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Ipsy Glam Bag Plus Review – September 2019

Megan K.
ByMegan K.Oct 15, 2019 | 89 comments

Ipsy Glam Bag Plus September 2019 makeup subscription box review

Ipsy Glam Bag Plus
4.3 overall rating
242 Ratings | 28 Reviews

Ipsy Glam Bag Plus is a $25 a month subscription box from Ipsy. Every month you’ll receive 5 full-sized beauty products. The box will have a retail value of at least $120. (This box was voted as a best makeup subscription box and a best beauty subscription box by MSA readers!)

open pink box with yellow tissue inside

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

all contents

About Ipsy Glam Bag Plus

The Subscription Box: Ipsy Glam Bag Plus

The Cost: $25 a month (free US shipping)

The Products: Full-size makeup and beauty products every month.

Ships to: The US for free and Canada for $2.95

Our Ipsy Glam Bag Plus September 2019 Review

 

Now, on to the items!

 

Nomad Cosmetics Berlin Underground Intense Eyeshadow Palette, - Retail Value $37.00

I am pretty sure this palette is too cool for me. Just look at that industrial styling and range of shades! I don't always enjoy massive palettes but this one is so cohesive and I love the Berlin-inspired colors and names. The formulas are silky smooth and very pigmented. They blend like a dream! If I have one complaint, it is that there could be more matte formulas in this palette, but I can overlook this. If you are looking for a palette to revamp your fall shadows, you found it. My faves? The Wall, East Side Gallery, and Tacheles!

Top to Bottom: Kreuzberg (actually has a gold flash that didn't show here), SO36, The Wall, East Side Gallery, Tekkno

NDW, Helden, Poor But Sexy, Tacheles, Loveparade

Deutschpunk, Chaostage, Oranienstrable, Hansa, Klubnacht

 

Illamasqua Antimatter Lipstick in 'Solar', 4.15 g - Retail Value $26.00 (found here on sale for $13.00)

This is one of those HOT pink shades with just a little red that I generally love on my lips. 10/10 in terms of color. I am not as sure about the formula. Described as a "semi-matte" finish, I have to admit that I found it a little patchy and I also thought it settled into the lines on my lips, and if you have any dryness, forget about it! The upside is that all of these issues disappear when you apply a little gloss on top. I generally always do, so this is not a big ask, especially for a shade I like this much.

Loving this shade.

 

Ciaté London Extraordinary Translucent Powder, 15 g - Retail Value $22.00

We can all agree that translucent powder isn't always super exciting, but I literally use it daily, so I always need more. I really like this powder quite a lot. It does exactly what I need (mattify and smooth out my face) and lasts all day. It gives my skin a nice diffused look and minimizes the overall texture, so this is a win.

 

OFRA Cosmetics OFRA x Madison Miller Squad Palette, 12 g - Retail Value $35.00

This trio had me swooning at first sight. This is exactly the sort of palette I like to keep close by because it is so natural looking and easy. My makeup routine each morning is a tinted sunscreen, powder, blush, highlighter, and a little mascara. Basics! This palette holds two steps in one, and they are the most perfect shades. While the pans themselves don't exactly feel smooth to the touch, they still apply beautifully with a brush or fingertips. This is my absolute fave item in the box!

This is essentially my dream team!

 

APTO Skincare Antioxidant Mask with Pomegranate, 2 fl oz - Retail Value $20.00, Listed Value $36.00

Finally, our last item is a really beautifully packaged yellow mask. It smells incredible, like rich fruits, tea, and herbs. You simply apply it to your skin and let it sit for about 10 minutes before washing off. This is not one of those formulas that is meant to completely dry! Though it does have a little clay in it, my skin wasn't dry at all after I rinsed it off, but actually very soft and hydrated. There are a ton of great ingredients in this mix (aloe, fruit extracts, etc) so your skin will be pretty happy and calm after using it. I really loved this stuff!

