Ipsy Review – September 2016
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!
This is one of my top recommendations if you are looking for a beauty box – the value and sample sizes are amazing. (Check out my list of the Top Beauty Boxes for 2016 and our reviews of Cheap Subscription Boxes for more recommendations!)
(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).
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 List!
Visit the Ipsy Swap Page to swap for any of the items you see in this review!
Each month, ipsy subscribers get a makeup bag in addition to their 5 items. I’m not sure how I feel about the deisgn, but I like the material and texture of the bag, and the gold zipper and Ipsy tag are a nice accent!
Now onto the items!
Trestique Mini Highlight Stick in Maldives – .04 oz Value $6.50
If you haven’t received Trestique in an Ipsy bag before, you may be thinking, “Where’s the cap?”
Voila! (Confession – the first time I received one of these Trestique crayons in an Ipsy bag I assumed the cap had fallen off and searched my Ipsy bag for it!)
I’ve been consistently impressed with the Trestique formulas I’ve sampled. This highlighter glides on and is super easy to blend out, too. Here it is swatched:
It matches my skin tone well, so it was a little hard to capture in the picture, but the shimmer is there!
Waxing Kara Sweet Lips Organic Honey Lip Balm – FULL SIZE! Value $10
Ipsy sends out the best lip balms! (Jersey Shore is another excellent brand.) This lip balm is moisturizing, unscented, and gives a hint of shine, too.
Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Nail Polish in Va Voom – FULL SIZE! Value $6
This polish is described as a deep purple creme, and it looks that way in the bottle. But! On my nails, it reads more cobalt blue:
That’s full coverage with only one coat, too! I’m not always excited to see Be A Bombshell Cosmetics products in beauty boxes, but this nail polish formula is pretty great!
Clark’s Botanicals Age-Defying Radiance Cream – 10 ml Value $23.80
I’ve sampled Clark’s Botanicals before, and I’ve been about 50/50 on whether or not the formula irritates my skin. This radiance cream is a winner – it felt gentle and absorbed quickly and left my skin super soft.
IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara – 5 ml Value $13.30
This is actually a little over half the size of the full-size version! I’m always ready to try out a new mascara formula, and I love IT Cosmetics, so I was SO excited to see this sample in my Ipsy glam bag!
The formula itself is great. It provided awesome length and volume, and I was able to apply many layers without any clumping either.
Verdict: This box has a value of about $59. That’s great for a $10 subscription box (And that’s not counting the value of the makeup bag!) And every item this month was a hit for me!
What do you think of the September Ipsy Glam Bag? What was your favorite discovery?
Written by Liz Cadman
I have a question. What skin tone did you list yourself under for Ipsy? I have a friend who doesn’t know whether or not she should list herself as light of fair skinned. She also has freckles, please help!
I went crazy in the last couple weeks and subscribed/ordered a ton of boxes! I got Ipsy, Boxycharm, Vegancuts, Birchbox, Target, Walmart, Allure Thrills box. BoxyCharm was great, I subscribed and it shipped which I thought was super. I saw a Ipsy charge on my bank account but no communication from them so I emailed and said what’s up, and they got back to be fairly quick which I was worried because of the reviews I’ve read. Funny how I emailed and then 3 days later it shows up..hhhmmm. But with Ipsy it was samples. I was so bummed looking at youtube seeing the fun stuff people got. I’m not holding out much hope of staying with Ipsy. I’ll give it a couple months and then see.
I cancelled Birchbox back in 2015 because I was tired of getting post it’s and just junk in the box but it looks like they have stepped up their game so I’m trying it again. If I see one piece of paper or paper clips I’m out. Walmart was ok, I ordered Target today so I can’t say anything about that one yet or Vegancuts. I was thinking about the New Beauty tube but the reviews are all over the map on that one so I think I will hold off. I’m looking forward to the Allure Thrills box, it looks good. With tax it was $62 and some change. So far though, Boxycharm has been my fav.
Boxycharm does look amazing. I haven’t tried them because of the price and not wanting lots of full sized products I may not use. Since you got them first, you are spoiled for all the sample subs that are less than half the cost. I always get at least one full sized item in my ipsy and often more, but they are a sample service. I watched a lot of youtube videos/Instagram pics to decide before signing up. The first 6 months I got more skin care than make up; so I kept reviewing items until bags improved. Now I rate almost all my bags at least 4 out of 5. I hated my September bag contents, but this month is great again.
