November Ipsy Review!

 

It can be a lot of fun getting a subscription box in the mail every month because you never know what is going to be in it (unless you peek). I've been getting Ipsy for the last few months, I enjoy getting them because it is fun finding new products to try and it also helps me find new brands to put into my monthly beauty and the book giveaways. Each month comes out to about $13 with free shipping.

This months bundle included a green velvet makeup bag, It feels more like a Christmas bag to me so I am surprised it isn't part of the December bags. Let's dive into what was in my bag this month:

Kosette Salt Facial Scrub - This exfoliating treatment sounds lovely, it is infused with bamboo and charcoal to help give your skin a deep detox. It also has sea salt to help remove dead skin cells from your face. So far I haven't tested this because I had many other products I need to get through first, but I am looking forward to using it. 

Tarte Sugar Rush Cake Butter Whipped Body Butter - Oh my goodness this smells so good! I could smell it through the foil seal and couldn't wait to use it. I used it after getting out of the shower and it left my skin feeling soft, and fragrant. It smells like fresh baked goods, and it is a long lasting scent that doesn't disappear right away like some fragrances tend to do. A little goes a long way, it spreads out nicely and I know I will be save when this little tube is gone.

Papa Recipe Tea Control Green Mud Mask - As mentioned prior I have a lot of skincare products I have to get to before this, but I am looking forward to using this as well. 

Tanais Liquid Kajal in Bengal Green - The color of this liquid eyeliner is bold, and gorgeous. It glides on quite smooth and is long lasting, I like using this as a double liner on top of a black eyeliner to add an extra pop to my eyes.

YC Collection Light in the Dark highlight in "Coin" - The color of this is gorgeous, you can see it sparkle and shine through the packaging. I hardly ever use highlighter though so I knew this wasn't going to be something I am going to use thus it went into my giveaway product collection. 

If you missed my last post here are the pros and cons of using Ipsy:

Pros - 

• If you don't like something in your bag, you can always re-gift it.
• You can try out name brands you might not normally be able to afford.
• Many of the products may be travel/sample sized, however some of them last for quite some time. Items like lipstick can last months before you run out of it so it is a good deal money wise.
• Broken down it comes to $2.60 a product if you don't include the bag, or $2.16 if you count the bag.
• Each month you get to hand pick out one product that goes into your bag.
• You can earn points for reviewing products on their site, which you can cash in for freebies.
• Easy to cancel your subscription at anytime.

Cons -

• You might end up with a product you don't like/won't use.
• You end up with way too many bags if you subscribe for several months at a time.
• For me personally, I seem to get more skincare products than makeup and I would rather get a better ratio or more makeup than skincare. 

Do you subscribe to any subscription brands? If so which do you like, and are there any you hate?

* This is not a collaboration with Ipsy, I pay for my monthly bags myself, I just like sharing them with my readers.

October Ipsy bag review.

 

I had thought about skipping my subscription for the month of October, but when I saw a sneak peek at this months bag I decided to get it. I have a crazy amount of bags already so I probably shouldn't have, I just couldn't help it. The October bags are usually pretty cute and suit my likes more than the regular bags through out the year. Let's dive into what the bag looks like and what I received in my goodie bag this month. This months bag is black with vampire lips and a lime green lining inside of the bag. 

IT Cosmetics "confidence in a cleaner" & Pacifica highlighter/blush combo. Both of these were actually products that I cashed in my earned points for, so technically they didn't come in this months bag. I may keep the cleaner however the Pacifica I selected to use in one of my upcoming Beauty & The Book Giveaways. 

Tatcha "The Dewy skin cream" - I've seen a lot of people who really like this product because of the benefits they've seen while using it. I however am on the other side of it, only because I don't really like the scent of it so I won't be using this. 

Lottie London "Slay all day liquid lipstick in "Yass" - The name reminds me of the newest season of You for some reason. The color looks like a lovely shade, however I have too many shades that are similar to this one so this won't be used and instead put towards one of my giveaways.

