DIY Honey Lip Scrub

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I've posted - what a busy winter this has been. I'm glad to be back on my blog and in honor of this busy, snowy winter, here's a DIY lip scrub tutorial perfect for dry, flaky lips!

The snow and wind always dries out my skin and lips, and I hate when my lips flake. To keep them smooth and hydrated, I make a really easy and inexpensive scrub - with everyday ingredients.

Ingredients: (Don't forget to sanitize your measuring spoon first.)

• 2 tablespoons sugar. I used a coarse sugar because I like the way it sticks with honey. You can see in the picture above how coarse the granules are. When I'm not using honey, I use regular fine white sugar and brown sugar. 
• 1 tablespoon jojoba oil. You can use any oil, even olive would work. Add more or less depending on how dry you like your scrubs. 
• 1/2 tablespoon honey. This honey is made locally by a friend - it is amazing! This makes the scrub sticky, so if that's not your texture, you can skip it. I added it because I wanted the extra nourishment with my super dry lips. 
• Few drops of vanilla essential oil. Totally optional, but I love EO in my scrubs. Mint is another favorite choice. 

Sanitize your mixing cup and stir everything well. I use an old (sanitized) cream eye shadow pot to store my scrub in. I use this scrub once a night or every other night for about a minute, and then follow up with a rich lip balm. 

Do you have a favorite DIY skincare recipe? What do you use in the winter to keep your skin, lips and hair hydrated? 

Ipsy December 2014 Review

The December 2014 Ipsy theme is "Thinking of You." I was hoping this month would be a bit more special because of the holidays and end of the year, but this bag was just okay for me. It was definitely still worth $10, which is why I love Ipsy! 

Ipsy sent me five items in this black, sturdy bag. This would make a nice pencil bag, or bag for travel. I received two full size products - the Pixi Fairy Dust and NYX Butter Lip Balm, a standard size brush, and two sample products.  Let's start with Pixi... 
(p.s. The sun wasn't cooperating when I was taking these photos - sorry about the weird brightness and shadows!)

Pixi by Petra Fairy Dust: This is in the shade Brightening Bare, which is described as a medium nude sheen. Unfortunately, this just didn't work for me. I tried applying the shadow wet and dry, but I still found the color to be sallow and unflattering. The formula was nice though, the texture was soft and easily blend-able. I have some great nude shadows, some even from Wet 'n Wild that are inexpensive, so I won't be using this. 

 Size Received: 0.02 oz
Price: $10 full size 0.02 oz
Value: $10   

NYX Butter Lip Balm: I received the shade Lady Fingers which is described as mauve. I'm very happy with this product! The shade is a pretty medium pink and nicely pigmented. The formula is soft and applies smoothly. There is a subtle sheen. The balm is hydrating, but I felt like it exaggerated the flakiness of my dry lips. I'm not overly concerned with that though because I really need to exfoliate this time of year anyway. :) 

 The wear time on this is great - about two hours, and it fades nicely. I will definitely use this all winter! I applied two coats for the swatch and on my lips, which is a nice wash of color. 

Size Received: 0.14 oz
Price: $4.00 full size 0.14 oz
Value: $4.00

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara: I was definitely excited to see this high-end sample in my Ipsy bag! Tarte claims this mascara lengthens, curls, volumizes, and conditions lashes which results in a 330% increase in lash volume. Okay, I have to admit this mascara did not *wow* me, and I didn't see a 330% increase in volume, but it does separate and lengthen the lashes nicely. I like the volume and length I get, and no dreaded spidery lashes! This mascara couldn't hold a curl well, which is disappointing. I like this best on my lower lashes, the brush seems to catch those little lashes well.

Size Received: 0.10 oz
Price: $20.00 full size 0.24 oz
Value: $8.33

Coolway Boost Repair Mask: This hair mask is supposed to reduce hair breakage by up to 75% and strengthen hair by up to four times. When I was going to try this, it came out like oily, curdled milk and smelt horrible. I immediately washed it off my hands and have not had the courage to put it in my hair haha - it just seems so yucky. I promise when I actually try this, I will let you know how it went. 
Size Received: 1.3 oz
Price: $29.95 full size 8 oz 
Value: $4.87 

 Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush: This is a duel-ended brush created with synthetic fibers. The larger brush on the right is called the shadow brush and is used for applying eyeshadow or contouring the eye. 

The smaller brush on the left is called the crease brush and is used for defining the eye or precision concealing. 