Verdict: This box has a value of $140.00 which is awesome for a $25 box. There were some incredible things in here this month! Let's start with that Berlin-inspired palette. Wow. The whole thing felt like some sort of industrial art piece in the form of 15 eyeshadows. Will I actually wear all of those colors? Probably not, but just looking them is pretty inspiring. My fave item this month is easily the OFRA palette. That is just my sort of easy, natural makeup. Toss in your purse and glow! The APTO mask was also wonderful and left my skin radiant and super soft. The lipstick shade was perfection, though I am not completely sold on the formula, and the setting powder is always useful, though less exciting.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? If you want an Ipsy Glam Bag Plus subscription, get on the waitlist here.

Value Breakdown: This box cost $25. Here is approximately what you are paying per product:

  • Nomad Cosmetics Berlin Palette $6.61
  • Illamasqua Lipstick $4.64
  • Ciaté London Powder $3.93
  • OFRA Cosmetics Palette $6.25
  • APTO Skincare Mask $3.57

Alternatively, each item has an average cost of $5.00.

Check out all of our Ipsy Glam Bag Plus reviews and our favorite beauty and makeup subscriptions!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

What do you think of the September Ipsy Glam Bag Plus? Which items did you get?

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Megan K.
Megan K.
I love natural/vegan beauty products, Korean skincare, unique jewelry, and weird candies from far away places. When I am not waiting for my next exciting box you can find me painting or taking photographs of interesting people. I never leave home without pug hair somewhere on my shirt and a bold lipstick on my smile.

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89 comments

Sjski

Does anyone know how to contact IPSY? You can no longer email them, I have left messages on FB with no response, and it’s beyond frustrating. I got the wrong bag somehow, with not one single correct item, so I’d love to get it fixed. Thanks.

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kali

twitter! they always reply to me on there

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LD

I just had to reach out to them because I never got my August bag. I contacted through Twitter which was super easy to do, or you can use [email protected]. They changed the site around and lots of links go nowhere and the email is hidden, but still listed here (for now): https://help.ipsy.com/en_us/why-can't-i-email-ipsycare-HyIqSK44S

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Lily

I thought they’d done away with the email option too, and resubscribed just to try to contact them, but it’s still there.

Go to the help page, and select the question or statement that seems to be closest to what you want to email them about. There’s a place that says ” GET INSTANT ANSWERS” and below that is the old standard Contact IpsyCare form.

You can’t email them from your own email address, but through their form.

I believe I got the wrong Apto mask and not the Pomegranate one, so I’ve contacted them to ask about it.
I wasn’t at all happy with my GBP and won’t ever subscribe to it again. I didn’t get either eye shadow palette, just that highlighter trio thing, the Murad stuff when I don’t have spots but the lightener itself can CAUSE spots, and it was just very low value.
Eyebrow pencil, things I don’t like and won’t use but the only thing I can really do is complain about the mask that is not like the photo in either color or packaging.

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Joyce

Does anyone know what day you will be able to pick one of your products at the end of September? They are not giving a specific date and I don’t want to miss it.

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rokonrae

I’ve read it will be Sept 24.

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Dot

Omg !! Love the disco kitten mask however me being me in a hurry I slathered it on my face , and even though I had a band on my hair to pull back my hair I got some on my baby hairline and boy did that hurt pulling off I think I broke some hairs along the way 🙁 next time I’ll be more careful . I bought the silicone meme brush online for $8.00 b/c on website it said it works well together . It’s kinda bad advertising on the box though b/c it says use the silicone brush to apply . There was moments included . Oh well still great mask next time I’ll watch those baby hairs 🤣🤣🤣

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Christa H

Thank you for this! I went and watched it and immediately had to subscribe to her! And the products are sooo beautiful! I’m super duper excited for the October Ipsy bag🤗🤗 I’m gonna have to work extra OT and buy all 3 bags coming up😳😳😳

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Aubrey Guilbault

Yeah, she is amazing with makeup! I couldn’t believe it. And the Betty Boop products are pretty cool. I can’t wait to see the whole line of spoilers for all three bags.

