June BoxBattle!

Isn’t it neat how they named a month after a Taylor Swift song?

I’m currently spending a lot of time trying out the stuff I got in the ICON box. So far it’s all really exciting stuff, and a good mix. I accidentally got three mascaras though, so I’m gonna need to maybe do a whole post on those instead of cluttering up this post. 

I’m really excited to be playing around with all this stuff, but we do need to get a huge problem out of the way. The box came soaked through with a product that had shattered in transit. It was a glass bottle containing the Rose Body Oil from the brand Jurlique. It was actually a pretty bad cut on my finger that I got from that, a piece of glass got embedded in my finger and I had to get it out splinter-style. Little cut, lots of blood. 

The entire box was covered in this oil. It looked like it had been left out in the rain honestly, and funnily enough it had rained very heavily the day it arrived, but it was up under my porch. The cardboard basically melted away when I opened it. No chance to get a good image. 

I’ve reached out to IPSY and they confirmed a replacement is being ordered, although it wasn’t clear if I would be getting an exact replacement or one of their “replacements” where they kinda send something sort of good but nowhere near as exciting. Or they just replace it with a Refreshments product or something. But I did get an e-mail saying my replacement product is on the way.

So! This will be a product post without that body oil and without any mascaras, since I’m going to do a whole separate one on those.

Which means that the first item to go over is the Lip Service Lip Gloss from the brand Il Makiage. It’s in the shade Power Play. I’ve heard a lot about this brand but their prices are really steep so I’ve never tried much of anything. But I really like this product. 

So the packaging is really pretty and heavy, and feels expensive. It’s not exactly round, it’s like a rounded square kind of. The only thing with the packaging, when you unscrew the wand and pull it out, the packaging holds on tight to that wand and you worry that if you pull too hard it’ll fly out and product will splatter everywhere - there’s foundations and concealers that are like that. 

It’s also a very pigmented gloss. Not quite as crazy as a JSC gloss, so it’s still nice and sheer, but not completely sheer. Like, I could do a deep purple liner and then use this gloss and it would be a look. I don’t have a ton of experience with these kinds of glosses, but I’ve been wearing it pretty consistently since I got it and I enjoy it. I just keep having the urge to use it with a lip liner or other product. 

The formula is soft and not incredibly sticky, but I like the KAB formula a little better as far as slipperiness goes. I would definitely get this gloss in a more nude tone, since this one is purple-ish like I said. But it’s something I enjoy using. 

It is a $27 gloss. That is a lot of money for a gloss. I found a few on Poshmark for $17-$21, which is a little better but still hefty with shipping. I might try another shade though, since I really like the product. 

The next product IPSY picked out for me is a facial oil called the Phytonutrient Concentrate by a new brand to me, called Non Gender Specific.

I believe I have been very clear in my reviews that this isn’t something I’d like to receive, but this one is actually alright. I have it on now, and it’s definitely oily but - I don’t know, it’s not making me feel gross. And it seems to have absorbed really nicely by the morning as well. 

This is intentional, it appears; I just went to the listing on IPSY and it does claim that due to the nature of the formula and how small the particles are, you should not find a greasy feeling like with other facial oils.

The packaging is a little boring, I’d rather have something that I can see the color of the oil through, but I know some types of products need to be in dark packaging to keep them from the sunlight.

The dropper is a little weak, meaning the drips do come out a little before you squeeze it, which isn’t ideal but I’m adjusting with it. I do really like the shape. 

I plan to use this product up, as it’s the only facial oil I’ve ever used that leaves my skin feeling hydrated and conditioned instead of sticky and greasy.

This product retails for $125. This is incredible. Looking at the ingredients though, and the claims, I’m not surprised. In order the first few ingredients are grapeseed oil, sunflower seed oil, poppy seed, nettle, just all these seed and flower oils that, from my time working in skincare, I know are incredibly potent. Then it’s got camellia, green tea, turmeric, ginger, just all this good stuff. I don’t even see anything in the ingredients that I don’t recognize besides the very last three, and I know those must be preservatives to keep the formula stable. 

