Ipsy June 2014

Ipsy June 2014

Continuing the back-log of June subscriptions, here is my Ipsy bag.

Rebecca Minkoff for Ipsy

I love the bag!  This is probably my favorite Ipsy bag to date, and I've been carrying it around ever since it arrived.  My one complaint is that the zipper is not on the top, but it's a minor detail.  The print makes up for it.

Carol's Daughter Sacred Tiare Styling Cream

I haven't tried this yet, and to be honest, I totally forgot about it.  Anti-breakage and anti-frizz sounds good though, I could use some of that (provided it is effective) on humid days like today.  If it works, I wouldn't be against picking up a tube of it, as it is relatively inexpensive for a hair product and you can find it at Target.

90 mL full size is $12, 15 mL sample worth $2

Realtree for her

Ugh, another perfume.  Great.  What happened to sending makeup, Ipsy?  This smells soft and powdery on me- like Love's Baby Soft, but without the nostalgia. It's pretty inoffensive, so I don't think I will have a problem wearing this to work.... if I remember it.  It's pretty boring.

$20 for 100 mL, making this (3 mL? it's about twice the normal size) sample worth $0.60

Nicka K Shimmer Eyeliner in Blue

This has a felt tip that is pretty flexible, so you can draw thinner or thicker lines depending on your mood.  The eyeliner itself is metallic and has a pretty thin consistency, with chunks of glitter in it.  You definitely need two coats of this, minimum, to really pack a punch.

Full size, $4.99

Shimmery

I was really excited to get another NYX Butter Gloss in this month's bag! I have a few already, and they are among my favorite lip glosses.

NYX Butter gloss in Eclair

This color is a little on the pale side for me, but makes for a nice nude lip.  In a weird twist, I got this bag a week before my niece was born... and we have been calling her baby Eclair because her name is Emerson Claire!  Weird.

The gloss itself is not sticky, very shiny, and smells and tastes like a dessert.

This is full sized, $5.

Ofra Universal Eyebrow Pencil

This eyebrow pencil isn't much different from any of the others that I have.  If you press hard, you get a dark brown line.  If you use a lighter touch, the color is softer.  However, this is definitely NOT a universal pencil.  It works for me, but probably wouldn't if you have any other brow color besides medium brown.  I think I like the Chella version better, because it is self-sharpening!

This is full sized, $13.

Ipsy June 2014

All in all, it was not the worst bag, but not the best either.  If the perfume and hair samples had been swapped out for makeup, I would have enjoyed it more.  Ipsy has sent a lot of skin and hair care products recently, and I would like to get back to makeup-only bags!

All together, my bag had a value of $25.59

Ipsy is $10 per month and sends you 4-6 deluxe and full-sized (mostly makeup) items in a reusable makeup bag.  You can review each item on their site for 10 points each, and every 1000 Ipsy points will get you a bonus item.  If you want to try it out, please use my link here.  I'll get some extra Ipsy points for each referral.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Balm, Balm Stain, and Matte Balms

I also picked up a set of these three Revlon products as an Ipsy deal!  I got them for $18, which is saving about 33% each.  They came loose in a pink Ipsy mailer... weird.  I guess I was expecting them to be wrapped or something?

Pretty

It was a little off-topic, but I did want to show that Ipsy does one deal per week where you can get a discount on a featured product from that month's bag.

No special consideration or compensation was received for this post and all thoughts and opinions are my own. All items mentioned within were paid for by me. This post contains a referral link.

Ipsy December 2013 Review

Ipsy December 2013

A few moments ago, I watched the mail man deliver my mail in the snow.  There was no telltale pink envelope, and I was sad.  Ipsy should have arrived!  But... but... there's no mail on Sundays! OH NO!  I'll get it Monday.  The horror.

But, a minute later, he came trudging down the side walk with the pink bubble mailer gleaming through the flurries.  He put it in the mail box, and then slogged back to the truck, probably cursing me under his breath.  I shoved my feet into my boots and ran outside!  Yay!  A momentary distraction from the snowy gloom encircling most of the northeast!

Summary: I need to make my mail man cookies and give him a gift card to Dunkin.  RI runs on Dunkin.


On to the review!

Ipsy, The bag.  December 2013

Glam bags went up before today, so of course I peeked.  This month we got 5 items, 2 of which were constant (minus color variations), and three that varied.

Everyone got a POP Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eyeshadow Trio.

I got a shimmery set of light gray, medium slate gray, and a charcoal color.  This set is called "Smokin' Hot" and I'm not keeping it.  It would make a much better gift!

