Ipsy Review – July 2015

ByLiz CadmanJul 18, 2015 | 78 comments

Ipsy Review – July 2015 Bag

Ipsy is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription box. Each month you get full size or deluxe-sized products, plus a cute makeup bag. I think it’s one of the best value beauty subscriptions and a great way to build out your makeup collection on the cheap!

(FYI – Just like Birchbox, Ipsy sends out many different variations of their bag each month – so my review is just one of the bag variations you might receive!)

My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

Ipsy Review – July 2015 Items

The Subscription Box: Ipsy

The Cost: $10 a month (free shipping)

The Products: Full size and samples of makeup and beauty products. (Plus a makeup bag!)

Ships to: US and Canada

Delivered via: USPS

Check out all of my Ipsy reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory!

Visit the Ipsy Swap Page to swap for any of the items you see in this review!

Ipsy Review – July 2015 Tweezers

Jersey Shore Sun Mongongo Organic Lip Balm - Value $10

I love this lip balm, but I'm a little surprised it retails for $10! I love the vanilla coconut flavor, and it adds a good amount of shine too.

Crown Brush Tweezers - Value $10.50

These tweezers are pretty good. They don't compare to my favorite slanted pair of tweezers, but they're a good backup pair to put in my travel case. (Tweezers seem to be the one item I always forget to pack when I travel!)

Ipsy Review – July 2015 Spray

Octavio La Playa Sea Salt Spray - 2 oz Value $7.75

I tried this spray out on dry hair, and I like the beachy scent. The formula also is pretty lightweight. I never have too much luck with sea salt sprays, but I'll give this one a proper test on damp hair soon.

Ipsy Review – July 2015 Nail Polish

Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Eyeliner & Shadow in Bronze - FULL SIZE! Value $16

This eyeliner/shadow has a subtle amount of shimmer, and a lot of pigment. It glides on easily too. (Swatched below).

Aurora Gel Effect Nail Lacquer in 4 Alarm Fire - FULL SIZE! Value $8

This nail polish has the gel polish look, but the standard nail polish formula that can be removed with regular nail polish remover. Sounds good to me! The color is pretty bold for me, but that's what summer is for!

Ipsy Review – July 2015 Swatch

Verdict: I like my Ipsy bag this month. It has a value of about $52.50 - which is amazing for the $10 cost. (And that's not even including the value of the makeup bag). I'll use everything in this bag, and the sample sizes are great too. (I think the only thing I'm disappointed in is not getting the Tarte bronzer that was in the first spoiler!)

What did you get from Ipsy this month? (And if you got the Tarte bronzer, is the packaging as fabulous as it looks in the spoiler picture?)

Posted in Beauty Subscription Boxes, Subscription Box Reviews, Subscription Boxes for Women

Liz Cadman

Liz is the founder of My Subscription Addiction. She's been hooked on subscription boxes since 2011 thanks to Birchbox, and she now subscribes to over 100 boxes. Her favorites include POPSUGAR Must Have, FabFitFun, and any box that features natural beauty products!

Read More By Liz Cadman >

Join the Conversation

Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email

78 comments

Janice Santillo

Some of the products in the bag are awesome and some not so much but it would be worth a try to get the Ipsy bag at least one month.

Dianne

I was so happy to get the Tarte Bronzer! I had never used one before, and I love it!!

Chantel

Hey Liz, I was just wanting to let you know that for 500 ipsy points you can get the tarte bronzer. I just noticed it under the points section.

Ashley

I got the Tarte bronzer and yes the packaging is adorable and functional. I don’t usually use bronzer (i cant untick bronzer without unticking blush) but decided to try it anyway along with the ORFA highlighter. It worked good for cheeks nice shadowy but warm look, but it was too shimmery for nose or anywhere else and it clogged a pore on my nose. Just one so that’s not bad given the number of pores we have I guess. Luckily I got the gel face wash avede or something like that for oily breakout prone skin and it cleared it up with one wash. My favorite item was be a bombshell lipbalm in red. It’s really creamy and not super red just flush. Oh ORFA was also super super shimmery but I expected that.

kat

I got the Tarte bronzer (which I LOVE), Ofra Eyeshadow in Bliss (LOVE), Be a bombshell Lip Balm on French Kiss which is a pale pink shade, a moisturizer/sunblock I haven’t tried yet and a dry shampoo that smells lovely. It’s my first ipsy bag and I’m so much happier with this than I was with birchbox!