This is 5th month I am using ipsy and if I knew how happy I would be I would have signed up long time ago. Every month I get this beautiful and yet different bag with amazing lipsticks. I just adore it. I’ve read many negative comments, but one has to keep in mind, there is a lot of competition and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the people were payed to talk bad about ipsy. This is a honest opinion from the honest girl. I never had a problem with them. If you are still thinking of singing up with ipsy and you are not sure because of comments, then sing up and see it yourself. You’d be amazed how great it is! Love! 🙂
I also suggest watching lots of youtube videos or see Instagram pics of what people are getting to see if it is the type of thing you want. Also some bags are more skin care and some more make up. It took me a while to start getting more make up by reviewing my bags, and it was worth it! I have also tried BB, BB5 and Walmart box, and ipsy is the only one I’m sticking with. I do still have Birchbox until the sub runs out.
Wow, to suggest we’re getting paid for leaving our honest opinion!?!?! I could ask you the same thing! Some months are good and some months aren’t, but it’s rude to suggest that we’re getting paid for leaving honest feedback when the very same could be asked about you since your praising it………. Leaving comments like that is just looking for a fight and seems ridiculous!
This was supposed to be my first bag, but I’ve already cancelled. My bag never arrived, customer service is a joke, & the products within my bag (from the peek, because I never actually got my bag) were the most boring things ever- mascara, a highlighter stick, face scrub, gel eye mask thingies, & a cheap brush. NOT worth it.
September was my worse bag ever, and I’ve been with ipsy for 2 years. I suggest giving it another shot if you are at all interested. This month I’m excited about my whole bag. By the way, that highlighter stick was the one thing I got that I did like. It even works over my powder foundation and is beautifully subtle. What is weird is that you did not get your bag. Are they sending you a new one? I have always had excellent customer service. I only email them through their help portal on their web site. Also, check your spam box to see if their reply went there. Don’t give up until they give you your bag! Even if it wasn’t what you wanted, you can give it away, and you might be pleasantly surprised by the contents. I had to reply to your comment since I didn’t like ipsy at first, and now it is like a little gift to myself and the only sub I am keeping.
This was the best and the worst month I’ve had from ipsy over the last 6 months I’ve subscribed. It’s the best because I’ll actually use every item i received; and the worst because it’s the first time I’ve ever gotten ALL sample sizes. All samples! I’ve never received all samples, but in turn I’ve never received all usable items. So I guess I’ll be happy with my samples since I’ll use them.
What did you get? I know what you mean about bags you’ll use but aren’t thrilled about.
i just signed up for ipsy , how long was the wait for a glam bag? didnt know there would be a waiting list ughh !!
Great Review. I got the IT mascara which I really like! The brush adds lots of fullness to my lashes without getting clumpy. September was my first bag and I can’t wait for October’s!!!
I got good products. I’ll use them all and my daughter did to. My favorite subscription is Ipsy so am keeping this one. I get Ipsy and Boxycharm and Bulu and my daughter’s gets Ipsy. I canceled 5 other subscription boxes in 3 months. Bulu and is getting canceled as soon as I get the box and use my points for purchase. So that will be 6 canceled boxes. To much money spend on boxes. I’ve got to cut back. I’ve also stopped shopping on the Wish app.
Did you have a bad experience with Wish? I have been curious about that app…
don’t use wish! the things are really crappy and it has some kind of malware thing for your computer!!!!
Oh really? Thanks for the warning. I figured the quality would be pretty low with prices like that. I also didn’t like that they appeared to have a lot of knock-off cosmetics (Ben Bye, the Balm, Smashbox, etc)
No wish only ipsy
It’s horrible cheap clothes that don’t look anything like the pics. Also always made out of Lycra like material. Size chart is different with every item. Also it cost’s more for shipping now than the item. Finally if you want to return for a refund more than the item, and they don’t get it for months. And rarely refund. I am dead serious maybe 1 out of 10 items you will like. Oh and most items come with holes or unfinished sewing.
I love ipsy to..
I’m on my second month with ipsy, and two of my daughters also get it, and we open our bags together. We keep saying we will switch products with each other if we don’t like something, but so far, nobody has given anything up! It’s been a total hit for all three of us. We are religious about reviewing each product, hoping that will keep us in great bags!
So far I did receive products that I would not have purchased myself, and then found them to be my new favorites! So I would recommend going in with an open mind and giving some of the products a try. With some of the skin tightening and wrinkle correction products that I’ve received, I would have been hesitant to purchase at their retail prices, and I’m glad that I got to try them out first. The samples of these were big enough for me to use daily for 2-3 weeks, so I will get a good feeling if it’s worth the big price tag before I run out.
I’m loving the bags, and with only two so far, I can definitely use them. However, when this collection gets much bigger, I can’t help but wonder what am I going to do with all these cosmetic bags? What are you ladies using them for, beyond your makeup.