POP Beauty Smokin' Hot Trio

POP Beauty's site sells a palette of 10 shadows for $24.00, making three shadows (0.15 oz) worth $7.20.

The other consistent item from Ipster to Ipster was a Be a Bombshell The One Stick.  I got this in the color, "Flustered," which is a very bright warm-toned pink. 

Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Flustered

I have gotten quite a few products from this brand though Ipsy!  I was expecting this stick to be really thick and sticky and creamy for some reason.  I'm not sure why?  It went on smoothly, and was powdery to the touch when I blended it in with my fingers.  I'm not sure if I am willing to use this on my lips, I have too many dedicated lip products, but it would make a really nice blush!  Just be careful, because a little bit goes a really long way with this.

This sells for $16 on the Be a Bombshell Cosmetics site.

NYX Round Lipstick in Sky Pink

Everyone got a lip product, either a J.cat lip pencil or an extra creamy round lipstick from NYX.  I got the NYX lipstick in sky pink.  NYX describes this color as a, "light blue-toned pink with silver shimmer (pearl)."  Yeah.  It's a pale pink pearl lipstick.  Hey NYX, frosty pink lipstick died in the 80's, let's not bring it back.  Ipsy? Are you taking notes?

The lighting makes it look better than it actually is

$4.00 is too much for a throwback to the year I was born.  Oh well.  Win some, lose some.


This month, there were three different sets of false lashes and three different nail polish brands being sent out.  I was sent one of the nail polishes from Nicka K New York in Ripe Apple. 

Nicka K Ripe Apple

This is a darker red than I expected.  It reminds me a little bit of Julep Coco, but more of a true red than a brown-leaning one.  I like the design of the bottle, the top seems really sleek and elegant.  The formula is decent, and covers in two coats without any difficulty.  The problem lies within the brush.  For some reason, I don't like it at all!  It is very long and square and it was difficult to control.  There wasn't a flat side like some brushes, and it didn't have tapered edge bristles like others.  I'm sure I've used brushes like this before, but I can't ever remember having this much trouble.  Maybe it's just me.

Nicka K Ripe Apple Swatch, true to life.

$4.99 from Nicka K's website.

Some of the other either/or items were a Mirabella eyeshadow brush, a Demeter roll-on perfume, and this set of perfume samples from English Laundry.  The set came with their Signature fragrances for him and for her.

English Laundry samples.

I haven't tried out the men's fragrance yet, but the ladies' version smells like if you sprayed yourself down with Luv's Baby Soft and then rolled around in a pile of fresh-cut grass trimmings.  I actually like it.


Scratch that, I sprayed myself with the men's version.  #YOLO.  (Someone, come save me from myself).  It's not that bad!  It's heavy on the lemon, sandalwood, and cedar, and to me, smells like if you just spent a lot of time cleaning your log cabin with lemon pledge.  Honestly, I'll probably wear this one.  Who cares what the label says?  Gender is irrelevant when it comes to spraying fancy things on yourself.

The two vials were glass and I'm amazed they didn't break!  The sample sizes are quite generous, but neither one of my bottles were full.  Signature pour femme was about 2/3 full and pour homme was about 3/4 full.  I don't really care, this is still more than the normal freebie perfume sample size.  I'm just glad I like both scents and that they won't go to waste.

Each version sells for $72 for 1.7 fl. oz.  The samples were supposed to be 5 mL (0.17 fl. oz.) each, making them worth $14.40 for both.

Swatches:  Top (left) Flustered blended out.  Middle, Flustered not blended.  Bottom, NYX in Sky Pink.

Total Value $46.59.

Not a bad month, but not my favorite.  I really like the bag, the quilted black is quite a step up from the cheap-looking bags of the past!  I'm pretty ambivalent toward everything I got this month.  I'll probably end up giving most of it away.  Except the lipstick- that will probably end up in the garbage if I don't go as an 80's whatever for halloween in 10 months.

If you want to sign up for Ipsy, please use my link here.  It costs $10 per month and you will get 5-6 full or deluxe sized (mostly makeup) items each month.  If you like makeup, I would pick Ipsy over Birchbox.  You definitely get more bang for your buck this way!  If you sign up with my link, I will get 250 points which can be used toward a bonus item.  Each bonus item costs 1000 points.

No special consideration or compensation was received for this post and all thoughts and opinions are my own. All items mentioned within were paid for by me.  This post contains a referral link, see above for details.