*bounce bounce bounce*

I thought these just shipped out yesterday.  I wasn’t expecting it until closer to the weekend.  About 7:30 last night, I got an email with my tracking code, but it said the code wouldn’t be active for up to 48 hours.  I clicked in anyway and the tracking page said “Delivered.”  It’s the coldest day so far this season and I was in my robe and pajama pants, but I threw on my hat and marched down to the mailbox in the freezing wind to pick up my first ipsy bag.  So happy!

It spoils nothing knowing what products will be in the bag, it only makes me more excited as I get the chance to do a little research on why these things are special.  I know some people were feeling ripped off this month because they got the Wet n Wild lip stain, but honestly, it’s a good product and it’s very available for repurchase once you realize you need it in your life.  I’m not a lipstick person at all, but I love it.  It’s not like the liquid stain, but it’s lighter and more comfortable than lipstick or gloss.

Anyway, that wasn’t in my bag, but I had to come to the defense of my affordable lipwear.

My bag contained all the items above, which you can read about in my previous blog November ipsy Sneak Peek.

The eye base, hairspray and highlighter were exactly as shown, but the eye pencil and lip paint were available in two different colors each, and that actually is a surprise when you get your bag.  For the lip paint, I got the color Red Potion.  For the eye pencil, my color is Ultra Orchid.

I swatched all my products (except the hairspray for obvious reasons) to show how intense or wonderfully neutral they show on my skin.  They’ve set me up for a cool palette, and I’m very pleased with the selection.  The eye base is just half the size of the full product, but it’s more than enough.  It’s so dense and creamy, I probably have enough to last all year.  The color could best be described as French Beige with bronze shimmer.  It would suit all skin types and could be a lovely highlight color for darker skin.

The TEMPTU highlighter was only offered in the color Pink Pearl.  It’s a liquid that drops out of the bottle like eye drops, and the pink is most visible in the shimmer.  Otherwise, it is a bright white.  It’s not at all heavy, and it feels like a powder when you apply it, so I’m certain it wouldn’t mess up any foundation that you already put on.  As I mentioned last time, the full-size is $27, which is a huge investment if you haven’t tried the product.  This sample is the perfect size to help you decide.

The lip paint…whoa, lady!  I may not have many occasions that call for lips this intense.  The first swatch was excessive.  A little dot is probably enough for two people, so even though it’s a small tube, it will last a very long time.  Of course, J.Cat Beauty also has some lighter lip paints that I would wear regularly, and you can be sure they will last all day.  That swatch started as a dot the diameter of a toothpick, that’s how much pigment is packed into it.

My pencil, I know, was the most expensive single item, because they sent me the full-size pencil, which sells for $13.99 (unless it’s a special sample size and the color doesn’t run the length of the stick, and I’m sure that could happen).  At the rate I use non-black eye pencils, it’s not going to matter either way, but I will say “I found the glitter!”  There had been very little actual glitter apart from the bag itself.  This pencil adds a delicate line of glitter that makes your lash line pop.  You can do the shadow thing for an all-over sparkle, use it as a standalone liner, or use it over your black liner to put a little twinkle in your night sky.  I wouldn’t say it’s “ultra orchid” so much as “passive plum” which is actually more appealing, as it fits more palettes.

This is certainly a nice selection to carry into winter.  It makes me want to throw on a fuzzy scarf and go for a walk in the snow.  Happy with this bag?  Absolutely!  It gives me something to celebrate on a day when my heater stopped working.  Time for work now; wish me warmth!