I use one for eyeliner, one for hair pins,one for mascara, it’s amazing they they are so beautiful and unique
At the end of the year. I make up glambags for my friends from items I won’t use. They love it! And nothing goes to waste.
I do the same thing for the woman in my family and for friends at Christmas. They love it. Another thing I’ve done is taken over samples to the domestic violence shelters. I know all too well how hard that can be and most times you leave with nothing, so i know the woman at the shelter need these items and appreciate them just as much.
Linda, that’s awesome! I’ll keep that in mind! My church usually takes donations of new and gently used purses, then we fill them with personal care items, hats, gloves, scarves, etc, and pass them out to homeless women, women in shelters, and women in nursing homes.
Love this!
Tracy, I’m doing something similar. I’ve been stashing my bags and products from my beauty subscriptions, along with items I’ve bought with gift cards I’ve earned through Swagbucks, and making up bags of beauty products for the females in my family for Christmas. It has saved me tons of money!
That is so fun! Yes, reviewing seems to help a lot!
I use my bags to organize my things in my larger bags, nightstand, and anywhere I store things, my children’s things (toys, games, deck of cards, lollipops), and I make gift bags for stocking stuffers or anytime for little girls in the family. They love them! I will give extras to women’s shelters when I run out of uses for them. You can fill them with skin care samples and snacks for homeless if you want. Basically use them or lose them. I’m going to try painting one I don’t like with acrylic paint.
Fun fact: the Trestique Mini Highlight Stick in Maldives is a total dupe for Benefit’s Watt’s Up (at least as far as shade). I swatched them side by side and the difference was nearly imperceptible.
It also works over my Bare Minerals powder foundation!!!!! That makes me so happy!
I’m not terribly impressed this month with my bag. I was excited to get the Too Faced lip injection until I actually got it. My tongue is still a little numb and I didn’t even get it inside my mouth….
I do have to admit that when I got my first trestique item I thought I lost the cap too lol and I love the color of that nail polish!
Big win this month for me. Great value, great products. I got:
Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme
Eyeko Eye Do Liquid Liner
Clark’s Botanicals Age Defying Radiance Cream
Rodial Dragon’s Blood Hyaluronic Tonic
Dirty Little Secret Shadow in Teaser
Overall value of about $57, and I will use everything in the bag. I know a lot of people had a bad response to the lip plumper, but I only experience a mild sensation–certainly nothing worse than I expected from this type of product–& it’s the only product like this that has made a visible difference for me. Ipsy has been right on target the last few months for me.
I feel the same way about the lip injection Janet, It’s the first one of many I have tried that actually works and the tingle is mild and what I expect from this type of product. I love it and will be purchasing full size!
I have a question. I received Too Faced Lip Injection, and would like to give a review that would keep me from receiving this sort of product again. I hate lip plumper products. I’ve never done any reviews. I’m afraid that a bad review will result in never getting Too Faced products or lip products again. I like Too Faced, and I love lip balms and lip sticks. I just don’t want a product that stings my lips. Would a review help or hurt?
I really like Ipsy. I love the bags and trying different products. I’ve been a subscriber for over a year, and this is the first product I truly despised. I really wanted the lip balm or anything else.
In the review, they ask how you feel about the brand and then ask how you feel about this type of product. You can review accordingly, and I think it does help customize your bag a bit better.
I always review my products cause you get points towards free stuff. I’ve also gotten the lip plumper and I hate it. My lips got a chemical burn and were chapped for a few days. When you review it, it will ask you separate questions about whether you like the brand and the formula and so on. I put that I loved too face but then i put that I hated the formula and that I dislike lip plumpers. I’ve found that by doing the reviews, it helps to get me the products that I prefer. I was excited to get that lip plumper too! I use the one from City Lips which is kind of expensive but it feels like butter on your lips and it doesn’t burn.
I got my bag today. The bag itself is actually nicer than I was expecting – there is a shimmer to it that you can’t see in the photos – hard to describe, but like there are metallic threats in it. It does smell really plastic-y (and kind of fruity??) but that doesn’t bother me. The items themselves – some hits and some misses. As usual, I would have preferred Liz’s bag! 🙂 Doing reviews on items has improved on the selection of items I receive though.
I do LOVE the bag itself.
How long does it usually to take to receive your Ipsy bag after shipping confirmation?
I got my shipping email on September 9th and have not received yet.
I got my bag the day after I received my shipping notification. Notification was sent on the 13th, and I received my bag yesterday.
I hope you get your bag soon!
I hope so too, I feel like it should have been here already :/
Hi! I’m still waiting on my first one too. I’ve been stalking my tracking number and I think I should be getting mine today.
