Ipsy Glam Bag September 2014

Each month, subscribers will receive a beautiful Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products. Members can watch and play along with the stylists with the same products that they are using. All for only $10 a month. 

When you sign up, you take a "beauty quiz" to let them know what you like. I guess Ipsy is kind of a social network-type beauty website, but I don't do all of that. There's also some sort of points system that I haven't quite figured out. You get 10 points for each review, but you usually need 1000 points to get some kind of bonus product, of which they only have 3 to choose from at a time. There are points for referrals too, but I don't badger my friends into signing up. If you would like to sign up, please consider using my referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/4q7r

This month's theme: Street Style

I love the bag this month. I've already used it as a clutch when going out to a stand-up show at a bar. It's more square like the April? bag... the blue/purple one with the record on it.

Hikari Lipstick in Cabernet: I have to admit that I haven't worn this yet. I just don't have a lot of opportunities to wear a red color like this. It seems slightly sheer, which is actually a plus for me and I guess the swatch went on smooth. I like that it's more of a purply-red. I'll report back after I wear it some day/night.

Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duel Brush: This is a really soft brush, though I don't really do any sort of separate crease eyeshadow. It will be great to have when I start experimenting with stuff like that though!

Pacifica Natural Water-Proof Eye Pencil in Gun Metal: The shade is a dark steel silver color, which is nice if you don't want a bold eye. It's a nice sized pencil too, not full size but good enough for a color I won't wear everyday. I wish it was a little bit smoother, but it's not too bad. I haven't tested the "water-proof"-ness of this eyeliner but it's nice to know that it's supposed to be.

NYX Hot Singles Eye Shadow: I will have to look again at the color name... but of all the colors they sent out this month, this would be one of my last choices. I couldn't swatch it on my arm because you couldn't see it! You can kind of see it on my finger because my hands are more pink. I haven't tried this on my eyes yet because I just don't want to waste the time with something that probably won't show up. I know it's supposed to be a nice blending color or whatever, but I just don't spend that kind of time on my eyes. I use one color - maaayyybe two - but I guess it's nice to have in the collection.

Alterna Haircare Caviar CC Cream 10-in-1 Complete Correction: I took a close up picture of all the 10 things this CC Cream is supposed to do. I've tried it a couple times and I have something else that I like to use a lot more. It doesn't seem to have the same effect as a hair oil or leave in conditioner but I may use it more for the UV Protection if I dye my hair again. *shrug* It's ok.

Ipsy Glam Bag August 2014

Each month, subscribers will receive a beautiful Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products. Members can watch and play along with the stylists with the same products that they are using. All for only $10 a month. 

When you sign up, you take a "beauty quiz" to let them know what you like. I guess Ipsy is kind of a social network-type beauty website, but I don't do all of that. There's also some sort of points system that I haven't quite figured out. You get 10 points for each review, but you usually need 1000 points to get some kind of bonus product, of which they only have 3 to choose from at a time. There are points for referrals too, but I don't badger my friends into signing up. If you would like to sign up, please consider using my referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/4q7r

This month's theme: Beauty Schooled

School is back in session (I can tell... LA traffic has gotten much worse! :p) so the theme this month is Beauty Schooled. I dunno... I don't think the items ever really fit in with the theme, just the bag. Speaking of...

I didn't think I would like this bag when I was seeing people's pictures online, but I really do. The problem with the rectangular ipsy bags that we've been getting, is that they're too small to actually be a makeup bag for me. They've all been flat and smaller. Since this one is round, it can hold a lot more products, and it's longer than the usual bags, which means mascara and eyeliners fit better. Yay! The only thing I don't like about this bag is that it kind of smells like a pool raft... that synthetic plastic smell. At least it seems waterproof then right?

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara: I was so excited to get this product! Everyone got either this or a purple eyeliner, and I'm allergic to all the purple eyeliners I've used lately. I really like this formula. I don't think it's quite "Bigger. Blacker. Badder." or whatever their tagline is, but it's nice. The brush is nice and fluffy and the formula is thick, but not clumpy. It's good enough for now, but I don't think I'll be buying the full size.

