Ipsy Review | May Bag

Ipsy sends out 4-5 higher end samples and a unique bag each month. Like Birchbox, Ipsy is a $10/month subscription box. Bonus-wise, you get 10 points for each product review and 250 points for each referral. You can use these to select bonus items for upcoming Glam Bags. The ones displaying right now appear to be full-size, higher end products; several are palettes/kits. I think this is an important distinction for someone used to Sephora’s free bonus items or the Birchbox bonus shop. Another key point: there’s not an online store where you can buy full-size products. Instead, you are redirected to product’s company website and given an Ipsy-specific coupon code to use when checking out.

My May bag featured the following:

• Hang Ten | Classic Sport SPF50
• Pacifica | Mineral Eyeshadow Duo
• Nailtini | Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in Caviar Cocktail
• Pur~lisse | pur~moist hydra balance moisturizer
• Crown Brush | Pro Blending Fluff Brush

Hang Ten | Classic Sport SPF50
This was one of my “skip it” products. I usually toss sunblock in my samples drawer to grab for hiking trips or impromptu outdoor outings.

Pacifica | Mineral Eyeshadow Duo
These have a more subtle color pay-off than other eyeshadows I own. Since I own a lot of neutral/purple shades, that’s actually a good thing – these colors can be as subdued or as bold as needed.

Nailtini | Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in Caviar Cocktail
This is a great sheer layering color…and perfect for any season. With all the light neutrals and vivids, I really wanted to try a dark manicure. I paired this over a dark matte suede polish by Julep and got a beautiful, copper shade. I didn’t clean up my nails, so you can see the lighter shade on my ring and pinky fingers.

Pur~lisse | pur~moist hydra balance moisturizer
Unfortunately this moisturizer was the normal/dry skin formula. I hesitated to try it with a lot of oiliness. Giveaway box-bound!

Crown Brush | Pro Blending Fluff Brush
The bristles were a little stiff for my taste, but I am always happy to have an extra eye makeup brush around.

Not the best bag I’ve received, but still pretty darn good. I do like being able to give feedback on each item, which is used to tailor the items in my future bags (as much as possible). In theory, this should mean that I won’t get as many sunscreen samples as I tend to get from other boxes…

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or compensated by Ipsy, but I do get a referral credit if you click on the links above.

Any other Ipsy subscribers out there? What did you think of the May bag?

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Ipsy Review | April Bag

Ipsy sends out 4-5 higher end samples and a unique bag each month. Like Birchbox, Ipsy is a $10/month subscription box. Bonus-wise, you get 10 points for each product review and 250 points for each referral. You can use these to select bonus items for upcoming Glam Bags. The ones displaying right now appear to be full-size, higher end products; several are palettes/kits. I think this is an important distinction for someone used to Sephora’s free bonus items or the Birchbox bonus shop. Another key point: there’s not an online store where you can buy full-size products. Instead, you are redirected to product’s company website and given an Ipsy-specific coupon code to use when checking out.

My April bag featured the following:

• Cailyn | Tinted Lip Balm in Apple Pink
• Cover FX | Mattifying Primer with Anti-Acne Treatment
• Urban Decay | 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil Travel Size
• City Color | White Gold Shadow & Highlight Mousse
• KISS | Looks So Natural Lashes

Cailyn | Tinted Lip Balm in Apple Pink
I so thought I would hate this lip balm. The color did not look appealing to me, and the packaging looked way wonky for a lip product. However, I heard amazing things about the Cailyn lip line, so I was willing to give it a try. Turns out this is one of my new favorite lip products. It looks great on its own, or layered with other lipsticks/lipglosses in my collection. My personal favorite? Layering this with the lipstick sample I got in March for a cool ombre/gradient look.

Cover FX | Mattifying Primer with Anti-Acne Treatment
This was one of my “skip it” products. With my face just going crazy, I’m realyl hesitant to throw a new primer in the mix. I swatched a tiny bit (tube to back of my hand) and it seemed a little think/oily, so I decided to pass, just to be on the safe side.

Urban Decay | 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil Travel Size
Realization: I have not purchased a single black eyeliner that I own. They have all come from beauty boxes, and they have all been amazing. This one glided on (as promised!) and had effortless application. I have a feeling I will purchase more in different shades in the future – and maybe do a black eyeliner comparison post for good measure…

City Color | White Gold Shadow & Highlight Mousse
I swatched this, but I haven’t really had a great opportunity to use it. The color doesn’t do me a ton of favors, and I’m not really inspired to incorporate it into my beauty routine right now. Maybe as the summer progresses, I’ll have more use for the shimmery glow.