Their website is also gorgeous, I just went to look. It’s clean, minimalistic, and to the point, with beautiful photos and colors that work well together. The prices are high, but the descriptions and ingredient lists just make me feel like we finally found a company that puts its money where its mouth is and delivers thoughtfully crafted items. I’d love to be able to afford and possibly try some of these other products. 

IPSY’s next choice for me was the Maracuja Juicy Glow Stick from Tarte in the shade Champagne. I have some products from Tarte, but this isn’t a win, so let’s talk about it.

First of all, the packaging. It’s a long stick that you roll up, which is totally different from any other highlighter packaging I’ve had before. I’m trying to think if I’ve ever used anything like this. The only one I can think of is maybe the Wander Beauty Trip for Two blush and highlight, one end was a cream blush and one end was a cream highlighter - but it was wide enough to get your finger on and tap it on. It is true that the marketing for that item did include showing it used directly on the skin, but it was large enough that I could use my finger too.

But this packaging reminds me of the lip glosses they also sell, and I get the sense they want me to use this tiny wand to put highlighter on and then blend it out with my fingers.

The issue is the color. This highlighter has a base color, not just shimmer, so it lashes majorly with my foundation. It isn’t a bright enough cast to just apply a layer and be done with it, like other liquid highlighters. 

Also, I don’t know about you, but when I think “champagne” I think of a golden color, and this is a pink, rose-gold highlight. 

I just googled it and I’m right, champagne is meant to be a light yellow beige. So this should have been called “Cool Champagne.” Or something. Or “Strawberry Champagne.” Or something else. 

I probably won’t use it further.

The last item IPSY picked for me is the Neroli Complete Creme from Volition Beauty. Neroli is apparently another term for orange blossom. I think it’s beautiful and a really pretty name for skincare. 

It comes in a jar with a lid and not in a squeeze tube, which I would actually prefer due to its consistency. It’s not so watery that it’s hard to get out of the jar, but it would definitely flop out if the jar tipped over. So I can apply it with my fingertip but it’s not a thick enough consistency to just tap a finger in and have enough, I do need to kinda scoop it. 

It’s a very good day cream. This morning when I applied it I felt like I did too much, but I walked away to wet the beauty blender and came back and it was absorbed really well, I was even able to go over it with primer and not feel sticky or greasy.

It doesn’t have a very strong fragrance, and I can think of a few moisturizers that I do enjoy better, but right now I’m using it under my makeup instead of my Keys Soulcare from last month, just because of how lightweight and absorbable it is.

It retails for $50 and that’s a ton of money, but I do also see it online for almost half the cost, so it’s something I”ll get again if it’s a good price.

OK! My Choices!

I made good choices. For once in my life. 

I won’t make a whole section for it, since I’ve been using it for a long time, but they had a jumbo Fenty Beauty Fat Water Toner Serum in the choices. I go through this stuff like water and it sells for basically the price of the ICON box so I am thrilled. This thing is 250ml, where the regular size is 150, so it’s almost double the size.

You know how much I love this toner, even though it’s not a toner really it’s more like an essence lotion or serum. The only thing with the jumbo size that I wasn’t expecting is the really genius cap, where you twist and the hole opens and then you pour and then twist again to close it up, isn’t on the jumbo. It’s just a hole. I don’t know why it isn’t just like the other one, which is amazing for a few reasons (fewer caps on my vanity for example) but most importantly amazing because it’s usable with one hand. 

But yeah none of this nonsense with the jumbo - huge missed opportunity imho. 

The next product is also a repurchase - the Keys Soulcare Golden Cleanser came up as an option as well, full-size this time, and it’s one of the only cleansers I’ve received that made an impression on me. I wrote about it in July’s post if you’re interested 🙂

The Jurlique Rose Body Oil came smashed so it doesn’t get a review. It just counts negatively towards my feelings about this box. My only comment, besides ouch for the glass that got lodged for a few minutes in my finger, is that it’s a good fragrance and I would have loved to use it. 

Aaand that’s it for my choices. I actually chose three products that either didn’t arrive or I had already tried lol. Now my add-ons!

