Sabrina's January Ipsy Bag | 2015

It's Ipsy time again! I'm nearing a year of glam bags from Ipsy and to be honest, I have so many samples and new products from the bags that I think I'm going to cancel my subscription soon. The company is great and I've only had one bag that was disappointing, but I really don't need more beauty products at the moment. Anyway, this month the theme was fresh start, which I really don't agree with as I think you can (and should) go after a fresh start whenever you feel like you need one. That aside, the bag is so much better than it looked online! One side is blue and the other is white and it has this really lovely lined pattern with a bit of raised texture to it. This is one of my favorite makeup bags and as far as products go, I give it a 4/5. Read on if you're nosy like me or curious about Ipsy bags in general!

La Fresh Eco-Beauty Be Good. Good Day. Day Moisturizer
From the moment I opened this, things didn't look good. I love moisturizers, but if they're meant to be used during the day they should really include SPF otherwise, what's the point? Protect your skin from the sun people! It doesn't mean you won't get a bit of a tan, it just means you'll protect against early signs of aging, dark spots, wrinkles and skin cancer so it's important to wear SPF every day. Anyway, when I applied it to my face the scent really got to me and I hoped it wouldn't linger. After an hour, my face started itching and then a few hours later, I started getting small breakouts and the horrible scent still hadn't left. I immediately washed it off once I realized this was irritating my skin and haven't touched it since. The packaging is definitely the only pro to this product.

Hikari Mineral Cosmetics Mechanical Eyeliner in Storm
(Swatches below) Genuinly had no idea this was going to be a grey with shimmer in, but I'm pleasantly surprised that it is. I love the color and the payoff is pretty good for a grey liner. I haven't had much luck with retractables as they tend to break easily and don't last as long for me as pencils do, but so far so good. I used this as a liner over the bronze shadow from Pacifica I also received in this bag and it didn't show up too well, but I assume that's due to the high pigmentation of the shadow. I am curious to use this with a nude shadow or blended all over the lid to see what the pigmentation will be like then.

MALIN+GOETZ Mojito Lip Balm
I love the packaging of this lip balm as much as I love the balm itself. My lips are in recovery mode after the matte lipsticks of winter and this is just a nice lip balm that keeps them hydrated and doesn't strip them of the little moisture they already have. I haven't noticed much medicinal or healing properties, but they're keeping them pretty neutral for the moment and that's all I'm asking for. Chucked this in my handbag and haven't looked back. It's definitely one of those Vaseline-esque balms that leaves a ton of shine behind, which isn't ideal for me but again, my lips are angry at the moment so I'll oblige. Only annoying bit is how it doesn't smell as strongly of mojito as I would have liked.

Manna Kadar Cosmetics Sheer Glo
I really like this as it is a sheer liquid highlight with a hint of pink. It's a great highlight as it can be built up for a more noticeable affect (my personal fave), or kept completely sheer. I was a bit surprised because I thought it was going to be a liquid blush and was excited to try that kind of formula, however this is great because I can build it up and use it in lieu of blush when wearing a bold lip, or pair it with a regular blush and keep it as just a highlight. So many good things from this so far and it's probably my favorite thing in this month's bag because of its versatility.

Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow in Treasure
I wasn't excited for this because I already recieved an eyeshadow duo from Pacifica last year and the shades and pigmentation weren't great. This one has blown me out of the water and it has quickly become my favorite shimmery bronze shadow. This is exaclty the shade I think of when I think bronze shimmer and the color transfers from the pan directly to the lids - they're an exact match. This is also easily blendable so thanks for a great product Ipsy!

SWATCHED! Top to bottom: Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow in Treasure, Hikari Mineral Cosmetics Mechanical Eyeliner in Storm, and Manna Kadar Cosmetics Sheer Glo.

What did you receive in your bags this month? Do you have any questions about Ipsy or my experience as a customer? As always, leave links to blogs or YouTube and I'll check them out!

Cheers, S.