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Subscription boxes

Subscription boxes: Birchbox, Ipsy

May 15, 2014

Ipsy glambag May 2014

Ipsy glambag May 2014

Hang Ten Classic Sport SPF50

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 5This one I’m kinda on the fence on this one. No cones (issue for me, not everyone) and no synthetic fragrances and some of the other common nasties.  It can be hard to find a good healthy sunscreen but not impossible. Or at least it’s easier online. This one based on the ingredients ranks a 5 with the cosmetics database. Good enough if you have very little in front of you to choose from and are in a pinch. But not quite good enough in my opinion for any advanced planning situations. Take a look at my previous post on natural / healthier sunscreens.

Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 2Dimethicone rules this one out FOR ME. But you know me, I LOVE most of Pacifica’s products so if you aren’t sensitive to cones, go for this one. This ranks a healthy 2 with the cosmetics database.

 

Avène Thermal Spring Water

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 0It’s water. In a spray can. BUT I’ve learned that not all water is created equal. Minerals in the water can make a HUGE difference in the quality. I doubt I would buy this though simply because it’s an aerosol spray and at $12.50 per bottle. It’s ph 7.5 but I also wish it had details about mineral content. http://www.aveneusa.com/products/thermal-spring-water But it does make me consider adding mineral water to a pump spray bottle. …. I do have a bad feeling that I’m going to actually like this one despite the aerosol and price….

Side note: I’ve been drinking a lot of Gerolsteiner Mineral Water because of it’s mineral content. Magnesium in a bioavailable form in particular and I think I might pop some of that in a spray bottle. For a fraction of the cost. I know it’s not the same but again, not aerosol.

On the plus side, this one was from Drugstore.com which means that there’s a discount this month for Drugstore.com orders.

Balanced Guru No Frizz Organic Sesame and Lemongrass Balancing Oil

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 0AWESOME ingredient list. This one I’m looking forward to trying. I wish it didn’t have soy oil BUT it’s organic so I’m going to give it a try. This one ranks a 0 (super healthy) with the cosmetics database.

 

Balanced Guru hair oil - no frizz oil

Boo-Boo Cover-Up

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 6Dimethicone rules this one out for me. Also bad is added synthetic fragrance and mineral oil. This ranks a 6 in the cosmetics database.

 

 

So the May 2014 Ipsy glambag overall: some things I’m really excited to try and some things that aren’t my cup of tea. Still worth the $10/month to try some new products!


Sign up for Ipsy: 
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{affiliate link – I get 250 points which points equal products but it’s still a little unclear how many points to the dollar}

April 13, 2014

Ipsy Glambag April 2014

Ipsy Glambag April 2014

Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 2Cones rule this one out for me personally. Otherwise though it ranks a 2 with the cosmetics database so it’s not unhealthy for you.

Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil Travel Size

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 1dimethicone is the first ingredient. Again this is natural but cones have without a doubt caused major acne breakouts for me. Again another one that ranks well with the cosmetics database that I just can’t use. This one ranks a 1.

Demeter Jasmine Perfume Oil Roll On

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 3From the Demeter website: “…some Demeter Classic fragrances are all natural, we do use some synthetic ingredients in most Classic fragrances. Generally speaking, the ingredients in our fragrances are at least 95% derived from natural and sustainable sources, and we use no artificial color or Phthalates or parabens.” Since synthetic fragrances rank poorly when it comes to your health, 5% is still not natural enough for me for a fragrance. They do have a small natural fragrance line that they say “Demeter Naturals fragrances are completely natural.” But I also know that they are allowed to put things into products in very small quantity without adding it to the label so I think I would rather go with some essential oils than trust a brand that primarily makes a synthetic fragrance line. The Jasmine Perfume Roll on is NOT part of the naturals line. It does only rank a 3 though which is below my usual threshold for trying something … torn on this. The only purpose is scent and it’s synthetic…

dr. brandt® microdermabrasion

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 6no cones, no parabens, no phthalates, etc etc. It does have synthetic fragrance added though. The current skin deep cosmetics database report ranks it a 6 HOWEVER the ingredients on that report are wrong and don’t match the current product ingredients. So I did a custom report and it ranks a … 6 still. Oh well. This is higher than I want to go on a product that scrubs skin off my face. Particularly with the synthetic fragrance added.

Elizabeth Mott pop! goes the shadow in champagne

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 1Cones again rule this one out for me but it ranks well and is only a 1 with the skin deep cosmetics database.