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Kathy

I got a similar box, except instead of the VV palette I got the glam glow cleanser + the lipstick in a red! I’m quite happy with the cleanser and lipstick color. This month was satisfactory for me

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Charlotte

That Nomad palette is GORGEOUS. I’m jealous of everyone who received it in their box.

I got:
– the Madison Miller Ofra Palette
– Glamglow cleanser
– Ciate powder
– Illamasqua lipstick in Cosmic
– Wander Beauty brow pencil in Taupe

The Ofra palette is definitely my favorite thing in the box. I thought I couldn’t wear highlighters until I tried Ofra. The colors in the palette are perfect for my neutral, very fair skin. The icy pink in particular is just gorgeous and really has that “glow from within” quality on me.

I also really liked the Glamglow cleanser. I was hesitant because of the negative reviews online, but I love a good clay-based cleanser and this one deep-cleans my pores without leaving me feeling tight, and the exfoliating bits really soften my skin. It also didn’t irritate my sensitive eyes. It smells a little weird and I don’t think it will replace my current HG (Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip), but I’ll happily use it until it’s gone.

The Ciate powder isn’t terrible exciting, but I needed some setting powder so it will definitely get used.

The Cosmic lipstick color is not one I would have picked for myself – it’s a pink nude a couple of shades lighter than my natural lip color – but it’s flattering on and works well for a no-makeup look. I personally found the formula really emollient and moisturizing, so YMMV.

The only item that doesn’t work for me is the brow pencil. The Taupe color is too cool and ashy for my dark brown brows, and I found it really difficult to apply. Bummer. But the rest of the box is so great I don’t mind having one dud item.

I added on the Ofra liquid lip in Oh My Ry Ry, and wow, I was not expecting to get a full size lippie for $3! I really like the formula and the color is the perfect MLBB on me, so I’m glad I “splurged,” lol.

Overall, I’m really happy with my first GBP, and I’m impatient for October spoilers.

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Megan K.

Ditto your feelings on that icy pink highlighter. I have used it every single day since I opened this box. Even on a naked face it is stellar!

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h

Better box than last month:

Glamglow Cleanser (just received my box today, so haven’t tried anything yet)

Lipstick in Midnight (nice red for my pale, cool complexion)

Eyebrow pencil in dark (Wander Beauty, I think I recall)

Ofra palette

Ciate setting powder (which I have plenty of much better brands that I’ve bought, myself)

Added both brushes and the mini 111Skin eye

Really hoping that the quality remains at the same level for the GBP after they have introduced a third, Ultimate box, because I only subscribe to this one.

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Pink5

I got Midnight too and just tried it to see.

It goes on easily and feels light and is a great red.

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Anna

I saw on reddit beauty boxes that some Oct. spoilers include Betty boop eyeshadow palette and Betty boop lipstick, can MSA confirm?

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Charlotte

Yeah, barring any “must have” items being spoiled, I think I’m going to skip next month’s GBP and get Boxy instead. I’d MUCH prefer a Dose of Colors palette to that Betty Boop one.

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Renee'

I hope if they do, that it’s better quality than the tetris stuff was. While that stuff looks really cute the quality was not good my brushes all arrived broken and the eyeshadows were pretty bad. I wouldn’t mind the Betty Boop stuff in the $10 now $12 bag but getting it in the ultimate and getting like a whole set of it for my $50 will make me pretty unhappy.

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Amanda

I bet you are right. Bailey Sarian on YouTube did a Betty Boop look today. I just went to watch it and it is Betty Boop x Ipsy. The eyeshadow palette looks pretty.

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Natalie

This is my best IPSY plus yet!

-Nomad palette
-Ofra highlighter palette
-Disco Kitten
-Wander brow pencil
-Ciate powder

And I added on some lippies.