I added-on six items but two were mascaras, so I’ll write about the other four only for now. First up is the Stick Blush by Anastasia Beverly Hills in the shade Soft Rose. I had always wanted to try one of these, but I wish I hadn’t gotten it.

The formula of the actual blush is fine, it’s pretty creamy and pigmented, but the brush on the other end is so useless. I wouldn’t use this unless I was using no other products and it was just blush, like no foundation or concealer, because the brush is really rough and uncomfortable. 

I’ve just been using my fingertip to take off the brush and apply, and then tapping it out with my beauty blender. The brush just felt scratchy. Pretty disappointing. I woud rather they do something like the Wander Beauty one, which had a highlight on the other end instead of a brush. This is just a novelty item and doesn’t actually work very well. 

It also retails for $32, which actually isn’t as much as I thought it was considering it’s a unique item with unique packaging, but it’s still a lot for only a lil nub of product. So I’d say just buy a good cream blush, don’t bother with the compact thingy.

SLMISSGLAM is a new brand to me, and I added on their Trio Sponge Set. It’s a box with three blending sponges in it, that are really pretty and have cute shapes. My favorite one is the diamond-looking one that doesn’t have one of those harsh cut lines. I don’t understand those. You know the blender that looks like it was a great blender and someone took scissors and cut the top off it and now it’s just got this line across it? I guess maybe that’s for powder or getting close to certain areas - but as far as precision goes, I just don’t use a blender for those types of things. 

Anyway the texture is excellent, it’s not too soft and not too hard - there was a blender I got last month that was so soft it absorbed a ton of product, so like, it was really comfy to use but I lost a lot of foundation and concealer in it.

These are a lot firmer but not uncomfortable, so I can put, let’s say, my Natasha Denona Foundation X directly on it and instead of sinking in right away like with my other blender, it gave me a minute of sitting on top to apply.

And before you say anything I know, I know, you’re not supposed to put product directly on the blender. I understand. It’s just an example. 

So I do like these and am happy to have a couple blenders on hand that are clean. I’ve always used the Beauty Bakerie ones, but they’re a little firm for me.

I also added on the Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Bronzer in the shade Cool Brown - so don’t judge me on this one. My very favorite contour shade is a cream that’s this dark, I just put a tiny bit at my cheekbone and blend it down and it looks stunning.

So I received this product last month as well but in a very orangey, yellowy shade. It made me look sick, and it was absolutely in no way a contour shade. It was straight up a yellowy bronzer. The color of caramel. But then I saw this one and I was like finally I can actually try it out in a color that would actually contour me.

So it’s very purple. It’s such a dark shade and it’s purply. And that’s awesome cause I wanted that cool gray. So I just need to take care with how much I use. But if I’m careful, it’s a really nice product. I have a brush I use to get the initial application down, and then I blend it down and out. I like it a lot, but I do notice that after applying my blush I do have to go back and touch it up a little because the layer I apply is very thin. 

So it’s something I need to keep experimenting with, but I do like it a lot and plan to play around with it. The packaging throws me off though - I don’t know why, but I always expect it to be the color of the product, like with foundations, so the chestnut brown color makes it completely invisible to me when I’m looking for it. 

And last up for the non-mascara items is the AMNH Skincare Lip Liner in the shade Nude Rose. I can't find the picture for it. I'm sorry. It's a lip liner. Picture a lip liner.

It’s a good lip liner. It’s very pigmented and it does allow me to tap it out over my lips and blend before putting the gloss on. It’s also a roll-up instead of a pencil, so maybe I need to sharpen it but I can push it up.

The color is really good for the type of lip I want to do, it’s not super dark, just a really good muted red. Looks good with my Complex Culture nude lips.

So that’s all for August’s ICON box! I’ll post a review on all these mascaras soon, since I still need to do more testing. I’m so happy with this box, aside from the obvious problems. 

When I write about the mascaras I’ll also update about what I got in my accommodation order, which is supposed to be here later this week. I’m hoping they replace the item but I think if they were going to do that, they’d have said so. If not, I’m looking forward to seeing if they give me something of equal value or just toss me a Refreshments Body Wash. 

Thanks for reading! Keep an eye out for the next post, ideally before the end of the month.

     Talk soon!

    ~Dani