July’s Ipsy Glambag was just so-so. Of the five samples included I really loved the Tarte Bronzer, the gel polish, and the sea salt spray. Obviously it’s October, so we’ll make this a little shorter than usual reviews. Here’s what my bag entailed!
Octavio Molina Hair La Playa Salt Spray
I was excited to get try this because I can never get my hair to look beachy. It always ends up looking frizzy and not very uniform. I like the smell of this product, but it didn’t seem to add that much texture to my hair. I haven’t used it for awhile.
tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer
A lot of beauty bloggers say this is one of their Holy Grails. I liked it a lot and was surprised that it blended well on my fair skin. I’ve used it a few times on my cheeks, along my jawline and on my forehead. When I wear it, I get asked if I’ve been in the sun. Win win! This sample alone is worth $10.
I’m always hesitant to try new cleansers. I’m happy with what I’m currently using so this sample will get donated.
Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Lip Balm
Be A Bombshell is kinda a throw-in for Ipsy. I’ve not found a lot of their products to work well. This lip balm is nice, but it’s very pigmented. It’s easy to get smeared on your face once it’s applied. The color was nice, but I won’t be wearing it.
Aurora Gel Effect Nail Polish
This polish is really pretty and was a good size! I liked the coral/orange color and received a lot of compliments on it. Now, it doesn’t stay on as long as a gel manicure, but it did go on really well and seemed to be a good quality polish. I would like to try more from this brand.
Overall
This month wasn’t my favorite. I liked the sample from tarte and thought the nail polish was a good addition. I’m getting tired of Be a Bombshell though. I hope I don’t get anymore products from them. What do you think?
I’m still catching up! I received June’s Ipsy bag and have had the pictures waiting to be published.
The bag wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t the best bag I’ve had from them.
There were about three things I really loved. To begin, the bag was an interesting material. It has “ipsy” all over it with a top orangish colored zipper closure. I personally thought it was ugly so I’ll be passing it on to someone else. The most recognizable branded item was the Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Foundation Primer. As you can see, it isn’t pictured because I used it up! The other brand I recognized was Lavanilla. I was happy to get this sample because I’ve wanted to try their lotions.
Here’s a breakdown of what I received and their values!
Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Foundation Primer, $8
This was an exciting sample for me. I love Smashbox Cosmetics and this primer helps your makeup stay on forever. It feels really slippery and fills in all your pores. It basically perfects your skin before putting on other layers. It’s also good for oil-prone skin like mine!
Pure Vanilla The Healthy Body Butter Instant Hydration by Lavanila Laboratories, $4
This sample was wonderful. The warm scent of the vanilla was really strong and it stayed on my skin. Unfortunately I didn’t find it as moisturizing as I’d hoped. It didn’t seem to make my hands softer in the long run. What I do love about this brand is that it’s 100% all natural. I wouldn’t buy a full sized item, but I’d welcome more samples of other scents.
tre’StiQue Mini Shadow Crayon in Kona Coffee, $10
This is a brand that Ipsy has been including lately. I think this is the first item I received from them. It was OK. Nothing too spectacular. I liked the shape of the crayon and the pigmentation was alright. It’s one of those products that isn’t worth the crazy high price tag for the quality. A full size is $26. I’d rather buy shadow crayons from more established brands for that price. I haven’t used it once since June.
Liptitude Hydrating Lip Stain by J.Cat Beauty, $5.99
When I first saw this lip color, I thought it was a throw-in and nothing special. The color looked OK, but the name, Liptitude, seemed juvenile. When I opened it, I decided to try it. The color was fantastic! My husband even said it looked great on. I think the shade I received was called Blow Your Mind. My mum saw it on me and also wanted one. Eventually I noticed it did move around on my lips. The color stayed, since it’s a stain, but I had trouble keeping it in place. The formula was thick and a little messy. Since I liked the shade so much, I think I’ll try it with a clear lip liner. Overall, I liked the sample, but won’t buy it since it was a little messy and had a strange smell.
BioRepublic Soothing Fiber Masks (3), $14.95
Three masks! Woohoo! That’s a great “one item.” A set of three masks is valued at $14.95. In the picture there is one missing because I tried it the night I opened the bag. Overall these masks worked well. They seemed to help with my irritated skin and smelled really great. I don’t think they work as well as Karuna masks or GlamGlow, but they were the perfect addition for the June bag. BioRepublic is a really interesting brand. It was developed by Americans who traveled in Asia. The website says,
“Not being ones to accept the status quo, Justin and Paolo immediately set out to create their own line of sheet masks, inspired by Korean products but formulated with American tastes and values. Now they’re bringing their masks to you, without parabens, sulfates, pthalates, or triclosan. 100% cruelty-free. Dermatologist tested and totally transparent.”