Palettes always feel really special to me so to receive two was a dream come true, plus the powder?! I’m set.

Dew me is a really nice brand that I actually spend money on at ulta so that was amazing. And I love wander.

I mean what else could I ask for?

Ipsy isn’t going to wash my car too, will they?

^_^

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R.

Box twins! I feel the same way about mine. I added on the Glamglow cleanser and the babe Lash serum. I haven’t been this happy with ipsy plus in at least 4 months. Plus my add-ons were correct, my brow pencil was in the correct shade, I’m thrilled.

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Crystal

I was blessed with the best box yet for me
Nomad pallete, ofra x Madison Miller squad , wander eyebrow pencil and Paris Hilton pro DNA face cleanser. I was in major doubt about the nomad and the Paris Hilton but I was beyond happy . I really hope next month isn’t as bad as it’s looking . I just don’t think anything Betty boop is going to be for me . But fingers crossed

Pink5

This was basically my box, except the lipstick color and skincare items are different.

I got Midnight, which is a gorgeous red in the tube.

The skincare was the Paris Hilton cleanser, as a full size, my first reaction was this is HUGE! at 4.5 oz.

I saw that others were complaining that their boxes arrived with damaged contents. I had some item boxes that were a little scuffed around the edges and the box for the 111Skin add-on (eye cream) was a little squashed, but no actual items were damaged.

Looking forward to playing with this.

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Becky

I went a little add-on heavy this time. I only started this sub back in May and I’ve been impressed. My first box was meh, but after adjusting my preferences a bit, the last few have had at least 2-3 products that are a hit.

I received:

-Ciate translucent powder- up for swap. I typically use powder foundation and this don’t need a setting powder.

-Madison Miller palette- also up for swap. I’m super fair-skinned so the highlighters would look like eyeshadow smeared on my cheeks. Nice idea though, if I had different shades. Love the matte white packaging.

-I Dew Care Disco Kitten peel-off mask- pretty excited about this. I’m an obsessive cat lady so the fact that it has kitten in the name won me over already. I’ve been wanting to try something from this line for a while.

-Wander Beauty micro brow pencil in taupe- Haven’t used this yet but any pencil in taupe is usually good for me because my brows are kind of an ashy light brown color. The plastic of the pencil does feel a little flimsy though. And I get that it’s a micro pencil, but I predict I’ll run through this pretty quickly–it’s on the small side.

-Paris Hilton proDNA cleansing gel- was a little thrown by a Paris Hilton product, but the ingredients seem okay. Listed for swap but if it doesn’t get picked up by someone, I’ll end up using it.

Add-Ons:
-GlamGlow TropicalCleanse exfoliating cleanser (huge tube!)
-Glow Recipe watermelon sleeping mask
-It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser
-Coloured Raine Cosmetics eyeshadow in Glamour
-Bretman x Colourpop palette in Wet (gorgeous jewel tones!)

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Karen

I agree about giving it a second chance too. I’m super fair, like too fair for the majority of American foundations fair, and I can use the icy pink as a highlight, especially bringing my blush up a little higher and overlapping the highlight with the top edge of the blush, so when it hits the light you see the highlight but looking straight on it blends in with the blush. I was also able to use the blush shade with a light hand.

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Charlotte

Honestly, you might want to give the Madison Miller palette a chance. I’m super fair skinned as well, and both those highlighters work well on me. The paler pink shade in particular is super flattering. The rose gold requires a light hand, but overall I think both shades are wearable even for us pale folks.

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Megan K.

totally try it before giving up! I am also really fair and it is pretty close to perfection on my skin <3

KatKat

skipped this month. no fomo. checking this site daily, several times a day for Oct spoilers! when will that drop??

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tina k

^^^ Yes, my thoughts exactly!

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Abigail Rivera

Will i receive this box in october? Or spoilers come out by the end of september? This box really sux

Suzy

The only difference in our boxes is the mask. I received the Paris Hilton cleanser instead. I ain’t mad about it. It is definitely something I can use.

