Ipsy Bag Review | May 2015

Hi everyone!

I normally try to space out my posts so there is a nice mix of beauty, product reviews, subscription service posts, and lifestyle posts. My subscription services came at the same exact time this month, so I am doing back to back reviews!

If you didn't catch my review on the May Boxycharm box that I received, you can read about it here! I received my May Ipsy bag on the same day, and I'm here today with my review on it! If you are unfamiliar with Ipsy, it is $10 a month to receive a makeup bag filled with 4-5 products, that are usually deluxe sample size, or full size. You can check out Ipsy here.

The bag that came this month was so cute! Some months, I truly just hate the bag and end up throwing it away or giving it to a family member or friend. This is so cute, and I definitely will be using it!

1. Urban Decay Glide-On Pencil in Ozone
I have so many of these Urban Decay pencils, both from buying them and receiving them in subscription boxes. I love them, they are great quality and last a long time. I have both lip pencils, and eye pencils from this line, and I approve of both. This one was a new one I've never heard of, as it is a clear/white color that is supposed to act as a lip primer. I haven't used this yet, but will definitely try it out next time I wear a bright lip color! This sample also came with two sample shades of their new High-Color Lipgloss.

2.  Luxie Tapered Blending Brush
One of my favorite things to receive in subscription services are makeup brushes. I can never have enough of them, but I hate buying them. On top of that, I received my favorite type of brush, a blending brush! I love blending brushes as they really finish off every eye look, and I like having multiple on hand as I work with different colors in the crease. I approve of this product, and it was probably my favorite thing in the bag!

3. Bare Republic Natural Mineral Sunscreen
This was a pretty small sample for Ipsy, which is pretty disappointing. Although, sunscreen is a great thing to keep on hand, and this small one might be great for traveling, or throwing in the purse for the day if you don't want to pack a huge bottle. The product has good reviews online, and I definitely will give it a try. Although, Ipsy lost some brownie points in my book for this one, since it is such a small sample (cough cough, more like birchbox size, cough cough).

4. Nuxe Face Cleansing and Make Up Removing Gel
This is a pretty good sample size, and great for traveling. It looks like a nice cleansing gel for the face, that I will definitely get use out of. Not much more to say here, I will try it out! The smell isn't amazing, but the texture of it feels really nice! Definitely will toss in my travel bag.

5. Bella Pierre Eyeliner in Black 
I have been using this eyeliner for the last few days, and I've really been liking it! It is so dark and creamy, and applies really easy. It lasts fairly well throughout the day, and doesn't smudge easily. I am actually really impressed with this!

There is this months bag! I am impressed with the lip pencil, eyeshadow brush, and eyeliner. The two smaller samples of the sunscreen and the face cleanser, I'm not crazy about, but I will definitely try them. The bag was cute, and the range of products was fabulous. As per usual, Ipsy was pretty great this month!


As always, thanks for reading
xoxo, Jaimie.

Boxycharm | May 2015

Hi everyone! 

I'm back again with another Boxycharm review. If you didn't catch my post last month about Boxycharm, then you can read about it here. It was my first month trying this box, and I was highly impressed. 4 out of the 5 products were full size, and I've actually been using a lot of those products since I received the box. Spoiler: This month, ALL the products were full size. 

Let's get right into what I received in my box this month. If you're interested in trying out Boxycharm for yourself, you can check it out here! 

1. ModelCo Bronze Shimmer >>> Value : $22.00

This was a great product to get right before summer. It is a great size, and I have tried things from this brand before and loved them. Unfortunately, this is a pretty dark bronzer, and I'm still pretty fair right now. I think I will like this more into summer when I have a good tan, but it is a great product. I just tried it out today and it looks alright, just a tad darker than I'm quite ready for ;) Overall impressed though. 

2. Lauren B. Beauty Nail Polish in Sunset Blvd >>> Value : $18.00
This is such a pretty color, that my camera wouldn't pick up perfectly. I would say it is a 3/4 red, and 1/4 orange. It makes such a pretty coral color that is more on the red side. I think this color is perfect for spring and summer, and I'm excited to try it out! I've never tried this brand, but for $18 a bottle, I'd assume it's a good formula. I'll keep you updated!

