Ipsy Review, September 2015

It is official--I am an Ipsy Addict (if you need proof check out my July and August Ipsy box reviews)  In case you don't know, Ipsy is a subscription box service.   For $10 a month you get '4-6 deluxe samples or full sized products' and one zippered makeup bag in a theme that changes monthly (the bag is the same for everyone, but the products change based on your style survey).   That is $10 including shipping!   It's so much fun to pick up the mail and have new products to try and a fun new bag.   

September's theme was 'Face Fashion', which they describe as "Face the Future.  Smokier, Deeper, richer.  This September, leave the past behind and take the leap into fall with a Glam Bag made to inspire the perfect transition from summertime casual to autumn elegance"  And for $10, here's what I received:

Crown Brush Oval Concealer Brush (full size,  $3)

The retail price for this brush is $7.45, but it's on sale for $2.98 on the crown brush website.  This seems to be a good quality brush.  The bristles are structured without being stiff, soft without being 'mushy', and they don't fall out.  But it's hard to get excited about a $3 brush when I got this $26 one with last month's bag :P

Tre'StiQue Mini Matte Lip Crayon in Nantucket Nude (0.02 oz, $11)

So, I was playing with lipsticks last week and I learned something--a shade called Plum Riche is so close to my natural lip color that I could barely tell I had put it on.  In other words, this light coral-orange-pink-beige-whatever color is never, ever going to look 'nude' on my lips, whether I'm in Nantucket or Anchorage.   The pigment is good and the formula is soft with a little bit of shine but no glitter.  The color itself, though, is simply not for me.  At least not for my lips--I'm considering trying it on my cheeks :P

The color on the far left is Nantucket Nude.  The one on the far right?  closest to my natural lip color.  :P 

Pixi by Petra Brow Powder Trio ($6? The six color one is $12 on their website)

This powder has a nice smooth finish and good pigmentation.  However, the pack didn't come with an applicator, and honestly, I don't know how to use brow powder.   This is one thing I think Birchbox does so much better than Ipsy--Birchbox almost always has short tutorial videos for their sampled products.  I'll look it up on youtube later, but it would certainly be easier if they had them in an easily-accessible form.  

 

This bag 

This bag is EVERYTHING.  For the second month in a row, Ipsy has sent a bag that I would have purchased on it's own.  It is a gorgeous coppery-gold color with a matching lining.  The back is smooth and the front has a raised pattern.   One thing that I could not photograph no matter how hard I tried (and I tried at least fifty times before giving up and using the stock photo)--It's not a rectangle, it's a trapezoid.   The top of the bag is an inch or so wider than the bottom, and it gives the bag a tiny bit more interest.   I absolutely adore it!

Ipsy Review, August 2015

My love affair with Ipsy deepened this month with their Prep School themed box.   Here's what I got:

This bag:

This AWESOME, incredible bag.  When I saw it in the preview I had hoped it was a tweed-like fabric material.  It's so much better--it's a wipable vinyl bag with an Escher-like texture to enhance the hounds-tooth pattern.  I can not tell you how much I love this bag, except to say that even with my cheap ways, I would have paid real money for this bag.  In fact, if I find a bigger version in a store at some point, it will be mine.   Even the hot pink zipper (and I am not a fan of pink) gives me the warm fuzzies, because it gives a classic pattern a modern touch.  



Marc Anthony Nourishing Argan Oil of Morocco (0.7 oz)  $3.50

I don't use oils on my fine hair (it weighs it down too much) but my hubby has been using Argan oils for a while, so I asked him to try this one out.  He liked it a lot, and was especially pleased with the small size so he could take it with him.  


Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish in Elegantly Wasted (full size) $15

I'm a nail polish addict.  I have hundreds of bottles,and I'm always searching for a fun new color in a formula that will stand up to my lifestyle (which destroys your average drug-store-polish manicure in about a day).   I was pleasantly surprised by how well this one did--even without a base or topcoat, it still held up without chipping for three days.  That's just short of a miracle for me.   The color is a fun purple that perfectly suits my personality.   It's a bit pricier than I usually spend on nail polish, but then again it held up better than 99% of the polishes in my collection.  Plus, it’s 7-free, non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free. This one joins my short list of nail polish favorites.  

Hikari Lip Gloss in Merlot (full size)  $13

I hated this product the first time I wore it.   It was SO sticky!   Or at least, I thought I hated it.  Then I found myself putting it on again the next day . . . and the next . . . and then I added it to my purse, so I had to admit I kind of liked it.  It is sticky.  VERY sticky.   Don't-do-anything-dusty-right-after-applying sticky.   But it also hangs around like a dream--I went through my entire day and my lips were still merlot-colored at the end of it.   That's an entire day of eating, drinking, kissing foreheads (no transfer after it finally set.  Which took a WHILE :P)   This product is not for everyone, but if you like sticky lipgloss with good pigmentation and shockingly great staying power, then this is for you.  

Doucce Ultra Precision Eye Liner in Black (full size)  $22

This eyeliner promised to be waterproof, long lasting, and 'a soft application'.   It's a soft application.   It does require eye makeup remover to get it off completely, but it smudges and fades pretty easily.   It's a meh for me--I added it to my makeup bag because it fades so well that I can use it day or night, but I will keep looking for the 'perfect' waterproof liner.  