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Emilia

After many months of skipping, I have finally cancelled my bag. Nothing excites me, and I don’t like the brands very much. I can never sell anything from the bag, either.

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Nicole

I’m surprised you have a hard time selling these items. I can tell you that my GBP items swap quicker than any of my other sub boxes. I list them early and they are usually all promised to someone by the time I get my box.

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Jackie

Same here, it’s a box not everyone gets and even if they do, they might not get a certain item they want, so swapping these items is not hard at all. And I always find an item or two (sometimes even 3) that I’m really excited about and with the new 5 add ons, I can basically make my own smaller ipsy bag as well. Super happy with GBP.

jenn

i got the exact same box. two months in a row i didnt get the skin care item i wanted (this month i really wanted the murad and it wasnt even available as an add-on)… disappointing that they dont even seem to pay attn to the preferences surveys.

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Jennifer

Same here! I was betting on that Murad!! 🙁 I’ll probably skip October.

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Shawna

Oh good, I’m not the only one whose Pomegranate Mask was yellow instead of pink! Did they fill it with their Tumeric Mask by accident or something? Also, ipsy’s site isn’t letting me review my items, so I’m just going to do it here:

– Glamglow Tropicleanse Cleanser – LOVE! Seriously, this is my new favorite cleanser because it feels good to use, has a nice scent, and makes my face feel so clean and soft after. I have been using it day and night and noticed my skin looking clearer and brighter!

– Ofra Palette – High like. Ofra highlighters are my favorite, so I love those, but the blush shade is just too soft of a pink for me.

– Wander Eyebrow Pencil – High like. It’s a good eyebrow pencil with a nice spoolie, just like the IT Cosmetics one.

– Apto Mask – Like. It being yellow bothered me, but I figured they accidentally filled the tube with their Tumeric Mask instead of the Pomegranate one or used the wrong dye. The two are described as doing pretty much the exact same things anyway, so I tried it. My skin felt good after, but I didn’t like the graininess and prefer creamier masks. Gave it to my aunt who is having more trouble with breakouts and redness than me.

– Lipstick in Cosmic – Like. The neutral pink color is great and it stays on fine, but moisturizing it is not, just as mentioned in the review. Adding a little gloss or lip oil on top will do the trick. The thing is I already have a Lipstick Queen lipstick in pretty much the same color (The Truth from the Nothing but The Nudes line) that moisturizes great by itself. So this will be the one I leave at work in case I forget to bring my A-team makeup case lol.

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Redwoods301

In the really nice lipstick category, Lipstick Queen really hard to beat! I did the same double take with the Apto mask too, but I really like it.

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Shawna

Yeah, my aunt got back to me and said she loves the Apto mask and it is really helping her, so it is definitely a quality product! Just not to my personal preferences.

Pink5

I’m underwhelmed by Lipstick Queen.

It is very moisturizing but the color payoff is just not there.

Jessica

The APTO brand doesn’t use fake colors or dyes in their products, which I love. The turmeric mask is really really yellow, because of the turmeric in it. I have both masks and the colors are way different, the turmeric is super yellow and this pomegranate one is like a light pale pinkish orange. They are definitely 2 different products, and there is no way they accidentally filled it with the turmeric mask.

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Ricki

I sometimes wonder if items end up with Ipsy due to manufacturing flaws that make then unsellable otherwise. Like how in the first GBP the lippie had the wrong expiration date printed on it. Maybe this batch of masks came out funky colored (but nothing else wrong), so Ipsy got them.

MzBev

I don’t know how you can say they didn’t make a mistake? (Atpo) I received a yellow tube, not the pink one shown on Ipsy site & which matches this review. Many of us got a completely different color. I peeled the foil off, to check the actual mask. Its the tumeric mask.
I’m not mad about it, I haven’t even decided if I’ll email Ipsycare about it. But for you to say there is no way this was a mistake is a bit much, you do not know that. Once you see pictures or more unboxings, I’m sure you will see the difference for yourself.