Seraphone Botanicals "Camelina + Strobe luminizing primer" - For this month's "choose one product choice", there wasn't a ton that was catching my eye and this seems to be a brand that several of my followers enjoy so I selected this simply to use for giveaway purposes.

Sur.Medic Facial cream - I am looking forward to trying this one out, I have several other things I need to use up before using this, but I've heard great things about it. The tube is a pretty decent size and since you only need a little bit of it, I can see this lasting for quite some time. 

Blume cleaners - This is another one I am looking forward to using, but will have to use what I has left of my current cleanser first so I don't have a ton of half empty tubes. Does anyone else who gets subscription boxes run into that issue? 

For the price of $13 a month it isn't too bad, you get a makeup bag along with five different products you might have never heard of or tried which is nice. Some pros and cons;

Pros - 

• If you don't like something in your bag, you can always re-gift it.
• You can try out name brands you might not normally be able to afford.
• Many of the products may be travel/sample sized, however some of them last for quite some time. Items like lipstick can last months before you run out of it so it is a good deal money wise.
• Broken down it comes to $2.60 a product if you don't include the bag, or $2.16 if you count the bag.
• Each month you get to hand pick out one product that goes into your bag.
• You can earn points for reviewing products on their site, which you can cash in for freebies.
• Easy to cancel your subscription at anytime.

Cons -

• You might end up with a product you don't like/won't use.
• You end up with way too many bags if you subscribe for several months at a time.
• For me personally, I seem to get more skincare products than makeup and I would rather get a better ratio or more makeup than skincare. 

Do you subscribe to any subscription brands? If so which do you like, and are there any you hate?

* This is not a collaboration with Ipsy, I pay for my monthly bags myself, I just like sharing them with my readers.

August Ipsy Review!

Earlier in the month I went to my Ipsy account to fix something and ended up seeing a little sneak peek at my August Ipsy bag. Normally I don't like looking at the spoilers before it arrives so that it is a complete surprise aside from the one item they allow you to select. I was pretty excited seeing the spoiler for this month though because everything in the bag is something that looked/sounded like something I wanted to try out.

The bag this month is a faux leather with a snap closure, I like this style of bag instead of the normal zippered bag they send, it was a nice change to receive. I will still say though that I wish those who get Ipsy bags often could have an option to opt for an additional sample sized product or something else instead of a bag every month. Simply because you end up with a hoard of them that you usually don't end up using, I like Ipsy for the chance to try out new products or find new products I might not know about. 

My choice for this month was the TONYMOLY moisture boost cooling marine concentrate serum. I mainly wanted it because the tube is really cute with the little whale, but it also sounds like it might be a helpful serum. 

I have a lot of brushes, more than I probably should have, but I always enjoy getting more and this F.A.R.A.H concealer brush is soft and seems like it will be a good brush to add to my collection. I may need to get a second glass jar for my brushes though, my other one is getting a little stuffed. 

Similar to my brushes, I also have a few mascaras that I currently rotate through depending on how much thickness I want to add to my lashes. A percentage of the mascaras I received in these bags go towards my monthly giveaways instead of being used, but this one seems interesting and I've liked one or two PUR products in the past so I am going to give this one a try. 

Marc Anthony super fast strength leave-in conditioner. This is meant to help with split ends and frizz which is nice to apply to your hair prior to brushing it (or after to get the frizz to go away) to help you get a more polished look. My daughter and I use products like this often so between the two of us this will be completely used up. 

111SKIN nocturnal recovery cream. I have noticed recently that I've slowly started getting those "crow feet"/"smile line" spots next to my eyes when I smile really big so I've started making sure to focus on skincare in the area and over all have been trying to get better with my skincare routine. I like the description of this they provided on the included pamphlet so I look forward to using it. 

