Jouer Mermaid Collection Lip Topper Skinny Dip Review

Sadly, this is the last item I have purchased from the Mermaid Collection.  I do want to try the highlighting palette.  At first I was like, no, I'm too pale for colors.  But my sister pointed out a YouTuber who was nearly as pale as me rocking it.  So...maybe.  However, this blog isn't called BrokeWoman for nothing.  I'm not sure I'll be able to afford it before it vanishes.

Oh well.  I have four products from the collection and that's pretty cool.  I have the eyeshadow palette, Unicorn, and Fairy as well.  It is £12.50 on Cult Beauty, but there is a wait list at this time.  Unfortunately, right now that is the only place I can still find this.  I'm hoping there will be more releases soon!

This is the Jouer Mermaid Collection Lip Topper in Skinny Dip.  This product is meant to be worn alone or as a metallic topper to your liquid lipsticks.  It has coconut oil and can make the liquid lipstick more comfortable.  Unlike with a regular gloss, this is not supposed to break down the liquid lipstick.

This looks like it will be a strong gold.  But, it is sheer and glittery.

It is a little thick and it is on the sticky side of life.

If you just want something summery but with a little pop, this would be great.  It has a little grit and when it fades you will have little gold particles left on your lips.  You should apply a thin coat once the liquid lipstick has dried.  It will look scary gold at first but you can even it out and make it look less dramatic.  Or go all the way....

Unicorn

Unicorn on Skinny Dip

It is lovely as a lip topper.  It does shorten the life of the liquid lip just a little.  I like wearing them until they get almost drying and then adding the topper, or just applying to the center of the lip.  You can see the matte of Unicorn on top and then Skinny Dip working its magic on the bottom.

Fairy

Fairy with Skinny Dip

In these pictures you can see the metallic Fairy om top and then on the bottom we upped the ante with Skinny Dip.

I love the color of Pure Hollywood but the formula was much too drying for me in the winter.  This topper makes it so pretty and comfortable.

I really like this, but it does look a little odd when it dries.  You may want to reapply or add lip balm at that point.  It was $16.00 for the full size 5.9 ml of this product.  I really hope that Jouer extends the release of this or takes it off the chop list.

* I purchased my own Skinny Dip and there was no nudity required.

Jouer Mermaid Collection Long-wear Lip Crème Fairy Review

When I saw this, I wanted it so bad.  But when I went to buy it, it was totally sold out on the Jouer site.  I sad faced at the computer and went to Instagram to see when they would bring it back.  Then they told me about Frends Beauty.  I was there in seconds.  My credit card flexed its digital muscles (they're really tiny) and I was being sent boxes of lip gorgeousness.

Jouer was founded by Christina Zilber.  She feels that beauty should be "classic and effortless."  The brand actually has cool toned shades, so there will be more reviews on this brand in the future.  They are supposed to be enriched with Vitamin E.  The full size is  5.9 ml (rather on the small side) and sell for $18.00.  They are made in the USA.

The packaging is lovely.  It is holographic but not in an 80's revival sort of way.

The back of the package.  In case you doubted it was a long wear lip crème or that it was paraben free.

Fairy

This color was descibed as a metallic cool pink.  According to people who know about these things, metallic is "In" for the summer.  I have no idea, I was just excited that someone cared about cool toned skin.

The tip is a doe foot applicator that does apply the color quite well.  It can be a little uneven when applying so you may have to work with it a little but the formula definitely allows you to so so.

As you can see this is a pretty pink that Barbie would probably rock.  I'm not sure if it's metallic or hyper frosted.  Maybe that's all metallic is in lip products.

 On  the lips, the Barbie factor is turned down and it's just a really pretty pink.  It goes on creamy and has a cake batter sort of scent.  It isn't super strong and does fade quickly.  The lip crème will dry down eventually, but it remains comfortable all day.  It may be metallic, but not in a way that makes you think the person wearing the color should be out clubbing.  It can work for day.  I have been wearing it a lot in the day.  I have been looking for this shade of pink, perhaps not the metallic formula, but I do like it.  It doesn't have a gritty texture.

