Ipsy Review -- August 2014

It's that time of month (no, not that time...) -- my Ipsy bag arrived yesterday. It is always exciting to open the mailbox and find this bright pink bubble mailer. 

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.

Lord & Berry Black SILK Kajal Kohl-liner

$4.00 / .02 oz

This sample is so small; it's barely the size of my pinky. I'm not typically a black eyeliner girl. I tend to stick to raisin-y colored liners. Also, I don't think I've ever owned a pencil liner. The idea of sharpening never appealed to me, so I've always gone for the twist-up kind. Regardless, I'm excited to have this little pencil. It will take up no space at all in my makeup bag and maybe I'll whip it out for a more fancy occasion. (I can't for the life of me think of what that would be, but I can dream.) I tested it on my hand first and then one eye (no pictures, sorry). It draws very easily. Because of its smoothness, the staying power doesn't seem to be remarkable, but I'm still hoping to give it a fair try. 

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

$5.50 / .1 oz

This is also a sample sized product, but I was super excited to receive an item from Urban Decay. This brand receives a lot of raves from beauty gurus, and mascara is one of my favorite beauty items. I already tried it (again, no pictures...I promise I tried, they just didn't turn out well) and it really is a great mascara. It gives my lashes both length and volume, which is quite a feat considering my lashes are so short and light. Even with a rather thick brush, I didn't have any issues with clumping. Overall, a really great product. I'm not sure I can ever justify spending $22 on a tube of mascara, but this was by far the best item in my bag this month and I will use every last drop. 

Update: I went to the bathroom after writing this and the eye that I applied these products to was all smudged and looked HORRIBLE! I'm not sure which product was the issue since I applied them both to the same eye, but yikes, one of these is NOT a good match for my oily skin. I really hope it's not the mascara!

Coastal Scents Forever Blush Duo

$1.82 / .08 oz (although there is currently a sale on their website, so if I go by sale price, this sample is only worth $.91)

I pretty much never wear blush, which may seem like a reason to hate receiving blush, but it actually made me more excited for the sample. I struggle with knowing what color(s) would/wouldn't work and don't want to waste money trying, so this is a great way to try two colors out. The colors I received are Fresh (left) and Elegant (right). Elegant is super shimmery and extremely pink on my skin. I will likely steer clear of this one. Fresh, however, barely shows up on my skin, which I kind of like. I can make it super subtle, yet provide some color to my cheeks. The only disappointment with this item is that it's super small (sensing a theme here?). 

Paula's Choice Ultra-light Daily Mattifying Fluid + SPF 30

$8.00 / .5 oz 

I'd never heard of this brand until receiving this sample, so I was excited to get something I wouldn't find on my own. I have very oily/shiny skin, so mattifying fluid (plus sunscreen!) is a great fit for me. I should've read a little more carefully because when I tried it, it came pouring out quickly (hence FLUID) when I expected it to be more like a cream or lotion. At first it felt a little greasy, which is the opposite of what it's supposed to do, but once I rubbed it in well and it dried, it does a great job making my skin appear less oily. I'm excited to continue using this sample. 

Jersey Shore Sun Mongongo Lip Conditioner 

$5.50 / .15 oz (full size)

I love lip balm, but my stash is pretty large right now, so I'm not sure this will be used too soon, but it seems like a decent balm. It apparently has anti-aging ingredients and it's organic. The scent is Mandarin Green Orange, which smells like a citrus-earthy combination to me. It applies smoothly (not sticky) and hasn't clumped on my lips after an hour or so of wearing. 

The Bag!

When I saw the preview of the bag for this month, I thought it was super cute (and in the picture, I still think it's super cute), but in person, I'm not a big fan. It's definitely my least favorite of the three bags I've received. It's made out of a vinyl type material and simply feels cheap. I'll either use it as a gift bag for one of my younger sisters or maybe as a pencil pouch (although now that I'm not teaching, I guess I don't really need a pencil pouch). I do like the cylindrical shape and getting a bag is a bonus anyway. 

Overall: The items in my bag totaled a value of $24.82 + the bag. Not one of the best values from Ipsy, but considering I only paid $10, I really can't complain. PLUS, this is the first month that I'm keeping all five products and not putting any of them up on my edivv site to trade. Good job Ipsy. Keep it up! 

(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.)