Jersey Shore Sun Mongongo Lip Conditioner in Mandarin Green Orange Ginger: Very smooth and moisturizing. Interesting flavor that I actually really like. Orange ginger is not something I expected on my lips, but I like ginger. I have so many lip conditioners though! Guess I'll just have to put this into rotation.

J. Cat Beauty Flying Solo Eye Shadow in Half Naked: I love pale shimmery eyeshadow. And this is no exception. It looks more orange in the pot but is a very nice shimmer, almost highlight, color. The design of the package is really cool too. They've put an applicator underneath the color with a small mirror for ease when traveling. The mirror is too small to work really well, and the plastic hinge is very cheap, but they're thinking and I like that.

Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner: This is actually a duplicate from a previous Birchbox. I did like it, but I hardly use primers anymore since I finally found a couple BB creams that work for me. I might have to revisit it for days when I just want to use powder.

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk: This is also a duplicate item from Birchbox, from last month actually! But I guess you can never have too many dry shampoos. Especially because I just read a beauty hack that says you can spray your feet with dry shampoo before wearing flats and they'll stay dry! I don't know how well that works, but we'll see when I decide to stop wearing sandals.

Ipsy Glam Bag July 2014

Each month, subscribers will receive a beautiful Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products. Members can watch and play along with the stylists with the same products that they are using. All for only $10 a month. 

When you sign up, you take a "beauty quiz" to let them know what you like. I guess Ipsy is kind of a social network-type beauty website, but I don't do all of that. There's also some sort of points system that I haven't quite figured out. You get 10 points for each review, but you usually need 1000 points to get some kind of bonus product, of which they only have 3 to choose from at a time. There are points for referrals too, but I don't badger my friends into signing up. If you would like to sign up, please consider using my referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/4q7r

This month's theme: Sensationally Sunkissed

The bag this month is a little bit bigger. Closer in size to the April bag, kind of square. I really like this size to use as an actual makeup bag. It's soft on the inside and plain white, but I wish they would've spent a little more time making them. Two of my three "scalloped" sides don't line up.

This month was much better than last month. I'm pretty ok with everything I got. There wasn't much else that I would've rather had either. I'm not sure how well most of it fits with the theme, but whatever.

bareMinerals 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Divine Wine: I was so excited to get this! I just saw it in my Ulta ad and was curious about it, then saw it was an option for this month's bag. The 5-in-1 is supposed to be: long-wearing color, primer, brightening, smooths lines, and protects with SPF.  I'm really impressed with the long-wearing claim - this swatch has not moved in the few hours that I've had it on since I took the picture. Once it dries, it is on there. There is a faint shimmer to it that I didn't notice until it dried too. The color seems pretty dark but I've started using this with a blending brush - just swipe on one line of product, then blend out with a brush so it's not so intense. Makes a nice soft shadow color that lasts all day! I hope they start making this in other colors, not just neutrals. I may go buy one of the pinks I see on the package though.

Clear Clinic Laboratories Vanished Clear Spot Treatment: I guess I didn't even know this was an option but I can always use a spot treatment. I think it has menthol in it, because I saw some people complain about it, but I like the cooling effect that happens once you put it on. I can't really tell if it does anything. I think it does. I don't have too many problem areas at the moment though.

Lord & Berry Kajal Stick in Black Silk: A teeny tiny eyeliner that a lot of people seem excited about. Looks just like a perfect travel size eyeliner for me. But I guess it's supposed to be closer to the kohl that Egyptians used or something? I don't know. It's smooth and smudges easily. Nice and dark. Don't see much different than other eyeliners I have. Will keep this in a bag for travel I think.

Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil SPF 08: A LOT of people complained about this product when I was announced as an option. "Blah blah skin cancer blah" over and and over again. Or "blah blah I'm too dark to use tanning oil I can't believe you sent this to me blah" but others used it as a moisturizer. Personally, I'm glad I got it. I like tanning. I usually only use about SPF 8 or 10... the lowest I can find at the time. I got the Hang Ten SPF 50 sunscreen in one bag and have not used it, but this I will definitely use. I wouldn't say it has a great smell, but it's horrible either.