KISS | Looks So Natural Lashes
Uh. I laughed when I saw this in my order. Fake lashes? No way am I trying those on my own! I like the look, but I am not confident enough to try my hand (literally and figuratively) with the application process. I will happily look forward to a professional using his/her judgment to apply these for special events (like my wedding day, a year-plus from now).

Although I only loved two of the five products in my bag, there’s another point in the win column for this beauty box. It is hands-down my favorite for samples. Sure, only two samples made a lasting impression – but they were quality products I will use weekly (and let’s be honest, the “travel size” of the eyeliner is still pretty dang large). That has been a rarity for beauty boxes.

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or compensated by Ipsy, but I do get a referral credit if you click on the links above.

Any other Ipsy subscribers out there? What did you think of the April bag?

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Ipsy Review | March Bag

When I began evaluating new beauty box options, Ipsy stood out as being a mix between Birchbox and GLOSSYBOX. Like GLOSSYBOX, it seemed to have consistent favorable reviews. Like GLOSSYBOX, it also appealed to me based on the quality of the products, volume/size of the samples, and variety of the brands. There is a beauty profile feature, which seems pretty standard across the board.

Even though Ipsy sends out higher end brands, it does not have the same price point as GLOSSYBOX. Ipsy is another $10/month subscription box, and it sends 4-5 products each month in a unique bag. Yep, they actually send a glam bag out, and it matches the theme.

Bonus-wise, you get 10 points for each product review and 250 points for each referral. You can use these to select bonus items for upcoming Glam Bags. The ones displaying right now appear to be full-size, higher end products; several are palettes/kits. I think this is an important distinction for someone used to Sephora’s free bonus items or the Birchbox bonus shop.

A couple of things that make Ipsy stand out, right off the bat:

• There’s a large online community sharing and connecting over social media. When I log in, I’m greeted by a picture of the March glam bag and then a whole slew of reviews/looks created by other subscribers (including pictures). It creates a more personal connection and doesn’t feel like just another beauty website…
• …because it isn’t one. There’s not an online store where you can buy full-size products. Instead, you are redirected to product’s company website and given an Ipsy-specific coupon code to use when checking out. This might be annoying for some people who just want to go to a site and order their chosen products in one fell swoop. However, it gives Ipsy a lot more flexibility to connect with new retailers who may not want their products sold online through a middleman like Birchbox. It also ensures the consumer will be exposed to the full product line, rather than just a few selected products (I’m not aware of any company whose entire product line is available through, say, Birchbox).

And with that out of the way, on to the good stuff! My March bag featured the following:

• bareMinerals | Marvelous Moxie™ Lipstick in Get Ready
• Nicole by OPI | Roughles in On What Grounds?
• Be a Bombshell | Bora Bora Eyeshadow Quad
• Pixi Beauty | Flawless Beauty Primer

bareMinerals | Marvelous Moxie™ Lipstick in Get Ready
I loved this color. It’s the type of color that wouldn’t draw my eye in a store because it seems pretty basic; I tend to pick bolder colors. This lipstick has a smooth, creamy formula that isn’t drying. Unfortunately, it also wore off pretty fast and didn’t have much staying power. This will be a good one to throw in my bag, but I don’t see it becoming part of my regular beauty routine.

Nicole by OPI | Roughles in On What Grounds?
I love nail polish, but the idea of having sandpaper-covered nails does not appeal to me. These felt very gritty and just plain weird on my nails. I layered it over another polish because I hoped that would help it come off later; I worried the texture would lend to scrubbing my nails down with polish remover. I don’t think the color helped much. The blue looked like it had gravel/coffee grounds mixed in. I found the purple a little more appealing.

Check out that texture – and my unpainted toes down below.

Be a Bombshell | Bora Bora Eyeshadow Quad
I love eyeshadow palettes. I’ve never tried anything from Be a Bombshell, but I had high expectations from beauty blogs. I was impressed by the quality of the powder and the coverage. I wouldn’t have picked out these shades myself, but that just makes them more unique. I have a feeling this quad will get a lot of use in spring and summer.

Pixi Beauty | Flawless Beauty Primer
This is a primer. I’m really just getting into primers, so I don’t have much to say other than this had golden peach undertones and seemed to do its job.

Overall, I’m pretty darn impressed by Ipsy. This is my new favorite box – after just one shipment.

Any other Ipsy subscribers out there? What did you think of the March bag?

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or compensated by Ipsy, but I do get a referral credit if you click on the links above.

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