Retrospective: Ipsy May 2013

Ipsy May 2013: Month 9; Spring Fling

Ipsy bag May 2013
Photo from Ipsy

This is a wind-breaker-esque fabric with a blue and orange chevron print.  It's actually pretty cute and I think whoever ends up getting it filled with goodies this Christmas will like it, too.

Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Fig
Photo from Ipsy

Oh, Juice Beauty.  You and I have such a love/hate relationship.  I love some of your products, but hate the smell of most of them.  This is no exception.  I like the texture of this gloss, it is not too thick or thin and is not sticky at all.  I love the shimmer and gloss it gives to my lips, and it has fairly decent staying power for a lip gloss.  I hate the smell/taste and the color looks terrible on me.  It looks brown.  I don't wear brown lip colors for a reason.  They look awful with my pale skin and blonde hair.  Just awful.  I don't have any friends with the right coloring for this, so I'm going to hold onto it for now.  Maybe I'll make a friend down the line who will be able to wear it!

Full size, 8g, $15.  Also available in a set of 4 for $48 ($12/each).

Pacifica Coconut Crushed Pearl Bronzing Body Butter
Photo from Ipsy

I was super excited to see this in my bag! I know a lot of people were disappointed they got a bronzing lotion, but not me.  I'm very pale and plan on staying that way, but I don't want to blind people with my legs when I wear a dress.  Enter bronzing lotion.  I have a few already, but this one is nice and subtle.  It's not too bronzing or too shimmery, plus it smells awesome.  To me, it smells like vanilla and coconut.  To the boys at work it smells like: cupcakes, vanilla frosting, birthday cake, rice crispy treats (yeah, it kinda does, actually), and just all around deliciousness.  They couldn't stop talking about how good I smelled at lunch.  Ladies, take note: wear this and get lots of male attention because you smell like baked goods.

This 2fl.oz. size sells for $7.

Yaby Concealer Refill in Buff
Photo from Ipsy

For once, Ipsy matched my skin tone (closely enough).  There is one shade lighter than this (vanilla), but they say to pick a concealer that is a little darker than your skin tone, right?  This works pretty well on my slight under eye circles, and I haven't tried it on anything else.  Trying to cover up each individual freckle I have seems obnoxiously tedious.  Most days I don't even bother with concealer, but at least now I have one in case I want to use it! I didn't before and had been meaning to pick one up when this arrived.  It'll do.  Plus, it is magnetic and fits into the case they sent in March.

3.5g (20mm pan diameter) $4.85.

Zoya Nailpolish in Piaf (yellow, far right)
Photo from Ipsy

The purple on the far left is called Julie.  I think that if a customer had the name of a polish in this collection, they should have sent it to that person! I would have MUCH rather gotten the purple with my name on it than the ugly yellow that I'll never be able to wear.  Gross.  It's a pretty glass-type glittery finish, which I'm sure is lovely in the other colors.  Oh well.

This was full size, 0.5 fl.oz. $8.

Mirabella Perfecting Powder in Translucent
Photo from Ipsy

This is in my Ipsy top 5.  I have used up about 2/3 of this, and I've used it every day since I got it.  I'll be sad when it runs out! It really does buff into your skin to give a flawless finish.  I love it.  I can't speak highly enough of it.

Full size $30 (4g), this is 1.3g and worth $9.75.


There was a wide variety of products that were sent out this month.  It looks like everyone got a nail polish and a concealer, and three other items.  The other options were: Anastasia mini clear brow gel, Pacifica luminizing body butter, Pacifica Island Vanilla & Tahitian Gardenia Perfume Rollerball, Macadamia Hair Healing Oil Treatment, NUME Finishing Serum, Mirabella Colour Sheers Lipstick, St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion, Mirabella Shimmeratti Glimmer Gloss, Mirabella Lip Lustre Liner.

Total Value $44.60 (using $15 for the lip gloss).

There was a decent variety of items included in this bag, and most of them were really great! I do wish the gloss and nail polish were different colors, but I like the lotion and perfecting powder so much that its value far exceeded its $10 price tag for the bag.

Ipsy costs $10/month, including shipping, and sends you a box of 4-6 samples and sometimes full-sized products.  If you would like to sign up, my link is here and I will earn a free item if 2 people sign up with my link.

This post contains products I purchased with my own money.  No compensation was received for this post and all opinions are my own.  This post contains a referral link, see above for details.

Retrospective: Ipsy March 2013

Ipsy March 2013: Month 7; Red Carpet Ready

Ipsy Bag March 2013
Photo from Ipsy

This month's bag is so cute! It has a white interior and is navy and white stripes with little anchors all over it.  I'm from RI and I have lived here most of my life, so I have a thing for anchors.  It's on our state flag, along with our state motto: HOPE.  Nice and simple, right?