If you haven’t tried a sheet mask yet, you should! They work really well and are inexpensive.
Overall I liked my bag. I don’t have a lot of complaints because I feel as if I got my $10 worth of products. I loved the masks and the primer. Did you get this bag? What have you been using since June? If you give it some time, then you learn what you really use on a regular basis and prefer!
Love & Laughter,
Tiffany
Disclosure: I pay for my own Ipsy subscription. There are referral links in this post and also Amazon referrals. I receive points if you sign up using my link. Thanks!
I received the April Glambag this past month and I was super disappointed. Even before getting it in the mail, I received an email that said that the MICA Beauty eye primer had some discoloration in it. Nonetheless, I held out, hoping the bag would still deliver.
Spoiler Alert: It didn’t.
I’ve always heard other beauty lovers complain about their subscription purchases and I thought it was absurd. It’s cheap makeup and risk is involved…so don’t complain. Just cancel. Well, after this month I was a little more understanding. Here’s what I received in my bag, and why I can’t be too happy with it this month.
Mullein & Sparrow All Natural Tinted Lip and Cheek Balm, Sample Size, Valued at $8
This product had me really excited for this bag. I really like anything from Etsy sellers and love supporting small businesses. Unfortunately this product didn’t have any pigment. As you can see in the swatches, there wasn’t any color. The smell was delicious. It reminded me of citrus. Some members of Ipsy said they were going to use it as a perfume. I think this was an OK idea. Unfortunately I haven’t even reached for it since I reviewed it. The design on the front is beautiful and the concept is cool but it just didn’t work.
Wind Blown 05 Dry Finishing Spray by Redken, Sample Size, Valued at $10
This sample was probably my favorite item in the bag. I like Redken products and I’ve used this a few times since receiving it. The finishing spray is supposed to hold your hair and also help it look more polished. Overall it wasn’t something I’d purchase myself, but I’m glad to have it.
theBalm Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Flirty, Sample valued at $1.50-$2
I was bummed about the size of this sample. I like theBalm, which is sold at Ulta and other stores, but this sample was so tiny. The color was ok but I have other shades similar. The individual eye shadow comes in a magnetic little package. Of course I think the packaging is cute though.
MicaBeauty Eye Primer, Sample Size, Value $12
Oh, this was a big oopsidaisi from Ipsy. Right before I was mailed out my bag I received a message saying that the MicaBeauty Primer was discolored. I’m a member of an online makeup forum and many members were saying they found mold in their product. Now, Ipsy swears that it’s just discoloration but I wasn’t too confident. Once I received it I looked it over. Even though it looked alright to use, I was weary. I emailed the help desk and was responded to quickly. They told me that they understood my concern and offered another sample with its own shipping tracking code. I threw the primer away and within a week had another item in the mail. I was shocked that they sent me a full sized Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture and Volume Spray. I plan on offering a full review on this product later. I was really pleased with the quick response and customer service. This has made me more confident with my subscription and I’m super glad I haven’t cancelled.
JulieG Nail Color in Damsel, Full-size $3.99
The color is pretty for spring but I’m not a fan of the formula. It has formaldehyde in it, which is pretty bad for you. Now, I do use a lot of different nail polishes, some of which may not be 100% natural, but this worried me. It’s a cheaper brand from Wallgreens and I’m picky about what I put on my nails. Overall, I decided not to use this. I’ll probably give it to someone. The color is pretty though, too bad I don’t know what it looks like on.
Overall: It Was the Worst Bag I’ve Ever Received
I was shocked when I received this. It was the worst bag I’ve ever received from Ipsy. The bag itself was cute but the items just didn’t seem worth the price. Some people loved this bag and I think it might be a matter of preference. I won’t really use the eyeshadow, the primer, the tint, or the nail polish. I’ve used the hair product and liked it and I also used the bag when I went to the beach. It’s been a few months since I’ve taken the pictures and I still think this is a pretty bad bag…but I’m happy with the full-sized product they sent me.
This made me keep subscribing and of course I’ve been super happy with the products ever since.
