month, the second Ipsy and Birchbox allow me to.  I was so excited when I found out that this was in my bag.  Don't get me wrong.  I love my Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade (I have such delicate brows I can't make them look over-powering with it, unless I really try, especially since I use the brush they made which is very fine) and the pencils and the gel.

When this came out, I really wanted to try it. You never know if something could be better until you try it.

It is a harder pencil, which is good because you don't want a soft pencil on your brows.  I was unsure of the color as I have almost black hair (thank you hair dye) and naturally dark brows.  It shows up almost too well, but in a good way, I tend to do my brows too light anyway.

You would totally think I went at it with the Dip Brow Pomade.  Apparently, you adjust the pressure you use for the pencil on the shade of your brows (press lightly for blonde) and it is a little thicker than I am used to.  I do like the spooly on the other end and the packaging is nice.  Not to the part where you feel as though you are paying for the packaging, but nice and functional.

Oh!  The full size of the It Cosmetics Universal Brow Pencil is $24.00.  It is paraben, sulfate, and phthalate free, and for every brow pencil purchased, It donates a pencil to the American Cancer Society's Look Good, Feel Better program.  So, another way to justify an expensive new toy ♥

I'm not sure if you can tell, but I am loving this Ipsy bag.  Birchbox is totally going to have to bring it to compete.  Especially with the brow pencil.  Only thing that would have made this better was a make-up brush.  Does the spooly count?

* I have money deducted each month to receive my Ipsy bag.  Ipsy neither knows nor cares about me reviewing their bags :)