Mini Freestyle GlamRx Magnetic Palette with Mirror
Photo from Ipsy

This magnetic palette is the only good thing about the bag this month, besides the bag itself.  The whole bottom is magnetic so you can rearrange products as needed.  It also has a mirror and is small enough to fit in my makeup bag without taking up much room.  Too bad I am too lazy to depot the things I like, and all the magnetic singles I have suck! I did put my Mirabella eyeshadow pan in it (from Ipsy September 2012).

The "freestyle" palette on their website is $9.95 and looks to be the same as what I got in this bag. They also sell a double-decker for $16.50.

LA Fresh Makeup Remover Wipes
Photo from Ipsy

These are good for lazy people like me.  However, I am still too lazy to use them, as I shower at night and take all my makeup off then.  I bring these on vacations in case I need to touch up my face before going out at night.  I haven't been on vacation for more than 2 nights since I got this particular pack, though, so I have a number left.

There were 8 wipes in the sample size, which LA Fresh sells for $2.50.

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist
Photo from Ipsy

UGH.

Cat pee scented.  Lovely.

Full size (WHY, PEOPLE) is $22 for 200 mL.  Sample is 30 mL of nasty with a value of $3.30.  

Yaby Eyeshadow in Sand Dune
Photo from Ipsy

Yaby Eyeshadow in Teal (So Vein? Maybe that is the color name)
Photo from Ipsy

See above link to my least favorite products.  I hate these. SO MUCH.

Yaby sells individual eyeshadow refill pans (3?!g) for $3.15.  I wonder if they are including the weight of the pan itself in that.  There is no way that tiny sub-dime-sized shadow is 3 full grams.

ASSUMING these are full-sized, the value for the two would be $6.30.

Total Value $22.35

Not only has this been the lowest valued Ipsy bag I have received, it is also my least favorite.  I liked the bag.  The palette is ok.  That's about it.  Oh well, you win some and you lose some.  All my other awesome months made up for this loser.


Ipsy costs $10/month, including shipping, and sends you a box of 4-6 samples and sometimes full-sized products.  If you would like to sign up, my link is here and I will earn a free item if 2 people sign up with my link.

This post contains products I purchased with my own money.  No compensation was received for this post and all opinions are my own.  This post contains a referral link, see above for details.

Least 5 Favorite Ipsy Items

My 5 Least Favorite Ipsy/My Glam Samples

Photo from Ipsy

Photo from Ipsy

#5: Yaby Eyeshadow Refills (May 2013)
I received teal (left) and sand dune (right) and they are awful. Seriously, these are bad eyeshadows. They look like they are pigmented, but then it falls all over your face and you end up with nothing. Sand dune is a mustardy yellow that is the exact color of an almost-faded bruise. This means it accentuates my slight under-eye circles. Gross. The teal is an ok color, I have used it as an eyeliner in a pinch, but it takes forever to wash out of my brushes. I just don't like these.

Photo from Ipsy

#4: Starlet Intense Eyeliner in Chocolate (November 2012)
Granted, this goes on a lot more easily when it is 90 degrees outside instead of 30, but I still don't like it. This liner pulls at my lids and, despite the name, is not very intense. I'll stick to my UD 24/7 liners. They have much more color payoff and stay put all day. This disappears as soon as I apply eyeshadow over it.

Photo from Ipsy

Lip Bomb.  Gross.  Sorry guys, but you need to feel my pain!

#3: Mirenesse Lip Bomb (October 2012)
This is a bomb, for sure. It is super thick and it is way too easy to apply too much. I received a very light, chalky pink color that looks just like I smeared Pepto Bismol all over my lips. It settles into every line, real or not, and doesn't have the promised minty taste. I don't think it plumps as advertised, and I hate it so much that I haven't tested its longevity claims. The only way this is wearable is if I wipe 99% of the product off of my lips. Even then, it is not the right shade for me.

Photo from Ipsy

Glitter disease!

#2: J. Cat Sparkling Cream Palette (June 2013)
I'm 26 and have absolutely no place that it would be appropriate for me to wear sparkles on my skin. I would have worn this to homecoming when I was 14. I might be able to wear it on halloween. That's about it! It's tough to apply and gets everywhere, not to mention that the glitter is not technically eye-safe. It's not eye-unsafe, but still. This is a dud.

Photo from Ipsy

#1: Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist (March 2013)
When Juice Beauty has a bad-smelling product, they REALLY have a bad-smelling product. I was on an IV antibiotic called cefepime a few times and it smelled just like cat pee. This has that same terrible smell. Why I would spray cat pee (or something that smells like cat pee) on my face is beyond me. This isn't South Park, and cheesing isn't cool. Gross. I would feel bad giving this away, so it is sitting in my closet until the next time I have a head cold and can dump it down the drain without gagging.


Still want to try Ipsy? It is $10 a month and my referral link is here.

This posts contains products that I purchased through Ipsy.  All opinions are my own.  This post also contains a referral link.  If two people sign up for Ipsy using my link, I get a bonus item.