Models Own Nail Polish in Red Sea: This is the only product I'm not happy with this month. I like glitter nail polish but this is just cheap. The description says you can wear it alone or on top of your favorite color for a "glistening top coat". Clearly, I can't. I expected the red to be more clear after reading that but this was one coat. And it doesn't apply evenly either. It's thick and doesn't spread very well - the red itself... not because of the glitter chunks. This will go in the back of the cupboard and I'll forget about it. I don't have anyone younger to give stuff like this to like others so I'm stuck.
*Update: I did legitimately try this on all 10 fingers and it was terrible. Hard to spread, took hours (yes, HOURS!) to fully dry - it didn't wipe off or anything, but stayed very gel-y for a long time. And it is the worst to take off! I've taken off glitter before but this was chunks of confetti. Awful.

Ipsy Glam Bag June 2014

Each month, subscribers will receive a beautiful Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products. Members can watch and play along with the stylists with the same products that they are using. All for only $10 a month. 

When you sign up, you take a "beauty quiz" to let them know what you like. I guess Ipsy is kind of a social network-type beauty website, but I don't do all of that. There's also some sort of points system that I haven't quite figured out. You get 10 points for each review, but you usually need 1000 points to get some kind of bonus product, of which they only have 3 to choose from at a time. There are points for referrals too, but I don't badger my friends into signing up. If you would like to sign up, please consider using my referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/4q7r

This month's theme: Pretty In Paradise

This is the first bag I've gotten that I felt completely disappointed. None of these items match for me. I did change some things in my profile and I guess that was a horrible idea. I tried to go back and change things back to what I thought I had before so hopefully July will be better. If it isn't, I may have to cancel my subscription. I've started to really like Ipsy too. This was also the first bag that I've received a damaged item. The sea salt spray leaked and the bottle stuck to the card that came with. There was also a slight white residue (I'm guessing the "salt" in the sea salt spray) on the inside of my bag, which was really disappointing because it's such a cute bag. I did email ipsycare, twice, about the leaky spray and about the mascara: if you read anything about the June bags... you probably read about the horrible smelling mascara. It is a huge debate just like the Pop! Lip Gloss in the February (?I believe) bags where Ipsy says it's perfectly safe, the company just left out some ingredient but people where having adverse reactions using the product. I simply said in my email "I understand that you've said this product is safe, but there is no way I'm putting something that smells like motor oil near my eyes. Can I please have a different sample as a replacement?" And after about a week of waiting (they usually say about 48 hours), I finally received a reply. I don't want to bore you with the whole story, but I want to say that at first the rep seemed very dismissive and just wanted to move on... after replying back and forth I finally am being sent a new bag, a different Be A Bombshell product, and a different sample to replace my leaky sea salt spray. On to the reviews of my products. Even though I felt like nothing would work for me, I still gave each of them a chance. That's what these bags are for. Guess what? I was right :(

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray: You can see in this picture how the bottle was stuck to the card and I had to peel it away. I have very short - as in the longest part of my hair is about 5 inches - very fine, and very straight hair but I guess it's also supposed to just create texture so I gave it a try. It did absolutely nothing. It smells really good though! I tried to clean the bottle so I can give it to a friend, because it does still work. I'm glad I was able to get a different sample though. After I complained about the leaking, I asked if I could get a different sample since I can't even use this type of spray and it would just be a waste for them and me. They shouldn't have even sent it to me in the first place. Nothing on my profile indicates that I could use a product like this :(

Be A Bombshell Lash Out Mascara: This is the mascara. I like to look at Ipsy's Facebook page to see what others are getting before I get my bag. I never peek to see what I'm getting because I like the surprise. So I had already read people complaining about a bad smell with the mascara. When I saw that I got it, I opened it and smelled it before I did anything else. It smells like motor oil. Or burnt plastic. Or something similar. BaB claims that it is safe and they chose to leave out a fragrance to mask that odor because some people are very sensitive to fragrances. Lots of people have complained about itchy, burning eyes after using this. Other people have said that it's just fine, even though it smells. I wouldn't know. Makeup should not smell that bad, missing ingredient or not. Especially something that's going near my eyes. It went right back in the box and in a drawer (I hate throwing stuff out).

