MyGlam: April 2012

Before I received my April bag I decided to cancel MyGlam. I found out that the MyGlam representative that assured me that the crease brush from the MyGlam March bag was synthetic. After someone mentioned I should do a flame test (burning animal hair has a distinct smell and will singe, whereas synthetic will smell like plastic and ball up), and it has the exact characteristics as animal hair. Im quite horrified as I not only used the brush, but I told everyone here that the brush was synthetic. I update the older post to reflect correctly. This month MyGlam has clearly labeled their brushes as one being synthetic and the other being from pony hair. But I am not spending my hard earned money on a company that does not value me and my concerns. Goodbye MyGlam...

Don't know what MyGlam is? MyGlam is a once a month beauty subscription service that delivers premium beauty samples to your door. The creator of MyGlam, Michelle Phan, is a YouTube beauty expert that wants to share her favorite items with the world. The bags are delivered in the cutest reusable beauty bags. Once you join you will take a beauty/preference quiz that will help the girls choose the best products for you. The products range from beauty, skincare, hair, body, nails, and more. Every month you should also expect to receive full-sized products. MyGlam costs $10 a month, and your bag will always be valued above!
Click here to join MyGlam.

April 2012, Girls Night Out
This month MyGlam revealed EVERY single product in the bag the week before they shipped. Most of the previews were so obvious that even if you wanted to avoid them, you couldnt. We all sort of hoped that there would be more products in the bag than they showed but no such luck.

This month the theme was Girl's Night Out. On facebook they had said the month would be filled with glamorous products. I'm not sure if they delivered. Honestly it is one of their better bags, but they have yet to wow me like Beauty Army or Birchbox has.

Information Card:

Products:
DermStore: Lip Quench
Using a blend of nourishing oils, this treatment softens and smooths lips. 
Full Size: 0.21oz ($12.00)
Size Received: Full-size! 0.21oz ($12.00)
This lip gloss is formulated with Maxi-Lip to give thin, dry lips a fuller, smoother hydrated appearance. Looking at the ingredients I was a bit worried since there are so many ingredients that look iffy. But most of these ingredients are always synthetic or plant based. The ones that may possibly be an animal source are: Ceramide-3, Tribehenin, and Propylparaben. It does have beeswax if that concerns you. I will contact DermStore to ensure that they are plant-based. Most companies seem to use synthetic versions of these ingredients, but it is better to be safe and sound. Although in the mean time I did try this out (Im not perfect!). It really is thick but that means you only need a little. It's pink in color, but sheer on your lips. I found that it lasted for hours and hours. It wasn't overly sticky and added just a slight sheen. I have to say Im not the biggest fan of the fragrance, it smells chemically and the taste gets stuck in my mouth. I wasn't too excited about this product since Im receiving it as a free gift for my purchase on the DermStore website (used my $25 off coupon from MyGlam). Seems fishy that we got it the same month that it is a gift with purchase.
What I did just notice is that MyGlam is offering $15 off your purchase of $30 or more on Dermstore.com using the promo code: April15. I've purchased now twice from them and have not been happier. On top of free products: speedy, free shipping; a wide range of products; free samples in the box; and I got a free magazine subscription both times I purchased (Health for me and Better Homes and Garden for my aunt).

All-Belle: False Lashes in Red Wedding A2822

Accentuate your eyes for any occassion with these gorgeous faux lashes.

Full Size: 1 pair of lashes ($8.50)

Size Received: Full-size! 1 pair of lashes ($8.50)

Having never, ever worn false lashes Im curious about these. The pair that I received are the most natural looking of the pairs that MyGlam has posted on their website. I'm happy about that. I already have pretty full lashes, but who knows maybe these will make me look extra special. I plan on trying these out a few days before graduation and if I like how they look I'll wear them to my ceremony. It is odd to me that the lashes vary in length, but I won't know what that looks like until I try them on. These did come with a bottle of lash glue, which is great since Id be less inclined to try them if I had to buy glue. My only issue is that the entire box is written in what I think is Chinese! That is real helpful... MyGlam should have included a translation card. What if the box tells me important allergen information!? I'd have no idea. I'll have to look up a tutorial to help me apply these. 

Urban Decay: 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Junkie
Create your unique eye look with these creamy glide on pencils in the latest colors. Built to last 24/7.
Full Size: 0.04oz ($19.00)
Size Received:0.03oz ($14.25)
We all know I love me some Urban Decay!! I haven't tried their eye pencils yet, but based on how much I love the shadow pencil I knew this was going to be love at first sight. I was pleasantly surprised that I received Junkie. Actually, beyond ecstatic, it was the color I wanted to receive! Junkie is not available for full-size purchase, but is available in a trave-size set of 5 colors (Electric). Junkie is a blue/green with tons of sparkle. The sparkles are pinkish and silver. The color is perfect for my eyes that range from blue to grey to green depending on what I am wearing. It definitely brings out the green in my eyes. Plus, just like the shadow pencil this glides on so easily and lasts all day long without a smudge! I adore this pencil already! I like that I can wear it any old day and with any shadow color. Definitely the best product I've received ever from MyGlam.

MyGlam: All-Over Eyeshadow Brush and Eyeliner Brush

Handpicked by Michelle, enjoy two additional signature pink brushes to ad to your exclusive myglam collection. 

The brushes that caused me to cancel. On the MyGlam website there is more information about the brushes and it clearly states that the all-over eyeshadow brush is made from pony hair. The angled eyeliner brush is synthetic and made from nylon. Someone had posted on makeuptalk that they thought the crease brush was made of animal hair as well and I informed them what the MyGlam rep told me. That's when someone mentioned to me about the flame test, which the crease brush failed. The crease brush is from an animal source. I was so upset that the representative misinformed me. I've been using it all month thinking it was cruelty-free. At this point I feel guilty throwing out a brush that an animal may have died for. So instead I hope one of my close friends will take both the crease and all-over eyeshadow brush off my hands. 

That being said before I use the nylon brush, Im going to take it to the lab to look at it under a microscope. The fibers are too well packed in to pluck one out for a flame test. I'll be at the lab all day tomorrow working on a ton of schoolwork, so this will be a fun break from looking at fibers. I'll report back with the results. And maybe Ill get a chance to take a photo of what I see :) The brush it self is nice and soft, it is sturdy, and seems like it will be a great brush. Let's just hope it doesn't have scales!

Total Value of my April MyGlam bag: $34.75 + (brushes)
I'm fine with the value, but I think it is cheap of MyGlam to have 2 brushes in one bag. Whole-sale brushes are obviously easily to obtain than an actual brand name sample. It would have been nice to get at least one more sample. Although to be fair, the products we did get this month were good sized. MyGlam may have gotten better (this is my favorite bag), I don't think they deserve my money. I plan on writing to MyGlam to inform them of their mistake and hope that in the future they will properly educate their staff on the ingredients and source of their products. If MyGlam continues to move in a better direction I may decide to resubscribe, but for the time being I do not regret my decision at all.

What do you think of the April MyGlam? Have you canceled? Let me know in the comments below! If you dont get MyGlam and are interested, click here to join!