This is the first time in a while where I am keeping everything in the bag, minus the bag itself so I am pretty happy this month! As I always say though, even if I don't like something in the bag because it is something I won't use it gets put into my gift/giveaway stash so someone still gets to use it and it doesn't go to waste. They recently sent a message saying the subscription is going up to $13 a month, which all in all isn't too bad, it will make it to where the samples and bag come out to about $2.16 each. That price is a steal compared to how much places like Sephora and Ulta charge for similar sized travel products in store. 

Do you subscribe to any beauty or skincare subscription boxes? Which one is your favorite?

July Ipsy Review!

 

When my June Ipsy bag didn't arrive until July, I wasn't a hundred percent sure if I'd get my July bag this month or next. So I was happy when it showed up yesterday on time! Although, there was still an error, I had signed up last month for a free trial month of their new Refreshments line, it was supposed to ship this month and arrive with my glam bag, but thus far it hasn't even shipped. Ipsy has it's ups and downs, so it is good to weigh the pros and cons before deciding to sign up for a subscription. For $12 a month you get a bag and five to six sample sized makeup products. Personally, I think it is a fun way to treat yourself to mail that isn't bills or junk and a neat way to find new brands to love. I generally don't do it every month, I usually get a bag every other month or sometimes I won't get it for a few months so it works well with your budgeting and can be adjusted or cancelled when you don't want it. 

The bag for this month is a golden glittery bag that says "Stay Golden", I like that this months bag only had a small "Ipsy" logo on the back and I think the zipper pull is pretty adorable. The products I received this month also went along with the whole golden theme. In total I received five products in my bag. 

Items can be a hit or miss, even if you have your profile settings set exactly how you want them, you may end up with more liner than you need or too many face care items. The good thing is that even if you don't like everything, you can always gift them to someone who will love them. If I end up with something I won't use or already have too many of I like using them towards giveaway bundles and putting together gift baskets for birthdays/holidays for loved ones. Let's dive into what was in this month's bag starting with my choice item that I selected. 

My choice item was the Christophe Robin cleansing purifying scrub with sea salt. I love a good scrub so this was a no brainer to pick, I was actually surprised with how much is in this sample size. It is a nice little jar and it could probably be re-used after all of the salt scrub is gone. It has a slight perfumed soap scent, which kind of reminds me of fancy hotel soaps, it is a scent I don't mind.

Seraphine Botanicals Berry + juice lip gel in Guava Glaze - This is a pretty color with a little bit of shimmer to it, the packaging is just the right size for tossing into your purse or makeup bag. I like the color, but I am not a big fan of glosses or lip gels, I prefer regular lipstick so instead of using this this and it will be put into my gifting basket. 

Shades by Shan highlighter single in the shade Irma - It is a lovely color and you could probably get away with using it as an eyeshadow. I hardly ever use highlighter, I think I own one that I use from time to time so this will also go into my gifting basket. The sample size is pretty large though so it should last for quite some time which is a plus. 

Nomad Cosmetics cartagena magica intense eyeshadow in Eres el mundo - I am a sucker for a bold gold eyeshadow so this is going in my personal stash. It is so pretty and sparkly in person, it looks like it is packed with pigments and I am pretty excited to use this. The sample size is a mini one, but it is so cute in it's little compact.

KVD vegan beauty mini cake pencil in Trooper Black - I own too many eyeliners at the moment, I tend to get a lot of them in my subscription bags so this will go into the gifting stash as well with the other two items mentioned above. It is a nice size though! I was going to include a photo of it, but my camera didn't want to focus on it properly. 

So end results are two items being kept, three items that I can use for gift giving or giveaway prizes and a makeup bag to add to the giveaway stash not bad for $12 just to have a little fun and see what you get. I like having the chance to try out products without having to purchase a full sized product and finding out I don't like it.

Which of the items above would you be most excited to try? Drop a comment below & let me know. 💜 

* This is not a sponsored post, I am just sharing thoughts on a subscription I like getting sometimes. 