Nyx Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee: I like the texture. I like the smell. But the color is awful. It makes my lips completely disappear! I don't know who picks their colors because I received the same pale color from Ipsy in March from BareMinerals. Same color. Same horrible finish. It kind of works if I have a stain underneath and I put just a dab and spread it around for just a tiny hint of gloss. I wish I would've gotten a brighter color. I went to my profile and told them I didn't want any more gloss. I feel like this color would work on darker skin tones, so I have no idea why they would send it to someone with light skin.

Realtree for Her: This smells very cheap. It doesn't smell bad, but it smells like something I would've gotten from my mom when I was really little and just wanted to play with makeup. That's about all I have to say... smells cheap.

OFRA Universal Eyebrow Pencil in Brown: Of all the liners they had available this month... how did I get *drops voice, no inflection or emotion*... brown? I have started actually doing something with my eyebrows but I do not use a pencil. It doesn't work for me. That's why I have tinted brow gel. I did try this. It's too soft for an eyebrow pencil. It doesn't stay sharp enough. It is also way too warm of a brown for my eyebrows. They are a very dark ashy brown. I've never wanted to use a brown eyeliner, but I guess I have this if I ever feel the need...

Other offers this month were a DD cream, Shimmer liquid eyeliner in blue and some other color I can't remember, green maybe? Anti-frizz styling cream, a charcoal exfoliant (which I would've loved), an oil treatment for hair, Jesse's Girl Waterproof eyeliner (though I did hear about problems with this exploding while opening), a BB cushion that seems awesome, sunscreen, makeup wipes, and Olive and Enzyme cleanser. I would've preferred pretty much any one of those over what I got.

*Update*
I emailed Ipsycare, like I said, and I finally got my replacement products. There was some confusion between the 2 emails I sent and ended up getting 3 products and 2 extra bags. I'm happy about that because the bag they originally sent me was made very poorly compared to my replacements. Plus I loved this month's bag. It's perfect as a clutch (which I've done already) and as organizers in my purse.

So in place of my horrible mascara, I received this Be A Bombshell lip gloss in Last Call Girl. It's VERY BRIGHT pink. It scared me a little when I took it out of the box. But I tried it and I think it's fun. A little out of my comfort zone but I wore it to the beach that day. It's a little sticky, like all glosses, but that seemed to go away after a bit and the color lasted pretty well. I didn't really pay attention since I was at the beach and didn't really care.

Next they sent me the sample I got to choose instead of the sea salt spray: The DERMAdoctor DD Cream. This is how it arrived. The cap was a little loose and you can see in the bottom right picture that after I cleaned it up, it did have the foil over the tip but it wasn't secured on one side and I could easily squeeze some out. I'm not only upset because the product leaked, but it wasted at least 3 uses. 

After I got over all this, I finally tried it. The cream only comes in one color and it supposed to self-adjust. It seems a little dark and maybe still is once it adjusted on my face, but more like making me look tan. It is a little sticky feeling and hard to blend on your face though. Which is sad because I ended up really liking it. Even boyfriend told me when he got home "your face looks really good today" (because we talk about breakouts and things like that.) I would consider buying the full size but it's $38 at Ulta and didn't work as well on my oily skin as my other $38 BB cream I bought at the beginning of the summer. Great sample though. Wish they could do better in packing :(

Then I was sent this Laura Mercier Caviar Eyeshadow Stick as a replacement for my first email. I wasn't expecting a product this nice! This is the full size and they are $24 each at Sephora. I wish they would've sent a more universal shade than this deep Plum, but it seems to blend out pretty well. I also tried it as an eyeliner and it didn't irritate my eyes (Success!!! I'm allergic to purple eyeliners, but since this is a shadow, it didn't seem to be any problem) so that's probably more what I'll use it for. I may go out and spend the money on one of the lighter shades because this is very creamy and so easy to use. 

May 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag

Each month, subscribers will receive a beautiful Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products. Members can watch and play along with the stylists with the same products that they are using. All for only $10 a month. 