 

So this month was a bit of a bust in my opinion on the Ipsy bag for me. Nothing I can use but there are some good products in here nonetheless.

Ipsy Glambag April 2014

 

I looked at the other products that people were sent and there wasn’t anything I was too excited about.

Ipsy Glambag April 2014 did not receive

I would have loved another Coastal Scents eyeshadow brush simply because I love the one I have. I haven’t bought another because of the shipping is more than the brush. The Classic Shadow Medium Natural brush is only $2.49… heck I’m just going to go ahead and buy a couple more since my other eyeshadow brushes have seen better days and it’s currently 25% off. Oh and my other problem is that I look at their other brushes and want to try them and before I know it I have 20 other brushes in my cart when I just thought I was going to go buy one… 🙂

 


Sign up for Ipsy: 
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http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h051sec1kqq5g8p
{affiliate link – I get 250 points which points equal products but it’s still a little unclear how many points to the dollar}

 

April 8, 2014

Birchbox Limited Edition box: “Free for all”

Birchbox has come out with a Limited Edition box: “Free for all” that I snapped up in a heartbeat. All of the products in this limited edition box are free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, petrochemicals, and GMOs. (And for me, I checked, none of the products have cones either … though I couldn’t find the ingredients for the shave foam but I’m crossing my fingers.) Anyway, go grab one before they run out!

[affiliate link http://www.birchbox.com/?raf=3l3e7 ]

limited edition free for all birchbox

Update April 12: It’s here! I’ll be doing a review soon.

March 13, 2014

Ipsy glambag March 2014

Ipsy glambag March 2014

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie™ Lipstick in Get Ready – no cones. Good ingredients. Smallest lipstick sample ever! (It’s actually kinda cute … but almost in a funny ridiculous way.) I really would have preferred the lipgloss though. The color of this is just a little off for me. I realized that one of the reasons I prefer lipglosses is that the tubes are longer and are easier to find in my purse (and don’t pop open accidentally.)

NYX Love in Rio Eye Shadow – cones rule this one out for me. Gorgeous colors though.

Chella Indigo Blue Eyeliner – cones rule this one out for me.

Pixi Beauty Flawless Beauty Primer – cones rule this one out for me.

Well this month is a little bit of a bummer for me since cones cause my skin to break out badly and that means I can’t even try 3 out of 4 of the products. I do continue to appreciate that ipsy posts online 100% of the ingredients to the products they send. I’ll also create cosmetics database reports here soon since cones aren’t unhealthy and several of these products may be good choices for other people.

Wish I had received:



Sign up for Ipsy: 
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http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h051sec1kqq5g8p
{affiliate link – I get 250 points which points equal products but it’s still a little unclear how many points to the dollar}

March 13, 2014

Birchbox unboxing March 2014

Birchbox unboxing March 2014

 I’ll come back soon and do cosmetics database reports on all of the products anyway. Some items with cones may still be healthy. Cones just cause terrible breakouts for me.

Gilchrist & Soames London Collection Body Lotion – cones rule this one out for me.

theBalm® cosmetics How ‘Bout Them Apples?™ – cones rule this one out for me

Curly Hair Solutions™ Curl Keeper – no cones. But it does use synthetic fragrance AND I received this from Birchbox once already back in August. The scent was so strong and it gave me a headache so I had to throw it out. UPDATE: Birchbox apparently noticed my mention of a duplicate and gave me 100 birchbox points (value $10) so I believe if you don’t have a blog but received a duplicate, you may want to contact their customer support.

Screen Shot 2014-03-17 at 3.31.46 PM

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Eye Cream – no cones, fragrances are from essential oils, this one I’m excited to try BUT this is like the amount for one use (or least the packaging makes that likely) and I’m a bit disappointed since this is so thin and small.

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Night Cream – another that I’m excited to try. Good ingredients, no cones. This one is a more reasonable sample size.

Ghirardelli Intense Dark Cherry Tango – chocolate … nom. Fine as an extra.

Sooo a little disappointing on this one this month since one of the samples I can try is super small, the chocolate extra was three bites, and then I have some night cream.

I’m a little concerned that since I’m turning 35 this year I’m going to have to go back and lie about my age to continue to get better boxes. I do not care how old I am but I’ve heard rumors that if you’re over 35, Birchbox seems to think all you need is wrinkle cream. I hope I’m wrong.


 Still not signed up for Birchbox? :D

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