Glam Bag/Ipsy August and September 2012 Shipments

The August Glam Bag, themed "Endless Summer," was an orange mesh zipper bag that was trimmed in hot pink with skincare, fragrance, eyeshadow, and nail products as well as a bonus lip product from My Glam.  (Incidentally, My Glam has become Ipsy so all references to the program and website will refer to their new name.)

Here's a review of the items I received and descriptions as reflected on the brand websites:

Eclos - Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream - 7 ml/.25 fl oz deluxe sample; Full size 60g/2 oz; $24.99 - This medium-weight moisturizer with restorative benefits helps smooth and brighten for a youthful finish. Hydration replenishes dry, dulling skin suffering from the signs of aging. Powerful extracts and antioxidants boost collagen levels for noticeable tightening and firming. Exclusively formulated with rejuvenating Apple Stem Cells, clinically proven to significantly reduce wrinkles and improve skin texture in two weeks. Formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances or dyes, mineral oil or petroleum. Directions for use: Apply to clean skin day and night. Can also be applied over EclosTM Cellular Activator Face Serum for optimal results.  My thoughts: I liked the feel of this product but didn't find the sample large enough to result in a firmer skin or a reduction in my fine lines.  For a drugstore product, I did like the formula though.  There is mild fragrance to the cream. There is an offer code for $10 off as well as a free cleanser on ipsy.com.

Eclos - Cellular Activator Facial Serum - 15 ml/.5 fl oz. deluxe sample; Full size 50ml/1.7 fl oz. $24.99 - This lightweight serum from Eclos helps wake up skin's self-renewal process to revitalize fatigued, stressed skin. Unique plant extracts help boost firmness and tone to smooth out fine lines and damage. Exclusively formulated with rejuvenating Apple Stem Cells, clinically proven to significantly reduce wrinkles and improve skin texture in two weeks. Comfrey, Gotu Kola, Tumeric and Green Tea antioxidants shield against skin aging environment assaults, helping to prolong a youthful appearance. Formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances or dyes, mineral oil or petroleum.  Directions for use:  After cleansing, lightly smooth a thin layer over skin in the morning and at night. May be used underneath EclosTM Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream for optimal results.  My thoughts: I liked the texture of this serum.  There is a mild fragrance to it though.

Demeter - Roll On Perfume Oil - Clean Skin - Full size .29 fl oz/$10 - Simple. Subtle. Singular scents. Each Day. Everywhere. Demeter Perfume Oils are long-lasting and formulated with Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E to pamper and soften the skin. The convenient roll-on applicator is perfect for anyone looking for a great scent on the go. Apply to pulse points, wrists, and neck. Use as needed to refresh fragrance. Or, mix, match and layer them directly on the skin to create your own personal fragrance experience.  What's sexier than clean, post bubble-bath skin? A blend of orange, lemon, white rose, bergamot peach and vanilla, make for the perfect shower-fresh scent.  Clean Skin by Demeter is a virtually transparent and delicate fragrance. Smells like the best version of you - just better.  My thoughts: This fragrance was very mild and pleasant.  Great for my gym bag as it is a workout-friendly scent.  There is also a 20% off coupon code on the ipsy website.

Circus by Andrea's Choice - Nailcolor - Spectacle - 13.2 ml/.45 fl oz; Full Size price unavailable as product launches Fall 2012 - The Circus Collection includes: Reverso, Ringmaster, Spectacle, Somersault & Tightrope. Each chip-resistant shade is vegan, cruelty free and free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP.  My thoughts: This polish applies somewhat streaky so it requires several coats, though it dries to a glossy finish.  Spectacle is a bright, orange shade more suited for my tootsies as I prefer neutral shades on my hands.

S.A.L.T.Y Cosmetics - Eye Shadow - Glama-ZOID! - 1 g jar; Small size 1.25 g/$4.50 - S.A.L.T.Y. Cosmetics is dedicated to producing a line of loose mineral, luxury eyeshadows, custom blended by hand. The array of colors and shades is designed to help you express your inner diva! Glama-ZOID!, an iridescent violet pink satin has a sexy touch of light reflecting sparkle. This shadow is perfect for all skin tones and works as an amazing highlighter for brow bone and inner corners. Best of all, this shade was created exclusively for the myglam community. We hope you glam it up and enjoy.  My thoughts: This opalescent shadow is finely milled and makes a nice highlighter not just for the brow bone and inner corners of the eyes, but a light application along the bridge of the nose, top of the cheekbones and over the cupid's bow provides a nice luminescent effect.

myglam - Glam Gloss - 01 - 7 ml/.23 fl oz - My thoughts: This light pink lip gloss is very smooth and not too sticky.  I love the texture of it.  Unfortunately, there wasn't any information on ipsy.com.  Wondering if there are more to come.