When you sign up, you take a "beauty quiz" to let them know what you like. I guess Ipsy is kind of a social network-type beauty website, but I don't do all of that. There's also some sort of points system that I haven't quite figured out. You get 10 points for each review, but you usually need 1000 points to get some kind of bonus product, of which they only have 3 to choose from at a time. There are points for referrals too, but I don't badger my friends into signing up. If you would like to sign up, please consider using my referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/4q7r

This month's theme: Fresh Picks

Here's the bag this month. It feels more like the recycled fabric texture, which is different than the more plastic/vinyl fabric of the bags we've been getting. It's a great size too. The bottom expands a little so it's a great size. 

Here's what I got this month:

Pur~lisse Pur~Moist Hydra Balance Moisturizer: I was just thinking I needed a new night moisturizer for my face. It's sort of like a gel/cream formula. There is a slight smell but barely noticeable and just clean smelling. Feels nice. Don't know if it's any better than what I have, but it's nice to try.

Hang Ten Classic Sport SPF 50: Just in time for our 100 degree days here in LA! I just noticed that the back has tiny print that says "provided by COOLA" (or powered, or presented, not quite sure because it's too tiny) which makes me excited because I love the Coola sunscreen I got from Birchbox in March, so much so that I bought the full size, then bought the same thing for my mom. It's very creamy and spreads really well. A little goes a long way, and has that sort of classic sunscreen smell - which I was always ok with. It's a great travel size and I just read that it is water resistant up to 80 minutes. I actually don't use an SPF this high usually, but I'm sure I'll get some use out of it.

Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo in Moonbeam & Unicorn: Apparently this mineral eyeshadow is coconut infused. The description also says "gorgeous color pay-off", but it took a few layers to get to the levels on that swatch. The white is pretty nice, but I'm hoping the purple will be more intense with some primer.

Crown Brush Pro Blending Fluff Brush: I was just thinking I needed a good eyeshadow brush. This isn't as soft as the name suggests though. Didn't seem to work too well with the Pacifica eyeshadow - not sure if it was the shadow or the brush.

Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in Champagne: The color is very neutral, but shiny. I put it next to my bare nails to show how light it is. I love it. I don't have any color like it. The formula is very smooth and creamy and the color is actually very opaque with one coat. Since I'm back to having longer nails again, I decided to just paint the tips with this color and it just adds a nice shine. 

I'm actually pretty happy with my bag this month. There is less actual makeup than usual, but a nice selection otherwise. So many people complain about everything in their bags - it seems pointless to pay for a service when you know it will be a mystery, just to complain about everything. Don't get the bag then. My makeup and skin care selection has grown so much from trying all these products. I don't always like everything, some I've used once and never again, but I'm so glad I get to try them!

April 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag

Each month, subscribers will receive a beautiful Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products. Members can watch and play along with the stylists with the same products that they are using. All for only $10 a month. 

When you sign up, you take a "beauty quiz" to let them know what you like. I guess Ipsy is kind of a social network-type beauty website, but I don't do all of that. There's also some sort of points system that I haven't quite figured out. You get 10 points for each review, but you usually need 1000 points to get some kind of bonus product, of which they only have 3 to choose from at a time. There are points for referrals too, but I don't badger my friends into signing up. If you would like to sign up, please consider using my referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/4q7r

This month's theme: Beauty Rocks

I forgot to get a picture of just the bag by itself. That will be coming soon. The picture on Ipsy's Facebook page made it look really purple, but now that I have it, I've been going back and forth between dark purple/indigo and dark blue/almost black. Either way, it's very soft (unlike some of the past bags I've gotten) and it's slightly taller than the last couple, which I love. This will definitely be coming with me when I go visit my family!

Here's what I got:

Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil (Travel Size): Love this eyeliner. I drew that line, then rubbed it with my finger and it didn't move. Eventually it got a little lighter, but no smudging. I didn't realize I would love waterproof eyeliner so much. (I hate waterproof mascara because it always seems to mess up my contacts.) This "travel size" is the perfect size. It takes me a while to use up eyeliner so this will last a long time. It also has the plastic around the color, instead of wood. I like this new trend. It's so much fun to sharpen! (Yes, you can sharpen it. A lot of people complain that it's just a little nub but really! You CAN sharpen the plastic stuff!)