I got my first confirmation about the time you did. The ipsy website said it should have been delivered by 9/12. But my DHL Tracking stayed obselete. Around 9/12 I got an email that it had been delivered to DHL, so maybe that’s what ipsy was talking about? Then a few days went by and I was getting worried but I decided to wait until next week to reach out bc I’d heard of folks getting their bags late in the month. DHL had a USPS tracking number that “wasn’t found”, Until yesterday. USPS tracking FINALLY recognized the number yesterday and is accurately tracking. I should get mine today. So maybe there is still some delay between DHL and USPS. Have you checked the USPS tracking number to see if it’s active? You should be able to find it on the DHL tracking page. It seems there are a lot of middle men in the delivery process, but I’m happy as long as it gets here!
I still haven’t received my bag. I contacted ipsy care today. It says it shipped on the 3rd but there have been no tracking updates. I’m in Canada and I always receive my bag by mid-month. Hope this one wasn’t lost, I was really looking forward to what I got. :/
Just received my Ipsy bag today. Again I didn’t really get anything curated based on my profile. I didn’t get any full size items except for the eyeko eyeliner which I think is full size but I don’t have eyeliner checked. I finally got a lip product but it was a tiny sample pixie lipstick and I don’t have lipstick checked. Also got the tarteist mascara and don’t have mascara checked either. I like the rodial dragons blood but not the christie brinkley face wash. Alot of people seem to have gotten multiple full size products. I never get full sized anything and the value of the items is always different from others. Everyone should get full sized every month and the value should be the same across the board. They also need to start including an info booklet on the products. I do like the bag this month though.
Becca,
Try narrowing your Beauty preference choices in your profile. Pick 1 or 2 Stylists & 1 or 2 “looks”. That may help you get more items to you liking. But remember, it’s only TEN DOLLARS & that includes shipping. If they sent full size everything & a booklet, it would cost a whole lot more.
If you want more info abt the products you receive in your bag, go to the Ipsy site, look under “my glam bag” & it lists each individual product they sent you, ingredients & tips on using it. They’ve even added video tutorials to many of them. I think that’s much better than any booklet.
I like Ipsy because I get to try new products, some I wouldn’t have if not for receiving them in my bag. Be adventurous, give it all a go.??
Other than Ipsy, what are other subcriptions you guys have tried and recommend for $10 a month?
I also really liked Birchbox, and at a slightly higher price point, I’m really liking both glossybox and the Allure beauty box. I cancelled Birchbox for now.. 🙂
BirchBox has been a flop for me lately. Like they don’t want to send makeup anymore and when they do, it’s not great. If I keep it past my year subscription, it will be mostly for the points towards full sized products.
I don’t recommend lip monthly either. I canceled despite being grandfathered in at $10/mo and despite the fact that it did usually have the highest retail value of any of my $10 subs but it wasn’t curated always had only 4 items after the price increase, the bags were ugly and the high dollar item was never a lip product. The final straw was when they sent chapstick and a hair mask as 2 of their 4 items.
I haven’t gotten Sephora Play yet mostly because I went to a Sephora and hated the experience.
Just realized this isn’t very helpful. Took quite a bit of time though so I’m still posting it.
I think its very helpful 🙂 thanks for your feedback. It gives me a better understanding of what to expect from other beauty subscriptions. I was thinking of enrolling to Sephora Play so I appreciate you sharing your personal experiences.
There’s also Sephora Play! for $10 and Beauty Box 5 for $12. I’ve enjoyed them both.
If you’re into high end skincare, Sisley Paris has a box for $10/month but you have to make at least a six month commitment, so it’ll be $60 right off the bat. Plus their samples are on the small side (as there are usually a couple of packets), but there’s also deluxe samples too. Since their full sized products are super expensive, the RV on their box has been over $100 every month. (I think) I believe MSA has done some reviews on this box.
Walmart actually has a really good seasonal box for only five bucks! But make sure you put a young age in your profile so that way you get the Trendy Box instead of the Classic Box because I’ve noticed a huge difference in the products and the sizes! I usually order both though, cause it’s soooo cheap and you get FULL size products, they’re not all full size but the value is definitely worth the five dollars! My other favorite is Boxycharm, that one is $21 a month but trust me, you will NOT be disappointed! You get FULL size products and they send a lot of palettes which I love! Hands down Boxycharm is worth every penny! Check out the reviews on here and you’ll see the products they send and each box carries about an $80+ value each month!
With Ipsy it’s hit or miss each month! I have two separate subs from them and made my profiles completely different so that way I get a better chance at getting what I want. One month I’ll have all small sample sizes but then the next month I’ll get three full sized products? I do agree that the value should be the same for everyone! I always do the reviews so that way I can better my chances at not getting the same type of product. But I’ve found that putting down a young age, like 21-25 has increased my chances on getting nicer full size products!