Keren

I just received my July ipsy bag. The octavo la Playa (sea salt spray infused with algae extract) leaked inside there’s only half left.

amber nelson

How long did it take you to recieve you bag? I just ordered mine tuesday andbit said my order is on back order.. So just wondering. Please get back to me..

Sara

I didn’t like my Ipsy bag too much this month, I got the Octavio spray, Vasanti cleanser, Be a Bombshell lip balm, Essie Nail Polish and City Chic HD powder. I’ve already received the Vasanti cleanser a few times, the nail polish was a pretty color, but too pastel for me. I don’t use texturizing sprays, the lip balm is hideous and the City Chic HD powder will get used. I’ve been subscribed for over a year and have had maybe 3 or 4 great bags.

Danielle

My bag finally came today, and I love it! I got the perfume, which I think smells really great. I also got the Teez lipstick – it’s not a color I’d usually pick for myself, but hey – I need to try new things!

I also got the Coolway beachy spray and the lip balm, both of which I’m excited to try. The only things I’m swapping are the eyshadow quad and the bag itself.

Lauren

Got my first Ipsy bag today. I got the Octavio spray and it leaked everywhere. Be a Bombshell, a cracked eyeshadow pan and Pur-lisse. Almost cliche. Guess the nail polish will be the one thing I try out. Gonna give it another month or two, but not a good start.

Mine leaked everywhere, too. Opened the ipsy envelope and there was an odd chemical smell. Turned out the spray had leaked and my bag was soaking wet and only about 1/4 of the spray remained. The Teeez lipstick box was soaked, too, but everything else was ok. I emailed customer service and they said they’d send a replacement in 5-7 business days.

Ditto for me with the leaked spray and soaking wet bag, with nothing else damaged and customer service sending out a replacement soon. I was very pleased with the quick response to my email tonight. Despite the damage, I’m happy with my first Glam Bag.

Ellen Levy

I also got the city color hd setting powder which I won’t use and my friend received the Eva NYC dry shampoo and the vasanti exfoliater. If anyone want to trade email me at [email protected]

My daughter loved this month! She got the Tarte bronzer, Ofra eyeshadow & highlighter BLISS, bellapierre lip in a really pretty soft pink color, Mongongo lip conditioner, and Coolway salt spray. Probably one of her favorite months!

[email protected]

I got the tarte bronzer and love it! I also got be a bombshell in red, coolway beachy salt spray, nicka k eyeshadow, and purlisse makeup remover. I also love the makeup bag.

Desiree

Thank you for the great detailed tip on setting powder!!

Crystal

I also received the Jor’el Parker, Jelly Pong Pong Pong, Agoura nail polish in 4 alarm fire, the purleiss face serum (how much was that little thing worth? Haha) …. And I got the Be A Bombshell lip Balm in French Kiss (the pink shade) I was really hoping for the red in the lip Balm, so if anyone wants to trade key me know! [email protected]

Crystal

*Aurora nail polish …. darn auto correct! I’m willing to trade for any any lip products this month but just about anything. That Teeze lipstick was super pretty too! If you don’t want the French Kiss/Be A Bombshell I might have something else or I might want something else. [email protected]!
This month was great though! Does anyone know how much the purleiss face serum sample value wad that was sent out this month? Loved that stuff! 🙂

Michelle S

I cancelled once before because I was receiving so many things I couldn’t use while so many products I would love I didn’t receive.
I came back and was getting wonderful products. This month didnt like and won’t use one single thing, like the red nail gel, bombshell, purlese serum.
I got mad and cancelled. I Know it is impossible with so many subscribers to totally match products to everyone’s profile, sometimes I wonder if they do match anything and it is pure luck when we get something that matches our profile.
I’m not complaining, i love that they send the bags and I know its hit or miss and I signed up for this. But right now I am on deluxe sample overload so I am calling it quits and never signing up again. Too many things I can’t use and too hard to swap.

Symi

I got the Joel Parker Classico perfume, mongogo lip balm, blue Hawaiian eyeliner, bellapierre lipstick and the tarte bronzer.

Melissa

I received the same bag. I am going to see if I can work with the eyeliner!

Symi

I’ve tried the eyeliner once. It’s really bright. Only for special occasions I guess.