June Ipsy Review!

 

Sometimes I like to treat myself to a month or two of Ipsy bags when I am looking for new products, I always think it is a win-win because I end up with new items I like or if I end up with doubles of something I can use it in my monthly Beauty & The Book Giveaway. My June bag just now arrived today July 7th, so it is a bit late, but better late than never right?

Let's get started with the review shall we? The bag this month is alright, the bag seems sturdy and is a cute color, however I know I would love their bags so much more if every one of them didn't have a giant "IPSY" logo somewhere on the bag, I would much prefer if they left that for the zipper pull and the tag on the inside. Though I do have to say I love how cute the zipper on this bag is because it is a rainbow zipper. 

Inside of my bag I found:

❤ Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional: Super Setter Pore-Minimizing Setting Spray. I do enjoy this brand so it is nice to see them pop up in my bags from time to time. I haven't personally tried this specific spray, and though I enjoy the brand I have a few other similar products thus have no need for this and will be including it in next month's beauty and the book giveaway. 

❤ CLIV Max Hyaluronic Propolis Foaming Cleanser. I am looking forward to trying this out, I love foaming cleaners and I hope this is a decent one to use. The sample size is great, I will be able to get several uses from this once I open it. 

❤ Tarte Lash Paint Mascara. Another great brand and product! I have waaaay more mascaras than I need for my own good so I will also be putting this into one of my giveaways. 

❤ Context Skin Nude Balm in clear matte. I've never heard of this brand before so this is something that is completely new to me, I have a lip balm I am in love with at the moment that has been keeping my lips looking soft and moisturized so I am on the fence on whether I will use this or not.

❤ The Creme Shop Essence Infused Sheet Mask Duo in Rose Water & B12 Complex. I've heard great things about this brand and I was very excited to find not one but two masks in this month's bag. 

So in total there were six items included in this bag, three I will be keeping, two will be used for blog giveaways and the last item I am unsure about. Not bad for $12 a month, some bags I love everything, sometimes you don't. I would give the June bag a 3 out of 5 Moons.

What kind of products do you like, or dislike getting in your Ipsy bags? Have you ever tried out a subscription to Ipsy?

January 2021 Ipsy Review - A happy whoops!

 

If you haven't ordered an Ipsy bag before, Ipsy is a monthly makeup subscription that sends you an assortment of goods based upon a survey you take. They have a $12 option that comes with a makeup bag and five sample/deluxe sample products, and a bigger bag that comes with full sized items.

From time to time I like to get a Ipsy bag just to see what I might end up with, it is a great way to find new products to try and also a great way to add products to my monthly Beauty & The Book Giveaways. I meant to cancel my subscription for the time being until I can use some of the samples I already have on hand, however I forgot until I received a notice that my January bag had been shipped.

Whoops! That was on me, however I am actually happy that it did happen. I was pretty pleased with the products I received this month, in fact I plan on keeping and using everything I received aside from the bag. The bag itself isn't bad, it is actually pretty cute and I like the closure ring it comes with, but I have too many bags as is so I won't be keeping it.

What was in my bag? I received:

- IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-aging concealer in 10.0 light fair; This product has already come in handy! I haven't used it for my under eyes but I did use it to help hide two unsightly blemishes I had on my face recently. It blends with my skin well and I can still add a powdered foundation over it without it looking caked on, it covers quite a bit of skin using only a small amount of product. It lasted all day even with my use of a face mask and face shield for work.

- Kinship Naked Papaya gentle enzyme face cleaner; It made me pretty excited to see this in my bag. After experiencing a papaya enzyme facial cleaners during a facial I purchased I've been wanting to find one similar to it. I haven't tried this yet, however I am looking forward to using it. 