Overall rating:  Booyah!  for value of the product contents and introducing me to Eclos skincare products, the lovely, wearable Glam Gloss, lovely highlighter and the full size Clean Skin perfume oil.  These made up for the BOO-BOO! polish shade which did not suit me.

***** 

The September Ipsy Glam Bag, was a sleek, black zipper bag with a wristlet handle that contained hair care, nail, eye and lip products as well as a bonus $20 promo code for Just FAB.

Here's a review of the items I received and descriptions as reflected on the brand websites:

SOHO - Smudge Brush  - Full size $5.97 at walmart.com - The SOHO Smudge Brush is the perfect tool for creating a modern smoky eye and works great for smudging liner, blending colors, and for applying shadow directly into the lash line. The brush has a sleek, lightweight aluminum handle with a dense, contoured brush head for superior application. My thoughts: I find the handle too long but like the feel of the brush as well as the bristles.

Carol's Daughter - Monoi Repairing Split End Sealer - 10 ml/.38 oz. deluxe sample; Full size 1.7 fl oz; $25 - A repairing lotion that instantly binds the frayed and separated ends of your hair so you can skip the trim and keep your length. For over 2,000 years, Tahitians have used Monoi Oil for its natural reparative properties that undo and prevent damage from the sun, sea and surf. Made of ingredients that only grow in Tahiti, Monoi Oil is made in a 15-day ritual using Tiare Gardenia Flower blossoms and Coprah Coconut Oil. Apply a pea-sized amount to wet or dry hair. Make sure to smooth completely through to the ends. Style as usual.   My thoughts: As I have dry, color-treated curly hair, this repairing treatment is right up my alley. There is a $5 off code on ipsy.com that I will definitely be taking advantage of.

Jane - Sparkle Gloss - Sparkle Pink - 6 ml/.2 fl oz;  1/3rd of the Friends of Jane Collection (3 tubes for $9.99) - Shimmer Gloss offers moisturizing, light reflecting medium coverage for your lips. Your lips will relish in the moisture-rich, Vitamin E infused formulas for a variety of gorgeous lip looks. Wear alone, over lipstick or mix and match to create custom shades.  My thoughts: The gloss has a nice texture but as I found that I needed to be careful when applying to be sure that the rich, deep pink color was evenly distributed.  There is a promotion code for 20% off a future purchase of $14.99 or more on ipsy.com.

Mirabella - Eye Colour - Semiformal - Full Size 2g/.07 oz; $10 - Eye Colour mineral eye shadows create flawless, long-lasting looks with an alluring array of shimmer, sheen and matte formulations. Semiformal Eye Colour, one of 40 shades available, contains a lightly pearlized sheen to softly illuminate the eyes. This talc-free formula gives smooth application and beautiful, pure color. The formula is also paraben-free, gluten-free, fragrance-free as well as D4 and D5 free.  My thoughts: Semiformal is a shimmery medium brown shade that is perfect for a transition shade.  There is a promotion code for 30% off on ipsy.com.

Circus by Andrea's Choice - Nail Color - Tightrope - 13.2 ml/.45 fl oz; Full Size price unavailable as product launches Fall 2012 - The Circus Collection includes: Reverso, Ringmaster, Spectacle, Somersault & Tightrope. Each chip-resistant shade is vegan, cruelty free and free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP.  My thoughts: This polish applies somewhat streaky so it requires several coats, though it dries to a glossy finish.  Tightrope is a vibrant purple-fuschsia  shade more suited for my tootsies as I prefer neutral shades on my hands.  I will say of all the Circus shades I have received, I did like this one the most.

Overall rating:  Booyah!  for value of the product contents and introducing me to Carol's Daughter products; can't wait to try the other products in this line.