Thursday, April 16, 2015

Beautifully Bohemian: April's ipsy bag

Hi, all!
It's time for my monthly ode to ipsy. The theme of the month is Beautifully Bohemian. I'm really not sure what's so Bohemian about this month's goodies, but that's okay. Many of the themes have puzzled me. It doesn't take much.

1. JulieG Nail Color in Damsel - I flat out love JulieG nail polishes, so I was thrilled to get this one. They're inexpensive, great coverage in one or two coats, and are chip resistant. What's not to love? This one is described as a mid-tone pink creme. Yup. It photographs darker and a bit more purple than it actually is.
(Value $3.99)

2. KCO Colors by Beauty Brands Cream Lipstick in Natural Born Beauty -  This lipstick is just lovely. It's supposed to do all sorts of things like protect your lips from the environment. I dunno about that, but it is moisturizing and so pretty. It's a brownish rose sort of shade.

It is nicely pigmented. The first swipe goes on slightly sheer, but it can be built up easily. There's only the barest hint of a scent to it. It lasts like a normal lipstick. Reapplication will be necessary after drinking or eating.

After playing with it for a while, I thought that it looked familiar. It's pretty much an exact dupe for Make Up For Ever's Rouge Artist Natural in N9 Copper Pink (except it's $12 cheaper!) The Make Up For Ever lipstick has a bit more of a shine to it and is slightly more coppery.
(Value $8.00)

KCO on the left, Make Up For Ever on the right

*edit - May 8, 2015 - this happened....

Nope. Nope. Nope.

I tried gluing it back, but nope! I had to de-pot it. It literally lived in my lipstick drawer. I didn't carry it in my purse or stick it in my pocket. I wasn't rough with it. I had only used it a couple of times and then it broke. I'm so not impressed with the packaging. I still love the formula and the color. I'm just not sure I'd buy more.

3. theBalm Cosmetics NUDE Dude Eyeshadow Single in Flirty - I've been wanting to try theBalm for a while now, so I was happy to get this in my bag. This shade is from the NUDE Dude Volume 2 palette.

I love the packaging. The whole pin-up thing is adorable.

Flirty is described as a shimmering golden violet and I'd say that's about right. To be totally honest, I was hoping for more impact, but it does go on beautifully and blends out like a dream.
(Palette $36. Sample Value $3)

4. MicaBeauty Eye Primer - This primer is really good. It's kind of sticky, which grabs on to eye shadow. It doesn't crease. It's also a great color for me. It covers up all the imperfections on my eyelids to create a blank canvas.

Can you see it? It blends well into my own skin tone.

The swatch below on the left is without the primer. On the right the swatch is over the primer. Big difference! My only real issue with the primer is the price. I currently own a few primers that do the same thing, but are much (much!) cheaper.
(Full size $44.95. Sample value $22.48)

5. Olive Natural Beauty The Olive Lip Balm in Oats & Honey - I'm totally on the fence with this lip balm. It performs well. I love that it's organic. It feels great and is very hydrating. The scent, however, is a bit strange. You can really smell the oats. It smells like some sort of baked goods. But in a weird way. If something smells like a cupcake, I'm all about that. This is more like a bran muffin. It's not bad, really. Just odd. I'd be interested in trying some of their other scents.
(Value $5.95)

The bag - I flipping love this bag! I love that it's woven. When I saw it previewed, I was afraid it was a print, but no, it's really woven. The colors are fun. Maybe this is where the Bohemian theme comes into play because it does have a bit of a retro-found-this-at-a-market vibe. It's lined with a khaki nylon.

I'm definitely a happy camper this month. I did like everything, even though the lip balm smells strange. The grand total for this month's bag is $43.42. If you're interested in checking out ipsy, you can use my referral link or just Either way. It's a monthly personalized beauty subscription service that's only $10/month.

If you already subscribe, what did you get this month?



  1. I am completely in love with the ipsy bag and theme this month! Btw love your blog, had to follow! Would love if you'd stop by my blog and if you like it follow back? 💓

  2. These are all such gorgeous products! Have gotta start getting Ipsy bags! xox


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