Ipsy Glam Bag Reveal: July 2017

I bought this.

 

Welcome to Samantha by the Sea! Today I would like to share with you what I received in this month's Ipsy bag! This month's theme was Over Easy and the lazy day vibes were definitely present!

The Bag

This month's bag had Gudetama, the lazy egg, on it. The silver pull tag said "meh..." on it, which was also super cute! As always, the quality of the bag was great! 

The Contents

Beau Gâchis Illuminator Brush ($10): A vegan, cruelty free, and eco-friendly brush that can used however you'd like! 

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara in Black ($12): This mini-sized mascara is perfect to create voluminous and long lashes.

Nomad Cosmetics Illuminating Highlighter in Midnight Sun (approx. $10): A soft and shimmery golden highlighter that gives the face a perfect glow.

Hanalei Lip Treatment in Rose ($12): A moisturizing pink-tinted lip treatment that is perfect for everyday wear.

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Black (approx. $11): This liner has a sharp felt tip and is very opaque, making it easy to create the perfect wing.

The Review

Overall, I'm extremely happy with this bag! Gudetama is adorable on the bag and I really liked all of the products I received this month. I even got to choose the Nomad Cosmetics highlighter! As the months go on and Ipsy gets to know me, I'm liking what I receive more and more. This bag retailed for approximately $55 USD!

Do you want to subscribe to Ipsy? Use my referral link on the sidebar or can click here! 

If you are subscribed to Ipsy, how was your bag this month? I'd love to hear all about it below!

Pastel Ikat Nail Art

 I bought this.

Welcome to Samantha by the Sea! Today I wanted to share with you a pastel ikat nail art look that is perfect for summer!

To start off, I used the Revlon Colorstay Gel-Smooth Base Coat. I applied two coats of Pure Ice He Rocks My World as the base color. Once that was dry, I placed Wet N Wild French White Crème anywhere that I wanted an ikat design. I then placed Zoya Lillan in the center of the white and accented everything with the L.A. Colors Art Deco Nail Art Striper in Black. I sealed everything in with Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Top Coat.

I am really loving this look! Not only is it perfect for summer, but the colors can be switched up to match any occasion. 

What do you think? Let me know below!

Drugstore Favorites: Summer Edition

 I bought this.

  

Welcome to Samantha by the Sea! Today I wanted to share with you my favorite products from the drugstore that I use during my everyday summer makeup routine! 

Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer in Bronzer: This is the perfect bronzer for my skin tone! It leaves me perfectly bronzed and it is very blends very well. It has a coconut scent that reminds me of the beach, but once applied the scent fades quickly.

Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder in 004 Sandstorm (top) and 003 Natural (bottom): I use 003 Natural for underneath my eyes and 004 Sandstorm for the rest of my face. I love these powders, as they help control oils and leave me looking matte all day.

Wet n Wild Illuminating Palette in 320 Catwalk Pink: This was the first highlighter I ever used! On days when I'm wanting more of a pink-toned highlight I'll use this. When I wanting more of a gold-toned highlight I prefer to use Wet n Wild 321B Precious Petals. 

Maybelline Brow Drama in Deep Brown: I'm not a fan of my eyebrows when they are completely filled in, so this is the best option for me! Not only does it help to define my brows, but it deepens the color as well.

Wet n Wild Photo Focus Setting Spray: I apply this after I've applied all of my powder products and before I apply my mascara. This spray helps to lock in my makeup and helps it to last all day.

Maybelline Master Conceal Camouflaging Concealer in 30 Light/Medium: This concealer is one of my favorites! I use it to spot conceal any blemishes I may have. The coverage is full enough to cover problem areas, while feeling light weight. 

Maybelline Lash Sensational in Blackest Black: This is my holy grail mascara - if I could buy it in bulk I probably would! I usually apply three coats to my top lashes and one coat to my bottom lashes. I love this mascara because it helps to define each individual lash and makes my eyelashes look long and voluminous!

Overall, I love each one of these products! I don't anticipate them leaving my makeup rotation anytime soon. 

What are your favorite products from the drugstore? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below!

Marble Nail Art

 I bought this.

Welcome to Samantha by the Sea! Today we will be exploring a hobby from my past, nail art! Nail art was a hobby of mine for quite a few years (I even blogged about it!), but I sadly fell out of it. I'm starting to get back into nail art, so I thought I'd take you on that journey with me!

For this marble inspired look I started off with my holy grail base coat, Revlon Colorstay Gel-Smooth Base Coat, on all of my nails. For the marble nail art I loosely followed a tutorial by Nina Nailed It. I started off with two coats of Wet n Wild French White Cremé. For the marbled look I used a mixture of a black sharpie marker and rubbing alcohol on a nail art brush. I accented it with L.A. Colors Art Deco Nail Art Striper in Black. Once I completed my desired marble look, I added silver foil pieces to bring the look together.

 

As for the rest of my nails, I applied two coats of Sally Hansen Jam Sesh on my index finger, two coats of OPI In True Stefani Fashion on my middle finger, and two coats of Pure Ice Shining Knight on my pinky finger and thumb. I topped everything off with a thick coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Top Coat.

I feel like this was the perfect look to ease myself back into nail art! While I know that there are some improvements to be made, I'm extremely happy with the overall look!

Have you ever tried sharpie nail art? Do you have any suggestions for what I should try next? Let me know in the comments below!

Coastal Scents: Custom Palette

I bought this.

Welcome back to Samantha by the Sea! Today I would like to share with you the custom palette I made during the most recent Coastal Scents sale! 

Each single shadow was on sale for $0.99 USD (normally priced at $1.95 USD) and the empty palette, which has a huge mirror, was $5.95 USD! 

These are the shades I chose!

Swatches

White Silver: shimmery white with silver specks

Caramel Ice: shimmery pale caramel

Peach Silver: shimmery peach with silver specks

Cajun Craze: shimmery orange-red

Dreamsicle: shimmery light orange

Tangerine:shimmery orange

Peachy Copper: shimmery light copper

Coral Pink: shimmery coral

Antique Maroon: satin brownish red (leans more purple)

Mai Tai: shimmery mauve with silver specks

Camel Taupe: satin warm brown

Midnight Rodeo: matte dusty brown

Overall, I'm extremely happy with my palette. It is full of colors that I love in my favorite finish, shimmer! All of the shadows were creamy, easy to swatch, and pigmented! Camel Taupe and Midnight Rodeo, on the other hand, were not as pigmented and because of this I'll likely replace them with other colors in the future. The empty palette is nice quality as well. The mirror is as large as the palette itself and it has a nice weight to it. It does not feel cheap or flimsy.

I cannot wait to create a look with my new custom palette! Make sure you follow me on instagram, so you don't miss any of the looks I create with it! 

Have you tried any of the hot pots from Coastal Scents? I'd love to hear your recommendations below!