Oh my goodness, I love this brush! The shadow brush works nicely for blending, but the smaller crease brush is the star of the show. This is amazing for smudging out eyeshadow under the eye, and darkening the outer-V. The tip is pointed so it's precise, and the fibers blend beautifully. This shadow brush can blend out a smokey eye in no time. I've used this brush every day since receiving my Ipsy bag! 
Size Received: Full size brush
Value: $6.99


Overall Thoughts: While this was not my favorite Ipsy bag, the NYX butter lip balm and the Crown Brush still make me very happy! I'm glad I was able to try the famous Tarte 4-in-1 mascara, too. I hope next month's bag will include a prettier eyeshadow. The total value for this month's bag was about $34.19.

How did you like December's Ipsy Bag? Did you have a favorite/least favorite product?

Thanks for reading! 

Ipsy November 2014 Review

November has been my favorite Ipsy month so far!  I'm excited to finally get the time to write this post, because the products this month were wonderful. Sorry this post is late, wow things have been busy! :) Keep reading to find out what products I received and why they were so great...

Ipsy sent me five items in this sparkly, silver bag. I like the bag, it's lined with pink fabric on the inside and makes a great makeup bag for my purse. I received two full-size products this month - the J. Cat lip paint and the Starlooks eyeliner pencil. Let's start with the eyeliner...

 Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil: This eyeliner shade is Ultra Olive. It is a light to medium mossy green with gold sparkle. Wow it is beautiful! My favorite way to wear this is on the lower lash line and even in the waterline. It lasts for about 4-5 hours. It is so soft and pigmented, and it's a fun shade to wear for holiday looks. It actually looks really nice with the Mica eyeshadow from last month's Ipsy bag, you can check out my review here October 2014 Ipsy Bag. This liner sharpens well, which is really convenient. I actually wear this a few times a week, it compliments so many eyeshadow looks - great job Ipsy! 

Size Received: 0.1 oz
Price: $17.00 full size 0.1 oz
Value: $17.00 - this liner paid for the bag this month!

J. Cat Beauty Wonder Lip Paint: The shade I received is Mad Splatter. I love the shade - it is hot pink with blue undertone/shimmer, so fun and pretty! J. Cat claims that this offers endurance and intense pigment, I agree with the intense pigment, but I don't find this to be long-lasting. I've tried applying this directly on my lips, with a q-tip, over liner and *nothing* stops this from feathering outside of my lips. It applies evenly, but within 10 minutes it feathers. The formula is thin and runny, so I think that might be why it feathers. I don't have a lipstick brush because I've never really needed one, but maybe I'll have to pick one up to see if it helps this gorgeous color wear well. I prefer lipstick or lipgloss over this "paint." 

 Size Received: 0.33 oz
Price: $4.99 full size 0.33 oz
Value: $4.99

 It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer: All Ipsters received the shade Neutral Medium. This is a high-end "cult favorite" product, so I was excited to try this! The shade works well for me, and it really blends out nicely. The formula is unlike any concealer I've tried! I follow the directions and use a tiny dab (a little goes a long way), rub it between my fingers to warm it up, and then apply to my undereye area. This is some serious stuff!  It covers up my dark circles so well, and even some acne scars. The coverage is amazing, and it lasts all day! I don't use this everyday because my eyes usually don't need this much coverage, but when my eyes are looking extra tired, this really helps conceal the circles.

Size Received: 0.11 fl oz 
Price: $24 full size 0.28 fl oz
Value: $9.43 

 Sea RX Birchsap Moisturizing Lotion: I am so happy I received this lotion, I love trying new lotions, and this was not disappointing at all. I like the smell, it is sweet and fresh, like sugary citrus. The formula is great - it absorbs quickly, doesn't break me out, and moisturizes my oily skin just the right amount. It does seem to help brighten my skin, which is really nice this time of year when I feel like my skin can look dull. Realistically, it is too expensive for me to buy full-size, but it has been fun using up the sample! 

Size Received: 0.3 oz
Price: $32.00 full size 4 oz
Value: $2.40

Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Hairspray: Well, this is a pretty standard hairspray. It seems gentle, which is nice, and the hold is light to medium. It does a decent job, just nothing extraordinary. I do love travel hairsprays, they're so convenient to keep in my bag or travel with!

Size Received: 1.5 oz

Price: $8.29 full size 9 fl oz

Value: $1.38

Overall Thoughts: This is by far my favorite Ipsy month! I'm really happy with the products I received. My favorite is probably the eyeliner because it's so usable, followed closely by the concealer. My lip paint shade is so gorgeous I'm going to keep trying to find a way to make it work. Overall, I found this month's makeup shades to be perfect, they're shades that work well with my complexion and style. The total value this month was about $35.20. 

 How did you like November's Ipsy bag? Any tips on wearing the J.Cat Lip Paint? 

Thanks for reading!