Marsk Pro Line Eye Shadow Brush  $26

This brush is everything I never knew I wanted in an eyeshadow brush.   I have a good set of makeup brushes already, so I considered adding this one to the donate pile without trying it.  I'm so glad I didn't.   This brush is really great.  The bristles are soft but hold their shape very well.   The brush doesn't seem to hold much color in itself--it all gets transferred to my eyelid.   And the shape is perfect--I use one side to smooth color on my lid, the other side to put a highlight under my brow, and the tip is perfectly sized and shaped to put a deeper color on the crease.   This was a great addition to my makeup bag!


The value of this month's bag was $79.50 plus the bag itself--for only $10!!!Now to be fair, I didn't like some of the products and I seriously doubt I could have brought myself to pay $26 for that eyeshadow brush no matter how much I liked it, but I still consider this month's bag a great value.   I don't know how Ipsy will top this bag next month, but I look forward to finding out!

Ipsy is a subscription box service.   For $10 a month you get '4-6 deluxe samples or full sized products' and one zippered makeup bag in a theme that changes monthly (the bag is the same for everyone, but the products change based on your style survey).   That is $10 including shipping!   And when they say deluxe samples they mean it--no foil packets or 'is there any product in that?' tubes.  

If you'd like to sign up for Ipsy, go ahead and use my referral link!  I'll get points that I can use for free products.

Ipsy review, July 2015

Ipsy, where have you been all my life?   My friend Tabitha over at Happy Cake Crafts has been blogging about Ipsy for a while, and I finally decided to take the plunge.  I am SO glad that I did!!  This box not only kickstarted my new dedication to taking a little better care of myself, but also introduced me to products I never would have tried otherwise.   I am truly infatuated with Ipsy, and it is quickly turning into a deep love.

In case you aren't aware, Ipsy is a subscription box service.   For $10 a month you get '4-6 deluxe samples or full sized products' and one zippered makeup bag in a theme that changes monthly (the bag is the same for everyone, but the products change based on your style survey).   That is $10 including shipping!   And when they say deluxe samples they mean it--no foil packets or 'is there any product in that?' tubes.   Did I mention I'm in love?   I promise, if you try it you will be too!

July's theme was 'Summer Lovin''  And for $10, here's what I received:


This bag.


Honestly, I didn't love it.  The color combo is not to my taste and the stitching had some raveling when it arrived.   However, I still use this everyday over a month later (some essentials for the kids live in it) and it is holding up very well.  It's a thick-muslin type material, and seems to be both durable and washable.

Eau Thermale Avene Cleanance Gel Soapless Cleanser (25 ml)  $2.50

I was a little disappointed in this sample.   It's small, but not terribly so.   I was mostly disappointed because I couldn't find instructions on the packaging to make sure I was using it correctly (it either wasn't there or was so tiny I couldn't read it)   It seems like a good cleanser though and it didn't irritate my skin, so I put it in my 'travel' basket--I'll grab it when we're going on a trip.

Coolway Beachy Salt Spray (0.5 oz) $2


I did not even know this was a thing, and honestly can't imagine WHY I would want my hair to feel like it had ocean salt in it (sometimes, I'm just not cool enough).   It smells great, but it's not really a product I would use regularly.

City Color Cosmetics HD Powder (4 grams) $4

This is a good go-to powder for a quick makeup set.  It's a translucent 100% silica powder that is finely milled.   I like that it sets my makeup without adding an extra layer of color, so it feels and looks like I'm wearing less makeup.  The sample is very generously sized at 4 grams, and will last me a good while.

Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 shadow liner (full size) $5

This is a really fun product in a shade I never would have guessed I'd like.   It's a beautiful coppery color.  The product goes on so smoothly, almost like a lipstick rather than an eyeliner.   It sets well and is a 100% cruelty free product.

Be a Bombshell lip balm in French Kiss (full size)  $14

Ok, this is the product that convinced me to keep Ipsy past the first month.   Let me start out by saying that I never, ever in a million years would have paid $14 for a lip balm before I tried this one.  In fact, I don't even like to pay $2 for a lip balm--it's just a tube of palatable grease you'll slick on twenty times a day in the fall and winter, right?  WRONG.   This lip balm is everything I never knew a lip balm could or should be.   The color itself is little more than a glossy tinge of pink, which is fine--I've never been a fan of tinted lip balms.  But the texture--it's not even a little bit greasy going on.   Even better, I realized at the end of a long day that I had never reapplied it, not even once, and my lips still felt hydrated!!!   Did you get that?  Not remotely greasy but hydrated lips.  I have since used it alone and under lipstick.  I simply love it, and will be forever grateful to Ipsy for introducing me to a product that I'll happily pay full price for in the future.

So the total value of my first ipsy bag was $27.50 plus the value of the bag.   I received two full sized products in this bag and three deluxe samples (one of which, the powder, I didn't even realize wasn't full size until I looked it up on the website).

If you'd like to sign up for Ipsy, go ahead and use my referral link!  I'll get points that I can use for free products.