3. Bodyography Essential Brow Trio >>> Value : $19.00
This is such a handy little product to have a few shades of brow powders to throw in your travel bag, or your everyday makeup routine. I've never heard of this brand before, but the packaging is so nice, and this is a pretty good price point for three brow colors. I n the picture below, I will probably use the color on the bottom left of the trio wheel. This package is a bit dark, even for me as a brunette, but we will see. I'm excited to try this out!

4. The Lip Bar Lipstick in Purple Rain >>> Value : $20.00
I was so excited for this, as I saw other reviews from other bloggers, and they were all getting amazing colors. Unfortunately, I received a color that I'll never wear, so this was a bit of a fail for me. It is a bright purple color. I tried it on, and it made my teeth look an awkward gray color, and really drowned out my skin tone. I am not a fan, so it's a bummer that I received one of the less wearable colors. The packaging of these lipsticks are so creative and fun though! Bummed, this was a fail.

5. Bodyography Brow Brush >>> Value : $18.00
This is the same brand as the brow powder, and I'm impressed! This is the perfect brow brush as it has a really nice angled brow brush on one end, and a spoolie on the other end. I have a ton of brushes, but I actually don't have a dual ended brow brush, so I was excited to receive this!

Well there you have it!

TOTAL VALUE OF THIS BOX : $98.00
I paid $21 for this box, so this seems like a great value to me! My favorite product, was the brow powder/brush combo, and the nail polish. My least favorite product was the lipstick.

Overall, I know I will use 4 of the 5 products, so that is good by me!

Want a box like this for yourself? Check out Boxycharm HERE! 


As always, thanks for reading
xoxo, Jaimie.

One Year After College Graduation | What I've Learned

Today officially marks one year since I graduated my undergraduate program! I envisioned myself in a very different place than I am right now, but I couldn't be happier with the way my life is going, and I learned a few things along the way that I wish I knew a year ago...

1. It's okay to move in with your parents.

I lived with Josh during college, and he studied abroad in South Korea the summer after graduation. This situation sort of forced me to move in with my parents for the summer, but it ended up extending from June through Christmas. I love my parents more than anything, and living there is so amazing and fun, but I just didn't visualize that for myself after college. I think that moving back into your parents has this stigma that means you're a failure, but that is totally false. It allowed me to look at my job and housing options and have a stable place to live while I figured that out. I'm so thankful my parents opened up their house for me to come back to while I figured out my next steps.

2. You won't keep in touch with all of your college friends.

This isn't going to be true for everyone, but for me it is true. I had a lot of college friends that simply just went total opposite directions (literally) from me, and it just becomes really hard to keep in touch. Thankfully there is social media and technology to help keep up with their lives, but not enough to keep those deepened friendships. I wouldn't say I lost complete friendships, but there are a few that I simply just can't keep up with as much due to multiple circumstances.

3. It's okay to not be exactly where you pictured yourself.

This one was really hard for me to accept. I had a really difficult time finding a job in my field, that would allow me to use my degree. I actually never ended up finding one, and ended up jumping right back into graduate school (we will get into that later). I think that people expect you to graduate and immediately find a job in your field, but this simply isn't always the case. If that is how it works out for you, that is amazing and you are very blessed. It is okay to get a job that isn't in your field to get you by for a while. That was the hardest thing for me to accept after graduation, but once I found a purpose (Graduate School) it got way better.

4. Travel... As much as you can.

This is a very cliche thing I learned, but it is very true. This doesn't have to mean you take a trip outside the country every year, it could simply mean going to a concert with some friends, or taking a quick weekend trip. I was thankful enough to travel in September after graduating and it was an amazing experience. I hope that I can travel for the rest of my life even after I'm married with children, but I wanted to embrace the period in my life where nothing is holding me down. I'm traveling again in August, I think once a year is a good pace ;)

5. Explore your career options

So you have a degree in Elementary Education, does this mean that you HAVE to find a job in the teaching field? NO! Obviously, the goal is to use your degree and make all of that $$$ worth it, but that simply isn't the case for everyone. Explore your options, because there are probably ways that you can use your degree that you haven't even thought of. I would use the first few months out of college to really explore your options and maybe do a few job shadows and interviews to test the waters. I think it is important not to be close minded on your career options or else you might be unemployed for a long time.

