Ipsy July 2018

This is a spot treatment that is made with herbs and oils which claim to heal and remove acne as well as signs of any damage it has caused. It also claims to help give a general even complexion to your skin. The formula of this product is on the thicker side but it does not feel heavy, it carries a slight minty scent to it that is earthy and natural. I do not currently have any breakouts so I haven't used this product yet but it does feel light and refreshing when applied. If it helps with any future breakouts, I would purchase the full size.

This is a liquid eyeliner pen that claims to allow you to create thick or fine defined lines. It also claims that it has a unique long lasting formula that includes algae extract. I do not really use liquid eyeliner as I have no skill at making it look decent. This pen is extremely pigmented and I did like that you can easily make a thin or thick line without much effort. Since I don't have a use for a product like this then I won't be purchasing the full size. This does appear to be the travel size version, making it the first full size product this month.

This is a beautiful champagne toned eye shadow. This shade is extremely pigmented and gives a lovely natural look with just a pop of shimmer to liven it up. I really enjoyed working with this shadow and think it would compliment every skin tone. I am definitely going to be purchasing other shades, especially considering the price point and size of the product. This does appear to be the second full size product this month.

This is a sky blue nail polish that is cruelty-free, vegan, 10-free, and non-toxic. I find this color to be stunning but I do think more of the Spring season when I see it. I was able to achieve an opaque look in three coats and did use my own top coat for extra protection. I found the polish to be a little streaky with the first coat but it does even out when you add at least two more applications. I haven't experienced any chipping issues since applying it a few days ago. Overall, I really like the color and formula and I would purchase other shades. This does appear to be the third full size product this month.

This is a lip pencil that claims to be comfortable and easy to use with their new roundshaped barrel. The formula is enriched with LXB complex which claims to soften and protect the skin, it also contains macadamia oil and waterlily extracts. The color I received is an orangy red tone, which I find works best with pretty much any red lipstick. This lipliner applied evenly and it did feel quite moisturizing on my lips. It is also extremely easy to blend and did seem to keep my lipstick in place for a long period of time. I would purchase the full size as well as other shades.

My July Glam Bag is valued at $49.15.

I pay $10.00 a month for my subscription, so I received an additional value of $39.15.

Overall, I loved this month's bag as it contained three full size products and all of the products were new to me. Ipsy continues to go beyond my expectations each month and keeps me excited for what is to come. My favorite product from this month's bag was the eye shadow.

If you haven't subscribed to Ipsy yet, click here to get your very own glam bag next month.

If you missed my review of June's Glam Bag, click here to check it out.

Down in the comments, let me know your current favorite eye shadow.

As always any requests, questions, or comments are greatly appreciated. Talk to you soon!

I am back with another edition of my What I Ate Wednesday series. I am currently calorie tracking with MyFitnessPal, so each meal will contain the calorie value. Keep reading if you want to see how I spent my calories for the day!

Breakfast

I didn't have much of an appetite so I kept this meal simple yet refreshing. This is a tropical smoothie that contains banana, pineapple, coconut milk, and almond milk.

Lunch

As usual, my lunch was leftovers from the previous night's dinner. I had three baked chicken strips, roasted potatoes, and steamed carrots.

Snack

I am trying to phase out soda and these have been my go to drink for when I need something sweet. This flavor is absolutely delicious!

Dinner

We are continuing to eat at least two vegetarian meals a week. On this night we made one of our favorite ramen dishes and exchanged the meat for a mushroom sauce.

By the end of the day I had used 1,391 calories.

In the comments down below, let me know your favorite vegetarian meal.

If you missed my last What I Ate Wednesday, click here to check it out.

If you would like to follow along on my weight loss journey, click here to follow my Instagram.

As always any requests, questions, or comments are greatly appreciated. Talk to you soon!

Birchbox July 2018

This is a bb cream that claims to hydrate, add light coverage, and strengthen your skin's moisture barrier. It contains gaspe algae which is a weather resilient seaweed. The formula is not too thin nor thick and it carries a slight sweet scent that sort of reminds me of baby powder. The coverage is fairly sheer so I wouldn't use this as a go to foundation if you are in need of more decent coverage. It does feel quite smooth on the skin and blends out nicely. I don't really have a need for a sheer BB cream so I won't be purchasing the full size of this product.

This is a root nourishing serum that is infused with nine herbs known to promote healthy hair growth. To use this product, you simply apply a few drops onto your scalp, massage, and then rinse thoroughly. First off, I am extremely pleased that this sample came with a dropper as it makes trying the product out far easier. The formula is quite thin and does have a slight oily texture. It is easy to apply to the scalp and contains a nice herbal citrus scent. With a product like this, I do believe a longer testing period is required in order to find any decent results. So far, I am enjoying the way it feels and am interested to see if it changes anything about my hair health and growth. If it works well for me, I  would consider purchasing the full size.

This is a sample pack of micellar water-infused face wipes that can be used to remove makeup, oil, and grime from the skin. It claims that they will not dry out the skin. The wipes are extremely small, about 1/3 the size of the ones I am currently using. I am not sure if the full size pack contains wipes this small but I find it hard to believe this can be used to remove an entire face full of makeup with just one wipe. It does feel extremely refreshing on the skin and does not appear to carry any scent. I used this wipe to just remove makeup swatches from my hand and it was already quite dirty and dried out so I don't see how this could work as a daily face makeup remover. I would consider purchasing these if the wipes were larger.

This is a fragrance-free sunscreen that claims to deliver nonstreaky mineral SPF 30. The formula is extremely thick which is great for me as it means a little goes a long way. The product itself feels extremely tacky once applied, it leaves a slight greasy feel which I did not enjoy. While it does not carry a fragrance, you can smell what I would describe as an earthy/mineral scent that does linger on the skin after application. Due to the feel of the sunscreen, I would not purchase the full size of this product.

This is a waterproof brow liner that is intended to fill in sparse spots and define each hair to make arches appear naturally fuller. To use, you simply apply short strokes from the start of your brow moving outward. I have never seen an eyebrow pencil like this one before which made it a tad intimidating to use. I swatched it on my hand to see the color and formula, I found the color to be too light for my needs but it did apply quite evenly and I was impressed with the staying power. I would be curious to try this in a darker color as I think it could work nicely for my brow needs.

Overall, I was fairly pleased with this month's box which is the first time in awhile I feel like I could say that with Birchbox. I found that most of these products fit my profile preferences as well as being new for me to try. I do wish that the brow pencil would have been better matched to me but I can only assume there is a limited shade range. My favorite product from this month's box was the root nourishing serum.

Not a current subscriber to Birchbox? Click here to get your very own box next month!

If you missed my review of June's Birchbox, click here to check it out.

In the comments down below, let me know your current favorite hair product.

As always any requests, questions, or comments are greatly appreciated. Talk to you soon!