Ipsy Ultimate Spring 2026 Sneak Peek III and IV: My Thoughts

This is groups III and IV of the Ipsy Ultimate Spring collection. Of the four, I was most pleased with these.

• NARS COSMETICS Explicit Lipstick
  I am never upset by a new lipstick. I'm not sure what shade we'll be getting because two different pictures were shown. If this is a product we get to make a choice about, perhaps we can pick the color, but if not, hopefully they'll pay attention to my profile and give me a shade that actually works with my coloring. I also love the name. Very inspiring.

• SAINT JANE BEAUTY Rich Rescue Phyto Mucin Cream
  I've never had any Saint Jane Beauty products, but I am very excited about this one. Snail mucin has been all the rage for a while, but people are starting to move away from that and go to mucin found in plants. This is supposed to make your skin more youthful, plump, and glassy within three weeks. I'm always down for a product that does that.

• MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Hydra Glow Hydrating Foundation
  This foundation is supposed to give you a natural, hydrating finish that has a slight glowy cast to it. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but honestly,  that's based on my past history of being younger and having oily skin. Now that I'm older and matte finishes don't look good on me, this might be something I really need. It's also supposed to be good for uneven texture which is certainly something I have to deal with these days.

• GROWN ALCHEMIST Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser
  I am happy for a cleanser. This one is supposed to do a gentle exfoliating but at the same time not strip the skin of its moisture. I always love something that claims to really cleanse pores. My pores need all the help they can get. Am I a sucker for good packaging? Oh yes I am. And this bottle is beautiful.

• FABLE & MANE Sahascalp Wild Ginger Purifying Scrub
  When spoilers first came out, besides the Rodial and the Charlotte Tilberry, this was the thing that caught my eye. One of the main reasons I started this exploration of beauty was to figure out if there was some way to make my hair less . . . like my hair. Getting a good product for it always makes me happy. You can only use this once a week to replace your shampoo, which means it will last a good long time. It's supposed to remove any build-up, improve scalp health, and deal with any flakes you may have. A lot of people love the scent of this and many people with oily and fine hair (like mine) said that it actually added volume, which is such a win in my book.

• LIVING PROOF Perfect Hair Day Heat Styling Spray
  Even though I get a lot of hair products, I usually don't get hair sprays. This one is good because it's formulated to protect your hair from styling tools. Would that I had had something like that back in the day when I was using curling irons and hot rollers all the time! This is something I will certainly use and I really hope it's in my box. The scent is supposed to be wonderful as well.

• LITHE BEAUTY Gel Eyeliner Set
  Instead of the usual black, it looks like these are purple (Galaxy) and blue (Blueprint). I'm happy about that as I've gotten so many black liners recently. I also like the fact that these are cream as creams tend to work on my eyes at least a little bit better than the liquid ones do. I also like the fact that you get two of them instead of just one.

• KEVYN AUCOIN Indecent Mascara
  This is a product that everyone is getting. I'm sure it's a very good mascara but right now, I have three new mascaras so I can't say I'm that thrilled about this. Though I am intrigued by the claim that it curls the lashes. If it does that, I'll reverse my opinion so fast because that is an amazing idea. If my lashes need anything, it's certainly curling.
  
  Normally this is when I rank things, but honestly aside from the mascara, which is ironically the product that I KNOW I'm getting, I'm really excited about all of these. I'll be happy with any of them that shows up in my life. And even the mascara is pretty great so overall, very nice selections. 

Ipsy Ultimate Spring Sneak Peek I-II: My Thoughts

This is the IPSY part one and two sneak peek for the Ultimate Box for Spring. This is just the first two lists. I'll add the rest of them tomorrow.

• NARS COSMETICS Quad Eyeshadow in Kuala Lumpur
  I know NARS is considered a great brand but I'm not really that into this quad. The shades are more rosy/pinkish than I usually wear on my eyes. The quads from NARS are usually highly regarded, though, so I'm sure a lot of people will like this.

• CHARLOTTE TILBURY Beauty Wand Duo
  This is a hero product and one of the more expensive offerings for the season. I believe the colors are the classic Pinkgasm and Pillow Talk. Now this might not be a big deal for a lot of people because a lot of people already have these shades, but this is major for me and I hope this is an option given to me.