6. Explore your continuing education options.

This one can tag along the previous item that I wrote. While you are looking at your career options, it is important to note if any careers need additional schooling such as a Masters program or a Doctorate program. For me, I graduated with my Bachelors in Psychology and I knew that I wanted to be a School Counselor. School Counseling is a career that legally requires a masters degree, so I knew that was in my future but I envisioned taking a year off (which would put me at today). I looked into programs, applied to ONE school and said "If I get it, then I'll go and this will be my sign, but if I don't then I will take a year off". Well, I got in, and I'm so thankful. I love my program so much and I am already halfway through! Explore, and step outside your comfort zone. It is important to recognize the cost and time dedication of continuing education, so just be sure that is what you want to do.

7. Focus on your finances sooner rather than later.

Right after college would have been a wonderful time to implement a budget, and work on my finances (learning that now...). Thankfully, since I'm in graduate school I don't have to pay on my undergraduate loans until I'm done with schooling completely, but it is important to understand your loans. It is important to understand what you owe, how you pay, and consequences of not paying. I would recommend talking to someone in the Financial Aid or Student Loan office at your school before moving back home. Making sure that all of your ducks are in a row would be really important.

8. Realize that it is okay to have no idea what is next.

This was a hard one for me also. It is TOTALLY okay if you don't know what is happening. It is totally okay if you are confused, disappointed, or lost. That is normal. Do all graduates feel this way? No. Do some? Yes. I would recommend taking action always, and not letting yourself get into a rut of disappointment and confusion. Take risks, and explore. Try new things, and if they don't work out that is okay!

9. Be thankful.

So if you can't tell by this post, my life turned out a little differently than I pictured. I am currently working somewhere that has nothing to do with my degree, but I am also working toward my Masters Degree, which is so important to me. If you are lucky and blessed enough to find a great job in your field, be thankful. I think after graduation is a great time to focus on the things you have and really embrace your life. You are officially "out in the real world" and there are not really many more excuses you can use. Count your blessings, and take each day on with a smile and a positive attitude. Embrace the confusion, and accept the successes.

10. Don't Compare your Situation

This one is hard because it is natural to compare our lives with overs lives. It is only normal that if 10 people graduate with the same degree, not all 10 individuals will find a job within their degree. If you spend all of your time comparing your situation and outcome with others outcomes it will result in you feeling bad about yourself, or over confident. The year after graduation is a huge transition period, probably my biggest one and I am still, one year later, figuring it all out.

Ipsy | April 2015

This post was written a few weeks ago, but some major technical difficulties on my website kept it from posting. Here you all go, lets time warp back to a few weeks ago...



Hi everyone! Today I'm sharing my April Ipsy bag review. I have temporarily cancelled Birchbox, and I'm trying out Boxycharm, which you can read all about my first box here. Ipsy still remains my top recommended box/bag because of how affordable it is, and still provides decent products. The box this month was a little underwhelming, but I've found myself using two products a lot so that is a plus! Lets get right into the bag.

The actual bag this month was a fun multi color bag. I usually pass these along to someone, or find some random use for them. This wasn't my favorite bag, but what is inside is more important!!


1. Hikari Blush in Tango
This blush looks really bright and vibrant in the packaging, but actually goes on really light and subtle if you apply with a light hand. I really like this, it is a little too bright for me right now because I am still pretty fair in skin color. I can imagine this being gorgeous during the summer when I have a tan!

2. The Balm Single Shadow from the Nude Dude Palette in "Flirty"
This is a pretty bronze-brown shadow. I don't use single eyeshadows a lot, as I own a lot of palettes and reach for those more, but this is a pretty color! I have tried shadows from The Balm before and they are great quality!

3. MICA Beauty Cosmetics Eye Primer
I have been loving this. It is a neutralizer for your eyelids. I don't wear much makeup to work since I wear glasses during my work day, and this has been perfect. I put this all over my lid and it really evens out my skin tone, and makes them appear more awake and smooth. I then just apply mascara and I'm out the door. It is a really low maintenance product. I have also used this as an actual primer under shadows and it works great!