Shawna

Oh, good! Thanks for the info! The pictures on Ipsy just really brought out the pink.

Dianne

I skipped this month. Can’t wait to see next month’s spoilers.

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AmyM

Box twins, except for lipstick color. I’m getting a bright blue-red; we’ll see how that works. I wasn’t particularly excited about the box but your review turned it around. The palette swatches look gorgeous and I need a new setting powder.

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Carrie

Some pretty stuff but nothing I need or would use. Glad I skipped!

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lmhilly

No glam bag plus spoilers yet for October?

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Sara

Agree! I’ve been checking daily for October spoilers. Not sure if I want to skip or not or sign up for regular Ipsy to get the Betty Boop bag.

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tammy g.

you know I really like ipsy glam bag..they really look at my profile..unlike others I have cancelled…thanks ipsy your great…I can’t wait till the end of this month when we can pick out one item from each bag…I have 4 now..still don’t know yet on the ultimate bag yet..

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LunaLee

Box twins…almost! My lipstick is cosmic and instead of the mask I am getting the Paris Hilton cleanser. I am very happy with my box. It weighed a ton, lol!

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DocN

A little OT, but where are the October spoilers?

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Jill M

I think Ipsy is keeping them locked up this month because of the launch of Ultimate. I’m losing my patience lol (not with msa though) 🥰

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Pink5

Probably that plus being able to choose an item.

Alice

My September box was unbelievable . Since I would use every single product in my box , it has the actually value of $177.

There were a few items in this month roaster that I really did not want and I got none of them. And the ones that I was not excited in getting actually turned out to be amazing. This is the best birthday gift I have ever given myself.

So I got

Murad
Haven’t tried it yet, but I am dying to try it

Ciate
Powder is powder, and I can always use more powder. The only problem I have is that it is made in China, and I have to dig to find the ingredient list

Lipstick in Cosmic
On Ipsy’s website, this one looks like a hot fusia pink so I was nervous at first. However, it turns out to be a very natural looking coral pink. The formula itself is very lightweight. I could not feel it on my lip no matter how many layers I put on. I don’t find it particularly drying myself, not more than other matte formulas. I am actually quite happy with it although I don’t usually like matte lipstick.

Ofra palette
I was not particularly excited about it as I don’t usually like highlight. I have to say, Ofra highlight is really amazing. There is something about it that sets it apart from other brands. I am converted. The blush is a perfect shade for me and I can see it works on most skin shades.

Wander beauty brow pencil in Taupe
Just as I thought my black brow pencil is too dark for my highlighted hair… This is perfect for my hair. I thought it would be way too light from the swatch but I was wrong. It is just perfect!! And I am usually not very picky when is comes to brow pencils. This works just as good as my ABH brow wiz.

I am beyond thrilled from this month box and I can’t wait for the spoiler for next month. To think that I have got all these legit items with no inflated fake retail prices for $25 is insane.

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Shar

Box twins 100% Even the colors. Like you, I’m beyond thrilled. The Murad alone is worth almost 3 times the box. It is a full ounce. Go IPSY. I’m so happy I moved up to IPSY plus. Definately worth the money to get full size products.

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Sharon

I have been checking my Ipsy app multiple times a day hoping it updates the Ultimate bag

tab with SOME type of update but nothing as of yet. I’m hoping they come out soon since we

are halfway through Sept!

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Nancy

I believe I heard that will start Sept. 24

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Reneekathryn

I love your reviews, they are always so honest and I don’t feel like you are trying to be overly positive about everything.

I can’t wait for Ultimate spoilers!!!

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Megan K.

Thanks Reneekathryn! I try to be as honest as possible and I try everything out before I review, unless I am allergic or something! Thanks for leaving this kind feedback 🙂

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