Sorry I wrote so much but I hope this helps!
Thanks! That was very helpful. I have heard about people changing their age to the 20-25 range and it has helped increase their chances of getting better products. I’m not sure if that goes for other subscriptions. At the moment I’m subscribed to Ipsy and Birchbox. Both subs have my age (29) and I like what I am getting from them. I guess you tend to like everything when you first start but then it seems it gets old when you get the same products over and over again.
I’ve been subbed to ipsy for 2 years now and resubbing for a 3rd! I love it (although this bag was not for me). After 6 months I started getting bags with usually 4 items I liked or could at least use. This month took a dive for me, but I like 2 items. Ipsy is my favorite mainly because I want make up. I also love getting brushes, polish and even lip balms have been amazing. I can’t go back to my old usual balms these are so much better. I usually like the scrubs and body lotions I get too. I love to use the bags and gift them too.
I have been with Beauty Box 5 for 2 years and cancelled. The first year, I got a lot of things that were kind of boring, but at least I could use them, and I got a lot of really fun nail polish that year. So I kept it for a second year. It started taking a dive, then I started getting “fun” things, and I liked the surprises, but I realized they were useless. Most recently I got Rave hair spray and VO5 hot oil treatment . I got tweezers from them twice. (I got some from ipsy too). You know when ipsy sends Be A Bombshell products covered in dust and you wonder how old they are? That’s how I felt about many of the BB5 products, like they bought out a bunch of stale products and sent them to me. I am relieved to no longer have BB5 and do not miss it.
I have had Birchbox for just over a year, and I am not happy with them mainly because I rarely get any make up from them, and the products are tiny, more frequently single-use packets or perfume vials. I went into a Bare Minerals store the other day, and I was handed a bunch of free deluxe sample products that I love for free. Birchbox sending single use products has ruined them for me. If they send me big products, they are a version of hair product I have constantly told them I can’t even test on my hair. I wouldn’t mind if I got other good items in the box. If you like skin care samples (tiny), you might prefer Birchbox. A lot of people love them! Oh one good thing-they let you choose one sample a month out of a set of (tiny) samples-if the item you want is still available. Aces (who have points from purchases) get to choose a day early, and that is the way to go if you want your choice. The boxes are cute. I reuse them for gift giving.
Watch youtube videos to see what people are getting in boxes. I would love to get a full sized box like Glossybox-it costs 2x as much, but I might do that if I ever cancel ipsy. Hoping ipsy will keep improving!
I forgot to add that I did get the Walmart box for over a year, and while the first one was pretty good, after that I got really cheap things I didn’t not want. Mostly hair spray and foil packets. Even for $5 if you won’t use the stuff, it isn’t worth it.
You got a great bag! If I knew for sure I could count on quality like this, I’d jump back in. But more often than not my bags were disappointing. I’ll keep an eye on them though, you never know. I do miss getting the bags themselves and I love this design.
I’m so over Ipsy. I got no mascara, no eyeliner, no mascara (all three of which I might actually have a use for) and I received tiny sizes of everything. I got:
two faced lip injection
a coastal scents shadow brush
a tiny Avene Hydrance Serum
Living Proof perfect hair day styling treatment
Trestique mini highlight stick.
Not even sure what I received is worth what I paid. I’ve already cancelled my Ipsy, but since I paid for a year in advance they told me that I will continue to receive the rest of the bags, no refunds. Not happy with this company or it’s bags at all.
Whoops, small correction. I got no mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, or nail polish. In fact, the only part of this I would really consider a ‘cosmetic’ is the highlighter. The lip injection is clear.
We got basically the same bag except I got the Dirty Little Secret eyeshadow instead of the Coastal Scents brush. I’m staying for October just to get the lipstick I redeemed points for and then it’s over. This is the 5th super disappointing, low value bag in a row.
Change your profile and make your age younger! It helped make my bags better!
Sorry to hear that. Well to be honest, I think it is what you paid although you don’t like it. I am sorry to hear about your problem but for me the ipsy was really good. I hope it works out for ya.
It finally happened to me. A bag with nothing but tiny sizes. I usually get at least one full size item. The Pixi lipstick is so tiny but at least I’ll be able to use it up quickly. Seems like lots of people got two skin care items. I wouldn’t have minded the small sizes if I had two skin care items. Oh well. That’s the draw.
I like the bag – it’s actually one my favorite designs – I love the gold, white, & silvery black:)
My bag was great too – except for getting a nail polish.
I love the bag too!
I LOVE my IPSY bag this month!