4. Muellin & Sparrow Mini Lip and Cheek Tint
This was a little bit of a bust for me. It is a really deep plum color, and it just doesn't look great on my skin tone. It is very sheer, which almost makes it worse. I like dark deep colors, but this balm goes on as a very light wash of a very dark color so it almost makes my lips looks dirty or like I ate something and didn't wipe my lips. If this came off as the actual dark color, I'd probably love it. I haven't tried it on the cheeks yet.

5. LATHER Ultra Light Face Lotion
I really like this! It is exactly what it is titled, an ultra light face lotion. I've been using this in the mornings and it's great. It is a fairly well sample size, and its a very simple product. I've tried one other thing from this brand, and it is an overnight hand cream that I apply nightly and love also. I am definitely wanting to try more from this brand, they seem like a really simple and gentle skin care line!

So there is my April 2015 Ipsy Bag. Like I said earlier, I wasn't entirely thrilled with this bag. I liked the face lotion, and the eye primer, and I'm sure I'll get use out of the blush for sure. I'm hoping next month is better, but as always Ipsy is still my favorite. As you can see, they focus mainly on makeup and skincare, which I love.


Want to sign up for Ipsy yourself? You can check it out here!


As always, thanks for reading.
xo, Jaimie.

Prom Essentials | What You Really Need

Prom is right around the corner for a lot of you, how exciting. It has been quite a few years since I went to prom, but I thought I would share some things that I remember being really helpful having on me on prom night! For this special post, here is a throwback picture for you, oh the animal print obsession I had...

So most of you girls will probably be bringing a clutch to prom, which is usually for looks, but you might as well make it practical and bring things that are actually going to come in handy on Prom night.


1. Blotting Sheets

Even if you don't have oily skin, you might experience a little bit of oiliness on prom night. You will probably be wearing more makeup than normal, taking a lot of photos, cramming into a limo with a lot of people, and really excited. All of those things might add up to a little bit of oil and sweat peaking through your makeup. Blotting sheets can be really helpful because with a quick dab on your oily spots, it will soak up the oil without removing your makeup. This would be really helpful right before photos.

2. Floss 

I would recommend throwing a few floss pics (is that what they are called?) in your clutch. After you eat dinner, you will probably head back to the school for some photos. You will want to take a quick trip into the bathroom to make sure you don't have any food in your teeth, and if you do, a little floss will do the trick.

3. Bobby Pins

It won't hurt at all to throw 4-5 bobby pins in your clutch. Whether you are wearing your hair up in a fancy do, or down and casual, they might come in handy. I wore my hair half up to my prom, and about halfway through the night it started to fall down. Being able to pin back some loose pieces will be sure that you are comfortable and not messing with your hair all night.

4. Gum

This is a no brainer! I remember on my prom night, I had a garlic alfredo at the restaurant we went to. I was begging all of my friends to see who had a piece of gum in their clutch. It would be safe to bring a pack with you, in case you need it, or your friends do!

5. Deodrant/Perfume

There is a lot of sweat involved during prom night, and there's no way around it. Packing a mini travel size deodorant might be nice, or at least a little perfume spray to touch up throughout the night.

6. Makeup for Touchups

Depending on your makeup maintenance, it might be smart to throw a few small things in the bag. For me, I would make sure to pack some bronzer, and a lip gloss. The blotting sheets can help with the oiliness, and sometimes bronzer is the first to fade away if you are sweating/getting oily. I'd recommend going simple with the lips, and not to wear anything that is too high maintenance. Your lip color will probably wear off between leaving for prom, and eating dinner. I would recommend a simple gloss that you can reapply without a mirror or too much attention.

7. Bandaids

This isn't absolutely essential, but if you are wearing a pair of heels that you aren't used to, it might be smart to pack a few bandaids for blisters. I ended up wearing flip flops to prom because I didn't want to deal with the blisters.

8. Tide To-Go Pen

This doesn't take up much space so if you have one around the house, it might be smart to throw in. Especially if you are wearing a white, or light colored dress.



