Ipsy Is Ending Sample Selection – Last Call To Pick October Sample

I came across this by accident. I was panicking I thought it was a recent post lol

This is very disappointing to here. I JUST emailed them a few months ago saying I wanted to cancel because of the awful products I was receiving (awful for me, mind you) and they were able to suck me back in with their sample choice. This was something I didn’t even know I was elligble to do until a few months ago. Now that it is ending, I’m nervous about whether or not my boxes will stay good.

I just requested my sample choice and received the following response (sounds like they have something else in mind to help personalize Glam Bags.
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Thanks for your message! We’re phasing out our product selection program, but I’d be happy to honor your request this time. Your pick will be included in your October Glam Bag!

Starting in October, you’ll no longer be able to write to us and request specific products for future Glam Bags, but be on the lookout for another fun product personalization opportunity coming soon!

I got a survey from Ipsy today asking how much I would pay to select items in a bag (among other things). I guess this is the other opportunity to personalize our bags they alluded to.

I am disappointed that they will be terminating this selection program. I have been subscribed for 14 months and shortly after I subbed, they began sending me emails to select one item in my bag, which I thought was awesome and so easy. That lasted for 6 months and I suddenly stopped getting the “choose 1 item” emails, but began emailing them to select an item instead. So basically, the entire time i’ve been subscribed I’ve had the option to select one item in my monthly glam bag. I really hope they offer the email selection to all subscribers instead; I really liked that (it was done through my email with survey monkey). We’ll see how much i continue to enjoy ipsy without being able to choose an item…🤞

I just read an article that said ipsy got bought out. I hope that doesn’t mean there are more awful changes like this coming soon. I will be cancelling both my accounts quickly if that happens.

Here is Ipsy’s response about the “pick a product” program.

Hi Char,

Thank you for the honest feedback. I understand that this is something you really enjoy and I’ll be sure to pass your feedback along to the team.

Rest assured that we’re working on a fun product personalization opportunity for the future. We’ll let you and the rest of the community know when it’s available!

Thanks so much for your understanding, and please let me know if I can help with anything else.

Best,
Axel

…. There is another “fun product personalization” coming soon. My gut says right on our Ipsy page we will be able to make a “choice.” This makes it much easier than reading through all the spoilers, figuring out the timing to email to get the just right item, and still not being happy if the item we WANT was not on the right list….. By the way.. not to rush things but when do the November spoilers start to drop? I’m 58 years old and LOVE IPSY! The stuff I can’t use goes into a not-my-style Ipsy makeup bag and gets donated to my local battered women’s shelter. They give me a donation receipt for the value of the items which I deduct from my taxes. WIN-WIN.

I have been with Ipsy since the start, I think I missed their first ever and after that I have been a subscriber. For a long time I got bags with samples and brands that just weren’t great, but I stuck it out. I’ve been around for all the major changes, I’ve gone through playing around with the old and new customization quizzes, I spent my fair share of time complaining about my bag not having anything at ALL that matched any preferences, and they mailed me an item of my choice when that happened without me even asking. They appear to be going by the profile guidelines more, and this was never an official feature, so I respect that. It was probably a ton of time and work that wasn’t necessary for their business model. I hope the new changes are something we will really be excited for, but in the end I always get my $10 worth (or I have lots of friends who are happy when my bag comes). My one fear is that the changes are going to focus more on the ipsy shopping side of things, to the detriment of the subscription service…but even then, the only thing I can do is unsubscribe. Can’t fault a company if their ultimate goal was to expand the business and go into sales and not just a sub. It would probably be the death of the company…I know we all had the Birchbox moment. I actually randomly grabbed this month’s Birchbox and I have never received a more sad subscription delivery ever. I had samples I had tried back in 2011, that were leaking, and of course one sample was a perfume one as well. I gave them a shot a year later after cancelling, and as tempted as I am to give them one more month, I would rather put the $10 towards the new KVD palette I ordered.

I’m sad they won’t be offering this anymore, because it was nice knowing there’s at least one item I’m going to like. There have been plenty of times I got an ipsy bag full of crap I would never want or use. Lately, they’ve been better, but I do wish they allowed more personalization. I still want to be surprised but there are more categories I’d love to be able to opt out of and even brands I would like to never get.

Totally agree with the “in subbing because I can’t choose an item” comments. I only found out about the spoiler request in August so I only had a choice for September and October.
Part of the point, IMO, of not getting to choose an item is to introduce me to brands, colours, products I might not otherwise just go out & buy outright. I haven’t loved everything every month but I’ve discovered several new to me products & brands I now use regularly. If I was depending on my choice of 1 particular item being the reason I subscribed then I would have canceled awhile back. I think some people are missing the point of the subscription.
I’m excited to see what they have in store to make my subscription better.
If you don’t want a particular item you always have the opt out. Problem solved.

I think this is a bit disappointing because it was a nice option, but ipsy has never advertised this service. When the selection posts first started on MSA, they always included the disclaimer that it was a beta program and that subscribers could give it a try but there were no guarantees. A lot of people felt lucky that they were able to chose even if they weren’t in the beta program and equated it with great customer service. Over time, subscribers just started expecting it, but at no point has this been a part of what ipsy promises to subscribers. I would much prefer to subscribe to a sub that knows their limits and stops while they are ahead rather than having to apologize for not being able to hold up what they promised. It sounds like ipsy is planning an alternative anyway, so I don’t think it is worth getting upset over until there are more details about what comes next.