3 cosmetic items: Eyeko liner, Lip Injection, and the eyeshadow.
2 skin care items: NUXE mask and Crumbles Vanilla Almond Face Scrub.
The bag is so cute too- yes it needs to air out but I really like ones with zippers as opposed to flaps. I put all kinds of beauty products in my bags and love to travel with them.
This sub is one of the best for a mere $10 per month!
I really liked what was inside my bag this money! Money was tight so I only got the one and don’t regret it. Although, I think the actual bag is ugly lol
Seraphine Botanicals Guava Butter Lip and Cheek Stain (wearing now and love the smell and color!!)
Avene Hydrance Serum
Befine Exfoliating Cleanser (I ALWAYS use exfoliating cleansers! )
Trust Fund Champagne Socialite (love this brand and the color is great for fall!!)
Too Faced Lip Injection (Stung at first then turned my lips pink and then red around like they were chapped. Like new lip products but don’t know how I feel yet on it.)
I got the same bag as Morgan except instead of the Avene Hydrance Serum – I received Nuxe Creme franchise de beaute’ masque 15 ml. I’m happy. ?
This is my very first time with ipsy. I’m really surprised as to what’s in my bag. I don’t think I match up with anyone else’s on here. I might be wrong but I don’t think so. I’m getting
Eyeko eyedo liquid eyeliner
Crown brush ombre angled brush
Epice international restorative toner
Befine exfoliating cleanser
Tarte tartiest last paint mascara
I’m super excited to get my bag because I love everything including the bag. I mean you can never have enough cleanser, exfoliator, eyeliner, mascara or especially brushes. I really can’t wait! And as far add the smell of the bag I’ve been reading about…I’m another strange one who likes weird smells so that makes me happy too.
I’m getting the exact bag they must send new people the same bags because this is only my second month. I was really hoping for the too faced lip injection, but I’m not unhappy with this bag. If you are new to subs BoxyCharm is unbelievable I love it.
While it’s fun to try new products I have reached overload and have stopped Ipsy and a few others. Totally OK with it. It’s fun to see what’s in the bags but I am fine without it.
That’s exactly why I cancelled Ipsy as well. At some point, I have so many samples that I don’t know what to do with them. (I’d already given as many away to friends/family.)
Yep, same with me. Now I just live vicariously through MSA 🙂
I take the samples I don’t use to the shelters around my city – they love the small sizes to hand out and they need all they can get for their residents. The Ipsy bags are great b/c they can be filled w/toiletries.
That’s really nice ?
Good to hear someone doing that instead of tossing them ??
I may be the odd one out here, but i actually enjoy the pvc/vinyl type smell of the bag, but i like the smell of gasoline too, so im just weird like that XD
Lol me too!=)
Haha
Me too !!? love the bag this month and smell
And I will go a step further I would even consider taking this bag out for the evening as a clutch , I think it’s very chic
Ha, ha… glad I’m not the only one! Well… I wouldn’t say I “like” the smell of the bag, but it doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve always liked the smell of gasoline too (weird, I know), but then again I also like the smell of rubber cement, plastic dolls, and other weird things.
OMG, rubber cement – I used to love the way that smelled, too! Now, I will have to see if I can find a jar just to reminisce, lol.
Too funny! I can’t even remember the last time I came across a jar of rubber cement but if I were to smell that (and fingerpaint) that would TOTALLY bring me back to my childhood! 🙂
I love the bag! It’s more sophisticated than some of the more cutesy bags they send and I guess I must be one of those weird smell people too! lol!
I love the bag too – I love metallics!
I am seriously unhappy with my bag. I got that teeny tiny onomie sample and an ugly cheap looking red ulta3 nail polish for $1.69. I had been SO happy the past two months back, now I’m remembering why I quit it before. My value is under $35 and I will probably only use the Dirty Little Secrets Eyeshadow…and that’s not even spectacular. Super bad month.
I have almost the same bag. Last month was amazing. It seems to go great bag, terrible bag, great bag. I stay on because even my terrible bags have the one item I really wanted. In this case it was the lip injection. They could have filled the rest of the bag with candy corn as long as I got that.
Omg they should totally put a sample baggie of candy corn in next month’s bag! I would be so happy lol
To get rid of the chemical smell, try stuffing the bag with newspaper for a few days. The paper helps absorb the smell. It works for smelly shoes too.
Great tip, thanks!
I stuffed and set mine in a sunny, opened window! Smell disappeared. 🙂 Thank you for the idea L. 🙂
Still waiting for mine. Can’t wait!