Me, too. I’m not sure about this eyeliner. It’s so far out of my comfort zone.

liddybug

It looks amazing on. Very bright and Summery. It also looks good over black or navy wich tones it down.

Desiree

I got the lip balm, city cosmetic hd powder, jelly pong 2 in 1 liner, sea salt spray, and tweezers. Not quite sure how to apply the setting powder and how much to apply.

I received that nail polish last month and it goes on very nice!!! Great color!

Lori

I use a little bit of finishing powder over pencil eye liner with a small brush. Keeps the color in place and not on my eye lids.

Jenny

There are 3 ways to apply loose setting powder. One way is to use a super fluffy brush, swirl it in the cap after tapping a teeny tiny bit of powder into it, and then press or buff it all over your face or in areas you want to set your make up.

2nd is to use a small setting brush, swirl into cap with tiny bit of product, and press onto places you’ve used concealer, like under the eyes or on blemishes.

Lastly is a technique I’ve seen make up artists use. Get a sponge like beauty blender or real techniques and dab into the powder (it will seem like you’re picking up a lot of product). Then press that everywhere all over where you want your make up set, focused on under eye area. At that point you will be like “omgosh it’s snowing on my face”. But after you have pressed the powder into your skin, you take a fluffy brush and dust off the excess. This is suppose to give a more flawless finish. Wayne Goss has a video on YouTube if you’d like to see it in action.

And don’t forget to moisturize & prime your face before foundation if you will be using powder.

Maria

I got the Jo’Rel Parker rollerball and it smells amazing. I went on the company website and that size rollerball is $21 truly amazing plus I got the tweezers great month for me !!

Heather

When you are paying for the ipsy sub do you know if they take PayPal? Thanks for your help!

Mika

I love ipsy. I’ve been with them for 3 months now. This month was an ok bag for me. I received the gel polish, salt spray, vasanti exfoliator, bombshell lip balm and the tarte bronzer. This is my first time trying gel polish and I love it, the exfoliator is ok, the salt spray I won’t be using, lip balm is nice with a hint of color but a lot of shine. The best part of the bag is the bronzer. At first I wanted to tried the bronzer for the nickaK eyeshadow, so glad I didn’t. The value of the bronzer surpasses the bag and the eyeshadow by so much. I think I’ll keep ipsy for awhile longer or until I have product overload.

Jess

I absolutely loved this month’s choices. I got the same lip balm, which is awesome just as good and efficient as the $20+ sugar treatments and you can actually get it for $5 and free shipping if you use “ipsy50” discount code. I also got the tarte bronzer which has a subtle color, not too harsh. I got a bombshell lipstick in pink, not crazy pink just bold enough. I got the ofra bliss an eyeshadow/highlighter which I love and a salt spray from cool way hair. I’m really happy ipsy finally listened to my preferences and I’ll be using every single product in this bag. Did I mention I loved it?

Brittany

This is my first Ipsy bag, and I’m very tempted to buy a 1 year subscription. I fell in love with my bag. I got the Ofra Bliss eyeshadow (which I love), the soapless face wash, the Jor’el Parker perfume, the Be A Bombshell lip balm (which I also love), and the tarte bronzer (which I super love). I’m amazed with the bronzer!! I’m African American and I was trying to find the perfect shade of bronzer for my skin. Tarte is it! It gave me a beautiful glow. I’m definitely buying the full-size version.

Lisa Jackson

I also received the Jor’el Parker perfume… While it does smell good, the scent isn’t for me. Is anyone interested in trading??

Anna

Got my first ever Ipsy bag. I got the crown tweezers, Coolway beach salt spray, Avene cleansing gel, Ofra eyeshadow in Bliss and Teeez Read my Lips lipstick in Killing me softly. Really pleased with my bag. I didn’t realize until I started reading the reviews how different everyone’s bags are. I can’t wait until next months!

Lizz

We got the exact same bag!! I love it, but damn I wanted the Tarte bronzer!

Rachael

I’m really impressed with the sizes these past couple months.

Terri

Me too. Ipsy has stepped up its game!

Our reviewers research, test, and recommend the best subscriptions and products independently; click to learn more about our editorial guidelines. We may receive commissions on purchases made through links on our site.

Ipsy Review – July 2015

Advertise With MSA

Information

Company