I’ve mentioned that my glam bags aren’t always a hit for me, but I’ve gotten some great items for myself or to share, and some pleasant surprises too. If you know exactly the products you like, or if you don’t like to stray from your usual look, then maybe a subscription whose purpose is to let you try a variety of new products isn’t for you and you should just buy what you like and avoid what you don’t. It blows my mind when someone says I never wear lip or eye products, hate hair products, only use pink blush, etc. and get upset because their boxes don’t work for them, give subscription boxes a break! Subs are meant to allow you to try new items before buying them. Maybe the color doesn’t work for you but you like the formula, or the expensive cleanser made you break out, now you know.

Sorry for the rant, but finally… your profile preferences are a guide, and the more buttons you click the less happy you will be. Just because you didn’t click on the eyeliner button doesn’t mean you will never get any, it just means you prefer the other items more. I’ve found that the simpler you leave the profile the better. Don’t like getting tiny the Balm samples? Take the Balm off your preferred brands list. Don’t want hair products? Skip the hair concerns section altogether. I’m not saying ipsy is perfect, but they are $10 a month and I think they do a pretty good job overall, cut them some slack. Not every month can be hit, and we can’t expect a personal shopper at that price.

Ipsy is still one of the best, most reliable beauty subs out there for the price.

I just don’t understand the “I’m unsubbing because of this” – this was never an official part of the Ipsy program. Just because people took it upon themselves to e-mail requests even if you weren’t invited to do so, doesn’t mean that it was a part of the subscription service.

They were testing a service, and now they’ve stopped. Nothing to cry about here IMO.

Just came here to go inform people of this. This was my very first time requesting an item, was so excited to see this was a thing. Sad to see it go. However when I emailed support they said they had some other fun customization things in the pipeline so I don’t know if that was just fluff or not but hopefully it’s accurate.

Speaking of which, though, are the above six items the only ones we can pick from for October? We are kinda at the end of the month already…

This is VERY disappointing. This is a HUGE advantage that IPSY had over other companies!! I have multiple categories of items that I can not use – due to perfume allergies. I would always request the 1 item I knew I could actually try and use. ESPECIALLY as they are sending items I specifically have not checked in the profile section. if you are going to ignore items I’ve told you I’m interested in – then at least let me choose 1 item I can ACTUALLY TRY!! SO VERY DISAPPOINTED IPSY 🙁

I usually get good products and I never picked. I get a lot of makeup brushes and usually get a eyeliner before I run out. I go Thur eyeliners like mad. I hit pan on a lot of my single eyeshadows I usually get facial lotion before I run out. I cancelled Boxycharm because I’m not using what I’m getting with Ipsy I am. Plus Ipsy is 10 dollars not 21. The first 4 months with Ipsy I didn’t get exactly what I used. But for the past 2 years I get products I actually use. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

I wish they would keep it because I personally hate seeing spoilers for the month and hoping I get a product that I know I will use and instead get a product I know I’m NOT going to use, or a whole box full. (Sephora).

Anyway, I am open to this new personalization option, it might be cool. And I’m for earning cash on my favorite makeup brands but i think the Ipsy shopper would work better if they had more samples in our bags from those specific brands you can earn money back on like MAC. That way, those who are not familiar with the brand can sample and if they like it, can transition into that option. But whatev, we will see

I’m not mad at them over this. It was something they had a TEST group to try. Then it was posted all over (even here) and they got slammed with emails to request a item from people who were not in that test group. Yet, they still accommodated them.
I’ve been with them 4 years and they only started this late last year.
The profiles do work, UNLESS you have a bunch of stuff checked off and don’t do your reviews. I have to laugh at people who say they never get anything that works for them. That’s obviously not true. Even if you think you won’t like something TRY IT. Most likely, you’ll change your mind.
Or you are just someone who is never happy.

I don’t think that is a good move! In the last six months the only thing I have liked in my bags are the items I pick. It would be very easy for them to set up an item pick just like birchbox does. Maybe if we all email them and tell them not to get rid of the picks they would change their minds.

I’m thinking the app store Ipsy Shopper is about to go live. The only thing that would make it worthwhile is if it came with free shipping. Or you got Ipsy cash just from having your sub (like the old birchbox points system)

A few words about Ipsy. I have been with them for around four years. At first my bags were terrible, but then they started getting better and better. The rewards program always had great items for a reasonable amount of points. Then I decided I loved it so much that I wanted two bags. I opened an account with totally different profiles. A vast majority of the time my two bags had several duplicates….sometimes they were EXACTLY the same. Theory debunked: Ipsy does not cater to your profile and there is no “super secret” algorithm. I cancelled my second bag and kept the first. This was around the time when selecting an item was starting. I chose an item every month until September. I was getting amazing bags!!! But I skipped in September and my bag this month was awful. I am very disappointed about this program ending.

Ipsy pros: EXCELLENT customer service, no repeats on same account, great value for $10, a good balance of skin care, makeup, hair, etc., usually great brands, a decent bag every month AND the product opt-out feature. I hope they continue this because I am paper white and never want to see bronzers or sunless tanners ever again.

Ipsy cons: Ditching the product selection of one sample, rewards are not very good but cost a lot more points and finally, the company now seems to target teens. It was always geared to the younger audience, but their site and Facebook and social media stuff is definitely for the younger set. That’s cool, it’s just not for me.

I was planning on dumping Sephora and/or Macy’s after December, but Ipsy may be on the chopping block as well. Ipsy, this is very painful. You were my first. Such amazing memories. Maybe we can stay together if your new “personalization” is special. We’ll talk again after the holidays…..lol!!!

I never did that anyway. I like being surprised by what I get.

awwwwwww sorry to hear that Ipsy is cutting this option. I loved to be able to pick one of my favorites…..