For those who don't know Ipsy, it is a monthly subscription service which sends you 5 make-up, skin care or hair care items per month in a cute make-up bag. The products are often deluxe sample sizes but there are usually a few full-size items as well. The cost is $10 per month with free shipping if you happen to live in the states but for those of us in Canada, add $4.95 shipping as well as exchange. There are savings to be had if you subscribe to a longer period, though. I paid for a year up front which worked out to $184.33 Canadian funds, or $15.36 per month.
If this review piques your interest in Ipsy, please consider using my referral link :) I'd appreciate it! There is a waiting list but they often offer ways to skip the line.
Here is what came in my Ipsy bag this month:
Okay, so I'm not the greatest photographer (especially not when D is insistent that everything is his and trying to get in the shot!) but you can see that the bag is a pretty cute silver sparkly number with a pink zipper. Not so sure about the zipper but at least the silvery sparkle feels like it has a plasticky layer over top so it won't shed sparkles everywhere. I know the theme this month is "Girl Meets Glitter" but I don't need a trail of it following everywhere I go. The bag will probably be gifted this time around.
Item #1: Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Volume Shine Hairspray
Value: 9oz of this is selling for $8.29-$8.99 depending where you look, so this 1.5oz sample would worth approx. $1.38-$1.50. I like round numbers so I'll go with $1.50.
Value to me: I love Argan Oil products for my hair. They seem to tame the occasional frizz and make it feel really soft. That said, I haven't used an Argan Oil hairspray, and don't use hairspray often in general, so I'm not sure how this will work for me. I like the brand and the idea and the fact that it doesn't smell terrible so I'll try it. This isn't my favourite item this month but it isn't the worst either.
Item #2: J. Cat Beauty Wonder Lip Paint in Red Potion
Value: This full-size item is sold for $4.99 on J. Cat's website.
Value to me: Yes, this really that dark. At first, I thought this looked like the colour of fake blood and it does - in the tube. When I put it on, it's actually a really pretty shade of red that is, well, less dark and a bit brighter. It's exactly the kind of lip shade I usually wear since it goes with the whole "Snow White" colouring I have going on :) I have never used a lip paint before and can say with certainty that, while I like the idea, I wish it came with a lip brush to apply it. I have one, and will be using it from now on, but I tried this with my finger first and it took a lot of effort to remove the staining. I suppose that is an encouraging sign of how it will wear. This is a hit!
Item #3: Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Ultra Orchid
Value: This full-size item sells for $16 on Starlooks' website.
Value to me: Speaking of my Snow White colouring. . . here is a swatch of this gorgeous sparkly purple on my winter white (even though it's only fall) arm. I am loving the colour - purple is a go-to for me and this is a lovely shade. I am not so sure about the sparkle. While there is an appropriate amount of sparkle in what is billed as a sparkly eye liner, I'm not sure how this will wear. Will I end up with glitter all over my face? Will I look like I'm on my way to a rave? This will definitely be in my plans for holiday partying but I will have to experiment with it to test its suitability for more everyday looks. I do like it a lot though!
Value: Temptu sells 1oz highlighters for $27.50 on their website. This is a 0.1oz sample size, so a $2.75 value.
Value to me: This is another new product for me. I have never tried a highlighter and wasn't really sure how to use one until I read the helpful suggestions on Ipsy's website. I'm not sure how much "contouring" and "body highlighting" I'm up for but this is a soft shimmery pink, not far off from my skin tone so I could see myself using it to liven up my brow line or add some extra glow over blush. Not my favourite but I'm excited to play around with this one.
Item #5: Be a Bombshell Cosmetics Eye Base in Submissive
Value: This appears to be full-size, so a $14 value according to BaB's website.
Value to me: Not a big fan of this one. It's supposed to be used either as a base upon which to build eyeshadow or a stand-alone shadow but this colour is just not for me. While it's not as dark as it looks (it actually goes on pretty sheer and is a nice bronze/copper colour), it doesn't go with any eye makeup I own. Remember the white, white arm above with the pinky undertones. I swatched this and it looked yellow against my skin tone. I'll pass this one along to my sister :) To be honest, this is the first item in 3 months of Ipsy bags that has been unusable for me and I'm okay with that.
Total Bag Value: approximately $39.24 (I won't assign a value to the bag, itself, since I feel like that's more of a perk than a product, although other reviewers might do so)
Total Bag Value to Me: I loved 2 products, am interested in trying out 2 more and will send the 5th to a loving home. Even without the value of the eye base, I feel this bag was worth what I paid for it.
Thanks for reading my first subscription box (bag?) review ever! I hope it was useful and entertaining. Feel free to drop my a line in the comments if you have any questions or suggestions. Do you want to know how I ended up getting the lip paint off my fingers? Have an idea to distract my toddler when I'm taking photos in the kitchen? Have at it in the comments section!
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