Sexy Hair Root Pump Volumizing Spray Mousse: I think I used to have a full size of this product. I stopped using it a long time ago, when my hair was longer. I'll try this travel size with my shorter hair now and see how it goes. I used it yesterday and didn't see much of a difference, but I'll keep trying.

dr. brandt Microdermabrasion: This has very tiny beads in it for exfoliating. I actually liked the feeling of it, however others have described it as sandpaper. It's nice for a weekly cleaning. Don't think I need to buy it though.

City Color White Gold Shadow & Highlight Mousse: I was just saying that I needed a basic white shimmery color for everyday wear! The mousse part scares me a little bit, but I'm getting used to it. The swatch on my hand stayed for hours after I forgot about it, but it creases right away on my lids! :( I even used a primer both days I've tried it. Maybe I'll try it without the primer tomorrow. It could be that I've been putting it on and not letting it sit long enough with my lids closed to "set". It is a great color though! And a little goes a long way.

Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Apple Pink: The color is a little more orangy than I'm used to. It's also pretty matte and slightly drying. I love the container though! I've been wanting to try one of these Cailyn products for a while just because of the unique packaging. 

**After using this a few times, I've decided I really don't like the formula. If you have dry lips at all, it will show every crack and make it more drying. I still love the container so I'm disappointed that I won't be using this very often, if at all.

March 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag Review

I figured I should probably start putting what these monthly subscriptions are all about. Here's what the Ipsy website says:

Each month, subscribers will receive a beautiful Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products. Members can watch and play along with the stylists with the same products that they are using. All for only $10 a month. 

When you sign up, you take a "beauty quiz" to let them know what you like. I guess Ipsy is kind of a social network-type beauty website, but I don't do all of that. There's also some sort of points system that I haven't quite figured out. You get 10 points for each review, but you usually need 1000 points to get some kind of bonus product, of which they only have 3 to choose from at a time. There are points for referrals too, but I don't badger my friends into signing up. Most are still in that "post-college, I'm broke" phase. If YOU want to sign up through me, here is my referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/4q7r

So this month, I got my bag the day after I received my tracking info. I also finally got to be the one to take it out of the mailbox myself! Even though it was dark, I was excited to see it.

 

 This is my 3rd month and I originally told myself I would give ipsy 3 months to see if it's worth it. Well right now, my opinion is: definitely! Everything was pretty much full-size this month! And I think with my past reviews, ipsy finally has me figured out.

This month's theme was Destination Beauty

The bag is (as you can see on the tag) designed by the artist Klari Reis. I love that it has a front zipper too. I might be able to get away with this as a clutch sometime!

With the light in my kitchen.

With natural light out in my car.

Nicole by OPI Roughles: Love it! Goes on smooth, for having a lot of texture. Dries fairly quickly (quick? quickly?) and it's a great color. The texture is there, but it's not so much that it catches on fabric like some glitter polishes I've had. This stuff lasts too! I usually have problems with nail polish chipping off the next day (darn my soft nails) but this stuff held on for days. After a little bit of chipping, the touch-ups were super easy. Because of the texture, everything blended together and you couldn't even tell I had to apply a new coat in some areas.

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss: (Rebel) It's a little lighter than I'd hoped. But it smells great and tastes like mint! Makes my lips look very wet but it'd probably work great over a darker lipstick.

 

Be A Bombshell Bora Bora Eyeshadow Quad: Yay! I love eyeshadows! Especially shimmery ones in great colors for my green eyes. I first tried the orangey-coppery colored one and it goes on really nice. I'm still checking the lasting power.

Nail polish for size comparison.

Pacifica Body Butter: This "sample" is huge! It didn't even come inside my makeup bag, but rather at the bottom of the pink envelope! It has a coconut and vanilla scent and felt really nice on my hands when I first tried it. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that the top was covered with foil so it wouldn't squish and leak all over. I finally tried it after a day at the beach and it was very soft and moisturizing. The smell seems (to me) to have a bit of a plastic-y smell on top of the coconut and vanilla? It's weird but not too overpowering.