My bag shipped today and I am so happy with everything I am getting so I think it might be hard to pick a favorite. I am getting:
EYEKO Eye Do Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Too Faced Liquid Injection Extreme
Visha Skincare Advanced Bright Eye Booster
Seraphine Botanicals Guava Butter
Clark’s Botanicals Age Defiance Radiance Cream
I love Clark’s so Im very happy about that and Im happy to be getting an eye cream as well. I love eyeliner and I am always on the look out for a lip product that might help my lippies stay better on my lips. And the Guava Butter looks nice and fun to use so I am super pleased with my entire bag this month. Ipsy has really been knocking them out of the park for me lately.
Yours is like mine!!
I love that Guava Butter! I’m wearing it now on my cheeks and it smells amazing.
What are your thoughts on the lip plumper?? At first, they stung! Then they got really red and now just the outline is red and looks chapped lol I’m not sure what to think but I do love new lip products to try.
It really burned my lips and felt so prickly, but the funny part was when someone mentioned I had a red burn around my lips! It really did have a plumping effect, but it only lasted as long as the pain. I still felt some prickles hours later, just a hint. I don’t think I’ll wear it again. The red line around my lips is likely a warning and Maybe I am sensitive to something in it.
This was my first Ipsy bag and overall I was pleased with the exception of the mascara.
Dear subscription boxes can we talk?
Could we please have a moratorium on mascara? Just 3 or 4 months without please. Oh and since I’m asking no more red lipstick for at least 6 months!!!
My Ipsy Bag:
Eau Thermale Avène Hydrance Optimale Hydrating Serum
IT Cosmetics Superhero™ Mascara in Super Black
Coastal Scents Elite Bamboo Collection Medium Shadow Brush
tre’StiQue Mini Highlight Stick in Maldives Luminescent
Clark’s Botanicals Age Defying Radiance Cream
That’s funny! I’ve been wanting mascara in my subscription boxes and haven’t gotten any, haha. I can’t recall any red lipsticks either…
I haven’t received any red lipstick either – I would love it!
I don’t remember getting a red lipstick at all from any box recently? And also I actually love getting mascara samples! Getting to try out top notch brands is amazing and the sample sizes are perfect becuase you’re able to use them before they “expire” or dry up. So I’m happy with mascara and I’d actually love a red lipstick too in a box but I’ve never gotten one lol
You can have all my red lipsticks!! Haha I get so many and I don’t even wear lipstick, let alone red. I sell my excess that I won’t use. I looooove getting mascara tho, I’m a mascara freak and won’t ever get enough.
Got my bag today- aside from the actual bag smelling horrible and chemically (is that even a word?..lol) the items were pretty good.
Bombshell nail polish in Va-voom
BellaPierre Mineral Blush in Autumn Glow
Too Faced Lip Injection
Dragons Blood Hyaluronic Acid
Clarks Radiance Cream
I will be using all of it- except for the bag- unless the smell dissipates. 🙂
I got the bombshell polish in the fuschia colour (more of a plummy red to me). This is my first time with it, and I liked the formula okay but had a terrible time with the brush! It was so big I couldn’t get it in and out of the bottle without a couple bent bristles. I managed okay becuase I have big nails, but it would be awful for anyone with small hands.
I think the bag is super cute! I do see what you are saying about the smell though – maybe I should leave it on the balcony for a few days. I love the shimmer.
This is my first month – what do you guys do with the build up of bags that must occur when you are a long time subscriber? Use them as gift wrap?
I have probably worn makeup – maybe 2-3 times in the past year. I’ve always been a tomboy. Thought I would give it a try again to try to achieve a more professional polished look.
I’ve gotten impatient in the past with makeup that doesn’t stay put or irritates my eyes. I like my focus to be on what I am doing, without getting distracted wondering if I have lipstick on my teeth, etc.
Since I have no clue what to buy I’ve joined a few subs. Will be checking out the Ipsy how to video for sure!
I was surprised that my bag was so different – but I guess that it due to the survey that I filled out.
I got EvaNye – Forget me knot dry conditioner – sample
it – Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara – sample
Rodial – Dragon’s blood hyaluronic tonic – sample
Eyeko – eye do liquid eyeliner
Crown – Ombre Angle Brush
Lol Ive been with Ipsy for about 2 years now. Im beginning to aquire quite a bag collection! I recently seen were only lady was “regifting” (if you will) the bags she didn’t like. She put fun little things like nail polishes, candies, socks, ect inside the bags and used them in little gift baskets. I thought it was a great idea!!
*where
I do the very same regifting thing with my bags! I also have a daughter happy to take a few off my hands and my son is always bringing a new girlfriend around every few months,lol!