- Laruce Beauty LR005 tapered blending brush; It is almost silly how much I love getting new makeup brushes, even though I have plenty of them I always want more. I like the handle on this brush, the slight texture looks neat and makes it easier to hold onto. The brush bristles feel soft and I like the white/light gray color combination. 

- YC collection 'let Me First" Primer; This is another product I won't use right away as I have other primers to use up first, but this is a pretty decent sized sample so I know it will last me a while. I like using primers to help my colorful makeup "pop".

- Sugar Cosmetics Matte as Hell lip crayon in Stephanie Plum; The color of this lip crayon is gorgeous! It reminds me of a light wine shade, it goes well with my skin tone and I think it looks great by itself to add a little extra color to your face without having to apply all of your makeup. 

All of the samples I received this month were actually a pretty decent size compared to some of the teeny samples they've sent in the past. The smallest sample in this month's bag was the IT cosmetics concealer, but with how much coverage you are able to get even this sample will last me at least or month or two since I don't use it on a daily basis. Over all for just over $13 (because of taxes) this month's bag was a pretty excellent deal.

Do you subscribe to any subscription companies? If you do, which company do you use and what types of products do they send out?

* This isn't a sponsored post, I personally purchase this for myself and like sharing what I receive in my bags. 

November Ipsy Review!

 

Ipsy can always be a bit of a gamble on what you are going to get and some samples can be pretty petite, however for only $12 a month it is a decent way to discover new brands. Sometimes you get lucky and get deluxe sized samples or even full sized products such as the eyeliner I received in my November bag.

With the custom profile you put together it feels like they only take it half into consideration, for mine I have both eye liner and highlighter marked as "Rarely" as I was hoping to get more skin care, lipstick and eye shadow. Generally I will use them, however I've grown quite the collection of black eyeliners so several of the liners I received recently went directly into the giveaway pile. Let's dive into what was in my November bag;

Each month you are given a pick of your choice and the rest of the bag is curated by Ipsy, this month I went with the Anastasia Beverly Hills matte lipstick mini in the color "Dead Rose". This color is gorgeous, it is a nice matte tone that goes with an assortment of looks, sadly wearing a mask everyday means I don't get to show it off as often as I would like. This is a small sample but it will last for quite some time. 

Item Beauty lid glaze in the color "Desert Weekend" - This came in a sealed up little baggie, the product name "lid glaze" seemed interesting to me. I generally use powdered shadows so I was curious how this jelly eye shadow looked, this looks gorgeous when applied. It is packed full of color and I think this will do quite well in many makeup looks. A little goes a long way, so again although this is a 5g sample I think it will last for many applications. 

Trestique eye pencil in "Santorini Black Sand" - I am not going to lie, I had a really dumb moment when I first pulled this pencil out to take photographs of it. When I pulled it out I thought "Oh No! The lid popped off" I looked in the box and didn't find a lid, turns out the lid was on it hahaha it just looks like the top of a eyeliner pencil. This also comes with a smudger and a pencil sharpener. I can not comment on how effective this liner is or how the formula is, I did not use it because I want to include it in an upcoming giveaway so it was only photographed. The retail value of this is $19 alone which covers the cost of the bag and then some. 

Complex Culture Good lighting highlighter in the shade "Lucid" - This highlighter looks like it is packed full of sparkles to add a little extra flair to your look. My sample this month is very similar in color to a highlighter I received last month, so this is another item you'll see pop up in a giveaway soon. 

Avette fresh clean coconut mild cleanser - This is a nice cleanser that doesn't leave your skin feeling dry or oily, but it doesn't smell like I expected it too. Being that it is "coconut" I figured this would smell lightly of coconuts, it doesn't, instead it smells like a bar of soap you'd find in a hotel room. Now that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is a light scent and it smells clean. 

Not a bad batch of samples for $12, the makeup bag this month is also a better quality in looks and construction than some I've received in the past. 

*This is not a sponsored post, I pay for Ipsy from time to time and like sharing my experience with the company.