• TATCHA The Camellia Gold Spun Lip Balm
  Okay, okay. It's TATCHA. And that means this is also a hero product for the box. However, it's also a lip balm and I have enough lip balms at the moment. I'm sure it's amazing and if I get it, I won't be mad at it, but given the finite number of products we'll be getting and knowing what two of them already are, I have to say if I'm given an option between this and certain other things, I'll choose those, brand name or no brand name.

• COMMODITY FRAGRANCES Ice(d) Fragrance
  Nope. I love getting fragrances, but this one is not for me. Not at all. It has spearmint and I'm basically allergic to that, mango, which I do not enjoy the smell of at all, and eucalyptus. This is kind of the thing I want the least out of everything on offering this season.

• BISHA Essential Rice Makeup Primer
  Can you really have too many primers? Probably not. I'm intrigued by the concept of it being a rice primer and given that my usual level of primers is e.l.f., I think this might be a nice change.

• RODIAL Collagen Booster Drops
  There is a little black notation on this that states everyone gets this. That is really awesome. This product is worth so much more than the price of the box and plus, it's RODIAL so what's not to be excited about? I really love body oils and the fact that I know I'm getting this fills me with joy.
  
  

• MAKEUP BY MARIO SoftSculpt® Transforming Skin Perfector

  This pressed powder works as a bronzer, a highlighter, and a way to set your makeup. It's supposed to be nice and lightweight, adding a subtle airbrushed effect to your skin and great for 'no makeup makeup' days. I wouldn't be upset about getting this. I just hope IPSY matches my skintone properly because I'm fairly pale and need quite a light product when it comes to these things.
  
  My list from most excited to least.
  1. RODIAL Collagen Booster Drops
  So excited for this.
  2. CHARLOTTE TILBURY Beauty Wand Duo
  Probably equally excited for this but not getting my hopes up that I'll get it.
  3. MAKEUP BY MARIO SoftSculpt® Transforming Skin Perfector
  Intrigued by the idea of this and hopeful they get my shade right.
  4. BISHA Essential Rice Makeup Primer
  Like with the one before, I just hope they get my shade right.
  5. TATCHA The Camellia Gold Spun Lip Balm
  I mean, I could be proven wrong because it is TATCHA, but I'm just not really in need of another lip balm right now. 
  6. NARS COSMETICS Quad Eyeshadow in KualaLumpur
  The shades don't really work for me. 
  7.COMMODITY FRAGRANCES Ice(d) Fragrance
  Full of scents I do not enjoy. Could I be proven wrong? Perhaps, but I don't think so.

Losing Time to Gain Peace of Mind

My roommate very nicely did shopping today so we didn't have to deal with it tomorrow. I am very grateful for this because I've been out of the house every day this week. I'm not really good at handling that.

When I thanked him, he jokingly told me it was because he knew "my favorite time of year" was happening Saturday. I sighed.  Then, I started cursing the hell that is Daylight Saving's Time.

I hate losing my hour. I hate it so much. I want to keep my hour and keep my sleep. Yes, every Fall, they give my hour back to me, but we all know that never lasts long enough.

And yet, somehow, it's different this year.  Even though I grumbled about the whole idea of waking up earlier, I sensed an acceptance of it. Perhaps even . . .  a graceful acceptance. No, more than that, anticipation, expectation, want. Actually, I am looking forward to DST.

Maybe it's because I got my glasses tinted with just a hint of grey. Maybe it's because winter was hard and bitter. Maybe it's because, emotionally, I've been torn in 20 different ways.

Whatever the case, I find myself craving the longer hours of sunshine. I want the light. In fact, I will go so far as to say I need the light.

I may never say this again in all of my life, but for this one year, yes, please, give me my Daylight Saving's Time.  I will trade you my hour of sleep if it means I can let go of the bitter cold, the dark, dreary clouds, the emotional MEH that has settled over everyone and everything. Bring the sunshine to me.  Let me have daylight at 9pm and flowers and birds and the smell of freshly cut lawn.

I need the renewal. I need the rebirth.  And above all of this, I need the light.

 . . . of course, I'm writing this now. Let's see how grateful I am Sunday morning when it should be 8am and the world is trying to convince me it's seven.