I was a tomboy growing up too and never really wore makeup. I’m turning 30 soon and I wanted to step up my game and see what its all about. I am tired of trying drug store makeup because I don’t want to waste my money on high end products that I might not enjoy or have them irritate my eyes/skin like most products do. So I’m giving this subscription thing a go and I’m hoping I can find the right products for me for a low cost to try them out. So far is going great, I got my first Birchbox last month and I fell in love with a lot of their products specially the mascara sample they send me. Finally a mascara that doesn’t irritate my eyes and lasted all day!! This will be my first Ipsy bag and I’m really excite because most of the stuff they are sending me are stuff I had hoped for Yay!!!
I also got the exact same products as you!
Bag twins!!! 😉
Hope you get to enjoy your products just as much as me!! Can’t wait for my bag, hopefully it will arrive today 🙂
I’ve used my bags for so many things! I’ve been a subscriber for two years. I’ve put jewelry in them, used them for travel (i’ll separate my makeup products and put them in Ipsy bags inside a larger bag), i have one full of hair ties, i have one for skin stuff, one for nail polish, etc great for moving to separate things,
I’ve been subscribing to ipsy off & on for 2 years. I threw 1 bag away (a weird gold one where the zipper had a leash & got stuck), I currently have 3 in my purse/tote bag as organizers; 1 i can’t zip because it is full of makeup, 1 as a first aid kit, 1 that has headphones & a notepad & eyedrops & junk & stuff, and then a 4th if it’s near my menstruation. And i have quite a few less-loved ones stashed in my luggage for toiletries while traveling. Because the bags pretty much always say ipsy, I tend to keep them, but I use repurposed birchboxes as gift boxes because I can slap a sticker over their logo.
TLDR; my ipsy bags are everywhere
I do use the bags to give gifts everyone loves them filled with treats or unopened samples. I like to give them to young relatives that visit too. I mainly store things in them to organize my bag and my children’s toys!
I received my bag today too. The design is cute in a sort of retro late 50’s early 60’s tiki-bar style, but it has a super-strong plastic smell which will take awhile to dissipate judging by prioir experiences with shtinky Ipsy plastic cosmetic bags.
In my bag was ToGoTo Spa Green Tea Eyes 3 undereye treatments $12.50
Trust Fund Nail Polish “Champagne Socialite” 0.57 oz in full size $15.00
Onomie Powerful Priming Serum 0.17 teeny small tube $8.50
Living Proof Perfect Day Hair 5-in-1 styling treatment $7.50
IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara 0.17 oz small tube $13.30
Total value $56.80. I’m pretty happy with my bag – it was good value, and I’ll use most of these items.
By the way, Liz, I also had sensitivity problems with the Clarks Botanicals eye cream that I received in my BoxyCharm earlier this year. I’d use it at night and the tears would just roll out the outer corners of my eyes for an hour afterward, so I dont know how much benefit I actually got from the product, seeing as I cried it off every night ~ it was so expensive at $80.00+ that I was determined to use it up anyway ~ LOL!
OMG – I totally feel you on wanting to make those super expensive skincare samples work! 🙂
Sounds like you got a great bag! Living Proof and IT Cosmetics are two of my favorite brands!
You are so awesome! Thanks for posting how many pads come in ToGoSpa. It was one of my five samples and I was worried that it only came with one. I couldn’t find a number anywhere.
Oooh, yours is a pretty awesome bag! Yours is the first variation I’ve seen where I would have loved every product 🙂 not including my own unfortunately… there were two misses… the Eyeko eyeliner & Coastal Scents brush, but at least I’ll have some nice giveaways to people who I know will love what I don’t like! I’m also getting the IT mascara, Rodial tonic, & Clark’s Botanicals cream. I’m really excited about those!
I want a more classy looking bag! I’m holding out for November since the sneak peak for Oct/Halloween didn’t look so good either. For me, their bag designs have been way off for months now.
I am with you Monah on Octobers bag…I really do NOT like Halloween it is my least favorite time of the year. I find no fun in death, skulls, vampires or witches.
Ditto Kate! I actually cancelled for Oct and plan on resubbing in time for the Nov bag. 🙂
Love skulls, witches, vampires,& bats! Halloween is my favorite – next to Christmas:)
I definitely got a mid-century Mad Men vibe from this bag. I love/hate the ugly golds, Browns, yellows and oranges of that time period. It’s something between comforting (reminds me of my grandma and her generation) and nauseating and depressing., all at the same time.
? There is no orange, yellow, or brown on the bag?
It’s not the prettiest thing, but I still think it’s really cute that the girls on the bag are spelling out “Ipsy”
Ha!! It is !
Thanks for pointing that out lol
Maybe I’m odd but I love the bag
Haha I didn’t realize that! Good catch!