The OCD in me wants to think of two more things so that it can be a perfect 10 items, but I really just wanted to talk about the essentials. If you throw these eight things in your bag, you should be good to go! I vividly remember needing blotting sheets, lip gloss, bobby pins, and gum. The rest of the things are items that I wish I would have brought.


If you are attending prom this year, have fun and be safe. Dance the night away, and have a blast!

As always, thanks for reading.
xoxo, Jaimie.

Boxycharm | April 2015

I'm here today with a new subscription box post! To make a really long story short, I have unsubscribed from Birchbox. I still highly recommend it if you are new to boxes, but I was just finding that I'm receiving way too many small samples and I'm simply just not using them. There are other boxes that I receive full-size products in, so my money doesn't seem well spent to receive small packet samples.

So after I cancelled Birchbox, I decided to put that money toward trying a new box to review for you guys. I signed up for Boxycharm, and April was my first month. This box is $21 a month, so double the price of Birchbox. All though it is a more expensive box, the value is insane. I have watched a lot of YouTube videos and read a lot of blogs before signing up for Boxycharm, and the value is always well over $80, and sometimes much more!

Check out Boxycharm HERE!

So without further delay, here is my April 2015 Boxycharm!

1. Coolway Smoothing Lotion - FULL SIZE 
    Value : $24.95

So the very first product was full size, and it was already worth more than the box itself. This is a smoothing lotion that says it tames frizz and controls those crazy flyaway hairs. It smells delicious, and is a really great texture. I get pretty frizzy hair when I wear it straight (which I never do), so I haven't been able to try this yet. I have felt the texture, and I think it will work great. Also, this product came with a 35% off coupon for their website. You can use the code : BOXY4U to get the discount at the Coolway website.

2. ModelCo Shine Ultra Lip Gloss - FULL SIZE
    Value : $16.00

Another full size product. This is a really great lip gloss, I actually wore it today. It looks really bright in the tube, but it isn't that bright when it's on. I found that when I wore it on it's own, it is pretty sheer and not a very noticeable color, but when on top of my favorite pink lipstick, it makes it even brighter! ModelCo glosses are nice because they have a really convenient mirror right on the packaging. I can't complain here, so far I am pleased with the first two products.

3. OFRA Illuminating Blush Stripes - FULL SIZE
    Value : $35.00

Another full size product, yup! I was really happy when I saw this product in my box, because it is so unique. There is four highlight colors in the pan, and they are all so beautiful. I have been wearing the two on the right mixed together since I received this box and it looks very natural, yet really nice on the cheek bones! I am obsessed with this product so far. I am interested to see what color of highlight I would get if I swirled the entire pan, but I don't want to ruin it, it's too pretty! ;) Very impressed with this product!

4. Harvey Prince Roller Fragrance - MINI SIZE
    Value : $21.00 for the mini size

This was the only product in the box that wasn't full size, and if you ask me, that is really impressive! Unfortunately, I am really picky with perfume. I don't think I've ever received a perfume sample that I've liked, and this continues that trend. It is a pretty floral scent, but I don't like floral scents on myself. Unfortunately I won't be using this, but I'm sure one of my friends or family members would love it! This was my only product that was a "miss", so that is pretty good!

5. Coastal Scents REvealed 2 Pallette - FULL SIZE
    Value : $39.95 (This palette is always on sale on their website for $19.95)

You're kidding right?! A full size eyeshadow palette in a subscription box. This palette is amazing! The packaging is so sleek and thin, but holds 20 eyeshadow colors so it is great for traveling. I put a photo below of this next to the Urban Decay Naked Palette so you can see the size. I have used this palette twice since receiving and the shadows are really nice, they blend great and are very pigmented. I am highly impressed, and this topped the whole box off for me!

Final Thoughts:

The total value of my box was $136.90. SUPER impressed. I received 5 products, and 4 of them were full size. I truly will use four of the five products, and won't use the perfume. I used to have to convince myself to use products out of my Birchbox, but I'm genuinely excited to start using these products. I will continue to stay subscribed to this, and will keep you updated next month if it is just as good. Are there any other boxes that you'd like a review on? My April Ipsy bag review will be up next.

Want your own Boxycharm box? You can check it out, and sign up here! 

As always, thanks for reading.
xoxo, Jaimie.