It lasts about six hours and lasts fairly well through eating and drinking.  Overall, I really do like this color.  I am so sad that this is Limited Edition.  You can't get it on the Jouer website.  You can still get it at Frends Beauty (a little price break on this on joining the site), Dermstore, and Cult Beauty for £14.00.  From the Mermaid Collection I also purchased: the eyeshadow palette, Unicorn, and Skinny Dip.

Overall, I like this lip.  I think $18.00 is a little pricey, but you know I like paying $6.00 for my liquid lipsticks.  It is a different enough color that it is worth buying if this is what you're into.

*I purchased this lipstick with my own tiny paycheck.  No fairy popped out from under a mushroom and smacked me with this lovely lip color.

June 2016 Boxycharm First Look

I always look forward to getting my subscription boxes, but I have to admit, Boxycharm is my favorite box.  Every time I receive a box it has been worth every penny and then some.  If you want, this is my referral link.  When you refer a friend you receive 500 points.  You also receive points just for getting a box delivered!  They are also now shipping to Canada!  Maybe that's the beginning of shipping to other countries as well.  Yay Canada! /wave

For $21.00 a month you get four to five full size products. The points earned take off money in the store.  The store isn't as extensive as Birchbox, but it's still pretty good.  1000 points will take off $10.00, 2000 takes off $20.00, and so on.  It also contains a card that lists the prices and information on the products you receive.

This month's theme was Girls Just Wanna Have Sun.  I have heard a couple vloggers say fun and it's probably just habit or something.  It's kinda cute ☺

Farmacy

First up was a full size of the Farmacy Brightening Coconut Gel Mask, which has three masks and is $24.00.  I am so excited to try this.  Sheet masks are super popular right now and for good reason.  This one also has ingredients that my skin loves, like the coconut gel.  It also has purple broccoli and contains Chichoric Acid.  This mask is supposed to regulate and equalize melanin production.  Which means it's good for dark spots and freckles.  I hate my freckles, if this fades them (I know, dream world) I will live in this mask.  Getting a 3 pack is awesome.  It really allows you to see how this works for your skin.

As a bonus, if you look into the top right corner you can kinda see Siku, he's one of my cats.  We got him not long after Nokomis passed, I guess things work out.  We wouldn't have been able to have him while we had her.  He had been abused and really needed love.  After almost a year he has made so much progress.  If anyone ever wants to see pics of my boys, let me know and I'll be happy to go crazy cat lady on you.

Cougar

The next product was by a brand I had never heard of.  Cougar Beauty Products are proudly made in the UK.  All of their ingredients are sourced locally and they try to reduce their greenhouse output as much as possible.  All of their products are Cruelty Free and their packaging is made from recycled materials.  All of that is so fantastic!

 The Cougar Beauty Mineral Face and Body Shimmer in Diamond Kiss is £19.00  for the 2 g or £24.00 for the 4 g full size.  The card lists this as $16.00 but this is the larger 4 g size and the Boxycharm site shows this as $34.00.  I think the $34.00 price is probably the correct price.  Anyways, I didn't peel off the plastic.  I poked holes à la Samantha Reilly.  It's a mineral shimmer and is quite subtle.  Don't let the yellow tone scare you, it is pretty wearable.  It is talc free.

Ofrra

We do see lots of Ofra in the boxes but it's totally not a bad thing.  Boxycharm has forced me to love this brand.  This is the Ofra Oil Control Pressed Powder and is $39.95 for the full size, 10 g product.  It is made to keep your makeup in place all day and even work for being on tv, a problem I know most of us have to worry about.  I don't usually have oily skin, it's pretty normal.  However, it's 100° F outside right now and while Colorado has dry heat, it still makes me sweaty and gross.  So, yay for getting this!

