Ipsy Review -- July 2014

I haven't written a blog in several months...yikes. I'm going to blame it on pregnancy (being super sick and tired doesn't leave room for much blog writing time). In these past couple months, I cancelled my Beauty Box 5 subscription and began subscribing to Ipsy. This is my second bag. I totally dropped the ball on writing a review for the first one. It was really great, so it is in NO way a reflection of my view of Ipsy. Enough rambling, onto the bag!

It comes in a super fun pink mailing envelope!

Ipsy is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription. For $10 a month (free shipping in the US, $4.95 to Canada), you receive 4-5 deluxe samples or full-sized products, plus a makeup bag. There are several combinations of products sent out each month, so my review is just one sampling of what was received.

bareMinerals 5-in-1 BB advanced performance cream eyeshadow

$5.40 / .03 oz

This sample is TINY, but it's a great brand and I doubt I'll need much for each use. I received the color Divine Wine, which is one of the darkest colors they make in this eyeshadow. I swatched it on my hand and it seems a bit dark for me, but I'm going to play with it anyway. It has SPF 15 in it and has proved to have decent staying power on my hand.

Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray 

$6.65 / 1.7 oz

I love receiving hair products. My hair doesn't do much other than be super flat and straight, so I'm willing to try anything. I haven't had great luck with texturizing sprays before, but this one has a lot of really great ingredients (argan oil, soy protein, etc.), so in my opinion, it's worth it to try it just for those benefits. It smells like sunscreen, so I guess if you're going for the beachy smell, then it's perfect, otherwise, meh.

Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil SPF 8

$1.50 / 1 oz

This is the product I was least excited about when I saw my glam room (you can see which products you're receiving before your bag actually arrives). I like to get a tan, but I also do it very carefully. I use a minimum of SPF 30 these days, so this is clearly not for me. I've considered putting it on my edivv shop, but I've seen others on there, so it's not likely to be traded quickly. I saw some other reviews that said it could be used as a moisturizer on dry areas, such as heels or elbows. Apparently it smells divine (I've left the plastic on it for now in case I do choose to swap it with someone), so that's appealing. All and all, not my favorite.

Pop beauty Sunkissed Bronzer 

$10 / .25 oz (full size)

I've seen very mixed reviews on this brand, but I'm going to give it a try. My current bronzer is on it's last leg, so this is good timing. But I'm a bit nervous because it looks a tad darker than the one I've been using. Maybe after my trip to the beach next week, it will be perfect.

Pixi Beauty Tinted Brilliance Balm 

$8.40 / .06 oz

I wasn't very excited about this initially. I received the color Pretty Pink, which is very pink (as you can see in the picture). After applying it, I actually kind of like it. It's still a little too pink for me to love it, but it's fairly sheer, so I'll use it on occasion. It has some great ingredients and does hydrate my lips. Also, it smells a little minty and I like that.

The Bag! 

There are a lot of complaints out there about this month's bag being cheap, but I LOVE it. I does have a bit of a funky smell, but it's water resistant and that is PERFECT for summer. I'm taking this one on vacation next week to protect my phone while we're on the beach. Sure, it's obnoxiously bright and sure, it may not be the highest quality bag, but I have plenty of use for it! Getting a bag every month seemed annoying to me when looking at subscribing to Ipsy, but it's surprisingly been one of my favorite parts. I love the two bags I've gotten thus far, and if I don't like one in the future, it'd make cute packaging for a gift.

Overall: The products in my bag totaled $31.95 + the bag. I paid $10, so it has great value! I am definitely going to try four out of the five products (and maybe all five), which is beauty bag success in my eyes. Good job Ipsy!

(Disclosure: Some links may be referral links, meaning if you use them, I receive reward points toward free products. All opinions are my own, and I received zero incentive to write favorable reviews.)