Ipsy Review -- September 2014

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.

Crown Brush Infinity Shadow and Crease Duet Brush

$17.50 (currently on sale for $6.99) / Full size

I am late to the make up brush party, but I really do love them! I currently use a teensie tiny crease brush that came with my current eyeshadow and a blush brush as an eyeshadow blender brush. All of that to say, this brush is PERFECT. Now I have one brush that does both of those things. The bristles are very soft and overall, the brush quality feels great. I'm very excited to have received this brush!

Please forgive the horrible quality of all of my
pictures in this post. I was in a rush. 

Pacifica Natural Waterproof Eye Pencil

2.87 / .026 oz

From the sneak peaks (Ipsy reveals pictures at the beginning of each month showing the products you may receive), everyone was going to receive either this eye pencil or nail polish by Pacifica. I so wish I would've received the polish, but oh well. I got the liner in the color gun metal, which is a metallic silver. I'm a bit nervous about this one; I haven't worn silver eyeliner since middle school. I'm going to post it on my edivv site and see if anyone is interested. If it stays there a while, I'll take the plastic wrap off and try it. 

Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser

$2.33 / 1 oz

I've recently become more aware of chemicals I use, both in household products, but also in products I put on my skin. Therefore, I really appreciate getting items that are chemical free like this face cleanser. I recently bought Norwex makeup removing cloths (magical cloths that clean with just water -- no chemicals or soap!), so I've been washing my face with those in the evenings, but I wanted to give this product a fair shot, so I've been using it in the shower. I really love it. It's technically fragrance free, but it does have a tiny hint of a smell. I've read complaints about it, but it doesn't bother me. It spreads on my face smoothly (requiring VERY little product) and makes my skin feel clean and soft afterward. This is a product I may look into actually purchasing once my sample is gone.

Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss

$19.00 / .14 oz (full size!)

Ipsy has quickly learned that I enjoy lip glosses. The color is much darker than the picture shows, which makes it a bit intimidating for me, but because it's a gloss (instead of a lipstick), it still works for me. I like lip colors in the red family more so than pinks, so that's a positive. I'll use it on occasion, but it's a large container (guess how they justify charging $19!!!), so it will take me a long time to get through this.

Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream

$13.77 / 1.1 oz

This brand is sold in England, so converting the cost was a tad more complicated than usual. I think it's worth mentioning that this sample is half the size of the full size product -- pretty generous for a sample. When I first opened my ipsy bag, this product is what I immediately smelled and it's not my favorite. I would describe it as a "grandmother smell." The formula however is amazing. It goes on very smoothly and does not leave any greasy feeling at all! I guess that's why it's called luxury. Because I don't like the smell, I'll likely only use it at night or if I'm staying in for the day. Nice product though.

The Bag

I have a love/hate relationship with this month's bag. I love, and I mean LOVE, the texture and smoothness of the bag. I do not, however, like the look of it. If it was just the silver without the studs, I would adore it, but the studs are so.not.me. From other reviews, it appears many are head over heels for this bag, so I may put it up on my edivv site and see if I have any takers.

Overall: The value of my bag totaled $55.47 (or $44.96 if you use the sale price for the brush) + the bag! This is a GREAT value this month, since I only pay $10 per bag. I like the range of products I received: two makeup items, brush, cleanser, and lotion. I got two full size items and the other three were generous samples. This month was a hit for me. Great 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.)

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.)

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.)