 I have heard of this brand and thought about purchasing but never quite got around to it.  This is the Girlactik Beauty Precise Eyeliner Marker in black, it is $20.00 for the full size 1.2 ml size.  Like most eyeliners it is made in Germany.  This brand is Cruelty Free, so yay on that!  The packaging is very pretty with pink chandeliers on a black background.  The tip is long and it's slightly flexible.  It's not hard like some of these tips.  It seems to be on the watery side, which can be rough for beginners.  I have seen reviews about this where people said this doesn't hold up well vs water and sweat can make this run.  Other than that it has a good black pigment and isn't glossy.

LVX

 This is another brand I don't think I have heard of.  This is the LVX Nail Lacquer in Serene, which is $18.00 for the 15 ml full size.  It is a pretty soft sky blue.  It will be perfect for the pastel rainbow I'm planning for my nails, which if you saw the above pic, totally need to be done.  This is made in the USA, 7 Free, Cruelty Free, and Vegan.  The formula is supposed to be gel like.  LVX apparently keeps an eye on fashion trends and brings out their colors and products accordingly.  They also collaborate with designers.

 So math time, the products in this box are worth $135.95.  I was excited in some way for every product.  Way to go Boxycharm, this was an amazing box.

I decided to subscribe to Glossybox so I could review those for you as well.  Let me know your thoughts and whatever else.  Thank you!

 * I purchase my own Boxycharm.

Jouer Mermaid Collection Long Wear Lip Creme Unicorn

I know you didn't think that the only thing I purchased from the Jouer Mermaid Collection was their eyeshadow palette.  Oh no.  Not when there were lip products to be had!

Mermaid Collection

First of all, the packaging is lovely.

The Jouer Long Wear Lip Creme in Unicorn is paraben free.  It's $18.00 for the full size.

Unicorn

When I first saw this color, I was a little intimidated by the matte bright lavender.  I thought it may be a little out of my league.

Then I swatched it and could feel that little melty feeling you get when you know you like a color.  It is very pretty and it is very spring and summer.

It isn't fully opaque but it is very creamy and comfortable.  it doesn't last as long as some of the other liquid lipsticks I have, I'd say about 5 hours.  But it is so pretty and a lot more wearable than I initially thought.  It can bring out the yellow in teeth, so make sure your pearly whites are blinding.

It doesn't appear to be on the Jouer site any longer, but it is on the Frends Beauty site and you might get a little broke woman happy surprise if you create an account and order from them.  It is also still available on Cult Beauty for £14.00.  If you like it, get it fast.

* I purchased my own Unicorn and didn't get the horn.

June 2016 Ipsy First Look

Next up in the box/bag arrivals was Ipsy!  Ipsy is a $10.00 per month subscription service.  You get points for referring friends.  However, the points system had been rather blah but has seemed to be improving.  There are more items that are 500 pts or less.

The theme this month was Rebel Rebel and the bag was very cute.  So far Ipsy has matched Birchbox, I liked the box and the bag.

Japonesque

First up was the Japonesque Solid Brush Cleanser, the full size is 2 oz and is $20.00.  It has goat milk and coconut oil and is supposed to be very gentle on the brush.  It is also supposed to keep them soft.  It is also supposed to be good for sensitive skin.  I'm looking forward to trying this.  I have the Cinema Secrets for spot cleaning, but I do like a deep clean and my Beauty Blender cleanser met its end.  Good timing Ipsy.

Marc Anthony

I also got the Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach spray, which is very affordable at $8.99 for 4.2 fl oz.  May I say that this smells amazing?  It does, it smells like summer.  It is light and almost piña colada like.  This is supposed to add texture and protect your hair from the sun.  I am willing to give this a go and even learn how to use it.

Vasanti

 I also got the Vasanti Kajal Waterline Eyeliner in Intense Black.  It is $19.00 for the full size.  It is roll up and made for the waterline.  It is made in Germany, which seems to be the home of eyeliners.  Vasanti can be hit or miss.  This seemed quite creamy.  It went on well and had decent pigmentation.  It is vegan and paraben free.

