This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% from Her Campus.
So last Saturday night was College Fashion Week at Boston! If you want to hear more about the event and different activities sponsored by various brands including Primark, Ulta Beauty, StudentUniverse, and many more, check out this article. If you’re interested in hearing about what was inside the awesome goodie bag, read on!
Primark Gift Card
The first thing I was handed when getting my goodie bag was a Primark gift card. This was one of my favorite items because I appreciated Primark letting me choose my own stuff from them, rather than picking out stuff for me.
Must Have Box by Popsugar
Power Your Happy by Lisa Sugar – $25
Although the book is valued at $25 a copy, this felt cheap more than anything else. It obviously didn’t cost the founder of Popsugar that much to include her own book in the product bundle her company is selling, so this felt more like shameless self-promotion to me. Ah well, on to the next item.
Michael Stars Porcelain Skinny Scarf in White – $30
I like this scarf. I think it’s cute and a classic, and I love the pattern of black and white. That being said, I find it hard to believe that it has a value of $30 for such thin material. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it, but I’ll still definitely wear it.
House of Pop Emoji Cocktail Napkins – $25
These napkins felt cheaply made and at a little more than $4 each, are completely overpriced. I also have no idea who would even want to have random emojis embroidered on their cocktail napkins. I feel like the age group of people who enjoy cocktails and people who use emojis in their decor are two groups that do not overlap, but if you disagree, then maybe these napkins are just right for you!
NCLA Mani E.R. Tool Kit – $16
This is probably my favorite item in the entire box. Appropriately priced and miniature in size, this mani ER toolkit has everything you could possibly need for taking care of your nails. I highly recommend it.
Cargo Cosmetics Powder Blush – $26
I haven’t actually tried out this blush yet, but I personally received a fabulous color, and it looks to be pretty good quality, so I’m excited!
Bedhead by TIGI
Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo – $22
This product smells delightful and works great. Although it’s one of the more expensive dry shampoos I’ve used, you can easily find the same product at half the price from retailers online like Amazon.
½” Electric Green Mini Ceramic Straightener – $20
Personally, I don’t have a need to straighten my hair, but this looks like a great product (at a great price!) for anyone else who’s looking for the power of a full-sized straightener in a miniature travel size.
Ulta Beauty
FaceStudio Master Fairy Highlight Illuminating Powder by Maybelline – $10
I don’t know who regularly uses purple tones for their eyeshadow, but I suppose this one is better than their Original Rainbow palette because at least this one has varying shades that can be blended as opposed to just four completely different colors. Anyway, if purple’s your thing, great! If not, you might want to keep looking.
Sculpt & Glow Highlighting Shimmer Bronzing Powder by Models Own – $12
Warm up your skin with a bit of shimmery bronzer to nail that sun-kissed glow. This bronzer is awesome because of how naturally it blends. That being said, I find that the shimmer in it is a bit too much, so maybe keep this with your darker eyeshadows and glitter eyeliner for those more makeup-heavy nights out.
Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil by IT Cosmetics – $24
Frankly, my eyebrows are way too dark to need penciling in, so I haven’t tried this product, and I really don’t have any opinion on it either way.
Intense Matte Lip + Cheek Pencil by Nudestix – $24
Ever wish your blush matched your lipstick? I haven’t, but in case you have, check out this specially designed lip and cheek pencil by Nudestix, and pick the color of your choice!
Baked Blush by NYX Professional Makeup – $7
Already on the cheaper side, the color of blush I received was far too bright pink for me (and for most others, I’d imagine). The added shimmer with undertones of gold bronzer made this one come across as something more suited for a twelve-year-old experimenting with makeup for the first time rather than a sophisticated young woman.
Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint by Tarte – $20
I can’t speak for the awful dark purple I received, but I can speak for the quality of the product. And it is amazing. It really is lip *paint* because it the complete coverage it provides combined with its quick-drying creates a look that will last all day or night!
In conclusion, I think the biggest letdown was the Popsugar Must Have box. The box was mostly filled with crimped paper stuff and of the few items in it, I only found maybe half of stuff it even worth using. If that was supposed to impress me enough to spend $40 a month on it, then sorry Popsugar, but I don’t think so.
As far as the best item, I’m going to have to go with the Primark gift card. I loved some of the makeup products like the Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint by Tarte, but the fact that I couldn’t choose my own colors was a dealbreaker for me. In the end, Primark wins for giving us the freedom to rock whatever look we want to, and isn’t that what College Fashion Week is all about?