 There was also a blush.  It was the Seraphine Botanicals in Happy Hibiscus which appears to be in one of those bronzed colors.  I thought it would be one of those colors better suited for medium skin but it turned a sheer, pale, rather flattering peach on me.  It has a little sheen, is sheer, and feels soft and creamy.  It is 99% natural, vegan, Gluten-Free, doesn't have pthalates or parabens, doesn't test on animals, but does have talc.  The full size is 2 g for $20.00.

Lastly, I got Urban Decay Fireball eyeshadow.  Don't let the pic fool you, it's a very tiny pan.  But it is still a pan and it's not a bad sample size.  It's peach with a pink shift.  The full size is .05 for $19.00.  I am looking forward to trying this.  Although, I have a feeling it's very similar to a Makeup Geek Shadow Boxycharm sent me.

So, Ipsy obviously kicked Birchbox bum.  There were actually makeup samples.  The highlight of the box was the Benefit brow product vs the UD Fireball.  I'm way more excited about UD.  Ipsy brings it to, Ipsy: 6 Birchbox: 7.

* I bought my own Ipsy bag.

June 2016 Birchbox First Look

Birchbox came first this month again, so we'll start with Birchbox.  It's a $10.00 a month subscription box.  I love their points system.  You can refer friends for 50 points and if you ever want to use my link it's here.  Unfortunately, it looks like they are changing the points system.  You'll earn points for your first five reviews, your points will expire after 6 months, but you'll still earn points for your purchases, inviting friends, and sending boxes.  You will also be able to use your points in increments before the 100 pts.  These changes go into effect July 11th.

The sample choices were much better this month.  It was the benefit Brow thing, you got to choose your shade.  Rumor has it next month you'll get to chose a mascara.

Davines

The first item was the Davines SU Hair and Body Wash, it is $22.50 for the full size 250 ml.  Davines is a brand we get a lot in these boxes.  It's an Italian brand.  The scent is refreshing and it's supposed to be rich in vitamin C.  This would be good for travel and is supposed to be good for the skin after sun exposure.

Dr. Jart + 

Continuing with what actually seems to be a theme of the summer sun gets burny and stuff, I also got the Dr. Jart + Every Day UV Sun Fluid.  It is $34.00 for 3.4 oz.  This has a faint sunscreen scent and doesn't feel greasy.  It absorbs quickly.  This may actually be a good sunscreen under makeup,

Coola

I know the men have received this item in their boxes and maybe the Davines as well.  I was jealous about this one, because who doesn't need a little after sun therapy?  This Coola Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion is $32.00 for the full size 6 oz size.  The first ingredient is aloe, which any pale person worth their salt has at least one plant.  It is wonderful for burns.  It also has lavender oil, which can be iffy.  Depending on who you listen to, this could be good or bad.  Some people think this is a skin irritant (I did until recently) but it is actually very useful for acne, bee stings, and burns.  It shouldn't be used widely on the body as it can be drying.  So, while I still loathe the scent, it doesn't get a frowny face for that.  Unless you're allergic or if it is full fragrance. The agave in it may act as a humectant.  I'm happy I got this, in a way.

Leila Lou

Fragrance is a very personal thing, so take what I say with a grain of salt.  The Leila Lou by Rosie Jane which is $49.00 for the 50 ml full size.  It is supposed to have notes of pear and jasmine but actually smells like a rancid garden vomited all over the place.  I feel it is too heavy for spring or summer or any season that people can actually smell things.  I'm not a fan.

Gimme Brow

Lastly was what was apparently the star of the box.  It's the Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel, which is $24.00 for the full size .10 oz.  They now have three shades light (1), medium (3), and dark (5).  I got the medium shade and I think it's a good shade for me.  It is supposed to contain microfibers to make brows look fuller.  I like this idea as my brows are naturally on the Disney villain side of the spectrum.

Sooo... I wasn't thrilled with this box.  The last box wasn't great either.  I'm not a fan of the upcoming changes to what had been the best point system.  Next month had better be good or unsubscribing may be in my future :(

 Next up will be Ipsy, since the bar wasn't set high, if Ipsy doesn't win, eeks.

* I unfortunately paid for this box out of my own pocket.